/ 
 
RERUM BRITANNIC ARUM MEDII .EVI 
 SCRIPTORES. 
 
 OR 
 
 CHRONICLES AND MEMORIALS OF GREAT BRITAIN 
 
 AND IRELAND 
 
 DURING 
 
 THE MIDDLE AGES. 
 
THE CHRONICLES AND MEMORIALS 
 
 OP 
 
 GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND 
 
 DURING THE MIDDLE AGES. 
 
 PUBLISHED Br THE AUTHORIT V OF HER MAJESTY'S TREASURY, UNDER THE 
 DIRECTION OF THE MASTER OF THE ROLLS. 
 
 On the 26th of January 1857, the Master of the Rolls 
 submitted to the Treasury a proposal for the publication 
 of materials for the History of this Country from the 
 Invasion of the Romans to the Reign of Henry VIII. 
 
 The Master of the Rolls suggested that these materials 
 should be selected for publication under competent editors 
 without reference to periodical or chronological arrange- 
 ment, without mutilation or abridgment, preference being- 
 given, in the first instance, to such materials as were most 
 scarce and valuable. 
 
 He proposed that each chronicle or historical document 
 to be edited should be treated in the same way as if the 
 editor were engaged on an Editio Princeps ; and for this 
 purpose the most correct text should be formed from an 
 accurate collation of the best MSS. 
 
 To render the work more generally useful, the Master 
 of the Rolls suggested that the editor should give an 
 account of the MSS. employed by him, of their age and 
 their peculiarities ; that he should add to the work a brief 
 account of the life and times of the author, and any 
 remarks necessary to explain the chronology ; but no other 
 note or comment was to be allowed, except what might be 
 necessary to establish the correctness of the text. 
 
 a 2 
 
4 
 
 The works to be published in octavo, separately, as 
 they were finished ; the whole responsibility of the task 
 resting upon the editors, who were to be chosen by the 
 Master of the Rolls with the sanction of the Treasury. 
 
 The Lords of Her Majesty's Treasury, after a careful 
 consideration of the subject, expressed their opinion in a 
 Treasury Minute, dated February 9, 1857, that the plan 
 recommended by the Master of the Rolls " was well 
 calculated for the accomplishment of this important 
 national object, in an effectual and satisfactory manner, 
 within a reasonable time, and provided proper attention be 
 paid to economy, in making the detailed arrangements, 
 without unnecessary expense." 
 
 They expressed their approbation of the proposal that 
 each chronicle and historical document should be edited 
 uq such a manner as to represent with all possible correct- 
 ness the text of each writer, derived from a collation of the 
 best MSS., and that no notes should be added, except 
 such as were illustrative of the various readings. They 
 suggested, however, that the preface to each work should 
 contain, in addition to the particulars proposed by the 
 Master of the Rolls, a biographical account of the author, 
 so far as authentic materials existed for that purpose, and 
 an estimate of his historical credibility and value. 
 
 Rolls House, 
 
 December 1857. 
 
PECOCK'S REPRESSOR. 
 
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 vyljidtcr testii fta 1)H» *nc 
 tvrta\M» o^flftu of£a( 
 
 -"Pi 
 
 AE. Kk 4.26 
 
JUL 28 1914 
 
 THE 
 
 REPRESSOR OF OVER MUCH BLAMING OP 
 THE CLERGY. 
 
 REGINALD V PECOCK, D.D., 
 
 SOMETIME LORD BISHOP OF CHICHESTER. 
 
 EDITED 
 
 BY 
 
 CHURCHILL BABINGTON, B.D., 
 
 FELLOW OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF HER MAJESTY'S 
 TREASURY, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE MASTER OF THE ROLLS. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON : 
 LONGMAN, GREEN, LONGMAN, AND ROBERTS. 
 
 1860. 
 
Printed by , . 
 
 Eire and Spottiswoode, Her Majesty a Printers., 
 For Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Introduction - - - • - ix 
 
 Summary of Contents ... Ixxxvii 
 Pecock's Repressor ----- 1 
 Excerpts from Bury's Gladius Salomonis - 567 
 
 Abbreviatio Reginaldi Pecock - - - 615 
 
 Extract from Gascotone's Theological Dictionary 621 
 Glossary - 625 
 Index ------- 685 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 b 2 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The life of Reginald Pecock has been made the Sources of 
 subject of a special work by Lewis, 1 who has con- respecting 
 
 J 1 J > Pecock. 
 
 1 The Life of the learned and right 
 reverend Reynold Pecock, S.T.P., 
 lord bishop of St. Asaph and Chi- 
 chester, in the reign of king Henry 
 VI., faithfully collected from records 
 and MSS., being a sequel of the Life 
 of Dr. John Wiclif, in order to an 
 introduction to the History of the 
 English Reformation. Collected 
 and written by John Lewis, mi- 
 nister of Mergate in 1725, and 
 now reviewed. London, 1744, pp. 
 344, and Pref., pp. xvi. (250 copies 
 printed for the subscribers). This 
 book was reprinted at the Oxford 
 University Press in 1820. The 
 original edition is always referred 
 to in this introduction. The litera 
 ture and authorities for Pecock 's life 
 and opinions (apart from his own 
 works), so far as they are known to 
 me, are as follows : — 
 
 (1.) Gascoigne's Theological Dic- 
 tionary, MS., Lincoln College, Ox- 
 ford, sa?c. xv. This is by far the 
 most important authority for the 
 hi-tory of Pecock ; and from it 
 Wood drew up his account of him 
 in the Hist, et Ant. Univ. Oxon., 
 observing at the end : " Hactenus de 
 l'eccckio illo de quo certe haec 
 
 referenda duxi .... quod Ox- 
 oniensis fuerit, praesertim vero quod 
 ilia scriptorum neminem attigissc 
 crediderim pi aster unicum Gascoig- 
 num, cujus cum eorum qua? refert 
 pleraque oculis et auribus praesens 
 hauserit vestigia premenda mihi 
 religiose videbantur." Many ex- 
 cerpts from this Dictionary relating 
 to Pecock are given by Hearne at 
 the end of his edition of Walter 
 Ilemingford, 2 vols., Oxon, 1731 
 (vol. 2, pp. 509-550), and by Lewis 
 in his Life of Pecock. To these 
 volumes reference will be made in 
 the following pages for the original, 
 which will not ordinarily be quoted 
 at length. An extract not before 
 printed is given in the Appendix 
 to the present work. 
 
 (2.) Johannis de Whcthamstedc 
 narratio de R. Pecockii abjuratione. 
 Printed by Hearne as above, pp. 
 490-502. 
 
 (3.) Official documents preserved 
 in Bishop's Registers, &c, quoted by 
 Lewis. Copies were sent to him 
 by various friends, as Kennet and 
 Baker ; some of them are likewise 
 contained in Baker's MSS. (partly 
 at Cambridge in the University 
 
X 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 scientiously and laboriously (if not very skilfully) put 
 together almost everything of importance which can 
 now be learned respecting him. The actual facts, how- 
 ever, admit of being stated tolerably briefly. 
 Pecock's early His parentage is unknown, as well as the exact 
 Aj>.vm-i480. time and place of his birth. He must have been 
 born, however, about the end of the fourteenth 
 century, and is said by Gascoigne, Leland, and others 
 to have been a Welshman ; he is styled, moreover, 
 in a papal instrument, presbyter dicecesis Meneven- 
 sis. 1 He appears, therefore, to have sprung from the 
 
 Library, partly at London in the 
 British Museum), and in Wharton's 
 MSS., now in the archiepiscopal 
 palace at Lambeth. 
 
 (4.) Lelandi Collectanea, torn. 2, 
 pp. 409, 410 (Ilearne's edition), 
 ejusd. Comm. de Scriptt. Britt., 
 c. 565, pp. 458, 459 (Hall's edition). 
 
 (5.) Bale, Scriptt. Brit., foil. 204, 
 205, WesaL 1548 ; and more fully 
 but very inaccurately, pp. 594, 595. 
 Ed. Basil, 1559. 
 
 (6.) Foxe (Book of Martyrs, 
 s. a. 1457, vol. 3, pp. 724-734. 
 Lond. 1844) devotes several pages to 
 " The history of Reynold Pecock, 
 bishop of Chichester, afflicted and 
 tormented by the false bishops for 
 his godliness and profession of 
 the Gospel." On this are two 
 adverse criticisms ; one by N. Dol- 
 man {Three Conversions of Enylaml. 
 c. 6, vol. 2, p. 265, sqq.),nn<l another, 
 whose author is unknown. Both 
 these arc printed in extenso by 
 Hearne. (Appendix to his preface 
 to HemimjJ'ord, pp. cli.-cliii.) 
 
 (7) There are also besides these 
 various incidental allusions to him 
 in the chroniclers of the fifteenth 
 and sixteenth centuries, Caxton, 
 Hall, Fabyau, Stowe, Holinshed, 
 and others, which are mostly col- 
 
 lected by Foxe (;/. s.), Waterland 
 (Works, vol. x.), and Lewis. 
 
 Of MSS. sources of information, 
 I have availed myself of Bury's 
 answer to the Repressor, which 
 is contained in the Bodleian Library 
 (another copy of the same is in the 
 Durham University Library, which 
 has been kindly examined by the 
 Rev. T. Chevallier for this work), 
 and of some portions of Gascoigne's 
 Theological Dictionary (preserved in 
 Lincoln College, Oxford, sa;c. xv.) 
 not printed by Hearne. For permis- 
 sion to inspect these and other MSS., 
 and to have transcripts made of such 
 parts as appeared desirable, my best 
 thanks are due to the Rev. II. O. 
 Coxe and the Rev. M. Fattison. 
 
 Of writers after the sixteenth 
 century it is unnecessary to speak. 
 They have added little or nothing 
 to the accounts of their predecessors, 
 except (in very many cases) errors 
 of their own. Some of these are 
 corrected by Henry Wharton, and 
 more by Lewis, from whom later 
 writers seem to have derived nearly 
 all their information. 
 
 1 l'ope Eugeuius, in his bull of 
 provision for the bishopric of St. 
 Asaph styles him presliytrrum Menc- 
 vensis diaeccsis in artibus magistrum 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xi 
 
 northern district of the principality comprised within 
 the diocese of St. David's, and contiguous to the parts 
 "which lie afterwards governed upon being promoted to 
 the bishopric of St. Asaph. 1 His boyhood was spent 
 in his own country, and many of its years were 
 doubtless (as Wood, perhaps following Gascoigne, 
 asserts) well spent in the acquisition of grammatical 
 learning. He thence went to Oriel College, Oxford, 
 and was elected to a fellowship October 30, 1417, upon 
 the vacancy occasioned by the elevation of Dr. Gars- 
 dale to the office of provost of the College. He was 
 ordained acolyte and subdeacon by his diocesan, Dr. 
 Flemmyng, Bishop of Lincoln, on the same day, 
 December 21, 14-20 ; admitted to deacon's orders Feb- 
 ruary 15, 14)21, and to priest's orders March 8 the 
 same year, upon the title of his College fellowship. 
 He soon afterwards proceeded to the degree of bachelor 
 iu divinity, and incepted under a Cistercian monk, 
 whose name has not come down to us, about the 
 year 1425, 2 when Gascoigne was Chancellor of the 
 University. His studies had been unwearied both in 
 sacred and profane literature, and, his very enemies 
 being judges, were crowned with complete success 
 " Felicia hsec principia (says Leland) tales habuere 
 
 ac in theologia baccalaureum, &c. 
 Reg. Staff, f. 15 ; Wharton MSS. 
 577, p. 31 (Lambeth MSS.). The 
 bull of Eugenius the Fourth and the 
 Juramentum ficlclitalis episcopi Assa- 
 vensis are still preserved at Lambeth. 
 
 1 " Wallicus origine," Gascoigne 
 in Hearne, u.s., 514, 516, and 548. 
 " natione Wallicus," Incert. Chron. 
 in Leland Collect, torn. ii. p. 409 ; 
 "relicta Cambria, patrio solo." 
 Leland, De Scriptt. Britt., c. 566. 
 Bale, indeed, calls him " Anglus," 
 De Script. Brit, fol. 204, ed. Wes. 
 1548), but even this is not neces- 
 
 sarily inconsistent with the fore- 
 going testimonies, and his later 
 edition adopts Leland's language 
 (p. 594, ed. Basil, 1559). Lewis 
 is therefore mistaken in saying that 
 the pope's bull is the " chief au- 
 thority " for the assertion that he 
 was born in Wales ; his interpre- 
 tation of the pope's bull (p. 8) 
 seems very improbable. 
 
 2 Gascoigne's MS. (torn. ii. p. 597) 
 has 1445 (written iu Arabic charac- 
 ters) ; but I have received Lewis' 
 correction, which is little less than 
 certain. 
 
xii 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 " successus, quales virtus suo promittit cultori, nerape 
 " optimos : jam studiorum orbem absolverat, et insignia 
 " theologi severi suprema acceperat ; tanta igitur viri 
 " exirnie docti latere quidem gloria non potuit." 1 
 Pecock promoted Soon after this time he was summoned to court, 
 
 to the mastership _ _ _ , . 
 
 ofwhittington where, according to Leland, his services were so ac- 
 
 College and the , , , . . t , 
 
 rectory of ceptable to his prince, that they brought him into 
 
 St. Michael in r 1 , 
 
 Rioia, a.d. 1431. great note and were rewarded with an ample fortune. 
 
 Humphrey Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, being at 
 that time protector of the kingdom, was very pro- 
 bably the person to whom Pecock was especially 
 indebted for his earlier promotions, the first of which 
 Avas the mastership of Whittington College, London, 
 to which the rectory of St. Michael in Riola was 
 attached. He obtained this piece of preferment in 
 1431, and alludes to his residence there in his 
 Repressor, this being one of the very few particulars 
 of his life which that book has preserved. It was 
 here that Pecock applied himself to study the con- 
 troversy between the Lollards and their opponents, 
 which must have been prominently brought before his 
 eyes both in his experience of London life and by 
 the Smithfield bonfires. Gascoigne tells us that he 
 wrote books in English for twenty years together, 
 and we know from himself that many of these Mere 
 principally designed to convince the Lollards of their 
 errors. During the thirteen years then of his London 
 residence, we cannot doubt that he composed several 
 of those works to which such frequent allusion is 
 made in the Donet and the Repressor? 
 
 1 Leland, De Scriptt. Britt., u. s., 
 ejusd. Collect. , u. ».; Gascoigne, u.s., 
 p. 548. Also Kennet MSS. and 
 lieg. Fleinmvng, referred to by 
 Lewis, pp. 2-4. 
 
 - Leland, u.s., Gascoigne, u.s., 
 p. 516. l'ecocks Repressor, p. 112. 
 Lewis, pp. 7, 8, where some infor- 
 
 mation about Whittington College 
 will be found. It is marked 
 in a map of London in 1563 
 (copied in Pennant's London), being 
 situated near the Three Cranes in 
 the Vintree, about half way be- 
 tween St. Paul's and old London 
 Bridge. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xiii 
 
 But Pecock was destined to vise to higher honours. Consecrated 
 The protector's influence procured him a bishopric. 1 St. Asaph, 
 
 A.D. 1414. 
 
 The see of St. Asaph became vacant by the trans- 
 lation of John Lowe to Kochester, who afterwards 
 became one of the most bitter as well as the most 
 formidable opponents of his successor. The bull of 
 provision by which Pope Eugenius the Fourth pro- 
 moted Pecock to his new dignity is dated April 22, 
 1444, and he was consecrated in the palatial chapel 
 at Croydon on June 14 of the same year, as appears 
 by the register of John Stafford, who was at that 
 time Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor of 
 England. He was at the same time admitted to the 
 degree of doctor of divinity (possibly by royal man- 
 date) without keeping any exercise or act, a proceed- 
 ing at which few in this age will feel much scanda- 
 lized, though to the correct and punctilious Gascoigne 
 it appeared a prodigious breach of discipline and 
 propriety. 2 
 
 How it fared with Pecock during the first three He defends 
 
 n i . . i -, , j • , . i unpreaching and 
 
 years oi his episcopate we do not distinctly know ; non-resident 
 but as he tells us himself in a work written only five mon at Paul's 
 
 P . , . .. . , . , . . Cross, A.D. 1117. 
 
 years alter his consecration, that his proceedings m 
 his own diocese had been misconstrued by many, who, 
 if they had known more, would have been the last 
 
 1 So Bale says expressly (Z?e I forma sua ut csset doctor, nec 
 Scriptt. Brit.'), and there is no rea- | aliquem actum in scholis fecit iu 
 
 son why Lewis should question the 
 fact, p. 14. At the same time it 
 may be true enough that Pecock 
 himself had to pay the pope a 
 round sum for his provision. 
 
 3 Le Neve's Fasti, vol. i. pp. 71, 
 72 (Hardy's edition). Lewis, pp. 
 13-17. Gascoigne, u. s., pp. 516, 
 517, whose solemn words are 
 these: — "Doctor fuit in Oxonia 
 per gratiam absentandi : nunquam 
 enim respondit alicui doctori pro 
 
 Oxonia, postquam incepit in thep- 
 logia, an postea faciet nescitur a 
 nobis. Per omnes annos a die 
 inceptionis sua; in Oxonia usque ad 
 diem prresentis scriptura? nullum 
 actum fecit scholasticum, nec le- 
 gendo, uee prtedicando, nec dispu- 
 tando, nec detenninando." And 
 again (p. 548): — " Recepit ilium 
 gradum per dispensationem, i. e. per 
 dissipationem seu licentiam ad ma- 
 lum per regentes in Oxonia." 
 
xiv 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 to blame him, we may surmise that all things did not 
 proceed very smoothly. But a more serious trouble 
 was near at hand. The episcopal order had been 
 in little favour in England generally for some time. 
 Many of the most rigid Anglicans, and the whole body 
 of the Lollards, with all its parties and subdivisions, 
 were vehement in their denunciations. Men of the 
 opinions of Wiclif and men of the opinions of Gascoigne 
 alike lifted up their voice on high. It was believed and 
 proclaimed that the bishops of that age looked upon 
 the duty of preaching, — " illud egregium et prseelaris- 
 " sirnum prseclicandi officium solis quondam pastoribus 
 " attributum, eisque maxime debitum," — as something 
 beneath their dignity, and an occupation fit oidy for 
 the inferior clergy and such as had nothing better to 
 do. Archbishop Arundel, whose orthodoxy had dis- 
 played itself in burning Lord Cobham to ashes, had 
 done what he could to restrict preaching even among 
 the lower orders of the clergy. His death, occasioned 
 by a swelling of the tongue, was interpreted by many 
 as a judgment. Men believed, according to Gascoigne, 
 that God had tied his tongue for having tied the 
 tongues of almost all preachers, merely because some 
 few pulpits had vented heretical doctrine. The result 
 of all this was that there was little preaching of 
 any sort among the secular clergy, whether high or 
 low. 1 And for all this the bishops were principally 
 blamed. Pecock came forward as their advocate. In 
 truth he was their natural advocate, not only as a 
 member of a body in whom the esprit de corps is 
 supposed to be at all times strong, but as having a 
 special predilection for defending any established prac- 
 tice which admitted of a specious rather than a solid 
 vindication. Not that he was consciously dishonest, 
 
 1 The omission was supplied; but in no very satisfactory manner, by 
 the friars. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 XV 
 
 on the contrary his integrity and sincerity are indubi- 
 table, but his natural disposition inclined hiui to take 
 as conservative a view of affairs as possible ; while his 
 unbounded vanity continually led him to weave subtle 
 and elegant arguments, weak and flimsy indeed as the 
 threads of a spider, but which served admirably to bring 
 out and to display his own acuteness and ingenuity. 1 
 Accordingly Pecock took upon himself, in a sermon 
 preached at Paul's Cross in 1447, to show that bishops 
 are not bound by virtue of their office to preach, using 
 that word in its most ordinary acceptation. He main- 
 tained that they were free from this burden, being 
 obliged to works of a higher character, which require 
 greater knowledge (as the solution of difficult questions), 
 and having a more important work to dischai'ge in 
 relation to the souls of Christian men than the office 
 of preaching, probably thereby intending the care and 
 supervision of the whole diocese committed to their 
 charge. In the same discourse he strove to vindicate 
 the non-residence of bishops on their dioceses, then only 
 too common (against which exception had been very 
 generally and very justly taken by opposite parties), 
 on the ground that there were divers causes which 
 would justify such non-residence in the sight of God, 
 and even render it meritorious, so long as such causes 
 lasted. In these he referred, as it seems, to the assist- 
 ance which they might be required to render to the 
 king or to the Church by attendance in court, or in 
 parliament, or otherwise. He appears to have expressed 
 similar opinions on several following occasions. In the 
 same discourse he also justified the papal bulls of provi- 
 
 1 As an illustration of this, sec | gined, viewed the matter with very 
 
 his amusing vindication of the sin- ! different eyes. See his Morioz en- 
 
 gularly hypocritical practice of the comiuin, or Lewis, p. 139. For the 
 
 Franciscan friars in counting money Franciscan rule, thus eluded, see 
 
 with a stick. Repressor, pp. 554- I MonumenUi Frauciscana, p. 576, in 
 
 61. Erasmus, as may be ima- | the present series. 
 
xvi 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 sion (by which a man might be appointed to a piece of 
 preferment before it was vacant, and which were usually 
 obtained by a large fee), as well as the payment of the 
 annates or first year's income of a bishopric to the pope, 
 and endeavoured to clear the pecuniary negotiations 
 of pope and bishops from the not altogether unnatural 
 charge of simony. Pecock, whose ideas on the sub- 
 ject of papal supremacy were not at all in advance 
 of his age, conceived that the pope, as lord paramount 
 of the universal Church and of all things thereto per- 
 taining, had a right, strictly speaking, to the entire 
 proceeds of all benefices, and that those whom he 
 placed therein to enjoy them did no sin in giving 
 him of that which was his own, any more than a bailiff 
 does when he pays anything to the landlord of the 
 soil. By such arguments, some of which were wholly 
 false, and some of which were true, but at the same 
 time quite insufficient to cover the space which they 
 were intended to cover (being applicable to exceptional 
 and temporary cases only), did Pecock endeavour to 
 vindicate some of the grossest abuses which prevailed 
 in the English Church in the fifteenth century. It is 
 indeed very probable that he did not fully approve 
 of the conduct of the bishops of his own time, but 
 perceiving that the imputations of Wiclif and his dis- 
 ciples were of too sweeping a character, only lent him- 
 self inadvertently to make the worse appear the better 
 reason, and to prop up a system of things which was 
 essentially rotten and corrupt. 1 
 The effects of the Pecock's efforts on this occasion gave him, as 
 
 sermon. Oppo- , . . 
 
 sitiou made to it usually happened, complete satisfaction; insomuch, 
 
 from various J i L ' r 
 
 ciuarters. t] lrt t ] ie cas t the substance of his discourse into the 
 
 ' Pecock's Repressor, p. 106. Ni- 
 colaus de Clamengiis in Brown. App. 
 ad Fuse, llerum (passim). Gas- 
 coigne, u. s., pp. 516, 517, 520, 528, 
 519. Lewis, pp. 17, s<pj. where a 
 great deal of collateral information 
 
 will be found. His translation of the 
 seven conclusions is taken from a 
 Latin MS. at Oxford, Bodl. 117, fol. 
 1 1, sqg., called Abbieviatio Reginaldi 
 Vercck, printed in the Appendix to 
 the present work. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xvn 
 
 form of seven conclusions, which he transmitted to 
 clivers persons after its delivery, 1 and, among the rest, 
 to Walter Hart, Bishop of Norwich, the queen's con- 
 fessor, residing at court (to whom he afterwards lay 
 under obligations), and Adam Moleyns, or de Moli- 
 neux, Bishop of Chichester, at that time Lord Privy 
 Seal. 2 He observed to another friend, that from hence- 
 forth no one would speak evil of bishops, for all men 
 would know from his writings that bishops are not 
 bound to preach or undertake the cure of souls, as the 
 clergy and the common people imagined, but only to 
 exercise a superintending power. The event, however, 
 turned out very differently. Men exclaimed against 
 the bishops more than ever, and against Pecock in 
 particular. Nor were these denunciations confined 
 merely to the populace, but a crowd of learned anta- 
 gonists of Pecock on this occasion have been handed 
 down to us, belonging to both Universities, the most 
 distinguished, perhaps, being William Millington, pro- 
 
 1 He thus alludes to these " con- 
 clusiounspublisshid." in the Follower 
 to the Donet (fol. 49) : " Y vote 
 wel tho conclusions woleu be holde 
 for trewe of ech greet leernyd man 
 in dyuynite or in lawe of canoun, 
 ■while the world schal dure. . . . No 
 clerk y\t hitherto into this present 
 day bi more than vi *eer passid after 
 the bigynnyng of the strijf durste 
 take vpon him forto answere to the 
 proofis of hem, thou} summe clerkis 
 han be ful redi forto argue and 
 make motyues a^ens hem and a^ens 
 side half maters, -which is ful li^t 
 and esi in reward of the answer- 
 yng to the proofis of hem." The 
 " principal mater " in these con- 
 clusions is " of bisshopis boond to 
 preche." 
 
 2 Moleyns, like Pecock himself, 
 had been raised to the episcopate by 
 papal provision. He was, within 
 four years afterwards, murdered at 
 Portsmouth in the civil wars, as 
 was also William Askew, Bishop of 
 Salisbury, whom the mob thus up- 
 braided : That fellow always lived 
 with the king, and did not reside in 
 his diocese with us, nor keep hospi- 
 tality, therefore he shall die. Gas- 
 coigne observes, that since Pecock 
 and the other prelates promoted 
 by Henry VI. had maintained that 
 bishops are not obliged to preach, 
 Almighty God himself had preached 
 in England by the punishments 
 which had fallen upon them, pp. 
 524, 525 ; see also pp. 532, 533, 
 and Le Neve's Fasti. 
 
xviii 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 vost of King's College, Cambridge, 1 who, in a sermon 
 preached at St. Paul's, declared that England would never 
 suffer those who patronized Pecock to prosper. Damlet, 
 master of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, offered to prove 
 Pecock guilty of heresy from his own writings. His 
 successor at Whittington College, Thomas Eborall, also 
 took a vigorous part against him. Nor were the friars of 
 the mendicant orders, his sworn enemies, inactive. They 
 belonged mostly to the University of Oxford. Their 
 disputations and discourses were held, from time to 
 time, partly at the Universities, and partly in London, 
 in the presence of bishops. The Archbishop of Can- 
 terbury himself, John Stafford, was appealed to ; and 
 we have a copy yet remaining of the defence which 
 Pecock transmitted to the primate. He there recites 
 his seven conclusions, and the motives which he had 
 in preaching them. These were a desire to clear the 
 bishops from the calumnies with which they had been 
 attacked both in the pulpit and out of it, and to 
 restore their influence ; also a design to satisfy the 
 scruples of any bishops whose consciences might reproach 
 them for a neglect of duty ; and, in fine, a hope to 
 bring the traducers to a better mind. 9 
 Pecock escapes The bishops, as was to be expected, took a lenient 
 
 official censure. 
 
 1 " Doctor Millington de Cantabri- 
 gia . . . egregie determinans contra 
 R. Pecock." Gascoigne, «. s., 524. 
 This was William Millington. Id., 
 p. 542. Everything that can be 
 known about Millington has been 
 collected with extraordinary care 
 by my learned friend, the Rev. G. 
 Williams, whose paper (read May .T, 
 1858) is printed in the Communica- 
 tions made to the Cambridge Anti- 
 quarian Society, pp. 287-328 (No. 8, 
 octavo series). Wood's enumeration 
 of Pecock's opponents, which is 
 partly taken from parts of Gas- 
 
 coigne's Dictionary not printed by 
 Ilearnc, mentions also the names of 
 Gilbert Worthington, William Lit- 
 tlefield, Peter Beverley, John Bur- 
 bach, and John Milverton, the last 
 of whom is noticed more fully by Bale 
 (Cent. viii. 44). It is contained in 
 Hist, ct Ant. Univ. Oxon.. s. a. 1457, 
 and his entire article on Pecock is 
 reprinted by Hearne along with the 
 excerpts from Gascoigne, u. s., pp. 
 480-489. See also Lewis, pp. 205, 
 206. 
 
 "Gascoigne, u.s., pp. 514, 517, 
 518, 524, 542 ; Abbrev. Reg. Pecock. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xix 
 
 view of Pecock's case. Divers prelates were said and 
 believed to favour him, among whom was the Bishop 
 of Norwich, whose influence contributed, by and by 
 to Pecock's further advancement. Some secular lords, 
 who hated preaching, took the same side. The tu- 
 mults, however, which -were occasioned by this sermon 
 of Pecock's by no means subsided, and were not 
 likely to abate by a repetition of the same sentiments 
 which he delivered in London about two years after- 
 wards. About this time, also, it appears that he 
 gave great offence by speaking in too disparaging a 
 manner of the authority of the Fathers, more espe- 
 cially of those who were commonly called the Four 
 Doctors of the Church, viz., SS. Ambrose, Augustine, 
 Jerome, and Gregory. But for this time at least he 
 seems to have escaped censure for any opinions which 
 he might have expressed on this point. 1 
 
 It is abundantly clear that Pecock did not intend His motives 
 to defend abuses as such, but only laboured to display practice in his 
 his skill in vindicating his brethren from what he own dl0Cese • 
 deemed untrue or exaggerated charges. And indeed 
 we may easily imagine that he was not wholly un- 
 successful in his efforts ; for extremes of one kind 
 had already (and very naturally) given birth to ex- 
 tremes of a directly opposite kind. Pecock himself, 
 in addition to his very numerous theological works, 
 in writing which he doubtless conceived himself to be 
 pursuing a more excellent way of teaching than in 
 preaching in the pulpit, nevertheless found time to 
 deliver many discourses in his own diocese, and caused 
 many more to be delivered there, insomuch that many 
 wondered (or affected to wonder), and exclaimed that 
 the bishop, who defended unprcaching prelates, had 
 now turned preacher himself.' 2 
 
 1 Gascoigne, u.s., pp.514, 537, 
 541, 542, 543. Leland de Script!. 
 Britt , u. s. 
 
 2 Id., pp. 520, 521. Lewis forms, 
 
 I think, an equitable judgment of 
 " our bishop's design " in his Sermon 
 at Paul's Cross, pp. 46, 47. The fol- 
 lowing passage, in the Follower to 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Pecock's works. It is difficult to say with precision what works 
 
 Their dates 
 
 uncertain. Pecock had up to this time written : a long list may 
 be drawn up from those which are referred to in the 
 Repressor, most of which were, in all likelihood, pub- 
 lished when it appeared, while others were in prepa- 
 ration, or promised only. These were partly in Latin, 
 partly in English, and treated on a great variety of 
 religious and moral subjects. Most of them seem to 
 have sprung out of the controversies in which he was 
 engaged, and the greater part of them appear to have 
 been addressed to the common people with a view to 
 reclaim them from the Lollard errors (as he deemed 
 them), which were then widely prevalent. 
 
 ?d uw*' ° irca ^ a ^ these, however, little or nothing remains to 
 us except his Donet, or introduction to the chief truths 
 of the Christian religion, 1 the date of which is rather 
 
 the Donet (MS. feL 100), may be | 
 thought to allude to this controversy : 
 " How my wordis han be thus 
 chalengid, whanne ech witti wel- 
 willi man to trouth myite knowe 
 that y other wise meenyd, writyngis 
 in the repliers side and writyngis I 
 a^en in my side beren witnes. No 
 man wijte me, thou} y speke and 
 write so oft for my defensis ; the 
 malice of suuime clerkis (as y heere 
 and sumwhat haue fclid) is so greet 1 
 a;ens me, that this and mych more I 
 is litil ynoux forto a;enstonde it." 
 
 1 Among other things it contains 
 the Apostles' Creed in an altered 
 form, which is here subjoined. The 
 importance of this document will 
 appear in the sequel. It occurs at 
 fol. 47, b, of the original MS., from 
 which it is here printed, and also in 
 James' transcript, pp. 63, 64 : — 
 
 " The first article of the comune 
 crede, which article is this, " Y bi- 
 leeue into God ye Fadir maker of 
 heuene and of erthe" thou schalt 
 
 fynde in ye xiiii c and xv c chapitris 
 of the first party aforegoing. Fov 
 whi in the xiiii e chap, it is tau^t, that 
 God is thre persoonys, Fadir, Sone, 
 and Holi Goost, and %itt that ther- 
 with he is not but oon and the same 
 substaunce in alle thre persoonys. 
 Also in ye bigynnyng of the xv c 
 chap., where benefetis vndirgraciose 
 or louder than graciose ben taint, 
 it is seid, that God maad heuene 
 and erthe and alle her contends : 
 and how manye mo articlis of bileeue 
 touching ye Godhede and touching 
 his benefete in making creaturis ben 
 tau;t in the seid xiiii" and xv c chap., 
 which articlis ben as necessary to be 
 bileeuid as this seid first article of the 
 comune crede is to be bileeuid, it is 
 \\x,i to turne thidir and to se. Alle 
 the othere xi. articles of the comune 
 crede .... ben these. And y 
 bileeue into Ihesu Crist his oon bi- 
 geten Sone oure Lorde which was 
 conceyuedof theHoly Goostandborn 
 of Mary the maide, which Ihesus 
 
INTRODUCTION. XXI 
 
 uncertain. 1 The second part of this treatise is directed 
 against those who impugn " the device " of his book. 
 These persons being principally, as it appears, the 
 Lollard party, this book is not without its interest, 
 and might probably deserve to be printed. 
 
 Both the Donet and the Follower to the Donet, His Follower to 
 
 the Donet, Circa 
 
 which appeared some time 2 afterwards (probably a.d. km. He 
 
 1 r _ \i ^ complains that 
 
 about 1454;) as a supplement designed for readers of some of his works 
 
 ' x 1 ° _ had been pub- 
 
 a higher class, are cast into the form of a dialogue , h . shed without 
 
 ° ° 1ns consent. 
 
 between a father and a son. It appears from the 
 Donet that his Rule of Christian Religion? and other 
 works in connexion with it, had been already before 
 the world ; but that he had only intended to circu- 
 late them among private friends. He makes great and 
 perhaps not unreasonable complaint that they " bin 
 " runne abroode and copied a^ens my wille and myn 
 " entent, as y haue openly prechid at Poulis." In 
 the same book he affirms that if through " eny vnad- 
 " visidnes, hastynes, or ignoraunce " he should write 
 any conclusion against the faith or the law of God, 
 he would be ready " to leue it, forsake, and retrete 
 " mekely and devoutly at the assignementis of myn 
 " ordinaries fadris of the chirche." 4 From all this it 
 is evident that Pecock had, in these his earlier and 
 
 suffrid vndir Pounce Pilate, was cru- 
 cified, was deed and biried, and rose 
 in the iii e daie to lijf, sti^ed vp into 
 heuene, sittith at the rijt side of 
 the Fadir, fro whens he is to come for 
 to deem quyk and deede. I hileeue 
 into the Holy Goost. And y bileeue 
 his holy vniuersal or general chirche 
 to be. Y bileeue the comunyng of 
 seintis or of holy men to be. Y bileeue 
 for^euenes of synne to be. I bileeve 
 the a^en rising of deed men, that is 
 tosei to be or to come. And I bileeue 
 euerlastinglijf to be or to come." 
 
 ' An early MS. note in the Oxford 
 copy says that " this book was com- 
 piled by Reynold Pecock, a.d. 1457." 
 VOL. I. 
 
 But this is too late; it must have 
 been written, and was probably 
 published, when he was only a 
 priest. 
 
 2 Before 145G, or the date of the 
 Book of Faith (see Foil, to Donet, MS. 
 fol. 32), which seems, from Pecock's 
 remark (" holde thei her pacience 
 vnto tyme thei heere of the book 
 of faith"), not to have been then 
 published ; and full six years 
 after his sermon at Paul's Cross in 
 1447. See p. xvii., note. 
 
 3 For some account of this work, 
 which exists, indeed, but cannot be 
 found, see the enumeration below. 
 
 4 James' transcript, p. 52. 
 
 C 
 
XXII 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 more unfinished treatises, given expression to some 
 sentiments which were not favourably received by 
 certain of the hierarchy. 
 
 But Pecoek had been already engaged on a more 
 important work, to which he alludes in the Donet, 
 although it came out into the world later, viz., his 
 Repressor, of which it is now time to speak. 1 The 
 design of it is to defend the clergy from what he 
 conceived to be the unjust aspersions of many of the 
 " lay party," or " Bible-men" (by which he means 
 the Lollards), and to show that the practices for which 
 they were blamed admitted of a satisfactory vindi- 
 cation. The outline of the work will be best per- 
 ceived from the summary of the contents, so that 
 nothing need be said here of its order and arrange- 
 ment. It is evident that, as his book proceeded, 
 Pecock perceived that he had undertaken too large a 
 subject for a single treatise ; and while at the outset 
 he gives the reader notice that he shall justify eleven 
 
 1 Lewis (p. 62) gives 1449 as the 
 date of the Repressor. Pecock, indeed, 
 alludes to Henry's efforts to save 
 Normandy (which was not wholly 
 lost till the siege of Cherbourg, Aug. 
 12, 1450), and speaks of war having 
 been carried on between England 
 and France for 34 years. See Re- 
 pressor, pp. 90, 516, 517. This war 
 may reasonably be taken to com- 
 mence with the siege of Hartleur, 
 Aug. 17, 1415. Although from 
 these data it is manifest that Pecock 
 was composing the work in or about 
 1449, yet it is certain that it did not 
 appear publicly till at least five or 
 six years later. " Ferthermore, for 
 as myche as soone after that y hadde 
 write the book clepid The Represser, 
 which is not ytt into this present day 
 vlterly into vce delyuered, fillen to 
 me manye occupaciouns by sixe 
 yeere next thanne folowing, that 
 
 lciser was not to me neither )itt is 
 ibrto write in special a^ens the 
 articlis whiche ben spokun in the 
 eend of The Represser and left there 
 vntretid." — Pecoek's Book of Faith, 
 MS., foil. 6, 7. The Repressor was 
 one of the nine books of Pecock 
 exhibited before the archbishop, 
 Nov. 11, 1457, and Pecock had 
 said that he would only be an- 
 swerable for books which he had 
 published within three years from 
 that day, some others having been 
 circulated surreptitiously before re- 
 ceiving his final corrections. The 
 Repressor contains such frequent 
 allusions to the Donet, that we must 
 suppose the latter work to have ap- 
 peared first, even although in the 
 Donet itself one or more allusions 
 (I observed one only when inspect- 
 ing it at Oxford) to the Repressor 
 are to be found. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xxiii 
 
 practices ox' governances (as he calls them) of the 
 clergy, he does in fact restrict himself t6 a vindica- 
 tion of six, viz., the use of images, the going on pil- 
 grimage, the holding of landed possessions by the 
 clergy, the retention of the various ranks of the 
 hierarchy, the framing of ecclesiastical laws by papal 
 and episcopal authority, and the institution of the 
 religious orders. For the remaining five he refers his 
 readers to his other works, of which some were 
 already published, while others were in preparation. 
 The arguments of the Lollards are usually first stated, 
 and then answered ; after which Pecock brings for- 
 ward his own reasons for retaining the practice 
 objected against. These various arguments may be 
 quickly understood from the marginal summary, and 
 it would needlessly swell the bulk of the present 
 volume to state or discuss them here. It would, 
 moreover, be necessary to enter upon the hottest 
 part of the field of polemical theology, on which war 
 lias been waged for centuries between the reformed 
 and the unreformed Churches. Any lengthened dis- 
 cussion of such points would be out of place in a 
 work published at the public expense, and the editor 
 must be excused for declining to enter upon it more 
 than can well be avoided, interesting and important as it 
 is in itself. 1 The great historical value of Pecock 's work 
 
 ' A great deal of information 
 (conscientiously and on the 'whole 
 accurately put together, but with 
 a somewhat clumsy laboriousness) 
 on almost all the controversial points 
 touched on by Pecock, and various 
 other illustrations of a historical and 
 antiquarian character will be found 
 in Lewis' Life of Pecock, pp. 62- 
 184. One or two errors, however, 
 may be noticed here. His remarks 
 on the pardon-mongers (p. 142) 
 have nothing to do with the subject, 
 Pecock's quest-mongers being per- 
 
 sons wholly different. Neither is 
 his disquisition on religious perse- 
 cution (pp. 159-179) any more to 
 the purpose. It was capital punish- 
 ment generally, not religious per- 
 secution in particular, to which some 
 of the Lollards objected, an opi- 
 nion against which one of the 
 thirty-nine articles is directed. But 
 the worst blunder of all is the sup- 
 position that Auchon (it should 
 have been Anchon) is a name for 
 Avignon (p. 116). This piece of 
 nonsense, like many more absurd 
 
 c 2 
 
xxiv 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 consists in this, that it preserves to us the best argu- 
 ments of the Lollards against existing practices which 
 he was able to find, together with such answers as a 
 very acute opponent was able to give. Every one, 
 however, will perceive that there are some egregious 
 blunders on both sides, such as that of the Lollards, 
 in adducing a text of St. Peter (1 Pet. iv. 12) against 
 pilgrimages, 1 and that of Pecock in elaborately arguing 
 that the pope is the Head of the Church because Cephas 
 is the name given to St. Peter. 2 There is also another 
 matter, which every impartial reader will probably 
 perceive and admit, that both Pecock and his oppo- 
 nents contributed very materially to the Reformation 
 which took place in the following century, whatever 
 abatements he may make from the soundness of the 
 views advocated by either, or whatever opinion he 
 may entertain of the merits of the Reformation itself. 
 Pecock himself aimed at temperate improvements in 
 the Church, not at violent measures of reconstruction ; 3 
 
 remarks of which no notice is 
 taken in this edition, is -written in 
 the margin of the MS. in a later 
 hand, hut Lewis adopted it among 
 his marginal notes without scruple 
 or difficulty. 
 
 1 See Itcj>ressor,\>. \7G,s(/q. There 
 can he no doubt, I think, that Pe- 
 cock contends against an interpre- 
 tation which he had actually en- 
 countered. 
 
 2 This error is as old as Optatus 
 (or at least it occurs in his present 
 text) : — " Igitur negare non potes 
 scire te in urbe Roma Petro primo 
 cathedram episcopalem esse colla- 
 tam ; in qua sederit omnram Apo- 
 stolorum caput Petrus, undc et 
 Cephas appellatus est." (Optat, lib. 
 ii. p. 31. Ed. Par. 1702.) If the 
 Donatists had had no greater diffi- 
 culties than this to contend with, 
 
 they might probably have van- 
 quished their opponents. Many later 
 writers make the same absurd mis- 
 take. See Fulke's Discovery, &c, 
 p. 301. (Parker Society's edition.) 
 From some or other of them Pe 
 cock, no doubt, derived it, but St. 
 Jerome, to whom he strangely re- 
 fers (p. -437), would have taught him 
 better. Yalla ridicules this popular 
 error in his declamation against 
 Constantine's donation. Brown, 
 Fuse. Her. p. 152. 
 
 " " By tranquil opposition to the 
 more zealous followers of Wiclif," 
 observes Bishop Short, " and by 
 grounding his arguments on sound 
 reason in the interpretation of the 
 word of God, he contributed much 
 to the furtherance of religion." 
 Hist. Church of England, c. iii. 
 § 12G. But his subsequent remarks 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 XXV 
 
 and it' his character as a reformer leaves something to 
 be desired, it was multo melior futurus, nisi tempora 
 in quibus viveret obstitissent. 
 
 We gather from Pecock's work a fact which is ex- state of religious 
 ceedingly important to be borne in mind, that what time, 
 may be called the discontented portion of the Church 
 of the fifteenth century in England embraced persons 
 of very various views. The more moderate portion of 
 that party may fairly be considered as the precursors 
 of the reformed Church of the age of Elizabeth, while 
 the more extreme portion (to whom the name of 
 Lollards is perhaps now more usually limited) were 
 developed into the puritanical party of the same period. 
 But in the fifteenth century everything was in a 
 transition state. Distinct communions had not yet been 
 formed, 1 and the various parties within the bosom of the 
 Church were connected amongst each other by various 
 approximations, overlappings, and interchanges of senti- 
 ment. Pecock himself is a singular illustration of the 
 eclecticism (so to say) which prevailed. He virtually 
 admitted, on the one hand, the fallibility of general 
 councils, and insisted strenuously on the necessity of 
 proving doctrines by reason, and not simply by authority; 
 while, on the other, he carried his notions on the papal 
 supremacy almost as far as an ultramontane could desire, 
 and was blamed even by men like Gascoigne for giving 
 
 (§ 129), that "he does not appear 
 to have possessed any very superior 
 talents . . . yet God can work hy 
 weak instruments," might, I humbly 
 think, have been spared. As the ex- 
 positor of the province of reason in 
 matters of religion, in opposition to 
 the absolute dogmatism of the one 
 party and the narrow scripturalism 
 of the other, Pecock stands out pro- 
 minently as the one great English- 
 man of his age, and as the precursor 
 
 of a still greater Englishman in the 
 age following, viz., Richard Hooker. 
 
 1 This will perhaps be disputed ; 
 but Pecock's common expression 
 " many of the lay party," to desig- 
 nate the Lollards, appears to warrant 
 the assertion. At the same time it is 
 certain, from Foxe, that meetings 
 for prayer, &c, were held by some 
 of this party, which may be re- 
 garded as the beginnings of a future 
 generation. 
 
xxvi 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 more than its due to the pope's temporal authority. In 
 maintaining Scripture to be the sole rule of faith, and in 
 rejecting the apocryphal books as uncanonical, he agrees 
 with the reformers altogether : in his doctrine of the 
 invocation of saints, and in various other particulars, 
 he agrees altogether with their adversaries. If, in his 
 discourse of images, he writes some things which few 
 Anglicans would approve, so also he writes others, in 
 the same discourse, which many Romanists would still 
 less approve. Perhaps it would not be greatly wrong 
 to assert that Pecock stands half-way between the 
 Church of Rome and the Church of England as they 
 now exist, the type of his mind, however, being rather 
 Anglican than Roman. Of puritanism, in all its phases, 
 he is the decided opponent. There were many others 
 more or less like him. 
 Probabio sources Very interesting it is to inquire from what sources 
 WormatioH. Pecock derived the arguments which he ascribed to his 
 opponents. In part, undoubtedly, and probably for the 
 most part, he learned them by personal intercourse. 
 Allusions to such intercourse are sufficiently frequent in 
 his Repressor. But, apart from this, we may be sure 
 that so learned a disputant would not fail to make him- 
 self acquainted with the controversial writings of his 
 adversaries. To these, however, he very rarely alludes. 
 Once, and once only, he mentions the sect of the Wiclif- 
 fites, who hold "against governances treated of in the 
 " manners rehearsed in this present book, and in worse 
 " and horribler manner, as it is open in the book of 
 " Wiclif and of others being of his sect." 1 What this 
 book is, it is difficiilt to say, for many of Wiclif S works 
 are unfortunately yet unpublished, and there are pas- 
 sages quoted from several of his works in Lewis' Life of 
 Wiclif, which more or less resemble the statements 
 which Pecock controverts. 2 But there is one book, 
 
 1 See Repressor, p. 001. I allusions to the story about the 
 
 - Compare in particular Wiclif 8 I angel's voice when Constantine en- 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xxvii 
 
 doubtfully ascribed to Wiclif, 1 which Pecock appears, 
 from time to time, to have in his eye, and that book is 
 The Apology for the Lollards. Some of the arguments 
 against images, against doing a less good work when a 
 better work may be done, and against the religious 
 orders, which that Apology employs, bear too strong a 
 resemblance to those which occur in Pecock to be the 
 effect of chance. This book is in all likelihood the 
 fountain head of some of them ; but when once used, 
 they may, of course, have found their way to Pecock 
 through other channels. 2 Almost as much may be 
 said of the work which has been called by its 
 editor, Mr. Forshall, a Remonstrance against Romish 
 Corruptions in the Church, addressed to the people 
 and parliament of England in 1395. While, on the 
 one hand, the author of this treatise agrees perfectby 
 with Pecock in several material points relating to 
 the Lollard controversy, so, on the other, some of his 
 arguments relating to the various ranks of the hier- 
 archy and the maintenance of the clergy appear to 
 be directly answered by Pecock in his Repressor? 
 In another place Pecock certainly alludes to Wiclif 
 under the appellation " of one clerk, but verily to 
 say one heretic," who has expressed the sentiment, 
 which Pecock impugns, in more than one of his 
 
 dowed the church (which occur 
 both in his Diahgus, iv. 18, and 
 in his treatise Of Clerks' Posses- 
 sionem,) -with the Repressor, pp. 
 323, 324, and the note. 
 
 1 This is omitted, accidentally, I 
 presume, from Mr. Shirley's use- 
 ful catalogue of the works attributed 
 to Wiclif, printed at the end of his 
 Fasciculi Zizan iorum. 
 
 2 A sensible article in the Chris- 
 tian Remembrancer (July 1S59) 
 
 takes notice of this, among other 
 works of the Camden Society, 
 and gives also much information 
 relating to the period with great 
 impartiality and knowledge of the 
 subject. 
 
 ' 1 See Remonstrance, pp. 1-8, and 
 compare Repressor, pp. 303, sqq., 
 408, sqq., &c. ; also Rem., pp. 147- 
 152; and compare Repr., pp. 423, 
 sqq., &c. 
 
xxviii 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 works extant in MS. 1 It deserves to be added that, 
 in the majority of Scripture citations, Pecock em- 
 ploys the version ascribed to Wiclif, in that form of it, 
 however, which is the later of the two, whether the 
 revision be due to Wiclif or to some other person. 2 
 nookcrcom- ^ ^ s ^he preliminary part, however, of Pecock's 
 pared. work which will be read by many with the greatest 
 
 interest. The Lollards, against wLom Pecock argues, 3 
 carried their views of the sufficiency and completeness 
 of Scripture so far, that they conceived them to be 
 our only sure guide in matters in their own nature 
 indifferent, and required that the ritual, as well as 
 the theology of the Church, should rest upon Scrip- 
 tural grounds. 4 When the lawfulness of any ecclesias- 
 tical usage was in debate, the Lollard would ask, 
 Where groundest thou it in Scripture ? Against this 
 extreme view of the sufficiency of Scripture, Pecock 
 argues in the first part of his Repressor with singular 
 clearness and ability. He maintains at large that it 
 is not the office of Scripture to ground any law or 
 ordinance of God which man's reason may discover 
 
 1 Sec Repressor, p. 413, and the 
 note. It may indeed be said that 
 Wiclif does not use the important 
 expression "customarily misuse," 
 but " withdrawing of teching in word 
 and deed in good cnsample," vir- 
 tually amounts to the same thing, 
 i.e. to more than occasional delin- 
 quency. 
 
 2 See Repressor, part v. ch. 1 
 more especially. The exceptions to 
 this remark are mostly confined to 
 short texts quoted apparently mc- 
 moriler, such as occur in the first 
 sixty pages; at p. 63 is a manifest 
 quotation from Wiclif 's version. 
 
 8 In this case, as well in others 
 which coueern these controversies, 
 
 i it is most necessary to remember 
 that many who protested against 
 Romish opinions missed falling into 
 the extremes against which Pecock 
 disputes. Thus the Remonstrance 
 ayainst Romish Corruptions, written 
 in 139.), published by Mr. Forshall, 
 says (p. 131) : " Cristen men shul- 
 den acccpte the determination of the 
 Church of Rome, eyther of any 
 other, onely iu as much as it is 
 foundid in Holy Scripture openly 
 eyther priuely, eyther in resoun 
 that may not faile." Pecock him- 
 self might have written these wo;ds. 
 
 1 Scripture itself remands us to rea- 
 son for such matters. 1 Cor. xiv. 
 40; xi. 13. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xxix 
 
 by the light of nature. He shows likewise that 
 Scripture presupposes a knowledge of the moral vir- 
 tues, and that its special office is to make known 
 these truths and articles of faith which human reason 
 could not have discovered. In adopting this line of 
 argument, he may be considered as the forerunner of 
 Hooker, who had to contend against precisely simi- 
 lar opinions maintained by his puritan opponents. 
 Nor, perhaps, is it too much to say, with the la- 
 mented Hallam, that this portion of Pecock's work 
 " contains passages well worthy of Hooker both for 
 " weight of matter and dignity of style." 1 
 
 At the same time the attentive reader will per- Questionable 
 
 • i-nii -hi i positions of 
 
 ceive that recock has occasionally brought forward Pecock. 
 opinions of a questionable character, to use the mild- 
 est term, which were noways essential to his argu- 
 ment, and which his enemies were not slow to fix 
 upon to his disadvantage. Such, for example, as his 
 position, that if there should be any apparent dis- 
 crepancy between Scripture and reason on matters 
 relating to the moral virtues, Scripture must be 
 brought into accordance with the judgment of the 
 reason, and not vice versa. Or such an opinion again 
 as this, that the doctrine of the sacraments is more 
 founded in reason than revelation. 2 
 
 Yet, after every deduction has been made, his Re- General eha- 
 
 •ii i 11 , racter of the 
 
 'pressor will ever be regarded as a masterly performance, work. 
 Fulness of language, pliancy of expression, argu- 
 mentative sagacity, extensive learning, and critical 
 skill distinguish almost every chapter. His disquisi- 
 tion on the fabulousness of Constantine's donation, 
 occasioned by an absurd argument of the Lollards in 
 connexion with that donation, is, considering the age 
 
 1 See Repressor, part i. passim, cock, however, is much more sue- 
 especially pp. 10, 23 ; Hallam, Mid- cessful in establishing his general 
 die Ayes, ch. ix. part 2, vol. 3, p. principles than iu applying them. 
 388, note. (Ed. Lond. 1853.) Pe- 2 See pp. 25, 45, &c. 
 
XXX 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Historical 
 allusions in the 
 Repressor 
 scanty. 
 
 in "which it appeared, a surprising piece of criticism. 1 
 And, in palliation of some of Pecock's grossest errors, 
 it may be observed that they arise partly from iguo- 
 rance of the Greek language, 2 which at that time was 
 almost wholly unknown in this country, and partly 
 from his being imposed upon, in common Avith his 
 age, by spurious productions, such as those which 
 have been fathered on Dionysius the Areopagite. It 
 is no exaggeration to affirm that Pecock's Repressor 
 is the earliest piece of good philosophical disquisition of 
 which our English prose literature can boast. As 
 such it possesses no small interest for the philologist 
 and for the lover of letters generally. 
 
 So far indeed as secular history is concerned, the allu- 
 sions to passing events either in England or elsewhere 
 are extremely few and unimportant. Pecock takes some 
 notice of the disturbances in Prague occasioned by 
 the Hussites, as well as of the wars which had now 
 
 1 See pp. 357-36G. Jus: about 
 the same time Lorenzo Valla had 
 been turning his attention to the 
 same subject, and had arrived, not 
 without hazard to his fortunes, at 
 the same result. There is, how- 
 ever, a perfect independence of each 
 other in the two treatises. Although 
 there is not much in common be- 
 tween the character and pursuits of 
 these two remarkable men, it is 
 singular that Valla was very near 
 getting into trouble for denying that 
 the Apostles wrote the creed which 
 still bears their name. But Valla 
 was in high favour at the court of 
 Naples, and so came off more easily 
 than Becock, who held the self-same 
 opinion, after his court favour had 
 declined. 
 
 > Witness his criticisms on Cepha s 
 and orthodox;/ in his Repressor (p. 
 434) and Book of Faith (p. 31, 
 Wharton's ed.), which make us wish 
 that he had even known less Greek 
 
 than he did. His knowledge must 
 have been confined to a few stray 
 words. He does, indeed, say in his 
 Book of Faith : " Wolde God that 
 lay peple hadden in her modir 
 tunge the epistlis of Seyut Ignace 
 
 for certes red y neuer in 
 
 no mannys writingis so teuderli 
 charchid the obeisaunce to bi- 
 schopis." (MS. Bibl. Trin. Coll. 
 Cant.) But this was doubtless a 
 Latin version. Between Roger Ba- 
 con's death (circa 1295) and Gro- 
 eyn's lectures at Oxford (1491) 
 Greek learning had but few Eng- 
 lish cultivators, and those mostly 
 travellers. Warton (Hist Engl. 
 Poetry, § 35) and Hallam (Lit. Eur. 
 part i. capp. ii., iii.) mention Eston, 
 Richard of Bury, Gunthorpe, Robert 
 Flemming, Bishop Grey. Free, Mil 
 ling, and Selling, to whom Muunde- 
 vile (see his Travels, pp. 90, 76) 
 may perhaps be added. But Pecock 
 had never travelled (Uepr. p. 370). 
 
INTRODUCTION. XXXI 
 
 for more than thirty years been going on between 
 England and France. 1 We also learn from him a fact, 
 which no candid person who possesses a competent 
 knowledge of the subject will be disposed to deny, 2 
 that the stato of English society at this time was 
 widely and deeply corrupt. This corruption, which 
 he represents as almost universal, he conceives (per- 
 haps not without reason) would have been even more 
 general but for the institution of the religious or- 
 ders. 8 A few references to London buildings and to 
 London customs (for which see the Index) are almost 
 the only passages of purely antiquarian value. Nor 
 will the ecclesiastical historian obtain from this work 
 much information on other subjects than the Lollard 
 controversy. Sundry allusions to the ritual of the 
 Church of England in the fifteenth century, and also to 
 that of an earlier period, and a few notices of the wealth, 
 habits, and practices of the monastic orders, are almost 
 the only matters to which attention needs to be called. 4 
 
 To return, however, to Pecock. A brief elevation Pecock trans- 
 
 li. * • lated to the sc 
 
 now awaited him, but it Avas only that his fall head- of Chichester, 
 
 J A.D. 1450. 
 
 long might be the heavier and the more conspicuous. 
 Humphry Plantagenet, his old patron, had already fallen 
 a victim to the hatred of Margaret of Anjou, for hav- 
 
 1 Pecock's strange remark (p. 
 306), that " the -world evermore de- 
 creases in people," England and j 
 France being specially mentioned, [ 
 may have sprung out of the fact 
 that these countries -were reduced 
 and well-nigh exhausted (some parts ' 
 of France being even depopulated) 1 
 by those long-continued wars. 
 
 2 An able writer in the Dublin 
 Rcvicio-for 1858 (n. lxxxvii., art. ii.) ' 
 scruples not to call the fourteenth > 
 and fifteenth centuries, regarded ! 
 morally, a period of " Egyptiau | 
 darkness" (p. 49). He has a great 
 deal more to the same efFect. 
 
 3 Pecock's account, pp. 516, 540, 
 relates to " well nigh all worldly 
 
 people," by which he probably in - 
 tends principally the laity. But with 
 respect to the clergy, the higher 
 clergy especially, let Gascoigne 
 speak (u.s., p. 537): "Ab anno 
 Christi in quo fui natus (1403) non 
 novi promotos esse in ecclesia qui 
 sciunt, possunt, et volunt debito modo 
 animabus prodesse." (See also p. 51.°., 
 &c., and Repressor, p. 331.) Some 
 abatements are usually to be made 
 from this querulous and not over 
 large-minded, but most conscientious 
 writer ; in the present instance, 
 however, it is to be feared that they 
 need not to be very extensive. 
 
 4 See Index to Repr., s. v. Rituals, 
 and Religious Orders. 
 
xxxii 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ing patriotically opposed her impolitic marriage with 
 Henry the Sixth. William Delapole, created by her 
 favour Duke of Suffolk, was now prime minister. 
 He had previously regarded Pecock with disfavour, 
 probably because he had been patronized by the Duke 
 of Gloucester. But whatever the cause may have 
 been, it was by his influence and that of the Bishop 
 of Norwich, who has been already mentioned, that 
 Pecock was raised to the see of Chichester in the 
 place of his friend Adam Moleyns, to whose brutal 
 murder, which took place June 9, 1449, the leaders of 
 the Yorkists appear to have been privy. Pecock, after 
 some delays, was translated by papal provision to his 
 new office on March 23, 1450. He made his profession 
 of obedience at Leicester, where the parliament was 
 sitting, a week afterwards, and had the temporalities re- 
 stored to him on June 8 of the same year. The smiles 
 of Delapole proved fatal to Pecock. The people gene- 
 rally were persuaded of the integrity of the " good Duke 
 " Humphry" (as he was called), and were convinced that 
 the Duke of Suffolk was both concerned in his death 
 and was the main cause of the English losses in France. 
 He was accordingly arraigned and sentenced to ba- 
 nishment, but was assassinated before the sentence took 
 effect. The Bishop of Norwich, the queen's confessor, 
 was driven from his see. Their friends, more espe- 
 cially the bishops, were universally detested. 1 
 
 The storm of indignation did not at once descend 
 upon Pecock, who about this time was engaged in 
 writing or correcting his Treatise on Faith, an Eng- 
 lish work still extant, intended to reduce the Lollards 
 to obedience to the prelates of the Church. In the first 
 part of this treatise, which appears to have been 
 published about 145G, 2 he gives up the idea of an 
 
 1 Lc Neve's Fnxti, vol. i. p. 247 
 (Hardy); Gascoigne, «.«., pp. 524, 
 537,538, 548; Levis, 185-199. 
 
 ; Wharton and Lewis consider it 
 
 to have been composed about 1450. 
 This may he so, but it was one of 
 the nine books presented to the 
 archbishop, and so ought not to have 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xxxiii 
 
 infallible authority in the Church (as a basis of argu- 
 ment at least), and maintains that many have fruit- 
 lessly endeavoured to convince the Lollards of error 
 by the principle that " the clergy, or the church of 
 " the clergy, may not err in matters of faith." He 
 accordingly proposes to convince them by another 
 means, viz., " that we ought to believe and stand to 
 " some sayer or teacher, which may fail, so long as 
 " it is not known that that sayer or teacher therein 
 " fails." He even contends that faith is a matter 
 of probability rather than of knowledge, and that 
 the truth of the Christian religion itself is to be 
 proved, not by demonstrative, but by probable argu- 
 ment. Such views were in fact absolutely incompa- 
 tible with the popular doctrine of a living infallible 
 authority in matters of faith. Very remarkable also 
 is the approximation which Pecock here makes towards 
 the doctrine of religious toleration, an approximation 
 which shows him to be far in advance of his own 
 age, and indeed of the age of the Reformers. He 
 maintains that " the clergy shall be condemned at 
 " the last day, if by clear wit they draw not men 
 " into consent of true faith otherwise than by fire 
 " and sword and hangment ; although I will not 
 " deny " (he adds) " these second means to be lawful, 
 " provided the former be first used." In the second 
 part he treats of the rule of faith, and maintains 
 the Scripture to be the only standard of supernatural 
 
 been published before 1454. It is 
 mentioned once in the Repressor 
 (p. 45), perhaps again (p. 564), 
 each place being written on an 
 erasure, although " the author him- 
 self in the entrance reckons six years 
 from the time of his writing the 
 Repressor, and afterwards speaking 
 of the same war between England 
 and France, he sets it at forty years, 
 
 as he had in the former at thirty- 
 four." — Waterland's Works, vol. x. 
 p. 214. Pecock seems to have had 
 several works half finished at the 
 same time, which afterwards came 
 out at different times ; and thus one 
 book may be referred to in another 
 book, which itself came out earlier 
 than the book to which it refers. 
 See above, p. xxii., note. 
 
xxxiv 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 and revealed verities. The opinions implied rather 
 than advocated in the first part, on the infallibility 
 of general councils, were no doubt at variance with 
 those most generally received in his time, easy though 
 it be to find sundry authors of that age who agree 
 "with him even here ; but his view of the rule of 
 faith may perhaps be said to have been the usual 
 one in that period. It was maintained, among many 
 more, by Pecock's bitter enemy, John Bury, who 
 does not seem so much as to have imagined that 
 any verities of the Christian religion were preserved 
 merely by the medium of tradition. 1 
 Pecockindis- At last the cloud burst upon his head. The Duke 
 Indv^Mhe of York, secretly aiming at the crown, veiled his 
 hierarchy, design by affecting to redress grievances, and to pro- 
 cure the removal of evil counsellors from the king's 
 presence. Pecock was peculiarly unfortunate, as hav- 
 ing lost his patrons, tbe Duke of Suffolk and the 
 Bishop of Norwich, in whose disgrace he shared, and 
 also in being out of favour with the king personally. 2 
 His remarks on the wars with France were certainly 
 not calculated to gain him Henry's partiality, and 
 his notions on various points of doctrine made him 
 
 1 See Pecock's Book of Faith, pp. 
 1, 3, 4, 14, and Wharton's Preface 
 (passim) ; Excerpts from Bury, p. 
 G12 (of this work). Lewis, pp. 
 199-202 ; also pp. 285-302, where 
 are some quotations from the Book 
 of Faith, which are not contained 
 in Wharton's edition. Yet Pecock 
 himself does not seem to perceive 
 that his arguments were really more 
 than aryumenta ad hominem, for he 
 says expressly and (we must pre- 
 sume) sincerely : "Nevertheless of 
 this .... followeth not that the 
 church on earth erreth or may err." 
 (Lewis, p. 294.) 
 
 2 This personal feeling may, per- 
 
 haps, be thought to manifest itself 
 in the statutes of King's College, 
 Cambridge, in which Henry directs 
 that no disciple of Wiclif or Pecock 
 shall be suffered to remain there. 
 But other considerations may like- 
 wise have come in. "Item statuinius 
 . . . quod quilibet scholaris. . . jurct 
 quod non favebit opinionibus, dam- 
 natis erroribus, aut haeresibus Johan- 
 nis Wycklyfe, Reginaldi reacocke, 
 neque alicujus alterius haTctiei, 
 quamdiu vixerit in hoc mundo, sub 
 poena perjurii et expulsionis ipso 
 facto." Statut. Coll. Regal. Cantabr. 
 c. xilt. in fine. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 XXXV 
 
 extremely unpopular with many of the hierarchy. His 
 very defence of them, of which they at first ap- 
 proved, had caused, it was said, the death of some. 
 His undisguised aversion, moreover, for the bombastic 
 manner and legendary matter of the discourses of the 
 friars, gained him the enmity of many of that order, 
 whom he not very reverentially designated as imljpit- 
 bcwlers. 1 There was no powerful person, there was 
 no political or religious party, on whom he could 
 count for aid. Those who took any part at all, seem 
 to have taken part against him. 
 
 It is Pecock's misfortune that we are obliged to His history 
 
 ° related prmci- 
 
 1 This appellation (clamitatores 
 in pulpitis) is contained in a letter 
 to Friar Godhard. His opinion 
 of the preachers of the day ex- 
 pressed in the Repressor is not on 
 the whole very flattering. In the 
 same -work he intimates that le- 
 gends contained " full many untrue 
 fables," and promises a treatise on 
 the subject. Gascoigne, p. 528 ; 
 Repressor, p. 354 ; Book of Faith, 
 p. 36. The Follower to the Donct 
 contains a curious passage, but some- 
 what too long to quote at large, 
 about a preacher (i.e. Pecock him- 
 self) " thenking that need was forto 
 reproue mysbering prechers," who 
 " warnede summe of his felawschip 
 that he wolde preche into the now 
 seid entent, and other wise than 
 he euer prechid bifore." His ex- 
 position of 2 Tim. iv. 2, Argue, ob- 
 secra, increpa, &c, was so popular 
 with his audience, that " summe of 
 the heerers profred gold oft forto 
 haue had thilk long antetheme 
 writen, for deynte had therof." But 
 Pecock was "not wonyd to write 
 his solempne sermouns," and being 
 " louun to greet bisynessis" he 
 could not deliver it into their 
 
 hands. The sequel to this discourse 
 came on in due time "vnder this 
 theme, Amici mei et proximi mei ad- 
 versum me appropinquaverunt et ste- 
 terunt" the substance of which was 
 " blamyng certein prechers." In 
 order that " his werk schulde take 
 effect, he dide it scharpli, and not 
 without profis therto broujt." But 
 this was no sooner done than the 
 people " beere hem anentis the seid 
 precher as wilde vnresonable beestes." 
 (fol. 48.) Compare Wiclif Dial. 
 lib. iv. c. 38 (p. 301, Franc. 1753): 
 " Nec dubium quin illi (religiosi 
 nostri) regulariter sint vaniloqui 
 simplicem populum seducendo .... 
 Nec dubium quin hi fratres nimis 
 comiter tarn domos corporales tem- 
 poralium dominorum, quam domos 
 spirituales subvertant docentes apo- 
 crypha atque ludicra propter quan- 
 tum. Ideo cum oportet ipsos redar- 
 gui, debet secundum formam ipsos 
 arguere dure." Nicolaus de Cla- 
 mengiis («t supra) speaks equally 
 strongly. See also Lewis' Lives of 
 Pecock and Wiclif, passim, and 
 "Wharton's preface to Pecock's Book 
 of Faith, 
 
xxxvi 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 paiiy by his depend principally on his enemies' statements for the 
 
 enemies. A , . 
 
 history of the remainder of his life. Even from such 
 accounts, however, the malignity and gross ignorance 
 of his persecutors are abundantly manifest. So far as 
 can now be made out, the closing events of his 
 career were as follows. 
 
 Council held at 
 
 Towards the close of the year 1457, probably on 
 the autumn of the twenty-second of October, 1 King Henry VI. held 
 pelled from it, " a council at Westminster. There was a large muster 
 appear before t he both of the temporal and spiritual lords. Among the 
 canterbury on rest was Pecock. The hatred long entertained against 
 his person and opinions here burst forth with unre- 
 strained fury. Not one of the temporal lords would 
 speak on the business of the council so long as Pecock 
 was present. Many clamoured aloud for his expul- 
 sion. Complaints and murmurs proceeded from all sides. 
 He had written, it was said, on profound subjects in 
 the English language. What else but mischief to the 
 ignorant vulgar could be expected from such produc- 
 tions ? He had vilipended and rejected the authority 
 
 1 There are some slight errors 
 about the dates in the accounts 
 which have come down to us, 
 ■which I have endeavoured (in 
 some degree at least) to rectify. 
 These would hardly be worth men- 
 tioning, were it not that the order 
 of the events is thereby confused. 
 Gascoigne evidently did not exactly 
 know on what day the council was 
 held, using the vague expression 
 " circa festum S. Martini Ep. et 
 Christi Conf.," or " about November 
 1 1 ." He goes on to add that Pecock 
 was cited to appear with his books 
 " in Sabbato infra octavas S. Mar- 
 tini." This latter date is almost 
 certainly false ; for, instead of the ex- 
 amination being after November 1 1 , 
 
 or St. Martin's day, we have two 
 accordant testimonies for its being 
 on St. Martin's day itself, viz., the 
 note in Cambridge MS. of the 7iV- 
 pressor, and the mandate of the 
 archbishop, dated Lambeth, October 
 22, 1457, quoted at lengtli by Lewis. 
 It seems probable enough that the 
 archbishop issued his mandate on 
 the same day that he required Pe- 
 cock to withdraw from the coun- 
 cil, or, in other words, that the 
 council was held on October 22, 
 1457 ; if not, we must suppose that 
 the council was held some short time 
 previously. It seems very impro- 
 bable that it can have been later 
 than October 22. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xxxvii 
 
 of the old doctors, saying that neither their writings 
 nor those of any others were to be received, except in 
 so far as they were agreeable to reason. 1 When pas- 
 sages from their works had been produced against him, 
 he had been known to say Pooh ! pooh ! He had 
 even made a new creed of his own, and had denied 
 that the Apostles' creed was composed by the Apos- 
 tles 1 Much more was said. He had written last year 
 a letter to Canning, lord mayor of London, who had 
 forwarded it to the king. In that letter, which the 
 king had shown to some of them, there were (they 
 averred) no ambiguous signs of exciting England to a 
 change of faith, and even to an insurrection. To 
 crown all, he had therein asserted that many of the 
 nobility agreed with him and his detestable writings. 
 At length the divines who were in attendance de- 
 manded of Archbishop Bourchier that they might 
 have copies of Pecock's books for examination. The 
 primate assented. Upon this Pecock himself came 
 forward. He was willing (he said) that copies of all 
 the books which he had composed within the last 
 three years should be delivered to his grace ; but 
 lie would not be answerable for such works as he 
 had written before that time, because they had only 
 been circulated among private persons, and had not 
 received his final corrections. The archbishop required 
 him to appear at Lambeth on the eleventh of November, 
 and to bring his books with him. After more confusion 
 and disturbance, the king himself was appealed to, and 
 
 1 See p. xxxix., note. In the same 
 ■way he refused to acknowledge the 
 absolute authority of Aristotle in 
 matters of philosophy. "Aristotel 
 was not other than an encercher 
 forto fynde out trouthis, as othere 
 men weren in his dayes and now 
 after his daies }it hidirto ben. And 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 he failide in ful many poyntis bothe 
 in natural philosophic and in moral 
 philosophie, as schal be maad open 
 in othere placis, and as ech large 
 encercher of trouthis into this pre- 
 sent day hath failid." — Follower to 
 the Donet, MS. fol. 68. 
 
 d 
 
xxxviii 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Bourchier commanded Pecock to withdraw. He quitted 
 the council-chamber accordingly, and left London. 1 
 His opponents Immediately afterwards, as it seems, the archbishop 
 
 similarly cited. , . 
 
 issued his mandate for Pecock's opponents to appeal'. 
 It is dated from Lambeth (or as it was anciently- 
 written Lamhith), October 22, 1457. He there directs 
 the clergy (to whom it is addressed) "to admonish 
 " all and singular who would oppose anything against 
 " the conclusions of the said bishop had or contained 
 " in his books or writings," to appear before the arch- 
 bishop or his commissaries on the twentieth day (Nov. 
 11) after the date of the monition, and to bring 
 their objections in writing, "withal commanding them 
 " by his authority to inhibit all and singular .... 
 " that they do not presume in any manner out of 
 " court to assert, judge, or preach anything to the 
 " prejudice of the aforesaid lord bishop Reginald, 
 " whilst this affair of the examination and discussion 
 "of his books and conclusions before him or his 
 " commissaries was depending and unfinished." 2 
 Both parties How the interval was employed by Pecock and 
 
 busy meanwhile. . . . -i . • i i mi 
 
 his adversaries we do not distinctly know. The 
 former seems to have been engaged in- correcting the 
 copies of his works which he was to exhibit to the 
 archbishop, and the latter, we may be sure, were pre- 
 paring their exceptions and accusations, 
 ners mak^arfun- The eleventh of November arrived, and Pecock pre- 
 SotteprinaSfc'* sented himself at the archiepiscopal palace. He brought 
 
 1 Gascoigne, «. s., pp. 542-547 ; 
 Whethanistede in Hearne, u. a., pp. 
 490-493. 
 
 1 Quoted by Lewis, p. 216. Foxe 
 gives the document at length, s. a. 
 1457, rather differently. According 
 to his copy, the objectors were to 
 appear against Pecock "the twen- 
 tieth day after such monition or 
 
 warning had." This would, of course, 
 in some instances be a little later 
 than Nov. 1 1 ; but I believe Lewis' 
 marginal note to be quite right, that 
 this was the day intended for the 
 examination, or at any rate for the 
 first examination. His own account 
 of the transactions is confused. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xxxix 
 
 nine of his works with him, which were found to 
 contain many erasures and passages written anew. 
 The Repressor and The Book of Faith were among 
 them. 1 They were handed by the primate to twenty- 
 four doctors for examination, who should report to 
 him and his assessors (viz. Waynflete, Bishop of 
 Winchester, Chedworth, Bishop of Lincoln, and Lowe, 
 Bishop of Rochester) the results of their inspection. 
 Pecock requested that he might not be judged by 
 them, but by his peers, meaning thereby not the 
 bishops, but those who were his equals in scholastic 
 disputation. This objection was overruled by the 
 archbishop. When their examination was concluded, 
 these doctors reported to the archbishop and the 
 bishops present that Pecock's writings contained many 
 errors and heretical opinions, as they were prepared 
 to prove in their full canonicals 2 before the king- 
 in council. George Neville, Bishop elect of Exeter 
 and brother of Lord Salisbury, is repoi'ted to have 
 said to Pecock while the report of the examination 
 was going on, " My lord of Chichester, the just 
 " judgment of God suffers you to incur these re- 
 " proaches for having yourself reproached the holy 
 " doctors Augustine and Jerome, and for denying 
 " the truth of their sayings." 3 To whom Pecock is 
 said to have replied, that he regretted that he had so 
 written, not being sufficiently informed on the matters 
 in question. 4 We know no more of Pecock's reply to 
 
 1 The MS. note at the end of the 
 Repressor affirms so much of that 
 work ; and several of the condemned 
 conclusions are manifestly taken 
 from The Book of Faith. 
 
 2 " Suis pileis utentes." (Gas- 
 coigne). 
 
 3 Gascoigne, «. s., pp. 543-545. 
 
 4 It may be presumed, however, 
 
 that he ■who had been writing a trea- 
 tise On the just apprising of Doctors, 
 was at least as well instructed as 
 Neville, who had been appointed 
 bishop by provision from the pope 
 the year before on condition that he 
 should not, on account of his youth, 
 being then 23 years old, be con- 
 secrated for four years. (Gascoigne, 
 d 2 
 
xl 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the charges of the doctors, but it may be imagined, 
 from the sequel, that it was tame enough. 1 
 joim of Bury's It was very probably at this time that John Bury, 
 
 reply to Pecock s . . „ . . . 
 
 Repressor, an Augustiman friar, was preparing his reply to 
 
 accusing hun of 0 • i 1 • . 
 
 rationalism and Pecock's Repressor, which he entitled Gladius Salo- 
 
 heresy. 
 
 monis, and which is still preserved. 2 This work he 
 
 v. s., 515 ; Lewis, 220, note). It is 
 probable enough that Pecock may 
 have been provoked into saying 
 something foolish by a foolish an- 
 tagonist, perhaps Eborall ; but it 
 ■would seem that his views of patris- 
 tic authority were not very wide 
 of that which men of sense and 
 learning ordinarily take of it, being 
 removed from the superstitious 
 veneration for a great doctor which 
 prevailed in his own age, andfrom the 
 still more superstitious patrophobia 
 which has prevailed in some quarters 
 subsequently. His own notions may 
 be partly collected from the Repres- 
 sor (pp. 71, 72, 334, sgq., 446, 459), 
 from his Book of Faith (pp. 14, 40, 
 Wharton), and from some extracts 
 printed by Foxe {Comment., fol. 199- 
 203), and from another preserved 
 in the Bodleian («. 117, fol. 13, b.): 
 " Dicta Sanctorum non sunt tanta; 
 auctoritatis, quin liceat sentire con- 
 trarium in eis qua; non sunt per 
 S. Scripturam determinata. Unde 
 dicit Augustinus in Epistola ad 
 Vincentium Donatistam de scrip- 
 turis SS. Doctorum : Hoc genus 
 scripturarum a canvnicis distingucn- 
 dum est" &c. In his Follower In the 
 Donet (MS. fol. 6) he says: " God 
 forbede that y or eny other man 
 Bchujde feele that writyngis of doc- 
 touris weren to be dispisid, or were 
 to be sett at noiut, or to be sett 
 litil bi: for tho writyngis ben ful 
 
 profitable, namelieh if thci lie take 
 into vse bi a good discrecioitn." See 
 also fol. 100. 
 
 1 Foxe, indeed, perhaps referring 
 to this examination, says that " he 
 declared many things worthy of a 
 good divine, and armed himself 
 with all kind of armour for the 
 defence of his life and cause," while 
 his enemies, " with like labour and 
 pain, laboured and travailed for 
 their dignity and gain . . . and 
 thought good to use all kind of 
 preparation and to show their power 
 and strength, all that ever they 
 might. Wherefore the most subtle 
 and exquisite sophisters, philoso- 
 phers, divines, and orators were 
 called for, besides centurions of 
 lawyers and decretists, whose use 
 and help in these matters is greatly 
 esteemed." This may be so, but 
 Pecock's courage seems shortly to 
 have forsaken him. Foxe's account, 
 however, is so vague and wanting 
 in circumstantiality, that no great 
 use can be made of it. 
 
 * Lewis (p. 249) evidently thinks 
 that Bourchier requested Bury to 
 write his reply after Pecock's de- 
 privation. The preface may very 
 well be taken to allude to the ad- 
 verse report of the commissioners of 
 inquiry; but if Pecock had been 
 already deprived, the words of Bury 
 would probably have been more 
 definite. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Xli 
 
 undertook at the primate's request ; and he alludes in 
 terms of high praise to Lowe, Bishop of Rochester, as 
 being the archbishop's counsellor in dealing with the 
 heresies of Pecock. In the pi'eface to this treatise he 
 announces his intention of going to the root of Pe- 
 cock's errors, and of showing that Scripture and not 
 reason is the true mother of the living morality ; 
 while the boasted offspring of the latter (who lay- 
 overpowered by the deep sleep of ignorance) is dis- 
 covered to be a lifeless corpse. He also promises a 
 second part, in which he will prove that the various 
 arguments in the whole course of Pecock's Repressor 
 in behalf of drowsy reason are nothing to the pur- 
 pose. Whether this was ever published does not 
 appear. 1 The first part, however, has come down to 
 us complete, and it contains an acute and ingenious 
 reply to the thirteen conclusions propounded in the 
 first part of the Repressor, in which Pecock had at- 
 tempted to define the respective provinces of reason 
 and revelation. The reader will discover the plan 
 of the book from the original table of contents, 
 and the principal arguments by which its more 
 important conclusions are supported from their sum- 
 mary printed in the margin of the Excerpts. 2 On 
 
 1 Bale, who quotes the first words 
 of the treatise, says that it consists 
 of two parts ; it does not, however, 
 follow that he had ever seen the 
 second portion. 
 
 2 Having procured a transcript of 
 the entire MS., I am ahle to say that 
 the omitted parts are, like the rest, 
 of a philosophical and not of an 
 historical character. Quotations 
 from the fathers and schoolmen, 
 and from some of the classical 
 writers, form a very large part of 
 the treatise. These are often vaguely 
 
 or inaccurately made ; and there 
 are some few occurring in the Ex- 
 | cerpts, which I have been unable to 
 ' verify. With regard to the Greek 
 I writers which Bury quotes (and he 
 | quotes Aristotle perpetually), it is 
 I strongly to be suspected that he 
 only knew them from Latin ver- 
 j sions. His citations from Plato's 
 Thnaus (p. 590) do not appear to 
 have been derived from Cicero's 
 paraphrase (Dc Universo, § 3, and 
 § 11); but Latin versions of Plato 
 ' were, even in that age, not wholly 
 
xlii 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the points at issue between Bury and Pecock the 
 reader must form his own conclusions. They relate 
 to questions which concern the very foundations of 
 morals, and which are likely to afford matter of dis- 
 putation to ingenious men so long as the world shall 
 last. 
 
 Pecock, after Pecock's examinations (to which he had been no 
 Sfons^on^ 1111 ' stranger before both when Stafford and when Kemp 
 primate, Nov. 28. had been archbishop of Canterbury) and condemna- 
 tions (which he had hitherto escaped) now become so 
 frequent, that it is hard to say what took place at 
 each. 1 The primate having, with his assessors, drawn 
 
 unknown. Upon the whole, Bury's 
 erudition is highly creditable to 
 him, considering the age in which 
 he lived ; and his work, if printed 
 at length, might give some idea of 
 the range of a learned Englishman's 
 reading in the middle of the fifteenth 
 century in Suffolk. 
 
 The only historical part of the 
 work is the preface (printed entire), . 
 which is, unfortunately, -very ob- 
 scure, and perhaps a little corrupt ; 
 fraus should possibly be written for 
 laus (p. 571, 1. 17), and hedet for 
 parcet (p. 573, L 9). A glossary to 
 the Excerpts has not been deemed 
 necessary; the sense of viator, 
 strange principally as occurring in 
 such an unpoetical place as a 
 table of contents, is noticed at 
 p. 568. (See also Fasc. Zizan., 
 p. 105, in this series). The reader 
 will observe the indicative some- 
 times used where the subjunctive 
 is either absolutely required or 
 greatly preferable, as well as an un- 
 couth form or barbarous use of a 
 word here and there, e.g., scrupulum 
 for scrupiilus ; evidet in the sense of 
 it is evident, &c. These blemishes, 
 however, occur but rarely, aud 
 
 Bury's composition may in general 
 be read with pleasure. Some ac- 
 count of his life, and of his work 
 against Pecock, may be seen in Le- 
 land {Comm. de Script. Brit., 
 c. dxlv.), Bale (Cent, viii. n. xx. 
 p. 595, ed. Bas. 1559), and Oudinus 
 (De Script. Eccl., torn. iii. p. 2594). 
 The last-named author mentions the 
 MS. from which the Excerpts in the 
 Appendix are made. It is pre- 
 served In the Bodleian Library at 
 Oxford, being a small quarto, written 
 on parchment in the fifteenth century, 
 of 63 leaves, abounding in contrac- 
 tions, now numbered 108 (formerly 
 1960. See Cat. Libr. MSS. Angl. 
 p. 98). It was formerly in the pos- 
 session of Thomas Allen, of Glou- 
 cester Hall. Lewis made some use 
 of it in his Life of Pecock. 
 
 1 " His injurious handling is long, 
 and the circumstances thereof very 
 long," Foxe ; who also says that, 
 "besides many other articles, the 
 presence of the bread in the sacra- 
 ment was laid unto Pecock." He 
 alone inserts in Pecock's recantation 
 the following article: "Item, that 
 it is not necessary to salvation to 
 affirm the body materially in the 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xliii 
 
 up a condemnation of a creed 1 which Pecock had 
 composed, directed Dr. Pinchbeck to read it upon the 
 Sunday following at Paul's Cross. He then convened 
 a meeting of bishops and doctors (both secular and 
 religious) on Nov. 21, probably at Lambeth, when 
 Pecock retracted, according to Gascoigne, various con- 
 clusions which he had laid down in his writings. 
 These doctors considered Pecock's works unfit to be 
 read, because in his Booh of Faith he had said that 
 St. Gregory's saying that " faith has no merit, of 
 " whose truth human reason gives proof," is false, 
 and that the pontiff had contradicted himself. His 
 Repressor they objected against for maintaining that 
 the property of churchmen is as strictly their own 
 as is the property of laymen. His sermon at St. 
 Paul's gave offence for teaching that the payments 
 made to the pope for provisions were lawful ; as did 
 his letter to Friar Godhard about the "ranting 
 " preachers" of the day. They also censured him 
 for maintaining that a man is not bound to stand 
 by the determination of the Catholic Church, but 
 only to believe that there is a Catholic Church. 2 He 
 
 sacrament." This article comes in 
 after the article relating to the com- 
 munion of saints. We have so many 
 other copies, however, without this 
 article, that a mistake on Foxe's 
 part is strongly to be suspected. 
 Leland's Chronicler, indeed, tells us : 
 " Male sensit de eucharistia," which 
 probably means that Pecock disbe- 
 lieved transubstantiation. Whether 
 the doctors, however, his examiners, 
 found fault with him on this score, 
 we do not certainly know. 
 
 1 1 incline to think that this creed 
 was contained at the end of the 
 Book of Faith, which has not come 
 down to us complete. The Donet 
 contains the Apostles' creed in an 
 
 altered form, omitting the descent 
 into hell ; but the condemned creed 
 was " novum symbolum magnum 
 et longum in Anglicis verbis." 
 (Gascoigne, a. s., 546). Pecock 
 {Donet MS., fol. 48) writes thus: 
 " Whether the Apostlis maad the 
 comune crede or not, schal not 
 be seid here, but it schal be tretid 
 in The Book of Faith." Now 
 Gascoigne says, u. s., 511: "Scrip- 
 sit in suo symbolo magno An- 
 
 glicano quod Apostoli non 
 
 " fecerunt symbolum nostrum com- 
 " mune." This looks very much as 
 though his Creed and Book of Faith 
 were united together or identical. 
 4 Gascoigne, u. s., 528, 529. 
 
xliv INTRODUCTION. 
 
 was next examined by the archbishop on Nov. 28, 
 at Lambeth, according to Gascoigne, in presence of 
 various ecclesiastical and secular lords ; or rather, as 
 Wethamstede reports, at Westminster, before the king 
 himself in full council. Indeed he may have been 
 re-examined at both these places about the same 
 time. At his final examination (wherever held) there 
 was much and long disputing. Much the same charges 
 w r cre brought against him as had been brought a 
 month before. He was interrogated on the descent 
 of Christ into hell, on the authority of the Catholic 
 Church, on the power of councils, on the sense of 
 Scripture, and on other matters mentioned below. 1 Re- 
 plies and rejoinders produced no definite result. The 
 Archbishop of Canterbury at length rose and addressed 
 him to the following effect: — "Dear brother, Master 
 " Reginald, since all heretics are blinded by the light 
 " of their own understandings, and will not own the 
 " perverse obstinacy of their own conclusions, we shall 
 " not dispute with you in many words (for we see 
 " that you abound more in talk than in reasoning), 
 " but briefly show you that you have manifestly 
 " presumed to contravene the sayings of the more 
 '•' authentic doctors. For as regards the descent of 
 " Christ into hell, the Tarentine doctor, in an in- 
 " quiry of his into the three creeds, says that it 
 " was left out of the Nicene and Athanasian creeds, 
 " because no heresy had then arisen against it, nor 
 '* was any great question made about it. As to 
 " the authority of the Catholic Church, the doctor 
 " Augustine says, Unless the authority of the Church 
 " moved me, I should not believe the Gospel. As to the 
 " power of councils, the doctor Gregory says (and his 
 
 1 " In his answering for himself 
 in such a company of the pope's 
 friends albeit he could not prevail, 
 notwithstanding he, stoutly defend- 
 
 ing himself, declared many things 
 worthy great commendation of learn- 
 ing, if learning against power could 
 have prevailed." Foxe, u. s. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xlv 
 
 " words arc placed in the Canon, Distinct. XV.), that 
 " the four sacred councils of Nice, Constantinople, 
 " Ephesus, and Chalcedon are not less to be honoured 
 " and reverenced than the four holy Gospels. For 
 " in them (as he asserts), as on a square corner-stone, 
 " the structure of sacred faith is raised ; and in them 
 " the rule of good life and manners consists. The 
 " other doctors also say with one mouth that although 
 " the sacred councils may err in matters of fact, yet 
 " they may not err in matters of faith, because in 
 " every general council, where two or three are 
 " gathered together in Christ's name, His Holy Spirit 
 " is there in the midst of them, who does not suffer 
 " them to err in faith or to depart from the way of 
 " truth. As regards the sense and understanding of 
 " Scripture, the doctor Jerome says, that whoever 
 " understands or expounds it otherwise than the 
 " meaning of the Holy Spirit requires, is an un- 
 " doubted heretic. With whom agrees the Lincoln 
 " doctor (Grosteste), thus saying : Whoever excogitates 
 " any opinion contrary to Scripture, if he publicly 
 " teach it and obstinately adhere to it, is to be 
 " counted for a heretic." The archbishop having then 
 enlarged on the necessity of removing a sickly sheep 
 from the fold, lest the whole flock should be in- 
 fected, offered him his choice between making a 
 public abjuration of his errors, and being delivered, 
 after degradation, to the secular arm "as the food of 
 " fire and fuel for the burning." " Choose one of 
 " these two " (he added), " for the alternative is irame- 
 " diate in the coercion of heretics." 1 
 
 1 Gascoigne, u. s., 54G, 547; 
 Whethamstede, u. s., 493-496. The 
 archbishop's speech, here some- 
 what compressed, is open to serious 
 exception both as to facts and the 
 
 interpretation of facts. His quota- 
 tion from St. Gregory is not quite 
 accurate, and his citation from St. 
 Augustine is in reality nothing to 
 the purpose. On these points, how- 
 
xlvi 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Pecock abjures Pecock stood for a few moments in motionless 
 foreTheareh- 6 * silence, not knowing what to answer. He then re- 
 aftmvavdfpub- plied as follows : " I am in a strait betwixt two, and 
 Cross^c"! 8 " hesitate in despair as to what I shall choose. If 
 " I defend my opinions and positions, I must be 
 " burned to death : if I do not, I shall be a byeword 
 " and a reproach. Yet it is better to incur the taunts 
 " of the people, than to forsake the law of faith 
 " and to depart after death into hell-fire and the 
 " place of torment. I choose, therefore, to make an 
 " abjuration, and intend for the future so to live 
 " that no suspicion shall arise against me all the days 
 " of my life." He then and there made, as a pre- 
 liminary to his abjuration, a confession in presence 
 of the archbishop and the assembly, and retracted 
 in general all the heretical positions which were 
 contained in his various books. 1 On the third of 
 December he abjured at Lambeth the condemned con- 
 clusions in a written form, in presence of the arch- 
 bishop and twenty-four doctors of divinity; they were 
 inserted in the original Latin in his public recantation, 
 which he made on the following "day. 2 That day was 
 Sunday. 3 Twenty thousand persons were assembled at 
 Paul's Cross. Pecock, arrayed in his episcopal habit, 
 was accompanied by the Archbishop of Canterbury, 
 
 ever, the reader may consult Lewis, 
 221-229, as well as for the (uncer- 
 tain) Tarentine doctor, and for the 
 absence of the descent into hell 
 from an ancient cony of the Atha- 
 nasian creed. 
 
 1 Whet ham stede, u. s. 
 
 ■ It exists in MS. at Lambeth, 
 n. 577, Wharton MSS., p. 25, and 
 is headed " Reginalds Pecock epi- 
 scopi Cicestrensis abjuratio in foro 
 judiciali." The only variation of 
 importance between it and the copy 
 
 printed below is, that concilium yc- 
 nerah et universalis ecclisia is read 
 instead of concilium generate univer- 
 salis ecclesice. The seveuth article 
 is wanting. My best thanks are 
 due to F. Knyvett, Esq., Secretary 
 to the Lord Archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, for affording me every facility 
 for the examination of the Lam- 
 beth MSS. 
 
 3 The feast of St. Barbara and 
 the second Sunday iu Advent hap- 
 pened to coincide. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xlvii 
 
 the Bishop of London,- the Bishop of Rochester, and 
 the Bishop of Durham. Many other ecclesiastics were 
 also present. He then knelt down at their feet, and 
 made a recantation in the following words : 
 
 " In the name of the Holy Trinity, Father and Son His recantation 
 
 &t Ptivil's Cross 
 
 " and Holy Ghost, I, Reynold Pecock, Bishop of 
 " Chichester ^^nwortlly, of mine own pure and free 
 " will, without any man's coercion or dread, confess 
 " and acknowledge that I have beforetime, presuming 
 " of mine own natural wit, and preferring the judg- 
 " ment of natural reason before the New and the 
 " Old Testaments, and the authority and determina- 
 " tion of our mother Holy Church, have h olden, 
 " feeled, and taught otherwise than the Holy Roman 
 " and Universal Church teacheth, preacheth, and ob- 
 " serveth ; and over (besides) this, against the true 
 " catholic and apostolic faith, I have made, written, 
 " and taken out and published many and divers perilous 
 " and pernicious doctrines, books, works, and writings, 
 " containing in them heresies and errors contrary to 
 " the faith catholic and determination of Holy Church, 
 " and especially these errors and heresies following, 
 " that is to say : 
 
 (i.) " Imprimis, quod non est de necessitate salutis 
 " credere, quod Dominus noster Jesus Christus post 
 " mortem descendit ad inferos. 
 
 (ii.) " Item, quod non est de necessitate salutis cre- 
 " dere in Spiritum Sanctum. 
 
 (iii.) " Item, quod non est de necessitate salutis cre- 
 " dere in sanctam ecclesiam catholicam. 
 
 (iv.) " Item, quod non est de necessitate salutis cre- 
 " dere in sanctorum communionem. 
 
 (v.) " Item, quod ecclesia universalis potest errare in 
 " iis quae sunt fidei. 
 
 (vi.) " Item, quod non est de necessitate salutis cre- 
 " dere et tenere quod illud, quod concilium generale 
 " universahs ecclesiae statuit, approbat, seu determinat 
 " in favorem fidei et ad salutem animarum, est ab uni- 
 
Xlviii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 " versis Christi fidelibus approbanduin et tenendum ; 
 " et quod reprobat et determinat seu condeninat esse 
 " fidei catholicse vel bonis moribus contrarium hoc ab 
 " eisdem pro reprobato et condemnato esse credendum 
 " et tenendum. 
 
 (vii.) " [Item, bene licebit unicuique Scripturam Sanc- 
 " tarn in sensu litterali intelligere, nec tenetur aliquis 
 " de necessitate salutis alicui alteri sensui inhserere.] 
 
 " Wherefore I, miserable sinner, which here-before 
 " long time have walked in darkness, and now, by 
 " the mercy and infinite goodness of God, reduced 
 " into the • right way and the light of truth, and 
 " considering myself grievously to^ have sinned, and 
 " wickedly to have informed and infected the people 
 " of God, return and come again to the unity of our 
 " mother Holy Church, and all heresies and errors 
 " above rehearsed and also all other heresies and 
 " errors written and contained in my said books, 
 " works, and writings here-before this time, before the 
 
 most reverend father in God, solemnly and openly 
 " revoke and renounce ; which heresies and errors 
 rt and all other spices (kinds) of heresy, I have before 
 " this time, before the most reverend father in God, my 
 " lord of Canterbury, in due and lawful form, judicially 
 " abjured, submitting myself, being then and also at 
 " this time a very contrite and penitent sinner, to the 
 " correction of the Church and of my lord of Can- 
 " terbury. And over this exhorting and requiring 
 " in the name and virtue of Almighty God, into the 
 " salvation of your souls and of mine, that no man 
 " give faith or credence to my said pernicious doctrines, 
 " heresies, and errors ; neither my said books keep, hold, 
 " or read in any wise ; but that they bring all such 
 " books, works, and writings as suspect of heresy (deal- 
 " ing in all godly haste) unto my said lord of Canter- 
 " bury or to his commissaries or deputies in eschewing 
 " of many inconveniences and great perils of souls, the 
 ''■ which else might ensue of the contrary. And over 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 xlix 
 
 " this declaration of my conversion and repentance, I 
 " here openly assent that my said books, works, and 
 " writings, for consideration and cause above rehearsed, 
 " be deputed unto the fire, and openly be burnt into 
 " the example and terror of all other." 1 
 
 This mean recantation ended, a fire was kindled at Pecock's books 
 
 . , , , •, . •, burnt at the 
 
 the Cross. Pecock, with his own hands, delivered cross, 
 three folio3 and eleven quartos of his own composition 
 to the executioner, who took and threw them into 
 the flames. It is said that if he had himself descended 
 to the bonfire, the populace would have hurled him 
 in along with his books. As these blazed, up before 
 his eyes, he exclaimed aloud, My pride and pre- 
 
 1 Gascoigne, u. s., pp. 548, 549; 
 Whethamstede, pp. 496-500; Lewis, 
 pp. 237-241. The confession, &c. 
 of Pecock is preserved by Whetham- 
 stede (in Latin) and in Kennet's col- 
 lection, from which last Lewis prints 
 it. It is also preserved at Lambeth 
 among Henry Wharton's MSS., n. 
 594, pp. 22, 23, from a MS. in Ash- 
 mole's collection, and again in n. 
 594, p. 33, from Neville's register. 
 This last must be considered authen- 
 tic. Foxe likewise has it, with an 
 additional article about the eucharist, 
 as has been already mentioned, but 
 omitting the important article re- 
 lating to the Holy Ghost, which is 
 also omitted (as well as article iii.) 
 by the chroniclers, and in a MS. in 
 Trinity College, Dublin (class E. 5, 
 10, fol. ccv.), of the fifteenth cen- 
 tury, kindly examined by Dr. Todd. 
 It is printed here entire " Ex Keg. 
 Exon. Nevil." in Wilkins' Concilia 
 (vol. iii. p. 576), except that one 
 or two very obvious corrections 
 are introduced from Whethamstede 
 and from the other copies. The 
 bracketed article occurs in Whet- 
 hamstede only. The orthography in 
 
 Wharton, Wilkins, and Lewis is not 
 that of the fifteenth century, and is 
 here completely modernised; it is 
 preserved, however, in an ancient 
 form, in a copy of the recantation 
 given in a chronicle from 1377- 
 1461, pp. 75-76 (Camden Society), 
 and in the Dublin MS., but with 
 many differences ; these copies are, 
 however, in other respects less com- 
 plete. Stowe copies this chronicle 
 almost verbatim (Annals, pp. 402, 
 403, ed. 1631). See also Holinshed's 
 chronicle s.a. 1458, p. 646. Other 
 chronicles, as Caxton's (sig. y. 2. 
 ed. 1480), Fabyan's, p. 463 (ed. 
 1559), and another in MS. s.a. 1458, 
 written in Henry the VIII. 's reign, 
 in verse, briefly mention Pecock's re- 
 cantation. The passages are quoted 
 at length by Waterland ( Works, vol. 
 x. pp. 234, 235). To them may be 
 added another of Henry Vni.'s time, 
 in the British Museum (Cotton. 
 MSS. Vitell. A. xvi. fol. 114) : "In 
 this yere (Hen. VI., xxxvi 0 ) Bis- 
 shop Pecok was abioured at Powlis 
 Crosse, beyngbisshop of Chychestir, 
 and hisbookys brent." 
 
1 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 sumption have brought upon me these troubles and 
 reproaches ! 
 
 " Thus ingloriously," (as his biographer well says,) 
 " did this great man fall, being overcome by his 
 " own fears, and not having courage and resolution 
 " enough to hazard the poor remainder of a life, 
 " almost worn out already and come to an end ; and 
 " thereby has given to others this useful lesson, when 
 " they think they stand, to take heed lest they fall." 
 He retracted errors which he had never uttered, .and 
 he retracted utterances which he knew to be truths. 1 
 
 1 Lewis, p. 241. " It is notorious," 
 (he adds very truly, p. 244), " that 
 some of the conclusions, for holding 
 which his lordship was convicted of 
 heretical pravity, or, however, of er- 
 ror, were maintained by many of the 
 doctors of even the Roman Church ; 
 and that in particular the third and 
 fourth of them have been since 
 established and authorized by their 
 famous Council of Trent." Pecock 
 was condemned by the perverse ig- 
 norance of his persecutors for affirm- 
 ing that it was the existence of the 
 Catholic Church, not an implicit 
 faith therein, which the Apostles' 
 creed required us to acknowledge. 
 Lewis does them too much honour by 
 refuting them at length (pp. 261- 
 264). These men might have re- 
 duced the Tridentine Fathers, and 
 Bonner himself, to cinders. In re- 
 ference to the Communion of Saints, 
 he says in the creed set down in his 
 Donet (which has been already 
 quoted at length, p. xx., note), "I 
 beleeue the comuning of seintis to 
 be." What would any one desire 
 more? He even agrees in the in- 
 terpretation of the article with the 
 present Roman view, and considers it 
 
 "God's ordinaunce that we mowe 
 preie to him and to aungelis and to 
 seintis for vs silf and for our nei)- 
 bourisandbeherd." (Donet MS., u.s.) 
 With regard to its not being neces- 
 sary to salvation to believe in the 
 Holy Ghost, Pecock never affirmed 
 any such thing, as his enemies very 
 well knew, or at least ought very 
 well to have known. He says ex- 
 pressly, " God is thre persons ; " 
 and again, " three persoones ben 
 oon God " (Repressor, pp. 39, 83 ; 
 see also above, p. xx., note, and Poor 
 Men's Mirror, MS. p. 82, where he 
 says : " In ech of hem,' i e. these 
 three persons, " ben alle the same 
 seid noble dignitees afore rehercid 
 ful and hooly lijk miche : and such 
 an other beyng, substaunce, or god- 
 hede is ther noon, neither may be "), 
 besides inserting the article in his 
 above-mentioned creed in the ex- 
 pressive form : " I beieeue into the 
 Holi Goost." Lewis is probably 
 correct in thinking that those who 
 ignorantly concluded that because 
 in the common creed we profess to 
 believe in the Holy Ghost, we are 
 therefore obliged to believe in the 
 Holy Catholic Church and in the 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 li 
 
 But, indeed, he seems to have been so confused and 
 bewildered, as scarcely to know what he had said or 
 what he had not said. 
 
 communion of saints, condemned 
 Pecock as holding it unnecessary to 
 believe in the Holy Ghost, because 
 he affirmed it unnecessary to believe 
 in the Holy Catholic Church. With 
 respect to the infallibility of the 
 Universal Church or of ecumenical 
 councils (see the fifth and sixth 
 heads), Pecock's sentiments were no 
 doubt in opposition to those main- 
 tained by many in that age in the 
 Church of England and by some (as 
 it would appear from the writings 
 of Hammond and others) since the 
 Reformation. Yet if he was to be 
 condemned for a heretic for not hold- 
 ing the representative Church to be 
 infallible, so was the great canonist, 
 Marsilius of Padua, in the fourteenth 
 century, a heretic who maintained 
 that " the pope and the bishops had 
 so much power as we can prove by 
 Scripture to have been conferred on 
 them, and no more;" and also " that 
 we are bound to place faith or cer- 
 tain credence or confession of truth 
 in no speech or writing except such 
 as is called canonical, that is to say, 
 is contained in the volume of the 
 Bible " (Marsil. Patav. Defens. Pac, 
 lib. ii. cap. 4 et cap. 28). As much 
 or more is said by Nicolaus de Cla- 
 mangiis and Thomas Waldensis (an 
 Englishman) in the fifteenth cen- 
 tury, whose testimonies are col- 
 lected by Henry Wharton in his 
 preface to Pecock's Book of Faith, 
 where that of Marsilius Patavinus 
 may also be seen (pp. xix. — xxv). 
 To these others (as Tostatus) might 
 be added. As regards the first par- 
 ticular alone, Pecock seems to have 
 
 laid himself open to just reprehen- 
 sion. He knew (what almost every- 
 body now knows and admits) that 
 the Apostles did not compose the 
 creed which bears their name, and 
 that the descent into hell was not 
 contained therein till a later period. 
 To make, however, such an asser- 
 tion then, and still more to make an 
 omission in the common creed, was 
 a very perilous affair. " Praecipue 
 provocavit omnes dominos tempo- 
 rales tunc regui in odium ipsius 
 Pecock episcopi, quod mutavit syni- 
 bolum nostrum commune, quod edi- 
 derunt Apostoli Domini nostri Jesu 
 Christi. Ipse enim episcopus Pe- 
 cock scripsit et dixit quod Apostoli 
 non fecerunt illud symbolum nos- 
 trum commune." Thus Gascoigne 
 (u. s., p. 546), who says elsewhere 
 (u. s., p. 542): "Dicit ibi (in his 
 Book of Faith) praedictus Pecock, 
 quod in tempore Augustini non fuit 
 ille articulus in symbolo, et sic non 
 est verum quod Apostoli posuerunt 
 ilium in symbolo," adding, with 
 amusing simplicity, " hsec ille Pe- 
 cock ibidem contra omnia testimo- 
 nia sanctorum Patriun." Yet this . 
 superior knowledge by no means 
 warranted him, after writing thus 
 {Book of Faith, ii. 5, p. 41) : " Oon 
 of the best clerkis and wisist divins, 
 and clepid therefore the Doctour 
 Sutel, Scotus, seith in his writing 
 that this article, Crist in his deeth of 
 bodi discendid into hellis, is an ar- 
 ticle of necessary faith ;" — Scotus 
 had affirmed that this article must 
 be apostolical, because the Apostles 
 put it into the creed, rashly enough 
 
lii 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Pecock's disgrace The archbishop without delay transmitted copies of 
 >fis e book b s r bumt Pecock's recantation to the bishops of his province, 
 and required them to publish it in their respective 
 dioceses. 1 The University of Oxford signalised itself 
 in behalf of the orthodox or winning side. On the 
 17th of December the Chancellor, Mr. Chandler, and 
 all the University proceeded in solemn procession to 
 a place where four roads met, thence called Quatre- 
 voix or Carfax, and there burnt to ashes every copy 
 of Pecock's works which could be found in Oxford. 
 About a month before this they had written a let- 
 ter to the primate, avowing their detestation of the 
 
 adding that it had no ground in 
 Scripture ; — in thereupon assum- 
 ing that Scotus -was correct so 
 far as the Scriptural argument 
 ■was concerned, and that the 
 article was consequently not apo- 
 stolical : " And so the ground, 
 foundement, and cause whi the seid 
 doctour held the seid article to be a 
 feith is not trewe, that is to seie, 
 that the Apostlis puttiden thilk ar- 
 ticle into the comoun crede; and 
 that the Kirke may make noon such 
 article of faith is before schewid." 
 I see not, therefore, how Pecock 
 can be acquitted of denying the 
 descent into hell to be an article 
 of faith. Lewis, in attempting to 
 wash him clean, has somewhat dir 
 tied his own fingers (p. 200). How- 
 ever, it is likely enough that Pecock 
 would without much scruple have 
 admitted it to be an article of faith t'a 
 general terms (taking hell as " the 
 state of the dead in genera!, without 
 any restriction of happiness or 
 misery "), though not in the par- 
 ticular sense in which it may have 
 been ordinarily explained in his own 
 age. (I doubt Gascoigne's accuracy 
 in making Pecock say, " quod anima 
 
 Christi non descendit iu inferna," 
 u. s., 511). Lewis _himself must in 
 common candour be so understood 
 and his own quotation (p. 340, Ad- 
 denda) from Thomas Burnet (De 
 Fid. Christ.) may be taken to im- 
 ply so much : " Quod symbolo 
 apostolico interseritur de deseen.'u 
 Christi ad inferos, de ecclesia ca- 
 tholica, et communione sanctorum 
 sequioris est a;vi, et explication is 
 magis ilubia.'' With regard to the 
 seventh particular, it is absent from 
 most copies; and whether it be 
 genuine or not, hardly any one 
 will pretend that it is heretical. 
 It is even difficult to understand to 
 what opinion of Pecock it refers. 
 
 1 Wharton's MS. (Lambeth MSS. 
 594, p. 33) gives a copy of Pecock's 
 abjuration from the register of a 
 mandate of Neville, Bishop of Exe- 
 ter : — " Archidiaconis suis direc- 
 tum, 1457 (i.e., 1458, modern style) 
 12 Jan., ut publicari . . . faciant 
 per totam dicecesin Exon. revoca- 
 tiones et renuntiationes Reginald! 
 Pecock episcopi Cicestrensis, quas 
 archiepiscopus Cantuariensis trans- 
 miserat episcopo Exoniensi, man- 
 dans ut easdem sic publicari faciat." 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 liii 
 
 man, and begging him to pardon the lukewarmness 
 of which they had hitherto been guilty. 1 
 
 Pecock's enemies now everywhere set up a note of Triumphant tone 
 
 . • it\ i . assumed by Pe- 
 
 tnumph. Doggrel verses were put in circulation, m cook's enemies, 
 which the laws of humanity and the laws of prosody 
 were alike disregarded : 
 
 " Sic deplumatus" (says an unknown scribbler) 
 " pavo fuit et spoliatus, 
 
 " Sicque sibi siluit, vox quia rauca fuit. 
 " Sic dudum volucris, quse nomen habebat honoiis, 
 
 <: Bubo non pavo dicitur esse modo. 
 " Nomine privari vult atque gradu spoliari, 
 
 " Qui violat fidei dogmata sive Dei. 
 " Ne sic priveris, hsec qui legis, aut spolieris, 
 
 " Nec basse tend as nec nimis alta petas. 
 " Dura medium tenuit currum patris bene rexit, 
 
 " Alta sed ut petiit, Phaeton ab arce ruit." 
 
 Even an abbot of St. Alban's, John de Whetham- 
 stede, could express himself thus : " Sic intoxicator 
 " ille impiissimus, qui perfidise venenum imbiberat, 
 " ut ipsuni imbibitum effunderet iterum ac populum 
 " simplioem in fide infective informaret, exspuit ipsum 
 " modo taliter et evomuit, quod, 
 
 " 'Dura sol dat radium, Mars gerit aut gladium/ 
 
 " ipsuni rebibere seu reglutire nullatenus ausus erit/' 2 
 
 Pecock's final sentence was deferred, and he was P<*ock put in 
 
 ' conhnement by 
 
 sent by Bourchier, in the first instance, to Canterbury, ^l^eail'to 1 '" 
 
 1 Gascoigne (Appendix to this 
 work). Wood, u. s. Lewis (p. 248), 
 professing to follow Wood, carelessly 
 makes the conflagration occur Nov. 
 17, and then puts the letter a month 
 after it, which would in that case 
 have been a modest production in- 
 deed. It is vexatious to spoil a good 
 story, but it must be said of Lewis 
 VOL. I. 
 
 here, as he observes of Collier's use 
 of Wood elsewhere (p. 272): " The 
 good man, 'tis plain, has quite mis- 
 taken his own author, and blunders 
 in reading, or, however, in repre- 
 senting what he writes." 
 
 2 Whethamstede, u. s., 501, who 
 has also immortalized the foregoing 
 poem. 
 
 e 
 
liv 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Rome. The pope and then to Maidstone ; 1 yet, though a prisoner, he 
 
 favours him. . 
 
 Conduct of the somehow or other contrived to send a statement of 
 
 king. Royal com- 
 mission issued his case to the pope, of which it would he interesting 
 
 Sept. 17, 1458. . . 
 
 to know the particulars. 2 Whether the Roman archives 
 furnish them must he left to others to inquire. " But 
 " it seems," as his biographer observes, " such was 
 " the bishop's interest at the court of Rome, that 
 " he had from thence bulls of restitution, by which 
 " the archbishop was required to put him again 
 " in possession of the bishopric of which he had 
 " now deprived him." Upon the receipt of the 
 papal bulls, the archbishop applied to the king, 
 and represented that Pecock had been convicted 
 of heresy, and made his abjuration accordingly, 
 " and yet that he had surreptitiously purchased and 
 " obtained from our holy father the pope certain 
 
 1 There is a story mentioned by 
 Gascoigne (see Appendix), and 
 also by the Camden Society's chro- 
 nicle (p. 77) named before, that 
 Pecock used to repeat to those who 
 visited him in his confinement 
 these lines following : — 
 "Wit hath wonder that reason 
 not tell can, 
 How a Maid is a Mother, and 
 
 God is a Man : 
 Leave reason, believe the won- 
 der ; 
 
 Belief hath mastery, reason is 
 under." 
 
 The story, of course, means that Pe- 
 cock retracted what he had said about 
 the province of reason in matters of 
 religion ; but in his Repressor he 
 expressly says that the mystery of 
 the Incarnation cannot be compre- 
 hended fully by any Christian man 
 (p. 245). I have little hesitation 
 therefore, insetting it aside as fabu- 
 lous and should have none at all, 
 
 were it not that Pecock sometimes 
 confessed to crimes of which he was 
 not guilty. The composition of the 
 stanza is ascribed by the chronicle 
 to Pecock, but this seems to be fabu- 
 lous also. It is printed, according 
 to Lewis (p. 236), under an old 
 woodcut of Joseph and Mary, with 
 these words following, Quoth an- 
 tiquity. The Lincoln College MS. 
 - of Gascoigne places Gascoigne's 
 name against the last two lines, as 
 though he were the author of them, 
 and so leads Wood astray. " Qui- 
 bus in hunc modum Gascoigne pie 
 subjecit, Leave reaso?t," &c. So also 
 B. Twynne before him. (Ant. Acad. 
 Oxon., p. 309.) 
 
 8 John Milverton, provincial of 
 the Carmelites, Pecock's old oppo- 
 nent, also sent a statement of the 
 condemnation and recantation of 
 Pecock to Home. See Bale, Cent, 
 viii. n. 44. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Iv 
 
 " bulls for his declaration and restitution contrary 
 " to the laws and statutes provisors, 1 and to the 
 " great contempt and derogation of his majesty's 
 " prerogative and estate royal." The king hereupon 
 issued a commission, dated from St. Alban's, Sept. 
 17, 1458, to the Bishop of St. Asaph (whose name 
 seems to be unknown) and Dr. Stillington, to report 
 to him in writing the legal course to be pursued in 
 the matter, taking such advice of jurists and divines as 
 they should deem necessary. The commissioners recom- 
 mended that the king should send an ambassador to 
 his holiness, in order to represent to him the dangerous 
 character of the bishop's heresies, and to request 
 him to revoke his bull and appoint a pious and 
 learned bishop to be nominated by the king. They 
 also considered that Pecock was heretical before he 
 was appointed to the see of Chichester, and that the 
 king might therefore lawfully detain the temporalities 
 thereof until a catholic successor was appointed. 2 
 
 1 The less the archbishop had said 
 of these statutes the better ; he 
 dwelt in a crystal palace. Several 
 of the other bishops (Kempe, Lowe, 
 and Neville), who had been con- 
 cerned in procuring Pecock's con- 
 demnation, owed their sees to papal 
 provision. See Lewis, p. 252, and 
 Le Neve's Fasti. 
 
 2 Lewis, pp. 250-254, 270 (where 
 the documents are quoted, from 
 Kennet, at greater length) ; Gas- 
 coigne, u. s., p. 549. The docu- 
 ments are to be seen in full at 
 Lambeth among Wharton's MSS. 
 577, pp. 26-28, and 594, pp. 23, 24. 
 The articles of the commissioners 
 are signed by T., Bishop of Asaph, 
 Dr. Stillington, and other doctors, 
 twenty in number, of whom Pinch- 
 beck and Hugh Tamelet or Damelet 
 
 were two. In the course of their 
 letter to the king they thus describe 
 Pecock's sentiments: — " Porasmuch 
 as the damnable doctrine and pesti- 
 ferous sect of Reynold Pecock ex- 
 ceedeth in malice and horribility all 
 other heresies and sects of heretics 
 to us herebefore known by hearing 
 or writing, in the which the said 
 Reynold destroyeth not only the 
 pouvoir and jurisdiction of regalie 
 (regality) and priesthood . . . but 
 also despiseth and annulleth the 
 authority of all Holy Scripture, as 
 well of the Old Testament as of the 
 New, impugning the principles and 
 ground of the religion and doctrine 
 of cur. Lord Jesus Christ, to whom, 
 among other blasphemies and de- 
 testable heresies, he ascribeth igno- 
 rance and imperfection, and namely 
 
 e 2 
 
Ivi 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The king offers The king tendered his thanks to the commissioners 1 
 if hewoi^resign. for their diligence in this business, and further re- 
 quested them to certify him of the heresies of which 
 the bishop was guilty : their report has not been 
 discovered. He likewise informed Pecock, through 
 John Derby and Gilbert Haydock, of the report of 
 the commissioners, who were to notify to him in the 
 king's name, that if he would resign, the king would 
 grant liim a competent livelihood ; but that if he 
 forced his majesty to send letters to the pope, he 
 would "write for the uttermost rigour of the law to 
 " be inflicted upon him." 2 Pecock's subsequent history 
 has been thought, perhaps erroneously, to indicate that 
 he declined the kind's offers and refused to resign : s 
 but be this as it ma} r , John Arundel, the king's 
 
 in making the holy prayer of the 
 Pater nostcr, and, over that, of his 
 arrogance and presumption, re- 
 proveth the doctrine of Moses and 
 other prophets of God, and also of 
 the apostles, evangelists, and dis- 
 ciples of Christ, contemning also 
 the decrees and ordinances of ge- 
 neral councils with [the] diets and 
 holy expositions of holy doctors and 
 fathers of Christ's Church, as well 
 upon the ten commandments com- 
 prised in the two tables of Moses, 
 and the twelve articles of the faith, 
 and seven sacraments of the Church ; 
 and, to speak summarily, he in- 
 tendeth by his detestable and blas- 
 phemous doctrine utterly to destroy 
 the honour and the name of Christ, 
 and to confound finally the authority 
 and state of Christian religion, — 
 therefore it is considered," &c. &c. 
 But the reader will already be more 
 than satiated. 
 
 1 The king's letter is preserved 
 
 in Wharton's MSS., Lambeth, n. 
 577, p. 29, directed to Mr. Stilling- 
 tou and Hugh Tamelet. 
 
 - Wharton's MS., u. gives the 
 king's letter entire, directed to Mr. 
 J. Derby and Mr. Gilb. Haydock, 
 &c. A Latin copy, which Lewis 
 evidently follows, is contained in 
 Wharton's MSS., Lambeth, n. 594, 
 p. 32. 
 
 3 " His being put under a very- 
 strict confinement to do penance," 
 and the smallness of his pension, 
 (which he thinks to be eleven 
 pounds), leads Lewis to that opi- 
 nion. Turner, however, conceives 
 that his treatment was " not pain- 
 fully rigorous, but rather indul- 
 gent " {Hist. Middle Ages, book iii. 
 c. vii.). If this opinion be just, we 
 may conclude that he did accept the 
 king's offers; and if forty pounds 
 was the annual sum allowed for 
 his maintenance, we can hardly 
 doubt it. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Ivii 
 
 physician and archdeacon of Richmond, was soon after- 
 wards appointed as his successor, and the temporalities 
 were restored to him March 26, 1459. 1 
 
 Pecock beine; now left without a bishopric, was sent P° cock sent to 
 
 Thorney Abbej 
 
 to the abbey of Thorney, in Cambridgeshire. The 
 primate's instructions to the abbot of Thorney 2 are 
 still extant. They run in these words : " He shall 
 " have a secret closed chamber (having a chimney), 
 " and convenience within the abbey, where he may 
 " have sight to some altar to hear mass ; and that 
 " he pass not the said chamber. To have but one 
 " person that is sad (grave) and well-disposed to make 
 " his bed, and to make him fire, as it shall need. 
 " That he have no books to look on, but only a 
 " portuous (breviary), a mass-book, a psalter, a legend, 
 " and a bible. That he have nothing to write with ; 
 " no stuff to write upon. That he have competent 
 " fuel according to his age, and [as] his necessity shall 
 " require. That he be served daily of meat and drink 
 " as a brother of the abbey is served when he is 
 " excused from the freytour (i.e., from dining in hall) 
 " and somewhat better after [the first quarter], as his 
 " disposition and reasonable appetite shall desire, con- 
 " veniently after the good discretion of the said 
 " abbot." 3 "Forty pounds" were assigned "to the abbey 
 for his finding." 
 
 1 Lewis, pp. 254-256. Le Neve's 
 Fasti, vol. i. p. 247 (Hardy's ed.). 
 
 2 The abbot at that time was Wil- 
 liam Lyal or Ryal; he was elected 
 in 1457, and resigned in 1464. See 
 Dugdale's Monast., vol. 2, p. 596 
 (ed. 1846), The "Red Book" of 
 Thorney, in the possession of the 
 Earl of Westmoreland at Apethorpe, 
 has been kindly examined, at my 
 request, by my friend the Rev. M. 
 
 J. Berkeley, who informs me that, 
 after Lyal, Thomas Wysbich ap- 
 pears as abbot in 1464, who seems 
 to have been abbot for four years ; 
 after this time the diary ceases en- 
 tirely. Reginald Pecock's name 
 does not occur in it. 
 
 s This important document is 
 taken verbatim from Turner's Hist. 
 Middle Ages, book iii. ch. vii., who 
 copied it from the Harleian MS. n. 
 
Iviii 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 His character. At this point the authentic history of Pecock 
 ends ; but there is every reason to presume that his 
 last days were spent here, and that his dust reposes 
 within the precincts of the abbey. 1 No portrait of 
 
 7048, (i.e. Baker's MSS. vol. xxi. 
 p. 516). See catalogue of the Har- 
 leian MSS. (vol. iii. p. 513). It is 
 entitled " Instructions given by us, 
 Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury, 
 ■with the advice of our brethren of 
 this land, to the abbot of Thorney, 
 how Reginald Pecock, whom we 
 have sent unto him, shall be treated 
 in the monastery aforesaid." The 
 orthography in the text is moder- 
 nised by Turner, who has also (as 
 I now perceive) somewhat com- 
 pressed Baker's transcript. Baker 
 adds: "Collect. H. Wharton, vol. 
 notat. v. [Lambeth MSS. 594], p. 32, 
 e libro formularum temp. H. 6 penes 
 El. Ashmole. Copied by John 
 Anstis, Esq." Henry Wharton's MS. 
 at Lambeth, n. 577, p. 30 (as well 
 as n. 594, p. 32, copied from Ash- 
 mole) gives a copy of the instruc- 
 tions somewhat more full) - than 
 Baker's MS. does, and includes the 
 clause named below under the 
 second head: his copy has forty 
 pounds. The other additional parts 
 are here subjoined: — "Item, in case 
 it shall need any window or closure, 
 or any other necessary thing in the 
 chamher above said only for the 
 ease of the said Reynold, the cost 
 thereof shall be born of the forty 
 pound that is assigned to the said 
 abbey for his finding. And that he, 
 the first quarter after his coming 
 thither, content himself to fare no 
 better than a brother of the same 
 place doth out of the freytour; 
 
 afterward to fare as is above re- 
 hearsed. Provided in all wise that 
 all the forty pounds above written 
 be not expended about his finding ; 
 but a competent part thereof, as his 
 necessity shall require; and that the 
 remanent thereof be disposed to the 
 common weal of the behoof of the 
 said place." 
 
 Lewis (who knew Baker's MS.) 
 had another copy, which the Bishop 
 of Peterborough (White Kennet) 
 sent him, in which the sum is stated 
 to be eleven (not forty) pounds; 
 this copy also adds, under the second 
 head, " that no one else (i.e. except 
 his bed-maker) shall speak to him 
 without leave and in the presence 
 of the abbot, unless the king or 
 archbishop send to the abbey any 
 man with writing specially on that 
 behalf." The words inclosed in 
 brackets in the text are added from 
 this MS., which otherwise appears 
 to agree with Baker's, except that 
 it makes eleven pounds (and not 
 forty) the sum allowed for his main- 
 tenance, but I believe that xi. was 
 written by a mere clerical error for 
 xl., although Lewis is in favour of 
 the smaller sum. 
 
 1 In this point I agree in opinion 
 with Hearne (Ileniingford, vol. 2, p. 
 488, note), but the accounts of 
 the remainder of his life are 
 very various. Fabyan's chronicle 
 («.*.) says that Pecock was " kept in 
 mewe ever while he lyved after." 
 The Camden Society's chronicle 
 
 • 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 lix 
 
 Pecock is known, 1 but he is said to have been a 
 man of stately figure and handsome features, notwith- 
 standing a tendency to some cutaneous affection, which 
 was hereditary in his family. 2 Such are the chief 
 events of the life of Reginald Pecock, who would 
 have been remarkable in any age, and who was in 
 his own age most remarkable. He was the enlight- 
 ened advocate of toleration in times peculiarly in- 
 tolerant ; he was the acute propounder of a rational 
 piety against unreasoning and most um-easonable op- 
 ponents. To say that he had some errors and weak- 
 nesses is only to say that he was a man ; but his good 
 deeds live and have triumphed ; his frailties, we may 
 hope, are forgiven. His theological knowledge, — scrip- 
 tural, patristic, and scholastic, — was for that age very 
 considerable ; he was, indeed, in the opinion of no 
 mean judge, 3 " by far the most eminent and learned 
 
 says that he had " a eertayne pen- 
 sione assigned vn to hyiii for to 
 lyue on in an abbey, and sone 
 after he dyed" (p. 77.) Similarly 
 Stowe, p. 403. But Hall's chronicle, 
 ■which Grafton (p. 632, Lond. 1569) 
 transcribes, says that he died in his 
 " awne house." A MS. chronicle, 
 quoted by Waterland (Works x. p. 
 235), says : — 
 
 " His bookes brent at Paulis Cross, 
 
 he in Newgate kept 
 All hys liffe after, for the here- 
 
 syes he had hept." 
 Uale and Foxe insinuate that he 
 may have been " privily made away " 
 •with ; but I see no ground at all 
 for any such suspicion. The Rev. 
 J. Cautley, Incumbent of Thorney, 
 has, in answer to my inquiries, 
 kindly informed me that there is no 
 monument to Pecock's memory now 
 existing there ; and I cannot make 
 
 out from books that there ever was 
 any. It is most probable that none 
 was erected. 
 
 1 There are, indeed, representa- 
 tions of a long line of bishops of 
 Chichester now existing in Chi- 
 chester Cathedral; but my friend, 
 the Rev. C. A. Swainson, assures 
 me that they are not real portraits, 
 being modelled (like the portraits 
 on the coins of our early Edwards) 
 on one conventional type. They 
 were placed there in the reign of 
 Henry VIH. 
 
 2 Whethamstede, u. s., p. 491 ; 
 Gascoigne, u. s., p. 518. 
 
 3 Henry Wharton, Preface to 
 Pecock's Book of Faith, p. xi., who 
 elsewhere, p. xxxiv., observes of 
 him, " Many good and learned men 
 endeavoured the reformation of 
 these abuses (of Romanism) with- 
 out departing from the communion 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 " bishop of the Church of England in his time." Yet 
 evil report pursued him through life, and even long 
 after his death, 1 * and his character has been singularly 
 mistaken both by friends and enemies for a series of 
 many generations. Of his opinions, but slightly 
 touched on here, his works are the living and only 
 
 of the Church Our learned 
 
 bishop was of the number of those 
 brave and generous persons, who 
 while he earnestly invited the 
 Lollards into the communion of 
 the Church, [it is to be doubted if 
 they had generally left it,] no less 
 vehemently opposed the supersti- 
 tions of his own party. Some foot- 
 steps and marks of this disposition 
 may be found in this treatise, which 
 prove his integrity to have been 
 equal to his zeal, and neither 
 inferior to his learning." It is to 
 be regretted that Wharton should 
 have been led into so many errors 
 about Pecock as he has committed 
 through following the almost incre- 
 dible blunders of Bale's appendix. 
 The illustrious Waterland esti- 
 mates Pecock's character as follows : 
 " Here (in his Book of Faith) aud 
 in other parts of his pieces maybe 
 seen the good bishop's excellencies, 
 and at the same time his foibles. 
 He had great parts, learning, and 
 abilities ; and was too confident in 
 them, and trusted too much to 
 them ; while he hoped to be able at 
 pure reason and argument to defend 
 a very corrupt Church in all or its 
 main doctrines and practices [this 
 requires a little qualifying] against 
 all assailants. Yet he is to be com- 
 mended in preferring the rational 
 way of dealing with adversaries 
 before fire and faggot. The good 
 man was forced to sweat and labour 
 hard in so difticult an undertaking; 
 
 and here and there to drop many a 
 concession, such as the warm men 
 of the Church could by no means 
 brook or consent to. He hoped, 
 since he was writing on the 
 Church's side, and since his con- 
 cessions were such only as plain 
 force of reason or as plain fact 
 extorted, that he might be safe 
 enough from censure ; judging too 
 kindly of other men's moderation 
 and candour by his own." ( Works, 
 vol. x. p. 218.) His letters to Lewis 
 are full of information about Pecock, 
 and a great part of what is good in 
 Lewis's Life of Pecock is due to 
 Waterland. 
 
 1 Edward IV. in 1476 denounced 
 him, his books, and followers, which 
 last were numerous in Oxford. 
 Henry VI. 's edict against him in the 
 statutes of King's College remains 
 to this day : it may perhaps be 
 cancelled during the present year. 
 Strangely enough both by Arch- 
 deacon Harpsfield in Mary's reign, 
 and by Holinshed and other his- 
 torians, as well as by Fuller ( Wor- 
 thies of Wales), Tecock is reprc 
 sented as favouring the opinions of 
 Wiclif. The Index Expurgutorius 
 of Madrid, 1667, with zeal scarcely 
 according to knowledge, calls him 
 " a false bishop and a Lutheran 
 professor at Oxford." Collier's 
 account has many errors, and 
 Bale's appendix (Basil. 1559) con- 
 sists of litt le else. For some of these 
 facts, see Lewis, passim. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Ixi 
 
 true exponents; and by them he being dead yet 
 speaketh. 
 
 Of these works, and of the far greater number 
 which have perished, the following account is added: 
 it might no doubt be altered for the better if the 
 MS. works of Pecock were in print. 
 
 A. Extant Works. 1 
 
 1. The Donet. 
 
 A copy exists (without a title) in the Bodleian 
 Library, Oxford (Bodl. n. 916), in small quarto, on 
 vellum, consisting of 106 leaves, each page containing 
 about twenty-nine lines, neatly written in a small 
 hand of the fifteenth century. 
 
 Begins : 
 
 " Prolog. For as moche as the book ycallid The 
 " Reule of Cristen Religioun 
 Ends: 
 
 " And here ynne I make an ende to this present 
 " ij e party longing to the lawe of God." 
 
 An early note says that "this booke was compiled 
 " by Reynolde Pecocke, Bisshope of Asaph ensis and 
 " after Bysshope of Cicestrensis, A. D. 1457." This 
 work is owned by Pecock as his own in The Booh 
 of Faith, The Follower to the Donet, and the Repressor, 
 and it is assigned to him by Bury and by Bale. 
 
 From this MS., in all probability, Dr. James made 
 a transcript or rather an epitome (James, MS. n. 14, 
 in Bibl. Bodl. pp. 49-79, small quarto), entitled Regi- 
 nald Pecock's Donet. 
 
 Begins : 
 
 " Whereas the booke y called The Reule of Cristen 
 " Religioun." 
 
 Ends: 
 
 " Thou^ thou be in placis privy ist." (Compare the 
 foregoing MS. fol. 102, a.) 
 
Ixii 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 In the commencement the author says that in his 
 Rule of Christian Religion he had not taken into 
 account everything necessary to be known on the 
 seven matters therein treated, and "therfore is maad 
 " this litil present boke and anothir book callid The 
 " Folewer herto ... in foorme of a dialog bitwix the 
 " son and the fadir . . . Therfore this present dialog 
 " my^te wel and conuenientli be clepid The Donet (i.e. 
 " grammar) .... or key of Cristen religioun." He 
 designed it both as an introduction to his Rule, and also 
 " for to be a schort compendiose report aftirwards/' of 
 the " seid long book." 
 
 A brief description of the contents of the work may 
 be seen in Lewis's Life of Pecoclc, pp. 315, 316; but 
 he has fallen into the serious error of describing the 
 first-named MS. as a copy of Pecock's Rxde of Chris- 
 tian Religion, and the latter as a copy of The Donet. 
 This work has never been printed, nor has much use 
 been made of it in ascertaining Pecock's opinions. 
 The titles of the works of Pecock occurring therein 
 are mentioned below in their places. Respecting the 
 dates of this and the three following treatises something 
 has been said already. 
 
 2. The Repressor. 
 
 This is now first printed from the MS. in the Cam- 
 bridge University Library, Kk. iv. 26., which is a folio 
 on vellum of 190 leaves, in double columns, each of 
 which contains about thirty-seven lines, well written in a 
 hand of the fifteenth century. The title, in a later hand 
 (of Stowe ?), runs thus : The Represser of over myche 
 blamyng the Clergie, compiled by Bysshopc Pecock. At 
 the end is this note in a later hand : Exhibit, coram 
 Domino [i.e., Archbishop Bourchier] in CajwlUi sua 
 apnd Lamhith [i.e., Lambeth], xi. Novembr. a d. 1-457 
 which, as Lewis (p. 311)) observes, "is very probably 
 " the entry of the notary after reading this book 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 lxiii 
 
 " before the archbishop, and ya. order to its examina- 
 " tion." The work contains a variety of notes 
 (usually trivial, sometimes absurd), iu later hands of 
 various ages, which are passed over in this edition. 1 
 
 1 There are many corrections 
 made in the text by early hands 
 (three at least), besides a few -which j 
 seem to be much later; these are for 
 the most part self-evident, but in 
 some cases they seem to be uncalled 
 for. Whenever the first hand is 
 readily to be made out, the original 
 reading is noted below the text in 
 this edition; but when the correc- 
 tions are made on erasures, this is 
 not always or usually discoverable ; 
 in such cases (except in one or two 
 instances, where the erasures are 
 very extensive) no notice is taken 
 of them in this edition. The prin- 
 cipal corrections upon the erasirres 
 are almost certainly written in Pe- 
 i oi k's own hand (see Appendix, 
 p. 573, and Gascoigne, u. s., pp. 518, 
 543); and had I been aware of this 
 at the outset, I might perhaps have 
 noticed them in every instance; but 
 the reader will probably think that, 
 even as it is, the notes which refer 
 to the corrections of the MS. are 
 scarcely worth recording. Neither, 
 indeed, would they have been so 
 often given, had the work been in 
 Latin, but philological accuracy de- 
 mands that early English texts should 
 be edited with more minute exact- 
 ness. In Pecock's language, which is 
 a transition from the old to the new, 
 this is peculiarly necessary. The 
 verbs usually (but not always) 
 have distinct plurals, imperatives ex - 
 cepted, which (contrary to Wiclif 's 
 usage) are always the same in both 
 numbers. Again, his, hise ; al, alle, 
 &c. &c, usually, and yet not con- 
 
 stantly, denote different numbers- 
 Under such circumstances, it may 
 be conceived what annoyance a 
 MS. full of erasures and corrections 
 made at different times creates to any 
 editor who aims at strict accuracy. 
 With regard to the composition of 
 words, I have, as a general rule, 
 followed the MS., one or two ex- 
 ceptions being made (somewhat re- 
 luctantly) for the convenience of the 
 reader. The indefinite article is 
 often, but not always, joined to its 
 noun in the MS., e. g., aman, &c, 
 for a man ; in the edited text, how- 
 ever, it is separated. It is quite 
 certain that the scribe observed no 
 law in this disjunction or conjunc- 
 tion. Thus, on the very same leaf 
 (fol. 65, b. col. 1), we have that it 
 is a miracle, and also that it is 
 amyracle. Whenever the word it- 
 self is unusual, the coalition might 
 have occasioned a difficulty, e. g., 
 " to make a ring of arische " (i. <?., a 
 rush), p. 166; and even when not 
 unusual, some unpleasant hesitation. 
 But yet this form of composition is 
 interesting, not only as illustrating 
 the crasis of the defiuite article in 
 other languages, but as showing the 
 origin of our modern compounds 
 another, awhile, Sec. For a like 
 reason, prepositions in composition 
 are printed conjunciim with the 
 verbs, &c. to which they belong, 
 instructive enough as the occasional 
 disjunction in the MS. is, because 
 it shows how slight an union sub- 
 sists between the preposition and its 
 verb, just as in Greek the position 
 
Ixiv 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The names of several, persons are written in the 
 MS. who must be presumed to have owned it, viz. : 
 John Stephinson, Chrystopher Michell (fol. 145), 
 
 of the augment (and in the poets 
 the tmesis) in the case of verbs so 
 compounded evinces the same thing, 
 or, in other -words, shows how easy 
 is the transition from a preposition 
 to an adverb. Further, for the same 
 reason a preposition combined with 
 its noun, yet not in composition, is 
 ordinarily separated from it in the 
 edited text ; those cases excepted, 
 where the two coalesce into a kind 
 of adverb, of which so many in- 
 stances occur in the modern lan- 
 guage, as indeed, because, &c. 
 Again, where one portion of a word 
 indicating the nature of its forma- 
 tion is separated from the other 
 portion, as y clcpid, y 7iouy, they are 
 edited conjunctim, yclepid, ynouy, 
 and, indeed, ought so to be edited 
 on all accounts. The deviations 
 from the composition observed in 
 the MS. being thus mentioned here, 
 and in the notes also where requi- 
 site, the philologist will not perhaps 
 have much reason to complain. The 
 general reader, however, may think 
 that it would have been better to 
 have discarded the word-composi 
 tion of the MS. when it differs from 
 modern use; and the inconstancy 
 which prevails in the same MS. may 
 seem to give some colour to this 
 view of the matter, to say nothing 
 of the difficulty which there often 
 is in determining the composition 
 which the scribe really intended. 
 With regard to the inconstancy 
 just named, there is the same in- 
 constancy in the orthography; and 
 if this last is worth retaining in | 
 
 | spite of the manifold varieties of 
 writing the same word, so also is 
 the composition of words, though 
 it be not always uniform. For 
 in very n-.any instances (such as 
 bi cause, al von, &c, now replaced 
 by because, alone, &c.) the origin 
 of the modern forms is agreeably 
 presented to the eye, and in some 
 cases a difficulty is at once ex- 
 plained. Thus unless is nothing 
 but in lasse thanne (so written in 
 the MS.), corresponding to in as 
 much as, only the than has fallen 
 out in the later language, and so 
 the modern form (welded together 
 and altered) has led the etymolo- 
 gists astray. The illustrations, then, 
 and explanations of the modern Eng- 
 lish language afforded by the ancient 
 composition of English words amply 
 justify the retention of that compo- 
 sition, let the occasional difficulties 
 and ambiguities be what they may. 
 But there is much more to be said. 
 If the ancient composition be not 
 observed in certain cases, the syn- 
 tax is violated, and the sentence 
 even becomes unintelligible. One 
 example shall be cited instar owi- 
 niitm : "Al this now rehercidyWe 
 and jnys bet ing and vniust chaleng- 
 ing and blauiyng is reproued and 
 vnproued," p. 564. 
 
 Upon this subject the prudent 
 caution to editors from the pen of 
 the Master of Caius College may be 
 quoted with advantage: "I would 
 take this opportunity of again press- 
 ing on the reader the importance of 
 copyirg our hlisii. faithfully, I mean 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Ixv 
 
 Atkyns, of Lincoln College in Oxford, and J ohn Stowe, 
 the chronicler, who has written a catalogue of Pecock's 
 works at the beginning ; also at the end, after assign- 
 
 not only to the letter, but so as to 
 show their peculiarities as regards 
 punctuation, composition, &c. It is 
 astonishing how much light may thus 
 he thrown upon the structure of our 
 language" (Guest's English Rhythms, 
 p. 430). Several of the more carefully 
 edited English works, especially of 
 late years, retain the original word- 
 composition of the MSS. There are 
 still one or two other minute points 
 which remain to be mentioned. The 
 th, ordinarily expressed by a single 
 Anglo-Saxon character (b) in the 
 MS. (see fac-simile), is here printed 
 at length as two letters; occasion- 
 ally, however (but very rarely), the 
 same two letters are written at full 
 in words where they are commonly 
 expressed by one character; e. g., 
 the is written in three letters at 
 fol. 71, b. col. 1, also thi at fol. 176, 
 a. col. 1, but perhaps everywhere 
 els? in two. If, however, the h is 
 hard (as in kny^thode, presthode, 
 &c), the MS. always keeps both 
 letters distinct, as well as in cases 
 where the th stands for t in the mo- 
 dern language; e. g., Thimothie, the 
 first syllable of which never has 
 the b, the last sometimes having it, 
 sometimes not. It may also deserve 
 notice that the scribe never uses a 
 capital b, but writes the t only as a 
 capital followed by a small h ; from 
 which we collect that no stress was 
 laid upon the strict value of this 
 letter in the middle of the fifteenth 
 century, when the distinction be- 
 tween the "8 and b of the Saxon 
 alphabet had already vanished. Dr. 
 Todd has some remarks on its use 
 
 in a somewhat earlier MS., The 
 Apology for the Lollards (Camden 
 Soc, 1842), to which the reader is 
 referred. The c and t are written 
 so similarly, that it is sometimes 
 impossible to say whether resurrcc- 
 cioun or resurrectioun, &<:. be the 
 orthography intended ; n and ti are 
 in appearance identical, but very 
 rarely create thereby any difficul- 
 ties. The contractions occasion- 
 ally produce ambiguity. The same 
 sign is used for er and re, and per- 
 haps it should also be rendered ir, 
 although in fact it has never been 
 so rendered in the following pages. 
 But the scribe shows himself to be 
 so very inconstant in the ortho- 
 graphy where it is expressed in full, 
 that the philologist will not be very 
 uneasy about this matter on learn- 
 ing that the following forms occur 
 at length in the MS.: — ouer, aftir, 
 entre, sufferable, othir, othire, eeldir, 
 poorer, Petre, Petir, Arthir, Artur, 
 chaumbre, chaumhtr, viher, vikir, 
 writer, maistir, fadir, techer, vn- 
 propre, propirli, properest, chapiter, 
 chapitre, chapitres, chapilrees, cha- 
 pitris. In the same way par, por, 
 and per are expressed by the same 
 character P; the plural terminations 
 also, es and is, as well as the letters 
 )u and n, are not distinguished from 
 each other. Very frequently it seems 
 to be quite indifferent how the words 
 in which the contractions occur 
 should be written in full ; e.g., per- 
 soon or parsoon, peraventure or par- 
 aventure, images or imagis, improue 
 or inproue, &c. &c. 
 
Ixvi 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ing the Repressor to Pecock, lie adds : " So sayth 
 " John Stowe," an observation probably made after 
 his Chronicle was published, in which the Repressor 
 is not enumerated among Pecock's writings. The 
 remark, therefore, made by myself in the Catalogue 
 of MSS. in the Cambridge University Library, vol. iii. 
 p. 673, on the authority of a MS. Catalogue preserved 
 in the Library itself, that Archbishop Botheram (who 
 died in 1500) gave the MS. to the University, is 
 probably erroneous. It probably found its way thither 
 during the last quarter of the sixteenth century. 
 
 Various extracts are given by Waterland in his 
 letters to Lewis (Works, vol. x.), who has copied 
 many of them into his Life of Pecock. Henry 
 Wharton also, in his Appendix to Cave's Historia 
 Literaria (pp. 158, 159, Bas. 1744), has translated one 
 or two passages into Latin. 1 Pecock, in his Donet, 
 Follower to the Donet, and Book of Faith, acknowledges 
 this work as his own, and it is also assigned to him 
 by Buiy and by Bale. 
 
 3. The Book of Faith. 
 
 This is preserved in the Library of Trinity College, 
 Cambridge (B. 14, 45) ; it is a small octavo (the catch 
 words are in eights), about six inches by four, on 
 vellum, now containing 128 leaves, twenty-two lines 
 on a page, neatly written in a hand of the fifteenth 
 century, very similar to that in which the Repressor 
 is written. 2 Imperfect at the end. 
 
 Begins : 
 
 " Facti sunt filii mei perditi, quia invaluit inimi- 
 " cus ; that is to seie in Englisch thus : My sones ben 
 " maad lost for the enemye hath had the maistrie." 
 
 1 Some excerpts in his hand- 
 writing are preserved at Lambeth, 
 n. 593, pp. 61-68. 
 
 8 But not the same; per is written 
 n in this MS., not J> as in the Re- 
 pressor. 
 
INTRODUCTION. lxvii 
 
 Ends (abruptly) : 
 thei ouerleepen this arti[cle]." 
 
 Various notes, erasures, and corrections are made by 
 later (?) hands. 
 
 At the beginning, inside the cover (on which Whitgift's 
 arms are stamped), is written in a hand of the sixteenth 
 century : " Reginald Peacock (corrected to Pecock), 
 " Bppe of Chichester's Sermons in englisch," and on 
 the top of the first leaf of the MS. is scrawled in a 
 different hand (Stowe's ?) : " Reynold Pecok, Bisshop of 
 " Chichester, compiled this bok." It is also assigned 
 to him by Gascoigne and by Bale, who had seen it. 1 
 Excerpts from the first part, and the whole of the 
 second part were edited in black letter, with a 
 learned preface by Henry Wharton, 2 4to. London, 
 1688. A copy of this rare book exists in the 
 Library of Trinity College, Cambridge, but it was un- 
 known to Waterland, who has made, however, ( Works, 
 vol. x.) many extracts from the MS., which Wharton 
 has not published. 
 
 The second part begins fol. 81, b, so that Wharton's 
 edition comprises about a third of the whole ; it 
 cannot be commended on the score of strict accuracy ; 
 thus verri is wrongly printed urri more than once 
 (pp. xxii., xxviii.), the imaginary word being also in- 
 serted in the Glossary ; the philsophir of the MS. 
 
 1 This may be the same as the 
 Book of Faith, to -which Pecock 
 alludes in his Follower to the Donet 
 and Repressor, but there were se- 
 veral other works having nearly 
 the same title, both in English and 
 Latin. 
 
 2 Wharton had a controversial 
 purpose in publishing these extracts, 
 which occupy forty-one pages, the 
 preface being about the same length, 
 
 in which he labours to show that 
 "the Church in the fifteenth age 
 did generally believe the Scripture 
 to be the rule of faith, and to con- 
 tain all things necessary to salva- 
 tion " (p. xi.), and also that various 
 writers had held that general coun- 
 cils were not infallible, the authority 
 of the Scripture being superior to 
 the authority of the Church (pp. 
 xx., xxi., &c). 
 
Ixviii 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 (i.e., Aristotle) is changed into the philosophie (p. 
 xxiv.); and there are many other errors besides. The 
 orthography seems exactly like that of The Repressor. 
 Wharton thinks that the Trinity MS. was written 
 " with Bishop Pecock's own hand, as may be con- 
 " jectured from the present emendations and addi- 
 " tions inserted in the margin and bottom of the 
 " pages by the same hand " (Preface, p. xxxix.). 
 This is certainly not impossible, 1 but we may 
 more confidently affirm that the Book of Faith and 
 the Follower to the Donet were written by the same 
 hand. 
 
 From these materials Lewis derived his knowledge 
 of this work of Pecock ; of which, in his fifth chap- 
 ter " On the Bishop 's opinions," he has made 
 great use. The titles of Pecock's works which are 
 alluded to in this treatise are mentioned below in their 
 proper places. 
 
 My best thanks are due to the Rev. J. Glover, M.A., 
 Librarian of Trinity College, for affording me every 
 facility for examining this interesting MS. 
 
 4. The Follower to the Donet. 
 
 A copy of this work is mentioned in the Catalogue 
 Librorum MSS. AngUce et Hiberniai (n. 6G27, p. 202) 
 as existing among the MSS. of C. Theyere in Glou- 
 cestershire. Waterland (Works, vol. x. p. 213) and 
 Lewis (p. 317) have corrected the misprint devout into 
 donet : they were unacquainted with the work, and no 
 writer (so far as I know) has hitherto made any use 
 of it. 
 
 This is doubtless the same 2 as is now preserved in 
 
 1 The corrections in the Repressor 
 are certainly written in a similar 
 hand ; but it is difficult to speak 
 positively about their identity. The 
 erased surface of the parchment 
 rather disguises a hand ; and the 
 
 Repressor itself contains several 
 hands extremely similar to each 
 other 
 
 2 The Royal Library contains 
 many of Theyere's MSS. See 
 Wanley's Cat., Pre/. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Ixix 
 
 the British Museum, Bill. Reg. 17 D. ix. The MS. 
 is in folio on vellum, and consists of 99 leaves of text 
 (excluding blanks at both ends), in double columns, 
 each column containing about forty lines. Many 
 corrections on erasures occur in the course of it, and 
 some remarks by later hands. At the top of the 
 first leaf occurs this note : " Reginaldus Peacock Eps., 
 " Cicestrensis clar. A.D. 1450. Educatus Oxon. in col- 
 " legio Orialensi." 
 
 Begins (fol. 2) : 
 " Here bigynneth the book ycallid The Folewer to 
 " the Donet. Sithen it is so that in the first and 
 " secund parties of The Donet into Cristen Religioun 
 " bifore goyng this present book." 
 
 Ends (fol. 100) : 
 
 " which thei my^ten not denye to be of hem entendid 
 " and meenyd." 
 
 Pecock, having said that his Donet sufficiently 
 teaches the moral virtues which are contained in the 
 four tables, tells his reader that " it is ful fittyng to 
 " him that may so fer know T e, that he knowe what 
 " longith to a moral vertu, that is to seie, what 
 " thingis ben causis to a moral vertu. and what thinois 
 " ben requyrid to be had to a deede that he be a 
 " moral vertuose deede, and how moral vertu is dy- 
 " uerse and different from othere vertues (i.e., from the 
 " natural and the sciential or 'knowyngal' virtues), 
 " whiche ben not moral." This and other allied sub- 
 jects are treated of in the two parts of The Follovjer 
 to the Donet ; which is to be learned " bi way of 
 " honeste and of habundaunt kunnyng," all necessary 
 truth being comprised in the Donet 
 
 This English work is repeatedly referred to by 
 Pecock in The Repressor (the title, however, being 
 invariably written on erasures) ; also in The Book of 
 Faith and in The Donet itself. 
 
 vol. I. f 
 
Ixx 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 5. The Book or Rule of Christian Religion (in 
 three parts). 
 
 Lewis asserts by mistake (see n. 1) that this exists 
 in MS. in the Bodleian Library ; but a MS. copy was 
 offered for sale in a catalogue of Cochran's books, and 
 was purchased by Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bart., of 
 Middlehill, Broadway, in whose coEection it remains. 1 
 
 This, the earliest of Pecock's extant works, but bf 
 uncertain date, is frequently referred to in his Donet, 
 Repressor, Book of Faith, and Follower to the Donet. 
 
 6. The Poor Men's Mirror. 
 
 The MS. preserved in Archbishop Tenison's Li- 
 brary, Leicester Square, London, 2 is in duodecimo, 
 consisting of eighty- one leaves (excluding blanks) ; 
 each page contains about nineteen lines, well written 
 in a black-letter hand of the fifteenth century. 
 
 Begins (p. 1) : 
 
 " Prolog. Not withstonding that I haue maad the 
 " first parti of the book clepid The Donet of Cristen 
 " Religioun to be of litil quantite, that welni^ ech 
 " poor persoon mai bi sum meene gete coost to haue 
 " it as his owne ; y& in to the moor eese of the 
 " persoone poorist in hauer and in witt I haue 
 
 1 In the hopes of seeing this MS., 
 I went to Middlehill, but although 
 Sir Thomas Phillipps very politely 
 made every effort to find it, both 
 before and after my arrival, he 
 was unsuccessful. Sir F. Madden 
 had examined it a few years ago, 
 and kindly promised me the use of 
 his notes, but these also could not 
 be found, so that I am most re- 
 luctantly compelled to let this in- 
 troduction go forth without being 
 able to say more of the MS. than 
 what is contained in Cochran's 
 Catalogue of MSS., pp. 21, 22 
 (London, 1829). It is a folio on 
 
 vellum of the middle of the fifteenth 
 century, of 384 pages, ending ab- 
 ruptly. Begins : " Here bigynneth 
 the prolog into the book ycallid the 
 reule of Crysten religioun." The 
 work itself begins p. 28 : " Here 
 begynneth the firste tretice of this 
 firste partie, in which tretice is tau^t 
 the firste pryncipal mater of this 
 book, that is to seye, what God is in 
 hise worthi dignitees." 
 
 2 My acknowledgments are due 
 to the Rev. W. G. Humphry, B.D., 
 and to the Rev. C. F. Milner, M.A., 
 for permission to inspect it. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 lxxi 
 
 " drawen this now folewyng extract or outdraw^t fro 
 " the first parti of the seid Donet, that no persoon 
 " Cristen growen in to discrecyoun of resoun, or fewe 
 " of hem, aftir sufficient pupplisching of this book 
 " to hem, schulde haue eny excusacioun for this that 
 " thei knowe not the la we and sendee of her Lord 
 " God, and that thei knowe not how worthi, gode, 
 " and lovyng is the Lord, which thei ou^ten serve, 
 " and what benefetis and rewardis thei receyuen and 
 " schulen receyue, if thei wole, of the same Lord ; 
 " and so forth of other maters conteyned among the 
 " vij. maters necessarie to be knowen sum what more 
 " or lasse of ech Cristen persoon which hath vse of 
 " his kindeli discrecioun and resoun. And this litil 
 " book I wole be clepid Poore mennis myrrour." 
 
 Ends (p. 118) : 
 " and wirche thou therafter, o my sone, that thou 
 " haue Goddis blessing and heuen to thin eending, and 
 " that thou with God euer blissfulli wone. Amen." 1 
 
 1 After this follow in the MS., in a different but not much later hand, 
 various pieces in prose and verse of a devotional kind, mingled with a few 
 Latin verses and scraps. It is difficult to say whether Pecock may have 
 written any of them or not. 
 
 (a.) These ben the gadered councels of Seint Ysidrc (sic) to enforme man 
 how he schulde fie vicis and vse vertuis : 
 
 " Consideracioun of a man him sil f." 
 
 " O man, knowe thi silf : knowe what thou art : knowe tbi bigyn- 
 nynge, fol. 118. Prom this place forwards the MS. is inconsistently 
 numbered by leaves, not pages. 
 
 These Counsels end with the words : 
 
 "Do no thing for preising, no thing for worldli opinioun, but 
 oonli for lijf euerlasting. Amen. These ben counceilis good and holsum, 
 if thei haue wilful execucioun," folL 134, 135. 
 
 These Counsels of St. Isidore are printed, perhaps from this very MS., 
 at the end of Tho. Lupset's Works, 12mo., Lond., 1560. (Printed by 
 John King.) They are certainly not Pecock's Book of Counsels, as any 
 one reading Lewis' account of the MS. (p. 333) might naturally suspect. 
 I doubt whether Lupset be the translator ; Mr. Maskell has noted in the 
 copy in Tenison's library, that among Lupset's Works are some which are 
 by Sir T. Eliot and others. 
 
 f 2 
 
lxxii 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 This work, like the Donet and the Follower to the 
 Donet, is in the form of a dialogue between a father 
 and a son. 
 
 At the beginning occurs this note in a hand of the 
 sixteenth century : 
 
 " Hujus operis author est Reginaldus Pecock, Asaph- 
 " ensis primo, deinde Cicestrensis episcopus circ. an. 
 " 1456." 
 
 The name of George 0 verton, some previous pos- 
 sessor in the seventeenth century, is written in various 
 parts of the book. Erasures and coi - rections are made 
 in Pecock's text in various places, and later hands 
 have added observations. 1 
 
 (ft.) Augttstiuus Dc Coutemptu Mundi. 
 
 Begins (fol. 135) : 
 " If thou seie to me this is an hard word.'' 
 Ends (fol. 135. b) : 
 " and into the erthe thou schalt turne." 
 (7.) // Poem u-ithout title. 
 Begins (foL 135, b) : 
 
 " Whi is the world biloued, that fals id and veyn, 
 Sithen that his welthis ben vneertein P" 
 Ends (fol. 137, b) : 
 
 " Whanne lijf is moost loued and decth is moost hatid, 
 Thanne deeth drawith his draujt, and makith man fill nakid." 
 (5.) De terra plasmasti me. 
 Begins (fol. 137, b) : 
 
 " Erthe out of erthe is wondirli wrou^t, 
 Erthe of erthe hath gete a dignite of noujt" 
 Ends (foil. 139, 140) : 
 " Lord that erthe madist for erthe and suffridist peyncs ille, 
 Lete neuer this erthe for this erthe myscheue ne spille ; 
 But that this erthe in this erthe be worehiug thi wille, 
 So that erthe fro this erthe sti) up to thin hi; hille. Anien." 
 " Memento homo quod cinis es, et in cinerem rcverteris." 
 " Fac bene dum vivis, post mortem vivere si vis ; 
 Tangere qui gaudet nieretricem, qualiter audet 
 Palmis pollutis Begem tractare salutis?" 
 1 Against the following passage is can hardly, perhaps, be deduced; 
 annotated, in a hand of cent, xvi., but as Pecock was accused ( accord - 
 Transubxlantiation nut hnowne. This ing to Leland's Chronicler) of un- 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 lxxiii 
 
 Henry Wharton (Lambeth MSS. n. 59-4, pp. 38, 39) 
 gives excerpts from this treatise. Lewis, who says 
 (p. 333) that he saw no ground for ascribing the work 
 to Pecock, as Wharton had already done, could hardly 
 have seen Wharton's MSS. himself, much less the 
 original MS. The above-cited passage is itself a 
 decisive proof of the authorship, and there are also 
 numerous allusions to Pecock 's other works in the 
 course of the book. 1 
 
 Pecock once refers to it in the Repressor under the 
 title of The outdraught of the Bond, (p. 541), and as 
 the words are not written on an erasure, it may be 
 earlier in date of publication than the Repressor. 
 
 To these works of Pecock ought perhaps to be added 
 certain Latin pieces, partly printed, partly in MS. 
 
 sound doctrine on the eucharist, the 
 passage is subjoined (pp. 19, 20) : 
 
 " [Son.] Padir, to what purpos, 
 entent, and eend ordeyned God the 
 eukarist to be reeeyued and hauntid? 
 [Father.] Sothli, sone, for that the 
 receyuer in the eukarist receiuyng 
 schuld oft remembre him silf therbi 
 vpon Cristis holi lijf and passioun, 
 and vpon his benefetis, and his lawe, 
 and folewyngly schulde take and 
 make a sadde purpos to God (thou^ 
 without newe bond and couenant) 
 that he wole be oon to God, and to 
 his nei^bore in charite and in keping 
 vertues and the lijf which Crist 
 kepte and taujt in erthe ; ri^t as 
 thilk signes which he etith and 
 drynkith be made or semen to be 
 made oon to hym, or ioyned to him 
 in his bodili substaunce. And for 
 to make oft this remembraunce and 
 oft this purpose was ordeyned the 
 eukarist oft to be eten and drunke, 
 as to be ofte of this purpos a remem- 
 brauncing tokcne or signe of wit- 
 uesse therof." 
 
 1 The following works of Pecock 
 are referred to therein : 
 
 Donct, pp. 1, 16, 22, 31, 73, 116. 
 
 The book clepid The Sufficicnce 
 of the iiij. Tablis, pp. 3, 21. (The 
 same as The Filling of the iiij. 
 Tablis ?) 
 
 The Just Apprising of Holy Scrip- 
 ture, p. 7. 
 
 The Afore-crier, p. 7. 
 
 The Rule of Christian Religion, 
 pp. 7, 16, 22, 49, 84, 94, 97, 99, 
 108, 111. 
 
 The Booh Filling the Four Tables, 
 pp. 7, 22,31,49. 
 
 The Provoker of Christian People, 
 p. 17. 
 
 The Book of Sacraments, pp. 20, 
 29. 
 
 The Book of Priesthood, p. 29. 
 
 The Book of Divine Office, pp. 84, 
 97, 100, 108, 116. 
 
 " A preciose book, clepid The 
 Proof of Cristen Faith," p. 117. 
 
Ixxiv 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 (a.) Collectanea qucedam ex Reginaldi Pecock Ci- 
 cestrensis episcopi opusculis exustis conservata, et ex 
 antiquo psegmate conscripta. 
 
 Printed in John Foxe's Commentarii rerum in 
 Ecclesia gestarum. (8vo. Argent. 1554, fol. 199, b- 
 203, b.) 
 
 The excerpts seem to be taken from Pecock's Book 
 of Faith, either wholly or in part; they relate at any 
 rate of the same subjects ; to the apocryphal account 
 of the restoration of the books of the law by Ezra 
 " per inspirationem sine copia," mentioned by the 
 Master of the Histories (Petrus Comestor) ; to St. 
 Gregory's saying, Fides non habet meritum, cui 
 humana ratio prcebet experimentum ; to the difference 
 between Credere ecclesiam and Credere ecclesice, &c. 
 
 A copy of this rare book, unknown to Wharton 
 (see Appendix to Cave's Hist. Lit), is preserved in 
 the Bodleian Library, Oxford. 
 
 (b.) Abbreviatio Reginaldi Pecock. 
 
 A vindication by himself of Pecock's famous sermon 
 at Paul's Cross. Printed in the Appendix to this 
 work from a paper MS. of the fifteenth century in 
 small quarto, in the Bodleian Library, Oxford (n. 117, 
 formerly n. 1979, Cat. Libr. MSS. Angl. p. 100), 
 which contains a miscellaneous collection of pieces. 
 It is followed by a few brief excerpts from Pecock's 
 works, or perhaps from his sermon at Paul's Cross, of 
 which the most important is the last, entitled Dif- 
 ferentia inter prcedicare et docere. Lewis used both 
 the Abbreviatio and the excerpts in his Life of Pecock 
 see pp. 20-23, 38, 39, and 263), deriving them doubt- 
 less from this MS. It is most probable that the 
 Abbreviatio, and possibly the extracts also, were drawn 
 up by Pecock himself, and sent to Archbishop Stafford 
 in their present form. See above, p. xviii. and the 
 note. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 lxxv 
 
 (c.) His Abjuration. 
 
 This composition, which can hardly be called his own, 
 is given above, and has been several times printed. 
 
 B. Works not known to be extant. 
 
 The zeal of Mr. Chancellor Chandler, of Archbishop 
 Bourchier, and of King Edward IV., 1 in burning 
 
 1 Chandler has been already men- 
 tioned. In Baker's MSS. (vol. xxx. 
 pp. 59-62, in the Cambridge Uni- 
 versity Library) is contained the 
 archbishop's mandate, dated March 
 10, 145-|, to the Bishop of London, 
 to order inquiries to be made for 
 Reginald Pecock's books in his pro- 
 vince of Canterbury. There -were 
 some of both sexes who not only 
 had Pecock's original English works, 
 " verum etiam alios nonnullos per 
 eundem confratrem nostrum et alios 
 contra prohibitiones ecclesiasticas 
 et SS. Patrum decreta e Latino in 
 Anglicum ex S. Scriptura trans- 
 lates." These works having been 
 discovered to be heretical, " decre- 
 vimus comburendos." The Bishop 
 of London is to apprise " omnes et 
 singulos coepiscopos et suffraganeos 
 nostros in nostra Cantuariensi pro- 
 vincia constitutes," to inquire for 
 the names of all persons having 
 Pecock's books, and to admonish 
 all such (of whatever rank or sex) 
 " quod infra xv dies post monitio- 
 nem . . . hujusmodi libros dictis 
 confratribus nostris . . . sub poena 
 excommunicationis majoris .... 
 tradant." The names of the per- 
 sons and the books are to be trans- 
 mitted to the archbishop. The 
 Bishop of Ely (William Grey) 
 writes, May 14, 1458, to the arch 
 
 bishop, that he has received his 
 letter and followed his instructions, 
 but "nullum tamen in nostris civi- 
 tate et diocesi reperire potuimus 
 qui hujusmodi libros vel aliquem 
 librum hujusmodi habuit vel sic 
 sapiebat." See also Baker's MSS. 
 vol. xix. (Harl. 7046, p. 23), and 
 Lewis, pp. 242-248, and the extract 
 from the register of Nich. Bubbe- 
 with, Bishop of Bath and Wells, 
 printed by Hearne (App. to He- 
 mingford,i>. 549). Lewis (following 
 Wood) gives an account of Edward 
 IV. 's mandate to the University of 
 Oxford in 1476, pp. 310, 311. See 
 also Bryan Twynne, Ant. Acad. 
 Oxon., p. 322. This, I presume, is 
 the letter printed at length from 
 the MS. in Corpus Christi College, 
 Cambridge, among The writings and 
 examinations of Brute, Pccock, Sfc, 
 pp. 206-208, London, 1831. It is 
 dated Feb. 16, from Westminster. 
 Another letter of the king is dated 
 Windsor, April 17, thanking the 
 University for its zeal in destroying 
 Pecock's works. No year is added 
 to these letters, which by the kind- 
 ness of theRev.T.T. Perowne,M.A., 
 Fellow of the College, I have been 
 permitted to examine. A royal in- 
 junction is preserved in Wharton's 
 MSS. at Lambeth, n.577, pp. 30, 31. 
 The University is required to with 
 
lxxvi 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Pecock's works, has probably destroyed most of the 
 following treatises ; it would be rash, however, to affirm 
 that some of them may not yet be lurking in old 
 libraries. 1 It might be possible to form some notion 
 of the contents of these treatises by comparing all 
 the passages where they are referred to in Pecock's 
 other works ; this, however, is not attempted here, 
 and indeed could hardly be done well till various 
 unpublished MSS. are printed in extenso. The reader 
 at the same time may make out a good deal from 
 the Index to The Repressor. Wharton (Pref. to 
 Pecock's Booh of Faith, p. xxxiii.); Waterland (Works, 
 vol. x. pp. 213-221); and Lewis (pp. 315-333), have 
 given material help to the formation of the following 
 catalogue. 
 
 English Works. 
 
 Many of these are referred to en masse by Pecock, 
 in a ludicrously vain-glorious manner, in his Re- 
 pressor (p. 47), and in his Book of Faith (quoted 
 by Waterland, u. s., p. 216), and are also elsewhere 
 noticed in these books, and in his Donet ; the 
 initial letters of which (/ being used to indicate 
 that the work is named in The Folloivcr to the Bond) 
 are here attached to the books mentioned therein. 
 Various of them are also mentioned by Bury, Bale, 
 and Stowe. 
 
 hold the doctor of divinity's degree 
 from J. Haycock, said to hold and 
 favour " the superstitious, erroneous, 
 and damned opinions of Reynold 
 Tecock," and from every other per- 
 son " holding any of the errors or 
 heresies or keeping of the hooks of 
 the said recock." 
 
 The Co tal<y us Libr. MSS. 
 
 Angl.et Hi//. (Oxon. 1G97) enume- 
 rates among Lord Clarendon's Irish 
 ! MSS., n. 128, "opus quoddam Re- 
 ginaldi Peacock, Kpiscopi Asa- 
 phensis. 8vo." Many of these MSS. 
 are now in the Bodleian, but Mr 
 Coxe informs me that this is not 
 among them. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 lxxvii 
 
 (1.) The Before-crier, or The Crier. (D. R F.) 
 Probably the Prcveo of Bale's enumeration. 
 
 (2.) The Book of Worshipping. (D. R F.) 
 
 " The Book of signis in the chirche, which y clepe 
 " the boke of worschipping." (F. in Waterland, u. s., 
 p. 216.) 
 
 (3.) The Provoker of Christian People. (D. R F. f.) 
 
 (4.) The Filling or Spreading of the Four Tables. 1 
 (D. f. R F.) 
 
 "Waterland and Wharton (in Appendix to Cave's Hist. 
 Lit.) make The Filling a different book from The 
 Spreading. Lewis is probably right in identifying them. 
 
 (5.) The Just Apprising of Holy Scripture (in three 
 parts). (D. R F. f.) 
 
 There was also a Latin form of the same book, as 
 appears by the Follovjer to the Donet, MS. (fol. 5), 
 " The book clepid the just apprisyng of hooli scripture 
 " in Latyn." 
 
 (6.) Enchiridion or Manual. (D. Bale.) 
 
 " Go into the book ycalled my Manual, or my En- 
 " chiridion, whereinne is devised the riabst foorme of 
 " preying with Paternoster that euer, as I trowe, was 
 
 1 The meaning of these will ap 
 pear from the following passage of 
 The Donet (MS. fol. 12) : " The 
 first table of Goddis lawc schal con- 
 teyne these viij. pointis of meenal 
 vertu, that is to seie, forto gouerne 
 vs leernyngly, preisyngly, dis- 
 preisyngly, preiyngly, thankingly, 
 worschipingly, disworschipingly, j 
 and sacramentingly (the other three 
 contain ' eendal ' -virtues) . . . The 
 ij c table . . . these vij. poyntis, that 
 is to seie, forto h ue and gouerne vs 
 anentis God at the next goostly, 
 
 obediently, ri^twisely, mekely, 
 treuly, benyngncly, and largely . . . 
 The iij e table . . . these viij. poyn- 
 tis, that is to seie, forto lyue and 
 gouerne vs silf anentis vs silf at 
 the next goostly, fieischely, worldly, 
 clenly. honestly, paciently, domtili. 
 and largely .... the iiij c table . . . 
 these viij. poyntis, that is to seie, 
 forto lyue and governe us anentis 
 oure neiiboris at the next, goostly, 
 attendauntly, ri^tfully, mekely, ac- 
 cordingli, treuly, benyugnely, and 
 largely." 
 
lxxviii 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 devised." Donet MS, p. 78 (Jarnes' transcript). To this 
 book Whethamstede (u. s., p. 491) probably refers, and if 
 so, determines its language to be EngHsh : "In tantum 
 " in suo sensu de sua scientia superbierat .... quod 
 " ultra orationem illarn salvificaru, quani . . . Jesus 
 " Christus proprio suo ore composuit, ederet in suo 
 " vulgari .... alias tres et populo ad dicendum pro- 
 u palaret." The following work is probably in English, 
 but that is less certain. 
 
 (7.) The Book of Faith, Hope, and Clmrity. (D.) 
 
 The reference occurs at p. 53 of James' transcript. 
 This work is entirely unnoticed by bibliographers. 
 There is a little anonymous MS. treatise (ssec. xv.) in 
 the British Museum (Bibl. Reg. 17 A. xxvi. fol. 27, b- 
 28, b), entitled: "Here bigynneth the thre good ver- 
 " tues that Poul clepith Feith, Hope, and Charity/' 
 
 Begins : 
 " The first is feith," &c. 
 
 It is certainly not impossible that this and other short 
 devotional treatises in the same vohime are by Pecock ; 
 the style and sentiment are extremely similar ; the 
 omission of the descent into hell in the interrogatories 
 to be put to a sick man is also very ominous : " Bileuest 
 " thou that he was aftir his deth biried, and roos on 
 " the thridde dai in fleisch, and steii to heuene?" 
 The other chapters are on the ten commandments, the 
 seven deadly sins, the seven deeds of mercy, &c 
 
 (8.) The Boole of Counsels. (D. fol. 96, R.) 
 
 The references in The Donet and The RepreteOi 
 indicate that this book of " Counceilis" treated of the 
 Evangelical counsels as opposed to commands, not of 
 the councils of the Church. 
 
 (9.) The Bool- of Priesthood. (R. F.) 
 
 (10.) The Proving of Christian Foith. R. p. 99 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 lxxix 
 
 where it is distinguished from The Booh of Christian 
 Religion, and is mentioned among English works ; 
 it is also alluded to in the Poor Men's Mirror. 
 
 (11.) The Book of Learning. (F.) 
 
 (12.) The Booh of Compendious Logic (promised 
 only. R). 
 
 (13.) The Booh of the Church. (F.) 
 See Latin treatises (n. 8). 
 
 Latin Works. 
 
 (1.) The Booh of Repentance or Penance. (D. R.) 
 (2.) The Less Booh of Christian Religion. (J)., u. s., 
 pp. 53, 77.) 
 
 Only known, as it seems, from the above refer- 
 ences in the JDonet. 
 
 (3.) The Just Apprising of Doctors (probably un- 
 finished). (D. R. F. f.) 
 
 There seems to be no ground for supposing, with 
 Lewis, that there was also an English form of this book. 
 
 (4.) The Booh of Faith and Sacraments (promised 
 only). (R.) 
 
 Probably this is " The Bohe of Faith in Latin " 
 (F. pp. xiv. xli., ed. Wharton), and "The Booh of Faith " 
 (R. p. 564<), and may be " The Booh of Sacraments" 
 (R. pp. 163, 564) and (D., u. s., p. 54) the language of 
 which is not stated. 
 
 (5.) The Booh of Baptism. (R.). 
 There seems no reason for thinking, with Waterland. 
 that there was also an English work of Pecock so called 
 
 (6.) The Proof of Christian Faith (promised only). 
 (F. See Waterland, u. s., p. 219). 
 Possibly the same as No. 2. 
 
lxxx 
 
 INTRODUUTIO 
 
 (7-) The Book of Lessons (promised only). (R.) 
 Probably in Latin, as it was to be read " in the 
 " chair of schools." 
 
 (8.) Book on the Church. (F. f. Lewis, p. 324.) 
 
 In his Book of Faith (p. xiv., ed. Wharton) occurs 
 this passage : " In the Book of Feith in Latin and 
 " in the Book of the Church." From this we may 
 perhaps infer, with Lewis, that there was also an 
 English treatise so called. To the same two books 
 allusion seems to be made again in The Follower to 
 the Donet MS. fol. 30, " as herof y write in oon of 
 " the bookis of feith, and in the. book of iust apprising 
 " hooli chirch," where " the book of the chirch in 
 " Latyn " is also named, fol. 35, b. 
 
 (9.) There was also a Latin edition of The just 
 apprising of Holy Scripture. See English Works, n. 5. 
 
 (10.) Concio ad Clerum. (f.) 
 
 " Loke thou, my sone, into a sermoun which y made 
 " in Latyn to the clergi : which sermoun bigynneth 
 " thus : Monies Israel, ramos virides germiuetis et 
 " fructum viridem afferatis." (Follower to the Donet, 
 fol. 37, b.) 
 
 Language uncertain. 
 (1.) The Book of Sacraments. (R.) 
 
 Perhaps the same as the Latin work On Faith and 
 Sacraments. 
 
 (2.) The Book of Eucharist (promised only). (R. F.) 
 
 " Into time leiser schal be to me forto write the 
 " book of eucharisi" (F. MS. fol. 7.) 
 
 Probably in Latin, as it is mentioned in connexion 
 with The Book of Baptism, which is Latin. 
 
 (3.) The Book of Legends (promised only). R - 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 lxx xi 
 
 (4.) The Book of Preaching (promised in the Ab- 
 breviate) . 
 
 (5.) The Declaratory (Declarator ium). Bale. 
 
 This book may perhaps be alluded to in the prologue 
 to the Donet (p. 50, James' MS.) thus : — " He made 
 " a litil booke declarative of himself against en vie 
 '•' making . . . and concerning his boke of Cristen 
 " religioun." But he elsewhere says : " Whanne I 
 " purposid to make this present litil book, I purposid 
 " to make no more than that which is now the first 
 " party of this book for that it schulde be a schort 
 " profitable compendi of alle the vij. maters .... and 
 " sone after the eende of this seid first partye, I was 
 " moved for to make ferther this which now is this 
 " present ij e partye for a defensorye and an excusa- 
 " torye and sumwhat a declaratorye of the other first 
 " seid party." (Donet MS. fob 85.) Consequently the 
 second part of the Donet may be the Declaratorium 
 or the Defensor of Bale. The "litil booke " is probably 
 intended by Stowe : " Of Christian Religion, and a booh 
 pertaining thereunto" (Chronicle, p. 403,) and by Pe- 
 cock (Follower to the Donet, MS. fol. 5) : " The Rule 
 " of Christian Religion, and the books pertaining 
 " thereto," who may also include the Donet. 
 
 There is little doubt that it was in English, as well 
 as the two following : — 
 
 (6.) The Book of Sentence, (f.) 
 
 " Answer therto schal be maad in the firste parti 
 " of Cristen Religioun, the thridde treti, and by the 
 " Book of Sentence." (Follower to the Donet, MS. fol. 37. 
 See also fol. 74.) 
 
 (7.) The Book of Divine Office. (D. f. Bale.) 
 
 " Y settide forth a schrift in the book of dyuyne 
 " office in Fridaies matyns." (Follower to the Donet, 
 MS. fol. 53.) " In the book of dyuine office in the 
 " preisingis for matyns in Trynitees Sundaye." (Donet, 
 
lxxxii 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 fol. 39 ; see also foil. 41, 44, 100.) See also the re- 
 ferences in the Poor Men's Mirror, which probably 
 refers to none but English books. 
 
 The above thirty are the lost works of Pecock to 
 which I have been able to find allusions in his English 
 treatises and in the Abbreviatio above mentioned. 
 
 Besides these, however, there are some others, 
 mentioned by Bale, about most of which nothing 
 certain can be said. 
 
 (1.) Epistle to W. Godharde the Franciscan, also 
 mentioned by Gascoigne (u. s., p. 528), in which he 
 ridiculed the noisy style in which many of the popu- 
 lar preachers (probably Franciscans) indulged. This 
 existed in Dr. James' time in MS. in a private library, 
 and may possibly still exist. (See Cave's Hist. Lit.) 
 
 (2.) " Defensor." (Possibly a defence of his sermon 
 at St. Paul's, and contained in the Abbreviatio men- 
 tioned above. See also p. xx., note, where the Fol- 
 lower to the Donet (fol. 100) is quoted.) 
 
 (3.) "Sequax." 
 
 This work may also be alluded to in the Follower to 
 the Donet (u. s.) : " No man wijte me, thou^ y speke 
 " and write so oft for my defensis." It may even be 
 itself the Follower to the Donet ; if so, Bale misplaces it. 
 
 (4.) " Symbolwm." 
 
 This is most probably the same as the English 
 Book of Faith, or a portion of it, as has been 
 already said ; it is also often mentioned by Gascoigne. 
 Bale goes on to say : " A.b aliis bos etiam addidisse 
 " fertur:" 
 
 (1.) De providentia Dei. (2.) De libertate Evan- 
 gelii. (3.) De ssecularium potestate. (4.) Contra do- 
 tationem Constantini. (5.) De aequalitate ministro- 
 rum. (C.) De legibus et doctrinis homimim. (7.) 
 De communione sub utraque specie. (8.) Contra 
 mendicitatem impiam. (9.) De sua palinodia. Nos. 
 4, 5, 6 are probably parts of the Repressor ; No. 7 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 lxxxiii 
 
 may very probably bo a portion of his Book of 
 Eucharist ; and No. 9 the letter to the pope men- 
 tioned above, which he wrote after his abjuration. 
 About the rest I cannot even hazard a conjecture. 1 
 
 The ancient Eno-fish Chronicler from 1377-1461, to 
 which allusion has been made before, and Stowe, who 
 transcribes him, affirm that Pecock " had laboui'ed 
 " many years to translate the Holy Scripture into 
 " English but there is every reason to suppose this 
 assertion to be an error ; 2 not only because Pecock 
 makes no mention of having done so, which a man 
 of his extraordinary vanity would be nearly certain to 
 have done; but also because in almost all his larger 
 citations he uses the later form of the version called 
 Wiclif's, which contains archaisms foreign to his own 
 style. It is certain, however, that he was favourable 
 to the circulation of the Bible among the laity in the 
 English language. 3 
 
 Such is the best account that I am able to furnish 
 of Pecock's life and writings, from which it is vain to 
 hope that all error has been excluded, and which 
 might no doubt be improved or enlarged from various 
 MSS. sources of information. With respect to the 
 Glossary at the end of the work, while nothing has 
 been omitted intentionally which the reader might 
 require for his immediate convenience, yet at the same 
 time this has not been the only or even the principal 
 
 1 Oudinus (De Scriptt. Eccles., 
 torn. . iii, pp. 2593, 2594), without 
 the smallest reason, imagines that 
 several anonymous treatises, con- 
 tained in a MS. now preserved in 
 Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, 
 are the works of Pecock. They 
 appear to be the works of a French- 
 man. One of them is headed : 
 " Quod Rothomagensis ecclesia ec- 
 
 clesiae Romanse non subjecta sit." 
 The MS. itself must, in my judg- 
 ment, have been written before 
 Pecock was born. 
 
 2 The mandate of Bourchier to 
 inquire after Pecock's books, quoted 
 in a preceding note, may easily have 
 given rise to this mistake. 
 
 3 See Repressor, pp. 114, 115, 
 119, &c. 
 
Ixxxiv 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 object in drawing it up. It is hoped that it will be 
 a tolerably complete Index Anglicitatis, for one of the 
 earliest pieces of philosophical prose composition which 
 exist in the language, and thus be available for the 
 use of the philologist and the lexicographer. 1 
 
 It only remains that I should tender my best thanks 
 to various friends who have kindly assisted me with 
 their advice on various points connected with this 
 work, viz., to Sir F. Madden, K.H., Keeper of the 
 MSS. in the British Museum; to the Rev. G. E. Cor- 
 rie, D.D., Master of Jesus College, Cambridge; to E. 
 Guest, Esq., LL.D., Master of Gonville and Gains 
 College, Cambridge ; to the Rev. J. H. Todd, D.D., 
 Senior Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin ; to Dr. R. Pauli, 
 the learned author of The History of England ; to the 
 Rev. T. Chevallier, B.D., Professor of Mathematics in 
 the University of Durham ; to the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, 
 M.A., Incumbent of Apethorpe, Northamptonshire ; to 
 the Rev. J. Cautley, M.A., Incumbent of Thorney, Cam- 
 bridgeshire ; to the Rev. H. 0. Coxe, Sub-librarian of 
 the Bodleian Library, Oxford ; to the Rev. J. Stevenson, 
 M.A., Vicar of Leighton Buzzard ; to T. Duffus Hardy, 
 Esq., Assistant Keeper of Records ; to the Rev. C. A. 
 
 1 " The language of Bishop Pe- 
 cock is more obsolete than that of 
 Lydgate or any other of his contem- 
 poraries." Ilallam's Lit. of Europe, 
 part i. c. iv. (vol. i. p. 311. Ix>nd. 
 1847). This being so, I have pre- 
 ferred to err on the side of excess 
 rather than defect in the enumera- 
 tion both of words and forms of 
 inflection. Pecock in his Book of 
 Faith (p. 13, Wharton's ed.) ob 
 serves " hou that langagis whos 
 reulis ben not writen, as ben English, 
 Freensch, and manye otherc, ben 
 chaungid withyune yeeris and cun- 
 
 trees, that oon man of the oon cun- 
 tree and of the oon tyme myghte not 
 and schulde not kunne undirstondc 
 a man of the othere kuntre and of 
 the othere tyme, and al for this, that 
 the seid langagis ben not stabili and 
 foundamentali writen." Upon the 
 whole the only satisfactory course 
 seemed to be this, to set down all or 
 at least the principal inflections and 
 variations of all the words included 
 in the Glossary. This plan is mostly 
 adopted in the excellent Glossary to 
 Wiclifs liible, edited by Mr. i'or- 
 shall and Sir T. Madden. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 lxxxv 
 
 Swainson, M.A., Principal of the Theological College, 
 Chichester ; to H. Bradshaw, M.A., Esq., Fellow of 
 King's College, Cambridge ; and more particularly to 
 the Rev. G. Williams, B.D., Senior Fellow of the same 
 College; and to the Rev. J. E. B. Mayor, M.A., Fellow 
 and Assistant Tutor of St. John's College, Cambridge, 
 who have kindly looked at a large part of the sheets 
 of this work as they were going through the press. It 
 will, however, of course be distinctly understood that 
 for all matters of opinion expressed in the introduction 
 or elsewhere, I am alone re sponsible. 
 
 St. John's College, Cambridge, 
 March 30, 1860. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 g 
 
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. 
 
 PROLOGUE. 
 
 The Lollards, -who find faxilt with divers ordinances of the clergy, 
 should take a lesson from St. Paul's advice to Timothy, 
 respecting the maimer of administering reproof. Pccock does 
 not deny that there are some abuses among the clergy, but 
 undertakes to defend eleven particulars against the objections 
 of the Lollards. These are : (1) The use of images ; (2) The 
 going on pilgrimage ; (3) The holding of landed possessions 
 by the clergy ; (4) The various ranks of the hierarchy, i. e. 
 papacy and episcopacy ; (5) The framing of ecclesiastical laws 
 and ordinances by papal and episcopal authority ; (6) The 
 institution of the religious orders ; (7) The invocation of 
 Saints and priestly intercession ; (8) The costliness of eccle- 
 siastical decorations ; (9) The ceremonies of the mass and 
 the sacraments generally ; (10) The taking of oaths ; (11) The 
 maintaining war and capital punishment to be lawful. The 
 plan of Pecock's work. The first part shall contain a ge- 
 neral answer to the general objections against these eleven 
 points. The remaining four parts shall contain special 
 answers to the particular objections to the same eleven 
 points. pp. 1-4. 
 
 THE FIRST PART. 
 
 The General Answer in vindication of the Eleven 
 Points. 
 
 Chapter I. 
 
 The general objections to the said eleven points arise from 
 these three false opinions : (1) No ordinance is to be esteemed 
 a law of God, which is not grounded in Scripture ; (2) Every 
 humble Christian shall arrive at the true sense of Scripture ; 
 (3) When the true sense of Scripture has been discovered 
 by humble diligence, all human arguments which oppose 
 that sense are to be discarded. - - - pp. 5-7. 
 
 g 2 
 
lxxxviii 
 
 SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter II. 
 
 The first error refuted by thirteen conclusions, the first and 
 principal of which is this : It is no part of the office of 
 Scripture to found any law of God which human reason may 
 discover. Arguments in favour of this conclusion. No 
 truth of God's moral law is fully taught by Scripture 
 only. pp. 8-12. 
 
 Chapter III. 
 
 The same subject continued. The knowledge of God's moral 
 law is based not on Scripture but on reason. The teaching 
 of Scripture scanty concerning many moral truths. Moral 
 truths might be discovered if the Scripture did not exist 
 or were destroyed. ..... pp. 12-18. 
 
 Chapter TV. 
 
 The same subject. Before the time of Abraham men lived 
 by the light of nature, but were bound to observe the same 
 moral precepts by which Christians are bound now. pp. 18-22. 
 
 Chapter V. 
 
 The same subject. Scripture presupposes moral truths to be 
 known. If any moral truth delivered in Scripture seems 
 to contradict the moral law written in man's soul, Scrip- 
 ture must be accommodated to the reason, not vice versa. 
 
 pp. 23-27. 
 
 Chapter VI. 
 
 The same subject. Illustrations in favour of the conclusion, 
 from an old custom among Londoners at Midsummer evo, 
 from the Apostles selling fish, and from preaching at 
 Paul's Cross. - - - - - pp. 27-32. 
 
 Chapter VII. 
 
 Other conclusions against the first error. Scripture only 
 bears witness to moral virtues, and exhorts to their better 
 fulfilment. The province of Scripture is to ground articles 
 of faith pp. 32-37. 
 
 Chapter VIII. 
 
 Other conclusions against the first error, The province of 
 reason defined. The greater part of God's law to man is 
 grounded in reason and not in revelation. ■ pp. 37-42. 
 
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. lxxxix 
 
 Chapter IX, 
 
 Other subordinate conclusions against tho first error. Pe- 
 cock's enumeration and commendation of his own works. 
 
 pp. 43-48. 
 
 Chapter X. 
 
 Tho last conclusion against the first error. It is as un- 
 reasonable to expect a truth of moral philosophy or natural 
 religion to be grounded in Scripture, as to expect the 
 principles of one trade to be grounded in another. Certain 
 texts relied on by the Lollards, as favouring the first 
 error, discussed and explained. - - - pp. 48-53. 
 
 Chapter XI. 
 
 The same subject. ..... pp. 53-59. 
 
 Chapter XII. 
 
 The same subject. ..... pp. 59-65. 
 
 Chapter XIII. 
 
 The sweetness of Scripture a great cause of the above- 
 named first error of the Lollards. The true dignity of 
 Scripture explained. The weight to be attached to the 
 writings of the Fathers, to which the Lollards make an 
 insincere appeal, duly estimated. - - pp. 66-72. 
 
 Chapter XIV. 
 
 An objection that reason is fallible, considered and answered. 
 
 pp. 73-80. 
 
 Chapter XV. 
 
 An objection that Scripture is more worthy than reason, con- 
 sidered and answered. - - - . pp. 80-85. 
 
 Chapter XVI. 
 
 The necessity of a learned clergy to expound the Scriptures 
 insisted upon. ..... pp, 85-92. 
 
xc 
 
 SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter XVII. 
 
 The second error of the Lollards, that every humble Christian 
 shall infallibly discover the true sense of Scripture, ex- 
 amined and refuted. All experience makes against it. 
 Their third error refuted by Scripture and experience. 
 All true opinions 'will bear argument and discussion, and 
 the contrary opinion is more worthy of Mohammedans than 
 of Christians. The texts of Scripture adduced by the 
 Lollards discussed and explained. - - pp. 92-101. 
 
 Chapter XVIII. 
 
 A fourth erroneous opinion of the Lollards, that if a man keep 
 God's law, he shall always have the true knowledge of the 
 sense of Scripture ; but if not, never. This opinion refuted 
 by manifest experience. The texts quoted in favour of it 
 discussed and explained. Vindication of the bishops and 
 clergy from calumnies brought against their lives and con- 
 duct and ecclesiastical policy. Caution necessary in making 
 appeals to ancient practice, which is often ill suited to later 
 times. • - - - - - pp. 102-110. 
 
 Chapter XIX. 
 
 A general vindication of the eleven matters objected to may 
 be set down thus : Whoever expressly or else by implication 
 cither bids or indicates that any thing is to be performed, 
 does thereby inclusively bid, imply, or indicate that every 
 thing is to be done which follows from it, or is necessary or 
 profitable to the performance thereof. Various general con- 
 clusions hence deduced in faovur of the eleven ordinances, 
 which in a large sense are grounded in Scripture. 
 
 pp. 110-116. 
 
 Cu.vrTER XX. 
 
 Confirmation of these conclusions. Express mention is not 
 made in Scripture of many things which are lawful. The 
 
 . same arguments which prove the lawfulness of drinking beer, 
 or reading the Bible in English, prove the lawfulness of 
 using images and going on pilgrimage. Pecock's enumera- 
 tion and commendation of his English works for the refu- 
 tation of Lollard opinions. ... pp. H7-130 
 
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. 
 
 xci 
 
 THE SECOND PART. 
 Vindication op Images and Pilgrimages. 
 Chapter I. 
 
 Preliminary considerations. Explanations of the meaning of 
 certain theological terms. ... pp. 131-136. 
 
 Chapter, II. 
 
 Various scriptural arguments for retaining images, and divers 
 texts of Scripture seeming utterly to forbid images, ex- 
 plained. • - • • - pp. 136-147. 
 
 Chapter III. 
 
 Arguments derived from reason for retaining images to be 
 used as commemorative signs, notwithstanding some abuses 
 which may spring from their use. - - pp. 148-154. 
 
 Chapter IV. 
 
 The same subject. .... pp. 155-161. 
 
 Chapter V. 
 
 Various other subordinate arguments both from Scripture and 
 reason in favour of images. ... pp. 161-168. 
 
 Chapter VI. 
 
 Sundry minor objections to images considered and answered. 
 
 pp. 169-175. 
 
 Chapter VII. 
 
 Various arguments from Scripture and reason in favour of 
 going on pilgrimage and venerating relics ; and arguments 
 to the contrary invalidated. ... pp. 175-181. 
 
 Chapter VIII. 
 
 The same subject. - pp. 181-190. 
 
xcii SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter IX. 
 
 Various objections against images and pilgrimages made by the 
 Lollards stated, such as these : A Christian man is a more 
 perfect image of Christ, and more deserving our care than a 
 lifeless stock. Pilgrimage to Walsingham is in vain, seeing 
 that God is present everywhere. The devil works in images. 
 Images have the appearance of evil. Images and pilgrim- 
 ages are virtually forbiden by Christ's discourse with the 
 woman of Samaria. Images have been and are the occasion 
 of idolatry. - - - - - pp. 191-199. 
 
 Chapter X. 
 
 • 
 
 The same subject. The last and most serious objections made 
 to images. Various hymns, sequences, proses, genuflexions, 
 and ceremonies evidently show that images are worshipped 
 with an idolatrous adoration in divine service, as performed 
 in England in the fifteenth century. - - pp. 199-208. 
 
 Chapter XI. 
 
 Eeply to these various arguments. - - pp. 208-216. 
 
 The same subject. 
 
 The same subject. - 
 
 The same subject. - 
 
 Chapter XII. 
 Chapter XIII. 
 Chapter XIV. 
 
 - pp. 216-222. 
 
 - pp. 222-228. 
 
 - pp. 229-233. 
 
 Chapter XV. 
 
 The same subject. * ■ - - pp. 233-239. 
 
 Chapter XVI. 
 
 The same subject. Disquisition on the origin of idolatry. 
 
 pp. 240-247. 
 
 Chapter XVII. 
 
 Continuation of the same disquisition. The Book of Wisdom, 
 which contradicts Pccock's view, is apocryphal and of little 
 authority. Ecclesiastical history, from the eighth century 
 downwards, shows that opposition to images will never pre- 
 vail. •' - » - • PP« 247-255- 
 
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. 
 
 xciii 
 
 Chapter XVIII. 
 
 Reply to the arguments derived from tho service books of the 
 church. - - - • - -pp. 255-263. 
 
 Chapter XIX. 
 
 The same subject. pp. 263-267. 
 
 Chapter XX. 
 
 The same subject. Concluding remarks on the relative value of 
 outward signs and the word of God. - - pp. 267-274. 
 
 THE THIRD PART. 
 
 Vindication of the Revenues of the Clergy. 
 Chapter L 
 
 Scriptural arguments from the Old Testament to show that the 
 clergy may lawfully possess landed property, and the con- 
 trary arguments from it refuted. - - pp. 275-281. 
 
 Chapter II. 
 
 The same subject. - - - - - pp. 281-287. 
 Chapter HI. 
 
 The same subject. - - - - -pp. 287-292. 
 Chapter IV. 
 
 Scriptural arguments on both sides from the New Testament 
 similarly discussed. .... pp. 292-302. 
 
 Chapter V. 
 
 The same subject. - - - - - pp. 303-309. 
 Chapter VI. 
 
 The same subject. - - - - - pp. 309-315. 
 Chapter VII. 
 
 The same subject. The writings of the Fathers on this matter 
 
 are discordant. - - - - - pp. 316-321. 
 
xciv 
 
 SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter VIII. 
 
 Five arguments which some of the laity bring against the 
 endowments of the clergy stated. Simony and avarice are 
 their natural fruit. Christ did not appoint them. Ecclesi- 
 astical history testifies that the church became more corrupt 
 as it became richer. When Constantine made his donation 
 to the Church of Rome, an angel exclaimed that poison was 
 that day infused into the church. Ecclesiastical endow- 
 ments, to which power of life and death in a bishop's or 
 abbot's court is attached, are most objectionable and cruel. 
 Reply to the first argument. ... pp. 321-331 . 
 
 Chapter IX. 
 
 Reply to the second argument. ... pp. 331-334. 
 Chapter X. 
 
 Reply to the argument from ecclesiastical history, pp. 334-339. 
 Chapter XI. 
 
 The same subject. - - - • - pp. 339-350. 
 Chapter XII. 
 
 Reply to the argument founded on the donation of Constantine. 
 This donation shown by a variety of historical considerations 
 to be fabulous. - - - - - pp. 350-357. 
 
 Chapter XIII. 
 
 The same subject. - • • • • pp. 357-366. 
 Chapter XIV. 
 
 Reply to the last argument respecting the capital punishment 
 inflicted by ecclesiastical courts. Their true constitution 
 explained. - - - - - ■ pp. 366-374. 
 
 Chapter XV. 
 
 Other arguments from Scripture and reason to show the law- 
 fulness of the endowments of the clergy. - pp. 374-379. 
 
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. 
 
 XCV 
 
 Chapter XVI. 
 
 The opinion of some Lollards that church endowments are 
 lawful, but that if the clergy do not make a proper use of 
 them they may be taken away from them, statod. This 
 opinion proved false from a consideration of the nature of 
 different kinds of payments. ... pp. 380-386- 
 
 Chapter XVII. 
 
 The same subject. The proper punishments for different kinds 
 of criminous clerks. .... pp. 387-396 
 
 Chapter XVIII. 
 
 Further refutation of this opinion. The historical circum- 
 stances under which the religious houses and the clergy 
 became possessed of their endowments considered. 
 
 pp. 396-405. 
 
 Chapter XIX. 
 
 The same subject. Wiclif's modification of this opinion stated 
 and confuted. - pp. 406-415 
 
 THE FOURTH PART. 
 Vindication of the Variety of Ranks and Degrees 
 
 AMONG THE CLERGY : ALSO OF THE LAWFULNESS OF 
 
 Statutes and Canons made by Papal and Episcopal 
 Authority. 
 
 Chapter I. 
 
 The Lollards object to the government of the church by 
 bishops, archbishops, patriarchs, and the pope, and would 
 have no other orders except those of priests and deacons. 
 The ecclesiastical polity complained of is not forbidden by 
 Scripture. pp. 416-422. 
 
 Chapter II. 
 
 The same subject pp . 422-427. 
 
 Chapter HE. 
 
 This polity is not forbidden by reason, and is not unlawful. 
 
 pp. 427-436. 
 
xcvi 
 
 SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter IV. 
 
 It is approved by Scripture. Peter is the Head (Cephas) of 
 the Apostles and the Eock of the Church. - pp. 436-449. 
 
 Chapter V. 
 
 This polity is sanctioned by reason, is strictly lawful, and is 
 an ordinance of God's law. - - - pp. 449-452. 
 
 Chapter VI. 
 
 The Lollards further object that the pope and the bishops 
 impose ecclesiastical laws over and above the divine law, 
 and often contrary thereto. Proofs of the general lawful- 
 ness of ecclesiastical ordinances made by the clergy in 
 addition to the divine law. ... pp. 452-455. 
 
 Chapter VII. 
 
 The same subject. Dionysius the Areopagite shows tbat 
 ecclesiastical laws were introduced by the consent of the 
 Apostles. - - ... . . pp. 455-463. 
 
 Chapter VIII. 
 
 Arguments of the Lollards against ecclesiastical laws stated. 
 Human traditions are condemned by Christ, are the cause 
 of much evil, and would have been ordained by Christ, if 
 they had been profitable. - - - pp. 463-468. 
 
 Chapter IX. 
 
 Kcply to these arguments. - - - pp. 468-475. 
 
 THE FIFTH PART. 
 
 Vindication of the Religious Orders, and ok the 
 remaining Five Matters objected against. 
 
 Chapter I. 
 
 The Lollards object to the religious orders as unscriptural and 
 antichristian. They are not forbidden by Scripture. Certain 
 texts adduced by the Lollards, and their expositions of 
 them stated, as well as the prophecies of St. Hildegard. 
 
 pp. 476-484. 
 
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. 
 
 xcvii 
 
 Chapter II. 
 
 Reply to the arguments derived from these texts and pro- 
 phecies. ...... pp. 484-495 
 
 Chapter III. 
 
 The true application of the texts in question is shown to 
 belong to the ancient heretics, who have indeed departed 
 from the faith. - - - . . pp. 496-502. 
 
 Chapter IV. 
 
 Arguments derived from reason against the religious orders 
 stated. They hinder men from relieving the necessities of 
 their parents, are the cause of much mischief, and their 
 variety breeds discord. .... pp. 502-505. 
 
 Chapter V. 
 
 Reply to these arguments. - - -pp. 505-512. 
 
 Chapter VI. 
 
 The same subject. - - ■ . -pp. 512-518. 
 Chapter VII. 
 
 The same subject. - - - - - pp. 518-524. 
 Chapter VIII. 
 
 Scripture allows of religious orders. - - pp. 525-530. 
 Chapter IX. 
 
 The same subject. Ecclesiastical history testifies that mo- 
 nastic institutions are contemporary with the Apostles. 
 
 pp. 530-534. 
 
 Chapter X. 
 
 The statutes of the religious orders are not contrary to the 
 laws of Christ. When necessity so requires, a man has a 
 dispensation from observing them. - - pp. 535-539. 
 
 Chapter XI. 
 
 Reason does not condemn the religious orders. They have 
 made many men better or less bad than they would other- 
 wise have been. Corrupt state of English society in the 
 middle of the fifteenth century. - - pp. 539-543. 
 
xcviii 
 
 SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter XII. 
 
 Other objections made against the religious orders : their strange 
 costume ; their stately dwellings and churches ; the practice 
 of counting money with a stick among the Franciscans, so 
 as to evade the rule which obliges them not to touch it. 
 Vindication of the monastic habits. - - pp. 543-548. 
 
 Chapter XIII. 
 
 Vindication of the ample mansions and churches of the monastic 
 orders. • • • - • ■ pp. 548-554. 
 
 Chapter XIV. 
 
 Vindication of the Franciscan friars' practice from hypocrisy. 
 An imaginary conversation between a Franciscan and his 
 opponent. ...... pp. 554-501. 
 
 Chapter XV. 
 
 A brief vindication of the remaining five matters objected 
 against, and reference made to other works of Pecock, where 
 the various subjects are fully discussed. - pp. 561-565. 
 
 Extracts from Bury's Gladius Salomonis. - pp. 567-613. 
 
 Abbreyiatio Keginaldi Pecock. ... pp. 615-618. 
 
 Extract from Gascoigne's Theological Dictionary, pp. 621-624. 
 
 Glossary. ...... pp. 625-683. 
 
 Index. pp. 685-696. 
 
PECOCK'S REPRESSOR. 
 
PECOCK'S REPRESSOR 
 
 Prolog. 
 
 Vndirnyme thou, biseche thou, and blame thou, in al 
 pacience and doctrine. (ij e . Thi. iiij e . ?.) 
 
 Th0U£ these wordis weren writen 1 bi Seint Poul to st. Paul's in- 
 Thimotlie being a bischop 2 and not a lay persoon of Timothy about 
 the comon peple, tit in tho wordis Seint Poul teueth administering 
 
 f / reproof concern 
 
 not to Thiniothe instruccioun of eny hiier gouer- the laity as well 
 
 . / 33 tlie clergy. 
 
 naunce than whiche also he my^te haue ^eue to a 
 lay persoon of the comoun peple, bi cause that in 
 tho wordis Poul ^eueth instruccioun not of correc- 
 cioun (or of correcting bi thretenyng and punyschinge), 
 which longith oonli to the ouerer anentis his neth- 
 erer, and not to the netherer anentis his ouerer ; but 
 he ^eueth instruccioun of correpcioun and of correpting, 
 which not oonli longith to an ouerer anentis his 
 netherer, but also to a netherer anentis his ouerer, as 
 it is open, ij e . ad Thessalonic. iij e . c. and Math. xviij e . c., 
 and as resoun also it weel 3 confermeth ; so that it be 
 do with honeste and reuerence, and with other therto 
 bi reson dewe circumstauncis. Of which correpcioun 
 first openyng or doing to wite, thanne next blamyng, 
 
 1 were write, MS. ; but the stroke 
 above is in a later hand, and so 
 elsewhere often, but not always. 
 
 '-' abischop, MS. ; and so elsewhere 
 
 very often, but not constantly: here 
 the indefinite article is always 
 printed as a word by itself. 
 3 weel it, MS. (first hand). 
 
 A +- 
 
2 
 
 pecocr's repressor. 
 
 and aftirward biseching ben parties : and therfore 
 these same wordis speking oonli of correpcioun, so bi 
 Seint Poul dressid to Thimothe bischop, to whom 
 longith 1 botlie to correpte and correcte, mowe weel 
 ynow 2 be take and dressid ferthir to ech lay persoon, 
 forto ther yn ^eue to him instruccioun, how he schulde 
 reule him, whanne euer he takith vpon him for to in 
 nei^bourli or brotherli maner correpte his Cristen new- 
 born- or brother, namelich being in other wise to him 
 his ouerer. In which wordis (as it is open ynou^ for 
 to se) ech man, which takith vpon him the deedis of 
 brotherli correpcioun, is enformed, that the parties of 
 thilk correpcioun (whiche ben vndirnymyng, biseching, 
 and blamyng) he do " in pacience and in doctrine " ; 
 that is to seie, ouer this that for the while of his 
 correpting he hath pacience, that he haue also ther 
 with such doctrine, knowing, or kunnyng, wherbi he 
 canne schewe and proue it to be a defaute for which 
 he vndirnymeth and blameth, and the persoon so vn- 
 dirnome and blamed to be gilti in the same defaut 
 and synne. 
 
 They are very And for as miche as after it what is write, 
 tfieoverhas^y Rom. x e . c., manie han zeel of good wille, but not 
 
 blamers of the 7 i i .1 '..i 11 n 
 
 clergy in these aft ir kunnyng, and han ther with take upon hem 
 forto vndirnyrne and blame openli and scherpli bothe 
 in speche and 3 in writing the clergie of Goddis hool 
 chirche in erthe and forto here an bond upon the seid 
 clergie that he is gilti in summe gouernauncis as in 
 defautis, 4 whiche gouernauncis tho blamers kumien not 
 schewe, teche, and proue to be defautis and synnes ; 
 and han therbi maad ful miche indignacioun, distur- 
 
 1 it longith, MS. ; but it is can- 
 celled by a later hand. 
 
 2 y note, MS. ; but elsewhere con- 
 junctim ; similarly y clepid, &c. 
 elsewhere, but not constantly ; in 
 
 such cases here printed uniformly 
 conjunctim. 
 
 3 bothe in speche and added in the 
 margin by a different hand. 
 
 1 indefautis, MS. 
 
PROLOGUE. 
 
 3 
 
 blaunce, cisme, and otliere yuelis, forto rise and be 
 contynued in manie persoones bi long tyme of manye 
 ^eeris : tlierfbre to ech such vngroundid and vnredy 
 and ouer hasti vndirnymer and blanier y seie the bi- 
 fore rehercid wordis of Seint Poul : Vndirnyme thou, 
 biseche thou, and blame thou, in al pacience and doc- 
 trine : as thoul y schulde seie thus : If thou cannest 
 teche, schewe, and proue that the deede of winch thou 
 vndirnymest and blaraest the persoon or persoones is 
 a defaute and a trespace, and thanne that he is 
 gilti ther of ; vndirnyme thou and blame thou in tlrilk 
 kunnyng or doctrine and in pacience : and if thou 
 canst not so schewe, teche, and proue, thou ou^tist be 
 stille, and not so vndirnyme and blame. 
 
 For ellis Seint Poul schulde not haue seid thus, Those who 
 
 T _ 7 , , , ' correct others 
 
 Vndirnyme thou, blame thou, in al pacience awe? should first look 
 
 7 _ , - 1 to themselves ; 
 
 doctrine: %he, and ellis thou outtist vndirnyme and in-founded com- 
 
 c t » . _ _ _ ' , plaints lessen the 
 
 blame first thi silf of this defaute, that thou vndir- effect ? f such ^ 
 
 are well-founded. 
 
 nymest and blamest not hauyng the doctrine which 
 thou ou^tist haue, eer than thou take vpon thee forto 
 vndirnyme and blame : and so to ech such ouer hasti 
 and vnwijs blamer my^te be seid what is writun, 
 Luk iiij e . c., thus : 0 leche, heele thi silf. ^he, pera- 
 uenture to summe suche blamers and for suinwhilis 
 my^te be seid what is writen, Luk the vj e . c., thus : 
 Ypocrite, take first the beem out of thine owne iie, and 
 thanne thou schalt se forto take the mote out of thin 
 neiyboms iye. And ferthermore sithen it is so, that 
 suche vnwise, vndiscrete, and ouerhasti vndirnymers 
 letten the effect of her wijs and discrete and weel 
 avisid vndirnymyngis, whiche thei in othere tymes 
 maken or mowe make to the clergie ; and so ^euen 
 occasioun that bothe thei hem silf and her iust vndir- 
 nymyngis ben despisid and ben not seet bi, and so 
 maken therbi hem silf to be letters of miche good 
 and causers of miche yuel, it is ri^t greet nede, that 
 alle tho, whiche taken upon hem to be vndirnymers 
 
 A 2 
 
4 
 
 PECOCK'S REPRESSOR. 
 
 and blamers of the clergie, kepe weel what is seid to 
 be the menyng of Seint Poul in the bifore rehercid 
 wordis, Vndirnyme thou, biseche thou, blame thou, in 
 al patience 1 and doctrine. 
 The present Now that God for his godenes and charite ceese the 
 
 workavindi- . .. .... . 
 
 cation of eleven sooner m the coffioun peple such vnwijs, vntrewe, and 
 
 ordinances of t he i t i i n 
 
 clergy which are ouerhasti vndirnymynec and blainyno- maad upon ' the 
 
 unjustly con- . J * ° , t i i- 
 
 demned; its title, clemie, and that for tbe harmes and yuehs therbi 
 
 plan, and ° ' * ', 
 
 divisions. coruyng now seid, y schal do therto sumwhat of mi 
 part in this, that y schal iustifie xj. gouernauncis of 
 the clergie, whiche sumrae of the comoun peple vn- 
 wijsly and vntreuli iugen and condempnen to be 
 yuele ; of whiche xj. gouernauncis oon is the having 
 and vsing of ymagis in chirchis ; and an othir is pil- 
 grimage in going to the memorialis or the mynde 
 placis of Seintis, and that pilgrimagis and offringis 
 mowe be doon weel, not oonli priuely, but also openli ; 
 and not oonli so of lay men, but rather of preestis and 
 of bischopis. And this y schal 2 do bi writing of this 
 present book in the comoun peplis langage pleinli and 
 openli and schortli, and to be clepid The repressing 
 of ouer miche wijtivg the clergie : and he schal haue 
 v. principal parties. In the firste of whiche parties 
 schal be mad in general maner the seid repressing, 
 and in general maner proof to the xj. seid gouer- 
 nauncis. And in the ij e . iij e . iiij e . and v e . principal 
 parties schal be maad in special maner the seid re- 
 pressing ; and in special maner the proof to the same 
 xj. gouernauncis ; thou^ alle othere gouernauncis of 
 the clergie, for whiche the clergy is worthi to 3 be 
 blamed in brotherly and nei^bourly correpcioun, y 
 schal not be aboute to excuse neither defende ; but 
 preie, speke, and write in al pacience and doctrine, 
 that the clergie forsake hem, leue, and amende. 
 
 1 pacicnckn, MS. 3 to is inserted by a later hand, 
 
 2 schal y, MS. (first hand). | perhaps wrongly. 
 
THIS FIRST PART. 
 
 THE FIRST PART. 
 
 The First Chapiter. 
 Thre trowingis or opiniouns ben causis and groundis The general 
 
 e . i n i 11 ,1 . i . i ANSWER: Threo 
 
 ol manie and ot weel nyi alle tlie errouris whiche erroneous opi- 
 
 n ,, , . • ill i i ■ i • , i ii nionsthegrninids 
 
 manie ot the lay partie holden, and bi "which hold- of almost ail the 
 
 . ■in i •• ill complaints made 
 
 ing thei vniustly and ouermyche wijten and blamcn against the 
 the elergie and alle her othere nei^bouris of the lay 
 side, which not holden tho same erronris accordingly 
 "with hem, and therfore it is miche nede forto first 
 £eue bisynes to vnroote and ouerturne tho thre trow- 
 ingis, holdingis, or opiniouns, bifore the improuyng of 
 othere ; sithen if tho thre be sufficiently improued, 
 that is to seie, if it be sufiicientli proued that tho 
 thre ben novut and vntrewe and badde, alle the othere 
 vntvewe opiniouns and holdingis bildid vpon hem or 
 upon eny of hem muste needis therbi take her fal, 
 and lacke it wherbi thei mitten in eny colour or 
 S3tnyng be inentened, holde, and supportid. 
 
 The firste of these thre trowingis, holdingis, or the west 
 
 ° . iin error : That no 
 
 opiniouns is this: That no gouernaunce is to be holde ordinance is tobe 
 
 A ° esteemed a law of 
 
 of Cristen men the seruice or the lawe of God, sane God, unless it be 
 
 grounded m 
 
 it which is groundid in Holi Scripture of the Newe scripture. 
 Testament, as summe of the bifore seid men holden ; 
 or namelich, sane it which is groundid in the Newe 
 Testament or in the Oold, and is not bi the Newe 
 Testament reuokid, as summe othere of hem holden. 
 In this trowing and holding thei ben so kete and 
 so smert and so wantoun, that whanne euer eny 
 
6 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. i. clerk affermeth to hem eny gouernaunce being con- 
 trarie to her witt or plesaunce, thoul it ligge ful 
 open and ful sureli in doom of resoun, and ther fore 
 sureli in moral lawe of kinde, which is lawe of God, 
 forto be doon ; yit thei anoon asken " Where 
 " groundist thou it in the Newe Testament ? " or 
 " Where groundist thou it in Holi Scripture in such 
 " place which is not bi the Newe Testament re- 
 " uokid ? " And if thei heere not Avhere so in Holi 
 Scripture it is witnessid, thei it dispisen and not re- 
 ceyuen as a gouernaunce of Godchs seruice and of 
 Goddis moral lawe. This opinioun thei weenen to be 
 groundid, Mat. xxij e . c., where Crist seide to the Sa- 
 duceis thus : £e erven, not knowing Scripturis, nei- 
 ther the vertu or strengthe of God. In the resur- 
 rectioun forsothe thei schiden not tvedde neither be 
 weddid, but thei schulen be as aungelis of God in 
 heuen. Han not ye rad of the resurrectioun of dede 
 men, that it is seid to ns of God, I am God of 
 Abraham, God of Ysaac, God of Iacob, et caitera. 
 Also thei weenen this opinioun be groundid, Iohun 
 v e . c., where Crist seide to the lewis thus : Serche ye 
 Scripturis, for ye trowen yon forto haue euerlasting 
 lijf in hem, and thei ben whiche beren tvitnes of me. 
 The second The secunde trowing or opinyoun is this : That what 
 every hiimbU> cuer Cristen man or womman be meke in spirit and 
 Bhall without fail Avilli forto vndirstonde treuli and dewli Holi Scripture, 
 sense of every schal without fail and defaut fynde the trewe vndir- 
 piaco of scrip s t, onc ji U g () f jj 0 ]j Scripture in what euer place he or 
 sche schal rede and studie, thou^ it be in the Apo- 
 calips or ou^ where ellis : and the more meke lie or 
 sche be, the sooner he or sche schal come into the 
 verry trewe and dew vndirstonding of it, which in Holi 
 Scripture he or sche redith and studieth. This ij e . 
 opinioun thei wenen to be groundid in Holi Scripture, 
 Ysaie lxvj e . c. in the bigynnyng, where God seith thus : 
 To whom schal y biholde but to a litle pore man, 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 7 
 
 broken in herte, and trembling at mi ivordis ? And chap, l 
 also lames the iiij c . c., and i e . Petre v«. c., where it 
 is seid thus : God ayenstondith proude men, and he 
 ieueth grace to meke men. Also Ysaie lvij e . c. where 
 it is seid, that God dwelling in euerlastingte dwellith 
 with a meke and a contrite spirit, that he quykee the 
 spirit of melee men and that he quykee the herte of 
 contrite men. And in othere dyuerise placis of Scrip- 
 ture mensioun is mad that God ieueth goode thingis 
 to meke men more thanne if thei were not so meke. 
 
 The iij e . trowing or opinioun is this : Whanne euere the third 
 a persoon hath founde the vndirstonding of Holi Scrip- when the true 
 ture into which he schal come bi the wey now bifore turehas be°en P ' 
 
 • -i c ,■• •• • • i i ,i discovered in the 
 
 seid oi the ij e . opinioun, he or sche ouite bowe a wey manner aforesaid 
 
 i i . i t t i t i t i> i by any one, he 
 
 her heering, her reeding, and her vndirstonding iro al should listen to 
 
 , , ... no arguments of 
 
 resonyng and iro al arguyng or prouyng which eny clerks to the 
 
 , , , -it.- contrary. 
 
 clerk can or wole or mai make bi eny maner 
 euydence of resoun or of Scripture, and namelich of 
 resoun into the contrarie, thou^ the mater be such 
 that it passith not the boondis neither the capacite 
 of resoun forto entermete therwith and forto iuge 
 and ^eue kunnyng ther upon ; which trowing and opi- 
 nioun to holde and fulfille thei wenen hem be bede 
 bi Poul, Colocens. ij e . c., where he seith thus : Y seie 
 to you these thingis, that no man bigile you in heiyte 
 of spechis. And soone after there, Poul seith thus : 
 Se ye that no man bigile you bi philsophi and veyn 
 falsnes aftir the tradiciouns of men and after the 
 dementis of the iuorld. and not aftir Grist. Also i e . Cor 
 i e . c., weelny^ thoru^ al the chapiter, Poul meeneth that 
 Cristen bileeuers ou^ten not recche of wisdom such as 
 wise worldli men vsen and setten miche therbi. 
 
8 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 ij. Chapiter. 
 
 Thirteen priii- Forto meete aiens the firste bifore spoken opinioun, 
 
 cipal conclusions / , 1 * 
 
 shall be made and forto viiroote and updrawe it, y schal sette forth 
 
 against the first ..... . 
 
 error. Expiana- first xiii. principal conclusiouns. But for as miche as 
 
 tion of certain . . 
 
 logical terms this vnrooting of the first opinioun and the proofis of 
 
 premised. ... 
 
 tho xiij. conclusiouns mowen not be doon and made 
 withoute strength e of argumentis, therfore that y 
 be the better and the cleerer vndirstonde of the lay 
 peple in summe wordis to be aftir spoken in this 
 present book, y sette nowe bifore to hem this doc- 
 trine taken schortli out of the faculte of logik. An 
 argument if he be ful and foormal, which is clepid a 
 sillogisme, is mad of twey proposiciouns dryuyng out 
 of hem and bi streugthe of hem the thridde proposi- 
 cioun. Of the whiche thre proposiciouns the ij. first 
 ben clepid premissis, and the iij e . folewing out of hem 
 is clepid the conclusioun of hem. And the firste of tho 
 ij. premissis is clepid the first premisse, and the ij e . of 
 hem is clepid the ij e . premisse. And ech such argu- 
 ment is of this kinde, that if the bothe premissis ben 
 trewe, the conclusioun concludid out and bi hem is 
 also trewe ; and but if cuereither of tho premissis be 
 trewe, the conclusioun is not trewe. Ensaumple her of 
 is this. "Ech man is at Rome, the Pope is a man, 
 " eke the Pope is at Rome." Lo here ben sett forth ij. 
 proposicions, which ben these, " Ech man is at Rome ; " 
 and " The Pope is a man ; " and these ben the ij. pre- 
 myssis in this argument, and thei dryuen out the iij e . 
 proposicioun, which is this, "The Pope is at Rome," 
 and it is the conclusioun of the ij. premissis. Wher- 
 fore certis if eny man can be sikir for eny tyme that 
 these ij. premyssis be trewe, he mai be sikir that the 
 conclusioun is trewe ; thou^ alle the aungelis in heuen 
 wolden seie and holde that thilk conclusioun were not 
 trewe. And this is a general reule, in euery good and 
 formal and ful argument, that if his premissis be 
 knowe for trewe, the conclusioun ou^te be avowid for 
 trewe, what euer creature wole seie the contrarie. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 !) 
 
 What propirtees and condiciouns ben requirid to an chap.ii. 
 argument, that he be ful and formal and good, is tau^t Advantages^ 
 in logik bi ful faire and sure reulis, and may not be arise to the com- 
 
 p i • iii t-«i i i /^i i mou P c °Pl e an d 
 
 tauit 01 me here m this present book. r5ut wolde uod others from a 
 
 • i i , l-i i • • compendious 
 
 it were leerned of al the cornon peple in her modins treatise on logic 
 
 _ in the vulgar 
 
 langag-e. for thanne thei schvilden therbi be putt fro tongue. Pecoek 
 
 . . . . . . . hopes some day 
 
 myche ruydnes and boistosenes which thei han now in to write such a 
 
 * J treatise. 
 
 resonyng ; and thanne thei schulden soone knowe and 
 perceue whanne a skile ' and an argument bindith and 
 whanne he not byndith, that is to seie, whanne he 
 concludith and proueth his conclusioun and whanne 
 he not so dooth ; and thanne thei schulden kepe hem 
 silf the better fro falling into errouris, and thei 
 my^ten the sooner come out of errouris bi heering of 
 argumentis maad to hem, if thei into eny errouris 
 weren falle ; and thanne thei schulden not be so blunt 
 and so ruyde and vnformal and boistose in resonyng, 
 and that bothe in her arguying and in her answering, 
 as thei now ben ; and thanne schulden thei not be 
 so obstinat a^ens clerkis and a^ens her prelatis, as 
 summe of hem now ben, for defaut of pcrceuyng 
 whanne an argument procedith into his conclusioun 
 needis and whanne he not so dooth but semeth oonli 
 so do. And miche good wolde come forth if a schort 
 compendiose logik were deuysid for al the comoun 
 peple in her modiris langage ; and certis to men of 
 court, leernyng the Kingis laAve of Ynglond in these 
 daies, thilk now seid schort compendiose logik were 
 ful preciose. Into whos making, if God wole graunte 
 leue and leyser, y purpose sumtyme aftir myn othere 
 bisynessis forto assaie. 
 
 But as for now thus miche in this wise ther of Tiie first of 
 
 1 i 11 • l l ill T ' 1 THE THIltTEEN 
 
 liere talkid, that y be the better vndirstonde m al conclusions: 
 
 , . That it is no part 
 
 what y schal aimie thorut this present book, y wole of the office ot 
 
 - # / 1 'ii Scripture to 
 
 come doun into the xiij. conclusiouns, of whiche the found any law of 
 
 1 askile, MS.; but the words are divided by a l^ter hand. Seep. 1, 
 note. 
 
10 
 
 pecock's repressor 
 
 Chap, el firste is this : It longith not to Holi Scripture, 
 God which man's neither it is his office into which God hath him 
 
 reason may dis- 
 
 ofMtura eI * llt ordeyned, neither it is his part forto grounde eny 
 gouernaunce or deede or seruice of God, or eny lawe 
 of God, or eny trouthe which niannis resoun bi 
 nature may fynde, leerne, and knowe. 
 The fibst That this conclusioun is trewe, y proue thus : What- 
 
 thefibstco.x- euer thing is ordeyned (and namelich bi God) for to be 
 
 CLUSIO- : What- ° * s ' 
 
 ever is ordained ground and fundament of eny vertu or of eny gouer- 
 
 by God to be the & 9 9 & 
 
 ground of any naunce or deede or treuth, tliilk same thing muste so 
 
 trutli must so t ° 
 
 fully declare it teche and declare and seie out and ieue forth al the 
 
 that it cannot be / 
 
 known without kunnyng vpon the same vertu or gouernance or trouthe, 
 
 such ground; J ° 1 ■'" ° 
 
 b "t no truth wher with and wherbi tliilk same vertu, gouernaunce, or 
 
 of God s moral j . 
 
 law \s fully trouthe is sufficientli knowen, that withoute thilk same 
 
 taught by Scrip- ' 
 
 ture only ; con- thing the same kunnyng of thilk same vertu, gouer- 
 
 sequentlyno O «/ o > o 
 
 truth of natural naun ce, or trouthe may not be sufficientli knowen, so 
 
 religion is •> ' 
 
 Scripture 0 " ^ ia ^ thilk same vertu, gouernance, or trouthe, in al 
 the kunnyng withoute which he may not at fulle be 
 leerned and knowen, muste nedis growe forth and 
 come forth out and fro oonli thilk thing which is seid 
 and holden to be ther of the ground and the fundament, 
 as anoon aftir schal be proued : but so it is, that of no 
 vertu, gouernaunce, or treuthe of Goddis moral lawe 
 and seruice, into whos fynding, leerning, and knowing 
 maniiis witt may by his natural strengthe and natural 
 helpis come, Holi Scripture al oon ^eueth the sufficient 
 kunnjTig ; neither fro and out of Holi Scripture al oon, 
 whether he be take for the Newe Testament al oon, 
 or for the IS ewe Testament and the Oold to gidere, as 
 anoon after schal be proued, growith forth and cometh 
 forth al the knowing which is nedeful to be had upon 
 it : wherfore nedis folewith, that of no vertu or go- 
 
 * © 
 
 uernaunce or trouthe into which the doom of mannis 
 resoun may sufficientli ascende and come to, for to it 
 fynde, leerne, and knowe withoute reuelacioun fro God 
 mad ther vpon, is groundid in Holi Scripture. 
 The first premiss The firste pi emisse of this argument muste needis 
 be grauntid. Forwhi, if the sufficient leernyug and 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 II 
 
 kunnyng of eny gouernaunce or eny trouthe schulde as Ohap.it. 
 miche or more come fro an other thing, as or than 
 fro this thing which is seid to be his ground, thanne 
 thilk other thing schulde be lijk miche or more and 
 rather the ground of thilk gouernaunce than this thing 
 schulde so be ; and also thilk gouernaunce or trouthe 
 schulde haue ij. diuerse groundis and schulde be bildid 
 vpon ij. fundamentis, of which the oon is dyuers 
 atwyn fro the other, which forto seie and holde is not 
 takeable of mannis witt. Wherfore the first premisse 
 of the argument is trewe. Ensaumple her of is this : 
 But if myn hous stode so in this place of erthe that 
 he not stode so in an othir place of erthe ellis, this 
 place of the erthe were not the ground of myn hous ; 
 and if eny other place of the erthe bare myn hous, 
 certis myn hous were not groundid in this place of 
 the erthe : and in lijk maner, if this treuthe or go- 
 uernaunce, that ech man schulde kepe mekenes, were 
 knowe bi sum other thing than bi Holi Scripture, and 
 as weel and as sufficiently as bi Holi Scripture, thilk 
 o-ouernaunce or trouth were not groundid in Holi 
 Scripture. Forwhi he stood not oonli ther on ; and 
 therfore the first prenrisse is trewe. Also thus : Ther 
 mai no thing be fundament and ground of a wal, or 
 of a tree, or of an hous, saue it upon which the al 
 hool substaunce of the wal, or of the tree, or of the 
 hous stondith, and out of which oonly the wal, tree, 
 or hous cometh. Wherfore bi lijk skile, no thing is 
 ground and fundament of eny treuthe or conclusioun, 
 gouernaunce or deede, saue it upon which aloon al 
 the gouernaunce, trouthe, or vertu stondith, and out of 
 which aloon al the same treuthe or gouernance cometh. 
 
 That also the ij e . premisse is trewe, y proue thus : The secondare 
 What euer deede or thing doom of resoun dooth as 
 fulli and as perfitli as Holi Scripture it dooth, Holi 
 Scripture it not dooth oonli or al oon ; but so it is, that 
 what euer leernyng and kunnyng Holi Scripture ^eueth 
 upon eny of the now seid gouernauncis, trouthes, and 
 vertues, (that is to seie, upon eny gouernaunce, trouthe, 
 
12 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chat, ii. and verfcu of Goddis la we to man, in to whos fynding, 
 leernyng, and knowing mannis resoun may bi him silf 
 aloon, or with natural helpis, rise and come,) mannis 
 resoun may and can leue the same leerning and know- 
 ing, as experience ther upon to be take anoon wole 
 schewe ; for thou canst not fynde oon such gouer- 
 naunce tau^t in Holi Scripture to be doon, but that 
 resoun techith it lijk weel and lijk fulli to be doon ; and 
 if thou wolt not trowe this, assigne thou summe suche 
 and assaie. Wherfore folewith that of noon sucbe now 
 seid gouernauncis the leernyng and knowing is had and 
 tau^t bi Holi Scripture oonli or aloone ; and therfore 
 the ij e . premisse of the firste principal argument muste 
 needis be trewe. 
 
 The first con- And thanne ferther, thus : Sithen the bothe premissis 
 
 elusion proved. ' ' 1 
 
 of the first principal argument ben trewe, and the 
 argument is formal, nedis muste the conclusioun con- 
 cludid bi hem in the same arguyng be trewe, which 
 is the bifore set first principal conclusioun. 
 
 iij. Chapiter. 
 
 the secosd TiiK ii 1 '. principal argument into the first bifore sett 
 
 ARGUMENT FOB .11 I O 
 
 TnE first and spoken conclusioun or trouthe is this : Thilk thing 
 
 CONCLUSION 1 ° 
 
 against the j s the ground of a gouernaunce, or vertu, or trouthe, 
 
 FIRST ERROR: ° ° ' 
 
 That only is the 0Uu of which al the sufficient leernyng and knowing 
 
 true ground or » » ° 
 
 anything, upon 0 f y ie s;ime gouernaunce, trouthe, and vertu cometh, 
 which it would o 
 
 .Xenec^aii procedith, and growith, and may be had, thou^ al 
 grotmSTlmtthe otner thing pretendid to be ground ther of be awey or 
 morM^aw docs were no ^ m being ; but so it is, that al the leernyng 
 upon scripture, an( l knowing, which Holi Scripture ^eueth vpon eny 
 went'or'the' 111 "" bifore seid goucrnaunce, deede, or trouthe of Goddis 
 B^tnrata>moi moral la we, mai be had bi doom of natural resoun ; 
 &mo£n?w.° f }he, thou} Holi Writt had not spoke ther of, or thou| 
 lie schulde neuere fro hens forth ward speke ther of, as 
 anoon aftir schal be proued ; and ouer it al the forther 
 kunnyng which Holi Writt leueth not upon eny seid 
 gouernaunce or deede or tieuthe of Goddis lawe and 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 13 
 
 seruice, .and is nccessarie to be had vpon the same cnAP. in. 
 gouernaunce, trouthe, or vertu, mai be had bi labour 
 in doom of natural resoun, as anoon aftir schal be 
 proued. Wherfore doom of natural resoun, (which is 
 clepid " moral lawe of kinde " in the book Of iust 
 a pp rising Holi Scripture,) and not Holi Scripture, 
 is the ground of alle the seid gouernauncis, deedis, 
 vertues, and trouthis. 
 
 The firste premisse of this ij e . principal argument is The first premiss 
 proued bifore bi proof of the first premisse in the first thesecon'd iw©- 
 principal argument; and the secunde premisse in this 111188 
 principal argument mai be proued thus : Ech of these 
 gouernauncis, trouthis, and vertues, now to be rehercid, 
 mowe be knowen bi doom of resoun as sufficientli 
 as Holi Scripture techith hem to be don, thou^ Holi 
 Scripture had left al his teching which he makith 
 vpon eny of hem ; that is to seie, that God is moost 
 to be loued of man; and that a man schulde loue 
 him silf and his nei^bore as him silf, thoui not so 
 miche as him silf ; that a man schulde be trewe to 
 God in paiyng hise iust promissis, if he hath eny suche 
 maad to God ; that he be meke to God in not amys 
 tempting God a^ens reson ; that he reuerence God, 
 and that he take bisynes for to leerne what plesith 
 God, that he it do to God or for God ; that a man 
 ou^te be temperat in eting and drinking, and not be 
 glotenose ; and that he ou-^te be contynent or holding 
 mesure in deedis of gendring ; and that he ou^te be 
 meke to othere men and not proud ; and that he ou^te 
 be trewe and iust to othere men ; and that he ou^te be 
 mylde in speche and answere ; and that he ou^te be 
 pacient and sobre in tribulaciouns ; and that he ou^te 
 be dou^ty and strong info gode werkis ; and so of ful 
 manye mo gouernauncis and vertues of Goddis lawe, 
 in to which mannis witt mai suffice to come forto 
 hem fynde, leerne, and kunne. Certis of alle these and 
 of alle to hem lijk mannis witt can teche and schewe 
 that ech of hem ou^te be doon of man, as ferforth 
 
14 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, hi. as Holi Scripture techith of eny of hem that he ou^te 
 be don of man, as experience soone can ther of make 
 proof. And also hethen philsophiris bi her studie in 
 natural witt founden and grauntiden alle hem to be 
 doon ; and that these philsophiris so founden and 
 grauntiden bi her naturall witt, it is to be holde. 
 Forwhi thei hem silf knewe of noon reuelacioun mad 
 to hem bi God ther npon ; and if eny such reuelacioun 
 hadde be maad to hem, thei schulden bifore othere 
 men haue knowe it so to be mad to hem. Neither 
 othere men euere knewen that to tho philsophiris 
 was maad such reuelacioun. Forwhi, if eny men 
 wolen so holde, thei kunnen not schewe therto eny 
 proof forto saue her seiyng and holding fro feynyng ; 
 no more than if it had likid to hem forto haue 
 holde that an aungel spake to tho philsophiris fro 
 heuene, as an aungel spake to Abraham and to Moises ; 
 and sithen to neuerneither thei ban sufficient euy- 
 dcnce, it folewith that forto eny of hem bothe holde 
 is not but feyned waar ; forwhi it is waar which 
 lackith his ground, proof, and fundament. Ferther- 
 more, with this now seid and ouer this now seid of 
 the bifore spoken gouernauncis, trouthis, and vertues 
 knowable and fyndeable sufficientli bi doom of reson, 
 this is tie we, that of ech and vpon ech of hem, and 
 of ech othir, and upon ech othir lijk to hem, mannis 
 resoun can ^eue miche more leernyng and kunnyng 
 than is therof ^ouen in Holi Scripture, as experience 
 ther upon openli schewith ; ^he, ther is noon such now 
 seid gouernaunce or vertu or trouthe of Goddis moral 
 lawe tau^t bi Scripture to be had and vsid: but 
 that six sithis 1 more leernyng and knowing muste 
 be had upon him, eer he schal be sufficientli leerned 
 and knowun, than is al the leernyng and know 
 ing which is writun upon him in Hob: Scripture, 
 as it mai weel be seen to ech reeder in the book 
 
 1 sixsithis, MS. ; but the words art' divided by a later band. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 15 
 
 clepid Cristen religioun and in the bookis perteynyng chap, hi. 
 
 therto. Wherfore the ij e . premisse of the ij e . principal 
 
 argument is trewe thoru^ hise bothe parties : ^he, upon 
 
 sum trouthe or gouernaunce of Goddis lawe lenger 
 
 writing muste be had, eer it be sufficientli knowe, 
 
 than is al the writing of Mathewis Gospel ; and ^it of 
 
 thilk vertu or gouernaunce scantli is writen in al 
 
 Holi Writt ten lynes, as it is open to ech reeder and 
 
 vnderstonder in the seid bokis. Wherfore folewith 
 
 that the ij e . premisse of the ij e . principal argument for 
 
 his ij e . partie is trewe. 
 
 I preie thee, Sir, seie to me where in Hob Scrip- scripture con- 
 ture is ^ouen the hundrid parti of the teching upon ^"j"^™^^'' 
 matrimonie which y teche in a book mad upon 
 Matrimonie, and in the firste partie of Cristen 
 religioim: and ^it rede who so wole thilk book Of 
 matrimonie, and he schal fynde al the hool teching 
 of thilk book litil ynou^ or ouer litle forto teche al 
 what is necessarie to be leerned and kunnen vpon 
 matrimonie. Hast thou eny more teching in Holi 
 Scripture upon matrimonie than a fewe lynes writen, 
 Mat. v e . c. and Mat. xix e . c., Mark x e . c., and Luk 
 xvje. 1 c., and Genesis i e . and ij e . c. ? And tit alle 
 thilk vj. places speken not saue tweyne pointis of 
 matrimonie, which ben vndepartabilnes and fleischli 
 vce of bodies into childe bigeting. What therfore 
 a grounde ou^te eny man seie that Holi Scripture 
 is to matrimonie, sithen al Holi Scripture techith 
 not but these ij. pointis of matrimonie ? For tbou^ 
 Poul bidde ofte that a man schulde loue his wijf, 
 and that the wijf schulde obeie to hir husbonde, tit 
 what is this to kunnyng of matrimonye in it silf, and 
 into the propirtees of it, and into the circumstauncis 
 of it, withoute which matrimonie is not vertuose ? 
 And so forth of manie purtenauncis and longingis to 
 matrimonye. 
 
 1 xviije., MS. See Luke xvi. 18. 
 
1G pecook's repressor. 
 
 Cjap. in. g e j e ^ Q me a ] g0 w } iere [ n jj 0 ii Scripture is ^ouen 
 eeni/*sus C ury. the hundrid parti of the teching which is zouen 
 upon vsure in the thridde parti of the book yclepid 
 The filling of the iiij. toll is: and lit al thilk hool 
 teching ^ouen upon vsure in the now named book is 
 litil ynou£ or ouer litle forto leerne, knowe, and haue 
 sufficientli into mannis bihoue and into Goddis trewe 
 seruice and lawe keping what is to be leerned and 
 kunnen aboute vsure, as to l'eeders and studiers ther yn 
 it muste needis be open. 
 In this and oilier Is ther eny more writen of vsure in al the Newe 
 presupposes a Testament saue this, Luk yj e . c., Xeue le loone, hoping 
 
 knowledge JVC- , r \ ' , 
 
 (mired by the no thing ther of ? and al that is of vsure writen in 
 natural reason, the Oold Testament fauorith rather vsure than it re- 
 proueth. How euere, therfore, schulde eny man seie 
 that the sufficient leernyng and kunnyng of vsure or 
 of the vertu contrarie to vsure is groundid in Holi 
 Scripture ? How euere schal thilk litil now rehercid 
 clausul, Luk vj e . c., be sufficient forto answere and 
 assoile alle the harde scrupulose doutis and questiouns 
 which al dai ban neede to be assoilid in mennis bar- 
 genyngis and cheffaringis to gidere ? Ech man having 
 to do with suche questiouns mai soone se that Holi 
 Writt teueth litil or noon li^t therto at al. For- 
 whi al that Holi Writt seith ther to is that he for- 
 bedith vsure, and therfore al that mai be take therbi 
 is this, that vsure is vnlecful ; but thou£ y bileeue 
 herbi that vsure is vnleeful, how schal y witc herbi 
 what vsure is, that y be waar forto not do it, and 
 whanne in a bargeyn is vsure thou^ to summen 
 seemeth noon, and how in a bargeyn is noon vsure 
 thou^ to summen ther semeth to be? And also thou^ 
 Holi Scripture bidde that we tempte not God amys 
 and a^ens resoun, certis resoun techith the same. 
 But ^it where ellis than in doom of resoun schule 1 we 
 fynde what tempting is, and which tempting of God 
 
 1 schulde, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 17 
 
 is leeful and which is not? Certis not in al Holi Chap. ni. 
 
 Scripture. Also, thouj Holi Scripture bidde that a 
 
 man be iust to his nei^bour, and resoun techith as 
 
 fulli the same, yit what ri^twisnes is and whiche ben 
 
 hise spicis, muste be founden in doom of resoun and 
 
 not in Holi Scripture ; and whanne eny plee is bi- 
 
 twix man and man, and euereither party trowith to 
 
 haue riit, the iugement muste be had in the doom 
 
 of resoun in the court bi the iuge, and not bi Holi 
 
 Scripture. And so forth y mytte make induccioun of 
 
 ech gouernaunce longing to Goddis lawe weelny^. 
 
 Wherfore the secunde premisse of the ij e . principal 
 
 argument for his ij e . party is trewe. 
 
 Confirm acioun to this ij e . principal argument is this : Confirmation of 
 Euery thing groundid hangeth and is dependent of his meiit^iVd?"' 
 ground, so that he mai not be withoute his ground ; tu"e on snoiT 
 but so it is, that al the leernyng and kunnyng which teequdiywen 
 Holi Scripture ieueth upon eny of the seid gouer- reason^? sonp- 
 nauncis, vertues, deedis, or treuthis, and al the other exist, 
 deel of kunnyng upon hem which Scripture ^eueth 
 not, hangeth not of Holi Scripture, neither requirith 
 and askith Holi Scripture forto so teue. Forwhi al 
 this kunnyng mytte be had bi labour in doom of 
 resoun, thou£ no biholding therto were maad into 
 Holi Scripture, or thou^ Scripture were distroied and 
 brent, as summen 1 trowen that it so was, with al the 
 writing of the Oold Testament in the tyme of trans- 
 migracioun into Babilony, as it is now bifore schewid ; 
 
 1 " If this be trewe it 
 
 " folewifh that forto seie this 
 " whiche summe doctouris com- 
 " ounli holden with the Maistir of 
 " Stories (i.e. Petrus Coraestor), 
 " that Esdras by inspiracioun 
 " wrote without eny copi alle the 
 " fine bokis of Moyses and alle 
 " the othere bokis of stories and of 
 " prophecies in to hise daies, is not 
 " but a feynyd thing." Peccck's 
 
 Booh of Faith, p. xxiii. (Wharton); 
 but the notion is as old as Tertul- 
 Iian (de Cult. Fam., lib. I. c. 3) : 
 " Perinde potuit abolefactam earn 
 " violentia cataclysmi in spiritu 
 " rursus reformare ; quemadmodum 
 " et llierosolymis Babylonia ex- 
 " pugnatione delctis, omne instru- 
 " mentum Judaicac litteratura; per 
 " Esdram constat restauratam." 
 
 B 
 
18 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, in. wherfore needis folewith that Scripture is not ground 
 to eny oon such seid vertu, gouernaunce, deede, or 
 trouthe, of which the firste conclusioun spekith, but 
 oonli doom of natural resoun, which is moral lawe of 
 kinde and moral lawe of God, writun in the book of 
 lawe of kinde in mennis soulis, prentid into the ymage 
 of God, is ground to ech such vertu, gouernaunce, 
 deede, and trouthe. 
 
 iiij. Chapitre. 
 
 third aegu- The iii e . principal argument into the same firste and 
 
 MENT FOB THE |* 1 1 ° 
 
 first concltt- principal conclusioun is this: Bifore that eny positijf 
 
 BIOS AGAINST r 1 . . 
 
 the first lawe of God, that is to seie, eny voluntarie or Avilful 
 
 error : Before . 
 
 the law was given assismement of God, was iouen to the lewis fro the 
 
 to the Jews, they 0 7 
 
 "moranaw- ^ on » ty me ™ Adamys comyng out of Paradijs into 
 law Smarter ^ e tyme °^ circumcisioun in the daies of Abraham, 
 ab^fau and an( ^ ^ e positijf l awe ^ouen bi Moyses, the peple 
 Christ came. lyueden and seruiden God and weren bounde weelni^ 
 bi alle tho moral vertues and moral gouernauncis and 
 treuthis whiche bi doom of her natural resoun thei 
 founden and leerneden and camen to, and so thei 
 weren bounde 1 weelny^ to alle moral gouernauncis and 
 moral trouthis into whiche Cristen men ben bounden 
 now in tyme of the Newe Testament. Aftirward, 
 whanne tyme of lewis came and the positijf L*v\ve 
 of the cerymonyes, iudicialis, and sacramentalis weren 
 ^ouen to the lewis, the othere now bifore seid lawis 
 ot resoun weren not reuokid, but thei contynueden 
 into charge of the lewis with the lawis of ceryinonies, 
 
 1 boude, MS.; but the stroke over 
 the e has been erased. Just above, 
 the strokes over came and were seem 
 to be a later hand. Just below, 
 Louden is written by the first hand, 
 and has not been altered. In 
 many other places of the MS. it is 
 
 difficult to be sure -whether the 
 stroke above is by the first hand or 
 not; sometimes the original stroke 
 has only been made darker by a 
 later hand, and both inks are clearly 
 traceable. See fol. 9b, col.l, 1. 2, 
 were (p. 21, 1. 30 of this edition). 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 19 
 
 iudicialis and sacramentis, so that the lewis weren Chap. iv. 
 chargid with alle the lawis of resoun with whiche the 
 peple fro Adam thidir to weren chargid and also ouer 
 that with the positijf lawis of God thanne ^ouen. 
 Forwhi it is not rad that the lawis of resoun weren 
 thanne reuokid, and also needis alle men musten 
 graunte that summe of hem abode charging the lewis, 
 and skile is ther noon whi summe of hem so abode 
 and not alle ; wherfore it is to be holde that alle 
 tho lawis of resoun with whiche the peple were 
 chargid bifore the tyme of lewis aboden, stille charging 
 also the lewis into the tyme of Cristis passioun. 
 
 And thanne ferther, thus : Whanne Crist prechid Christ did not 
 
 7 m r abrogate the 
 
 and suffrid, alle the peple of lewis were chargid with moral, but only 
 
 ' x ° the ceremonial 
 
 the hool la we of kinde and of resoun and with law ; christians 
 
 now bound by 
 
 al the positiif lawe of cerimonies iudicialis and oold the , moral Iaw > 
 
 r d as all men were 
 
 sacramentis, but so it is that to Cristen men succed- Jjefore, and also 
 
 ' by the positive 
 
 ine: next after the lewis weren not reuokid eny lawis J^. 0 /. a few 
 
 P J Christian sacra- 
 
 bi Crist and his newe lawe saue the positijf lawis of ments - 
 cerymonies iudicialis and oolde sacramentis : wherfore 
 in to the charge of Cristen men abidith ^it the hool 
 birthen which was to the lewis, excepte the birthen 
 of cerymonies iudicialis and oold sacramentis, so that 
 in to the charge of Cristen men abidith the al hool 
 birthen of lawe of kinde which is not ellis than moral 
 philsophie, which was birthen and charge bothe to the 
 lewis and to alle peplis bifore the lewis fro Adamys 
 comyng out of Paradijs. And sithen it is not founde 
 in the Newe Testament that Crist made eny positijf 
 lawe bisidis the oolde law of kinde and of resoun 
 which euere was bifore, except oonli his positijf lawe 
 of hise newe sacramentis with whiche he chargid the 
 peple of Cristen, instide of 1 cerymonies iudicialis and 
 oold sacramentis with whiche the lewis weren chargid, 
 
 1 of the, MS. ; but the is cancelled by a later (?) hand. 
 
 B 2 
 
20 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, iv. it folewith that Cristen peple abiden lit hidir to 
 chargid with the seid ful al hool moral lawe of 
 kinde, and with the positijf lawis of Cristis newe 
 sacraraentis, so that welny^ or weel toward the al 
 hool lawe with which Cristen men ben chargid is 
 mad of lawe of kinde, which is doom of resoun 
 and moral philsophie as of the oon partie, and of 
 lawe of the newe sacramentis, which is lawe of 
 newe feith, as of the other partie. And if this be 
 trewe, as it is openli and cleerli ynou^ lad forth to 
 be trewe, it muste nedis folewe that welny^ or weel 
 toward al the hool lawe of God in tyme of the 
 Newe Testament, except a fewe positijf lawis of 
 Cristis fewe newe sacramentis, is not ellis than the 
 same lawe of kinde which was long bifore the tyme 
 of Abraham and of lewis. 
 Th}» mow! jaw thanne ferther ther of y argue thus : But so 
 
 not rounded on » © 
 
 the Old or New it [ s that al thilk now seid lawe of kinde which was 
 
 Testament, but 
 
 hook of natural bifore the ty me of lewis, not withstonding it is the 
 reason. more partie of Cristen lawe now bi ful greet quantite, 
 
 is not foundid in Holi Scripture of the Newe Testa- 
 ment, neither in Holi Scripture of the Oold Testament, 
 neither in hem bothe to gidere. Forwhi this lawe was 
 whanne neither of the Newe neither of the Oold Tes- 
 tament writing was, and that fro the tyme of Adam 
 into Abraham, wherfore folewith that thilk lawe lit 
 abiding to Cristen men is not groundid in Holi Scrip- 
 ture, but in the book of lawe of kinde writen in mennis 
 soulis with the finger of God as it was so groundid 
 and writen bifore the daies of Abraham and of lewis. 
 Whi in this iij e . principal argument y haue seid these 
 wordis welny^ or weel toward schal appere and be 
 seen bi what schal be seid aftir in proofis of the vij a , 
 and x r . conclusiouns, and more openli by the place 
 there alleggid in the book clepid The iust apprising 
 of Holi Scripture. 
 KBire'voxTin ^' ie P 1 incipal argument is this, What euer 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 21 
 
 tiling oonli remembrith, stirith, and exortith, or bid- Ciur.iv. 
 dith or counseilith men forto kepe certein gouer- FIEST conch - 
 
 1 & SION AGAINST 
 
 nauncis, vertues, and treuthis groundith not as in rnE HE ?£, , 
 ' ' d ukuoh: Vvhat- 
 
 tliat tho gouernauncis, vertues, and treuthis. Forwhi ever H? stils 
 
 o men to keep 
 
 as in that he presupposith tho gouernauncis, vertues, ^th«retobo- es 
 and trouthis to be bifore knowen of tho same men ,™"! c tll0 £' ouml 
 
 » ol those laws. 
 
 and ellis in waast he schulde so speke to tho men of 
 hem not bifore knowen ; and ther fore as in that he 
 not hem groundith. But so it is that Holi Scripture 
 dooth not ellis aboute the moral vertues and gouer- 
 nauncis and treuthis of Goddis moral lawe and seruice 
 bifore seid in the firste conclusioun, sane oonli this, that 
 he remembrith, or exortith, or biddith, or counseilith 
 men upon tho vertues and gouernauncis and forto vse 
 hem, and forto flee the contrarie vicis of hem, as ech 
 man mai se bi reding where euere he wole where men- 
 sioun is mad of eny moral vertu in the Oold Testa- 
 ment or of the Newe. For he biddith a man to be 
 meke, and he techith not bifore what mekenes is. He 
 biddith a man to be pacient, and yit he not bifore 
 techith what pacience is. And so forth of ech vertu 
 of Goddis lawe. Wherfore no such seid gouernaunce or 
 vertu or trouthe is to be seid groundid in Holi Scrip- 
 ture, no more than it ou^te be seid if a bischop wolde 
 sende a pistle or a lettre to peple of his diocise, and 
 ther yn wolde remembre hem, exorte hem, and stire 
 hem, and bidde hem or counseile hem forto kepe cer- 
 teyn moral vertues of lawe of kinde, that therfore tho 
 moral vertues and pointis of lawe of kinde writen in 
 thilk epistle weren groundid in thilk epistle of the 
 bischope ; for noon other wise vpon such seid vertues 
 Poul wrote in hise epistlis, neither Petir, neither lame, 
 neither Iohun, neither Iudas wroten in her epistlis 
 and writingis. 
 
 Confirmacioun to this argument mai be this : If Confirmation of 
 
 . ° the argument by 
 
 the King of Ynglond dwellid in Gascony, and wolde |? lustration 
 
 00 J from t he English 
 
 sende a noble longe letter or epistle into Englond, constitution; 
 
22 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 bothe to iugis and to othere men, that ech of hem 
 schulde kepe the pointis of the lawe of Englond, and 
 thou^ he wolde reherce tbo pointis and gouer- 
 nauncis, vertues, 1 and trouthis of the lawe forto re- 
 membre tbe iugis and the peple ther upon, and thou^ 
 he schulde stire and prouoke, and exorte, bidde, or 
 counseile hem therto, yit it ou^te not be seid that 
 thilk epistle 2 groundid eny of tho lawis or gouernauncis 
 of Englond, for her ground is had to hem bifore thilk 
 epistle of the King, and that bi acte and decre of the 
 hool Parliament of Englond which is verry ground to 
 alle the lawis of Englond, thou^ thilk epistle of the 
 King or of the Duke had not be writun ; and at the 
 leest he in thilk bidding presupposith tho deedis to be 
 knowen bifore of hem to whom he biddith tho deedis 
 to be kept as lawis. Wherfore bi lijk skile, thou^ Crist 
 and thoul Poul and othere Apostlis wroten to peple 
 epistlis or lettris or othere writingis, yit sithen tho 
 truthis which thei so wroten weren groundid bifore 
 tho writingis and hengen upon the doom of resoun 
 which is lawe of kinde and moral philsophie and 
 schulden bi dewte haue be kept of men thou^ tho 
 writingis hadden not be maad, it folewith that tho 
 spoken gouernauncis ou^ten not be trowid groundid 
 in the now seid writingis of Crist or of the Apostlis. 
 Who euer mai seie that eny thing was bifore his 
 ground, and ou^te be thou^ his ground were not, 
 and thou^ his ground had not be ? Wherfore needis 
 folewith that the firste bifore sett and principal 
 conclusioun is trewe. 
 
 1 and vertues, MS.; but and is I * pi'.v</«\ MS.; e added above in a 
 cancelled. I different hand. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 23 
 
 v. Chapiter. 
 
 The v e . principal argument into the same firste and Fifth aegtj- 
 principal conclusioun is this : Who euer in his speche "est conclu- 
 
 f . f • i , t.i/. * .1 SI0N: Whoever 
 
 bi which he spekith of a gouernaunce or treuthe 111 his speech 
 
 . . , ° presupposes a 
 
 presupposith the same gouernaunce to be knowen governance to be 
 
 A 1 1 ° known does not 
 
 bifore his same speche and to be knowen eer 1 he so 'ay the ground 
 
 1 of that gover- 
 
 ther of spekith or spak, he as in thilk speche groundith ?;»nce. Hence 
 
 r r ' r «» it appears that 
 
 not thilk gouernaunce or trouthe; for thar.ne the thing moral truths are 
 
 ° not grounded on 
 
 groundid schulde be bifore his ground. But so it is. any speech of 
 
 ° o » Christ or his 
 
 that whanne euere Holi Scripture or Crist or Apostle apostles, 
 spekith or spak of eny of the seid gouernauncis or 
 moral trouthis thei in the same speche presupposen 
 the same gouernaunce to be bifore her speking ther of. 
 Forwhi in thilke spechis thei bidden or counseilen or 
 exorten or remembren to men tho deedis to be doon 
 of hem ; and who euer so dooth presupposith the same 
 deedis to be bifore knowen of hem to whom tho 
 deedis ben so beden, counseilid, exortid, or remembrid 
 to be doon, as it is bifore seid in the iiij e . argument. 
 And also in thilk speche thei speken of the gouer- 
 naunce not as of a thing which thei thanne first 
 maken, but as of thing 2 bifore being eer eny lawe was 
 ^ouen to the lewis, as it is ri^t euydent that Crist 
 and liise Apostlis it weel knowen and in to whos 
 performyng thei remembren men and stiren and 
 prouoken. Wherfore needis folewith that noon such 
 seid gouernaunce is groundid in eny speche ol Hob. 
 Scripture or of Crist or of Apostle. 
 
 1 heer, MS. ; but the first letter is 
 in paler ink, and eer is no doubt the 
 reading intended by the corrector. 
 
 - The indefinite article should 
 probably be inserted. 
 
24 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. v. The vj c . principal argument into the same firste 
 sixm AKor- and principal conclusioun is this : No sufficient cause 
 
 At hnt for tiie 
 
 first conclu- hast thou forto seie and holde that Holi Scripture 
 mention of any groundith eny of the gouernauncis, trouthis, and 
 
 moral truth in 1 r> ■ ■■ . 
 
 Scripture decs vertues biiore seid m the firste conclusioun saue this, 
 
 not prove Scrip- . . . . 
 
 tare to Ik; the that m Hon Scripture mensioun is maad that thei ben 
 
 ground Of it. i • l • ry • n • 
 
 treuthis ; but this is not sufficient cause forto ther bi 
 thus seie and holde. Wherfore noon sufficient cause 
 hast thou forto seie and holde that Holi Scripture 
 groundith eny of the gouernauncis, trouthis, and vertues 
 spoken of in the firste principal conclusion, 
 of thts°werethe ^ e P rem i sse 0I> this vj e . argument may be proued 
 
 rase scripture thus : If thilk now seid cause were sufficient forto so 
 
 would also bo 
 
 thesroundof holde, thanne, sithen Holi Scripture makith mensioun 
 
 t rut lis of natural ' L 
 
 philosophy : ]yp xvi e . c. of treuthis longing to natural philsophi and 
 which is absurd. do i i 
 
 approueth hem there weel to be treuthis, it wolde 
 folewe that Holi Scripture groundith treuthis of na- 
 tural philsophie ; which no wijs man wole graunte : 
 wherfore the ij c . premysse of this yj e . argument is 
 trewe. Schal y seie for tliis that Crist rehercith 
 Math. xvj c . c., how tliat whanne hcuen is rody in 
 ihe euentid a deer dai schal be the raorewe, and 
 whanne in the morntide heuene schineth heuyli in 
 thilk dai schal be tempest, that in Holi Scripture 
 this treuthe of natural philsophie now rehercid bi 
 Crist or the leernyng and kunnyng ther of is 
 groundid in tho wordis of Crist and is ground id in the 
 Gospel ? Alle men witen nay. Forwbi the kunnyng 
 ther of was had eer Crist there and thaniie tho wordis 
 spake, and no thing is bifore his owne ground, and the 
 kunnyng of thilk mater is largir in his ground which 
 is natural philsophi than is many hool chapitris to 
 gidere ligging in Matheu. And ^it bi lijk skile it 
 schulde be holde and seid that the now rehercid 
 pointis of natural philsophie were groundid there, if 
 eny oon point of the seid moral philsophie were 
 groundid in Holi Scripture ; wherfore sithen thilk 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 25' 
 
 kunnyng of cleernes and of derknes in the dai is not Chap^t, 
 groundid in the Gospel thoin the Gospel make a 
 schort rehercel ther of, it folewith bi lijk skile that of 
 no moral vertuose gouernauncis the sufficient kimnyng 
 is groundid in Holi Writt, sithen al Holi Writt techith 
 not forth the ful and sufficient and necessarie kun- 
 nyng of eny oon moral vertu in Goddis lawe or 
 Goddis seruice, thou^ of many of hem Holi Scrip- 
 ture makith schort remembrauncis to us that we 
 schulde hem kepe and not a^ens hem do. And it is 
 welny^ al that Holi Writt dooth or namelich en- 
 tendith forto teche aboute eny moral vertu or point of 
 Goddis moral lawe : and Goddis forbode that this litle 
 were sufficient ground of the ful hool leernyng neces- 
 sarie to be had upon eny oon such seid point of 
 Goddis lawe and seruice, for thanne not oon such seid 
 point of Goddis lawe and seruice schulde or mylte 
 be sufficientli leerned and kunne. Schal y seie that an 
 hous hauyng an hundrid feet in brede is groundid upon 
 lond in which he takith not but oon foot ? Goddis 
 forbode y schulde be so lewde forto so seie. Forwhi 
 miche rather y ou^te seie that this hous takith his 
 grounding upon thilk lond in which ben alle the feetis 
 mesuris of the same hous, and therfore nedis ech 
 witti man muste graunte that the first principal con- 
 clusioun bifore sett is trewe. 
 
 Of whiche first principal conclusioun thus proued Coeollaet to 
 folewith ferther this corelarie, that whanne euere and ™sOTfmra- 
 where euere in HoK Scripture or out of Holi Scrip- truth as delivered 
 
 . i . , . . „ in Scripture 
 
 ture be writen eny point or eny gouernaunce of appears to con- 
 
 ... . i i t> i • t -i • -t •, . tradict the moral 
 
 the seide lawe ol kinde it is more verriii writen in law written in 
 the book of mannis soule than in the outward book sense of Scrip- 
 
 „ ture must be ac- 
 
 oi parcnemyn or oi velym ; and it eny semyng dis- commodatedto 
 corde be bitwdxe the wordis writen in the outward t] } e rcasou ; not 
 
 vice VGVSCt 
 
 book of Holi Scripture and the doom of resoun, 
 write in mannis soule and herte, the wordis so writen 
 withoutforth ou^ten be expowned and be interpretid 
 
26 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, v. an d brou^t forto accorde with the doom of resoun 
 in thilk mater ; and the doom of resoun ou^te not 
 forto be expowned, glosid, interpretid, and brou^te 
 for to accorde with the seid outward writing in Holi 
 Scripture of the Bible or ou^where ellis out of the 
 Bible. Forwhi whanne euer eny mater is tretid bi it 
 which is his ground and bi it which is not his ground, 
 it is more to truste to the treting which is mad ther 
 of bi the ground than bi the treting ther of bi it which 
 is not ther of the ground ; and if thilke ij. tretingis 
 ou^ten not discorde, it folewith that the treting doon 
 bi it which is not the ground ou^te be 1 mad for to 
 accord with the treting which is maad bi the ground. 
 And therfore this corelarie conclusioun muste nedis be 
 trewe. 
 
 Further proofs More, for proof of the firste principal conclusioun 
 elusion to be and of al what is seid fro the bigynnyng of the 
 
 found in Pecock's _ . . 
 
 just apprishw same first principal conclusion hidir to, is sette and 
 °ture° y °" P writen in the book clepid The iust apprising of 
 Holi Scripture, which book if he be rad and be weel 
 vnderstonde thoru^out, hise iij. parties schal conferme 
 vndoutabli al what is seid here fro the bigynnyng of 
 the firste principal conclusioun hider to. 
 Though the word Weel v woot that not withstonding no verri 
 
 grounding can " .... t o 
 
 properly be used an( j trewe grounding (propirli forto speke of ground- 
 only in the above & fc> \r r r s> 
 sense, yet Pecock i n cr) i s saue such as is now spoken of in the firste 
 
 himself some- 0/ t 1 
 
 times uses it in an d ii e . argumentis to the firste conclusioun, lit 
 
 the improper or J ° '7 
 
 popular sense of whanne a mater or a trouthe is witnessid or 
 
 witnessing or 
 
 affirming. affermed or denouncid or mad be remembrid to per- 
 soones, and that bi a reuerend and worthi witnesser 
 or denouncer or remembrer (as is God, an Apostil, 
 or a Doctour), thairne thilk witnessing or denouncing 
 or remembraunce making is woned be clepid a 
 grounding of the same mater or trouthe so witnessid, 
 
 1 to be, MS.; to is cancelled by a later hand. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 27 
 
 reliercid, or into remembraunce callid, not withstanding Cnxv. v. 
 thilk rehercer and witnesser dooth not ellis in that 
 than takith it what is groiuidid ellis where, and 
 spekith it or publischith it to othere men. But certis 
 this rehercing and publisching is not a grounding saue 
 bi vnpropre maner of speche and bi figure and like- 
 nes ; and to this maner of vnpropre speche y con- 
 forme me in othere wheris of my writingis, bi cause 
 that (as the philsophir seith) it is profitable and speed- 
 ful ofte tymes a man forto speke as many vsen forto 
 speke, thou^ he not feele as the manie but as the 
 fewe feelen ; and ther fore where euer in mi writingis 
 y speke of grounding and calle grounding which is not 
 verri grounding y wole that y be vnderstonde there 
 forto speke of grounding in figuratijf maner, bi likenes 
 as othere men ben woned so forto speke and forto 
 kepe ther with in the same mater my trewe feeling. 
 For thoui y wolde write thus, " Mi fadir lithe in this 
 " chirche and my fadris fadir lithe in thilk chirche," 
 bi figuratijf speche, for that her bodies or bones liggen 
 in thilke chirchis, and that bicause 1 such speche is 
 famose in vce, fit y wole be vndirstonde that my 
 feeling in thilk mater is other Avise than the speche 
 sowneth, and is hool and propre and trewe. And in 
 lijk maner y speke and feele in this present purpos 
 of grounding and of the vnpropir speking vsid ther 
 upon. 
 
 yj. Chapiter. 
 
 Aftir that y haue thus argued now bifore bi^^^d^. u " 
 resoun into proof of the firste principal conclusioun fr om au^d cus- 
 y schal argue now in to the same by ensaumplis thus : Londoners g at he 
 
 Midsummer eve. 
 
 1 It is not clear whether bicause is meant to be written conjunctim or 
 disjunctim in the MS. It is written both ways elsewhere. 
 
28 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 OiAP.'vi. Seie to me, good Sire, and answere herto, whanne men 
 of the cuntre vplond bringen into Londonn in Myd- 
 somer ene braunchis of trees fro Bischopis wode and 
 flouris fro the feeld, and bitaken tho to citeseins of 
 Londoun forto therwith araie her housis, schulen 
 men of Londoun receyuyng and taking tho braunchis, 
 and flouris, seie and holde that tho braunchis grewen 
 out of the cartis whiche brou^ten hem to Londonn, 
 and that tho cartis or the hondis of the bringers 
 weren groundis and fundamentis of tho braunchis and 
 flouris ? Goddis forbode so lit.il witt be in her hedis. 
 Certis, thou^ Crist and his Apostlis weren now lyuyng 
 at Londoun, and wolden bringe so as is now seid 
 braunchis fro Bischopis wode and flouris fro the feeld 
 into 1 Londoun, and wolden delyuere to men that thei 
 make there with her housis gay, into remembraunce 
 of Seint Iohun Baptist, and of this that it was 
 prophecied of him that manye schulden ioie in his 
 birthe, yit tho men of Londoun receyuj-ng so tho 
 braunchis and ■ flouris ou^ten not seie and feele 
 that tho braunchis and flouris grewen out of Cristis 
 hondis, and out of the Apostlis hondis. Forwhi in 
 this dede Crist and the Apostlis diden noon other wise 
 than as othere men mitten and couthen do. But 
 the seid receyuers ou^ten seie and holde that tho 
 braunchis grewen out of the bowis vpon whiche thei 
 in Bischopis wode stoden, and tho bowis grewen out 
 of stockis or tronchons, and the tronchons or schaftis 
 grewen out of the roote, and the roote out of the 
 nexte erthe therto upon which and in which the roote 
 is buried, so that neither the cart, neither the hondis 
 of the bringers, neither tho bringers ben the grottndis 
 or fundamentis of the braunchis ; and in lijk manor 
 the feld is the fundament of tho flouris, and not the 
 
 1 to Loudoun, MS.; but to is interlineated in an ink of tlic same colour. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 29 
 
 hondis of the gaderers, neither tho bringers. Certis, 
 but if ech man wole thus feele in this mater, he is 
 duller than eny man ou^te to be. And sithen in lijk 
 maner it is that the maters and conclusiouns and 
 trouthis of la we of kinde, (of which lawe myche is 
 spoken in the first parti of the book clepid The iust 
 apprising of Hol i Scripture, and which lawe is welny^ 
 al the lawe of God to Cristen men, for in sum maner 
 forto speke of lawe of kinde it is al the lawe of 
 God to Cristen men, except the making and the vsing 
 of Cristis sacramentis,) and of it what folewith ther of 
 and is necessarili longing therto leggith ful fair abrood 
 sprad growing in his owne space, the feeld of mannys 
 soule, and there oon treuthe cometh out of an other 
 treuthe, and he of the iij"., and the iij e . out of the iiij 6 ., 
 and into tyme it bicome vnto openest treuthis of alle 
 othere in thilk faculte of moral philsophie, and to the 
 principlis and groundis of alle othere trouthis in the 
 same faculte, (euen as the sprai cometh out of the 
 braunche, the braunche out of the bou^, the bou^ 
 out of the schaft, and the schaft out of the roote :) 
 and thus it was weelny^ with al this lawe of kinde 
 eer eny Scripture of the Oold Testament or of the 
 Newe were, and schulde haue so be, thou^ alle tho 
 Scripturis weren brend, — needis every wijs man muste 
 craunte and consent that noon of the now seid 
 treuthis and conclusiouns of lawe of kinde is ground 
 in Holi Scripture of the Bible, but thei ben grounclid 
 in thilk forest of lawe of kinde which God plauntith 
 in mannis soule whanne he makith him to his ymage 
 and likenes. And out of this forest of treuthis mowe 
 be take treuthis and conclusiouns, and be sett into 
 open knowing of the fynder and of othere men, thou^ 
 not withoute labour and studie thoru^ manie ^eeris. 
 And herto seruen clerkis of moral philsophie whiche 
 now ben clepid Dyuynes riit as forresters and othere 
 men seruen for to he we doun b l aunch is for hem silf, and 
 
30 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 Another illus- 
 tration from 
 soiling fish. 
 
 Another illus- 
 tration from 
 sermons 
 l>rcaehed at St. 
 Paul's Cross. 
 
 for to delyuere hem to citeseins in Londoun that her 
 housis he maad the more honest ther with and therhi. 
 
 Go we ferther now thus : What if Crist and hise 
 Apostlis wolden fische with hootis in the see, and 
 wolden aftirward carie tho fischis in paniers vpon 
 horsis to London, schulde men seie for reuerence or 
 loue to Crist and hise Apostlis that tho fischis grewen 
 out of the panyeris or dossers, or out of the hondis of 
 Crist and of hise Apostlis, and that the ground and 
 fundament of the fischis substauncis and beingia were 
 the houndis 1 of Crist and of hise Apostlis whilis thei 
 toke tho fischis, or whilis thei carieden tho fischis ? 
 Goddis forbode that for eny loue or reuerence which 
 men wolden do to Crist and to hise Apostlis that 
 thei schidden make so greet a lesing a^ens treuthe. 
 And thanne ferther thus : Certis treuthis of lawe of 
 kind which Crist and hise Apostlis schewiden forth to 
 peple were bifore in the grete see of lawe of kinde in 
 mannis soule eer Crist or his hise Apostlis were born 
 into this lijf, as it is ofte bifore proved ; and ther fore 
 it may noon other wise be seid and holde, but that out 
 of the seid see thei toke as bi fysching tho treuthis 
 of lawe of kinde whiche thei tau^ten and prechiden to 
 the peple, and therfore for no reuerence or loue to be 
 ?ouen to God or to hise Apostlis, or to her writingis, 
 it is to be seid and feelid that tho now seid treuthis 
 weren or ben foundid and groundid in the seiyngis or 
 writingis of Crist and of hise Apostlis. 
 
 Also in caas a greet clerk wolde go into a lihrarie 
 and ouer studie there a long proces of feith writun in 
 the Bible, and wolde aftirward reporte and reherce 
 the sentence of the same proces to the peple at Poulis 
 Cros in a sermoun, or wolde write it in a pistle or 
 lettre to hise freendis vnder entent of reporting the 
 sentence of the seid proces, schulde the heerers 2 of thilk 
 
 1 Frobably we should read hondis. \ • hecrcs, MS. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 31 
 
 reportyng and rcmembring seie that thilk sentence were EJhap. VL 
 
 foundid and groundid in the seid reporter or in Ins 
 
 preching or in bis pistle writen ? Goddis forbode ; for 
 
 open it is that thei ou^ten seie and feele rathir 1 that 
 
 thilk sentence is groundid in the seid book Hgging in 
 
 the librarie. And in caas that this clerk reporting 
 
 the seid sentence or proces spake or wrote in otherc 
 
 wordis thilk sentence than ben the wordis vnder which 
 
 thilk sentence is writen in the seid book, thei ou^ten 
 
 seie and feele that hise wordis and hise writingis 
 
 ou^ten be glosid and be expowned and be brou^t in 
 
 to accordaunce with the seid book in the librarie, and 
 
 the seid book in thilk proces ou^te not be expowned 
 
 and be brou^t and wrestid into accordaunce with the 
 
 seid clerkis wordis 2 and writingis : ^he, thou^ Crist and 
 
 hise Apostlis wolden entende and do the same as this 
 
 clerk dooth, the peple ou^te in noon other wise than 
 
 which is now seid bere hem anentis Crist and hise 
 
 Apostlis in this it is opene ynou^. And sithen 
 
 it is so, that alle the trouthis of lawe of kinde whiche 
 
 Crist and hise Apostlis tau^ten and wroten weren 
 
 bifore her teching and writing, and weren writen bifore 
 
 in thilk solempnest inward book or inward writing 
 
 of resounis doom passing alle outward bookis in pro- 
 
 fite to men for to serue God, of which inward book 
 
 or inward writing miche thing is seid in the book 
 
 clepid The iust apprising of Holi Scripture and of 
 
 which Ieremye spekith in his xxxj 6 . c. and Poul in 
 
 his epistle Hebr. viij e . c., it muste needis folewe that 
 
 noon of the seid treuthis is groundid in the wordis or 
 
 writingis of Crist or of the Apostlis, but in the seid 
 
 inward preciose book and writing buried in mannis 
 
 soule, out of which inward book and writing mowe 
 
 be taken bi labour and studiyng of clerkis mo con- 
 
 ' rathir is added by a later hand. | 2 wordris, MS. 
 
 B 8+- 
 
32 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. yi. clusiouns and treuthis aud gouernauncis of lawe of 
 kinde and of Goddis moral lawe and sernice than 
 my^ten be writen in so manie bokis whiclie schulden 
 fille the greet chirche of Seint Poul in Loudoun. 
 
 vij. Chapiter. 
 
 tite second The secunde principal conclusion!! and trouthe is 
 
 PRINCIPAL 1 1 
 
 conclusion this : Thou; it perteyne not to Holi Scripture forto 
 
 AGAINST THE 7 1 *' I 
 
 Thmv'h s^rip gi"ounde eny natural or moral gouernauuce or trouthe 
 ground (rf any W ^ 10S typing, leernyng, and knowing mannis 
 
 (^'iswlcribk-by reson ma y mm s ^ anCl D * natural help come, as it 
 I'ears'wUMess * s open now bifore bi proofis of the firste principal 
 rxhoris tothi-ir conclusioun, yit it mai perteyne weel ynoui to Holi 
 better fulfilment. Scripture that he reherce suchc now seid gouernauncis 
 and treuthis, and that he witnesse hem as groundid 
 sumwhere ellis in the lawe of kinde or doom of mannis 
 resoun. And so he dooth (as to ech reder ther yn it 
 mai be opene) that bi thilk rehercing and witnessyng 
 so doon bi Holi Scripture to men tho men schulden 
 be bothe remembrid, stirid, prouokid, and exortid forto 
 the rather performe and fulfille tho same so rehercid 
 and witnessid gouernancis and trouthis. 
 Proofs of tiic This conclusioun mai sone be proueu. Forwhi we 
 Though gram- seen that not withstanding bookis and writingis of 
 
 mar and divinity , , , ... „ - 
 
 be different grammer hau noon nit neither power forto grounue 
 ^•animatu'vi eny crovernauncc or trouthe of dyuynyte, bi cause that 
 
 works, as the J b . « X • . . , 
 
 CathoUcoHatio- grammer and dyuynyte ben 11. tacultees atwm and 
 
 liannes Janiicnsis, ° i /• • 
 
 may illustrate asondir 1 denartid, and therfore thei han her propre to 
 
 and iK'ar witness r 1 * , 
 
 to some truths of ] lem boundis and markis that noon of hem entrc into 
 
 divinity. 
 
 the other as bi office of grounding, and han her 
 propre to hem officis of grounding and to hem her 
 propre trouthis, ^it the bokis of grammer rehercen 
 with inne hem and witnessen summe treuthis of dy- 
 
 1 somlir, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 33 
 
 uynyte as in Gatholicon, which is a book of gramer, Phar vii. 
 
 in the word of ... } 
 
 Also tliout the faculte of Canon Lawe and the Tbe same remark 
 / to be made of 
 
 faculte of dy uynyte be ij. departid atwynne facultees, Canon Law. 
 and ther fore thou£ ech of hem hath his propre to 
 him lyinytid boimdis and niarkis for grounding, ri^t as 
 ij. mailers and lordschipis Egging in a cuntree han, and 
 ech of hem hath his propre to him conclusioiuis and 
 trouthis to be groundid bi him, (as that Canon Lawe 
 groundith constitueiouns and ordinances of general 
 counseilis and of popis and prouyncial and synodal 
 constitueiomis as hise propre to him trouthis and con- 
 clusiouns ; and dy uynyte, in verri maner forto speke 
 of diuinite, groundith articles of feith, that is to seie, 
 trouthis and conclusions reuelid and affermed bi God 
 to be trewe, as propre to him trouthis and con- 
 clusions, into whos fynding, leerning, and knowing 
 mannis resoun mai not suflicientli with oute reue- 
 lacioun ascende and come to ;) and, ther fore, Canoun 
 Lawe ou^te not and mai not grounde eny trouthe 
 or conclusioun which is propre to the grounding of 
 divynyte, neither diuinite mai grounde eny trouthe 
 or conclusioun which is propre to the groimding of 
 Canoun Lawe : ^it bokis of Canoun Lawe bisidis her 
 treting of the chirche lawis and constituciouns rehercen 
 manie trouthis and conclusiouns whiche ben propre to 
 the grounding in diuynite, and a^enward bokis of 
 diuinite bisidis her treting of articles of feith reuelid 
 fro God rehercen manye treuthis and conclusiouns 
 whiche ben propre to the grounding in Lawe of Canoun, 
 ^he, and rehercen manye trouthis and conclusiouns of 
 whiche summe ben propre to methaphisik, summe ben 
 propre to natural philsophi, and summe ben propre to 
 moral philsophi. And ^it it may not be seid herfore 
 
 1 Six lines of the MS. are left blank, i, e, about forty -words may pro- 
 bably be missing. 
 
 C 
 
Si 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, til that Lawe of Canon groundith eny article of feith 
 reuelid fro God, or that divynite groundith eny con- 
 stitucioun or lawe maad hi the chirche or hi the 
 pope, or that he groundith eny trouthe or conclusioun 
 of methaphisik or of natural philsophi or of moral 
 philsophie. Forwhi thanne these facidtees were not 
 separat and departid atwynne facultees hauyng her 
 propre boundis and markis, which is inconuenient to 
 holde. And also the trouthis of diuynite were eer 
 the faculte of Canoivn Lawe biganne, and the trouthis 
 of methaphisik and of natural philsophie and of 
 moral philsophie myiten be thou^ no dyuynyte 
 were (forto speke pureli and mereli of dyuynyte as 
 it tretith articles of feith), and open it is that no 
 thing groimdid may be whanne his ground is not. 
 Wherfore bi lijk skile, thou^ it may not longe and 
 perteyne to Holi Scripture forto grounde eny 
 treuthe or gouernaimce of moral philsophie, into 
 whos fynding and knowing natural resoim with 
 natural helpis mai suffice, as it is proued bifore in 
 the proof of the firste conclusioun, y\i herwith mai 
 weel stonde that Holi Scripture reherce trouthis and 
 gouernauncis whiche ben propre to moral lawe of 
 kinde, that is to seie, propre to moral doom of 
 resoun, which is not ellis than moral philsophie. 
 And that Holi Scripture so doth it is open ; forwhi 
 he rehercith to us that we schulden be meke and not 
 proude, and that we schulden be temperat in etiug 
 and drinking and not glotenose, and that we schulden 
 be continent or mesurable in deedis of gendring, and 
 that we sclmlden be mylde in answering, and that 
 we schulden be pacient in aduersitees ; and so forth 
 of manie othere gouernancis, whiche alle ben tau^t 
 in the lawe of kinde bi doom of resoun more full i 
 than thei ben rehercid in Holi Scripture bi tenfold 
 and more. And so al that Crist dide in teching eny 
 of these was not ellis than that what he site to be 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 35 
 
 trewe bifore in doom of resoun find lawc of kinde lie Oka*, vii. 
 toold out to hise herers. And whanne Poul and eny 
 Apostle in lier epistlis wroten of eny of these now 
 seid vertues, thei diden not ellis as there for tho 
 vertues but this, that thei token what ther of thei 
 founden in doom of resoun and in lawe of kinde to 
 be trewe, and thei wroten it in her epistlis. 
 
 The iij e . principal conclusioun is this : The hool office The TnisDPEiif- 
 and werk into which God ordeyned Holy Scripture sio» : The whole 
 is forto grounde articlis of feith and forto reherce fcurefls (i) to* P 
 and witnesse moral trouthis of lawe of kinde groundid faith, ami (2) to 
 in moral philsopliie, that is to seie in doom of resoun, truths of natural 
 
 ,., i • i i • religion, in order 
 
 that the reders be remembrid. stind. and exortid bi so to their better 
 
 • ii ii r performance ; 
 
 miche the better and the more and the sooner iorto and of these ar- 
 
 tides of faith (3) 
 
 fulfille hem. Of whiche articlis of feith summe ben some are laws and 
 
 some are not 
 
 not law is as these : that God made heuen and erthe laws, 
 in the bigynnyng of tyme, and that Adam was the 
 firste man and Eue was the first womman, and that 
 Moises ladde the peple of Israel out of Egipt, and 
 that Zacharie was fadir and Elizabeth was modir of 
 Iohun Baptist, and that Crist fastid xl. daies ; and so 
 forth of many like. And summe othere ben lawis, as 
 that ech man ou^te be baptisid in water, if he may 
 come therto ; and that ech man ou^te be hosilid, if 
 he mai come ther to. 
 
 This conclusioun may be proued thus. Sithen it is First part of the 
 so that Holi Scripture muste founde and grounde sum proved, 
 to him propre trouthis and conclusiouns, (for ellis he 
 were not vnlackeabli necessarie to Cristen men,) he 
 muste needis grounde treuthis and conclusiouns suche 
 as mennis resoun bi it silf or with natural helpis 
 may fynde, leerne, and knowe, or ellis suche as 
 mannis resoun bi it silf and bi the seid helpis mai 
 not fynde, leerne, and knowe. But so it is that 
 Holi Scripture groundith not the treuthis of the firste 
 maner now rehercid, that is to seie trouthis and con- 
 clusiouns into which manys witt mai in the seid maner 
 
 C 2 
 
3G pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, vii. r i gej as it is proued bi tlie firste principal conclusioun. 
 
 Wherfore he muste needis grounde treuthis and con- 
 clusions of the ij e . maner now seid, that is to seie, 
 treuthis and eonclusiouns into wliiche mannis witt mai 
 not bi it silf and bi natural help without reuelacioun 
 mad therto fro God uprise 1 and come to, forto hem 
 kunne and knowe. And these ben articUs of feith as 
 it is schewid in The fohver to the clonet ; and so the 
 firste partie of this iij°. conclusioun is schewid to be 
 trewe. 
 
 Second part of _4] so that Holi Scripture makith rehercel of many 
 
 the conclusion 1 _ » 
 
 proved. treuthis and eonclusiouns groundid in moral philsophi 
 
 for the entent here in this iij e . conclusioun seid, it is 
 schewid bifore in proof of the ij e . conclusioun. Wher- 
 fore the ij e . parti of this iij e . principal conclusioun is 
 needis to be holde for trewe. 
 Third part of the Also that tho feithis whiche now here ben rehercid 
 proved! 10 " as for no lawis to Cristen men ben not lawis to hem, 
 and that tho feithis whiche now here ben rehercid as 
 for lawis to Cristen men ben lawis to liem ; it is 
 schewid in the firste parti of the book clepid The 
 iust apprising of Holi Scripture ; and ther yn the 
 reder mai it leerne, if he wole. But y wolde se that 
 oure Bible men whiche holden hem so wise bi the 
 Bible aloone, ^he, bi the Newe Testament aloon, 'cou- 
 tlien bi her Bible aloon knowe which feith is a lawe 
 to man and which feith is not a lawe to man, and 
 thanne he dide a maistrie passing his power. Wherbi 
 and bi many othere pointis of Goddis lawe and ser- 
 uice to man, whiche mowe not be knowen bi oonli the 
 Bible but by doom of resoun and moral philsophi, (as 
 it is weel open thoru^ manye treticis in the book of 
 Cristen religioun and in the Filling of the 
 tabids and other mo,) tho Bible men mowe take good 
 
 1 Perhaps meant to be written division in the MS. 
 
THE FIRST PA11T. 
 
 37 
 
 marke that myche nede schulen alio tho. Laue to the cnAP. vu. 
 
 help of weel leerned clerkis. And. forto seie sumwhat 
 
 here and now of lawis, it is to feele and vndirstonde 
 
 that oonli thilk trouthe is a lawe to man which is 
 
 doable and not oonli knoweable and hiholdeable of the 
 
 same man. Wherfore the iij e . parti of this present 
 
 iij". principal conclusioun is trewe. 
 
 This what y haue now seid of and to Bible men y Those remarks 
 
 i . . , •,. . , , , , not intended to 
 
 have not seid vndir tins entent and meenyng, as that discourage the 
 y schulde feele to be vnleeful laymen forto reede in ture by laymen! 
 the Bible and forto studie and leerne ther yn, with had from their" 
 help and counseil of wise and weel leerned clerkis and on?yfi?eprei _ 
 with licence of her gouernour the bischop ; but forto use of it. 
 rebuke and adaunte the presumpeioun of tho 1 lay 
 persoones, whiche weenen bi her inreding in the 
 Bible forto come into more kunnyng than thei or alle 
 the men in erthe — clerkis and othere — mowe come to, 
 bi the Bible oonli withoute moral philsophie and 
 lawe of kinde in doom of weel disposid resoun, y 
 haue seid of and to Bible men what is now seid. 
 
 viij. Chapiter. 
 
 The iiii e . principal conclusioun is this : It is not the T nE fourth 
 
 1 r CONCLUSION 
 
 office lono-in^ to moral lawe of kinde for to Grounde against the 
 
 ° ° _ o PIUST EKROG : 
 
 eny article of feith groundid by Holi Scripture. For I S^ n< ? t S w ]la 
 whi al that the now seid moral lawe of kinde or of natlu * ct0 
 
 ground any 
 
 moral philsophie groundith is groundid bi doom of^^^^f^ t}x 
 mannis resoun, and therfore is such a treuthe and a ortiM coneius'ion 
 conclusioun that into his fynding, leernyng, and know- 
 ing mannis witt mai bi it silf aloone or bi natural 
 helpis withoute reuelacioun fro God rise and suffice. 
 But so it is that noon article of feith mai be groundid 
 
 ' The MS. altered from the into (ho by a later (?) hand, 
 
38 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. viii. in doom of resoun sufficientli ; neither into liis finding, 
 leerning, and knowing mannis resoun bi it silf and bi 
 natural help may rise and suffice, withoute therto maad 
 reuelacioun or affirmyng fro God. Forwhi thanne 
 feith were no feith, as it is tau^t in The folvjer to the 
 donet and in the book Of feith and of sacrament is 
 in Lat} r n. Wherfore moral lawe of kinde, (which is 
 not ellis than moral philsophie writen depe in mannis 
 soule, there figging with the prent and the ymage of 
 God,) mai not grounde eny article or treuthe or conclu- 
 sioim of feith : but into the grounding of feith serueth 
 Hofi Scriptm'e, as it is bi the iij e . conclusioun proued. 
 And so tlfis present iiij e . conclusioun muste needis be 
 a trouthe. 
 
 The fifth cox- The v c . principal conclusioun is this: Thou£ neither 
 
 the first ' the seide moral lawe of kinde neither outward bokis 
 
 treatises on therof writen niowe grounde eny trouthe or con- 
 natural religion . <» • 1 • 1 i i i • / 
 
 eaunot ground clusioun ot Terry ieith, iit tho outward bokis UlS 
 
 articles of faith, i < , 
 
 they may, never- Cristene men hem makeii) niowe weel ynow reherce 
 
 theless, rehearse . ' ^ 
 
 ami bear witness and witnesse troutlu.s and coiiclusiouns of feith groundid 
 
 to them. Proofs ° 
 
 of the conclusion, bifore in Holi Scripture ; and so tliei doon. Forwhi 
 it is no more repugnant that bokis of moral philsophie 
 reherce trouthis and coiiclusiouns propre to the ground- 
 ing of Holy Scripture, than that bokis of Holi Scrip- 
 ture reherce trouthis and coiiclusiouns propre to the 
 grounding of moral philsophie, and that bokis of 
 gramnier reherce treutliis and coiiclusiouns propre to 
 the grounding of Holi Scripture. But so it is that 
 bokis of Holi Scripture rehercen treutliis longing to the 
 grounding of moral philsophie, as it is bifore schewid 
 in proof of the secunde conclusion ; wherfore it is not 
 repugnant that bokis of moral philsophie, namclich tho 
 whiche Cristen men maken, reherce treutliis of feith 
 longing to the grounding of Holi Scripture. And that 
 thei so doon it is open bi the book of Cristen reli- 
 gioun and hise parties mad in the comoun peplis 
 langage. 
 
THE FIRST TAUT. 
 
 30 
 
 The vj e . principal conclusioun is this : The hool Qhap. YBL 
 office and werk into whicli ben ordcyned the bokis The sixthcon- 
 
 J CI.TJ8I0N : Tho 
 
 of moral philsophie (writen and mad bi Cristen men ^uosophy ^to 
 
 in the maner now bifore spoken in the v c . conclusioun) ^^[^^f lng 
 
 is forto expresse outwardli bi writing of penne and ^^^Jjjjgj£j^ 
 
 ynke the treuthis and conclusiouns, whiche the inward ^vcaird region, 
 
 book of lawe of kinde, biried in mannis soule and bettoftaiau^nfc 
 
 herte, groundith ; and forto reherce summe treuthis and thc con " 
 
 conclusiouns of feith longing to the grounding of Holi 
 
 Scripture, that the rcders be the more and the oftir 
 
 remembrid and stirid and exortid bi thilk rehercing 
 
 into tho treuthis of feith so rehercid. Of whiche 
 
 summe ben positijf lawis, as ben oonli the treuthis 
 
 aboute the newe sacramentis of Crist and aboute the 
 
 vsis of hem : and summe ben not lawis, as that thre 
 
 persoones ben oon God, and that the ij e . of hem was 
 
 mad man, and that he died and roos fro deeth, and so 
 
 forth. This conclusioun is so open bi miche what is 
 
 seid bifore, that weelnyi he needith no newe proof to 
 
 be sette to him. Neuertheless into his prouyng mai be 
 
 seid thus : The seid bokis of moral philsophie doon 
 
 these ij. now seid officis and werkis, as it is open by 
 
 the v e . conclusioun ; and thei doon noon othir or noon 
 
 more notable office or werk than oon of these ij. : 
 
 wherfore these ij. officis maken the hool al werk into 
 
 which tho bokis ben principali or notabli entendid to 
 
 be maad. 
 
 The vii e . principal conclusioun is this : The more deel TnE seventh 
 
 , , j. ~, , ,, , , , . , CONCLUSION: 
 
 and party 01 uoddis nool lawe to man m erthe, and The greater part 
 
 i 1 1 • i ,, ... of God's law is 
 
 that bi an huge gret 1 quantite ouer the remanent parti grounded in na- 
 
 „ _ , . tural, and not in 
 
 of the same lawe, is groundid sufficiently out of Holi revealed religion. 
 
 . , Argument forthe 
 
 Scripture m the inward book of lawe of kinde and of conclusion stated. 
 
 , All truths of natu- 
 
 moral pmlosphie, and not m the book of Holi Scrip- rall ' eli - i " l)lv " iv ' 
 
 1 A I no now proof from 
 
 1 gret is interlineated in a later 
 hand. 
 
 -philsnphie, so the MS. originally, 
 
 but a later hand, contrary to the 
 usage of the MS., has corrected it 
 to philosophie. 
 
 C 4 -f- 
 
40 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Scripture.but are 
 grounded in man's 
 soul ; and they 
 form the greater 
 part of God's law 
 to man ; so that 
 this is based 
 principally on 
 the judgment of 
 the reason. 
 
 The Bnl premiss 
 of the argument 
 proved. 
 
 The second pre- 
 miss proved. 
 
 ture clepid the Oold Testament and the Newe. That 
 this conclusioun is trewe y proue thus : Alle tho gouer- 
 nauncis, trouthis, and vertues, into whos fynding, leern- 
 yng, and knowing niannys resoun bi him silf or with 
 natural helpis withoute supernatural reuelacioun ther 
 upon mad fro God mai rise and come, ben groundid 
 at fulle out of Holi Scripture of the Oold Testament 
 and of the Newe in the inward book Jigging in mannis 
 soule, which is there the writing of hiwe of kinde 
 and of doom of resoun and moral philsophie ; and 
 thei taken noon newe prouyng in eny point by the 
 seid Holi Scripture, as it is open bi the first conclu- 
 sioun and hise profis. And so it is, that these same 
 now seid gouernauncis, treuthis, and vertues thus not 
 groundid in Holi Scripture ben the more deel and the 
 more parti bi an huge greet quantite ouer the re- 
 manent of the al hool Goddis lawe bitaken to man in 
 erthe forto therbi serue God, as anoon aftir her schal 
 be proued. "Wherfore folewith that the miche more 
 deel of Goddis hool lawe to man in erthe is groundid 
 sufficient] i out of Holi Scripture in doom of resoun 
 and in moral philsophie, and not in Holi Scripture of 
 the Oold Testament and of the Newe. 
 
 The first premisse of this present argument is 
 openli proued bi the first principal conclusioun and bi 
 the argumentis and euydencis prouying him, and ther- 
 fore the flrste premisse of this present argument is to 
 be holde for trewe. 
 
 That the ij e . premisse of this present argument 1 is 
 also trewe is schewid bi a ful solempne and rial 
 processe in the firste parti of the book clepid The iust 
 apprising of Holi Scripture, the 2 c., which ' 
 
 processe were ouer long to be a^en rehercid here. 
 
 ' anjumel, MS. 
 
 I- Space left in the MS. for the 
 number. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 41 
 
 Neuertheles that the same ij". premisse of this present chap.viii. 
 
 argument is trewe sure experience may schewe at the 
 
 ful. Forwhi lete a man renne thorny alle the xxxi". 
 
 pointis of the iiij. tablis of Goddis lawe to man in 
 
 erthe whiche ben sett in the first parti of The donet 
 
 into CHst&n religion, and also in the firste parti of 
 
 Gristen religion n, and lete him inarke hem A\ r cel and 
 
 alle her spicis with inne 1 hem and vnder hem, and 
 
 let him also renne thorny al Holi Scripture fro the 
 
 bigynyng into the eende forto marke al that he can 
 
 marke there to be rehercid for gouernauncis, trouthis, 
 
 and vertues of Goddis lawe to man in erthe, and 
 
 he schal fynde bi opene experience and open assaie 
 
 surely ynoui, that in huge quantite many mo of 
 
 hem ben fyndeable and knoweable bi mannis resoun 
 
 withoute help of Holi Scripture, than ben tho of 
 
 hem whiche ben not fyndeable and knoweable bi 
 
 mannis reso\m without Holi Scripture. Namelich 
 
 if he haue leerned bifore this that mannis resoun 
 
 withoute Holi Scripture may fynde and knowe that 
 
 oon God is, and that he is maker of alle creaturis 
 
 out of nou^t, (whether therwith be holde that 
 
 creaturis weren euer so mad and so brou^t forth bi 
 
 God bifore now, or that thei biganne to be brou^t 
 
 forth bi God in a certein bigynnyng of tyme ;) and 
 
 that man is maad into an eende, which eend is forto 
 
 be couplid and ooned to God bi knowing and louyng 
 
 and seruyng: and so of many mo pointis and trouthis 
 
 of which it is spoken in the firste parti of Crislen 
 
 religiown. In to whos fynding and leernyng certein 
 
 it is that mannis resoun bi him silf and with natural 
 
 helpis withoute Holi Scripture mai rise and come bi 
 
 so probable and so hkeli evidencis, that the leernyng 
 
 1 It is not quite clear whether this is meant to bp written conjunct™ or 
 divisim in the MS. 
 
42 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Wap. viii. and kunhyng geten therbi mai and schal be suffi- 
 cient forto reule and dresse and move mannis wille 
 into clioicis witlimforth and into comaundis and 
 outward deedis answering to tliilk same so getun 
 leernyng and kunnyng, thou^ tliilk kunnyng be not 
 demonstratijf, that is to seie more sure than is pro- 
 bable and likeli kunnyng. Forwhi tliilk kunnyng is 
 so probable and likeli that into the contrarie parti 
 is not had nou^wkere nyy so probable and so likeli 
 euydencis, and therfore tliilk kunnyng so geten is 
 strong ynou^ forto make the hauers of it lyue and 
 lcde her conuersacion ther aftir and forto serue God 
 therbi in keping lawe of kinde : for certis bi other 
 strengthe than bi probabilite and likelihode no feith 
 had bi Holi Scripture mai reule oure lyuyng and 
 conuersacioun to God, as it is sumwhat fcouit in the 
 firste parti of Cristen religioun and in The folwer to 
 tlie donet, and more schal be tau^t in the book Of 
 feith and of sacramentis in Latyn. 
 te^ffrt 10 ' But forto baIlie a * en into the fynysching of the 
 proved. proof bifore sett for the vij°. conclusioun y argue thus : 
 
 The argument maad into the proof of the vij c . con- 
 clusioun is formal, as mai be frigid bi hem whiche in 
 looik knowen the reulis lonoins to a formal argument, 
 and the bothe premissis of the same argument ben 
 trewc, as it is now bifore openli schewid. Wherfore 
 needis it mustebe 1 that the conclusioun concludid and 
 dryuen out and forth fro hem bi strengthe of hem 
 is trewe : and tliilk same conclusioun of hem is the 
 vij°. principal conclusioun. Wherfore the vij e . principal 
 couclusioun is trewe. 
 
 1 So the MS. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 43 
 
 ix. Chapiter. 
 
 The viij u . principal conclusioun is this: No mau cluswn IgIinst 
 mai leerne and kunne the hool lawe of God to which gg™SL 1 SS? s 
 Cristen men hen bounde, but if he can of moral phil- S^]^. 
 sophi ; and the more that he can in moral philsophie, p^oMpf^Proof 
 bi so miche the more he can of Goddis lawe and of the conclusion, 
 seruicei This conclusioun folewith out of the vij°. 
 conclusion openly ynou^. Forwhi lawe of kinde 
 and moral philsophie ben oon, and the more parti of 
 Goddis lawe bi which man is bounde for to serue to 1 
 God is moral lawe of kinde, as it is proued bifore in 
 the vij c . conclusioun. 
 
 The ix e . conclusioun is this : No man schal perfitli, cMsioN- T Noone 
 sureli, and sufficienti vndirstonde Holi Scripture in £tan<ismpt^ 
 alle tho placis where yn he rehercith moral vertues t^stt^^ ea 
 not being positijf lawe of feith, but being such as jffiEg**gjg£ 
 mannys resoun may fynde, leerne, and knowe, but if Sph^^r^of 
 he be bifore weel and perfitli, sueiii, and sufficiently the conclus,on - 
 leerned in moral philsophie ; and the more perfitli, 
 sureli, and sufficients he is leerned in moral philso- 
 phie the more able as bi that he schal be forto per- 
 fitli, sureli, and sufficients vndirstonde Holi Scripture 
 in aSe tho placis wheryn he spekith of eny moral 
 lawe of God being not positijf lawe of feith. This 
 conclusioun folewith out of the vij e . and the viij e . con- 
 clusions : wherfore he is to be holde trewe. 
 
 The x e . principal conclusioun is this : The leernvng TlIE textii con- 
 
 . jo clusion: The 
 
 and kunnyno- of the seid lawe of kinde and of the knowledge of 
 
 . „. moral philosophy 
 
 seid moral philsophie is so necessarie to Cristen men, indispensably ne- 
 
 . . . cessary to Chris- 
 
 that it mai not he lackid of hem if thei schulen tiaus First argu- 
 ment for the con- 
 
 thriftili serue to God and kepe his lawe bitake to elusion. Moral 
 
 . . 1 philosophy com- 
 
 hem in erthe. This conclusioun mai be proued thus, prises the greater 
 
 r part of God's law 
 
 rinlk leernyng and kunnyng is so necessarie that it tom!ul - 
 
 1 to is interlineated, apparently by the same hand. 
 
pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap.ix. mai not be lackid of Cristen men -which leernyng and 
 kunnyng is the leernyng and knnnyng of the more 
 dcel of Goddis law bitake to hem in erthe ; but so it 
 is that the leernyng and knnnyng of the seid lawe 
 of kinde and of the seid moral philsophie is the 
 leernyng and kunnyng of the more parti and deel of 
 Goddis lawe, hi which man outte serue to God in 
 erthe, as it is proued bi the vij°. and viij". principal 
 conclusiouns to gidere. Wherfore nedis folewith that 
 the leernyng and kunnyng of the bifore seid lawe of 
 kinde and of the seid moral philsophie is so necessarie 
 to Cristen men, that thei mowe not lacke it forto 
 serue God bi eny thrift. The firste premisse of this 
 argument is open }'noiu that ech man wole him 
 graunte. The ij°. premisse is proued bi the vij". bifore 
 sett principal conclusioun : and this present argument 
 is formal and gode. AVherfore his conclusioun in him 
 now proued is trewe, which is not ellis than the x. 
 principal conclusioun. 
 Second argument Also thus: Thilk leernyng and kunnvng is neces- 
 
 I0r the same con- •/ o « o 
 
 elusion. Moral sar ie and vnlackeable to Cristen men without which 
 
 philosophy nulls- 
 
 penaabfetothe thei mowe not sufficientli and sureli vnderstonde Holi 
 imdentanoing 
 
 Scr^furewhtoh Scripture in alle placis where he spekith of Goddis 
 !n!ti'is SC its lawis to man not being positijf hvwis of feith. For- 
 whi tho placis ben manye, as open assay in reding 
 Scripture wole sucrl}- schewe ; but so it is that, with- 
 out the leernyng and kunnyng of the seid lawe of 
 kinde and of doom of resoun, Holi Scripture mai not 
 be suliicicntli and dewli vndirstonde and expowncd in 
 no place wliere he spekith of lawe of God not being 
 positijf lawe of feith, as it is bifore schewid bi the 
 ix". principal conclusioun. Wherfore this present x°. 
 conclusioun is trcwe. 
 third argument Also thus: The leernyng and kunnyng of it is ne- 
 c'lusion. ah cessnrie and vnlackeable to mankinde, in which alle 
 religion itself re- tllC goucrnauncis, treuthis, and vertues of Goddis lawe 
 nients require tile being the lasse deel and beyng the remanent to the 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 45 
 
 other more deel and parti bifore seid in the vij e . Chap. IX. 
 conclusioun of Goddis lawe ben more foundid and evidence of reason 
 
 more than that of 
 
 groundid than in Holi Scripture, that is to sey positijf Scripture, 
 lawis of Crist whiche ben the makingis and the 
 vsingis of Cristis sacramentis longing to the Newe 
 Testament : but so it is, that in the seid lawe of 
 kinde and doom of resoun or moral philsophie, alle 
 the gotternauncis, treuthis, and vertues of Goddis lawe 
 whiche ben the lasse deel and ben the remanent to 
 the more deel bifore seid of Goddis lawe in the vij". 
 conclusioun ben more groundid and foundid than in 
 Holi Scripture ; and that alle thei and ech of hem 
 whiche biholden the making and the vsing of the seid 
 newe sacramentis ben more groundid bi doom of re- 
 soun than bi Holi Scripture, for as miche as ech of 
 hem into his grounding nedith euydencis of bothe to 
 gidere, that is to seie of resoun and of Holi Scripture 
 to gidere, and ellis he mai not be sufficientli groundid. 
 And here with it is trewe that in this grounding 
 doon to hem bi doom of resoun and by Holi Scrip- 
 ture to gidere, 1 the euidencis which doom of reson 
 ^eueth into the seid grounding of hem alle and of ech 
 of hem ben more in strength e and in substance and 
 in noumbre into the seid grounding of hem, than ben 
 the euidencis whiche Holi Scripture ^eueth into the 
 grounding of eny of hem which ben the makingis and 
 vsingis of the newe sacramentis and tho whiche fo- 
 lewen of hem bi formal argument, as n Tkz fo lewer 
 to the donet and in The book of feith ioyned therto, 
 othire of my writingis, it is sufficiently tau^t ; whiche 
 processe were ouer long and sumwhat ouer hard to be 
 cftsoone sett here. 
 
 ^he, and ^it with al this that is now seid treuth Reason pur guide 
 is also that the makingis and the vsingis of the seid use of sacraments 
 
 1 It is not quite clear whether to gidere is intended to he written con- 
 junctini or disjunctini: it is usually written disjunct™ in the MS. 
 
46 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 ( i iiap. ix. newe sacramentis mowe not be groundid bi Holi 
 Scripture to be oure gouernauncis now lyuyng in 
 erthe withoute help of resonys doom, and withoute 
 that lawe of kinde and moral philsophi and Holi 
 Scripture grounde hem to gidere ; and that into the 
 grounding of hem the euydencis or premyssis which 
 Holi Scripture bringith ben not more substancial 
 and strenger into the grounding, than ben the euy- 
 dencis and premissis which doom of resoun therto 
 bringeth, as in the now alleggid bookis it is openli 
 declarid. Wherfore folewith the treuth of this present 
 x e . conclusioun, that the leernyng and kunnyng of 
 lawe of kinde and moral philsophie in doom of resoun 
 is so necessarie to Cristen men, that it is vnlackeable 
 to hem forto be in eny worth seruauntis to God and 
 kepers of his lawe in erthe. 
 the elevextti Out of these bifore sett vij e . viij 6 . ix e . and x e . conclu- 
 
 CONCLUSION: The J J 
 
 unlearned laity siouns and troutliis Cometh forth ful openli and sureli 
 
 ought highly to 1 
 
 esteem clerks this xi°. conclusioun and trouthe. Ful weel ointen alle 
 
 learned in moral " 
 
 philosophy. Proof persoones of the lay parti not miche leerned in moral 
 
 Of the conclusion. r J 1 
 
 philsophi and lawe of kinde forto make miche of 
 clerkis weel leerned in moral philsophi, that tho clerk i s 
 schulden helpe tho lay persoones forto Blitt vndir- 
 stonde Holi Scripture in alle tho placis in which Holi 
 Scripture rehercith the bifore spoken conclusiouns and 
 treuthis of moral philsophi, that is to seie of lawe of 
 kinde. Forwhi withoute tho clerkis so leerned in 
 moral philsophi and with oute her direccioun the now 
 seid lay persoones schulen not esili, li^tli, and anoon 
 haue the dew vndirstonding of Holi Scripture in the 
 now seid placis, as is bifore proued in the ix c . con- 
 clusioun. 
 
 Tite twelfth- Also out of the same bifore sett vij*. viij c . ix°. ami 
 The game persons x". conclusions and troutliis and out of the assay and 
 
 ought highly to . , _ , , . . 
 
 esteem Knglisii experience winch niai be liad in the oner reding and 
 
 books on moral r . p • i i • i i» i • i 
 
 philosophy. studiyng the bokis anoon altir to be reliercid tolewitb 
 this xij". conclusioun and trouthe. Ful weel ou^ten 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 47 
 
 alio persoones of the Lay parti not leerned outwhere cnw, ix. 
 
 ellis bi the now seid clerkis ov bi othere l>okis of 
 
 moral philsophie forto make miche of bokis maad to 
 
 hem in her modiris langage whiche ben clepid thus : 
 
 The donet into Gristen religioun : The fohuer to the 
 
 dgnct : The booh of Gristen religioun, (namelich the 
 
 first parti fro the bigynnyng of the iij e . treti forth- 
 
 ward) : The book filling the iiij. tablis : The booh of 
 
 worschiping : The book clepid The iust apprising of 
 
 Holi Scripture : The book clepid The prouoker of 
 
 Gristen men : The booh of Cov.nceilis, and othere mo 
 
 pertenyng to the now seid Book of Gristen religioun. 
 
 Forwhi in these now spoken bokis thei schulen leerne 
 
 and kunne (in a ful notable quantite and mesure and 
 
 in a fair fourme) the now bifore seid moral philsophie 
 
 being so necessarie forto be vndirstonde, and being in 
 
 it silf the more parti of al her moral lawe and seruice 
 
 to God, as it is open bi the vij e . conclusioun ; and 
 
 being so necessarie forto expowne or interprete or 
 
 glose dewli and treuly Holi (Scripture in alle placis 
 
 where he spekith of Goddis lawe and seruice, except 
 
 thilk fewe placis where yn he spekith of the making 
 
 and vsing of the fewe newe sacramentis of Crist, as 
 
 it is open bi the ix e . bifore sett conclusioun. Wher- 
 
 fore miche ouiten lay persoones forto make and 
 
 apprise and loue the now spoken bokis. And ferther- 
 
 more ouer this now seid the now spoken bokis techen 
 
 ful clereli and bihouefulli the treuthis and gouernauncis 
 
 of Goddis lawe whiche ben groundid in Holi Scripture, 
 
 and also othere treuthis of feith whiche ben not lawis 
 
 and ben groundid in Holi Scripture ; and also thei 
 
 treten ful nobili the positijf lawis of Criste aboute the 
 
 newe sacramentis, and therfore ful miche good (as y 
 
 hope) schal come bi the reeding, leernyng, and vsing 
 
 of the now spoken bokis. 
 
 Of this same mater it is quikli and smertli spoken ^1°^ for the 
 in a litil book therto and therfore maad, Avhich y presumptuous 
 
 ' J Lollards. 
 
48 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Citap. ix. clepe The prouoker of C'risten peple, and ther fore no 
 more ther of here now but this: that wolde God men 
 wolden not be bi so miche the bliuder that li^t is to 
 hem thus schewid, and that thei wolden not be bi so 
 miche the frowarder and the more presumptuose that 
 goodnes is to hem thus profrid : but wolde God that 
 thei wolden assaie perfitli what tho now seid bokis 
 ben and wolden weel kunne hem, and thanne if thei 
 schulden haue euy cause forto blame or commende 
 tho bokis that thanne first thei wolden blame or com- 
 mende : for bi good resounys doom and bi the oolde 
 wijs prouerbe, A man schulde blame or commende as 
 he fyndeth, and so aftir that he hath founde cause to 
 blame or comende he nryite blame or comende ; and 
 not bifore eer he eny suche causis fyndeth, and eer 
 he aftir eny suche causis sechith. And certis the con- 
 trarie doing of this wijs prouerbe dootli miche sorow 
 among simple lay peple, yuel lad forth bifore and 
 wors confermed bi a wickid scole of heretikis, which 
 is not ^it al quenchid. 
 
 x. Chapiter. 
 
 IxD^fif/coy- The xiij". principal conclusioun or trouthe is this : 
 SSSSE^gS Tllci that wolen aske and seie, thus, " Where fyndist 
 rf.letoSt°a n ' " thou it groundid in Holi Scripture?" as thou^ ellis it 
 torateuthof° 0f is not worthi to be take for trewe, whanne euere eny 
 !us°to l-'^iect a' hy ' gouernance or trouthe sufficientli grondid in lawe of 
 tobefenmdEataT* kinde and in moral philsophi is affermed and mynys- 
 Mdloy, ^ 0 ] icm> ^ ag )j en m an y 0 f tho xj. gouernauncis 
 
 and treuthis whichc schulen be tretid aftir in this 
 present book : whiche ben setting vp of ymagis in 
 hi^e ])lacis of the bodili chirche, pilgrimages doon 
 priueli, and pilgrimages doon openli bi lay men and 
 bi preestis ami bischopis vnto the memorialis or 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 49 
 
 niynde placis of seintis, and the endewing of preestis chap, x, 
 bi rentis and bi vnmoueable possessiouns, and suche 
 o there) asken tho whilis in lijk maner vnresonabili 
 and lijk vnskilfulli and lijk reprouabili, as if tbei 
 wolden aske and seie thus, — " Where findist thou it 
 " grondid in Holi Scripture V whanne a treuth and a 
 conclusioun of crammer is affermed and seid to hem : 
 
 o 
 
 or ellis thus, " Where findist thou it groundid in tailour 
 " craft ?" whanne that a point or a treuthe and a con- 
 clusioun of sadeler craft is affermed, seid, and mynistrid 
 to hem: or ellis thus, "Whei-e fynclist thou it groundid 
 " in bocheri V whanne a point or a treuthe and conclu- 
 sioun of inasonrie is affermed and seid and mynystrid 
 to hem. 
 
 This present xiii e . conclusioun mai be proued thus : Proof of the con- 
 
 -n , . elusion. Divinity 
 
 iiiuen as grammer and dyuvnvte ben ii. dyuerse facul- and moral pinio- 
 
 -I I • i i " i it i sophyaretwo 
 
 tees and kunnyngis, and therfore ben vnmedhd, and distinct sciences, 
 ech of hem hath his propre to him boundis and 
 markis, how fer and no ferther he schal strecche him- 
 silf vpon maters, treuthis, and conclusions, and not to 1 
 entirmete neither entermeene with eny other facultees 
 boundis ; and euen as sadelarie and talarie ben ij. 
 dyuerse facultees and kunnyngis, and therfore ben 
 vnmedlid, and ech of hem hath his propre to him 
 boundis and markis, how fer and no ferther he schal 
 strecche him silf forth vpon maters, treuthis, and con- 
 clusions, and not entircomune with eny other craft 
 or faculte in conclusiouns and treuthis : so it is that 
 the faculte of the seid moral philsophie and the faculte 
 of pure dyvynite or the Holi Scripture ben ij. dyuerse 
 facultees, ech of hem hauyng his propre to him 
 boundis and markis, and ech of hem having his propre 
 to him treuthis and conclusiouns to be groundid in 
 him, as the bifore sett six firste conclusiouns schewen. 
 
 1 to inserted, perhaps wrongly, by a later hand. 
 
 D 
 
50 
 
 PECOCK'S REPRESSOR. 
 
 citap. x. Wherfore folewith that he vnresonabili and reprouabili 
 askith, which askith where a treuthe of moral phil- 
 sophi is groundid in pure divynyte or in Holi Scrip- 
 ture, and wole not ellis trowe it to be trewe ; lijk as 
 he schulde vni'esonahili and reprouabili aske, if he 
 askid of a treuthe in masonry, where it is groundid 
 in carpentrie ; and wolde not ellis trowe it be trewe, 
 but if it were groundid in carpentrie. 
 msweredf on No man obiecte here alias me 1 to be aboute forto 
 falsifie this present xiij e . conclusioun ; and that, foras- 
 miche as sporiers in Londoun gilden her sporis whiche 
 thei maken, and cutelers in Londoun gilden her knyfis 
 whiche thei maken, as thou^ therfore sporiorie and 
 cutellerie entermeeneden and enterfereden with gold- 
 smyth craft, and that these craftis kepten not to hem 
 silf her propre and seuerel to hem silf boundis and 
 markis. For certis thou^ the sporier and the cuteler 
 be leerned in thilk point of goldsmyth craft which is 
 gilding, and therefore thei vsen thilk point and deede 
 and trouthe of goldsmyth craft, yit thilk point of 
 gilding is not of her craft, but oonli of goldsmyth 
 craft : and so the craftis ben vnmedhd, thou^ oon 
 werkman be leerned in hem bothe and vse hem bothe, 
 rilt as if oon man had lernid 2 the al hool craft of 
 goldsmythi and the al hool craft of cutleri, and wolde 
 holde schoppis of bothe, and wirche sumwhile the 
 oon craft and sumwhile the other craft. £it herfore 
 tho craftis in thilk man ben not the lasse dyuerse, 
 ne neuer the lasse kepen her seueralte in boundis and 
 markis as in hem silf, thou^ oon man be leerned in 
 hem bothe and can wirche hem bothe and hath hem 
 bothe. £it it is impossible the oon of tho craftis 
 forto entre and entermete with the trouthis of the 
 othere, thou^ oon man can wirche in hem bothe : for 
 
 1 The MS. originally had to me, 
 but tho to is scraped out. 
 
 '-' lernid interlincatcd in a later (?) 
 hand. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 51 
 
 thanne tho ij. craftis weren not ij. dyuerse craftis not CltAr - x - 
 subordynat. And thus ou^te be avoidid this obiec- 
 cioun, ri^t as thout a man were a kny^t and a preest ; 
 ^it kny^thode in thilk man is as fer a twynne fro 
 preestliode in the same man, (as bi her bothe naturis 
 and beingis, thoui not yn place or persoon,) as ben 
 kny;thode in oon persoon and preestliode in an other 
 persoon. 
 
 In this wise bi these xiii. bifore goiiw conclusions These thirteen 
 
 , «» • n i i ••! i principal conelu- 
 
 is vnrootid and uppluckld. and sumcienth rebukid and siona are a suffi- 
 
 11 ... cient refutation 
 
 proued for vntrewe, the firste of the hj. opnnouns of the first error. 
 
 spoken and sett forth in the bigymiyng of tliis present 
 
 book in the first chapiter. And also bi these same 
 
 xiij. conclusiouns and her proofis ben weel adauntid 
 
 the wanton and vnkunnyng bering of hem whiche 
 
 wolen not allowe eny gouernaunce to be the la we and 
 
 seruice of God, inlasse than it be grondid in Holi 
 
 Scripture ; as thou^ thei schulden preise and worschipe 
 
 ther yn God the more and plese God the more, that 
 
 thei apprisen so miche Holi Scripture. For wite thei 
 
 weel with oute eny doute that God is neither preisid, 
 
 neither worschipid, neither plesid bi vntrouthe or bi 
 
 lesing. If eny man make of Holi Scripture and 
 
 apprise it, euen as treuthe is and no more than truthe 
 
 is, God is ther yn plesid ; and if eny man wole make 
 
 of Holi Scripture or of eny creature in heuene or in 
 
 erthe more than treuthe is that he be maad of and 
 
 be apprisid, God is ther yn displesid. 
 
 And ferther thus : If eny man be feerd lest he There is as much 
 
 . daneer in under- 
 
 trespace to God if he make oner litle of Hon Scrip- valuing the m- 
 
 1 A ward Scripture 
 
 ture, which is the outward writing of the Oold Testa- of reason as in 
 
 ° undervaluing 
 
 ment and of the Newe, y aske win is he not afeerd l he . outwar ^, 
 
 » < Scrijiture of the 
 
 lest he make ouer litle and apprise ouer litle the Bible - 
 inward Scrii^ture of the bifore spoken la we of kinde 
 writen bi God 1 him silf in mannis soule, whanne he 
 
 1 bUjod, MS. 
 
 D 2 
 
52 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Citap. x. made mannis soule to his ymage and likn.es ? Of 
 which inward Scripture Poul spekith, Romans ij e . c., 
 and Ieremye in his xxxj c . chapiter ; and Poul takith 
 the same processe, Hebr. viij c . c. For certis this in- 
 ward hook or Scripture of lawe of kinde is more 
 necessarie to Cristen men, and is more wortlii than is 
 the outward Bible and the kunnyng ther of, as fer as 
 thei bothe treten of the more parti of Goddis lawe to 
 man, as mai be taken bi the vij c . conclusioun and his 
 proof, and bi the x e . conclusion and his proof. 
 Further proof And more proof therto ech man may se at ful, if 
 
 to be found in 1 ' 
 
 I'ecock's just ] ie wo i e ret j e an( i studie in the book clepid The lust 
 
 apprising of 1 
 
 Botg Scnptwre. apprising of Holi Scripture, which book if eny man 
 wole wijsli reede and perfitli vndirstonde with this 
 proces now afore going fro the bigynnyng of this 
 book hidir to, y wole leie myn arme to be smyte of, 
 but that he schal consente in his witt withinforth, 
 wole he nyle he, amagrey his heed, that alle these 
 now bifore going xiij. conclusiouns ben trewe, and 
 that the firste of the iij. opinions sett bifore in the 
 bigynnyng of this book is vntrewe. 
 
 Certain texts of The textis bifore alleggid in the firste chapiter of 
 
 the Gospels, . .. * T , . 
 
 quoted m favour this book, Mat. xxii°. c. and Iohun v e . c, which 
 
 of the first opi- tit, r • i r> 
 
 nion, disenssed the holders of the now seid first omnioun weenen 
 
 and explained. . , 1 
 
 grounden tlnlk same opinioun, goon not therto. For- 
 whi, if the processis forth and afore tho textis lagging 
 be weel and diligentli considerid, it schal be open to 
 ech such reeder and considerer, that tho ij. textis 
 seruen and remytten or senden into othere Scripturis 
 of prophecie whiche grounden feitli : the oon of hem 
 remittith or sendith into Scripture of prophecie. which 
 schulde grounde feith of the laste resurreccioun ; and 
 the other sendith into Scripture of prophecie, which 
 schulde grounde feith of Cristis incarnacioun. And 
 sithen neuer neither of hem remyttith or sendith 
 into other Scripture, whiche schulde speke of maters 
 being in lawe of kinde and in moral philsophie 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 53 
 
 to be groundid ther yn, therforo neuer neither of CjTAr - x - 
 tho ij. textis, the oon Mat. xxij c . c. and the other 
 Iohun v e . c. alleggid bifore in the firste chapiter, 
 where the firste opinioun is sett, serueth neither forto 
 grounde neither forto verrifie the seid firste opinioun. 
 And thou^ the lay peple wolden holde that eche 
 treuthe and conclusioun and article of catholik feith 
 is groundid in Holi Scripture, so that ellis he is not 
 to be take for catholik feith, y wolde not make me 
 miche bisi forto seie ther a^ens. 
 
 xj. Chapiter. 
 
 Ferthermore, for as miche as holders of the first the Ep^tira°4d 
 opinioun glorien miche hi these textis now to be ^sf^Va^du 1 - 1 
 rehercid, it is ful good with this that is seid forto pU^ter" this 
 sette forth also dewe vndirstondingis of tho textis. 
 
 The firste of tho textis is writen i. Cor. xiiii 6 . c. in The first text, 
 the eende thus: Sotheh %f eny man vnknoivrfh, he°f it: Oricinof 
 
 . . fie expression 
 
 schal be vnhnoivun. Bi this text thei taken that if 4no *?* 
 
 applied by the 
 
 eny man knowith not or putte not in what he mai Loiiardstotbem 
 
 J x selves. 
 
 his bisynes forto leerne the writing of the Bible, as it 
 lijth in text, namelich the writing of the IS ewe Testa- 
 ment, he schal be vnknowen of God forto be eny of 
 hise. And for this, that thei bisien hem silf forto 
 leerne and knowe the Bible, namelich the Newe Tes- 
 tament, in the forme as it is writun word bi word in 
 the Bible, thei ^euen a name propre to hem silf and 
 clepen hem silf "hnowv/n men," as thou^ alle othere 
 than hem ben vnknowun ; and whanne oon of hem 
 talkith with an other of hem of sum other iij e . man. 
 the heerer wole aske thus: "Is he a knowen man?" 
 and if it answerid to him thus : " £he, he is a knowen 
 "man," al is saaf, perel is not forto dele with him; 
 and if it be answerid to him thus : " He is no knowen 
 " man," thanne perel is castid forto miche homeli dele 
 with him. 
 
pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. xi. The ij e . text is writun ij e . Cor. iiij c . c. in the bi- 
 The second text, gynnyng where Poul seith thus : That and if oure 
 
 and the use made „ 7 • • 7,7 7 • i_ 
 
 ofit. Euangelie is couered, it is couered to hem whiche 
 
 spillen ; in which God of this world hath blindid the 
 myndis or wittis of vnfeithful men, that the lifting 
 or cleering of the Euangelie of the glorie of Crist, 
 which is the ymage of God, schine 1 not. Of which 
 now rehercid text thei taken that who euer is a 
 persoon of saluacioun schal soone vndirstonde the tare we 
 meenyng of Holi Scripture, namelich of al the Newe 
 Testament, as weel of the Apocalips as of the othere 
 deel, if he attende therto. And the now seid trewe 
 and dewe vndirstonding of Holi Scripture schal not 
 be hid to sechers aftir it, saue to hem whiche schulen 
 perische and be not saued. And ferthirmore alle hem 
 whiche ben bifore clepid knowen men thei holden 
 forto be children of saluacioun or ny^e to saluacioun, 
 and alle othere men and wommen thei holden as erring 
 * scheep in perel of perisching ; and al for that thei 
 taken of the ij e . text that to the bifore seid men callid 
 knowen men the Euangelie is not couered, and to alle 
 othere men the Euangelie is couered; notwithstanding 
 that in trouthe to seie of tho men clepid of him sill' 
 knowen men the verri lawe of kinde and of feith, (as 
 it is pureli in itsilt* and so the substancial lawe of 
 God to man in erthe,) is wors knowen than of manye 
 othere, whiche it not leernen in wordis of the Bible 
 but in wordis writun in othere bokis, as here apon 
 y durste leie a waiour of lesing myn arme, and that 
 for the experience which y haue tlierin upon the 
 kunnyngis of men in euer either of the ij. now spoken 
 sortis. 
 
 The third text, The iij c . text is writun Apocalips 2 laste chapiter in 
 
 and the use , , . . - . , , . 1 . 
 
 made of it. the eenue where it is seid thus: 1 wttnesse to ech 
 
 *schincth, MS.; but the th is I -Opoc, MS. 
 scratched out. 
 
THK FIRST PART. 
 
 55 
 
 keerer the wordis of the prophetic of this booh. If Chaj. xi, 
 euy man schal putte to hem, putte God upon him 
 the veniauncis writun in this book. And if eny 
 man schal take awey fro the wordis of the book of 
 this prophecie, God take awey his part fro the book 
 °f Hjf> an d f vo the hol'i citee, and fro tho tkingie 
 vjhiche ben xvritun in this book. Bi this book of 
 prophecie which is spoken of in this iij e . text thei 
 vndirstonden 1 the hool Bible or the Newe Testament, 
 and of this iij c . text thei taken this, that to Holi 
 Writt men schnlde not sett eny exposiciouns, declara- 
 tions, or glosis, no more than that men ou^ten take 
 awei fro Holi Writt eny proces or parti writen in 
 Holi Writt ; and if eny man sette such now seid 
 exposiciouns, whiche ben not open bi sum text in 
 Holi Writt, he is cursid. 
 
 That the now bifore seid vndirstondino- whiche thei Thc , first text 
 
 , 0 explained. Tho 
 
 ieuen to the firste of the iij. textis, is vntrewe and ignorance in- 
 
 7 •> tended by St. 
 
 vndew to him, y prone thus : Whanne Poule wroot Paul is B0 * 
 
 » 1 lioranrc ol toe 
 
 thilk first texte i. Cor. xiiij c . chapiter : Sotheli if eny ^ooksof * 
 mem knowith not, he schal be vnknowen, he spake of a second Epistiu 
 thing to be knowun, which thing than was presentli. ^^ns^andtiic 
 Forwhi he seith not thus : Who euere schal vnknowe, ^then°^rS 
 he schal not be knowe, but he seith thus : Who euer 
 vnknovjith, lie schal not be knovmn. But so it is that 
 the al hool Bible was not thanne. Forwhi the al 
 hool writyng of Newe Testament was not thanne. 
 Wherfore Poul meened not and vndirstode not in 
 tliilke wordis forto speke of the writing of the al 
 hool Bible, or of the writing of the Newe Testament, 
 of whiche neuer neither thanne was, that whoeuer 
 knowith not thilk writing he schal be vnknowun of 
 God. That in thilk tyme, whanne Poul wrote tho 
 wordis, the al hool writing: of the Newe Testament 
 
 1 mdirstode, MS. 
 
56 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. XL 
 
 Other books, as 
 the Epistles to 
 the Kjihesians, 
 I'hilippians, 
 Colossians, not 
 yet written. 
 
 was not, y proue thus. In thilk tyme he wrote his 
 Firste Epistle to the Corintheis. Wherfore in thilk 
 tyme this parti of Holi Writt and of the Newe Tes- 
 tament was not, which is now the ij e . Epistle to the 
 Corintheis. Also, whanne Poul wrote the firste text, 
 the Apocalips was not writen ; forwhi Iohun wrote 
 the Apocalips whanne he was in exile in Pathmos, as 
 he seith him silf the [first] 1 chapiter of the Apocalips ; 
 and in thilk exile he was not bifore the laste ^eer of 
 Domician, Emperour of Rome. But Poul was slain 
 bifore the tyme of this exile bi almost xxx u . ^eer : 
 for Poul was slain of the Emperour Nero, in the last 
 ^eer of Nero. Wherfore folewith needis that not al 
 the hool writing of the Newe Testament neither of 
 the al hool Bible was, whanne Poul wrote the first 
 bifore sett text i. Cor. xiiij 0 . c. 
 
 Also Poul wrote hise bothe Epistlis to Corinthies 
 eer he came te> Rome, and eer he was prisoned there. 
 Forwhi Poul wrote his Firste Epistle to the Corintheis 
 whanne he was at Ephesie, and whanne he was in 
 purpos for to come aftirward into Corinthe, as it is 
 open bi the last chapiter of the same First Epistle to 
 Corintheis. Also he wrote his ij e . Epistle to the Co- 
 rintheis whanne he was at Troade, as it is open bi 
 the ij°. chapiter of the same ij c . Epistle to the Corin- 
 theis, and whanne he was in hope forto come aftir- 
 ward to Corinthe, as it is open bi the firste and ij°. 
 and last chapiter of the same ij°. Epistle to Corintheis. 
 And herwith open it is that Poul came neuer to 
 Effesi, neither to Troade, neither purposid forto come 
 to Corinthe after he was prisoned in Rome, and after 
 he lay in boundis at Rome ; for he was not delyuered 
 fro tho bondis into his deeth, as it is open bi the ij c . 
 Epistle to Thimothie, the [fourth] 1 chapiter, Wher- 
 
 1 A space left in the MS. for the number. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 57 
 
 fore nedis it is trewe that Poul wrote hise bothe Chap. XL 
 .Epistlis to Corintheis eer he was bounden by prison- 
 yng in Rome ; but his Epistle to the Effesies and his 
 Epistle to the Philipensis and his Epistle to Colocencis 
 he wrote whanne he was in prisoun at Rome, as it 
 mai be tak bi the same epistlis, and as Ierom ther- 
 fore witnessith in the prologis 1 of the same epistlis. 
 And also his Secunde Epistle to Thimothie Poul wrote 
 whanne he was in prisoun at Rome litle bifore his 
 deeth, as it is open bi what Poul seith in the same 
 epistle, that tyme of his resolucioun (that is to seie 
 of the departing bitwixe his bodi and his soule) was 
 than neiye? Wherfore needis folewith that not al the 
 writing of the hool Bible (forwhi not al the writing 
 of the hool Newe Testament) was, whanne Poul wrote 
 the first bifore sett text i. Cor. xiiij 0 . c. And if this 
 be trewe, he wolde not seie whanne he wrote the 
 seid first text, that who vnknowith the al hool 
 writing which we now han of the Newe Testament, 
 he schal not be saued ; and so folewith that tho 
 whiche in the seid first text vndirstonden thilk text 
 forto meene of the hool writing, which we now han of 
 the Newe Testament, vndirstonden thilk text amys. 
 
 Also thus : Thilk wordis of the first text which Poul St. Paul's words 
 writith i. Cor. xiiij". c. were trewe bifore Poul was equally true LU1 
 
 . . , cmi i i • /» •, • before any book 
 
 conuertid to leitn, and bitore eny wilting ol the whatever of the 
 Newe Testament was bigunne. Forwhi eer Matheu, was written, 
 or Mark, or Luk, or Iohun wroten, and eer Poul or 
 Petir or lame or Iudas wrote, it was trewe that who 
 euer bi his owne necligence and bi his owne fre wil 
 vnknowith the lawe, which he is bounden to knowe, 
 schal be vnknowen of God, but if he amende thilk 
 
 1 These prologues (whoever may 
 be their author) are prefixed to the 
 Epistles in the Vulgate : they do 
 not, however, in every case bear 
 
 out Pecoek's assertion. The pro- 
 logue to the Epist. ad Col. says : 
 Scribit Apostolus eis ab Ephcso. 
 1 thd-nei^e, MS. 
 
58 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 CnAr. xi. defaut : and more than this can not be take bi the 
 seid first text of Poul, whanne he seith thus : Who 
 euer vnknoivith, he schal be vnknoiven. Wherfore fol- 
 ewith that the other vndirstonding, bi which summen 
 streynen 1 thilk text forto speke of the writing which 
 we ban now of the Newe Testament, is not dewe to 
 him, namelich sithen in thilk text no mensioun is 
 niaad of eny writing. And therfore whi schulde it be 
 seid that needis thilk text is to be vnderstonde of the 
 writing which we now ban of the Newe Testament I 
 And thus it is now opened, bi this laste now mad 
 argument, which is the trewe and dewe vndirstonding 
 of the same text. 
 The ignorance. of Wherfore sithen ech Cristen man and womman, 
 
 which he speaks, 
 
 may be removed thoiii thei neuere rede oon word in the Bible, or 
 
 by other means / 
 
 better than tlioui thei neuere lerne bi oon daies labour ther yiL 
 
 by the Bible. 7 J 
 
 The Loiiards re- mowe leerne and kepe as miche la we of kinde as God 
 proved For their L 
 
 boast of superior charffitb hem forto leerne and kepe, and as miche 
 
 Knowledge. p 1 
 
 lawe of feith as God charrrith hem forto leerne and 
 kepe, and mowe leerne as miche feith not being lawe 
 to hem how miche God chargith hem forto leerne and 
 knowe ; and therfore al that Cristen men and woni- 
 men ou^ten leerne, thei mowe leerne out of the Bible, 
 and bi bokis treuli drawen out of lawe of kinde and 
 out of the Bible: — the, and sithen al this thei mowe 
 leerne and kunne more pleinli and more fulli and 
 sooner than thei mowe it leerne in the Bible., (as it 
 folewith out and fro the vj e . and vij". and x e . bifore 
 sett conclusiouns, and as experience wole nedis prone 
 to eche Mtti.gr for to lemc The donet and his Folewer 
 in to Cristen rclUjiovv, The booh of Cristen rcligioxiv, 
 The fittvng of the iiij. tabUa, with othere bookis &n~ 
 nexid and knyt to The book of Cristen rdigioun) it 
 muste needis folewe that al the kunnyng, whos iguo- 
 
 1 stiyncn t MS., the e bciug iu u late baud. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 59 
 
 raunce is so perilose as Poul spekith of in the firste Obae.xl 
 
 bifore seid text, may be had better out of tlie Bible 
 
 by reding and studiyng and leernyng in the othere 
 
 Beid writingis, than bi reding and studiyng and leern- 
 
 yng in the Bible oonli. And if this be trewe (as it 
 
 is proued at ful now to be trewe), y mai seie to ech 
 
 of these men whiche so glorien for her kuimyng and 
 
 leernyng in the Bible oonli or in the Newe Testament 
 
 oonli, and enhaunsen hem silf in her owne myndes 
 
 therbi aboue othere men not so in the Bible reding 
 
 studiyng, and leernyng, what Seint Poul, Romans 
 
 [third] 1 c., seith in sumwhat lijk caas to the conuersis 
 
 of the lewis, forthat thei enhaunciden hem silf aboue 
 
 the conuersis of the hethen men, bi cause the conuersis 
 
 of the lewis had red bifore and studied and leerned 
 
 the Oold Testament, and so hadden not leerned the 
 
 conuersis of the hethen men. Where he seith thus : 
 
 Where is thi gloriyng ? He is excludid. Bi what 
 
 laive is he excludid ? Cert is b i the lawe of kinde 
 
 and of feith, which mowe be leerned of tho lay peple 
 
 and also of clerkis, thoui thei not rede and studie in 
 
 the Bible oonly forto it leerne : £he, and mowe be 
 
 leerned 2 of hem sooner, clerelier, and fuller, than bi 
 
 reeding and studiyng in the Bible oonli, and that bi 
 
 reding and studiyng in the othere seid bokis. And 
 
 therfore tlii " gloriyng is excludid." 
 
 xij. Chapiter. 
 
 That the vnderstonding which thei assignen to the The second text 
 
 discussed. Xlio 
 
 secunde bifore sett text, writen ij e . Cor. iiij e . c., forto Gospel spoken of 
 
 i -n i ■ i -n T-i by St. Paul is 
 
 seie that ther yn thuk text bi the xLuangely Poul not the writing 
 
 1 A space left for the number in I 2 lererncd, MS. 
 the MS. | 
 
GO 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. xii. vnclirstode and meened the writing of the Newe Tes- 
 of the New Tes- tament, is not dewe ther to Vndirstonding, y proue 
 
 tament, much of , , ..... .. . „ 
 
 which was ik 
 then written 
 
 which was not thus: Whanne Poul wroot thilk ij e . text to the Co- 
 
 rinthies, seiyng thus, If oure Euangelie be couered or 
 be hid, it is couered to hem that perischen, the 
 Euangelie of which he spekith in thilk text was had 
 thanne presentli. Forwhi the text speking of thilk 
 Euangelie spekith of it presentli, and not as of a 
 thing aftir thanne to come. But the hool writing of 
 the Newe Testament was not thanne had, as it is 
 schewid now bifore in arguyng a^ens the mis vndir- 
 stonding of the firste text. Wherfore by thilk Euan- 
 gelie, of which Poul spekith in the seid ij e . text, he 
 vnderstode not the hool writing which is now had of 
 the Newe Testament. 
 The Gospel an- Also thus : Bifore and eer than eny word was writen 
 
 tenor to anv 
 
 written docu- of the Newe Testament, the Euancrelie of God was, 
 
 metit whatever, t p . 
 
 ami dates from which to alle men ouite be denouncid, and whiche alle 
 
 t lie ascension of / . _ 
 
 ciirist. men ou^ten receyue, whamie it schulde be to hem 
 
 denouncid. Wherfore the Euangelie of God is not the 
 writing of the Newe Testament, for thanne the same 
 thins had be bifore him silf, and eer than he was him 
 silf, which includith repugnaunce. That the Euangeli 
 of God was, bifore and eer than eny word was writen 
 of the Newe Testament, y proue thus : The Euangelie 
 of God which was to be denouncid to alle peple was 
 in the dai in which Crist stied up into heuen : forwhi 
 he seide thanne to hise disciplis : Go ye, and i^veche ye 
 the Euangelie to ech creature. And open it is that 
 he thanne bade not to hem forto preche any Euangelie 
 which thanne was not and which thei thanne not 
 knewen, but which thanne was and which thei thanne 
 knewen ; and as thanne no word was writen of the 
 Newe Testament, as it is open ynou^. Wherfore folew- 
 ith needis that the Euangelie which alle men schulden 
 aftirward receyue into her saluacioun was, eer eny 
 word was writun of the Newe Testament. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 61 
 
 Also thus : Whamie euere the Apostilis prechiden the chap, xil 
 Euangelie of God, thanne thilk Euangelie was. For whi The Go^pTi 
 no thing was precliid, eer than it was : but so it is x^ilesmUK 
 that the Euangelie of God was prechid bi the Apostlis Dates of the four 
 soone aftir the Pentecost day, whamie thei hadden wntten ^p 61 *- 
 receyued the Holi Goost and kunnyng of langage, and 
 whanne thei continueden so in preching bi manye 
 ^eeris eer they wroten. Wher fore the Euangelie of 
 God (which Poul and othere Apostilis prechiden) was, 
 eer any word was writen of the Newe Testament. 
 And if tliis be trewe, thanne sithen the ij e . seid text 
 of Poul spekith of noon other Euangelie than of the 
 Euangelie of God, for neither he neither eny creature 
 ou^te seie him to haue a propre Euangelie bisidis the 
 Euangelie of God, it folewith nedis that Poul in his 
 ij c . text bifore alleggid, ij. Cor. xiiij 6 . c., meeneth and 
 vnderstondith of this Euangelie of God, which was 
 bifore and eer than the Newe Testament was writen, 
 and eer than this writing which we now han of the 
 Newe Testament was, and so not as forto signifie this 
 Avriting of the Newe Testament the ij e . text ou^te 
 take his dew vnderstonding. 1 Certis stories maken 
 mension that Matheu wrote what he wrote of the 
 Gospel in the xl e . ieer of Crist, and Mark wrote what 
 he wrote of the Gospel in the xliij 6 . ^eer of Crist, and 
 Luk, (as it is open bi his owne prolog into what he 
 wrote of the Gospel,) he wrote aftir othere writers, 
 and (as summe stori seith) Iohun wrote what he 
 wrote of the Gospel aboute the eende of his lijf aftir 
 his comyng fro exile after the lxxx e . ^eer of Crist. 
 Wherto sowneth sumwhat the epistle which Dionyse 
 wrote to Iohun being in exile, as thou^ Dionise 
 schulde in thilk epistle haue prophecied Iohun to be 
 delyuered fro exile and forto write of the Gospel of 
 
 vnderstondinging, MS. 
 
62 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 CH.uoni. God. 1 And j\t in al this while the Euangelie of God 
 was, and the Gospel of God was ; and it was not 
 " couered, but to hem that perischiden." Wherfore the 
 sentence and what is vnderstonde hi the seid ij a . text 
 of Poul was, eer Poul wroot thilk text, and eer any 
 writing of the Newe Testament was in erthe. And 
 therfore the verri dew sentence and propre vndir- 
 stonding of thilk ij e . text is not needis to be of the 
 writing of the Newe Testament. Forwhi the sentence 
 of thilk text is of the Euangeli of God prechid bi 
 Poul, which Euangelie was prechid eer Poul was con- 
 uertid and eer eny writing of the Newe Testament 
 was. 
 
 The true ex- Certis this Euangelie (which includith lawe of kinde 
 second text. and lawe of feith ^ouen bi Crist, and includith also 
 other feith tau^t bi Crist which is not lawe to man) 
 is not couered, that is to sei, is not so derk that 
 it be not bileeued and receyued and performed ; sane 
 in tho men whiche schiden not bileeue to it and re- 
 ccyue it, whanne it is denouncid to hem, and therfore 
 whiche schulen perische, for that thei not receyuen 
 and bileeuen what is bi the Euangelie of God to be 
 bileeued and receyued: and this was trewe eer the 
 writing of the Newe Testament was. And this is the 
 trewe and dew vnderstonding of the seid ij e . text 
 ij. Cor. iiij°. c. where it is seid thus: If oure Euan- 
 gelie be couered, it is couered to hem uhiche spillen : 
 and that this is the verri trewe and dew vndirstond- 
 ing of the same text the processe next without meene 
 therto folewing schewith openli ynou£, which processe 
 is bifore with the same text in the bigynnyng of this 
 present chapiter rehercid. 
 The vainglory Exchulid therfore is thi gloriyng, which thou tookist 
 knowledge re- into thee bi this that thou leernedist and studicdist 
 
 Dionys. Arcop. Ep. x. (Op., torn, ii., p. 179. Ed. Cord.) It is almost 
 needless to say that this is a spurious production. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 63 
 
 in the wordis and letter of the al liool Bible, or of CaA ^J u - 
 the Newe Testament aloone, and bi the mys vndir- paul^Yopreor of 
 steading of this ij". bifore rehercid text of Ponl ; and Sbtetothe pli " 
 therbi enhauncidist tin silf aboue thi Cristen bri- Lollaras - 
 theren and sistren not so in wordis and letter of the 
 Bible leerned. Exclndid certis is thi gloriyng therbi 
 taken, and verrili it is exclndid bi this that thin vn- 
 trewe vnderstonding of thilk ij e . text, (^he, and thin 
 vntrewe vndirstonding of also the first text) ben in- 
 proned here, and the trewe and dewe vndirstondingis 
 ben to hem here sett and assigned. Be waar ther- 
 fore frohens forthward that noon of ^ou, so as ye han 
 bifore this, glorie and enhaunce yo\i silf aboue alle 
 othere Cristen not so leerned in the text of the Bible 
 as ye ben, lest that y (which haue experience of ioure 
 conuersacioun not according with the comaun dementis 
 of the Bible) seie to ech of ^ou what Poul seide in 
 sumwhat lijk caas to the conuersis of lewis, Romans 
 ij°. c. fro the bigynnyng of the same chapiter into 
 weel toward the eende, where Poul in the bigynning 
 seith thus : Wherfore thou art vnfixcusable, ech man 
 that deemest : for in what thing thou demest the other 
 man thou condempnest thi silf, for thon doost the same 
 tkingis whiche thou deemest, et cetera. And after there 
 thus : Accepcioun of persoones is not anentis God : 
 for who euere han synned withoute the lawe schulen 
 'perische with oute the lawe. And who euere han syn- 
 ned in the lawe thei schulen be deemed bi the lawe : 
 for the heerers of the lawe ben not iust anentis God, 
 but the doers of the have schulen be mad iust. For 
 whanne hethen men, whiche han not lawe, doon kindeli 
 tho thingis whiche ben of the lawe, thanne thei not 
 hauyng such lawe ben laioe to hem silf, that schewen 
 the werh of the lawe writen in her hertis. For the 
 conscience of hem yeldith to hem a witnessing bitwixe 
 hem silf of thouytis, whiche ben accusing or defending, 
 in the dai whanne God schal deeme the priuy thingis 
 
64 
 
 pecock's repressor 
 
 Chap. xii. of men aftir mi Gospel bi Iesu 1 Crist. But if thou 
 art a named lew, (or ellis for this present purpos 
 for to seie thus : but if thou art a named knowun 
 man,) and restist in the laive, and hast glorie in God, 
 and hast Jcnoiven his wil, and thou leerid in the 
 lawe prouest the more profitable thingis, and trustist 
 thi silf to be a leder of blynd men, the liyt of hem 
 that ben in derlcnessis, and techer of vnwise men, a 
 maister of yong children, that hast the foorme of 
 kunnyng and of trouthe in the laxve : what thanne ?- 
 techist thou another, and techist not thi silf? Thou 
 that prechist me schal not stele, stelist ? Thou that 
 techist me schal do noon aduoutrie, doost avoutrie ? 
 Thou that wlatist maivmetrie, doost sacrilegie ? Thou 
 that hast glorie in the lawe, vnworschipist God bi 
 breldng of the lawe ?■ Thus miche there and ful miche 
 lijk to this present purpos. 
 The third text That the vndirstonding which this bifore seid peple 
 
 discussed and . . ..... ... ..... , . 
 
 explained, st. ieueth to the ni e . biiore allep-id text, Apocalips laste 
 
 John's curse 7 J . ° ,. . ,. 
 
 does not apply chapiter, m the eende, is not dew vndirstonding, y proue 
 
 to plosscs (iiid 
 
 interpretations thus : The curs of whiche the iii c . text spekith is not 
 
 of Scripture i a t 
 
 generally, or of touen but to hem that amys treten t he Apocalips, as 
 
 the Apocalypse ( . ... , 1T1 „ , . .„ 
 
 in particular; it it is open bi the same nr. text. VVheriore bi tlulk text 
 
 applies to a mu- r , . . 
 
 t nation of the it is not seid that eny curs is louen to eny men amys 
 
 text of that par- J Z m 
 
 ticuiarbook. tretmg eny other parti of the Newe Testament. Also 
 thus : Oonli he, that makith the text of a book lenger 
 than he is, settith to the wordis of thilk book ; and 
 oonli he, which makith the text of a book be schorter 
 than he is, takith fro the wordis of thilk book. But so 
 it is, that if a man makith a exposicioun or a declara- 
 cioun to the text of a book, he makith not the book 
 neither eny text of the book to be therbi the lenger or 
 the schorter. Wherfore he in that settith not or put- 
 tith not to the book or to the wordis of the book, 
 
 1 iku, MS. necessary, but there is no stop in 
 
 ; The note of interrogation seems I the MS. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 65 
 
 neither takith therfro ; and therfore thou^ a man ex- chap. xit. 
 powne the Apocalips or eny other book or processe or 
 text of the Newe Testament, he is not therfore in the 
 curs of which it is spoken in the seid iij e . text. And 
 so open it is that the bifore seid persoons vndirstonden 
 amys the same seid iij e . text. But the trewe and verry 
 vndirstonding ther of is this : That no man vndir 
 peyne 1 of the seid curs schulde encrece or decrece 
 the text or proces of the same book clepid the Apoca- 
 lips, as perauenture, if this thretenyng hadde not be 
 ^ouen, summen wolden haue do in encrecing or de- 
 creeing ; bicause that the Apocalips is morre wondirful 
 than othere writingis of the Newe Testament ben. 
 Also treuthe is that tho bifore seid men wolen ex- 
 powne the Apocalips and othere placis of the Newe 
 Testament, whanne euere eny of tho processis ben 
 alleggid a^ens hem and a^ens her opiniouns. Wher- 
 fore bi her vnderstonding which thei taken of the seid 
 iij e . text, that alle expowners and glose ^euers to Holi 
 Scripture ben cursid, 2 thei muste needis graunte hem 
 silf to be cursid. 
 
 Now, Sires, whiche schulen rede this book, thou z Apology for the 
 
 ' ' ... ' ■ 7 length of this 
 
 thorul out this present xij e . chapiter y have taried upon chapter, 
 thing which is as of in it silf litle worthi or not worthi 
 to be spoken or writun, bi cause this present chapiter 
 is reprouyng a thing which berith openli ynou^ with 
 him his owne reproof, lit bi cause that the persoones 
 bifore seid o-lorien ful veinli and ful childli and lewdeli 
 in tho iij. textis bifore in this chapiter tretid, and 
 that aboue her gloriyng bi whiche in manie othere 
 thei glorien, ech reder of this present chapiter haue 
 pacience in his reding and haue me excusid of therof 
 so long writing. 
 
 1 vndirpeyne, MS. 2 acursid, MS. (first hand). 
 
 E 
 
66 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 xiij. Chapiter. 
 
 The sweetness of A greet cause whi tliei of the lav parti which han 
 
 Scripture the - 1 
 
 ground of the vsid the liool Bible or oonli the Newe Testament in 
 
 first erroneous 
 
 opinion above ] ier rnodris langace han holde the seid first opinioun 
 
 mentioned, o o i 
 
 Such ground was this, that the reeding in the Bible, namelich in 
 
 unreasonable. © 
 
 the historial parties of the Oold Testament and of the 
 Newe, is miche delectable and sweete, and drawith the 
 reders into a denocioun and a loue to God and fro 
 lone and deinte of the world ; as y haue had her of 
 experience upon 1 suche reders and upon her now seid 
 disposicioun. And thanne bi cause that the seid reed- 
 ing was to hem so graceful, and so delectable, and 
 into the seid eende so profitable, it fil into her con- 
 ceit forto trowe ful soone, enfornnmg and tising ther 
 to vnsufficienti leerned clerkis, that God had mad 
 or purueied the Bible to mennis bihoue after as it 
 were or bi the vtterist degre of his power and kun- 
 nyng for to so ordeyne, and therfore al the hoole 
 Bible (or, as summen trowiden, the Newe Testament) 
 schulde conteyne al that is to be doon in the lawe 
 and seruice to God bi Cristen men, withoute nede to 
 haue ther with eny doctrine. £he, and if y schal seie 
 what hath be seid to myn owns heering, sotheli it 
 hath be seid to me thus, " that neuere man errid bi 
 " reding or studiyng in the Bible, neither eny man 
 " my*te erre bi reeding in the Bible, and that for 
 " such cause as is now seid :" notwithstanding that 
 ther is no book writen in the world bi which a man 
 schal rather take an occasioun forto erre, and that for 
 ful gode and open trewe causis, whiche ben spoken 
 and expressid in the ij''. parti of the book clepid The 
 iust apprising of Holi Scripture. But certis thei 
 
 1 vupoti, MS. The -word is written upon and upon elsewhere. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 67 
 
 tooken her mark amya : for fcbei puttiden al her mo- chap, xiii. 
 tyue in her affeccioun or wil forto so trowe ; and 
 not in her intelleccioun or resoun ; and in lijk maner 
 doon wommen, for thei reulen hem silf as it were in 
 alle her gonernauncis aftir her affeccioun 1 and not aftir 
 resoun, or more aftir affeccioun than after doom of re- 
 soun ; bi cause that affeccioun in hem is ful strong 
 and resoun in hem is litle, as for the more parti of 
 wommen. 
 
 And therfore euen rkt as a man iugid amys SJ^^^ness^o? 
 and were foule bigilid and took his mark amys, if hone y- 
 lie schulde trowe that in hony were al the cheer, al 
 the coumfort, al the thrift which is in al other mete, 
 bi cause that hony is swettist to him of alle othere 
 metis ; so he is begilid and takith his mark amys, if 
 he therfore trowe that in Holi Scripture is al the 
 doctrine necessarie to man for to serue God and forto 
 kepe his lawe ; bi cause that Holi Scripture is so 
 miche delectable, and for that bi thilk delectacioun he 
 bringith yn myche cheer and coumfort and strengthith 
 the wil forto the more do and suffre for God. And 
 so me thinkith to suche men good counseil were for- 
 to seie to hem, that thei be waar of childrenys perel, 
 which is that bi cause children louen sweete meetis 
 and drinkis fid miche, therfore whanne thei comen to 
 feestis thei feeden hem with sweete stonding potagis 
 and with sweete bake metis, and leuen othere sub- 
 stancial and necessarie metis ; trowing that bi so miche 
 tho sweete meetis ben the more holsum, how miche 
 more thei ben swetter than othere metis : and therfore 
 at the laste thei geten to hem therbi bothe losse of 
 dewe nurisching and also sumtyme vilonie. Certis in 
 lijk maner y haue wiste suche men, that han so ouer 
 miche zeuen hem to reding in the Bible aloone, haue 
 gete to hem losse of sufficient and profitable leernyng 
 
 ' It is not very clear whether the MS. has affectioun or affeccioun. 
 
 E 2 
 
68 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 cn.vr.xin. which in other wheris thei mitten haue gete, and also 
 vilonie forto avowe and warante that thei couthen 
 the trewe sentence and trewe vnderstondino- of the 
 Bible, whanne and where thei not conthen so vnder- 
 stonde, neither couthen mentene what thei ther ynne 
 vnderstoden, and also forto avowe and warante that 
 in the Bible were miche more and profitabiler and of 
 other soort kunnyng than 1 can ther yn be fuunde. And 
 therfore to alle suche men mai be seid what is seid 
 Prouerbs xxv e . c. in sentence thus : Thou hast founde 
 hony, ete therof what is ynouy and no more; lest 
 thou ouer fillid caste it vp out ajen, and thanne is it 
 to thee vilonie : and what is writen aftir in the same 
 chapiter there in sentence thus : Forto ete miche of 
 hony is not good to the eier. So that whanne euere 
 thou takist upon thee forto vnderstonde ferther in 
 the Bible than thi wit may or can therto suffice with- 
 oute help of a substantial clerk, thanne etist thou of 
 hony more than ynou2, and doost a^ens the bidding of 
 Seint Poul, Romans xij e . c. soone after the bigynnyng. 
 And whanne thou attendist forto leerne Holi Scrip- 
 ture, and attendist not ther with forto haue eny other 
 leernyng of philsophie or of diuynite, bi thin owne 
 studie in bookis ther of maad or bi teching and infor- 
 macioun of sum sad clerk touun to thee, thanne thou 
 etist hony aloon and feedist thee with hony oonli. 
 And this feding scbal turne into thin vnhoolsumnes, 
 ritt as if thou schuldist ete in bodili maner noon other 
 mete than hony it schulde not be to thee hoolsum. 
 Che dimity of To ton therfore, whiche fauoren the firste seid opi- 
 
 I ho Bible lias its • t • xi v c o • j. T "j. • 1 • 
 
 limits. The nion, 1 seie the wordis ot beint lame writen in his 
 ttoi^Uards now, [first] 8 c. thus: Take je or rcceyuc ye this graffid word, 
 tare above np ' which may saue goitre soulis. Receue the loore 
 Paul's reproof of this present firste parti of this book and the ii j. 
 
 1 thai, MS.; altered by a later 
 hand into than. 
 
 1 A space left for the number in 
 the MS. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 G9 
 
 parties of The iust apprising of Iloli Scripture, and Chap.xth, 
 receue ie it as a graffid word, that is to seie receue t0 *J ,e P , fE5 ;i ' 
 
 7 o ' cable to the 
 
 ye it as a doctrine groundid and foundid in such Lollards also, 
 autorite, which muste needis mente} 7 ne the same doc- 
 trine, that no man schal mowe putte it doun. For if 
 he weel considere out of what ground it growith and 
 to what fundament it leeneth, y doute not but that £e 
 schulen consente that it is a sureli graffid word, which 
 mai saue ioure soulis fro manye perilouse errouris and 
 heresies, if into eny suche ^e ben come ; and mai pre* 
 serue you that ye falle into noon, into which ye ellis 
 schulden come. And if ye bithenke tow weel how it 
 is in werk of this present first parti bitwixe me and 
 yow, certis it is in lijk maner as it was bitwixe Poul 
 and the Cristen whiche at Rome were conuertid fro 
 Iewry into Cristenhode. Forwhi in the dales of Seint 
 Poul lewis and tho that weren conuertid fro lewis 
 la we into Cristenhode magnifieden ouermiche the Oold 
 Testament ; for thou^ the oold lawe was good to the 
 kepers therof, iit it was not so good as thei maden 
 therof, namelich in thillc degre in which thei con- 
 ceueden it to be good ; and Poul witing this repressid 
 her ouer miche dignifiyng of the oold lawe, and de- 
 clarid the dignifiyng and the laude of the oold lawe, 
 as he is in treuthe, withynne his propre and seueral 
 boundis and markis. For of this mensioun is maad 
 Romans [the second and third chapters]. 1 And euen 
 lijk maner is bitwix tou and me in these daies. For- 
 whi many of the lay parti dignifien ouer miche the 
 writing of the Newe Testament, and many other digni- 
 fien ouermiche the writing of al the hool Bible, ween- 
 yng that of the now seid writing is verified the bifore 
 rehercid firste opinioun : and y, bi what y can, am 
 aboute fro the bigynnyng of this present book hidir 
 to, and thoru^ out al the book clepid The iust ap- 
 
 1 A space left in the ISIS, for the reference. 
 
70 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap^xiii. 'prising of Holi Scripture, for to iinproue and reproue 
 the seid firste opinioun, and for to therbi represse the 
 •seid oueriniche dignifiyng of the Newe Testament and 
 of the al hool Bible, and forto putte his trewe and 
 dew dignifiyng withynne his propre to him seueral 
 and dewe markis and boimdis, in the maner bifore 
 spokun bi the iij e . principal conclusioim. God therfore 
 grante that as the Romayns obeieden to the open re- 
 soun and proof which Seint Poul made and wrote 
 a^ens hem, that so je obeie to the open proof which 
 y make and write a^ens ^ou, thou^ y desire not that 
 £e obeie to me. 
 
 The provinces of And whanne al is doon, what euer wil a man hath 
 
 Scripture and of . . 
 
 moral philosophy f or to do reuerence to Hon Scripture, lit sithen treuthe 
 
 must be kept j m ' . 
 
 distinct, andthey is to be had in al a mannys ffouernauncis, the best 
 
 must not be \ . . 
 
 allowed to inter- o-ouernaunce in this mater is this : forto sufire Holi 
 
 fere with one ■ 
 
 another. Their Scripture abide withiime his owne terinys and boimdis, 
 
 provinces dc- 1 . 
 
 and not entre into the boimdis and the ritt of lawe 
 of kinde : that is to seie, that he not vsurpe eny 
 grounding which longith to the faculte of lawe of 
 kinde or of moral philsophi, and so that he not 
 wrongee the 1 lawe of kinde. And a^enward, that 
 the seid lawe of kinde kepe him withiime hise oAvne 
 teermys and boundis, and not entre into boimdis and 
 ritt of Holi Scripture : that is to seie, that he not 
 vsurpe eny grounding which longith to Holi Scrip- 
 ture, neither therbi wrongee Holi Scripture ; but that 
 euereither of hem nei^bouiiy dwelle bisidis the other 
 of hem, and not entermete as in grounding with the 
 other of hem. And this beste gouernaunce schal be 
 performed, if (aftir sentence of the vj. firste conclu- 
 siouns) it be holde 2 that Holi Scripture schal grounde 
 the conclusiouns and treuthis of Cristen feith, and not 
 eny oon conclusioun or treuthe into whos fynding and 
 
 fined. 
 
 1 A stroke is drawn through the 
 by a later hand, but the corrector 
 seems to have tried to wash it 
 
 out ; (he article seems to be 
 right. 
 2 biholde, MS. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 71 
 
 grounding doom of maimy.s resoun may suffice, with cnAr.xuj, 
 coucours of the grace which God bi his comouu vni- 
 uersal lawe is woned and is redi alwey ieue ; and 
 a^enward, that doom of mannys resoun or lawe of 
 kinde schal founde and groimde the conclusiouns and 
 treuthis of Cristen lawe into whos fynding resoun in 
 the now seid maner may suffice, and that he not 
 grounde eny oon conclusioun or treuth of feith ; and 
 but if this gouernaunce be kept, pees, ri^t, and 
 trouthe is not bitwixe hem kept. 
 
 Perauenture here summan of the lay party, hold- a reply by 
 ing the seid first opinioun and therfore hoolding atens certain passages 
 
 ° 1 . ° 7 which might be 
 
 tJie first bifore sett conclusioun, wole renne azens me cited from the 
 
 t/ . Fathers of the 
 
 with summe writingis of oolde and holy Doctouris church, ainrm- 
 
 _ . . , in ™B Scripture to 
 
 sownyiK' into the firste opmioun and aiens the firste bo the ground of 
 
 . / Christian faith 
 
 conclusioun : not for that he admyttith, receueth, and ?»d practice. 
 
 , , Pccock 3 Latin 
 
 allowith the writingis of tho Doctoiu-is, for thanne he work, to be en- 
 
 & ; ' titled The just 
 
 schulde smyte him silf with his owne stroke; but for wprisina «f 
 
 J . , Doctors, will dis- 
 
 that he knowith me admytte and allowe the writingis cu f th j? subject 
 
 J ° at length. 
 
 of Doctouris, therfore he makith a^ens me this assaut, 
 in pretending as thou£ he wole do to me as Dauid 
 dide to Golie in smyting of of Golie's heed with his 
 owne swerd. Neuertheles sufficient bokeler a^ens this 
 assailing schal be to me a book which y haue bigunnc 
 to 1 write in Latyn, clepid The iust apprising of Doc- 
 touris. For in hi^er maner than as thilk book schal 
 teche the writingis of Doctouris to be take in to cre- 
 dence, (whether thei ben of oold or of newe, of holi 
 or of not holi Doctouris), thei ou^ten not be take, as 
 there schal in clerist maner be opened and proued : 
 but bi cause noon of hem, a^ens whom y write this 
 present book, wole so allegge a^ens me for eny zele 
 or credence which he him silf hath to what he schal 
 so allegge, therfore it is no nede me forto as here in 
 this booke encerche the writingis of Doctouris sown- 
 yng a^ens mi present entent, and forto expowne and 
 
 1 to in a later hand. 
 
72 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. xiii. cleree her wordis. Perauentur summe of tho writingis 
 vnderstonden of grounding takun vnpropirli and 
 largeli and not propirly, of which maner of taking 
 this word ground or grounding y hane spoken bifore 
 in this book in the eende of the [fifth] 1 chapiter. 
 And summe of tho writingis ben to be vndei'stonde in 
 figure of yperbole or in summe other figuratijf speche, 
 for wbanne vpon eny thing spechis or writingis ben 
 maad bi wey of commendacioun or bi wey of vitupe- 
 racioun, tho spechis ben 2 woned be myche fauorid bi 
 tiguris excusing what ellis in hem schulde be vntrewe 
 and defauti ; and a greet licence han writers and spek- 
 ers in these now seid causis forto write and speke 
 more wijldeli, than thei schulden be suffrid forto 
 write and speke of the same thing out of these now 
 seid causis. And therfore, brother, be not ouerboold 
 vpon wordis and writingis in suche maters where yn 
 resoun hath to deeme ; but truste ther yn to cleer 
 doom of resoun, and thenke what an oolde Doctour 
 Hillary seith (and sooth it is) that the tvordis of a 
 apekev ben to be referrid into the entent wherto he 
 hern spelcith. 3 For therbi ful ofte and ellis not schal 
 be cau^t 4 of tho wordis the trewe and dew vndir- 
 stonding. But forto seie in oon word what mai be 
 Beid in manie, who euer wole for eni Doctouris writ- 
 ing fauore the firste opinioun and countre aiens the 
 firste conclusioun, assoile he ther with alle the euy- 
 dencis or argumentis bifore sett into proof of the 
 firsts conclusioun. And no more bi me of this vnto 
 other place and tyme. 
 
 1 A space left in the ISIS, for the 
 number. 
 
 2 be, MS. (first hand.) 
 
 1 Intelligentia dictorurn ex causis 
 est assumenda diccndi, quia non 
 scrmoni res sed rci est sernio sub- 
 jcctus. S. Hilar., <lc Triii., lib. iv. 
 (p. 835. Ed. Bened.) Dicti ratio 
 
 ex sensu erit intelligenda dieendi 
 (dicentis, some MSS.) Id., lib. ii. 
 (p. 803. Ed. Bened.) To one or 
 both of these passages Pecock here 
 alludes. 
 
 A The MS. probably originally 
 had UiUXt, bat BO erasure has altered 
 
T1IE FIRST PART. 
 
 73 
 
 xiiij. Chapiter. 1 
 
 But certis more seharpeli here risen ij. obiecciouns, two objections 
 
 1 " . THAT MIGHT BE 
 
 whiche the holders of the firste opinioun miiten make made by the 
 
 1 ( , HOLDERS OF THE 
 
 aiens me bi resoun thus: Mannys resoun is a thmo- first named 
 
 7 , . . , OPINION STATED: 
 
 whiche in liise doomys and iugementis ofte failith, as a.)Bea«mis 
 
 * ° fallible, and 
 
 experience ofte schewith. Wherfore it mytte seme therefore an un- 
 
 1 . certain rule for 
 
 that God wolde not him to be oure reule in deedis ^ t ' er ^ e J 0 , 
 
 God. (2) Scri|i- 
 
 of oure seruice to God. Forwhi this, that God schulde turc is more 
 
 ' _ _ worthy than rea- 
 
 make vs forto leene to a thing deceyuyng and failing *> n > and there- 
 
 ° J ■» ° ° fore ought not 
 
 forto performe his seruice, bifittith 2 not his wisdom as to , b . e ™? de 
 
 1 .. .. ~ subject torcasor. 
 
 it wolde seme. The ij e . obiectioun is this : Holi Scrip- 
 ture is a reuerend thing and a worthi, sythen that bi 
 it and fro it al the Cristen Chirche of God takith 
 her feith. Wherfore it mi^te seme that God wolde 
 not subdewe or submitte and remytte and sende him 
 to resoun, for to be interpretid and be expowned and 
 dressid into trewe and dewe sense and vndirstonding ; 
 and that bothe for resoun is a reule failing in his 
 doom, and at so for that Holi Scriptures affermyng 
 vpon a mater is more worthi than is the doom of 
 mannis resoun. And therfore sithen, as it semeth, 
 God not so reulith him in hise goHernauncis, that he 
 ^eueth a reule which is not sufficient forto reule, or 
 that he puttith the worthier thing vndir reule of the 
 vnworthier thing, it mi^te seme miche of al what y 
 haue bifore tau^t in this present book be vntrewe. 
 
 1 This chapter is misnumbered 
 xiii. in the MS. (the two preceding 
 chapters having been originally 
 numbered xii.), and the error ex- 
 tends throughout the remainder of 
 the First Part. A later band has 
 corrected the running title in part ; 
 
 in this edition, it need hardly be 
 added, the error is corrected 
 throughout. 
 
 8 The MS. has been corrected 
 from bisittith into bisetlith; but 
 befiuith is probably the true read- 
 ing. 
 
pecock's repressor. 
 
 Cuap. xiv. To the firste of these ij. obiecciouns y answere 
 The first thus : It is ful profitable to mankinde that he haue 
 answered. of seable treuthis sure knowing, and that bi silt of 
 
 Our senses are . , . . , . . . 
 
 the only guide i^en ; and lit what othere lien or semg power hath 
 
 for sensible ' God louen to mankinde forto therwith se, than which 
 
 arcfaibbk 1,y at sumtyme wolen faile and erre? It is also ful 
 
 excusable, ir profitable to mankinde that he haue sure knowing 
 
 same remark to of lieereable treuthis, and that bi heering of eeris ; and 
 
 be made of reason ., . . _ . . , „ , 
 
 and reasonable tit whau othere eeris or power oi heering hath uod 
 
 truths, and the 7 . * °. , - .. 
 
 difficulty urged lone to man, than which at sumtyme schulen laile 
 
 l).v the objection 7 . , m 
 
 solved. and erre m deemyng ? Is it not profitable to man- 
 
 kinde forto move fro oon place into an other place 
 redili and riitli and sureli with leggis and feet ? 
 And lit what othere feet or leggis hath God loue 
 to man, than whiche schulen at sumtyme slide and at 
 sumtyme stumble fro the riit going and moving i 
 And if this be trewe, certis thoui it be ful profitable 
 to mankinde forto knowe with and bi the power of 
 resoun resonable trouthis, (that is to seie suche as 
 inowe not be knowe bi seing or heering or eny out- 
 ward sensitijf wit,) and also tho 1 same treuthis whiche 
 outward sensityue wittis knowen, it is not merveil, 
 thoui God ieue noon other power of resoun to man 
 forto bi it knowe these treuthis, than whiche power 
 of resoun schal - at sumtyme and ofte faile in his re- 
 sonyng and iuging. And, namelich, herfore it is the 
 lasse merveil. For bi cause that God hath louen to 
 vs noon othere iien and power of seing than whiche 
 Avolen at sumtime erre, and noon other power of heer- 
 ing than whiche wolen at sumtime erre, and noon 
 othere feet than whiche wolen ofte slide and stumble ; 
 therfore if wc do oure diligence and bisyncs forto 
 kepe as weel as we mowen and kunnen oure power 
 of seing that he erre not, oure power of heering that 
 
 1 the, MS. (first hand). 
 
 | 'achat, MS. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 he erre not, oure feet that thei slide not and .stumble chap, xiy. 
 
 not, God wole holde us excusid, thout ome power of 
 
 seing erre, and thou^ oure power of heering erre, and 
 
 tliou^ oure feet stumble ; and it schal be allowid to 
 
 us as miche of God as if it be seen ariit, herd arnfc, 
 
 and walkid arttt. And euen so, bi cause that God 
 
 hath ^ouen to vs noon other power of resonyng than 
 
 which may faile and erre, he wole holde us excusid, 
 
 thou^ we folewe an erroneose doom of resoun, whilis 
 
 we ben not necligent but diligent bothe in oure owne 
 
 avising and bi counseil taking of othere forto haue a 
 
 ri^t doom in oure resoun ; and he wole allowe, rewarde, 
 
 accepte, and take oure deede which we doon bi such an 
 
 erroneose doom, as ferforth as it were doon bi a rilt 
 
 doom ; al the while that thilk errour in oure resounys 
 
 doom is had aiens oure wil, and not bi oure consent 
 
 and willing or necligence. And so, if this be trewe, (as 
 
 it is proued be trewe in othere placis of my writingis,) 
 
 noon inconuenience is, if God ordeyne the power of 
 
 resoun for to be oure reule in his seruice doing, thou^ 
 
 thilk power of reson be such that he schal sumtime 
 
 (^he, and ofte tyme) erre, but if the gretter laboure 
 
 be mad thera^ens bi avisingis and bi counseil taking 
 
 and bi leernyng long tyme in scolis. 
 
 Neuertheles it may be answerid to the firste obiec- Another answer 
 cioun in other wise thus: That the power of resoun jeetionj God lias 
 in him silf is not ordeyned of God to be oure next and power of reason, 
 best and surest reuler or reule anentis alle resonable itself,' to be our 
 
 • o -li i guide, but (ho 
 
 treuthis, but the doom of reson is ordeyned to so be ; syllogistic judg- 
 
 'mentofthe 
 
 and tit not ech doom of resoun, but thilk doom of reason, which is 
 resoun which is a formal complete argument clepid 
 a sillogisme in resoun, whos bothe premissis ben 
 sureli or likeli knowen for trewe, and that bi hem 
 silf or bi sume othere bifore had lijk sillogisme or 
 sillogismes prouyng the premisse hauyng nede to be 
 proued, into tyme it bicome into premissis openest 
 in suerte or openest in probabilite or likelikode. And 
 
76 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. xcv. certis this doom of resoun (in this wise had) failith 
 neuere, neither may in eny tyme erre. For if y be 
 sikir aud suer in my resoun that no man is in the 
 chirche of Seint Poul at Londoun, and that the bischop 
 of Loridon is a man, y mai be sekir and sure that 
 the bischop of London is out of the chirche of Seint 
 Poul at London, thou^ alle aungels in heuen wolde 
 seie the contrarie. And cause of this suerte is that 
 the doom of resoun is had bi such a formal sillogisme 
 as is now seid. And in lijk maner suerte of knowing 
 is had bi ech other of the xix. maners or chaungis of 
 sillogismes tau^t in logik bi opene reulis. Lete ther- 
 fore ech man abide in liis resonyng in what euer 
 mater of resonyng he hath to do, in to tyme he be 
 sure that he hath suche seid sillogismes ; and he schal 
 neuere be deceyued. So that al the cause whi men 
 ben deceyued in resonyng is her hastynes, that thei 
 wole iuge bi schorte argumentis, eer tho argumentis 
 ben reducid into formes of sillogismes; or ellis for that 
 thei trusten and trowen the premisse be trewe, eer 
 that thei seen the premisses sufficientli proued bi 
 sillogizing, into tyme it be come up into premissis 
 so, open in sure trouthe or ellis so open in proba- 
 bihte, that noon nede is that eny other premisse be 
 take forto proue hem ; or ellis for that thei knowen 
 not bi reulis iouen therto whanne an argument is a 
 formal sillogisme, and whanne he so is not. Sotheli, if 
 a man Avole reule him thus, he schal neuere be bigiled 
 aboute maters of resoning ; forwhi ther is noon con- 
 clusioun or trouthe in the world, (except tho which 
 ben open bi experience of sensitijf witt or at fulle 
 pleyn in resoun, whibhe ben clepid groundis and foun- 
 damentis to alle the othere treuthis and conclusiouns 
 in philsophie, and aboute which no man schal erre, 
 bi cause thei ben so openli trewe), but that into proof 
 of it mai be had a sillogisme weel reulid. And than no 
 if the bothe premissis be knowen at fulle for sure 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 77 
 
 troutliis, the conclusioun is to be take for sure troutlie ; Chap. XIV. 
 
 and if the bothe premyssis be knowun not for sure 
 
 trouthis, but for suche that for the more parti thei 
 
 ben trewe and seeldem fallith the contraiie that thei 
 
 ben vntrewe, or if oon of the premissis be such as is 
 
 now seid and the other is sure trouthe, thanne the 
 
 conclusioun is knowen as probabili or likeli trewe. 
 
 And this difference here now touchid is the differ- Distinction be- 
 tween a demon- 
 
 ence bitwix a demonstrate f silloeisme and a probable strati™ and a 
 
 . . , . probable syllo- 
 
 silloffisme, that is to seie bitwixe a sillo&'isme which s> sn v Every 
 
 ° ° trutli may be 
 
 ieueth sure and vndoutable kunnyno- and a sillogisme resolved into 
 
 7 ° o one ot these 
 
 which ^eueth probable kunnyng oonli, that is to seie syllogisms, 
 kunnyng of likelihode and of opinioun but not of cer- 
 teinte. And so no treuthe is a this side the openest 
 fundamental treuthis, but that into proof of him mai 
 be had a sillogisme weel reulid forto proue him sureli 
 trewe, or forto proue him likeli to be trewe ; ^he, and 
 so likeli to be trewe that he is rather to be holde for 
 trewe than for vntrewe, and that he is to be holde 
 trewe into tyme 1 his contrarie parti be had strenger 
 and euydenter premissis than ben the premyssis 
 whiche ben had into him now. And euen as a pre- 
 misse, whos suer knowing is lokicl aftir and sou^t 
 after, is to be resolued bi arguyng of sillogismes in 
 the maner now seid, into tyme it be come into pre- 
 missis of openest suerte ; so whanne eny premysse is 
 such that his suer trouthe is not lokid aftir neither 
 sou^t after, but his probabilite or likelihode of trouthe 
 is lokid aftir and sou^t aftir, lie is to be resolued 
 upward bi sillogismes, into tyme it be come vp into 
 premyssis of whiche euere either is openest in likeli- 
 hode thou^ not in suerte, or ellis into premyssis of 
 which oon 2 is openest in suerte of trouthe and the 
 other is openest in suerte of likelihode or of proba- 
 
 1 The word into seems required I 2 ooon, MS. 
 before his. 
 
78 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. xtv. bilite a tliis side suerte. So that as ther ben principlis 
 openest in suerte to treuthis whos suer kunnying is 
 soutt aftir to be had, so ther ben principlis openest in 
 probabilite or likelikode to treuthis whos likeli kun- 
 n} T ng or probable kunnyng is sou^t aftir to be had, 
 and whos suer kunnyng is not souit aftir to be had. 
 Apology for de- If ensaumplis weren sett to al this doctrine, weel 
 here into these y woot the doctrine wolde be vndirstonde the bettir. 
 
 abstruse matters: 7 -> , ...... , r . i • 1 i * 
 
 those who cannot bJut certemii it were ouerlong tor this book tor to 
 second answer sette out al the ful doctrine which is now here attained 
 
 must be con- P .,, . . n , i r> -n • • p 
 
 tented with the oi sillogizmg tor sure kunnyng, and ot sulogizmg tor 
 probable or likeli kunnyng ; and forto sett therto 
 sufficient ensaumplis were ouer it miche lenger. And 
 therfore y must here therof abstene and forber. But 
 ^it thoui y schal not be vnderstonde sufficientli of the 
 lay reders in this bifore going proces (namelich at the 
 first), and not with oute studie and labour in her 
 partie, me think ith y muste needis seie so miche ther 
 of as y haue now seid ; for ellis thei wolden weene 
 that a good clerk couthe not assoile the firste obiec- 
 cioun, which y am sikir thei wolden make. And y 
 haue leefir forto seie sum what of the trewe substancial 
 answere longing therto, thou? y schulde not be suffi- 
 cientli ther yn vnderstonde of hem, than forto seie not 
 of such sufficient answere bi cause of her insutficience 
 of vndirstonding, and therbi forto suffre vntrewe dif- 
 famc falle to the clergie, and hem forto rise into pre- 
 sumpcioun of trowing that thei ban kunnyng more 
 than thei ban, and that thei ban noon or litle nede 
 to groundli clerkis. Wherfore Avho mai not or cannot 
 vnderstonde this ij e . answere to the firste obieccioun. 
 take he him to the firste now bifore seid answere to 
 the same obieccioun ; for bothe ben gode ynou^, and 
 bothe (thou<; in her dyuerse maners) ben trewe, sithen 
 the doom of resoun may not be oure next reule in 
 doing Goddis seruice, but if resoun were the romber 
 reule to vs into the same doing of Goddis seruice, bi 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 79 
 
 cause that the doom of resoun Cometh out and fro the cn\v.xiv. 
 resoun, as the li^t of the sunne comith fro the sunne. 
 
 Aftir that y haue achewid thus: That noon incoa* Both the power 
 
 * , . of the reason mill 
 
 uenient is, thou* God assierne for ourc reule into his the syiiogistie 
 
 ' 7 ° judgment ot the 
 
 seruice the power of resoun in oon manor of reuling, reason nmst 
 
 1 . necessarily be 
 
 as a power of deedis hath forto reule; and also aftu* our rule for the 
 
 1 moral service ot 
 
 that v haue schewid thus: That the doom of resoun God; because, 
 
 J since Scripture 
 
 unite be a surer reule to us into Goddis moral ser- is proved not to 
 
 7 be our rule, 
 
 nice than is the power of reson,- — now y schal sch ewe nothing remains 
 
 r " to be our rule 
 
 that euereither of hem is needis to be seid oure hut the judg- 
 ment of the 
 
 reule into the moral seruice of God to be doon. And reason, yd the 
 
 power of reason 
 
 hrste thus: Of al the moral seruice of God, which is from which it 
 
 ' springs. 
 
 moral lawe of kinde, Holi Scripture is not the reule 
 Forwhi than therof Holi Scripture were the ground, 
 which is proued bifore to be vntrewe : Also of al the 
 now seid moral sendee of God, Holi Scripture is oonli 
 a witnesser and a rehercer, and takith it out and fro 
 moral lawe of kinde and out of moral philsophie, as 
 it is bifore proued. Wherfore Holi Scripture is not 
 neither may be reuler of thilk moral lawe and seruice 
 to God. And thanne thus : Of thilk now seid moral 
 lawe and seruice to God Holi Scripture muste be 
 reuler, or sumwhat ellis bisidis Holi Scripture muste 
 be ther of the reuler ; but now and bifore it is proued 
 that Holi Scripture may not be ther of the reuler, bi 
 cause he is not therof the grounder, and he is ther 
 of oonli the rehercer and witnesser, and taker of it 
 fro an other which is grounder. And herwith it is 
 also open that noGn othir tiling bisidis Scripture can 
 be assigned forto be ther of the reule or reuler, but 
 if it were the seid doom of resoun mad in forme of 
 sillogisme as the next and best reule, and the power 
 of resoun as for the romber and ferther reule ; in as 
 miche as fro the power of resoun cometh forth the 
 now seid doom of resoun. Wherfore needis it muste 
 be grantid, no man may it avoide, that bothe resoun 
 which is the power of resonyng and of deemyng, and 
 
80 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 CnAP. xiv. the seid sillogistik doom of resoun ben in her botke 
 dyuerse maners reulis of al oure moral sendee to 
 God, whiche is moral lawe of kinde, and of al oure 
 lawe to God noon except, whether thei ben lawis ot 
 feith or not of feith ; for noon of hem can be knowen 
 of us withoute a sillogisme. And thus miche is ynou^ 
 for answere to the firste obieccioun. 
 
 xv. Chapiter. 
 
 The second For answere to the ij e . obieccioun : Sithen it is so 
 
 OBJECTION J 
 
 answered. that Holi Scripture hath not to do in him silf forto 
 trum the replies 1 
 
 just made to the reule eny trouthe or ffoueruaunce of natural philsophi 
 Brat objection it J a i r 
 
 is evident that or 0 f m0 ral philsophi and of moral lawe of kinde, 
 no inconvenience 1 1 
 
 arises if reason which he rehercith, witnessith, or tretith, and as of 
 
 be a rule to 
 
 Scripture in all nem ] ie rehei-sith, witnessith, and tretith, (for this is 
 jiomts relating ' 1 » \ 
 
 il'ivir!' toTod' °^ te ^ 0re schewid and proued,) and for that he is 
 without exeep- reu i e oonli of feithis wbiche he tretith and techith, bi 
 cause that oonli of hem he is founder and grounder ; 
 and therfore of tho treuthis and conclusiouns of moral 
 lawe of kinde as thei ben witnessid in Holi Scripture 
 sum thing muste be reule, ri^t as of hem sum thing 
 muste be ground, and noon such thing can be avisid 
 to be bisidis Holi Scripture forto be to hem reule and 
 ground, saue the seid sillogistik. doom of resoun in oon 
 maner, and the power of resoun out of which thilk 
 doom cometh and that in an other maner : (wherfore 
 needis it muste be grauntid that bothe resoun which 
 is the power of resonyng, and resoun which is the seid 
 doom and sillogistik deede of resonyng ben in her ij. 
 dyuerse maners reulis to Holi Scripture in alle the 
 pointis of mannis moral sendee to God, noon except ; 
 and that for cause now late bifore sett and seid which 
 is broddir declarid in The fohcer to the doiict, and 
 is proued openli in the first parti of The book of 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 31 
 
 feith and of sacramentis ;) and ferthermore, sithen chap, xy. 
 
 the seid sillogistik doom of resoun is a sure reule 
 
 and vnfailing, and thou^ the other reule which is 
 
 resoun be failing at sum while, ^it God wole haue a 
 
 man ther yn excusid, and wole allowe thilke failingis 
 
 whanne man bi his wil is not cause of thilk failing, 
 
 noon ineonuenient is thou£ God ordeyned the seid 
 
 resoun, and also his seid doom to be reulers of Holi 
 
 Writ in alle now seid treuthis and conclusiouns tau^t 
 
 bi Holi Writ, thou^ thilk resoun be at sum tyme 
 
 failing. 
 
 And ferthermore for answere to it that the ii e . ob- Further answer 
 
 J to the objection. 
 
 leccioun alleggith Holi Scripture to be worthier than Disproof of the 
 
 00 r position that 
 
 is the doom of resoun, and that therfore the 1 doom Scri P, tur e is more 
 
 worthy than the 
 
 of resoun ouite not reule Holi Writt, it is to be seid judgment of the 
 
 7 reason. Explan- 
 
 thus : That Holi Writt mai be take for the outward ation of certain 
 
 terms premised. 
 
 lettris writun and schapun vnder dyuerse figuris in Further discus- 
 
 r jo tion of this sub- 
 
 parchemyn or in velim, and forto speke of Holi jnadelnanoti ier 
 Writt in this maner is not according to this purpos. treatise - 
 For Holi Writt in this wise takun, is not holier 
 neither better than eny other writing is 2 which hath 
 lijk good ynke, and is lijk craftili figurid. In an other 
 maner, accordingli to this present purpos, Holi Writt 
 is takun for the kunnyng wherbi the tiling is kunne 
 which is signified and bitokened bi the now seid out- 
 ward Holi Writt writun in parchemyn or velym, or 
 ellis mai be take for the outward writing, as it 
 signifieth hise trouthis bitokened bi it, and as it is 
 ioyned and couplid with the kunnyng of tho treuthis 
 signified bi the outward writing. Also it is to vndir- 
 stonde that doom of resoun mai be take in ij. wisis 
 pertinentli, and accordingli to this present purpos. 
 In oon maner doom of resoun is the deede of resonyng 
 in mannis resoun, bi which the power of resoun (or 
 
 1 that the, MS. (first hand). I is, so as to make writingis, but 
 • A later hand has joined writing \ wrongly. 
 
 F 
 
82 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, xv. the man bi the power of resoun) resoneth, making 
 proposiciouns of simple wordis and termys knyt to gi- 
 dere, and making sillogismys of proposiciouns kny^t 
 to gidere bi teching of certein re\dis : and in this 
 maner oonli it is to be vnderstonde, as ofte as we han 
 spoke ther of fro the bigynnyng of the xj e . chapiter 
 bifore hidir to. In another maner doom of resoun is 
 take for the kunnyng of the conclusioun which is con- 
 cludid in a sillogisme mad bi doom of resoun takun in 
 the firste maner, and in this ij°. maner it is spokun bifore 
 fro the bigynnyng of the ij e . chapiter vnto the eende of 
 the x e . chapiter, weelni^ alwey, whanne it is there 
 spokun of doom of resoun, or ellis namelich whanne 
 euere there doom of resoun is clepid lawe of kinde or 
 moral philsophie, and comparisoun is mad there bitwixe 
 lawe of kinde or doom of resoun and Holi Scripture. 
 Now, Sir, if we now in the ij e . obieccion bifore sett 
 take Holi Scripture in the ij e . maner, and doom of 
 resoun in the ij e . maner, sotheli Holi Writt in alle 
 the now seid trouthis, conclusiouns, and gouernauncis, 
 whiche he rehercith, denouncith, and techith of moral 
 lawe of kinde, is vnworthier than is the moral lawe 
 of kinde ; and therfore is vnworthier than is sum 
 doom of resoun takun in the ij e . maner. Forwhi alle 
 tho trouthis and conclusions 1 Holi Writt takith and 
 borewith out of moral lawe of kinde, and 2 ben not 
 hise as bi grounding, and founding, .and prouyng, but 
 oonli bi rehercing, witnessing, and denouncing ; and 
 open ynow it is that the grounder and prouer of 
 treuthis is in hem worthier than the rehercer of hem; 
 as the lord of money is worthier in the money than 
 he that hath it 3 bi mustrinsr it and schewing it oonli ; 
 and therefore, thou^ Holi Writt, as anentis alle the 
 treuthis and conclusiouns whiche ben of moral phil- 
 
 1 conclusions of, MS. (first hand). I * it is intcrlineatcd by a later (?) 
 -'We seem to require thci after and, I hand. 
 
THE FIRST PAiiT. 
 
 sophie or of natural philsophi or of methaphisik Chap. xv. 
 rehercid bi him, be reulid bi resoun and his 1 doom 
 (takun in the ij e . maner) in alle tho now seid 
 trouthis, conclnsiouns, and gouernauncis, ther of fol- 
 ewith not that tlie worthier in that that he is wor- 
 thier is subdewid vndir reule of the vnworthier as lie 
 is the vnworthier. Certis, if Holi Scripture be wor- 
 thier in eny of liise treuthis and conclusiouns than 
 is doom of resoun takun in the ij e . maner, and as he 
 comprehendith natural philsophie and metaphisik ami 
 moral philsophie, he is so worthier in hise treuthis of 
 feith whiche ben not lawis to man, whiche Holi Scrip- 
 ture groundith, and the seid doom of resoun may not 
 hem grounde, as that God is iij. persones, and that 
 the secunde persoone of hem was mad man, and that 
 he suffrid and died, and that we schulen rise in fleisch 
 aftir oure deeth, and so forth of othere suche feithi.-; 
 being no lawis to man ; and yit whether Holi Scrip- 
 ture be worthier or profitabiler to man than is the 
 now seid doom of resoun taken in the ij e . maner, forto 
 serue God and deserue meede in hevene, schal not be 
 disputid and determyned here in this book, but per- 
 auenture it schal be determyned in my writingis to 
 heerers of hi^er vndirstonding. 
 
 Neuertheles with this y wolde it were not foriete it has been 
 what y haue tauit bifore bi the Tseventh] 2 principal ciently shown 
 
 . ' „ , P ' . f , , , th at the positive 
 
 conclusioun, that al the positiif la we of feith which law of faith is 
 
 r u . less worthy than 
 
 Scripture groundith or techith, that is to seie, al the the moral law. 
 feith being positijf lawe to man, which Scripture 
 groundith or techith, is not so worthi in it silf, nei- 
 ther so necessarie and profitable to man, for to serue 
 God and deserue meede in heuen, as is the seid doom 
 of resoun being moral lawe of kinde ; and therfore 
 
 1 in his, MS. (first hand). 
 
 - A space left in the MS. for the 
 number. The seventh rather than 
 the tenth conclusion seems to be 
 
 intended ; but neither of them is 
 exactly designed to prove -what is 
 here affirmed to be proved. See 
 pp. 39, 43. 
 
 F 2 
 
84 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. xv. Holi Scripture as in the positijf lawis of feith to man 
 is not so worthi in him silf, neither so profitable and 
 necessarie to man as is the seid doom of resoun, which 
 is lawe of kinde. 
 Positive law of And ferthermore, sithen al what mai be clepid in 
 
 faith, which re- ' ( ># * 
 
 lates only to the eny maner largeli lawe of feith, being not positiif lawe 
 
 Christian sacra- J ° ' ° r J , 
 
 merits, is less 0 f f e ith, is propirli lawe of kinde and not oonli lawe 
 
 profitable to man r r 
 
 than the law of 0 f f e ith, (as it is tautt bifore in proof of the x e . con- 
 nature, which is ; ^ r 
 
 * h teUectual faU cms i° un hi remyssion into the book Of vast apprising 
 ^ethw^ating °f Holi Scripture,) it folewith that if we speke of 
 to faith or not. i awe of feith in this maner, al the lawe of feith which 
 Holi Scripture techith is not so worthi and so profit- 
 able to man as is lawe of kinde tau^t out of Holi 
 Scripture bi doom of resoun, with oute godli reuelacioun. 
 Forwhi thus 1 forto speke of lawe of feith ther is no 
 lawe of feith, saue it which is positijf lawe of feith ; 
 and al positijf lawe of feith is oonli lawe aboute the 
 newe sacramentis ; and the vsis of tho (as for and bi 
 hem silf) ben vnworthier and lasse profitable to man 
 than is lawe of kinde, as it is bifore proued. If Holi 
 Writt be take in the ij e . maner and doom of resoun in 
 the firste maner, certis y hokle thanne that doom of 
 resoun in sum maner is worthier and perfiter than is 
 Holi Writt thoru^ out al the Bible. Forwhi the seid 
 doom of resoun in this firste wise taken is cause of 
 the Holi Writt takun in the if. wise. Forwhi doom 
 of resoun takun in the firste wise is cause of al kun- 
 nyng in the vndirstonding or intellect of man, and 
 that whether thilk kunnying be feith or no feith ; and 
 Holi Scripture in the ij e . maner takun is not ellis than 
 a certein kunnyng causid bi doom of resoun takun in 
 the firste maner, by occasioun of Holi Writt takun in 
 the first maner ; and therfore Holi Writt in this ij e . 
 maner takun is vnworthier than is doom of resoun 
 takun in the first maner, and that as weel where Holi 
 
 ' thtu is by a later hand, the original reading having been erased ; this 
 word may have been propirli, which the sense seems to require. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 85 
 
 Writt techith articlis of feith as ellis where. And chap, xy. 
 here y make an eende of my answeris ^ouun to the 
 ij. bifore rehercid obiecciouns. 
 
 xvj. Chapiter. 
 
 In whiche answeris thou^ y haue write or seid more The necessity of 
 than wole anoon accorde with the capacite of the Bible ^expound thlf 
 
 , , , li • i t • i Bible. Evils of 
 
 men, to whom and a^ens whom this book is prmcrpaly private exposi- 
 maad, ^it y haue leefir so do than forto seie and write infinite and 
 lasse ; lest therbi schulde seeme to hem, that sufficient 
 answere couthe not be ^ouun to her seid ij. obiec- 
 ciouns ; and lest that ellis thei my^ten trowe, that bi 
 her powring in the Bible aloon thei mitten leerne for to 
 assoile sufficientli alle obiecciouns biholding the Bible, 
 thou^ thei hadden no counseil of substancial cierkis 
 weel leerned in logik and in moral philsophie. And 
 ther fore of oon thing y warne al the world, which is 
 this. If substanciali leerned cierkis in logik and in 
 moral philsophie and in dyvynyte, and ripeli exer- 
 cisid ther yn, weren not and schulden not be forto 
 wiseli and dewli leue trewe vndirstondingis and ex- 
 posiciouns to textis of Holi Scripture : or ellis, thou* 
 suche cierkis ben, and the lay parti wolen not attende 
 to the doctrine, whiche tho cierkis mowe and wolen 
 (bi proof of sufficient and open euydence) mynystre to 
 the lay parti ; but the lay parti wolen attende and 
 truste to her owne wittis, and wolen lene to textis of 
 the Bible oonli, y dare weel seie so many dyuerse 
 opinions schulden 1 rise in lay mennys wittis bi oc- 
 casioun of textis in Holy Scripture aboute mennys 
 moral conuersacioun, that al the world schulde be 
 cumbrid therwith, and men schulden accorde to gi- 
 dere in keping her seruice to God, as doggis doon 
 
 1 schulde, MS. (first hand). 
 
86 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chat-, x-, i. m a ma rket, whanne ecli of hem tenth otheris coot. 
 
 For win oon man wolde vnderstonde a text in this 
 maner, and an other man wolde vnderstonde it in 
 an other dyvers maner, and the iij e . man in the iij e . 
 maner ; namelich for that weelni^ in ecli place where 
 Holi Writ spekith of eny point of moral lawe of kinde, 
 it is so spoken that it nedith forto haue a redressing 
 of it into accordaunce with lawe of kinde and with 
 doom of reson ; and than if no iuge schnlde be had 
 forto deeme bitwixe hem so diuersely holding, eende 
 schulde ther nenere be of her strijf, into tyme that 
 thei schulden falle into fitting and into werre and 
 bateil ; and thanne schnlde al thrift and grace passe 
 awey, and noon of her holdingis schulde in eny point 
 be therbi strengthid or confermed. 
 
 Suip^oh^nWm 1 Certis in this wise and in this now seid maner 
 t[ra" b or 5 thc the am * bi this now seid cause bifille the rewful and 
 Swum "be a Th(,se wepeable destruccioun of the worthi citee and vni- 
 Bibifrmen!who uersite of Prage, and of the hool rewme of Beeine, 
 variousVartics 0 as Y haue had ther of enformacioun ynou£. And 
 sch°es TiiT now, aftir the destruccioun of the rewme, the peple 
 "fUicsc parties. ^ )8n g^d f° r t° resorte and turne a^en into the 
 catholik and general feith and loore of the chirche, 
 and in her pouerte bildith up a^en what was brent 
 and throwun doun, and noon of her holdingis can 
 thriue. But for that Crist in his propheciyng muste 
 ncedis be trewe, that ech kingdom deuidid in hem 
 silf schal be destruyed, therfore to hem bifille the 
 now seid wrecchid mys chaunce. God for his mcrci 
 and pitee kepe Ynglond, that he come not into lijk 
 d;iunce. But forto turne here fro a^en vnto oure Bible 
 men, y preie te seie ^e to me, whanne among you 
 is rise a strijf in holdingis and opiniouns, (bi cause 
 that ech of you trustith to his owne studie in the 
 Bible aloon, and wole haue alle treuthis of menn} r s 
 moral conuersacioun there groundid,) what iuge mai 
 tlierto be assigned in erthe, sauc resoun and the bi- 
 fore seid doom of resoun ? For thou 5 men schulden be 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 87 
 
 iugis, tit so niuste thei be bi vce of the seid resoun chap.xti. 
 
 and doom of resoun ; and if this be trewe, who schulde 
 
 thanne better or so weel vse, demene, and execute 
 
 this resoun and the seid doom, as schulde tho men 
 
 whiche han spende so miche labour aboute thilk craft ? 
 
 And these ben tho now bifore seid clerkis. And ther- 
 
 fore, ye Bible men, bi this here now seid which ye 
 
 muste needis graunte, for experience which ye han of 
 
 the disturblaunce in Beeme, and also of the distur- 
 
 blaunce and dyuerse feelingis had among ^ou silf now 
 
 in Ynglond, so that summe of ^ou ben clepid Doctour- 
 
 mongers, and summe ben clepid Opinioun-holders, 
 
 and summe ben Neutralis, that of so presumptuose 
 
 a cisme abhominacioun to othere men and schame to 
 
 you it is to heere ; rebuke now ^ou silf, for as 
 
 miche as ye wolden not bifore this tyme allowe, that 
 
 resoun and his doom schulde haue such and so greet 
 
 interesse in the lawe of God and in expownyng of 
 
 Holi Scripture, as y haue seid and proued hem to 
 
 haue. 
 
 And also herbi take le a sufficient mark, that le The Bible-men 
 
 •t i P , i t -i •{_■> advised to have 
 
 haue nede lorto haue ioui'e recours and conseil with recourse to 
 suche now biforeseid clerkis, thoui ye wolden la- and to be careful 
 
 , i , m . jv j ■ /• in their selection. 
 
 bore, and powre, and dote alle the daies ot toure a Doctor's hood 
 lijf in the Bible aloon. And drede ye of the effect Mere popular 
 
 i • i -i •f.i, t> -L £■ tm j preachers to be 
 
 which bmlle to Bohemers tor lijk cause, and mys avoided as 
 gouernaunce in holding the first seid opinioun ; and 
 bi so miche the more drede ^e thilk effect, bi how 
 miche bi Crist it is pronouncid forto falle, where 
 euer cysme and dyvisyoun is contynued; for he seith 
 [Matth. xij.] 1 c., that euery kingdom or comounte 
 dyvidid in him silf schal be destruyed. But thanne 
 p.; en ward ^e must 2 be waar her of, that euen as ooai 
 sterre is different from an other sterre in cleernes, so 
 
 1 A space left in the MS. for the I ■ ye jnust interlineated in a later (?) 
 reference. I hand. 
 
88 
 
 PECOCK S REPRESSOR. 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 The office of 
 prrachinpr is to 
 exhort rather 
 than to demon- 
 strate. The oflic 
 of exposition is 
 to ground ttie 
 truths of Divi- 
 nity. Tin' (wo 
 ofliees not alwa.v 
 combined in th 
 same person. 
 
 oon clerk is different from an other in kunnyng. And 
 ther fore, brother, take heede to doom of cleer resoun 
 in this mater, which also is remembrid to vs bi the 
 wise man, Ecclesiastici vj e . c., thus : Manie be to thee 
 pesible, but of a thousind oon be thi counseiler. And 
 in special be waar that thou not accepte, chese, and take 
 a clerk forto be sufficient to thee into the now seid 
 purpos bi this aloon, that he mai were a pilioun on 
 his heed ; neither bi this, that he is a famose and a 
 plesaunt precher to peple in a pulpit ; neither bi this, 
 that he is a greet and thikke rateler out of textis 
 of Holi Scripture or of Doctouris in feestis or in 
 othere cumpanyingis : for certis experience hath ofte 
 tau^t and mai here teche surely ynou^, that summe 
 Averers of piliouns in scole of dyuynyte han scantli 
 be worthi for to be in the same scole a good scoler ; 
 and ful manye of the ij e . and iij e . soortis appeering 
 ful gloriose 1 to the heering of the lay parti, and also 
 summe of othere maner of clerkis, whanne thei schul- 
 den come forto dispute and examyne and trie and 
 iuge in harde 2 doutis of Goddis lawe, were not 
 worthi forto therto vnnethis opene her mouth. I 
 detecte here no man in special ; who euer can proue 
 him silf to be noon such as y haue here now spoken 
 of, he therbi schewith weel him to be noon of hem. 
 
 Weel y wote, that thou^ the office of preching is ful 
 profitable into the eende of exortacioun and of re- 
 e membrauncing, certis it is not so into the eende of 
 best teching. Forwhi it is not so into the eend.e of 
 s formal and groundli disputing, arguing, and prouyng, 
 1 withoute which no sure trial mai be maad upon eny 
 hard and doutable questioun of mannis conuersacioun ; 
 and ^it if such maner of arguyng and groundli prou- 
 yng schulde be sett in sermonyng, the sermon schulde 
 
 1 gUPote, MS. 
 
 = her Itardr, MS. ; but her is cau- 
 celled by a later (?) hand. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 89 
 
 be ful vnsauory ; and if the maner of outring which chap, xvi. 
 
 is sauory in a sermonyng schulde be sett and vsid in 
 
 the office of scole prouyng and determynyng, al the 
 
 werk ther of schulde be the vnsaueryer and the vn- 
 
 spedier. And therfore 1 the office and werk, (wherof 
 
 y have spoke bifore to be so necessari as is said to 
 
 al the world,) into repressing of errouris and into 
 
 grounding of al Goddis lawe, the techiDg muste be 
 
 take bi othir testimonie and witnessing than bi wer- 
 
 ing of pilleoun, or bi greet kunnyng of preching and 
 
 bi sauory vttring therof, or bi greet plenteuose out 
 
 hilding of textis writen in the Bible or in Doctouris. 
 
 For manye, whiche neuere leerned ferther in scolis 
 
 than her grammer, kunnen suche textis bi herte and 
 
 bi mouth, and kunnen bi textis and by narraciouns 
 
 and parabolis and lijknessis preche ful gloriosely into 
 
 plesaunce of the peple and into profite of the peple, 
 
 and semen therfore and therbi ful wise. And if thei 
 
 were weel apposid in eny of tho textis and parabolis 
 
 and othere precheable processis, thei couthe not de- 
 
 fende and meyntene eny oon of hem, neither couthen 
 
 putte out sufficientli the very and ful dewist vndir- 
 
 stonding of eny oon of hem. 
 
 This is now seid of me, (God y take therto into Lack of attention 
 
 • L s {• 1 1 • l i i i-i to these matters 
 
 witnes,) lor harme which y liaue knowen come bi de- a great cause of 
 faut and the vnhauying and the vnknowing of this iandf m E " s 
 now seid consideracioun, and for perel that suche 
 harmes schulde the oftir in tyme here aftir come, 
 if of this consideracioun no mensioun and waarnyng 
 were bi me or bi sum other in writing bifore mad. 
 For, as sikir as the sunne schineth in somerys dai, 
 the vnconsideracion of this, whereof y haue ^ouen now 
 warnyng, hath be a greet cause of the wickidli 
 enfectid scole of heresie among the lay peple in 
 Ynglond, which is not ^it conquerid. And therfore 
 
 Possibly of should be inserted after therfore. 
 
90 
 
 PECOCK's REPRESSOR. 
 
 Chap. xvi. into plesaunce bi which y wolde plese God and serue 
 to God, and do sumwhat into goostli profite of myn 
 euene Cristen, and for drede of God, (lest so pro- 
 fitabli to be spoken a thing y schulde spare, speke, 
 and write for fere of bacbitingis,) y write and outre 
 what y now haue outrid. And if any man iuge me 
 in eny other wise, be waar he thanne of him which 
 schal ther \ipon iuge vs bothe. 
 The kins of „ But • wolde God that the kino- of Ynglond wolde 
 
 England would . 0 ° 
 
 be Better em- sette so myche bisynes forto conquere and reforme 
 
 ployed in re- . 
 
 pressing heresy his lond of Ynsdond fro this seid wickid scole, and 
 
 than in con- ° 
 
 querinR France. f ro othere defautis, as miche as he dooth aboute the 
 
 conquest of his lond of Normandi and of Fraunce, 
 
 and perauenture he schulde thanne haue more thanke 
 
 and reward at his laste comyng hoom to the King of 
 
 blisse, and more noble flauour of digne fame among 
 
 alle the princis of the world and the worthi peeris of 
 
 heuen, than he schal haue bi miche of his labour and 
 
 cost doon aboute the worldli conquest of Fraunce. 
 
 It would be well Verili to seie vndir perel of my soule, (and no man 
 
 u school degrees * ^ v 
 
 were given only conceyue me in contrarie wise to feele,) y wolde ffrees 
 
 to men of school * w J o 
 
 learning. 0 f scolis to be take and not to be left, whanne euer 
 the persoone desiring the gree is able therto in scolis 
 bi kunnyng longing to the same gree, and ellis not, 
 thou^ he be able into othere deedis profitabili to be 
 doon. I wolde also that the office of preching had 
 his dew honour and fauour and his dew wiseli to 
 be don exercise and execucioun, and God forbede 
 that y schulde in contrarie wise feele or meene. But 
 certis her withal y wolde that profound and groundli 
 scoling in logik, philsophi, and dyuynyte, and lawe 
 Avere not left bihinde, but that he were to euereither 
 of these ij. now seid thingis preferrid ; for without 
 him grees goon 1 on out of gree, and prechingis rennen 
 arere, as herof experience is ouer ofte in my daies at 
 
 1 g9tm, MS. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 Poulis Crosse takun. And without him the sad forth Chap.xvi. 
 
 leding and reuling and the firnie stabiling of al the 
 
 chirche, both in the clergie and in the layfe, 1 may not 
 
 be had and doon, for al the preching which without 
 
 him into the worldis eende mai be mad and doon. 
 
 Also y wolde that, bi cause he flotereth not so ofte The people apt 
 
 aboute the eeris of the lay peple as dooth the feet of school-learning, 
 
 prechin<r, that the lav peple schulden not therfore the assertions of 
 
 . Till! an y Pep" 1 '"' 
 
 trowe noon such so preciose and vnlackeabie occupa- preacher or 
 
 cioun to be had and laborid among hem that in 
 
 scolis waken, studien, and disputen, thou^ thei not 
 
 into preching attenden ; neither that therfore the lay 
 
 peple schulden lacke wil and purpos forto bisette 
 
 notable costis vpon hem, whiche so in scolis laboren ; 
 
 neither that the lay peple holden hem silf theryn 
 
 deceyued, if therto thei ban eny expensis bifore leid 
 
 out and mynystrid. Certis ofte han men and wom- 
 
 men come to me, and seid : " Thus hath a doctour 
 
 " seid in this mater : and thus hath a doctour seid 
 
 " in thilk mater : and thus hath this famose precher 
 
 " prechid : and thus hath thilk famose precher 
 
 " prechid and y haue answerid a^en thus : " Thou^ 
 
 " he and he and he and he han so tau^t and 
 
 " prechid, yxt [it] is not therfore and therbi euer 
 
 " the rather trewe, but it is vntrewe, and needis 
 
 " muste be vntreAve, and mai be schewid and proued 
 
 " undoutabili to be vntrewe." No man conceyue bi 
 
 my wordis here that y meene and lete as thou^ y 
 
 neuere failid, or that y am sikir that y schal neuere 
 
 faile in myn answeris ; but for the experience which 
 
 y haue had vpon the failing of othere doctouris and 
 
 prechers, that y my^te the suerlier therby warne 
 
 peple vpon the failing of clerkis, ther fore y haue seid 
 
 what is now seid : and y haue lefir forto mekeli 
 
 1 layfe, MS. (first hand): but a stroke is added in a darker ink, changing 
 the word into layfe. The correction layte is tempting : but see Glossary. 
 
92 
 
 pecock's eepkessor. 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 The people 
 should be 
 cautious whom 
 they take into 
 their counsels. 
 If they are so, 
 they are excused 
 before God for 
 any errors into 
 which their 
 counsellor may 
 lead thein. 
 
 knouleche that y and thei han failid and mowe her 
 aftir faile, and that y haue had ther of suer expe- 
 rience, than that the peple schulde trowe stidfastli 
 that neither y neither thei han failid neithir schulen 
 faile, and that for wering of oure pilleons or for prech- 
 ing in pulpitis of oure sermons. And how schulde 
 eny doctouris and prechers be wrooth for this what y 
 haue of hem seid, whilis y seie and knouleche the 
 same of mi silf which y haue seid and knoulechid of 
 hem. 
 
 Neuertheles, whanne the comoun lay peple doon 
 as weel and as diligentli as thei kunnen forto chese 
 to hem a Avijs and a sufficient clerk into her coun- 
 seiler, thei ben excusid anentis God in trowing to his 
 coiuiseil and in folewing it, thou^ his counselling be 
 vntrewe, vnto tyme thei mowe aspie the defaut of 
 the same counseil, as schal be proued in the firste 
 parti of The book of feith and of sacrament is in 
 Latyn. And if eny man wole obserue and kepe the 
 gouernauncis which y teche and counseile in the ij c . 
 parti of Cristen religioun, the 1 treti the 1 
 
 chapiter, to be kept, whanne euer oon man requirith 
 and sechith and askith an other mannys counseil in 
 eny mater, y wote weel that he schal therbi take 
 greet waarnes that he be not bi vnsufficient and 
 vnwijs counseil bigilid. 
 
 xvij. Chapiter. 
 
 The second That the ii c . opinioun sett and spoken bifore in the 
 
 ERROR DIS- O ± ■ 
 
 proved by ex* firste chapiter* of this present book is vntrewe, y mai 
 
 FSBXBvufl AND t 
 
 bt KEAsojf : it is proue bothe bi experiencis and bi resoun. Bi ex- 
 
 1 Spaces left in the MS. for the | f See page 6. 
 numbers. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 93 
 
 perience thus: Among hem that holden the seid ij e . CHAP - xvu - 
 
 opinioun many ben whiche lian vndirstonde certein me^sexperience 
 
 processis of Holi Scripture in oon certein maner of' of themselves. 
 
 vnderstonding, whanne thei helden hem silf meeke and 
 
 in good wil forto receyue and haue the trewe and 
 
 dew vndirstonding therof ; and ^it aftirward, whanne 
 
 thei were not more meke neither more willi to the 
 
 same, thei han chaungid and varied fro the firste had 
 
 vndirstonding into an other maner of vndirstonding 
 
 the same processis, as y here of haue had sufficient 
 
 knowing. Wherfore thei hem silf, whiche holden the 
 
 seid ij e . opinioun, ouiten bi her owne experience takun 
 
 vpon her owne deedis proue the same ij e . opinioun 
 
 to be vntrewe. 
 
 Also thus : Of the same noumbre which holden the Also '?>' tlieil- 
 
 experience or 
 
 seid ij e . opinioun manye vndirstonden a processe of others. 
 Holi Scripture in oon maner and wolen needis so vn- 
 dirstonde it, and manye othere of the same noumbre 
 wolen needis vndirstonde the same processe in an 
 other maiier not according therto : and in this tho 
 ij. soortis of men stryuen, and yit ech soort of hem 
 holdeth him 1 silf so meke and so disposid, that he 
 ou^te haue the trewe vndirstonding of thilk same 
 processe. And thilk same processe mai not haue bothe 
 ij. vndirstondingis to gidere, (as it is proued in othere 
 places of my writing,) and namelich not tho ij. vn- 
 dirstondingis, for thei mowe not stonde to gidere. 
 Wherfore bi open experience had among the holders 
 of the ij e . opinioun mai be openli knowe, that the same 
 ij e . opinioun is vntrewe. 
 
 Also thus : Open experience schewith that a viciose Experience also 
 
 , c i ^ ■> shows that a bail 
 
 man is as kunnyng a clerk ior to nnde, leerne, and clerk may be as 
 vndirstonde which is the trewe and dew sentence of of Scripture f»a 
 Holi Scripture, how soone a vertuose clerk is kunnyng B °° a °" e 
 therto : and into the same vnderstondingis thei to 
 
 ' holden hem MS. (first baud). 
 
94 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, xvii. gidere according]! fallen. Wherfore experience con- 
 uicteth the ij e . opinioun to be vntrewe. 
 The second error Now forto proue the same ii e . opinioun to be vntrewe 
 
 disproved by J!j 
 
 reason. The bi resoun, y procede thus : Forto fynde the verri and 
 
 power of expo- , . \. » . . .- 
 
 sjtion varies with iust vncu^'stonding of processis m Holi Writt is a labour 
 
 the intellectual, . . 
 
 not with the 0 f the witt or of the intellect, or of resoun in bihold- 
 
 moral powers ; 
 
 consequently a j n cr aboute the circumstauncis of the proces and in 
 
 vicious man may 1 
 
 be abetter ex- resonyncr ther upon: and forto be good and holi is 
 
 positor than a » ° . ' 
 
 virtuous one. a laboui' of the wil or of the affecte or of the appe- 
 tite : but so it is, that a badde man and a ful yuel 
 disposid man in wil and in affect mai haue so cleer 
 and so weel disposid witt and reson into alle thingis 
 to be founde bi witt, as hath a good man weel dis- 
 posid in maners of his affect and wil : wherfore folew- 
 ith bi resoun, that as soone may a viciose man come 
 to and fynde the dew vndirstonding of Holi Scripture, 
 how soone mai a vertuose man flnde, so that thei ben 
 lijk witti in nature, or so that the viciose man haue 
 a cleerer witt than the vertuose man hath. 
 
 A possible answer T . 1 • i ii • i 
 
 to this argument It eny man wole seie here, that this now mad ar- 
 ccck's argument gument proueth weel that, as bi nature and kinde, so 
 far "as the mere soone schulde a witti viciose man fynde and come to 
 men's natures is the verri trewe vndirstonding of Holi Scripture, as 
 it is not true, schulde a vertuose euen witti or lasse witti man; 
 of God is taken neuertheles so it is, that God ieueth not hise iiftis to 
 
 into the account, . . .... , i« 1 t 
 
 which is not a viciose man lijk plenteuoseli as he ieuetli to a ver- 
 
 friven to pood * 
 
 mm and bad tuose man. 
 
 Reply to the A^ens this answere y mai meete thus: We han 
 answer. The n oon other knowing in experience but that men fynden 
 
 gifts of prophecy, o I J 
 
 miracieshavo" 1 anc * coruen (as for the miche more parti) to the kun- 
 c^err^dmorc 1 n y n S °f Scripture and of alle othere divyne and 
 baTmen'than godli trouthis rathir or latir, as thei ben disposid 
 on good men. kindeli in her resoun and witt. And what euer ex- 
 perience techith we ou^te holde, but if resoun or 
 Scripture or sure reuelacioun schewe other. Wher- 
 fore we ou^ten noon other holde, but if resoun or 
 Scripture or other sure reuelacioun schulde enforme 
 vs that we schulde other holde. For el lis the holding 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 95 
 
 were feyned, and lackid euydence and ground. But so Chai\ 
 it is, that neithir sufficient resoun, neither Scripture, 
 neither other sure revelacioun schewith to us forto 
 holde other wise ther yn than experience schewith. 
 Wherfore as experience schewith, so ther yn it is to 
 be holde : and that is what is now bifore seid, that 
 men comen into the dew vndirstonding of Scripture 
 rathir or latir, as thei therto ben kindeli disposid. 
 And ferthermore, thou^ God schulde not and wolde 
 not suffre eny man to haue the dew vndirstonding 
 of Holi Scripture saue bi his ^ifte, yit we mowe 
 liaue that hise iiftis and gracis of wit he yeue as 
 plenteuoseli to a bad man as to a good man, and 
 sumtyme more plenteuoseli to the lasse good man 
 than to 1 better man. Forwhi ellis what euere men 
 were prophetis, or what euere men hadden reuelaciouns, 
 were holier than eny othere men whiche hadden 
 noon reuelaciouns and visiouns ; and the holier that 
 eny man or womman is, the more he or sche hath 
 prophecie and reuelacioun than an othir lasse holi ; 
 which is knowun as vntrewe bi open experience. 
 Wherfore folewith that thou^ God wolde not suffre 
 eny man to haue the dew vnderstonding of Holi 
 Scripture bi his natural witt, but bi ^ifte of God, yii 
 herwith stondith weel that a bad man haue as plen- 
 teuosely thilk ^ifte as a good man, and that sum bad 
 man haue thilk ^ifte more plenteuoseli than sum good 
 man, ri^t as sum bad man or sum lasse good man 
 hath ^iftis of helth and of miraclis doing more plen- 
 teuoseli ^ouen to him than a good man or than a more 
 good man, as it is open in the Gospel 2 
 that a man not folewing the trewe and dew wey of 
 Crist dide miraclis bi ^ifte of God, as the very and 
 
 1 Probably the should be inserted I his eye Mark ix. 38, sqq. (Cf. Luke 
 
 2 A space left iu the MS. for the would be in fact more to his pur- 
 reference. Pecock seems to have in | pose. 
 
 after to. 
 
 Matth. vii. 22, 
 
96 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. xvii. trewe Apostlis diden. Wherfore folewith needis that 
 the seid ij e . opinioun is vntrewe. 
 The texts of Tho textis of Holi Scripture, whiche ben alleggid 
 
 Scripture, pro- L 00 
 
 oftMs™ ^ifore m the fi rs te chapiter for grounding of the ij". 
 toThe pur^po^" 8 °P m i° un > doon no thing therto. Forwhi, thou^ it 
 mai be had bi tho textis that God schal ^eue and do 
 singulerli and notabili to meke men for her mekenes, 
 certis ^it bi noon of thilk textis is had, that God schal 
 ^eue or do into the wit or vndirstonding of ech meke 
 man eny ^ifte aboue the ^ifte which he wole ^eue into 
 the resoun or vndirstonding of vnmeke men. And 
 therfore thilke textis speken in so general maner of the 
 visiting to be doon bi God to meke men, that thei 
 mowe be verrified in manye othere wisis and for 
 inanye othere visitingis, than ben the visitingis and 
 the pftis of kunnyng. And verili to seie in myn ex- 
 perience, ful manye passyng meke men y haue knowe, 
 whiche han be ful lewid in the knowing of moral 
 vertu and han be ful of doutis, ^he, and han be the 
 lewedir bi so miche that thei laborid euere in meke- 
 nes forto haue it in greet mesure, whilis thei my^ten 1 
 haue laborid forto haue had kunnyng of moral ver- 
 tuosenes. And thus miche is ynou^ for improuyng 
 and reprouyng of the ij f . opinioun. 
 
 The iij e . opinioun put bifore in the first chapiter 2 of 
 
 The Tnmn 
 
 ERROR DIS- 
 
 " ant this present book muste needis be vntrewe, for he is 
 
 Scripture 
 
 uv REASON. 
 
 a^ens Holi Scripture and also a^ens resoun. 
 it is disproved He is aiens Holi Scripture; forwhi i. Petri iii < \ F. 
 
 liV .Scripture. . / . 1 i n • a 
 
 Reason and argu- it is wntun in sentence thus: lhat ech tristeii man 
 
 ment are com- J 7 _ . . 7 . . 
 
 uicndedinthe schulde be redi forto ansivere and teue satisfac- 
 
 New Testament. , " . _ , / 1 • • 
 
 cwun to ech asker of him resoun (that is to seie, 
 argument) vpon his feith and his hope ; and so wole 
 not the iij e . opinioun graunte or suffre. Also Iohun 
 vj e . c. it is had, that mennis goode werkis ben not 
 oonli the werkis of her affect and wil and the out- 
 
 myyte, MS. (first hand). | 2 See p. 7. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 97 
 
 ward werkis comaundid bi the wil to be doon, but chap, xvii. 
 also mennis werkis ben inward werkis of his intellect 
 or vndirstonding, and therfore ben hise opiniouns and 
 sciencis upon treuthis in lawe of kinde : and also thei 
 ben hise feithis had upon treuthis being not fyndeable 
 and knoweable bi lawe of kinde, whanne thei folewen 
 choicis and deedis of the wil, as it is tau^t in The 
 folewer to the donet, and as it is open by Cristis 
 wordis, Iobun the vj e . c. Forwhi whanne the Tewis ask- 
 iden of him thus : What schulen we do that we worche 
 the werkis of God? Iesus 1 answeride and seide to 
 hem thus: This is the werk of God that xe bileeue in 
 to him ivhich he sende. And sithen herby it is open 
 that mennis feithis ben her werkis, it folewith that tho 
 men whiche reulen hem bi the iij e . opinioun and wolen 
 not bringe forth and schewe her feithis at li^t (that 
 is to seie, at argumentacioun) ben of thilk soort of 
 peple which God reproueth, Iohun the iij e . c., where 
 Crist seide thus : This is the iugement, for lixt came 
 in to the world, and men loued more derJcnes than 
 lilt, sotheli her werkis weren yuel. Forsothe 2 ech that 
 doith yuel hatith lilt, and he comith not to lixt, 
 that hise werkis ben not vndernome. He that doith 
 treuthe cometh to lip, that hise xuerkis be 3 mad open, 
 for that thei ben doon in God. Thus miche there. 
 Se now therbi how openli men of the iij e . opinioun 
 ben reproued of Crist, and therfore the iij e . opinion is 
 a^ens Holi Writt. 
 
 Certis withoute argument can no trouthe be knowe truth what- 
 
 ever cflri be 
 
 neither leerned in the intellect of man, and that whe- known without 
 
 i it n r- • argument, either 
 
 t lier thilk trouthe be of lawe of kinde or of feith, in natural or 
 
 i-ii • • i-ii revealed religion. 
 
 except thilk treuthis in lawe of kmae which ben 
 openest of alle othere treuthis, and ban noon opener 
 treuthis than thei ben bi whiche thei mowe be proued, 
 
 1 IhS, MS. I a Xhe MS had or igi na ijy J CM> 
 
 2 for sothe, MS., apparently ; but but the last letter is scraped out. 
 elsewhere conjunctira. J 1 
 
98 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. xvii. as y haue openli schewid in othere places of mi 
 writingis. And therfore ful weel and fid treuli ou*te 
 arguyng and disputing be clepid li*t. 
 The third error That the iij e . opinioun is also a*ens reson, y mai 
 by reason: be- schewe thus : Euen as thilk opinioun or conclusioun 
 
 C3,USG QXGTY tTUG 
 
 opinion win bear of lawe of kinde is not worthi be holde trewe, but 
 if he mai be susteyned bi hise propre to him groundis 
 and evidencis, withynne the boundis of lawe of kinde, 
 perteynyng to the grounding of suche conclusions ; and 
 but if sufficient aunswere can be mad to al arguyng, 
 which may ther a?ens be maad, bi skilis in lawe of 
 kinde : ri*t so thilk feith or conclusioun of bileeue is 
 not worthi to be holde trewe, but if he may be 
 susteyned bi hise propre to him groundis and evi- 
 dencis perteynjng to the grounding of feith ; and but 
 if sufficient answere can be *eue to al arguyng, which 
 mai be mad ther a*ens. Goddis forbode that eny 
 man schulde so trowe and feele that eny conclusioun of 
 feith ou*te be holde for trewe and for feith, and zit 
 couthe be proued bi eny argument to be vntrewe and 
 fals ; and that eny argument couthe be mad a*ens eny 
 conclusioun of trewe feith, to which argument it couthe 
 not cleerli at fulle be answerid. For whi ther is no 
 treuthe knowun for a treuthe (whether it be a treuthe 
 of lawe of kinde or of lawe of feith), but that if he 
 be knowe perfitli and fulli bi hise euydencis and 
 groundis, as it mai bi good labour of arguyng be 
 knowe, he schal be proued trewe azens alle azenseiers 
 whiche euere thei ben, Cristen or hethen, and thei 
 mowe bi strengthe of argument be constreyned in her 
 reson for to consente therto, wole thei nile thei, if thei 
 Zeue sufficient attendaunce to the arguyng ; and also 
 sufficient cleer at fulle answere mai be Zemin 1 to al 
 arguyng mad a lens the same conclusioun of feith. 
 
 1 There has been an erasure and correction here, and it may perhaps 
 be doubted whether xeuim was the original form ; it occurs however in 
 
 Gen. xxx. 18. (Wicl. Vers.) 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 99 
 
 Al this is open bi what y haue write of feith in The Chap. xvii. 
 folewer to the do net, and in the first parti of Cristen 
 relief ioun, and in the firste parti of The book of feith 
 and of sacramentis, and in the book clepid The 
 prouyng of Cristen feith. And furthermore the more 
 eny treuthe, whether he be of feith or of no feith, be 
 brou^t in to examinacioun of arguyng, the more trewe 
 and the more cleerli trewe he schal be seen ; and if 
 he be not trewe, but seme trewe eer he come into 
 triyng of argumentis, the lenger he abidith the ex- 
 amynacioun of arguyng, the more vntrewe and the 
 more cleerli vntrewe he schal be seen ; ri^t as good 
 trewe gold, the more it suffrith the fier, the more 
 cleerli he is seen to be trewe gold ; and if he be 
 not but countirfeet goold, certis the lenger he abi- 
 dith the examynacioun of fier, the more cleerli it 
 schal be seen that he is fals and not trewe gold. 
 And therfore Goddis forbode that any Cristen man 
 schulde thinke and trowe to be a trewe and a 
 good gouernance forto kepe hise feithis and his 
 othere opiniouns priuey, and lete hem not come into 
 what euer examynacioun of argumentis whiche mowe 
 be mad ther upon; namelich whanne and where the 
 holder of tho feithis and of hise othere opinions mai 
 be sikir forto come and go and speke and argue and 
 answere withoute eny bodili harme, and with out eny 
 losse of his ricches or of his fame. Certis if eny man 
 dare not in the now seid casis suffre his feith and 
 hise othere opiniouns be brou^t into lirt and into fier 
 of argumentis to be at uttrist examyned, he ourte be 
 trowid that in that he hath vntrewe chaffar and 
 vntrewe gold, which mai not abide list and fier. 
 
 Also that this iij e . opinioun is a^ens resoun it is SK^oBt 
 euydent herbi : He is lijk to the lawe of Macomet and ""net of th? e 
 of Sarezenis in thilk point in which her lawe is moost ?eifgioT nedan 
 vnresonable. Forwhi the lawe of Macomet biddith, 
 vndir greet peyne of horrible deeth suffring, that no 
 
 G 2 
 
100 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, xvh. man affcir lie hath receyued the feith of thilk lawe 
 dispute or argue with eny other man upon eny point, 
 article, or conclusioun of thilk lawe : and bi this 
 wrecchid and eursid maundement the peple of thilk 
 secte ben so miche lockid up vndir boond, that manie 
 mo of hem my^ten be conuertid iuto trewe feith than 
 ^it ben, if thilk so vnresonable maundement of the 
 same la we ne were. And if an}* Cristen men wolen 
 locke hem silf so up in her feithis and othere opiniouns 
 of Cristis lawe fro arguyng and disputing ther upon 
 with othere men, as y haue knowe bi reporting of ful 
 trewe persoones that thei so doon, certis ther in thei 
 doon foul vilonie to Cristis lawe of feith and of lawe 
 of kinde, making as thou^ Cristis seid lawe were so 
 feble chaffare and so countirfetid and so vntrewe, 
 that it durst not saue his worschip if he were thriftili 
 examyned. And thei doon also ful periloseli to hem 
 silf for to make hem so sikir in a feith, eer it be 
 sufHcientli tried and proued forto be holde worthi a 
 trewe feith or no. And therfore the thridde bifore 
 .sett opinioun in the first chapiter of this book is 
 vnresonable. 
 
 Reply to the Now forto answere to tho textis. whiche ben 
 
 arguments from 
 
 scripture. The there bifore allegcrid for ■aToundino - or ellis witnessing 
 
 passage from the 00 ... .. ... 
 
 roios'ian°s tlu 01 l )rou y n § °^ ^ ne HJ* opinioun, it is li^t forto an- 
 expiained. swere. Forwhi to ech diligent considerer vpon the 
 processis forth and aftir, bifore and behinde, where 
 thilke textis ben writun, it schal be ri^t li^tli and 
 soone seen, that the first text there alleggid, Coloc. 
 ij e . c., wole that in mater of Cristis Incarnacion, 
 which is a mater of pure feith, no man schulde be 
 bigilid bi philsophi ; that is to seie, no man schulde 
 be moved a^ens the feith ther of bi evidencis and 
 bi argumentis mad oonli vpon evidencis of lawe of 
 kinde and of pure resoun without evidencis takun 
 vpon Goddis affermyng or Goddis reveling. Forwhi 
 tho ben argumentis of pure philsophie, and thei ben 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 101 
 
 veyn fallacis as to schewe treuthe of feith ; for thei Chap, xvh. 
 
 han no place in mater of feitb ; and argumentis takun 
 
 vpon evidencis of Goddis assercioun, or 1 Goddis 
 
 afferrayng or reveling that the thing is trewe, ben 
 
 the oonli argumentis which han propre place forto 
 
 proue and grounde articles, treuthis, and conclusiouns 
 
 of feith ; but certis thei (that is to seie, argumentis 
 
 of philsophie) and noon othere argumentis han place 
 
 foi*to groundli and fundamentab schewe and proue 
 
 maters of lawe of kinde not being of feith ; and 
 
 suche maters ben maters of Goddis lawe and seruice, 
 
 as weel as ben maters of feith. And therfore the 
 
 first text alleggid gooth not into the proof of the iij e . 
 
 opinioun. 
 
 And in liik maner it is to be seid that Poul Th e passage 
 
 J . from the First 
 
 meened in the ii e . place, allego-id bifore to be i. Cor. Epistle to the 
 
 J 1 00 Corinthians 
 
 i. c., that in mater of feith Poul vsid not hi^nes of "plained, 
 wisdom and of pure resoun oonli, thou^ not al maner 
 of arguyng may be excludid fro the fynding, the 
 leernyng, the knowing, and the prouyng of feith, as 
 it is proued weel in the book clepid The book of feith 
 and of sacramentis, and as it is tau^t in The folexver 
 to the donet and in the i e . partie of Criden religioun; 
 bicause that no treuthe (except tho which ben at 
 vttrist degre pleyn and open treuthis) mai be leerued, 
 kunne, and proued without argument, as it is in my 
 writingis sumwhere ellis suflicientli schewid ; and ech 
 argument muste needis be maad bi werk and deede 
 of the resoun. And thus it is answerid to the textis 
 whiche in the first chapiter of this book ben brou^t 
 into proving of the iij e . opinioun. 
 
 1 or of, MS., but of is scraped out, 
 
102 
 
 pecocks repressor. 
 
 xviij. Chapiter. 
 
 Another erro- Aftir y had herd and had writun thus as is now 
 Which came more passid of these iij. opiniouns, ther came into my know- 
 PMock'sk 0 no\v- ing that among the peple bifore spokun is holde this 
 kcep e God f, s a uw" iiij e . now to be rehercid opinioun. And for as myche 
 
 he shall have the t • _c 1 -i i ii • • a ■ -i « 
 
 true understand- as he is lul perilose and worthi it is iorto him a^en- 
 Vrithout tile aid stonde and him forto proue be vntrewe, therfore y 
 teacher: but if he thou^te forto plaunte into this book the writing of 
 never have it by him here next to the othere thre opiniouns, and forto 
 in the world, sette my bisynes forto bringe him into nou2t. The 
 
 The Lollards . . . - lf • • Je , 7 , 
 
 consider the opmioun in him silt is this. It eny man be not oonli 
 thoTatter sort, nieke, but if ther with al he kepe and fulfille al the 
 lawe of God so miche and in the maner as it is long- 
 ing to him forto it kepe and fulfille, he schal haue 
 the trewe vndirstonding of Holi Scripture, thou^ no 
 man ellis teche him saue God. And tho men wliiche 
 ben not trewe lyuers in the lawe of God schulen not 
 falle vpon the trewe and dewe vndirstonding of Holi 
 Scripture, thou^ thei putte tlierto al her natural 
 power and diligence, with the help and counseil of 
 othere suche persoones like to hem. And thanne 
 here by for as miche as to her seming the bischopis 
 and archidenes, 1 doctouris, and othere clerkis lyuen 
 alle out of Goddis lawe, therfore thei wenen that noo 
 bischop or archideken or doctour or eny other such 
 persoon of the clergie cometh into the trewe and 
 dew VDclirstonding of Holi Scripture ; and therfore 
 thei trowen that ech bischop and ech such other 
 clerk bileeueth amys and techith amys, and thei 
 wolen not trowe to his teching, but thei trowen to 
 the doctrine which thei fynden among hem silf bi 
 studiyng in the Bible oonli. For hem silf oonli thei 
 
 1 Probably we should read archideketut. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 103 
 
 holden trewe feitbful lyuers .according with the lawe Chap. xvhi. 
 of God. ~~ 
 
 This iiij". opinioun, as y weene, thei trowen be Certain texts 
 groundid in the textis now to be rehercid. The firste of this opinion, 
 is writun Iohun viij e . c. thus : Iesus seid to hem of 
 the lewis, whiche bileeueden to him : If ye schulen 
 dwelle in my word ye schulen be my very disciplis, 
 and ye schxden lenowe trouthe, and trouthe schal 
 delyuere you. The if. text is writun Iohun xiiij 0 . c. 
 thus : He that loueth me schal be loued of my Fadir, 
 and y schal loue him, and y schal scheive my silf to 
 him. The iij e . text is writen Iohun xv". c. thus : I 
 schal not now clepe you seruauntis or bond men, for 
 the seruaunt woot not what his lord schal do; but 
 y haue clepid you freendis, for alle thingis what 
 eucr y herde of my Fadir y mad hnowun to you. 
 
 This iiij e . opinioun may ful li^t] i be improued. For- tws opinion con- 
 whi a^ens him is had the grettist certeinte which fest experience, 
 mad be had in oure knowing, and it is clepid expe- hoidinlToJiard 
 rience : ^he, such experience is a^ens him had, that notoriofwe^i 
 the holders of him kunnen not and mowe not a^ens luers- 
 thilk experience seie nay, and therfore needis fro this 
 iiij e . opinioun thei musten falle. As for the seid 
 experience had a^ens the seid iiij e . opinioim, sotheli y 
 haue mad inquisicioun therto sufficient and diligent, 
 and y am certified at fulle that among the holders 
 of this same iiij e . opinioun summe ben founde and 
 knowun openli among hem silf and of othere nei^boris 
 to be greet- lecchouris, summe to be avoutreris in 
 greet haunt and contynuaunce, summe to be theefis, 
 euen a^ens her owne leernyng and a^ens her owne 
 holding and doctrine, ^he, thei that han be and ben 
 ri^t grete in auctorite of teching among hem han be 
 and ben suche, and in other wise miche viciose per- 
 soones, so that thei mowe not here a^ens seie nay, 
 for y can make it vndoutabili be proued. And alle 
 men witen that these ben grete synnes and miche 
 
104 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, xa'iii. a^ens the keping of Goddis moral lawe ; and thei hem 
 silf knoulechen that these dedis ben grete synnes and 
 a^ens Goddis lawe. And ^it thei weenen and holden 
 hem silf for to haue the trewe and dewe vndir- 
 stonding of Holi Scripture ; ^he, that no men han 
 bettir the trewe vndirstonding ther of than thei han. 
 Wherfore needis folewith that thei hem silf muste 
 holde the seid iiij e . opinioun to be vutrewe, and 
 that for open knowing of experience which is had 
 among hem silf of these now bifore rehercid vicis, and 
 of many othere vicis. And therfore fro this dai forth 
 ward y hope noon holder of the iiij e . opinioun schal 
 mowe for schame holde the same iiij e . opinioun, but 
 rather he schal be schamed that he hath it bifore so 
 vngroundabili holde, and withoute suficient evidence 
 therto bifore had he hath so faste therto cleued and 
 lened. Ferthermore y dare weel seie, if alle the evi- 
 dencis whiche ben late bifore writun in the next 
 chapiter, a;ens the ij e . opinioun be weel considerid 
 thei schulen suflice forto vnprove this iiij c . opinioun 
 here, as thei vnproven the ij c . opinioun there. And 
 therfore more than this no nede is forto write now 
 and here a^ens the seid iiij e . opinioun. 
 iStSJS&o. Tho iij. textis of Holi Scripture, whiche .bifore in 
 pun"^n 0 for° this present chapiter ben alleggid into the grounding 
 nuoY« 1 'i! h< Tiiis C of this iiij°. opinioun, availen not therto. Forwhi, 
 ^^"prorodL*' lijk w ^ se as bifore (in the eende of the ix e . chapiter in 
 this present i e . partie) to ij. textis of Holi Scripture 
 brou^t forth into helping of the firste opinioun y 
 haue answerid there, that tho ij. textis speken of 
 leernyng and kunnj'ng which is feith, and not which 
 is had bi doom of resoun in lawe of kinde ; so y 
 answere now to these iij. textis brou^t forth in this 
 present chapiter for grounding of the iiij". opinioun, 
 that ech of these iij. textis spekith of leernyng and 
 knowing which is feith, namelich vpon Cristis Persoon 
 and upon his Incarnacioun, and not of leernyng and 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 105 
 
 knowing which is lawe of kinde geten bi labour in chap. xvm. 
 doom of mannis resoun oonli, as it is open if a man 
 weie weel the wordis of tho textis. And therfore 
 these iij. textis ben not for the purpos for to grounde 
 the iiij e . opinioun. 
 
 As to this, that the holders of the iiij 0 . opinioun Reply to the 
 deemen prelatis of the chirche forto be mys lyuers prelates arc evu 
 and trespacers aiens GodcUs laAve, weel y wote that but men, and 
 
 , . , , , , therefore liable 
 
 in summe thingis prelatis synnen and amys 1 doon. to human 
 
 . , . . , . infirmity; the 
 
 x or, thou^ thei ben prelatis in the chirche, thei ben charges against 
 men and not pure aungels, and therfore thei ben rated, 
 suche, and muste needis be suche, that han the 
 natural temptatyue wrecchidnessis whiche other men 
 han. And weel y wote herwith, that in summe 
 thingis thei ben iugid to be more gilti than thei ben, 
 and also in summe thingis thei ben iugid to be gilti 
 whanne thei not gilti ben, as tho same iugers schulden 
 weel wite, if thei were homeli with the same prelatis, 
 and weren priuey to the same gouernauncis and to 
 alle the causis and motyues and circumstauncis of the 
 same gouernauncis whiche thei blamen. 
 
 Wolde God that men, eer thei wolden 2 blame eny Bishops often 
 
 . . , condemned 
 
 mannys gouernaunce, wolden weel leerne and wolden unjustly, 
 be remembrid weel vpon the same leerning wher of a 
 deede or a gouernaunce takith his moral godenes and 
 his moral badnes, and that a gouernaunce is not 
 moraly 3 good for and bi his owne substaunce, but for 
 and bi his causis, hise motyues, and hise circumstauncis, 
 as it 4 is tau^t in othere placis of my writingis, name- 
 lich in The foleiuer to the donet : y\\e, and that moral 
 gouernaunces of mennis conuersacioun, namelich suche 
 that ben politik (that is to seie, suche wherbi prelatis 
 of the chirche or othere ouerers gouerne othere men 
 vndir hem bi spiritual policie or worldli policie) 
 
 1 mys, MS. (first hand). 3 moral, MS. (first hand). 
 
 ; wolde, MS. (first hand). I 4 as is, MS. (first hand). 
 
10G pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, xviii. stonden neuere thoru^ long tymes vndir oon reule, 
 neither vndir oon raaner to be doon, neither stonden 
 in alle placis like "wise or vndir lijk reule to he doon. 
 And also that in the causis 1 of God and aboute the 
 helthe of Cristen soulis the more good is rather to be 
 doon than the lasse gode, and the lasse good is rather 
 to be left vndoon than the more good ; tliou^ into the 
 lasse good certyn pointing is maad bi reulis and is 
 writun, and not into the more good. Sotheli thanne 
 schulden not tho men iuge and deem so vnwijsly and 
 so vntreuli of prelatis and of her gouernauncis, as y 
 heere summen so do. Weel y woot as for my 2 part, 
 that how men han iugid me and my gouernaunce 
 anentis my diocise, hath come to myn eeris ; and ^it 
 y knowe the wittis and the disposiciouns of the same 
 iugers, that if alle the causis and motyues and en- 
 tentis, meenis, helpis, and lettis, and manie othere 
 circumstauncis of the same gouernaunce whiche thei 
 blamen were opened to hem, and if thei were made 
 therto priuei, thei wolden be of the firste whiche 
 schulden counseile me to kepe and fidfille the same 
 gouernaunce. 
 
 appiiesTo^ Of mi parti y speke in special more than of the 
 urcngatoenwt P 81 ** 68 °^ °there 8 prelatis : for the vniustnes of iuging 
 which is jouun upon me y knowe better than the 
 vniustnes of iugingis doon vpon othere. And as it is 
 of me in this caas, so it is lijk to be with manie 
 othere prelatis to be wrongli deemed 9!' men, whiche 
 not knowen in special al that ou^te be considerid 
 aboute a gouernaunce, eer than thilk gouernaunce 
 ou^te of hem be iugid morali good or bad. 
 ^cTcnfbooks, How suche now seid politik gouernauncis of prelatis 
 K^iffl? anentis her peple was doon and vnder what reule in 
 Kophy.aptto t j ie ee ]^i r daies. it is writun in lawis and in holi 
 
 1 in catisis, MS. (first hand). 
 : /orm>/, MS. 
 
 3 the othere, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 107 
 
 uiennys doctrines and in lioli mennys exortaciouns, Chap, xviii. 
 
 semyngli as that tho gouernauncis schulden alwey be suppose that all 
 J B b J things ought t o 
 
 contynued vndir liik reule. Thanne comen forth men be in the Church 
 
 ' " _ now, as they 
 
 sum what lettrid as in mummer oonli or litle ferther, l""* 8 in old time. 
 
 ° _ i Tins opinion 
 
 and not instructid in the kunnyng of moral philsophie r! } lse ; R* .» 
 
 » ° x 1 change of tune 
 
 and of lawe of kinde, neither considering or remem- a ' ld <n*qpn- 
 
 ° _ stances mtro- 
 
 bring that the godenes of a gouernaunce hangith upon duces changes 
 
 o o o o i ln t 0 church 
 
 hise circumstauncis ; and that, if transmutacioun and government, 
 chaunge be of the circumstauncis, so that thei not 
 abiden vndir oon and the same reule, the gouernaunce 
 ou^te not abide and be contynued vndir oon and the 
 same reule forto be good ; and not considering that 
 in lengthe of tyme ful greet transmutacioun and 
 chaunge is alwey maad in and aboute the circum- 
 stauncis of politik gouernauncis, ^he, and of monastik 
 gonernauncis (that is to seie, of gouernaimcis bi whiche 
 oon man gouerneth him silf aloon) ; and thei reden 
 these writingis so writen in eeldir dales, and anoon 
 thei iugen that vndir lijk reule and maner thilke 
 gouernauncis ou^te be contynued now and alwey with 
 oute excepcioun and without dyuersite, namelich for- 
 that tho eeldir writingis were writingis of holi men. 
 But, lo, how foule thei ben bigilid ; for thei not con- 
 sideren ferther in the writingis than is expressid in the 
 same writingis, neither thei consideren that no man 
 cuere wrote in suche gouernauncis alle the excepciouns 
 and alle the priuey condiciouns whiche ben priueily 
 and impliedli includid in the same writingis ; but 
 who euere wrote or schal Avrite in suche maters of 
 moral gouernauncis, he muste needis comitte and bitake 
 to the doom of resoun manie excepciouns and condi- 
 ciouns, and myche more thing vnwritun of hem con- 
 cernyng the same maters than is al what he ther of 
 writith expresseli ; and that bi cause of the seid trans- 
 mutacioun which is alwey in the world ; and therwith 
 bicause that a gouernaunce is not good but bi hise 
 circumstauncis, whiche ben thus changeable and trans- 
 
108 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 The same 
 changes intro- 
 duce changes 
 into things of 
 common life. 
 
 chap, xviii. mutable. For certis ellis it wolde needis folewe that 
 tho writers, liow euere holi thei were, wroten and 
 tau^ten a^ens trewe philsophie and a^ens trewe diui- 
 nyte and aiens trewe doom of resoun, which as for 
 thilk euidence is not to. be grauntid. 
 
 And therfore wolde God that men wolden bithenke 
 weel, that no man may vndir oon reule and oon maner 
 kepe his gouernaunce toward him silf, toward his 
 meynee, and toward liise othere peple, in wynter and 
 in somer, in a ^eer of derth and in a ^eer of greet 
 cheep, in tyme of wete and in tyme of drou^th ; and 
 if in oon ^eer such transmutacioun and chaunge of 
 wether muste make a man chaunge his moral gouer- 
 naunce anentis him silf and anentis his peple, whi not 
 bi lijk skile if thoru^ hundridis of ^eeris ben falle 
 manye transmutaciouns in the circumstauncis of the 
 seid politik gouernaunce, and manie lettis and manye 
 vnhelpis and manye lackis of helpis, whiche in the 
 eeldir daies weren not in the circumstauncis of the 
 same gouernaunce ? The prelate muste make thilk 
 gouernaunce to be doon in an other maner and in an 
 other reule, as resoun for the tyme wole deeme, and 
 not vndir the same forme and reule in which it was 
 doon bifore in eeldir daies, and in winch thou^ it be 
 writun that in thilk reule that it was doon in eeldir 
 daies bifore ; the, and if such transmutacioun and greet 
 dyuersyte be in oon diocise, miche more and miche 
 other wise than in an other diocise, whi schal not the 
 tronernaunce in thilk 1 diocise be doon bi doom of 
 resoun myche other wise than the same kinde of 
 gouernaunce ou^te be doon in an other 2 diocise ? 
 
 If therfore reders in lawis and writingis of eeldir 
 daies were ferther and better instructid than in her 
 examiner in such doctrine as is now sumwhat here 
 schortli seid and touchid, thei wolden not £ene such 
 
 Necessity of 
 caution in 
 making appeals 
 to ancient 
 practice. 
 
 link, MS. 
 
 a other, MS. 
 
THE FIRST PA11T. 
 
 ] 01) 
 
 vnvvise and vntrewe doomes upon prelatis of the Qhap. XYlll, 
 chirche and vpon religiose persoones for chaunging of 
 gouernauncis bifore doon and led and writen to be so 
 doon, as y heere that thei doon ; but thei wolden 1 
 thinke that manye thingis musten be considerid mo 
 than oon in iuo-ino- of a oouernaunce, and thei wol- 
 den 1 thenke that thei knewen not al that ou^te be 
 considerid aboute thilk gouernaunce or thilk gouer- 
 naunce, as causes, motyues, ententis, helpis, lettis, lackis 
 of meenis, chaungis of the better good which may not 
 be differrid, neither mai be doon of othere men for 
 the lasse good, and manye suche othere ; and thanne 
 thei wolden thenke and seie, that thei hadden not suf- 
 ficient ground forto deeme and leue iugement, whether 
 thilk gouernaunce be good or bad. 
 
 And ferthermore, to seie redili as no man woot, how Prelates not to 
 
 . . be eondemned 
 
 hard it is to clymbe vpon a tree or forto come doun lustily by those 
 
 , .,. who know 
 
 of a tree, saue thilk that assaieth it : and no man nothing of the 
 
 ' ' difficulty of their 
 
 lokmg vpon an other man so clymbing vp or comyng situation, 
 doun can iuge so weel that he gouerneth him weel or 
 yuel in so ascending or descending as he him silf 
 which so ascendith or descendith, neither he woot so 
 weel as if he him silf were sett into lijk werke of 
 clymbing or of doun comyng, and ful li^tli ech such 
 biholder schal deeme amys the clymber, if he make 
 soone eny iugement ther upon without priuey counsell- 
 ing with the clymber, to wite of him whi he is moved 
 forto sette his foot rather there than here, and so of 
 other 2 dyuersitees : euen so it is in oure now present 
 purpos. And therfore not for nou^t God seid in the 
 Gospel, 3 Matheu vij e . c. : Nile ye deeme and ye schiden 
 not be deemed : in what euer doom ye schulen deeme 
 ye schulen be deemed. Vpon which sentence it were 
 good that men hem bithou^te, and of which sentence it 
 
 1 wolde, MS. (first hand) 
 
 2 otherer, MS. 
 
 3 Golpel, MS. 
 
110 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, xviii. were good that men were afeerd. Forwhi tho wordis 
 ben the wordis and the thretenyngis of God, namelich 
 if men mytten not be reulid fro mys deemyng bi 
 wisdom sumwhat now schortli bifore tau^t of moral 
 philsophie. And ^it ferther, if suche hasti demers bi 
 her vnwise and vntrewe deemyng diffame the prelatis 
 which thei so demen, than is al the mater in her side 
 the wors. Forwhi, thanne thei ben bounde forto make 
 a sufficient amendis to the fame of the same prelate so 
 hurtid bi hem, euen as thei ben bounden into a suffi- 
 cient amendis to his worldli hauour, if thei take ther 
 of eny thing vntreuli fro him ; and ellis thei kunnen 
 not haue of thilk trespas for^euenes of God. And 
 sithen restitucioun of fame to be doon to a man a^ens 
 diffame is fill hard, and myche hardir than is resti- 
 tucioun of worldli good, it folewith that a perilose 
 tiling is it forto 1 appeire vntreuly a mannys name, 
 and namelich a prelatis name, thorny suche now seid 
 vnwijs and hasti deemyng. 
 
 xix. Chapiter. 
 
 ofth"Tu.\!n 00f Thou^, fro the bigynnyng of the firste chapiter in 
 
 ..niinaiucsoftho this book hidir to, y haue thus laborid forto distroie 
 clergy, which are J 
 
 conipiained of, jt which schuhle and wolde ellis ful miche lette my 
 
 may be set down J 
 
 ndetf special P ur P os anf l entent forto turne many of the comoun 
 thom IS shaii a ' ° f P e P^ e fr° m Y s holding aiens xj. gouernauncis, whiche 
 follow. aftir in this present book schulen be proued for leeful 
 
 and gode and profitable to Cristen men ; ^it, eer y 
 schal come doun into the special profis of tho xj. 
 gouernauncis, y schal proue hem alle to gidere vnder 
 general profis, and that bi setting 2 forth of iij. suppo- 
 
 x for inserted in MS. by a later (?) 
 hand. 
 
 '-' bisetting, MS. 
 
THE FI11ST PA11T. 
 
 Ill 
 
 siciouns or iij. reulis, and with taking out of hem iiij. Ch*rxIX. 
 conclusiouns. And thanne, aftir it is so doon, y schal 
 descende into special profis of tho xj. gouernauncis, of 
 which e gouernauncis the oon is the hauyng and vsing 
 of ymagis in chirchis ; an othir is pilgrimage in going 
 1 into memorialis or into mynde placis of Seintis. 
 
 The i c . supposicioun or reule is this : Who euere ^ E ri who- 
 ( whether he he God, man, aungel, or Scripture) bM-ggjjJ'Jgf 
 dith bi word or bi ensampling of deede expresseli eny gJ^JI^^'J^; 
 gouernaunce to be doun, he theryn 1 and therbi biddith thtaKtobedOTe 
 includingli or closingli al it to be doon, which folewith ^Jrj^lrom'it. 
 in formal argument of resoun out of thilk gouernaunce doneinttiebest 
 bedun. And also theryn and therbi he biddith al ib^SEST*"* 
 to be doon, withoute which the seid gouernaimce may 
 not be sufficientli doon into the entent of the biddir ; 
 aud also if into the same gouernaunce to be doon ben 
 manye dyuerse weies and meenis, of which ech bi 
 him silf is a good and a speedful wey and meene into 
 the seid gouernaunce to be doon, he in the bidding of 
 the seid gouernaunce to be doon, allowith ech of thilke 
 weies vndir fre choice of the taker to be take and 
 doon, and also he allowith thilk wey and meene rather 
 and more to be chose, take, and doon, bi which the 
 seid gouernaunce schal be the more or the better doon. 
 
 And also in the same bidding of the seid gouernaunce 
 he counseilith and willith thilk gouernaunce to be 
 doun in the better maner, rather than to be doon in 
 the lasse good maner. 
 
 The ij e . supposicioun or reule is this : Who euer £^ E SE who ■ 
 (God, aunffel, man, or Scripture) counseilith and willith e j n b/impiica- 
 
 \ ' o ' i s mem counsels 
 
 with oute comaundement bi word or bi ensampling of bepCTformed. 6 to 
 deede expresseli eny gouernaunce to be doun, he ther ^ v l ^ e ^™ lu " 
 yn and therbi counseilith and willith includingli or "h^Yo-icaiiv 0 
 closingli al it to be doon, which folewith in formal Sf^fej*; 
 argument of reson out of thilk same gouernaunce ^nncr and way 
 
 . possible. 
 
 1 yn, MS. (first hand). 
 
 G 8 +- 
 
112 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. xix. counseilid and willid ; and also tlier yn and therbi he 
 counseilith al it to be doon, withoute which the same 
 said counseilid gouernaunce mai not be doon as it is 
 so counseilid to be doon. And also, if into the same 
 gouemance to be doon ben manye dyuerse weies and 
 meenis of which ech is a good speedful wey and 
 raeene into the said gouernaunce to be doon, he in the 
 counselling and willing of the seid gouernaunce to be 
 doon allowith which euer of thilk weies and meenis 
 be take and doon into the doing of the seid gouer- 
 nance. And also he allowith thilk wey and meene 
 to be chose, take, and doon, rather and more, bi which 
 the seid gouernaunce schal be the better doon into 
 the entent of the counseiler or wilier. And also in 
 the same counselling of the seid gouernaunce he coun- 
 seilith and willith thilk same gouernance to be doon 
 in the better maner, rather than to be doon in the 
 lasse good maner. 
 The third The iii e . supposicioun or reule is this : Who euer 
 
 RULE. WllO- J 11 
 
 ever, bv cither (God, annuel, man, or Scripture) rehercith, witnessith, 
 
 of the before- v ' ° ' i i . i i • ■ . .„ . . 
 
 said manners, or or denouncith bi such bidding as is bifore seid in the 
 
 by any otlier f , , , , 
 
 manner, indi- firste reule, or bi such counselling as is bifore seid in 
 
 catcs that any . ° 
 
 ordinance is to the ii c . reule, or bi eny other maner eny gouernaunce 
 
 be performed, " ♦ » . 
 
 indicates inciu- to De doon, he ther yn and therbi rehercith, witnes- 
 
 sively that every ' * 
 
 thing is to be s ith or denouncith ineludinsdi or closiiiffli al it which 
 
 none which is ' ° ... 
 
 inciiided in it, folewith out of thilk gouernaance and is includid for- 
 
 and follows ° 
 
 from it, and is ma ij in thilk irouernaunce, and al it with out which 
 
 necessary for its — 
 
 performance. thilk gouernaunce mai not be doon 5 and so forth in 
 alle the othere pointis and degrees rehercid now bi- 
 fore in the firste and ij°. reulis. 
 'I'lvl'n.'v'tuc 8 These iij. supposiciouns or reulis ben so openli 
 Ivro'^s'M.'rvLi trewe, that no man li.-mying cny quantite «>f reeoun 
 being ortoea to „ KU - deneie hem. Forwhi, if y. being at Loudoun ill 
 
 (.-o from \\ lilt - ' » * 0 
 
 in^pnCoUege ^] )e (Jollafie of Whiting-ton, bidde or counseile or wit- 
 
 lo St. J'anl s o o ' 
 
 cross to hear a ]1CSSC to my seruaunt there beinct with mo, that ho "o 
 
 sermon. ^ m ° 
 
 to l'oulis CYos forto heerc there attcntifli a sermon 
 to be precbid, it mustc nodis lie grauntid, that y iu 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 113 
 
 so bidding, counselling, or witnessing, bidde, counseile, Chap. xix. 
 or witnesse, that he leerne or remembre sumwhat bi 
 the same sermoun, and that sum maner of newe dispo- 
 sicioun (lasse or more) he take into his affeccion vpon 
 sum thing of thilk sermoun. Forwhi al this folewith 
 out of the attentif heering of the sermoun. Also it 
 muste needis be grauntid, that y (in so bidding, coun- 
 selling, or witnessing) bidde, counseile, or witnesse, that 
 he go forth out at the collegis gate. Forwhi, inlasse 
 than he go forth fro me at the gate, he mai not come 
 to Poulis Cros forto heere the sermoun. Also, sithen 
 fro the seid college ben manye weies to Poulis Crosse, 
 and of whiche ech is speedful and good ynow forto 
 lede to Poulis Crosse, it muste needis be grauntid that 
 in so bidding, counseiling, or witnessing, y witnesse 
 that, which euere of thilke weies he take, y it allowe ; 
 and if cause be founde in eny of tho weies that bi 
 doom of resoun thilk weie ouite be left (as if per- 
 auenture in oon of thilk weies a man liggith in wait 
 for to sle my seid 1 seruaunt) certis thilk wey is not, 
 as for thanne, oon of the speedful weies for him into 
 Poulis Crosse. And also it muste be grauntid that in 
 so bidding, counseiling, or witnessing, y wole and al- 
 lowe rather that he go and chese the better of tho 
 weies than the lasse good of tho weies, and that he 
 in bettir maner heere the sermon than that he in 
 lasse good maner heere the same sermoun. Wherfore, 
 sithen in lijk maner it is to be holde and seid in alle 
 lijk casis, it folewith that the iij. bifore sett suppo- 
 siciouns or reulis ben trewe and ben to be grantid. 
 
 Aftir these iii. so openli trewe reulis y putte forth Four con- 
 
 ° . r . * t elusions follow 
 
 iiii. conclusiouns, whiche muste needis be trewe, if these fro , m the three 
 
 ... . rules. 
 
 nj. reulis be trewe. 
 
 The firste of tho- iiii. conclusiouns is this: For The pibst 
 
 COXCLUSIOK 
 
 this that Holi Scripture wole a man to loue God scripture iu bid- 
 
 ' seid is added l.y a later hand. | 5 the, MS. (first hand). 
 
 H 
 
114 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. xix. and drede God with al his herte, soul, and strengthe, 
 
 dinjpa^ruantolove 
 
 it muste needis be grauntid that ther yn Holi 
 him'to1ove' V aii ds Scripuue wole a man to loue al what God wole him 
 love^aiidhate 1 loue, and hate al what God wole him hate, and that 
 and to use ways ' Holi Scripture ther yn wole a man forto do Goddis 
 knowing and seruicis whiche God biddith him to do, and forto 
 what^hese^ do and suffre for God in his sendee. Forwhi al 
 Pictures, relics, this folewith in formal argument fro this, that a man 
 pd^Mring loueth God with al his herte, soul, and strengthe. 
 
 Scripture such . . , ti • ■, i i 
 
 oTVhe'c Pl i°/ Also it muste needis be grauntid, that ther yn and 
 ' therbi Hoh Scripture wole that a man bithinke and 
 remembre upon these vij. maters, that is to seie, what 
 God is in hise dignitees, nobilitees, and perfeccioiuis ; 
 whiche ben hise benefetis ^ouen and bihi^t to man in 
 this lijf and in the lijf to come ; whiche ben hise pun- 
 yschingis ^ouun and to be ^ouun in this lijf and in 
 the lijf to come ; wliiche ben pointis and articlis of his 
 lawe and his seruice ; that man ther yn serue to him ; 
 whiche ben mannys natural freelnessis and yuel dispo- 
 siciouns and redinessis into synne and lothinessis into 
 good ; whiche ben mannys synnes doon a^ens the lawe 
 of God ; and which ben remedies a;ens the now seid 
 freelnessis and a^ens the now seid synnes. Forwhi 
 the remembraunce and mynde taking upon these vij. 
 maters is so necessarie a meene into the loue and 
 drede of God, that withoute meditacioun and mynde 
 vpon hem or upon summe of hem no man schal loue 
 God and drede God in eny while with al his herte, 
 soule, and strengthe. And ferthermore, sithen this 
 niynde, remembraunce, and meditacioun mai not be had 
 upon these seid maters withoute summe of these weies 
 or meenes, that is to seie, reding or heering of Holi 
 Scripture and of othere writingis, heering of sermons 
 prechid, biholding upon picturis or purtraturis or 
 graued werk or coruun werk, visiting and going into 
 the placis in whiche holi men han lyued, or in whiche 
 holi men dwellen, or in whiche the relifis or the re- 
 likia of hem abiden ; as bi whiche meenis alle or 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 115 
 
 sumrae of the seid vij. maters mowen be representid, chap. xix. 
 signified, and be brou^t into mynde, meditacioun, and 
 remembraunce, and ech of these weies and meenis is 
 profitable and speedful into the seid remembraunce 
 making upon the seuen seid maters, as sure experience 
 and assaye ther upon had it witnessith : — it muste 
 needis be grauntid that in this that Holi Scripture 
 wole a man forto loue and drede God with al his 
 herte, soul, and wil, Holi Scripture allowith weel that 
 a man take in to vse ech of these now bifore rehercid 
 meenis (now oon of hem, now an other of hem) at 
 his liberte. as him likith forto so take. This firste 
 conclusioun folewith openli out of the iij. seid suppo- 
 siciomis and reulis, and out of the ensaumpling bifore 
 upon hem. "Wherfore, if thei be trewe, this firste 
 conclusioim muste nedis be trewe. 
 
 The ii e . conclusioun is this : Thilk xi. gouernauncis the second 
 
 ..ill . 7, CONCLUSION. 
 
 whiche v schal susteyne, meyntene, lustifie, and de- The eleven 
 
 *; , t ? 1 • • above-named 
 
 fende aftir in this present book, ben bede or counseilid ordinances are 
 
 1 bid or counselled 
 
 or witnessid bi Holi Scripture to be doon. This °r witnessed by 
 
 1 , Scripture. Proof 
 
 conclusioun y proue thus. Ech gouernaunce which is of the conclusion, 
 expresseli bede, counseilid, or witnessid bi Holi Scrip- 
 ture to be doon, or is includingli or closingli in eny 
 of the now biforeseid maners bede, counseilid, or 
 witnessid bi Holi Scripture to be doon, is bede or 
 counseilid or witnessid [by] Holi Scripture to be doon ; 
 but so it is that ech of thilk now spokun xj. gouer- 
 nauncis, which after in this present book y schal 
 defende and susteyne, is a gouernaunce expresseli bede 
 or counseilid or witnessid bi Holi Scripture to be 
 doon, or is includingli or closingli bede, counseilid, or 
 witnessid in summe of the maners now bifore seid in a 
 gouernaunce bede, counseilid, or witnessid expresseli bi 
 Holi Scripture to be doon, as schal be openli at ful 
 proued after in this book. Wherfore ech of thilk xj. 
 gouernauncis is bede or counseilid or witnessid of Holi 
 Scripture to be doon. 
 
 H 2 
 
IIG 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, xix. The iij a . conclusioun is this : In thilk maner of 
 The thied vnpropre .and large speche, in which it may thou* 
 
 CONCLUSION. 1 1 o r > J J 
 
 Each of the vnpropirli be seid that what is bede or connseilid or 
 
 above-named 1 r 
 
 ordinances are witnessid bi Holi Scripture in eny of the now bifore 
 
 in a large sense r J 
 
 Scripture "proof se ^ maners of bidding, counselling, or witnessing is 
 of the conclusion, therfore and therbi groundid in Holi Scripture, it is 
 trewe that ech of the xj. gouernauncis, which y schal 
 aftir in the ij e ., iij e ., iv e ., and v e .' parties of this book 
 menteyne and defende is groundid in Holi Scriptiue 
 largeli and vnpropirli forto speke of grounding, as it 
 is ther of seid bifore in the [fifth] 2 chapiter of this 
 present firste parti of this book. This iij e . conclusioun 
 folewith pleinli at the fid out of the if. now bifore 
 going conclusioun. Wherfore, if the ij e . conclusioun is 
 trewe, this iij e . conclusioun is needis trewe. 
 c<?ncluTio T x T Tne - ii\i e - conclusioun is this : If the bidding or 
 of t scn>t t iu-e S to n ^ counselling or witnessing of Holi Scripture in eny of 
 "ToVtheabovc- ^ ne bifore se id maners upon a mater or a conclusioun 
 a^oper^ounu^ or a trouthe of moral lawe of kinde were a gronding 
 eaShoftheeiCTcn m Scripture, forto speke propirli and verili and dewli 
 safd'were 0 !^ 10 °f a ground and of grounding to a thing, in the maner 
 ?nScnpture. ed which is bifore spokun in the ij°. and iij e . chapi- 
 dSSon' thecon " tris of this present first parti, cortis thanne ech of 
 the xj. gouernancis (whiche aftir in the ij e ., iij c ., iv e ., 
 and v e . parties of this present book y schal defende 
 and menteyne) were groundid in Holi Scripture bi 
 grounding in propre maner vndirstondun and takuti. 
 This iiij c . conclusioun folewith openli out of the ij*. 
 and iij c . conclusiouns. Wherfore, if thei be trewe, he 
 is trewe. 
 
 1 Some erasures and correctioDs 
 have been made in the numbers ; 
 the same remark is to he made 
 just below in two instances ; also 
 at p. 4, 1. 2". The numbers are 
 
 I written in Roman character by 
 the first hand, in Arabic by the 
 
 1 second. 
 
 * A space left in the MS. for the 
 number. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 117 
 
 xx. Chapiter. 
 
 Coxfirmacioun to the i°. and ij . of these iiij. now continuation of 
 putt conclusiouns is this. Who euer for deuocioun first an°d 0 seconri d 
 and loue which he hath to Holi Scripture wole holde must bTprantea 
 that ech gouernaunce of Goddis moral lawe and ser- ^grounded m 
 uice is groundid in tlie Newe Testament, (as summen istocin^^ ch 
 holden,) or in the hool Bible, (as summe othere hoi- fMnoughiiofe^ 
 dun,) and ellis it is not to be take for a point and app^ttat* 
 
 ii n rt i t -i i i> /-n it- each of the eleven 
 
 deede or gouernaunce ot Goddis lawe and ol Goddis ordinances is 
 seruice, rit he mai not holde and seie that needis ech Scripture. m 
 SCOiiernaunce of Goddis seid lawe and seruise muste be 
 groundid expresseli in Holi Scripture, as anoon aftir 
 schal be proued. Wherfore he muste needis graunte 
 and holde, that if eny deede or gouernaunce be groun- 
 did or witnessid includingli or closingli in eny of the 
 bifore spokun maners bi the thre reulis, it is ynow^ 
 forto seie and holde that thilk deede or gouernaunce 
 is groundid or witnessid in Holi Scripture. And if 
 he muste so graunte, certis thanne if it be schewid to 
 him that ech of the xj. gouernauncis whiche y schal 
 aftir in the ij e ., iij e ., iv e ., and v e . parties of this book 
 defende and iustifie. (of which oon is setting up of 
 yinagis in chirchis, and an othir is pilgrymage vnto 
 the memorialis or mynde placis of Seintis,) is in- 
 cludingli or closingli groundid or witnessid in Holi 
 Scripture bi eny of the maners bifore seid in the iij. 
 reulis, (as aftir in the ij e . parti of this book it schal 
 be schewid,) he muste needis lijk weel graunte that 
 ech of tho xj. gouernauncis is groundid or witnessid 
 in Holi Scripture. 
 
 That thou maist not seie and holde ech gouernaunce Express mention 
 
 i -i i a n i . , . , , is not made in 
 
 and deede ot Goddis lawe and seruice to be expressid scripture of 
 in Holi Scripture, and that ellis it is not Goddis ser- wSciw^lw- 
 
118 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. xx. uice and a deede of Goddis lawe, lo thou inaist se 
 fully uleTin the herbi. In al Holi Scripture it is not expressid bi 
 Tarious 0 ga?- od ' bidding, counselling, or witnessing, or bi eni 1 ensauni- 
 
 ments, clocks, •.. c i u 
 
 and veils not ex- pling oi persoon, that a lay man not preest schulde 
 ed mloriptaro. were a breche, or that he schidde "were a cloke, or 
 that he schulde were a gowne, or that he schidde die 
 wollen clooth into other colour than is the colour of 
 scheep, or that men schulden 2 bake eny fleisch or fisch 
 in an ovyn, or that men schulde make and vse clockis 
 forto knowe the houris of the dai and ny^t ; for thou£ 
 in eeldist daies, and thous in Scripture niensioun is 
 maad of orologis, schewing the houris of the dai bi 
 schadew maad bi the sunne in a cercle, certis neuere 
 saue in late daies was eny clok telling the houris of 
 the dai and ny;t bi peise and bi stroke, and open 
 it is that nou^where in Holi Scripture is expresse 
 mensioun mad of eny suche. Also nou^ where in Holi 
 Scripture is mensioun mad or eny ensaumpling doon, 
 that a womman schulde were upon her heer and heed 
 eny couerchief of lynnen threde or of 3 silk. Forwhi 
 the coueryng with which a wommannys heed ou^te be 
 couered, wherof Holi Scripture spekith in the pistlis 
 of Poul, 4 was only the heer of wommennys heed 
 vnschorn, and of noon other coueryng to wommennys 
 heedis spekith Holi Scripture. And here a^ens Holi 
 Scripture wole that men schulden lacke the coueryng 
 which wommen schulden haue, and thei schulden so 
 lacke bi that that the heeris of her heedis schul- 
 den be schorne, and schulde not growe in lengthe 
 doun as wommanys heer schulde growe. Perauen- 
 
 1 an is added by a later (?) I committed an error in this sentence) 
 
 hand. j the ^ovtria of v. 10 being certainly 
 
 ■ schulde, MS. (first hand). i a veil. Veils are also several times 
 
 ' of is added by a later hand. mentioned in the Old Testament. 
 
 • See 1 Cor. xi. 3-10. It need i See Kitto, Cgcl. Bibl. Lit., s. v. 
 
 hardly be added that Pecock has Veil. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 119 
 
 ture, as wijs as thou makist thee in the Bible forto chap, xx. 
 reproue pilgrimage and setting up of ymagis and 
 worschiping doon bifore ymagis, thou couthist not 
 aspie this laste seid point of wommannis coueryng : 
 therfore how thou canst fynde it bi Holi Scripture, 
 lete se ; and if thou canst not it fynde, it may be 
 founde and proued so bi Holi Scripture that thou 
 schalt not kunne seie nay ; and tit it is holde for 
 a dede alloweable and vertuose that wommen were 
 couerchefis, and that men and wommen were gownys 
 and clokis, not withstonding that more synne cometh 
 bi wering of wommennys couercheefis and bi wom- 
 mennys gownis than by vce of ymagis and bi pilgrim- 
 agis, as al the world may wite, if the mater be weel 
 and thriftili examynecl, bi what schal be seid and 
 proued of ymagis and of pilgrimagis in the ij e . partie 
 of this present book, and bi what is al redi therof 
 clereli seid and proued in The book of tvorschiping. 
 
 Also thou schalt not fynde expresseli in Holi Scrip- The same argu- 
 
 ■' 1 r ment continued. 
 
 ture that the Newe Testament schidde be write in English or Latin 
 
 versions of the 
 
 Enalisch tunge to lay men, or in Latyn tunge to Bible not men- 
 
 o ° J ' J ° tioned in Scnp- 
 
 clerkis ; neither that the Oold Testament schulde be ture - 
 write in Englisch tunge to lay men, or in Latyn tunge 
 to clerkis : and yit e.ch of these gouernauncis thou 
 wolte holde to be leeful, and to be a mefitorie vertuose 
 moral deede forto therbi deserue grace and glorie, 
 and to be the seruice of God, and therfore to be the 
 lawe of God ; sithen bi no deede a man hath merit, 
 saue bi a deede which is the seruice and the lawe 
 of God ; and ech moral vertu is the lawe of God, as 
 it is proued weel in othere place 1 of my writingis. 
 
 Also thus : Where it is 2 groundid expresseli in Scrip- other instances 
 
 ,,, i . i iit aii~ 0<> " le same kind. 
 
 ture, that men mowe lete schaue her berdis. And how Various lawful 
 
 1 Probably we should read placis. 
 - Perhaps we should read, Where 
 is it, &c; if not, we must under- 
 
 stand from above, [Thou shall not 
 find] tohere, &c. 
 
120 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. xx. dare thei so lete, sithen it cannot be founde expresseli 
 usages and games 111 Scripture 1 that thei ou^ten so lete, and nanielich 
 Scripture, sithen it is founde in Holi Scripture that men leten 
 her berdis growe withoute schering or schauyng, and 
 also sithen it was the oolde vsage thoru^ al the world 
 in Christendom ? Where is it in Holi Scripture 
 groundid bi wey of comendyng or of allowaunce that 
 men schulden or mitten lau^we ? For to the contrarie 
 is euydence in Holi Scripture, Mat. v e . e., where it is 
 seid thus: Blessid ben thei that moornen or weilen, for 
 thei schulen be coumfortid; and also, Gen. [xviij 6 .] 3 c., 
 Sara the wijf of Abraham was punyschid, for that sche 
 lauded bihinde the dore of the tabernacle. Where is 
 it also grondid in Holi Scripture that men my^ten 
 alloweabili or schulden pleie in word bi bourding, or 
 in deede by rennyng or leping or schuting, or bi 
 sitting at the merels, or bi casting of coitis ? And 
 ^it ech of these deedis mowe be doon and ben doon 
 vertuoseli and merytorili. 
 Siuging.as an Also where in Holi Scripture is it grondid that men 
 
 amusement, not 1 ° 
 
 sanctioned by the m y^ ten or schulden singe, saue oonli where yn thei 
 preisiden God, as aungelis diden in erthe whanne Crist 
 was born ? And so for esement of a man him si If, and 
 for esement of his nei^bour, it is not expressid in Holi 
 Scripture that a man schulde singe. And yit Goddis 
 forbode, but that into esement of him silf and also of 
 his nei^bour, a man mai singe, pleie, and lau^e ver- 
 tuoseli, and therfore merytorili ; and if lie mai do it 
 merytorili, certis thanne thilk deede is Goddis seruice ; 
 and if it be Goddis seruice, it is needis a deede of 
 Goddis lawe. 
 
 fromscripturc Where is it expressid bi word or bi eny persoonys 
 for making ale or ensaumpliiig in Holi Scripture that men schulden make 
 
 1 Holi is inserted in the MS. be- 
 fore Scripture, but cancelled by a 
 later (?) band. 
 
 * A space left in the MS. for the 
 number. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 121 
 
 ale or beer, of whiche so myche horrible synne eometh, Chaf.xx. 
 myche more than of setting up of ymagis, or of pil- beer, from winch 
 
 . I . ■■ ii • i more sin springs 
 
 grymagis ; and the deiautis doon aboute ymagis and than from 
 pilgrimagis ben myche lifter and esier to be amenclid, 
 than the defautis comyng bi making of ale and of beer. 
 And also here with it is trewe that without ale and 
 bere, and without sidir and Avijn and meeth, men and 
 wommen my^te lyue ful long, and lenger than thei 
 doon now, and in lasse iolite and cherte of herte forto 
 bringe hem into honible grete synnes. And ^it thou 
 wolte seie that forto make ale and beer and forto 
 drinke hem is the seruice of God, and is merytorie, 
 and therfore is the lawe of God : for bi no deede a 
 man schal plese God and haue merit and meede, saue 
 bi deede of his seruice ; and ech deede which is his 
 seruice is a deede of his lawe. 
 
 That in Holi Scripture is noon of these now rehercid Proof that none 
 
 1 . of these tilings 
 
 o'ouernauncis groundid or witnessid or ensaumplid bi are expressly 
 
 ° t i ■» grounded in 
 
 eny persoon expresseli, lo, y proue thus : No thing is ^renot'ev n hey 
 expresseli spoken of in Scripture, which is not there there 3 and tife Cd 
 in .special openli named ; but so it is, 1 that neither thSSf^^Sfbe 
 breche of lay man, neither gown, neither cloke, neither ^ \wthouUhe re " 
 wommanis lynnen or silken couercheef, neither clock, jc^son° nalaidof 
 neither Englisch tunge or langage, 2 neither ale, neither 
 bere is spokun of there in special and bi name. Wher- 
 fore the vce of these thingis, as to be doon bi tho 
 thingis, is not there expressid. Also thus : No gouer- 
 naunce or treuthe is expresseli groundid or witnessid 
 in Holi Scripture, which mai not be knowen 3 bi the 
 Scripture aloone, without more sett therto of propo- 
 
 1 is is iuterliueated in a later 
 hand, which has also made some 
 erasures. 
 
 - After this follows, neither Latyn 
 tunge or langage, but a later (?) 
 hand has drawn a pen through it ; 
 
 rightly. See Luke xxiii. 38. But 
 very possibly Peeock wrote it, since 
 he -was capable of making such a 
 blunder as to say tnat a cloak is not 
 mentioned in Scripture. 
 3 hnowe, MS. (first hand). 
 
122 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. xx. cisioims in the resoun of him which redith and vndir- 
 stondith there the Scripture. Forwhi in this case thilk 
 gouernaunce schulde be grondid or witnessid sumwhat 
 and in parcel bi tho proposiciouns caste to Scripture, 
 as it is groundid and witnessid sumwhat and in parcel 
 bi the Scripture ; but so it is, that noon of these now 
 bifore spokun and rehercid gouernauncis may be knowe 
 to be trewe, iust, and ri^tful bi eny text or processe 
 in Scripture aloone, whilis no more at al in resoun is 
 sett to the same Scripture, for to conclude the seid 
 gouernance bi the Scripture and bi resoun to gidere. 
 Wherfore noon of alle these seid gouernauncis is 
 groundid or witnessid expresseli in Holi Scripture. 
 Confirmation of Confirmacioun herto is this : No thing is expressid 
 
 the proof by ... .... 
 
 other arguments or expresseli witnessid or groundid in Holi Scripture, 
 
 of a similar kind. r . . ° a . r 
 
 which is not rehercid in Hon Scripture; but so it is, 
 that noon of these gouernauncis is rehercid in Holi 
 Scripture : wherfore noon of hem is expressid in Holi 
 Scripture. And if noon of hem is there expressid, 
 certis noon of hem is there expresseli groundid, wit- 
 nessid, or denouncid, or tatltt. Also thus: Oonli it 
 is expressid or expresseli toold and tault in Holi 
 Scripture, which is knowun for trewe or to be doon. 
 thou^ no thing ellis in 1 doom of resoun be sett ther 
 to ; but so is not of eny of the bifore rehercid gouer- 
 nauncis : wherfore noon of hem is expressid or expres- 
 seli toold, or tault, witnessid, rehercid, or groundid 
 in Holi Scripture. 
 The Lollards Now, Sir, to thee thus : In caas that y wolde holde 
 to°she\v ou"hefr l a^ens thee, and seie that it is not to be do, that ale 
 that aTeanS'beer and beer be mad and drunke ; or that wommen weere 
 thinnmlght be couerchefis of lynnen or of silk, of whiche so miche 
 The^ameargii- synne cometh ; or if y wolde holde that it were not 
 Uiem S iawnii P1(ne Goddis seruice forto at sum while lau^e or make 
 
 1 in is interlineated by a later hand, and doom written, on an erasure. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 123 
 
 feeste or pleie ; and nainelich if y wolde seie to thee chap. xx. 
 thus : " Where ben these bifore rehercid gouernauncis prove images a 
 " groundid in Holi Scripture, namelich in the Newe lawful. 
 " Testament?" loke how thou woldist in this case 
 answere to me forto defende bi doom of resoun the 
 making and vsing of ale, or the wering of womman- 
 nys couercheefis to be a moral, vertuose deede of 
 Goddis lawe ; and how thou woldist grounde or bi 
 witnessing fynde eny of hem in Holy Scripture bi 
 eny of the maners bifore spoken in the thre reulis, 
 or in eny other maner ; and in the same or euen 
 lijk wise y schal defende bi resoun ech of the xj. 
 gouernauncis aftir to be iustified in the ij e ., iij e ., iiij e ., 
 and v e . parties of this book, as there aftir schal be 
 seen. And in the same or euen lijk wise y schal 
 grounde or fynde bi witnessing ech of hem in Holi 
 Scripture, as also thou schalt openli after in the ij e . 
 parti of this book se. Wolde God thilk men and 
 wommen, (and namelich thilk wommen whiche maken 
 hem silf so wise bi the Bible, that thei no deede wol- 
 len allowe to be vertuose and to be doon in mannis 
 vertuose conuersacioim, saue what thei kunnen fynde 
 expresseli in the Bible, and ben ful coppid of speche 
 anentis clerkis, and avaunten and profren hem silf 
 whanne thei ben in her iolite and in her owne housis 
 forto argue and dispute a^ens clerkis,) schulden not 
 were couercheefis into tyme thei couthen 1 schewe bi her 
 Bible where it is expresseli bede, conseilid, or witnessid 
 in her Bible to be doon ; neither schulde sette hem 
 silf for to sitte at priuey ; neither schulden rise ther- 
 fro, whanne thei were so set or sitting, into tyme thei 
 hadden groundid expresseli in Holi Scripture that thei 
 ou^ten alle tho deedis do, but if thei wolen leue her 
 vnwijs and proud folie. And yt ech of tho deedis, 
 whanne he is doon aftir doom of resoun and for God, 
 
 1 couthe, MS. (first hand). 
 
pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, XX. 
 
 Lollard women 
 could not prove 
 it lawful for 
 t hemselves to 
 wash, bathe, or 
 wear veils on 
 their own prin- 
 ciples. The 
 ' decent apparel 
 mentioned by 
 St. Paul will not 
 stand them in 
 stead. 
 
 is seruice of God, and lawe of God ; for ech of hem is 
 a moral vertuose deede ; and also forto leue eny of 
 hem were a vice and a synne to God. And therfore 
 ech of tho deedis, whanne thei ben 1 doon bi resoun 
 and for God, is a seruice and a lawe to God, name- 
 lich sithen ech deede, which eny Cristen man schulde 
 wirche and do bi avisement and in which he schulde 
 bi avisement be occupied, ou^te be a lawe to God. 
 Forwhi eche such dede ou^te be a seruice to God, 
 sithen Poul seith i e . Cor. x e . c. thus : Whether ye etc or 
 drinke or eny other thing doon. alle do Xe into the 
 glorie of God. 
 
 Also y wolde that no suche wommen schulden 
 anointe, waische, or bathe hem silf into tyme thei cou- 
 then alle tho deedis grounde expressely in the Bible 
 to be doon. Certis wommen mowe not so grounde 
 the wering of her silken or lynnen couercheris bi it 
 what is Avriten ie. Tiiimothe, ij e . c., that wommen 
 schulden haue couenable habit, where Poul seith thus : 
 Also wommen in couenable habit with schamefastnes 
 and sobirnes araiyng hem silf, not in writhen heris, 
 or in (/old, or in peerlis, or preciose clooth ; but 
 that that bicorneth wommen biheting pite, bi gode 
 vjerkis. Forwhi in tho daies of Poul suranie wommen 
 weriden couenable habit, and ^it noone wommen we- 
 riden thanne eny lynnen or silken keuercheefis, but 
 weriden her open heer, as sumwhat therto sownith 
 this same now rehercid processe of Poul, and bettir 
 it mai be proued bi processe of Poul 
 if thilk processe be weel discussid. Wherfore bi this 
 that Poul seith, " Wommen to haue couenable habit," 
 
 1 he, MS. (tirst hand). 
 
 - A space left in the MS. for the 
 reference, l'ecock may probably 
 have misunderstood 1 Cor. xi. 13 : 
 that veils were in that age some- 
 
 times worn by women needs no 
 proof, and is affirmed by St. Paul 
 himself, I Cor. xi. 10. See Smith's 
 Diet, Gr. and Horn, Ant., s. v. Ve- 
 lum. 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 123 
 
 mai not he so groundid that thei schulden 1 haue lyn- chap, xx. 
 nen or silken keuerchefis. 
 
 Also thus : Whanne Poul seith that wommen schul- us'to" l he r fudg- 
 den haue couenable habit, he pointith not to hem ™„ n * n °mitt<a*of 
 which habit is couenable to hem and which is not gequentiythe"" 
 couenable to hem ; neither he pointith more speciali Icripturels't'iio 
 that for to were lynnen or silken couercheefis is co- fnustriuon^-olii 
 uenable ; or that it is not couenable. Wherfore forto L'^Sf" 
 haue al this pointid he remittith and sendith us sum- Mtouw/ 1 ' decent 
 where ellis, and wole that we seche and fynde sum 
 where ellis than in Holi Scripture which habit is 
 couenable, and which is not couenable ; but so it is, 
 that into nowhere ellis he remittith us or sendith us 
 or ou^te sende us for this purpos, sane in to doom 
 of resoun and into lawe of kinde and moral philso- 
 phie. Forwhi nowhere in Holi Scripture this mater 
 is pointid and tau^t expresseli. Wherfore it was the 
 entent of Poul in the seid proces, i e . Thim. ij e . c., that 
 forto fynde, know, and iuge expresseli which habit is 
 couenable, and Avh ether forto were lynnen or silken 
 couercheefis is couenable, we schulden go to doom of 
 resoun and lawe of kinde. And, if this be trewe, 
 thanne doom of resoun and lawe of kinde and not 
 Holi Scripture muste expresseli grounde this, that 
 wommen mowe weel were lynnen and silken couer- 
 cheefis, if it be in eny wise groundable and leeful. 
 Forwhi whanne Holi Scripture remittith from him or 
 leueth to an other thing or sendith into an other 
 thing eny certeyn kunnyng or knowing to be had, 
 Holi Scripture not groundith, namelich not expresseli, 
 thilk kunnyng ond knowing; but the thing, into 
 
 1 The twenty-three following I some additions and erasures how- 
 lines are added in the margin, being j ever being made by a later, though 
 partly written on an erasure. The | early, corrector. Some considerable 
 hand is very similar to that of the I erasures occur also in the preceding 
 general text, but a little smaller ; i paragraph. 
 
12fi 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, xx. which Holi Scripture so remyttith, it so groundith. 
 
 Wherfore needis if it be leeful wommen forto were 
 lynnen and silken couercheefis, doom of resoun muste 
 expresseli grounde thilk wering ; and Holi Scripture 
 not so it groundith. Ensaumple for this purpos is 
 this : If the king sende his epistle to alle peintouris, 
 that thei peinte alle crucifixis with couenable colouris ; 
 certis it mai not be seid as here that thilk epistle 
 groundith this, that whijt colour schal be leid in oon 
 certein parti of the crucifix and reed in an other 
 parti, and so forth of othere colouris ; but the craft of 
 peinting muste it grounde ; and as for the grounding 
 therof, the king in his epistle ■ leueth hem to her owne 
 craft. In lijk maner it were if the king bi his epistle 
 wolde comaunde to goklsmythis, that whanne euer 
 thei schulden enamele eny cuppe or other iewel, thei 
 schulden enamele it couenabili ; certis herbi the king 
 schulde not grounde to hem, that there in such a 
 place of the iewel thei schulden leie rather blew ena- 
 meling than reed or whijt, and that in this place 
 thei schulden 1 leie whijt or greene enameling rather 
 than blew ; but al this he leueth to be groundid bi 
 her craft. Wherfore lijk wise it is to be seid in this 
 present purpos. 
 
 Ferthermore forto iustifie her bathing, waisching, 
 and anointing wommen mowe not allegge the storie 
 Jar,\"uVp a ooy-" °^ Sussanne, Daniel xiij e . c. ; for thilk processe and 
 storie is not Holi Writt, but Apocrif; and the verri 
 book of Daniel (as miche as is Holi Writt) is eendid 
 with the xij c . chapiter of the same book, as Ierom* 
 
 The history of 
 Susannah will 
 not serve their 
 turn. That his 
 
 1 schuhle, MS. (first hand). 
 
 * " Usee idcirco, ut difficultatem 
 vobis Danielis ostenderem : qui 
 apud Ilebreeos nec Susanna; habet 
 historian), nec hymnum trium puero- 
 rum, nec Belis draconisque fabulas : 
 quas nos, quia in toto orbe dis- 
 
 persal sunt, veru anteposito, casque 
 jugulan^e, subjeeimus, ne videremur 
 apud imperitos magnam partem 
 Toluminis detruncasse." S. Hieron. 
 Pripfat. in Dan. Proph. (Op. t. ix. 
 pp. 1861, 13G2. Ed. Vail. 1738.) 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 127 
 
 the translatour witnessith ; and ^it in thilk story is chap, xx. 
 no mension maad of alle the wommennys deedis now 
 rehercid, saue oonli of bathing and of waisching with 
 oyl and swope, and lit not of these bi wey of cont- 
 ending or bi wey of ensaumpling that othere per- 
 soones schvdde do the same. 
 
 Thou^ the thre reuhs or supposiciouns, whiche y Another manner 
 haue sett bifore in the xix e . chapiter, ben sufficient into tru1h 0 s U bySCTip- 
 
 /. ,1 i ,i i . ture mentioned 
 
 the purpos oi the mj. conclusiouns there drawen out in The just a P - 
 
 of hem, and into the purpos of a general proof there P Scriptn 0 /e. noly 
 
 mad upon 1 the xj. bifore spokun gouernauncis, (and 
 
 therfore y there settid no mo reulis than was nedeful 
 
 to myn there purposid entent,) ^it lest that summe 
 
 reders wolden conceyue and trowe ther bi that in tho 
 
 iij. reulis or supposiciouns y weene and vnderstonde 
 
 to be alle maners bi whiche eny trouthe, gouernaunce, 
 
 or conclusiouns is bede, counseilid, or witnessid in- 
 
 cludingli or impliedli in Hob Scripture ; therfore into 
 
 oon other maner bi which a gouernaunce or treuthe is 
 
 bede, counseilid, or witnessid bi Holi Scripture, y 
 
 remytte and send ech man desiring forto it leerne or 
 
 knowe into the firste parti of the book clepid lust 
 
 apprising of Holi Scripture. For there in the 2 
 
 chapiter in prouyng of the 2 trouthe schal be schewid 
 
 this other maner of gronding, bidding, counselling, or 
 
 witnessing bi Holi Scripture, which is left here vnseid 
 
 and vntau^t. 
 
 Aftir that (fro the bigynnyng of this present chapi- The fifth 
 ter hidir to) y haue thus confermed the firste and 3 ii e . various Engiish 
 
 works of Pccoclc 
 
 conclusiouns, put and proued in the next bifore going- are an excellent 
 
 ,, i , . ° ° remedy for the 
 
 chapiter, y putte now here the v e . conclusioun as for errors of the 
 
 o , . n • i-i Lollards. 
 
 an eende of this present first parti, which v e . conclu- 
 sioun is this. For to conuicte and ouercome tho erring 
 
 1 upon is inserted by a later (?) 
 hand. 
 
 2 Spaces left in the MS. for the 
 numbers. 
 
 s and the, MS. (first hand). 
 
128 
 
 PECOCK'S KEPBESSOIt. 
 
 chap. xx. persoones of the lay peple whiche ben clepid Lollardis, 
 and forto make hem leue her errouris is a ful nota- 
 ble, yhe, an d an excellent remedie, the writing in her 
 modiris langage of this present firste parti, and of the 
 book clepid The iust apprising of Holi Scripture, and 
 tho bookis of whiche mensioun is mad in these bokis, 
 and the bitaking of these bookis and of tho bokis 
 into her vce of reding and studiyng. 
 Proof of the That this conclusioun is trev/e y prone thus: For- 
 
 conclusion. The ^ 1 
 
 Lollards must be to conuicte and ouercome tho seid erring persoones of 
 
 convinced that 0 r 
 
 they must learn the lav peple, and for to make hem leue her errouris, 
 
 more than what j r l 
 
 they can learn in an excellent remedie is the dryuyng of hem into sure 
 
 the Bible only ; J J o 
 
 p"ishthis Com " knowing or into weenyng or opinioun, that thei neden 
 Mn^ofbooks*"^ 1 m i cne more to leerne and knowe into the profit and 
 those named sure leernyng and knowing of Goddis lawe and sendee. 
 
 above, will serve. J o o > 
 
 than what thei mowe leerne and knowe bi her reed- 
 ing and studiyng in the Bible oonli ; but so it is, that 
 forto dryue hem into the now seid knowing, trowing, 
 or opinioun seruen at ful in an excellent manor the 
 writing of this present firste parti in her modris lan- 
 gage, with lijk writing of the book clepid lust ap- 
 prising of Holi Scripture ; and bi so miche the better, 
 if therto be sett the othere bokis named in these ij. 
 And without the writing of this present first parti and 
 of The iust apprisi ng, or with out sum other writing 
 lijk to hem, tho persoones wolen in no wise be so 
 conuictid and ouercome, as assay therto mad bifore 
 this present day thorui this sixti wyntris by his ther 
 yn vneffectual speding makith open experimental wit- 
 
 ► nessing. AVherfore for to conuicte the seid persoones 
 
 and forto make hem leue her errouris is an excellent 
 remedie, (^he, and as it were an vnlackeable remedie,) 
 the seid writing of the now spoken bokis and the 
 bitaking of tho seid bokis into the reeding and studi- 
 yng of the same persoones. 
 
 The first premiss The firste premisse of this proof and argument is 
 
 of the argument 1 1 0 
 
 proved. " trewe. Forwhi, if tlio persoones were dryue into sure 
 
THE FIRST PART. 
 
 129 
 
 knowing or into trowing, that thei neden leerne and chap, xx. 
 knowe miche more into the profit and ful leerning 
 and knowing of Goddis lawe than what is in the 
 Bible, or what thei mowe leerne and knowe bi the 
 Bible, certis thei schulden be maad seme to hem silf 
 verry foolis ; and thei schulden se and knowe weel 
 hem silf to be fonnys and foolis, as anentis ful manye 
 of the thingis whiche ben necessarili to be leerned and 
 kunne of hem bisidis the Bible, ^he, and in the Bible ; 
 and thei schulden se that thei han miche nede to 
 clerkis, and thei schulden 1 be aschamed of her bifore 
 had hi^e bering and presumpcioun and of her wyncing 
 in witt, and of her hopping bisidis witt, as her of ful 
 sure experience is had, blessid be God, and sure expe- 
 rience may be had, how ofte euer eny of tho persoones 
 talken in long leiser eernestli upon eny point of Goddis 
 lawe and seruice witli a sad and weel leerned clerk 
 in moral philsophie and dyuynyte. For sotheli ful 
 soone schulen tho persoones thanne stonde at her 
 wittis eende, and ful rude be where yn the clerk 
 schal sprede him silf abrode in large cleernes : Verrili 
 the thing which we knowen we now speken, and the 
 thing which we han seen we witnessen : 2 where now 
 a£ en ward, (bi cause it seemeth to hem that thei neden 
 nothing into the scole of Goddis lawe and seruice 
 saue Holi Scripture aloone, and that therto Holi 
 Scripture sufficith, and thei weenen hem silf forto 
 kunne at ful and substanciali and piththeli Holi 
 Scripture, for that thei kunnen bi herte the textis of 
 Holi Scripture and kunnen lussche hem out thikke at 
 feest, and at ale drinking, and vpon her hi^e benchis 
 sitting,) thei ben obstinat a^ens her owne goostli 
 thrift and a^ens her soulis sauyng. And therfore the 
 seid first premisse is redili trewe. 
 
 1 schulde, MS. (first hand.) 
 
 | 2 See John iii. 11. 
 
 I 
 
130 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. xx. And that the ij e . preinysse of the same proof and 
 The second pre- argument is trewe in his firste parti, it schal be openli 
 miss prove . k^Q^g-Q £ 0 ec h diligent of tho bokis the ouerreder and 
 attentijf studier. Forwhi this firste parti of this pre- 
 sent book and The 'hist apprising of Holi Scripture 
 as in generalte schewen vndoutabli and vna^enseiabily, 
 that myche moral philsophie and miche lawe of kinde 
 is algatis necessarie to be leerned, as weel as the Bible ; 
 and that withoute the leerning of the seid moral 
 philsophie and lawe of kinde the Bible may not be 
 ari^t vndirstonde ; and that the seid philsophie and 
 lawe of kinde is the more parti of Goddis lawe and 
 seruice ; and the othere bokis, whiche ben named in 
 these now seid ij. bokis, schewen the same in spe- 
 cialte : and therfore the reders and studiers in these 
 bookis muste nedis be dryue herto, that thei han 
 nede to the help and counseil and direccioun of 
 clerkis, and han nede to miche other thing than to 
 the Bible aloon. And therfore the ij e . premisse of the 
 principal argument is trewe as for his first parti, whos 
 also secunde parti is confermed bifore bi experience 
 and assay spoken bifore, where the same secunde parti 
 is sett forth in the principal argument. 
 Tlie conclusion And so, (sithen the bothe premissis of the prouyng 
 pioved. argument ben trewe, and the argument is formali 
 
 maad,) it muste needis be that the conclusioun of tho 
 premissis is trewe, which is not ellis than this pre- 
 sent v e . conclusioun. And therfore this present v c . 
 conclusioun is nedis to be holde for trewe. For 
 making and writing of whiche now bifore spokun and 
 rehercid bokis ; to the hi^e aloon God, louyngist 
 Lord a thousind sithis gramerci. 
 
 Here eendith the firste party of the book clepid 
 The Represser of over moche wijtyng the Clergie. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 131 
 
 Here bigynneth the ij'. parti of this book clepid 
 The Represser. 
 
 The First Chapiter. 
 Eer than y schal come doun so speciali into the Before special 
 
 ' * proof made of 
 
 ij e . iij e . mp. and v. parties of tins present book forto theeievenor4i- 
 
 •» «»•» I r nances, certain 
 
 reherce, proue, and iustifie the xi. gouernanncis, for ;! lles °\ ™vvw- 
 
 > c ' o ' tions shall be put 
 
 whiche manye of the lay peple blamen ouermiche the down nere - 
 clergie, y schal sende and putte bifore certeyn sup- 
 posiciouns or reuhs opene ynou^ to be grauntid of ech 
 man, and whiche schulen helpe and availe into the 
 prouyng and iustifiyng of ech of tho xj. gonernauncis. 
 Nenertheles, who euer schal thenke that thei ben ouer 
 hard or not nedeful to be of him ouerrad and 
 leerned, y wole vonche saaf that he ouerlepe hem and 
 go at the firste into the ij e . chapiter of this same ij ; . 
 partie, vnto tyme his witt be growen hi^er. 
 
 Of whiche supposiciouns or reulis the firste is this : The fikst 
 Ech treuthe which is knowen in mannys vndirstonding truth' known by 
 
 . , , . , „ .-t i man's uuder- 
 
 is knowen bi doom ot resoun rennyng vpon the mater standing is 
 
 ,, , . , . known by reason 
 
 ot thilk trouthe, and upon hise causis and circum- or credible 
 stauncis and pnrtenaimcis ; or ellis 1 it is knownn by 
 the assercioun or the 2 witnessing of a persoon, which 
 is not likeli ther yn to make lesing and to bigile. 
 This now seid reule is so open that no man may ther 
 a^ens seie nay. Forwhi no man can fynde or assigne 
 eny maner in which a man mai leerne and kunne eny 
 thing, save oon of these ij. maners now seid. 
 
 1 ellis in a later hand. 
 
 | "the in a later hand. 
 
 I 2 
 
132 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. L 
 
 TnE SECOND 
 
 rule. All the 
 knowledge ac- 
 quired by the 
 first of these 
 ways is called 
 Philosophy : all 
 acquired by the 
 other is called 
 Theology. 
 
 Tite Tinr.n 
 BULB, ir a 
 truth is known 
 by reason it is 
 known either 
 
 The ij e . reule or supposicioun is this : Al the kun- 
 nyng or knowing gete and had in the firste of these ij. 
 maners now seid is clepid Philsophie, bi cause it is had 
 bi labour of kindeli witt without telling or witnessing 
 fro aboue kinde ; and al the kunnyng or knowing 
 gete and had in the ij c . now seid maner is credence 1 
 or feith, and is dewli to be clepid Pure Divynite or 
 Pure Theologie, forto speke propirli of divynite and 
 theologie as it is dyuerse fro philsophie. This reule 
 is open bi what y haue write in the book clepid 
 The 2 iust apprising of Doctouris, and mai be proued 
 thus. Sum kunnyng gete bi mannys resoning, with- 
 out certifiyng ther of fro aboue kinde, is to be clepid 
 Pliilsophie ; and skile is noon whi eny oon such 
 kunning or knowing schulde be seid Pltilsophie, moi-e 
 than ech other such kunnyng or knowing schulde be 
 clepid Philsophie. Wherfore ech kunnyng or knowing, 
 getun and had bi labour of mannis kindeli resoun 
 without the seid affermyng and certifi}^ng mad ther 
 upon fro God aboue, is to be clepid Philsophie. 
 And if this be trewe, thanne, (sitheu ech kunnyng 
 or knowing of mannis vndirstonding is gete and 
 had in this now seid maner, or ellis in certifiyng and 
 assercioun maad fro God as the firste reule seid,) it 
 muste nedis folewe that if eny kunnyng or knowing 
 is to be clepid propirli divynyte (as he is dyuers fro 
 philsophie), he must be oonli the kunnyng or knowing 
 gete and had in the ij 8 . now seid maner, that is to 
 seie, bi assercioun and certificacioun and reuelacioun 
 mad fro God to man. And so it is open that the ij*. 
 reule is trewe. 
 
 The iij e . reule or supposicioun is this : If a treuthe 
 be knowen bi doom of resoun, thanne it is knowen 
 or sureli and sikirli ; or it is knowen oonli probabili 
 
 1 crdctice, MS. 
 
 | - The in a Inter hand. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 133 
 
 and likeli. This reule is open at the fulle. Forwhi Chap. I. 
 mo maners or eny other inaner, dyuers from oon of as certain or as 
 
 • , .. • i I'robablc. 
 
 these now seid ij. maners, no man can assigne and 
 ^eue, in which a treuthe may be knowun. 
 
 The iiij°. reule is this : If a treuthe be knowe T " E foubth 
 
 ,. • .» i i • rule. If a truth 
 
 sureh and sikirh, thanne thuk kimnyng or knowing i s . k »°wn w- 
 
 ' . tamly, know- 
 
 lS woned be clepid intellect, science, craft, or prudence ledge upon it ia 
 
 1 . . called Science; 
 
 And if a treuthe be knowun oonli bi probabihies jjopty probably, 
 
 1 Opinion. 
 
 and likelihode and not sureli, thamie thilk kunnyng 
 or knowing is woned be clepid opinioun vpon the 
 mater of science, craft, or prudence ; for vncHrstonding 
 of which now spokun names recours is to be had into 
 The foleiver to the donet, the 1 chapiter, and 
 
 therbi this present reule schal be open ynou^. 
 
 The v e . reule or supposicioun is this : If a treuthe Tn E fifth 
 
 , .„ rule. If a truth 
 
 which we mowe not knowe m the now bifore seid is known by the 
 
 assertion of 
 
 maner bi doom of resoun, withoute assercioun of an another, the 
 
 ' i knowledge of it 
 
 other trewe persoon, be knowen in niannys vndir- js cal \ e . d faith. 
 
 r ' » Two kinds of 
 
 stonding bi the seid assercioun or witnessing of a Faith, human 
 
 ° ° and divmo. 
 
 trewe persoon, which assercioun is the ground of feith; 
 thanne it is knowe bi assercioun or witnessing of 
 God doon bi his Holi Scripture, or bi eeldist and 
 lengist vce of bileeuyng in the Chirche, or bi godli 
 myracle doon into witnessing of it, or bi speche of 
 God doon bi him silf, or bi his suer messanger with- 
 oute writing ; and in ech of these caasis the knowing 
 is holi feith or goostli feith. Or ellis it is knowe 
 bi assercioun or witnessing of man or aungel not as 
 messanger of God ; and that, or bi his writing in 
 storiyng or cronycleing, or bi spech of him silf, or of 
 his messanger without writing : and in ech of these 
 caasis is credence or worldli ithfe and not goostli 
 feith, sich as is in the next maner now bifore seid. 
 Al this is so open to be grauntid, that who euer 
 
 1 A space left iu the MS. for the number. 
 
134 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 The sixth 
 rule. Every- 
 thing known to 
 bo untrue is 
 k no wb to be so 
 by the judgment 
 of the reason, or 
 by the assertion 
 of a credible 
 witness. 
 
 Tjie seventh 
 kui.e. Every 
 known truth is 
 cit her spccula- 
 tivc or practical. 
 Examples of each 
 kind. 
 
 denyeth eny point of it, he is vnable to be admittid 
 and to be receyued into eny enquiraunce or eommii- 
 naunce forto fynde, leerne, and knowe treutbis, so 
 that the significacioun of these wordis be maad open 
 to him, that he vnderstonde what the wordis meenen. 
 
 The vj e . supposicioun or reul is this : What euer 
 thing is knowe in mannys vndirstonding to be vn- 
 trewe is knowe to be vntrewe bi the same ij. kindis 
 of gronndis bifore rehercid, bi which treuthe is 
 knowun, as ben the doom of resoun and the asser- 
 cioun of a trewe persoon ; and so forth descending 
 into membris 1 of hem, as the bifore ij e . reule hem 
 dividith and departith. This reule is openli trewe. 
 Forwhi what other ground than eny of these now 
 rehercid couthe be assigned, forto bi it knowe a 
 tiling to be vntrewe, no man can seie. Also, whan 
 euer a thing is knowun to be vntrewe, than al it 
 which is ther in 3 knowun is a treuth. Forwhi al Avhat 
 is so ther yn knowun is this : That thilk thing is 
 vntrewe, and this is a trouthe ; and ech trouthe is 
 knowun bi the seid groundis oonli, as the firste and 
 ij". reule schewen. Wherfore nedis this, that this is vn- 
 trewe, is knowe bi the same kindis of groundis oonli. 
 And therfore this vj e . reule is nedis to be grauntid 
 as for trewe. 
 
 This vij e . reule is this : Ech treuthe knowun in 
 mannis vnderstonding is a treuthe considerable or spe- 
 ndable or biholdable oonli, that is to seie, such as 
 where vpon neither mannis doing in moral conuersa- 
 cioun, neither mannis making in craft fallith ; as is 
 this, that aungelis ben vnbodili substauncis ; and this, 
 that the planetis moven fro eest into west, and suche 
 othere ; or it is a treuthe doable or makeable, that 
 
 1 into the membris, MS. ; but the 
 is cancelled by a later hand. 
 * A later hand has joined this 
 
 ■word to the foregoing, needlessly 
 and againbt the more usual division 
 in this MS. 
 
THE SECOND PAltT. 
 
 135 
 
 is to seie, upon which mannys doing in moral cornier- Cbav.l 
 sacioun leding fallith ; as is this, that God is to be 
 loued aboue alle creaturis ; and this, that man ou^te 
 be tempei'at in eting and chinking; and this, that he 
 ou^te be meke ; and that this werk is to be mad by 1 
 cumpas, and thilk werk is to be mad bi squyer, and 
 suche othere. 
 
 The viii e . reule is this : Ech thing, which is doon TnE eighth 
 
 ~> _ 45 ' kule. Every 
 
 of man in his moral conuersacioun, is such that doom h«njjn action 
 
 relating to 
 
 of resoun or the bifore seid ground of feith it ap- morals \ s «$ ber 
 
 9 * approved, dis- 
 
 proueth ; as is, that God is to be loued, and oure 3™.^°,^°" 
 
 neiibour is to be loued ; and as is, that we loke to faith and rcasou - 
 
 be baptisid ; and so of othere : or is such that doom 
 
 of resoun or the bifore seid ground of feith it re- 
 
 proueth ; as is this, that a man take his nei^boris 
 
 wijf into fleischli comunyng ; and this, 2 that we waite 
 
 not aftir to be hoosilid with the sacrament of the 
 
 auter, and suche othere ; or it is such that neither 
 
 doom of resoun neither eny bifore seide ground of feith 
 
 it approueth or reproueth, but is of neuer neither of 
 
 hem approued or reproued ; as is this, that a man 
 
 lete his heer growe vnto bynethe hise eeris, or that 
 
 he wole haue hise heer schorne of, and his heed to 
 
 be dod; and this, that a man wole were a girdel, or 
 
 that he wole go vngerd. And so forth of othere suche. 
 
 The ix e . reule or supposicioun is this : Ech doable the ninth 
 
 11 , kule. All actions 
 
 thins - longing to moral conuersacioun, which thins; so approved, dis- 
 
 & © ° _ ° approved, or left 
 
 doom of resoun or ground of feith approueth, is lee- undecided are 
 
 ° A L ' lawful, unlawful, 
 
 ful : and it is leeful in propre maner forto clepe a or indifferent 
 
 3 * 1 1 respectively. 
 
 thing leeful, for that it is approued bi doom of resoun 
 or bi ground of feith : and ech doable thing don in 
 moral conuersacioun, which thing doom of resoun or 
 ground of feith reproueth, is vnleeful ; and it is vn- 
 leeful in contrarie maner to the now seid maner of 
 
 1 by added by a later baud. 
 
 | 2 thus, MS. 
 
136 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 The tenth 
 rule. Indif- 
 ferent things 
 may in a large 
 sense be called 
 lawful. 
 
 He that cannot 
 comprehend or 
 will not allow 
 these ten rules 
 is not to be 
 argued with. 
 
 leefulnes, for that it is bi resoun or bi ground of feith 
 reproued. And ech such doable thing, which neither 
 doom of resoun neither ground of feith approueth 
 neither reproueth, is in it silf neither leeful neither 
 vnleeful, in eny of the ij. now seid maners of propre 
 taking leefulnes and vnleefulnes. And it is so neither 
 leeful neither vnleeful, for that it is neither approued 
 neither reproued bi resoun or bi ground of feith. 
 
 The x c . reule or supposicioun is this : Al doable 
 thing which hi propre maner now bifore sett is nei- 
 ther leeful neither vnleeful, and namelich if it be not 
 vnleeful, mai and is woned conuenientli ynou^ as in 
 a larger speche to be seid and clepid leeful ; and that 
 for as miche as ech doable thing, for whos doing the 
 doer is not to be blamed and to be punyschid, mai 
 be clepid leeful : and so al such thing is woned to be 
 clepid leeful, thou^ not so propirli as it is leeful 
 which doom of resoun or ground of feith approueth. 
 
 I wote not that it is worth forto talke in 1 reson- 
 yng with eny persoon of the laife vpon eny mater of 
 Goddis lawe, but if he be able forto vndirstonde thes 
 now bifore sett x. reulis, and but if he graunte hem 
 and holde hem for trewe. 
 
 ij. Chapiter. 
 
 mnee^VThieh Aftir wliiclie x. reulis or supposiciouns y procede 
 found'Suu with * UU,S- nrs ^° gouernaunce for which the lay peple 
 
 B ^aSmE5!* 0tterm y'^ ie anc ^ vntreuly wijten the clergie is the 
 
 hauyng and vsing of ymagis. 
 Sdwmiw 00 *" Vpon which gouernaunce y sette forth this firste 
 ketainino conclusioun. The hauing and the setting vp of yma- 
 iMAOEs. The gj g j n c ] 1 i rc iii, s an( | the vsing of hem as rememoratijf 
 
 1 in is interlineated by a later (?) hand, which has also altered the 
 preceding word by an erasure. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 137 
 
 or mynding signes is not reproued by eny ground of chap. ii. 
 feith, that is to seie not bi Holi Scripture, neither use of images 
 
 . - . , . , ,. as reminding 
 
 by lone; vse of the Clnrclus bileeuyng, neither bi eny signs is not cou- 
 
 r-, • i • mi • demnedby 
 
 myraculose therto of God wirchinfr That tins con- scripture, nor by 
 
 J °, . the belief of the 
 
 clusioun, namelich as for Holi Scripture, is trewe, y church, nor by 
 
 *■ . . miracle dono 
 
 proue thus : If eny text or processe of Hon Scripture !^ c ^Vom C 
 schulde reproue the seid firste gouernaunce, that is to mandment docs 
 
 r • 1 i 1,0 condemn 
 
 seie, the seid hauyng and vsing of ymagis, thilk text them, 
 or processe schulde be oon of these, of which the firste 
 is writun Exodi xx e . c. thus : Thou schalt not make 
 to thee eny graued thing; and the same text word 
 bi word in processe bifore and aftir is writun Deu- 
 tron. v e . c. in the bigynnyng ; but so it is, that 
 neither this text neither eny of the othere aftir to be 
 rehercid textis of Holi Scripture reproueth or lettith 
 ymagis to be had and to be vsid in the maner now 
 spokun in this present firste conclusioun. Wh erf ore 
 this present i e . conclusioun is trewe. 
 
 That this now spokun text writun Exodi xx c . c. ^XThaf 
 and Deut. v e . c. reproueth not the bifore sett first %££E£S* 
 gouernaunce aboute ymagis hauyng and vsing, y proue oTiml™el*'^X^ 
 bi vj. 1 argumentis, of whiche the firste is this. Not ment! rS GoThini- 
 withstonding that God seide tho wordis to the lewis, f 1 e 1 !agc 3 s 1 oT auilud 
 Thou schalt not make to thee eny graued thing, pt made ll fo™th°e be 
 he bade hem make two ymagis of cherubyn of gold, Go!f[s n not C con- ,t 
 to be sett at the eendis of the cheest of witnes in*™^* 0 hta,self - 
 the ynner partie of the tabernacle ; as it is open 
 Exodi xxv e . c. ; but so it is, that God was not con- 
 trairie to him silf in his comaundis and biddingis : 
 Wherfore bi tho wordis, Thou schalt not make to thee 
 eny graued thing, God vndirstode not forto weerne 
 hem and for to forbede hem make eny graued ymagis, 
 namelich into the entent and vce bifore seid ; for ellis 
 God had ben contrarie to him silf in hise biddingis. 
 
 1 v. MS. ; but the chapter contains six 1 principal arguments.' 
 
138 
 
 pecock's repressor 
 
 chap^ii. The ij e . argument is this : Nuineri xxj e . c. it is 
 mcnt 0( Thl arsu " writun > t^at God bade the peple of Israel forto 
 
 " ferimaLa ma ^ e a brasen ymage of a serpent as for a signe, 
 
 and other 
 
 thei^racHtesby anc ^ forto sette him up an hi^e in the eend of a 
 approva/ofGoa; lon S P ole for to be biholde of alle the peple : Wher- 
 lawtuUoTtheiu, f° re & ma * n °t ^e that God, hi tho wordis seide 
 tS^teton8. fUl ^° sarne peple, Thou schalt not make to thee eny 
 graued thing, that is to seie, not eny graued ymage, 
 that bi tho "wordis he vndirstode noon graued ymage 
 to be mad. Forwhi thanne God had be contrarie to 
 him silf ; but if thou woldist seie that God wole now 
 weel allowe the clergie forto haue and vse ymagis 
 y^utte of gold and siluer and bras and of othere me- 
 tallis, and noone ymagis graued of tre or of stoon : 
 which seiyng is not but a feyned trifle. Forwhi in 
 kinde of ymagis no difference the grauyng makith 
 fro the putting, or the putting fro the grauyng, 
 neither the peinting fro the grauyng ; and also this 
 seiyng lettith not what the lay partie is aboute forto 
 lette in the clergie, that noon ymagis of God or of 
 Seintis be in chirchis : and therfore this seiyng is to 
 be cast aside as a iaperi. 
 Solomon made Also Jije Regum vi°. c. it is writuii, that Salomon 
 
 various images . . 
 
 f'.r in T hTh mat ^ e m the temple ij. ymagis of cherubyn of tree. 
 
 deeds he was Therfore open it is that thei were graued, and hem 
 
 commended 1 # . 
 
 of God. j ie couered and clothid al-aboute 1 with plate of gold. 
 
 And also he ordeyned the wallis of the temple to 
 be graued with diuerse grauyugis, and he ordeyned 
 to be graued ther yn ymagis of cherubyn and ymagis 
 of palme trees and othere ymagis boocing and seem- 
 yng as thou; thei were going and passing out of 
 the wal. Also in the dooris of the temple he graued 
 in a greet out-boocing- ymagis of cherubyn and yma- 
 gis of palme trees. Also he made a brasen ymage of 
 the see, and vndir this ymage lie made xij. ymagis 
 
 | 1 out boocing, MS. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 139 
 
 of oxen, and in the sidis of the same ymage he made chat. ii. 
 stories 1 in ymagerie in a greet lengthe and hei^te, 
 as it is open iij e . Reg. vij°. c. Also in the veil 
 which heng bifore the dore of the temple Salomon 
 made weue ymagis of cherubin, as it is writun ij e . 
 Paralipo. iij e . c. And for alle these dedis he was weel 
 allowid of God, as it is open ynou^ iij e . Reg. ix e . c. 
 and ij c . Paralipo. vij e . c. And this my^te not stonde, if 
 God hadde forbode alle graued ymagis to be had and 
 vsid. Wherfore the dew vndirstonding of thilk text 
 Exodi xx e . c. and Deut. v . c., Thou sclia.lt not make 
 to thee eny graued thing, that is to seie, eny graued 
 ymage, is not to be vndirstonde so that he weerned 
 eny graued ymagis to be had ; and sithen no thingis 
 ben to be had with oute vce of hem, (for thanne thei 
 were had in veyn,) it folewith that thilk same text 
 weemeth not graued ymagis to be vsid. 
 
 And ferthermore, if to the peple of Israel it was The lawfulness 
 
 ,,,,,, , , , . , ^Christian 
 
 leeiul lorto make and rere up an lute a brasen imams proved 
 
 ' 1)V tlicsc cx- 
 
 ymage of a serpent, forto biholde it ; wondir it ampics. The 
 
 tin -i i <• i j • p sehisvnatical 
 
 were but that it were leeiul to Cristen men iorto dispositionof 
 
 make and rere up an y^e an ymage of Crist crucified, rebuked. 
 
 forto biholde into it ; and if it was leeful to the seid 
 
 oold peple forto haue xij. ymagis of oxen bering vp 
 
 the brasen see, forto biholde hem, wonder it were whi 
 
 it schulde be vnleeful to Cristen peple forto haue 
 
 xij. ymagis of the xij. Apostiles, and forto biholde 
 
 hem in remembring that the Apostilis were bede go 
 
 and baptise a the world in water. And therfore the 
 
 a^enseiers her of ben to be reiatid and rebukid as 
 
 nyce, fonned, wilful, wantoun, scisme sowers and dis- 
 
 turblers of the peple, in mater which thei mowe neuer 
 
 her entent bringe aboute. 
 
 The iij e . argument is this : It is writun in the The third argu . 
 Newe Testament, Matheu xxij e . C, whanne the lewis "pproved'o 1 "/ st 
 askiden of Crist "whether it was leeful or no forto u f n ^ T n - y ' 011 
 
 winch the image 
 
 1 strories, MS. See 1 Kings vii. 24, where Wiclif 's version has stories. 
 
140 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, ii. " paie tribute to Cesar the Emperour of Rome," Crist 
 of Caesar was answerid and seide, Schcioe %e to me the koyne of the 
 
 stamped. If wc ' m / o j 
 
 may have an money, and thei offriden to him a denarie. Thanne 
 
 linage of an # " 
 
 eari i.iy king, we Crist askide : Whos is this mnaqe and the aboute- 
 
 may have an . 
 
 image of the tvriiinq V And thei seiden : It is the vmaqe and the 
 
 King of Heaven. «» o u 
 
 aboute-writing of Cesar, the Emperour. Thanne seid 
 Crist : ^elde ye therfore to the Emperour that that 
 is his, and yelde ye to God what is Goddis. Lo 
 how Crist approued weel hem forto ^elde to the 
 Emperour the denarie, in which the ymage of the 
 Emperour was graued ; and alle men witen weel that 
 thei my^ten not ^elde to the Emperour such money 
 so koyned, but if thei schulden haue and vse the 
 ymage of the Emperour graued in thilk money. 
 Wherfore nedis folewith that Crist approued weel hem 
 forto haue and vce a graued ymage of the Emperour, 
 as of her souereyn lord in erthe. An whi not thanne 
 Crist schulde allowe and approue men forto haue and 
 vse a grauen ymage of the Emperour in heuene, as 
 of her Souereyn Lord in heuene ? And at the leest 
 herbi folewith needis, that bi the seid text Exodi 
 xx c . c. and Deutron. v e . c., Thou schalt not make to 
 thee eny graued ymage, is not for bode alle graued 
 ymagis to be had and vsid ; for thanne God hadde 
 be contrarie to him silf. 
 The fourth arpn- The iiii c . principal argument is this: If in sum 
 
 mi nt. It cannot , c , . . .« 
 
 be denied that other place of Hon Scripture t han in the bifore alleg- 
 
 in some places of ^ _ _ m • • i% 
 
 scripture an aid text Exodi xx e . c. and Deut. v c . c. it is founde 
 
 image is used as 0 . . . 
 
 equivalent to a that bi this word " graued thing is signified nothing 
 
 false God ; and . °~ _ ° ° o 
 
 it cannot i>e ellis than a graued God or a niawniet, certis no man 
 proven that it ° 
 
 meana anything )n ai cleyme and avowe and stonde bi vttirli, that in 
 
 else in the •> 
 
 second Com- the bifore rehercid text Exodi xx°. c. and Deut. v c . c. 
 
 luanuiiient. _ 
 
 this word " graued thing schulde needis bitokene a 
 graued ymage dyuers fro a niawmet and fro a graued 
 feyned God. Forwhi no skile he can fynde whi this 
 word " graued thing " in eny othere placis of Scripture 
 
 ' aboute writing, MS. ; but aboutewiting just below. 
 
TIIE SECOND PART. 
 
 141 
 
 schulde be take for a fals God, and not in the text chap. ir. 
 of 1 Exodi xx c . c. and Deut. v c . o. ; but so it is that 
 in manye othere placis of Holi Scripture than Exodi 
 xx e . c. and Deut. v e . c. this word " graued thing" bito- 
 keneth no thing ellis than a graued God and a 
 mawmet graued; takun as a God and for a God, as 
 now anoon aftir schal be proued. Wherfore this text 
 bifore aUeggid Exodi xx c . c. and Deut. v 6 . c. lettith in 
 no point graued ymagis to be had and to be vsid. 
 
 Lo y rede Abacuk ii e . c. thus: Lo, what protitith various texts in 
 
 7 , . <• » « 7 7 -j 7j • 7 which an image 
 
 the qraued thvnq, for his maker qraued it; a welvid signifies a false 
 
 , . .77 i- 7 /■ ,7 7 God. Deductions 
 
 thina to qidere and a tats i/maqe, tor the maker from this. The 
 
 , J . , . 7 . , . ,, , , 77 7 haste and igno- 
 
 therof hopid %n making, that he made doumbe symy- ranee of the 
 lacris ? Wo to him that seith to a tre, Wake thou; 
 Rise thou^to^] a stoon, being stille. Whether he schal 
 mowe teche ? Lo, this is couered with gold and sil- 
 lier, and no spirit is in the entrailis. Forsothe the 
 Lord is in his holi temple; al erthe be stille fro his 
 face. Thus miche there what man mai seie, which is 
 not mad or wood, but that in this now rehercid pro- 
 ces of Abacuk, this word " graued thing " bitokeneth 
 needis cost a fals and a feyned graued God ? Forwhi 
 this word " graued thing " bitokeneth the tiling into 
 which men hopiden, and to which men spaken and 
 seiden, Rise thou, and which men weeneden to haue 
 be quyk ; and therfore nedis " graued thing " in this 
 place is take not for an ymage of God, but for an 
 ymage pretendid to be God. And therfore, thou^ in 
 noon other place of Holi Scripture than in this oon 
 place, dyuers fro the xx e . c. of Exodi and the v e . c. 
 of Deut. this word " graued thing " muste nedis bito- 
 kene oonli a graued God, it were ynou^ forto schewe 
 that the text Exodi xx c . c. and Deut. v e . c. bifore 
 
 1 of inserted in MS. by a later 
 hand ; the same expression occurs 
 more than once below, where it is 
 v. ritteu at length by the first hand. 
 
 2 This word is read in both forms 
 of Wiclif's version, from which this 
 citation is made. See Wicl. Bibl. 
 vol. iii. p. 733. 
 
pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. ii. allegid, Thou shcdt not make to thee a graued thing, 
 constreynetk not that this word "graued thing" in 
 thilk text bitokeneth an ymage of God not pretendid 
 to be a God. But tit ouer this, in mo than in a 
 dosen placis of Holi Scripture, this word "graued thing" 
 is take in lijk maner as it is take in the now 
 rehercid processe of Abacuk ij e . c. for a graued God. 
 For whi 1 Leuit. xyj e . c. in the bigynnyng, Deut. vij e . c. 
 soone aftir the bigynnyng, ij e . Reg. v e . c. aboute the 
 myddis, ij e . Paralip. xxxiij 6 . c. soone aftir the bigyn- 
 nyng, Isaie xxx e . c. in the middis, and in the xl e . c. 
 aftir the myddis, and in the xlij°. c. soone after 
 the bigynnyng and also in the myddis, and in the 
 xliiij". c. aftir the bigynnyng and eftsoone aboute the 
 myddis, also notabili Ieremye the x c . c. aboute the 
 myddis, and Daniel the xj". c. after the bigynnyng, 
 and notabili Michee in the v e . c. aftir the myddis, 
 and in the Sauter in psalmis, as in the psalme which 
 bigynneth thus : In exitu Israel de jEgypto, et caitera, 
 and in the psalme winch bigynneth thus : Laudato 
 nomen Domini, laudate send Domini, et catera. 
 Wherfore if it like to en}' man for to holde, that in 
 lijk maner this word "graued thing" in the text al- 
 leggid Exodi xx c . c. and Deut. \ c . c. bitokeneth a 
 graued fals pretendid God, certis no man mai dryue 
 him ther fro ; and therfore folewith that this text 
 Exodi xx 6 . c. and Deut. v e . c. soone after the bigyn- 
 nyng weerneth not neither reproueth alle graued 
 ymagis to be had and vsid ; neither eni man may 
 seie for vndoutable sooth, that in the seid text 
 Exodi xx°. c. and Deut. v e . c. is groundid that noon 
 graued ymagis ou^te be had and be vsid. Who 
 therfore may make him so boold for to reproue alle 
 
 1 After this word we must sup- 
 pose some such words as ' it must be 
 no understood in ' to have been ac- 
 
 cidentally omitted, or else that the 
 sentence is wholly ungrammatical. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 143 
 
 graued ymagis in the chirche to be had and vsid, and chain n. 
 
 that bi the seid text Exodi xx e . c. and bi lijk text 
 
 Deut. v°. c., saue he which hath not therwith seen 
 
 the othere now alleggid placis of Holi Scripture, (in 
 
 which is conteyned also this word "graued thing,") 
 
 and is therfore ouerhasti iuger and sentence teuer, 
 
 eer he haue seen al that ou^te be seen bifore sentence 
 
 bi the text Exodi xx e . c. to be ^ouun? And alle such 
 
 ouerhasti iugers and wijters God amende, for miche 
 
 harme han thei doon. God lete hem do no more ! 
 
 Wolde God, that bi the schame which thei ben 
 
 worthie in this partie for evidences now mad, thei 
 
 wolden be waar of like defautis in othere maters 
 
 forto iuge, eer thei ben ful leerned ther yn. Ferther- 
 
 more, othere evidencis for myn entent in this mater 
 
 and for confermyng of these here maad argumentis 
 
 into the proof of the firste conclusioun y haue sett 
 
 in the ij e . partie of The donet into Cristen religioun, 
 
 the 1 chapiter ; se hem there who so se wole. 
 
 The v e . principal argument is this : If this word The fifth argu- 
 "graued thing" muste needis in the text of Exodi word image in 
 xx". c. and Deut. v e . c. bitokene no thing ellis than a rncnt signify no 
 graued God, thilk text weerneth not graued ymagis God, it forbids 
 to be had and to be vsid not as Goddis. This ech used, when not' 
 man wole sone graunte ; but so it is that thilk word Proof that this 
 "graued thing" in the seid text Exodi xx e . c. and ecation here. 
 Deut. v e . c. muste nedis signifie and bitokene no thing 
 ellis than a graued fals God, as now anoon after schal 
 be proued. Wherfore nedis it muste be holde, (it 
 may be noon otherwise,) that the seid text of Exodi 
 xx e . c. and Deut. v e . c. weerneth not and reproueth not 
 vtterli ymagis of God and of Seintis to be had and 
 to be vsid. That the ij e . premisse of this argument 
 is trewe y proue thus: This word "graued thing" in 
 
 1 A space in the MS. for the number. 
 
144 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, n. the text Exodi xx e . c. and Deut. v\ c. muste nedis 
 
 bitokene al maner gvaued ymage indifferentli, so that 
 
 therbi al graued 1 ymagirie be forbode to be had ; or 
 
 ellis it muste nedis bitoken oonli a graued God, that 
 
 ther bi be forbode oonli a graued God to be had. 
 
 This ech man wote weel ynou^ ; but so it is, that it 
 
 mai not be hold that in the seid text Exodi xx e . c. 
 
 and Deut. v e . c. this word " graued thing " bitokeneth 
 
 in the firste of these now spokun ij. maners. Forwhi 
 
 ther a^ens meeten the iij. principal argumentis bifore 
 
 goyng prouing vnsoilabili that thanne God were con- 
 
 trarie to him silf. Wherfore nedis folewith that in 
 
 the seid text of Exodi xx c . c. and Deut. v c . c. this 
 
 word " graued thing " muste nedis bitokene in the ij e . 
 
 now spokun maner, that is to seie, that he bitokene 
 
 and signifie oonli a graued God ; and so the ij e . 
 
 premisse of this v°. principal argument is openly at 
 
 the fulle proued : and therbi the v e . argument proueth 
 
 vnsoilabli his entent. And thus myche fro the bi- 
 
 gynnyng of the i e . principal argument in to the eende 
 
 of this present v°. argument is ynou£ for schewing, 
 
 that the seid text Exodi xx e . c. and Deut. v°. c., Thou 
 
 scltalt not make to thee eny graued thing, reproueth 
 
 not and lettith not graued ymagis of very God and 
 
 of Seintis to be had and to [be] 2 vsid vtterly. 
 
 The sutii m-ieu. The vj\ principal argument for the firste conclu- 
 
 plaoeaof serin- sioun is this: Alle othere 3 processis of Scripture bi 
 
 condemn images env colour speking aiens graued thingis, that is to 
 
 in msneral, are / 1 , 7 . , .. " ! 
 
 to be nnderatood seie alens graued ymagis, ben writun in the now 
 
 in the same 7 . ° . «. , V <n in- n 
 
 manner, late named psalmes oi the bauter and hapience the 
 
 xiiij'. c., Ysaie xliiij 0 . c., and Baruk the vj e . c., wbjche 
 ben oner long to be rehereid word bi word here ; 
 
 1 (jraue, MS. ; the <l is added I 1 Othere is interlincnted by a 
 above by a later (?) hand. I later (?) but early hand. 
 
 ' Either be must be inserted, or to 
 must be cancelled. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 145 
 
 but this y dare avowe and dare leie what waiour chap, ir. 
 eny man wole me forto leie, that in ech of these now 
 alleggid iiij. placis the processe considerid weel bifore 
 and aftir wole schewe openli ynoui, that al the rebuk 
 which is ^ouun there to men making and vsing 
 graued ymagis, is ^ouun to hem whiche token and 
 helden tho ymagis to be her Goddis ; and therfore 
 noon of these iiij. now alleggid placis in Holi Scrip- 
 ture lettith alle graued ymagis to be had and vsid 
 in the chirche, so that tho janagis ben not bileeued 
 to be Goddis ; and so folewith that no man, saue he 
 which is vnable forto entermete with eny partie of the 
 Bible, wole bi eny of thes 1 iiij. placis now alleggid 
 trowe alle graued ymagis in the chirche to be reproued. 
 Be war, 2 therfore, who euer be war 2 wole ; for who 
 euer schewith him lewid, so as is now touchid, he 
 is worthi to be forbode fro entermeting w T ith the 
 Bible in eny party ther of. 
 
 Also the place of Holi Writt iii e . Reg. xi e . c' where F ":t her P roof . 
 
 1 J & J ' of tins. Certain 
 
 into rebuke of Salomon it is rehercid that he, fonned passages in the 
 
 ' Books of Kinss 
 
 and bidotid with hise wiifis, made ydolis false Goddis a ? d , >» the Acts 
 
 J ' •> of the Apostles 
 
 and worschipid hem, is not forto reproue alle maners discussed, 
 of ymagis had and vsid in the chirche. Forwhi he 
 was so miche fonned, masid, and dotid, that he wor- 
 schipid tho ydolis as Goddis, for so seith Holi Scrip- 
 ture there; but so no persoon dooth in these daies 
 aboute the ymagis had and vsid in the chirche. 
 Wherfore men now hauyng and vsing ymagis in the 
 chirche ben not in the caas in which Salomon was, 
 and therfore thilk proces so writun and speking of 
 Salomon iij e . Reg. xj e . c. weerneth not graued 3 ymagis 
 to be had and vsid in the chirche, as thei now ben 
 had and vsid, not for Goddis, but for rememoratijf 
 signes or mynding signes of God and of Serntis. 
 
 1 the, MS. (first hand). j conjunctim or (as usually) disjunc- 
 
 2 It is not quite clear -whether | tim. 
 
 these words are here (twice) -written | 3 graued, MS. 
 
 K 
 
146 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, ii. Ferthermore tliilk proces writun Acts xvij e . c. toward 
 the eende, which Poul seide thus : God that made 
 the world and alle thingis that ben in it, this, for 
 he is Lord of heuen and of } erthe, dweUith not in 
 ternplis mad with hond, neither is ivorschipid with 
 mannys hondis, neither hath nede of eny thing; for 
 he yeueth lijf to alle men and brething and alle 
 thingis, and made of oon alle the kinde of men 
 fovto enhabite on al the face of the erthe, dcter- 
 mynyng tymes ordeyned and termes of the dwelling 
 of hem, to seke God, if yerauenture thei fcelen him 2 
 or fynden ; thouy he be not fer fro ech of you, for 
 in him we lyuen, moven, and ben, weerneth not 
 neither forbedith alle graued ymagis to be had and 
 vsid in the chirche. Forwhi Poul dooth no more in 
 thilk processe, than that he makith this skile : " God 
 " is such oon, that he nedith not to haue housis ouer 
 " him for to couere him fro reyne and fro othir sturne 
 " wedris, neither he nedith housis to be lockid, leste 
 " men Steele awey him or his godis ; and these ydolis 
 " or symylacris, wliiche ye worschipen here in this 
 " hous, neden these thingis ; and therfore ye maken to 
 " hem these thingis. Wherfore noon of these ydolis 
 " whiche ye worschipen in these housis, (whether thilk 
 " ydol be Saturne or Iupiter or Mars or thilk ydol 
 " which ye clepen Vnknowen God,) is verri God." 
 Certis the proces there had weel seen schewith weel, 
 that more than this Poul dooth not there in thilk 
 processe ; and therfore thilk processe hath no strengtlie 
 forto weerne ymagis of God to be had and vsid in 
 the chirche, so that thei be not worschipid as for 
 very God him silf. Also the proces writun iiij 0 . Reg. 
 xvij e . c., in which it is writun into the commending 
 
 1 of is added by a later hand. 
 -him is interlineated by a later 
 
 band, but the sip;n of omission is 
 by the first hand, apparently. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 147 
 
 of King Ezechie, that he brake the brasen serpent chap. n. 
 which Moyses lete make, Numeri xxj e . c., weerneth 
 not ymagis to be mad and had and vsid in the 
 chirche. Forwhi how schulde or my^te thilk ymage 
 haue be broke, but if he had bifore be ? And therfore 
 thilk proces rather confermeth ymagis to mowe law- 
 fulli be, than that thei alle to be is vnleeful. Al 
 that this proces wole or may dryue to is this : That 
 ymagis mowe leefFulli be broke, whanne thei ben 
 vsid in ydolatrie irremediabili, for so it was in the 
 caas of the brasen serpent in the tyme of Ezechie, as 
 the storie schewith ; or at the leeste, that ymagis 
 mowe leefulli be brokun, whanne more harme irreme- 
 diabili cometh bi the hauyng and vsing of hem, than 
 is al the good which cometh bi the hauyng 1 and the 
 vsing of hem ; and more than this cometh not forth bi 
 this 2 proces of Ezechie, iiij e . Reg. xviij 6 . c. And therfore 
 thilk proces is ouerfeble forto weerne ymagis to be 
 had and vsid, whanne thei ben had and vsid withoute 
 ydolatrie, or with ydolatrie remediable, or with other 
 harme remediable, namelich lasse than is the good 
 comyng bi the vce of tho ymagis. 
 
 Finali, therfore, y mai conclude bi al what is seid The general con- 
 
 .. . , elusion from 
 
 fro the bigynnyna: 01 the if. chapiter m this present these six argu- 
 
 .. , P,. , r~ 1 merits. Neither 
 
 secunde partie hidir to, that Hon Scripture weerneth Scripture nor any 
 
 1 other ground or 
 
 not neither reproueth ymagis to be had and be vsid. fait h forbids 
 
 * . images to bo 
 
 And sithen her with it is open, that neither long un- 
 customed vce of bileeuyng in the chirche weerneth and 
 reproueth hem, neither eny myracie doon bi God into 
 her reprouyng reproueth or weerneth hem. it folewith 
 that noon sufficient ground of feith reproueth and 
 weerneth hem. And so is the firste conclusioun bifore 
 sett sufficientli proued. 
 
 1 hauyng of hem, MS. (first hand). | 2 the, MS. (first hand). 
 
 K 2 
 
148 pecock's repressor. 
 
 iij. Chapiter. 
 
 The ii e . principal conclusioun is this : Doom of 
 "J?E?°I naturali weel disposid resoun weerneth not and re- 
 Jio^not fOTbki° n P r °ueth not ymagis to be had and to be vsid as 
 ™^ s in ^ n e g used rememoratijf and mynding signes. That this con- 
 oSy S forbid them clusioun is trewe y proue thus: If eny doom of re- 
 thVeefoUowfng soun schulde weerne and reproue ymagis to be thus 
 they give occa- na( ^ anc ^ vs ^> thilk doom of resoun schulde be oon 
 or > S> 1 ab^d tryi °f these iij. doomys, of whiche the firste is this : 
 jSSf^ir But That peple doon ydolatrie bi and with tho ymagis. 
 SSSuflXw The ij e . is this : That the peple trowen or bileeuen 
 groiiiKU^alid summe wrong and vntrewe opiniouns bi occasioun of 
 at ait fore nnt ymagis, as that sum godli vertu is in tho ymagis, or 
 that tho ymagis doon myraclis, or that thei ben quyk 
 and seen, heeren, 1 or speken at sum while, or that 
 thei sweten at sum while. The iij". doom is : That 
 ymagis ben occasiouns of summe moral vicis in the 
 peple, as of overmyche worschiping 2 doon to hem, or 
 of pride, or of coueitise, or of suche othere. But 
 so it is, that noon of these iij. doomys sufficith forto 
 reproue and weerne the seid hauyng and vsing of 
 ymagis ; wherfore no doom of weel disposid resoun 
 reproueth and weerneth the seid hauyng and vsing 
 of ymagis in the chirche. 
 to^dthemon* The ij". premysse of this now maad argument, as 
 the/JriverUe" 1 ' anentis the firste doom, schal be openli proued thus : 
 tornooneof Peple in hauyng and vsing ymagis sett vp in the 
 b^OTwraimage chirche doon noon ydolatrie by hem. Forwhi ydolatrie 
 worehipsUw M i s neuere doon, 3 saue whanne a man takith a creature 
 1 ■ for his God and worschipith thilk creature as for his 
 
 God ; but so doith no man with eny ymage now in 
 
 1 and hem, MS. (first hand). 
 s worchiping, MS. (first hand). 
 
 3 <!vofi or Juo'it MS. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 149 
 
 Cristendoom, aftir that the man is come into ^eeris chap, hi. 
 
 of discreeioun and is passid childhode, and which is 
 
 not a natural fool. Forwhi, if of eny of hem it be 
 
 askid, whether this ymage is God in heuen, wliich made 
 
 al thing, and which was euer withoute bigynnyng, 
 
 and was therfore eer this ymage was maad ; he wole 
 
 seie anoon, that this ymage is not he, but that this 
 
 ymage is the ymage of him. And thanne, if this man 
 
 take not this ymage as for his God, certis he wole 
 
 not therwith worschipe him as his God ; neither he 
 
 wole ^eue to him the worschip which he knowith to 
 
 be dew to God oonli ; neither he wole be aknowe that 
 
 the ymage is his God. Forwhi ther yn he dide re- 
 
 pugnaunce in sum maner, or ellis certis cause is not 
 
 likeli to be founde whi he schulde so do tho thingis 
 
 to gidere. And therfore as for drede of ydolatrie, that 
 
 is to seie, lest peple be ydolatreris in having and vsing 
 
 ymagis, doom of resoun hath not forto weerne and 
 
 reproue ymagis to be had and vsid. 
 
 The strengthe of this argument stondith vpon the Those who are 
 very knowing what ydolatrie is. And sithen ydolatr ie accuse* their 
 is no thing ellis than what is now seid to be, the argu- IdofatryXnotso 
 inent now maad muste needis haue his entent. Ful ofte what idolatry is. 
 haue y herd men and wommen vnwiseli iuge and dif- 
 fame ful scherpli weelny^ alle Cristene to be ydolatrers, 
 and al for the hauyng and vsing of ymagis. And ^it 
 whanne it hadde be askid of hem what ydolatrie is, 
 forsothe thei couthe not seie neither feele what it is 
 in his trouthe, thou^ thei schulden haue wonne therbi 
 al the worldis blis or the blis of heuen. And whether 
 this was not an horrible abhomynacioun and a vile 
 stinking presumpcioun hem forto so sturdili bi manye 
 ^eeris iuge and cbffame bothe the clergi and weelny^ 
 al the lay party of Goddis chirche in so greet a cryme, 
 which thei couthen neither myiten proue to be doon, 
 (for whi thei wisten not what thing thilk cryme is, and 
 therfore thei my^ten not knowe whether it was doon 
 
150 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chat, in, or not cloon,) and whether such peple be able and 
 worthi to be admyttid into tlie homeU reding of Holi 
 Writt, eer tbei be weel adauntid and weel scliamed of 
 ber folie and of her vnwisdom and pride, seie who 
 euere schal this heere. And y trowe he may not 
 atens tliis seie and holde, if he haue eny quantite of 
 discrecioun. Manye lesingis y haue herd hem lie, Iioav 
 thei knowen that persoones reulen hem in amys bi- 
 lyuyng fonnedli aboute ymagis ; but whanne profris 
 of greet meede (^he, of xl. pound and of more) hath 
 be mad to hem forto bringe forth ij. or iij. of suche 
 persoones, thei couthen 1 bringe forth noon of hem. 
 An objection Perauenture thei wolen seie thus : Manye hundridis 
 
 stateu.that many J 
 
 ti'i" n"iim e of b God 0I " men clepiden this ymage the Trinyte, and thei 
 ^"d therefore clepen this ymage Crist, and this ymage the Holi 
 su"h' lC TUis oii- s Goost, and this ymage Marie, and this ymage Seint 
 ^aro^ccn" 011 ' Petir, and this ymage Seint Poul, and so forth of 
 figures of persons othere ; and thei wolden not so clepe, but if thei feel- 
 fre^TOortape'stry iden and bileeueden withinneforth as thei clepen with- 
 l£'se peri""", 01 outeforth ; for eUis thei weren double. Wherfore alle 
 uilmtobevery 6 tho hundridis bileeuen amys aboute tho ymagis. Her- 
 persons. to it is ful Hit forto answere. Whamie y come to 
 
 thee in tin parisch chirche thou wait perauenture seie 
 to me thus: Lo here lieth my fadir and there lieth 
 my graunt fadir, and in the other side lieth my wijf ; 
 and ^it thei liggen not there, but oonli her boonys 
 liggen there. If y come to thee into thin halle or 
 chaumbir thou "svolt perauenture seie to me in de- 
 scryuyng the storie peintid or wouun in thin halle or 
 chaumbre : " Here ridith King Arthir, and there fi^tith 
 " Iulius Cesar, and here Hector of Troie thro with doun 
 " a knyt," and so forth. For thou^ thou thus seie 
 thou wolte not holde thee forto seie ther yn amys. 
 Schal y therfore bere thee hoond that thou trowist thi 
 
 1 couthe, MS. (first band). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 151 
 
 fadir and tlii gramit fadir and thi wijf for to lyue and Chap. Ill, 
 
 dwelle in her sepulcris, or schal y bere thee an hond 
 
 that thou trowist Artur and Iulius Cesar and Hector 
 
 to be quyk in thi clooth, or that thou were double 
 
 in thin so reuling of speche ? Y trowe thou woldist 
 
 seie y were vncurteis, or ellis vnwijs and folisch, if y 
 
 schulde beere thee so an honde, if it likid thee forto 
 
 so speke. And, if this be trewe, it folewith that as 
 
 weel thou art vncurteis, or ellis thou art to be ex- 
 
 cusid of vncurtesie bi thi greet folie and madnes, if 
 
 thou bere me an hond that al the world ful of clerkis 
 
 and of othere lay men weenen summe ymagis to be 
 
 God, and summe ymages to be quyke Seintis ; or that 
 
 thei ben double and gileful, if thei clepen 1 an ymagc 
 
 of God bi the name of God, and an ymage of a 
 
 Seint bi the name of a Seint. But (for more clereli 
 
 this same answere to be vndirstonde) it is to wite, 
 
 that if figuratijf spechis weren not allowid to be had 
 
 in vce, that the ymage or the likenes of a thing 
 
 mai be clepid bi the name of the thing of which he 
 
 is ymage and likenes, and that the parti of a thing 
 
 mai be clepid vnder and bi the name of his hool, as 
 
 that men seien thei han lyued xl. wynteris, meenyng 
 
 therbi that thei han lyued fourti ^eeris, certis thi 
 
 chalenge my^te weel procede and haue his entent ; 
 
 but a^enward it is so that such figuratijf and vn- 
 
 propre speche, forto clepe the ymage of a thing bi 
 
 and vndir the name of the thing 2 of which he is 
 
 ymage, hath be in famose vce and hath be allowid 
 
 bothe of Holi Scripture and of alle peplis. And ther- 
 
 fore, thoui men in such woned figuratijf speche seie, 
 
 " Here at tins autir is the Trinyte, and there at thilk 
 
 " auter is Iesus, and ^ondir is the Holi Goost, and 
 
 " therbi is Marie with Seint Peter," and so forth ; it 
 
 1 clepe, MS. (first hand). | 2 of thiny, MS. (first band). 
 
152 
 
 PECOCKS REPRESSOR. 
 
 Chap, hi. nedith not that therfore be seid that 1 tliei meenen 
 and feelen that this ymage is the Trinyte, or that 
 thilk yniage is verili Iesus, and so forth of othere ; but 
 that these ymagis ben the liknessis or the ymagis of 
 hem. 
 
 of "hcru- That Holi Writt confermeth weel and allowith weel 
 dierubfm all and ^his answere, that the ymagis of thingis mowe weel 
 similar^ 63 ^ e clepid bi the names of the thingis of Avhiche thei 
 ben ymagis, lo, Sir, it is writun Exod. xxv e . c. that 
 God bade to Moyses thus : Thou schalt make on euer- 
 either side of Goddis ansivering place ij. cherubims 
 of gold and beten out with hamer ; oon cherub in 
 the oon side, and an other cherub in the other side of 
 Goddis ansivering place. Now y aske of thee, whe- 
 ther God bade Moyses make ij. quyke aungelis of 
 cherubym, or ellis ij. ymagis of cherubyim? 2 If thou 
 seie, that ij. ymagis ; certis thanne folewith that the 
 ymagis of cherubim God clepid cherubym. And if 
 this be trewe, thanne folewith that Holi Scripture al- 
 lowith what y haue seid now bifore in answering ; or 
 ellis thou muste make thi chaleng a^ens God, which 
 thou bifore madist aiens man, that God schulde feele 
 amys or that he schulde be double. Ferthermore, not 
 oonli in this now alleggid place Exodi xxv c . c., the 
 ymagis of cherubim ben clepid cherubim, but also in 
 lijk maner bi mo than half a dosen othere placis of 
 Scripture the ymagis of cherubim ben clepid cherubim, 
 as Exodi xxxvj*. c., i c . Reg. iiij". C, ij". Reg. vj e . c., 
 iij c . Reg. vj e . c., iij c . Reg. vij c . c., iij c . Reg. viif. c., 
 i c . Paralip. xxviij e . c., ij e . Paralip. iij e . c., ij e . Paralip. v e . c., 
 whos textis or processis weren ouerlong to be here 
 writun and rehercid. Also in the c. and xiij c . Psalme, 
 Avhere it is spokun of ydolis, that is to seie of graued 
 
 1 that is intcilincated hy a later (?) I : So the IMS., possibly accidentally 
 hand. I for cherubym. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 153 
 
 Goddis, it is seid of hem there thus : Thei han mouth Cn ^ IIL 
 
 and thei schulen not speke, thei han i±en and thei 
 
 schulen not se, thei han eeris and thei schulen not 
 
 heere, thei han feet and .thei schulen not walke. And 
 
 ^it ech man wote weel that these ydolis as thei in hem 
 
 ailf weren not but ymagis, so thei hadden not but the 
 
 ymagis of mouth and the ymagis of i^en and of eeris 
 
 and of feet. Wherfore here in this Psalme Holy Writt 
 
 clepid the ymagis of membris vndir the name of verri 
 
 membris ; and so herbi my bifore sette answere is 
 
 confermed, whanne y seide that the comoun speche 
 
 of the peple, calling the ymagis of God bi the name 
 
 of God (or of the Trinyte), of Iesus, of the Holi Goost, 
 
 makith not that the callirs ben ydolatreris; neither 
 
 that therfore doom of resoun schulde schewe ymagis 
 
 to be not had and vsid, as that bicause that ydolatrie 
 
 is doon bi hem. 
 
 Thou maist not seie that hauers and vsers of Another objec- 
 tion, that some 
 
 ymagis ben ydolatrers ; and that for thei trowen sum persons consider 
 
 ,_. . a divine power 
 
 godli vertu to be in thilk ymao-e. Forwhi y aske of t0 resl(le in 
 
 ° i images, stated 
 
 thee what vertu clepist thou a godli vertu ? If thou ailcl answered. 
 
 , - 1 0 Tins opinion, 
 
 clepist oonli thilk vertu to be a ffodli vertu which though it may be 
 
 . , ° false, does not 
 
 mai not be but oonli in God, certis thanne is this amount to 
 
 idolatry. 
 
 trewe that no Cristen man holdith or trowith eny 
 godli vertu to be in eny ymage. Forwhi no Cristen 
 man trowith eny ymage to be God him silf; and 
 her with ech Cristen man knowith openli, that no 
 thing may haue such as now is seid a godli vertu, 
 saue God him silf. Wherfore no Cristen man trowith 
 eny ymage to haue such now seid godli vertu ; and 
 therfore thou canst not herbi proue, that eny Cristen 
 man hauing and vsing ymagis is an ydolatrer. If 
 thou clepist a godli vertu such a vertu which is causid 
 of God into a creature aboue the worching of kinde, 
 and in maner not woned miche to be doon coursli. 
 forsothe thanne is this trewe, that thou^ Cristen men 
 trowen that ymagis han such vertu, lit tho men 
 
154 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. hi. for thilk trowing ben not ydolatrers. Forwlii no 
 man is bi eny thing an ydolatrer, saue by which he 
 takith and niakith a creature to be his God, and 
 worschipith hirn as his God ; but so dooth no man, 
 thou^ he trowe ymagis haue suche now seid vertu. 
 Neither eny man so dooth, thou* he trowe that yma- 
 gis doon myraclis in such wise as creaturis, — the 
 Apostilis, and othere Seintis, — diden myraclis ; and 
 thou^ he trowe that ymagis ben quyke, or that thei 
 seen or speken or heeren or sweten at summe whilis, 
 as it is open ynout to ech man hauyug eny quantitie 
 of resoun. Forwhi noman, in so trowing as now is 
 seid, trowith therfore thilk ymage to be God ; no 
 more than men, whiche tro widen the Apostilis wirche 
 myraclis, trowiden hem to be God. Wherfore nedis 
 this is trewe, that no man for eny such opiuioun 
 or feith which 1 he hath vpon ymagis, thou£ thilk 
 opinioun or feith be vntrewe, is an ydolatrer. 
 Neither docs And ferthermore, thou* a Cristen man worschipe an 
 
 an uudiH! venera- ii. ■ » V i i • • «j 
 
 tion of images ymage more than dewli, so that he worschip not it 
 idolatry, so that as God and witli worschip of herte withyn forth dew 
 
 they lie not taken , 
 
 for Gods. to God oonh, ihe, and thou* he take occasioun bi 
 ymagis to do synne of pride or of coueitise or othere 
 moral synnes, lit fer is al this fro ydolatrie. Forwhi 
 in noon of these casis the man takith and makith eny 
 creature to be his God ; and therfore the firste bifore 
 spokun doom of resoun, which is bering an bond 
 Cristen men vsing ymagis to be gilti of ydolatrie, is 
 not sufficient forto reproue and weerne ymagis to 
 be had and vsid of Cristen men as rememoratijf or 
 mynding signes or tokenes, Forwhi thilk doom of 
 resoun and thilk hering an bond and putting upon 
 men, that thei ben ther fore and ther yn ydolatrers, 
 is schewid now bifore to be vntrewe. 
 
 1 which is added in the MS. by a later (?) hand. 
 
THE SECOND PAET. 
 
 155 
 
 iiij. Chapiter. 
 
 The bifore sett and spoken doom of resoun, secondly, reason 
 
 .. docs not forbid 
 
 wilting hauers and vsers of ymagis to be eilti 01 the use of images 
 
 " ° •ill in consequence of 
 
 vntrewe feith or vntrewe opinioun had upon tho untrue opinions 
 
 1 1 held about them. 
 
 ymagis, is not sufficient for to reproue and weerne 
 the hauyng and the vsing of hem as for mynding 
 signes. Forwhi thilk doom and thilk wijting and 
 bering an hond is vntrewe. 
 
 And that y schal proue, so that y sette bifore a^g' 0115 
 reule or supposicioun which is this. Sum vntrewe ^fer ^raHj^ 
 opinioun of men is such that for it her conuersa- | ( ^ Y snpersti- 
 cioun is the worse morali, for it is leding into deedis 
 whiche ben grete moral vicis ; as this opinioun, that 
 fleischli comunyng bitwixe a syngil man and a syngil 
 womman doon bi her fre consent is no synne ; and 
 this opinioun, ech man forto take as myche as hym 
 lustith and may holde withoute clayme and victorie 
 of hise nei^boris worldli good is no synne ; and this 
 opinioun, a man for to smyte and bete his nei^bour a 
 this side deeth for wraththe or trespace is no synne ; 
 and suche othere opiniouns. Sum other vntrewe 
 opinioun of men is such that for it her conuersacioun 
 schal not be maad the worse moralli, or ellis not 
 a^ens notable, good, vertuose moralte ; as is this 
 opinioun, that a man which stale sumtyme a birthan 
 of thornis was sett in to the moone, there forto 
 abide for euere ; and this opinioun, that Seint 
 Michaelis bonys resten in the Mount Michael ; and 
 this opinioun, that iij. sistris (whiche ben spiritis) 
 comen to the cradilis of infantis, forto sette to the 
 babe what schal bifalle to him ; and suche othere 
 manye. Forwhi more than the dotage or deceit or 
 folynes or the bigiling of the persoones so trowing, 
 
156 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 CnAP. IV. 
 
 For untrue 
 opinions of tho 
 latter sort good 
 and ancient 
 customs are not 
 to be laid aside. 
 Application of 
 this argument to 
 images, and to 
 fnlse opinions 
 about them. 
 
 Confirmation of 
 the argument. 
 Because some 
 men had absurd 
 opinions about 
 the miracles 
 wrought by 
 Saints, those 
 Saints ought not 
 therefore to be 
 put to death and 
 prevented from 
 working mira- 
 cles. 
 
 at whiche men mowe law^e and take bourde for her 
 symplenes or her vnkunnyng as of folis, cometli not 
 of suche now laste spokun opiniouns. 
 
 Thanne upon this reule or supposicioun y argue 
 thus : For noon such fonnys opinioun, of Avhich it is 
 now last spokun in the ij e . parti of this reule or sup- 
 posicioun, is eny long bifore stabilid gouernaunce to 
 be left and to be leid aside, which is in him silf 
 resonable, honest, and expedient, namelich if thilk 
 fonnysch opinioun may soone bi wise men be schewid 
 to the holder to be vntrewe. But so it is that 
 these opiniouns, bi whiche symple men trowen at 
 sumtyme that an ymage hath withinne him vertu, 
 such as God mai putte into a creature; or that the 
 ymage dooth miraclis, or spekith at sumtyme, or 
 heerith alwey, or swetith at sum tyme, ben opi- 
 niouns of the ij e . now seid soort ; that for hem 
 discrete men mowe oonli lau^e at suche folies of 
 men, as thei doon at her othere folies, of whiche 
 no moral harme cometh. Wherfore for noon such 
 opinioun the hauyng, and the vpsetting of ymagis, 
 whilis therbi myche moral good cometh, (as schal be 
 proued aftir and as is proued al redi in The book of 
 worschiping,) ou^te be left and leid aside ; namelich, 
 sithen these now seid folisch opiniouns mowe li^tli be 
 schewid to her holders forto be vntrewe. 
 
 Confirmacioun herto is this : Whanne Seint Bernard 
 lyued he dide manye myraclis bi his lijf, and whanne 
 Seint Nicholas lyued, and whanne Seint Martyn lyued, 
 thei diden many myraclis bi her lijf; and therfore 
 manye men (as it is likeli) trowiden in tho dales, that 
 these now 1 named persoones hadden goostli vertu 
 ^ouun to hem fro God, bi which thei in hem silf 
 diden tho miraclis ; but lit not therfore and bi cause 
 
 1 now is inter lineated in a later (?) hand. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 157 
 
 that summe symple persoones hadden tbilk opinion, CuAP - IV - 
 tho iij. seid persoones oultiden to be slayn and to be 
 take ' fro lijf and fro silt of men and fro worcliing of 
 myraclis, bi cause that foolis and symple persoones 
 hadden suche seid vntrewe opiniouns upon the seid 
 worcliing of myraclis. 
 
 Also thou? men trowen that my precious stoonys, other false 
 
 / .... . . -T ■ °l )lnloris about 
 
 whiche y haue, han vertues whiche m trouthe thei things and ,per- 
 
 * sons do not 
 
 han not, schal y therfore breke hem or caste hem necessitate the 
 
 » destruction of 
 
 awey, that suche lewid men haue no such wrono- those things 
 
 * and persons. 
 
 opinioun vpon hem ? . Also if men trowe that sum 
 aldirman in Londoun is miche riccher than in trouthe 
 he is, schal therfore tbilk aldirman be slayn or be 
 banyschid out of the citee, that men haue no such 
 folisch vntrewe opinioun upon his ricehes ? God 
 forbede. Wherfore lijk wise it is to be holde in this 
 present purpos, that the having and vsing 2 of 
 ymagis, (sithen therbi miche moral good cometh,) 
 ou^t not be left for this, that foolis han suche 
 seid folisch opiniouns of the ij e . bifore spokun soort 
 vpon tho ymagis and vpon the vsis of hem. 
 And lit ferthermore, that men mowe haue withoute ?«* » n tjn** !t 
 
 IS "°t a false or 
 
 blame and withoute folie this opinioun that summe foofoh opinion 
 
 1 to believe that 
 
 ymagis at sum while sweten, and that bi hem speche some images have 
 
 * ° ' 1 wrought min- 
 
 is mad, and that at sumwhile thei ben moued fro oon el «»- 
 
 place to an other place withoute mannys therto doing, 
 
 and suche othere like opiniouns, schal be schewid 
 
 after in the ij e . principal gouernaunce, whanne y schal 
 
 trete of pilgrimage. And thus myche is ynou?, that 
 
 the ij e . bifore spokun doom of resoun is not sufficient 
 
 forto lette ymagis to be had and vsid. 
 
 That the iii e . bifore spokun and sett doom of re- Thirdly, reason 
 
 u docs nt>t forbid 
 
 soun, which is that ymagis ou^ten 3 not be had and the °f images 
 
 1 take is interlineatcd in a kter (?) I ■ the vslng, MS. (first hand), 
 hand. | 3 m y te , M g ( first hand ) 
 
158 
 
 PFX'OCK'S repressor. 
 
 chap, iv. vsid, and that for therof cometh moral yuel (as ouer- 
 ovfupriifps from m y cne worschiping not being ydolatrie, or ellis co- 
 morai viws ic ueitise or pride or suche othere moral vicis,) y schal 
 kooU OTrtniaince a P roue ) so that y sette and sende bifore a reule or 
 mkweota supposicioun, which is this. 1 Summe moral vicis com- 
 remcdrabio^Vor °i occasioun of a vertuose gouernaunce ben litle, 
 sortgood'ordr* an d suche as wolen soone be amendid with labour, 
 tobc e ia?d C asWc. thou^ the same vertuose gouernaunce be lete stonde 
 the P 8*gummtfto staJle and be lete contynued ; and summe ben grete, 
 lnoraicviis * Mid so grete that thei ben in myche more quantite 
 thenTare not grete, than is the godenes of the seide gouernaunce in 
 thosewhioh his contynaunce. Vpon this reule y argue thus. For 
 othe^profltable such yuelis, of whiche it is now spokun in the firste 
 
 things, as from , • n * 1 • • j i i 
 
 reading tbe Bible parti oi this reule or supposicioun, a notable vertuose 
 mon^ nnf;str ' gouernaunce, of which miclie moral good cometh, is 
 not to be left and leid aside ; and namelich, whilis it 
 is not impossible or ouer myche hard that tho moral 
 vicis so comyng be amendid bi good informacioun and 
 othere good labouris. Forwhi thanne ech good and 
 profitable craft, ^he, and weelny^ ech notable vertuose 
 gouernaunce ou^te be lefte and leid aside ; sithen ech 
 of hem is an occasioun of sum moral yuel, at the lest 
 of such moral yuel as of which it is spokun in the 
 firste partie of the next bifore going supposicioun or 
 reule. But so it is, that the yuelis whiche comen 
 out and bi the having and holding of ymagis in 
 chirchis, ben noon othere or not gretter than ben the 
 yuelis of whiche it is spokun in the firste partie of 
 the next seid supposicioun or reule ; and ^it ferther to 
 seie, thei ben not gretter than the yuelis whiche occa- 
 sionarili comen out fro the having and the vsing of 
 profitable craftis and marchaundising ; neither gretter 
 
 1 It is evident that this sentence 
 cannot be construed: probably after 
 ' vicis,' we should add ' is not suffi- 
 
 cient forto reproue the hauymj of 
 ymagis vttirh/,' or something to that 
 effect. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 159 
 
 than ben the yuelis comyng bi this, that lay men vsen CnAP - IV - 
 
 the Bible in her modir tunge ; neither gretter than 
 
 the yuelis which comen bi this, that preestis ben and 
 
 that prechers ben. Wherfore this iij e . bifore seid and 
 
 sett doom of resoun is not sufficient for to lette the 
 
 having and the vsing of ymagis, but if he schulde 
 
 lette the hauyng and the vsing of alle maners of 
 
 craftis, and the hauing and vsing of Holi Scripture 
 
 among the lay persoones, ^he, and but if he schulde 
 
 lette the being of alle preestis and of alle prechouris, 
 
 namelich sithen the worschiping, bi which perauenture 
 
 manye persoones worschipen ymagis more than resoun 
 
 wole, is not a greet vice ; so that thilk worschiping 
 
 be such, that thei not worschipen tho ymagis as God : 
 
 and bifore it is schewid, that no persoones taken eny 
 
 ymage for verri God. 
 
 Confirmacioun to this argument is this : Summen Confirmation of 
 
 0 the argument, 
 
 wolen knele deppir and louier to a knytt, than if a man of rank 
 
 11 / »"•*«'* , 06 unduly vene- 
 
 summe othere men wolen ; the, and thei wolen sixe rat ed, that is 
 
 '■, . 1 . no roason for 
 
 sithis more preise and worschipe him in word and banishing him; 
 
 1 liii neither if images 
 
 dide, than summe othere men wolen , the, and pera- be unduly vene- 
 
 uenture more than resoun wole that he be worschipid. !' pas . 01 ,'. for ,, 
 
 * banishing them 
 
 What harme or yuel is this forto be so myche chargid, altogether, 
 that the good kny^t be put out of mennys cumpa- 
 nying: sithen this worschiping is fer fro godli wor- 
 schiping ; and fer fro this, that eny worschipers of 
 him takyn hym for her God? Wherfore folewith bi 
 sufficient likenes, that thou^ men worschipen ymagis 
 more than resoun wole hem be worschipid, ^it this 
 is not vice of so greet fors that for it ymagis be 
 put doun ; namelich, sithen thilk worschip is noon 
 such, wherbi the worschipers maken tho ymagis to be 
 her God or her Goddis. Goddis forbode that for ech 
 folis folie stable gouernaunces weel takun of wise men 
 
 wolen is interlineated by a later hand. 
 
IGO pecock's repressor. 
 
 cnAP. iv. ou^ten be chaungid ; for thanne ouer many and ouer 
 thicke chaungis of fid vertuose gouernauncis schulde 
 be mad, and no good gouernaunce schulde be bi 1 eny 
 while contynued : but certis a^ens such vicis corny ng 
 bi tho gouernauncis labour ou^te be maad, and tho 
 gouernauncis ou^ten be suffrid to stonde and contynue 
 stille. 
 
 Again, if a ?ood Another confinnacioun into this present purpos may 
 
 fruit tree be » * * 
 
 partly cankered, be this : If y haue a fruyteful tre, which in oon or 
 
 or bear bad fruit * » ; 
 
 on some of its i n summe of hise braunchis hath a canker, schal y 
 
 boughs, that :s ' "> 
 
 no reason for therfore he we douu al my tre ? Goddis forbode y 
 
 cutting down •> » 
 
 ^plication rt?" sc hulde °e s0 lewid ; but y ou^t rather pare awey the 
 tins argument to canker, and sette medicvn therto, and lete the tre 
 
 images. ' » ' 
 
 stonde forto bringe forth good fruyt. Also in caas 
 that this tree in summe of his bowis bringith forth 
 soure applis and in summe othere bowies sweete hap- 
 plis and gode, as y haue knowe so to be trewe in a 
 tre which hath come of dyuerse grams in oon stok, 
 or if perauenture many of tho applis roten upon the 
 tre, eer it be tyme to schake the tree, schal y therfore 
 hewe doun the tree? Nay, nai, y ou^te cast awei 
 what is badde, ^he, and he'pe cure what is badde, 
 and kepe what is good. Wherfore bi like skile in 
 oure present purpos a badde husbondrie 2 it were for 3 
 to caste awey the having and vsiug of ymagis for ech 
 moral vice which my^te rise therbi, namelich sithen 
 the havyng .and vsiug of ymagis is fruyteful into 
 moral good, and the yuel therbi comyng is pareable 
 and kuttcablc awey bi good and thrift! bisynes therto 
 sett. And this is ynou* forto schewe, that the iij". 
 bifore spokun and sett doom of resoun is not sufficient 
 forto weenie and lette the hauyng and vsing of ymagis 
 into rememoratijf or mynding signes. 
 
 1 bi is interlineated by a later (?) I *hvutoondie, MS. (first hand), 
 hand. | *Jbr is interlineated in a later hand. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 161 
 
 And so fynaly it is lad thus fer forth fro the bi- Chariv. 
 gynnyng of the iij e . chapiter hidir to, that no doom of ^» the whoie,^ 
 resoun werneth find lettith ymagis as now is seid to jorSenby 
 be had and to be vsid. And here yn eendith the reason - 
 proof of the ij e . principal conclusioun. 
 
 v. Chapiter. 
 
 The iii e . principal conclusion is this: It is not vn- the thibd 
 
 . . CONCLUSION. It 
 
 leeful vmagis to be had and vsid as rememoratiif is not unlawful 
 
 , . "to have aud use 
 
 signes. This conclusioun y proue thus : What euer images as re- 
 
 ^ 1 minding signs. 
 
 gouernaunce neither Holi Scripture, neither doom of Proof of the 
 
 1 . . . . conclusion. 
 
 resoun, neither mennys iust positijf lawe weerneth, is 
 not vnleeful ; but so it is, that for to haue and vse 
 ymagis as mynding signes is not weerned bi Holi 
 Scripture, as is open bi the firste principal conclusioun; 
 neither it is weerned bi doom of resoun, as it is open 
 bi the ij e . principal conclusioun ; neither it is weerned 
 bi eny mennys iust positijf lawe, as it is open ynow 
 to alle men. Wherfore this iij e . principal conclusioun 
 is needis trewe, that it is not vnleeful ymagis to be 
 had and vsid as rememoratijf signes of God, and of 
 his benefetis of Seintis, and of her conuersacioun. 
 
 The iiii e . principal conclusion is this : It is leeful, the poueth 
 
 l» 1 l -l-P n CONCLUSION. 
 
 m the maner of leefulnes spokun bifore m the firste it is lawful in a 
 
 . . large sense to 
 
 chapiter of this ii e . partie in the x e . reule or sup- have and use 
 
 * \ . images as re- 
 
 posicioun, that ymagis be had and vsid as reme- ^ n $ n f t s n f" s- 
 moratijf signes in the maner now last bifore spokun. conclusion. 
 That this conclusioun is trewe, y proue thus : What 
 euer gouernaunce is not vnleeful, is leeful in this 
 maner of leefulnes, as it is open bi the now seid x e . 
 reule or supposicioun : but so it is, that the now 
 seid hauyng and vsing of ymagis is not vnleeful, as 
 it is open ynou^ bi the iij e . next bifore going prin- 
 cipal conclusioun. Wherfore needis folewith that this 
 present iiij e . conclusioun is trewe. 
 
 L 
 
162 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 CnAP - v - The v e . principal conclusioun is this : Holi Scripture 
 bothe in the Oold Testament and in the Newe al- 
 
 CO JiCLU SI ON • 
 
 hna^to bo° ws l° w ith 1 to haue and vse ymagis as rememoratijf 
 remindtigsi^Ss. s ig nes i n the maner now laste bifore seid. That this 
 conciusionfrom conclusioun is trewe, it is open ynou£ bi it what is 
 aiready^aid?' 1 bifore argued in the ij e . chapiter in the iij. firste 
 
 principal argumentis to the first principal conclusioun. 
 
 Wherfore this v e . principal conclusioun is to be holde 
 
 for trewe. 
 
 5 the ToKJion Als0 > Matheu xxvj e . c., Crist allowid and approued 
 ofTia^y mS™ tne deede of Marie Magdalen, in that that sche vsid 
 dalen- the oynement as a seable and a smelleable rememo- 
 
 ratijf signe, and in that that sche vsid the dede 2 of 
 anoynting 3 as a seable rememoratijf signe. Forwhi 
 he seide : What ben ye greuose to this womman ? 
 Sche hath wrouyt a good werk into me. Where euer 
 this gospel schal be prechid in al the world, it schal 
 be seid that sche dide it into mynde of him* And 
 so it is open that Crist allowid and approued the 
 vce of the seid oynement, in that that it was vsid 
 as a seable or smelleable rememoratijf signe. And 
 sithen this is approued of Crist, certis 5 bi lijk skile 
 othere seable signes as ymagis, and othere smelleable 
 signes as encensis, ben ther yn and ther bi allowid 
 and approued of Crist. And so bi Holi Scripture of 
 the Newe Testament the vce of sensible rememoratijf 
 signes ben allowid. 6 
 Another proof Also an 7 other vnsoilable proof for this v c . principal 
 
 of the conclusion , r . . 
 
 from the con- conclusioun is sett bifore in the firste parti of this 
 
 1 allowilh and approneth, MS. 
 (first hand). 
 
 - the dede is interlineated by an 
 earl) - but later hand. 
 
 * an oynting, MS. 
 
 4 This blundering translation of 
 i' dicetur et quod hac fecit in memo- 
 riam ejus," (aurjjs), Vulg., occurs 
 
 in both forms of Wiclif s version, 
 from which this citation is mostly 
 taken. 
 
 5 certis is added by a later hand. 
 
 ' allowid and approved, MS. (first 
 hand). 
 
 ' in other. MS. (first hand). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 163 
 
 present book, the [xix e .] 1 chapiter, where bi setting 2 chap, v. 
 bifore of iii. reulis and bi iiii. conclusiouns drawun sidcratiou that 
 
 . , . when Scripture 
 
 out from hem this v . principal conclusioun is vn- allows anv end it 
 
 1 x allows each pro- 
 
 doutabili proued bi this meene ; that whanne euere fitabiomean 
 
 1 i contributing to 
 
 Holi Scripture biddith, counseilith, or allowith eny t ha * end. 
 eende, he ther yn and ther bi biddith, counseilith, or 
 allowith, or approueth ech meene profitable into the 
 same eende. Se there who so wole the proof mad 
 there in his lengthe and forme. 
 
 Also noman 3 may seye nay, but that Crist ordeyned Application of 
 
 , . this considera- 
 
 in the newe lawe visible sacramentis to be take and scripture 
 
 . i> /-i • allows certain 
 
 vsid as seable rememoratiif signes of Crist, and of his reminding signs 
 
 . ... of Christ s life 
 
 passioun and deeth. and of his holi liif, as it schal a " d d . eath °y 
 
 1 J allowing sacra- 
 
 be proued in The book of Sacramentis and in The " ient | : ai ? d 
 
 1 * therefore by 
 
 book is* of Baptim and of Eukarist. Wherfore Holi implication 
 
 J 1 J allows images, 
 
 Scripture of the Newe Testament witnessith thus ^ m , ch are mo r re 
 
 r lively signs of 
 
 miche in this purpos, that forto haue and vse seable thc same things, 
 rememoratijf signes is leeful, expedient, and profitable; 
 for ellis the sacramentis of Crist weren vnleeful, 
 vnexpedient, and vn profitable. And thanne her of 
 ferther thus : If and whanne it is leeful and expe- 
 dient forto haue and vse eny seable rememoratijf 
 signes being lasse lijk to the thingis signified, it is 
 leeful and expedient forto make, haue, and vse signes 
 being; more like to the same thing-is signified. Forwhi 
 the likenes of a signe to his signiticat, (that is to seie, 
 to the thing signified bi him,) wole helpe the signe 
 forto signifie and forto make remembraunce the bettir 
 upon the thing signified ; but ro it is, that ymagis 
 graued, coruun, or £ut ben more lijk to Crist and to 
 his passioun, than ben the sacramentis whiche Crist 
 ordeyned ; thoui Crist hem ordeyned, (being so vnlike 
 
 1 A space left in the MS. for the 
 number. See p. 110. 
 
 2 bisetting, MS. 
 
 ;! The last three letters are written 
 
 on an erasure in a later hand. The 
 word is also sometimes written 
 disjunctim. 
 
 4 booh, MS. (first hand). 
 
 L 2 
 
164 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. v. to him and to his passion,) for fauour into us, that we 
 schulde haue bi his ordinaunce signes and sacramentis, 
 into whos geting we my^ten not allegge forto excuse 
 us bi labour to gete hem and make hem into the 
 werk of her sacramental vsing. Wherfore folewith, 
 sithen bi Holi Scripture it is leeful and expedient for- 
 to haue and vse the seable sacramentis, whiche Crist 
 made as seable ymagis of Crist and of his passioun 
 and deeth, it is ther yn inipliedli bi Holi Scripture 
 leeful and expedient for to haue seable ymagis graued, 
 coruun, and yut of Cristis persoon, figurid lijk to his 
 persoon, with purtenauncis of his passioun and deeth, 
 forto make us remembre upon him and his passioun 
 and deeth. And in this wise mai be .proued this pre- 
 sent v°. conclusioun, that Holy Scripture wele 1 allow- 
 ith 2 impliedli and priueli forto haue and vse ymagis of 
 „ c Crist and of Seintis figurid bi grauyno- aftir hem. 
 
 Confirmation of o o J o 
 
 the argument. Confirmacioun herto is this : Who euer counseilith, 
 
 Whoever allows 
 
 a less effective allowith, or approueth the lasse doing meene into an 
 
 mean to an end ' r r o 
 
 thereby allows eende : in that he counseilith, allowith, or approueth 
 
 the more effec- ' ' n 
 
 same^m" 10 " 10 more doing meene into the same eende, et ccetera. 
 the sixth The vj c . principal conclusioun is this : Sufficient 
 
 Reason allows doom of weel disposid resoun allowith and approueth 
 
 images to be had ., t . • , 1 
 
 and used as re- to liaue and vse ymagis as rememoratijt signes m the 
 rroofor thecon- maner after bifore seid. That this conclusioun is trewe 
 
 elusion drawn i • , 1 r 1 • • • n i • t ■ 1 
 
 from the use of y proue bi these iolewmg arguments, 01 wluche the 
 ttetue*. firste is this. Sufficient doom of resoun allowith and 
 
 approueth us forto make and haue for us silf and 
 for othere men ymagis of men and wommen, that tho 
 men and wommen be therbi the oftir thou^t upon, 
 and therfore be therbi the more loued and the better 
 eerued, and that the more be doon and suffrid of us 
 and of othere biholders, for as miche as we bithenken 
 
 1 This word has been partly erased and retouched by a later (?) hand. 
 The orthography is against the common usage of the MS. 
 
 2 allowith and approueth, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 165 
 
 tho persoones or the ensaumpling of the persoones so CnAP - v - 
 
 representid bi the ymagis, and that the more be doon 
 
 and suffrid for her sake of us silf and of othere men 
 
 seing the same ymagis with vs. Wherfore, bi like skile, 
 
 sufficient doom of reson allowith and approueth forto 
 
 make and haue for us silf and for othere men also 
 
 with us ymagis of God and of holi Seintis for ententis 
 
 and deedis and werkis to be therbi for her sake doon, 
 
 lijk to the deedis and werkis whiche ben now bifore 
 
 rehercid for the sake of creaturis to be doon. 
 
 Also thus : Whanne euer it is so, that we han in Another proof 
 
 drawn from the 
 
 greet charge to periorme and do eny dede or gouer- necessity of 
 
 i h . a ™e outward 
 
 naunce, and we ben tree! and redi to ioriete and to signs to remind 
 
 , . „ i ,i mi i i ' us of important 
 
 lete slippe out ot mynde thilk deede or gouernaunce, matters which 
 
 , - n , we are apt to 
 
 it lyth in the doom of resoun ful weel that we take forget, 
 to us sum seable rememoratijf or mynding signes and 
 tokenes forto therbi remembre us silf upon the deede 
 or gouernaunce being to vs of so greet charge. For 
 whi thus bi doom of resoun men doon anentis worldli 
 deedis of charge, wher ynne lijth oonli worldli 
 wynnyng or ascaping of worldli punysching ; but so 
 it is, that ech man hath in ful greet charge to loue 
 God and drede God, that he mai therbi be hertid and 
 strengthid in wil forto serue God ; and he hath nede 
 forto ofte thinlce vpon tho thingis and meenis, whiche 
 schulden stire him forto loue God and drede God, 
 and forto haue wil to serue God and forto thenke 
 vpon tho pointis in whiche he schulde serue to God. 
 And ^it forto so ofte remembre we ben ful freel and 
 for^eteful. Wherfore resoun wole weel iuge, allowe, 
 and approue forto take, haue, and vse alle maners of 
 suche deedis and thingis, whiche schulden remembre us 
 myche upon the dignitees, benefetis, and punyschingis 
 of God, and upon the pointis of his lawe. And among 
 alle tho maners of thingis and deedis ben seable re- 
 memoratijf thingis and deedis, as ben ymagis and the 
 seid vsis of hem. Wherfore it folewith that doom of 
 
166 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap - v - resoun iugith, allowith, and approuetli that yrnagis be 
 had and vsid into the entent and 1 in the maner 
 bifore seid. 
 
 the n wgument n ° f Confirmacioun herto is this : If a marchant or eny 
 kiwt a onh?s a other man haue myche nede forto bithenke upon a 
 hlmseifof w?iat d cer tehie erand, it is weel allowid and approued in 
 an erran 0 / 0 °" resoun that he take and vse sum seable rememoratijf 
 signe and tokene forto mynde and remembre Mm 
 upon the same erand ; and it is weel allowid and 
 approued bi resoun that he make a ring of a rische 
 and putte it on his fynger, or that he write sum 
 seable cros or mark 2 or carect with cole or chalk in 
 the wal of his chaumbre or hal, or that he hange up 
 bifore his si^t sum hood or girdil or staf or such 
 other thing, or that he make a knot on his girdil or 
 on his tipet, as alle men wolen herto consente. And 
 if resoun schulde not as weel and as soone or miche 
 more allowe and approue that a man make and vse 
 seable rememoratijf signes (as yrnagis and othere seable 
 thingis or deedis,) into this eende, that he therbi the 
 oftir thenke on Goddis worthinesse, Goddis benefetis, 
 and hise punyschingis, and on vertues of hise lawis, 
 ouermiche wondir it were. Wherfore resoun it to be 
 doon allowith and approueth. And thus myche is 
 ynou^ for proof of the vj e . principal conclusioun. 
 Further proof of Who euer wole se more proof for this present vj e . 
 
 the conclusion , . i 1 • mi 7 j /• 7 ■ 
 
 to he found in principal conclusioun, rede he m Ike book of worse/up- 
 
 Pocock's Jiook of . .. ... . 
 
 worsiiipiny. ing in the first parti, the vij c . and viij 0 . chapiters ; and 
 there he schal fynde profis for this present vj e . con- 
 clusioun, which e profis he schal not, (as y weene.) 
 assoile. 
 
 Tiie seventh The vij e . principal conclusioun is this : It is leeful in 
 It is lawful lit properist maner of speking and taking leeful, (as it is 
 sense to have take bifore in the ix e . reule or supposicioun sett bifore 
 
 • and added by a later hand. | -' mk, MS. 
 
THE SECOND PART. J 67 
 
 in the first chapiter,) that yraagis be had and vsid in Chap. v. 
 the maner ofte bifore seid. That this conclusioun is and use images 
 
 . „ T1 tt t as reminding 
 
 is trewe, y proue thus: What euer gouemaunce Hon signs, proof of 
 Writt alio with and approueth, and doom of weel dis- 
 posid in kinde reson allowith and approueth, is leeful 
 in propre maner of taking leefulnes; but so it is, that 
 forto haue and vse ymagis in the maner now seid is 
 allowid and approued bi Holi Scripture, as is open bi 
 the v e . principal bifore goyng conclusioun, and is al- 
 lowid and approued bi doom of deuli 1 disposid resoun 
 in kinde, as it is open bi the yj e . principal bifore 
 going conclusioun. Wherfore this present vij e . prin- 
 cipal conclusioun is trewe, that it is leeful in propre 
 maner taking leefulnes, (wherof it is spokun bifore in 
 the first chapiter of this ij e . partie, in the ix e . reule,) 
 that ymagis be had and vsid as rememoratijf signes of 
 God, and of hise benefetis, and of his holi lijf and 
 passioun, and of Seintis and of her holi conuersacioun. 
 
 The viii e . principal conclusioun schal be this : It is The eighth 
 
 ' ' 1 . CONCLUSION. 
 
 a point of Goddis moral lawe and of his plesaunt 11 * s a point of 
 
 1 1 God's moral law 
 
 seruice for to haue and vse and sette up ymagis of *° h ave and use 
 
 1 « ° images in order 
 
 God and of Seintis into vce of remembring therbi the to be reminded 
 
 ° thereby of God s 
 
 better God, his passioun, and his othere benefetis, holi ben efityind of 
 Seintis, and her holy lyues, and her suffringis. That Saints, Proof of 
 
 J J ' ° the conclusion. 
 
 this conclusioun is trewe y wole proue thus: What 
 euer gouernaunce doom of kindly weel disposid resoun 
 biddith to be doon, or counseilith to be doon, or al- 
 lowith and approueth to be doon, (namelich if Holi 
 Scripture it not weerneth and lettith, and if Holi 
 Scripture it allowith and approueth,) God biddith the 
 same to be doon, or comiseilith the same to be doon, 
 or allowith and approueth the same to be doon as a 
 point of his moral lawe and seruice, as it is suffici- 
 ently bifore proued in the firste parti of this present 
 
 The MS. reading is more like clenli. 
 
168 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 The ninth 
 conclusion. 
 It is no sin, but 
 a meritorious 
 deed, to set an 
 example to 
 others of using 
 images in the 
 manner before 
 said. Proof of 
 the conclusion. 
 
 book, and in the firste parti of the book clepid The 
 iust apprising of Holi Scripture; but so it is, that 
 resoun biddith or counseilith or allowith and approueth 
 ymagis to be had and to be vsid in the maner oft 
 bifore seid, as it is open by the vij. next bifore 
 going principal conclusiouus ; ^he, and Holi Scripture 
 the same allowith, 1 as it is open bi the v e . next 
 bifore going conclusion. Wherfore to haue and vse 
 ymagis in the maner now seid is approued and al- 
 lowid of God as for a point of his moral lawe and 
 of his plesaunt seruice. 
 
 The ix e . principal conclusioun is this : It is not 
 synne a man bi hise werkis forto ensaumple to othere 
 men, that thei haue and vse ymagis in the maner 
 bifore tau^t ; and that thei do as he dooth, if he do 
 in the maner bifore tau^t ; but it is a merytorie and 
 a weel doon dede for to it 2 so ensaumple. That this 
 conclusioun is trcwe, y proue thus : It is not synne 
 a man bi hise werkis forto ensaumple to othere men, 
 that thei do a deede and a point of Goddis moral 
 lawe and of his plesaunt seruice ; but it is a mery- 
 torie deede for to it ensaumple to othere. And her- 
 with so it is, that forto vse ymagis in the maner 
 bifore tau^t is a deede of Goddis moral lawe and of 
 his plesaunt seruice, as it is proued weel bi the next 
 bifore going conclusioun. Wherfore it is not synne a 
 man forto ^iue ensaumple to othere men that thei 
 vse ymagis in the maner bifore tau^t, as bokis to 
 hem ; but it is a merytorie deede forto leue thilk 
 ensaumple. And so this present ix c . conclusioun is 
 to be holde trewe. 
 
 1 allowith and approueth, MS. I 2 it is interlineated, perhaps by 
 (first hand). | a later hand. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 169 
 
 vj. Chapiter. 
 
 Perauenture sumine men wolen seie and knouleche An objection 
 here, as so nedis thei musten do, that it is leeful ynoui be lawful and 
 and expedient that ymagis be had and vsid in the have images in 
 chirche ; but it is not leeful and expedient that men is not so that 
 
 .„ . »•»•«■ i m en kneel, pray, 
 
 knele biiore hem, or preie biiore hem, or cense biiore or bum incenso 
 liem, or sette li^tis or laumpis bifore hem, or holde or before them, 
 bere eny suche rememoratijf signes bifore hem. 
 
 A^ens which now rehercid holding y mai argue Answer to the 
 thus : It is leeful and expedient to do these now re- thiafthtags may 
 hercid deedis to God and to Seintis bifore a bare wal or to a Saint 
 
 , . i . /> 1 • i f n before a bare 
 
 m a chirche, or m a corner ot a chirche or oi an other wall, and may 
 hous, or in the feeld. Forwhi into al this proceden done before a 
 bifore proued the vij. principal conclusiouns ; but so it with the actions 
 is, that what euer vertuose gouernannce mai be do to Saint, and eon- 
 God or to a Seint bifore a bare wal, mai be do to God any U imaBeofGod 
 or to a Seint bifore a wal peintid with the passioun 
 of God or with the passioun of a Seint ; and if this 
 be trewe, bi lijk maner it mai be do to God or to a 
 Seint, if the graued 1 ymage of God or the graued 
 ymage of a Seint be sett vp in the same wal with 
 picturis, schewing the passioun of Crist or the passioun 
 or the holi lijf of the Seint. Wherfore bi lijk good 
 skile alle suche other now rehercid deedis mowe be 
 doon bifore ymagis. 
 
 Also into tins same purpos y argue thus : It is lee- Another answer 
 ful and expedient a man knele to God or to a Seint, A man may do 
 (}he, and ligge prostrate to God or to a Seint,) bifore before an altar, 
 an auter ; and it is leeful him forto preie to God or according to the 
 to a Seint bifore an auter ; wherfore it is bi lijk skil imaged God™ 
 leeful to bere a li^t in presence of God bifore the deeds may be' 
 auter, and forto encense to God or to a Seint bifore any image of^ 
 an auter. And if this be trewe, what schal weerne to to the image. 0 " 6 
 
 1 graue, MS. (first hand). 
 
170 
 
 PECOCK'S 11EPKESSOR. 
 
 do alle these same deedis bifore an ymage of God or 
 of a Seint, sithen the anter in alle these casis is not 
 take but as an ymage of God or of a Seint ? And 
 so takith Sent Ambrose in his Booh of Mysteries and 
 in his Booh of Sacramentis, and holi Dionyse, the 
 disciple of Poul, in his Booh of the Chirchis 1 er archie. 1 
 It is also leeful and expedient 2 a man forto knele 
 to God, preie to God, and holde vp hise hondis to 
 God, and make a vowe to God bifore a preest, or 
 an othir man ; and ^it herbi thilk man so kneling 
 takith not the preest for his God, 3 neithir he dooth 
 tho now seid deedis to the preest. Wherfore in lijk 
 maner, thou^ a man do the same deedis bifore an 
 ymage, he makith not thilk ymage therbi his God, 
 neithir he dooth tho deedis to the ymage. 
 a third answer Also ferther thus : It is leeful ynou^ a man to offre 
 AimLdwUw- to God or to a Seint bifore an ymage of God or of 
 GntforaSaUit a Seint, so that he offre not to the ymage but bifore 
 and'Tnay" here- the ymage, Wherfore bi lijk skile it is leeful ynou£ 
 up candles before forto knele and preie and bere li^t and sette up Can- 
 linlits before delis bifore an ymage, whilis these deedis ben not 
 images u i ^ 0Qn ^ Q ^ e ymage but to God or to a Seiut. And 
 if thou aske : " Wherto or in to what effect schulen 4 
 " suche li^tis be born or be sett bifore yrnagis?" Y 
 answere thus : Tho liitis men mowe take and vse 
 bi si^t of hem as reinemoratijf signes and mynding 
 signea that greet cleernes of wisdom, greet solace is 
 
 1 See Ambros. De Myst., c. 8. 
 (Op. torn. II., p. 336. Ed. Benedict.) 
 De Sacrum., lib. iv. c. 2 (id. p. 306). 
 '• Quid est enim altare, nisi forma 
 corporis Christi? " id. lib. v. c. 2. (id. 
 p. 374). " <' yap (ar\ rb det6Tcnov 
 yfxwv 8v<naa-rl)pwv 'ItjitoCs t) 6(apx"<^ 
 tuv deiav vouv a<piepu>(ris, .... 
 vntpKuafilon 6<p6aknots iTroTnev(rtnfx.(v 
 avrb -rb dftdrarov Ovoiamripioi', iv 
 q ib. n\o\)\iiva. rt\urai Kal ayid(- 
 
 (rat, vpbs avTov rov BeioTurov fivpov 
 <TvvT(\ovfx(vov." Dionys. Areop. De 
 Ecclcs. Hicrarch., c. iv. § i2. (Op. 
 torn. I., p. 340. Ed. Cord.) Each 
 of these works is doubtful or 
 spurious. 
 
 * and expedient, by a later (?) 
 hand in the margin. 
 
 3 yood, MS. 
 
 ' schuldc, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 171 
 
 and schal be in heuen bifore God and among Seintis ; Chap, vi. 
 
 and bi this remeinoraunce the remembrer, if he wole, 
 
 schal be the more stirid to araie him and dispose him 
 
 thidirward. And ferthirmore, sithen forto vse tho 
 
 li^tis into this vce bifore j'magis, a man schal not 
 
 be lettid bi presence of tho ymagis, but he schal the 
 
 rather and the more ther to be fortherid ; it folewith 
 
 that it is leeful and expedient a man to bere and 
 
 holde and sette suche li^tis bifore ymagis, in this now 
 
 rehercid entent of remembraunce to himsilf and to 
 
 othere biholders ther bi making. 
 
 Perauenture summen wolen in other wise seie, Another objec- 
 
 ' tion stated. 
 
 knouleche, and holde that al what is proued bi the £^§ s ^*t| d 
 
 firste vij. bifore going principal conchisiouns is trewe, if t hw«Innotbe 
 
 but thei wolen seie thus, " What is it to us, that a g^X^ e b £ e 
 
 " thing is trewe in doom of reson ? We wolen holde to C do°with 
 
 " and knoideche and performe oonli it what Holi them - 
 
 " Scripture withnessith or groundith, and ther bi and 
 
 " ther fore what the lawe of God is. And we wole 
 
 " not attende to it what resoun iugith to be doon." 
 
 Thus thei wolen seie sturdili and folili, as thou^ the 
 
 lawe of God were not ellis saue what is writun in 
 
 the Bible, namelich in the Newe Testament. 
 
 But here aiens y meete thus : The moral lawe of Answer to the 
 
 / * t objection. If 
 
 God is mad of ij. parties, of which e the oon partie is j{™^couid be 
 lawe of kinde, (that is to seie, doom of resoun, and reason only, that 
 
 ' v ' ... would be suffi- 
 
 writun in the tablis of mennys weel disposid hertis,) £ en * : because 
 
 J r V God s moral law 
 
 and the other partie is lawe of feith vpon tho treuthis is mad ? u p of 
 
 r 1 natural reason 
 
 oonli, into whos fynding, leernyng, and kunnyng scripture 1 '" ed 
 
 mannis resoun mai not suffice to arise and come 
 
 withoute reuelacioun and assercioun ther of made bi 
 
 God immediatli or mediatli, as bi sum aungel or 
 
 apostil. And for to delyuere to us this now seid ij e . 
 
 partie of Goddis lawe serueth Holi Scripture, and not 
 
 forto grounde to us the i e . now seid partie of Goddis 
 
 lawe, which is lawe of kinde or doom of natural 
 
 resoun, as it is suffieientli schewid and proued weel 
 
 ny^ thoru^ al the firste partie of this present book. 
 
172 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. VI. Notwithstanding that of Goddis lawe the firste now 
 seid partie, (which is lawe of kinde and of resoun,) is 
 xxti. sithis, (^he, an hundrid sithis,) largir and more 
 than is of Goddis lawe the ij e . partie, (which is lawe 
 of feith,) as it is open ynou£ bi the firste partie of 
 this present book. And therfore who euer wole seie 
 and holde that forto haue and vse ymagis into the 
 ofte bifore seid vce is not a point of Goddis lawe, 
 and that bi cause it hangith in resoun and is not, as 
 thou seist, expressid in the Bible, may se his owne 
 confusioun and schame bi reding in the firste parti 
 of this present book fro the bigynnyng of the firste 
 parti into the eende of the 1 chapiter, and 
 
 eftsoone fro the bigynnyng of the 1 chapiter, into 
 the eende of the firste parti. 
 A different Also it is schewid bifore in this present ij e . partie, 
 
 vi'nu- objection ^he ij* chapiter, bi the firste and ij e . principal argu- 
 tru'r ti'a^sVl-ip 6 - men tis into proof of the firste principal conclusioun, 
 of iS'SS that Holi Writt weel al lowith 2 ymagis to be had and 
 tastuceof the ^° ^ e vs ^ as nvynding signes of aungelis in heuen 
 ciicrubua; an( j 0 f 0 t] iere thingis of moral gouernaunce in erthe. 
 
 Wherfore bi thin owne seiyng that thou wolt folewe 
 Holi Writt, and take for the lawe and seruice of 
 God what that Holi Writ allow ith, 2 thou muste needis 
 allowe and approue for a point of Goddis lawe and 
 of Goddis office and seruice forto haue and vse ymagis ; 
 thou* y wole not seie that it is to ech man vnder 
 maundement of Goddis lawe to haue hem and vse 
 hem, but that it is a point for whos fulfilling the 
 doer schal be weel allowid and approued, as ther 311 
 fulfilling a point of Goddis lawe and a seruice to 
 God. 
 
 Also by the Also thus : Iudic. xvij c . and xviij c . c. is writun a 
 
 history of Micah . . . , 
 
 ami his uvite : long stone, how a wommau vowid that 01 a summe 
 
 1 Spaces left in the MS. for the 
 numbers, which are perhaps inten- 
 ded to be xv. and six. respectively. 
 
 - allowilh and approucth, MS. 
 (first hand), twice. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 173 
 
 of sillier schulde be mad an ymage of God ; and her chap^vi. 
 sone, clepid Michas, ordeyned the same ymage to be 
 mad. And tliilk ymage is clepid there a graned 
 thing, and a wellid to gidere thing, ^he, and a God, 
 with feeling good ynou^ that the ymage was not 
 God ; and ^it he clepid it God, for that it was the 
 ymage of God, as ymagis of othere thingis ben clepid 
 vndir the names of the thingis of whiche thei ben 
 the ymagis ; and, for as miche as affcirward he made 
 mo of hem, he clepid hem there in the xviij e . c. hise 
 Goddis. This Michas made oon of hise sones to be 
 a preest in officiyng to God bifore these ymagis, 
 and aftirward he made a straunge deken comyng to 
 his hous forto be a preest in his hous into the seid 
 officiyng to God bifore the seid first mad princi- 
 pal ymage and the othere affcir maad ymagis. Aftir 
 al this, the sones of Dan tooken awey bi strengthe 
 these same ymagis and the seid preest which was 
 bifore a deken oonli, and vsiden tho same ymagis, 
 and ordeyneden that the same preest schulde office 
 to God bifore tho ymagis in her tribu or kinred as 
 he' dide bifore in the hous of Miche. And in this 
 officicing 1 the tribu of Dan contynued bi manye 
 hundridis of ieeris, as it is open there in the eende 
 of the xviij e . c. Now, Sir, to thee thus : Neither 
 Miche, neither his modir, neither aftirward the tribu 
 or kinred of Dan, was holde eny ydolatrers, neither 
 it was holde as for reprouable gouernaunce here now 
 bifore spokun gouernaunce in having and vsing ymagis 
 of God and in officiyng to God bifore tho ymagis ; 
 but it was take for a deuout and a preiseable 
 gouernaunce. 
 
 And as it was thanne there, that thilk riche and £nd h y the *, 
 
 ' history of others 
 
 worthi man hadde in his hous such a chapel and H . viti e ™ those 
 
 . *■ times : 
 
 such officiyng bifore ymagis of God, (which therfore 
 
 ' Probably a clerical error for officv/ng. 
 
174 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, vi. ] ie clepid God or Goddis,) so it 1 was in manye other 
 worthi mennys housis. For whi in the xix e . c. of 
 Iudicum mensioun is mad of an othir deken dwelling 
 in the hil of Effreym, and also in the xvij e . c. it 
 is seid that a straunge deken came fro an othir 
 place into the hous of Miche ; and it is not to be 
 trowid that dekenes officicieden, 2 where that preestis 
 were not officiyng. Wherfore preestis in manye placis 
 of Israel out of the temple officieden, and oratories 
 in worthi meimys housis weren sumwhat bifore thilk 
 tyme forto represente God, euen as the ark or chest 
 of witnessing with propiciatorie representid God in 
 the 3 tabernacle and in the temple, 
 history of Lban ^- n ^ * n lnaner as Miche dide in this principal 
 
 purpos, Laban the vncle of lacob dide, in that that he 
 hadde in his hous ymagis of God, whiche ymagis his 
 owne doubter Rachel, the wijf of lacob, took awey 
 with Mr priueli, whanne sche departid from her fadris 
 hous, and schulde iorney with hir husbond lacob into 
 the lond of Chanaan, as it is open Gen. xxxj e . c. 
 And ^it for al this that Laban hadde suche ymagis, 
 and for al this that he clepid hem hise Goddis, he 
 was not holden an ydolatrer, neither his gouernannce 
 was blamed theryn ; 4 for thanne wolde not the modir 
 of lacob haue send him into the hous of Laban forto 
 haue take a wijf there in ydolatrie, neither lacob 
 wolde haue dwellid and serued so long in the hous of 
 Laban, that is to seie xx". wyntir, if the hous of 
 Laban hadde be wemmed so cursidli as with the synne 
 of ydolatrie. 
 
 On the whole Wher fore folewith that Holi Writt wel allowith 5 the 
 aiiows^n4'<" r of seid having and vsing of ymagis of God, so that thou 
 
 1 it is interlineated in a later 
 hand, -which has made considerable 
 erasures. 
 
 s So the MS. ; but probably a 
 clerical error for officieden. 
 
 3 the is added by a later hand. 
 
 4 theryn is added by a later hand. 
 
 1 allowith andapproueth, MS. (first 
 hand). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 175 
 
 raaist not aschape, but that therfore thou allowe and CfiAi>. VI, 
 approue it to be a point of Goddis moral lawe and a God to be had 
 
 7 . n an d used. The 
 
 point of his seruice ; inlasse 1 than thou wolte refuse Lollards posed 
 
 ■*■ on their own 
 
 al what is writun in the Oold Testament for eny principles, 
 moral lawe, and if thou wolt so do, whi schalt thou 
 and wolte thou so bisili and so feruentli and sturdili 
 stonde vpon this text and processe writun Exodi xx e . 
 c. and Deut. v e . c. Thou schalte not make to thee eny 
 grauen thing, et cwteral If thou go fro oon .such pro- 
 ces of the Oold Testament writun thanne for a point 
 and a gouernance of Goddis lawe, go thou fro alle 
 other like ; and thanne thou infirmyst and feblist bi a 
 greet deel the euydencis whiche thou hast and holdist 
 a^ens the hauyng and the vsing of ymagis. And ^it, 
 the sothe to seie, what Laban dide aboute the ymagis 
 was bifore the lawe of lewis ; and therfore if the 
 gouernaunce of Laban was good and alloweable, it 
 was not reuokid, as was the gouernaunce and lawe of 
 the lewis. 
 
 vij. Chapiter. 
 
 The secunde principal gouernaunce to be tretid in The second 
 
 ,« . . ordinance ob- 
 
 tnis present secunde partie, ot winch gouernaunce J ect ed to is the 
 
 n ,i -i p , .., i* * . . going on pil- 
 
 manye oi the layle ouer myclie wijten the clergie, is grimage to relics 
 
 this : That pilgrimagis to dyuerse bodies and bonys 
 
 of Seintis be mad, and also ben mad to ymagis of 
 
 Crist crucified and of Marie and of othere Seintis ; 
 
 and namelich for that pilgrimagis ben mad into summe 
 
 placis more in which ben ymagis of the crucifix and 
 
 of Marie and of Seintis, than into summe othere placis 
 
 in whiche ben like ymagis of the crucifix and of 
 
 Marie and of the same othere Seintis. 
 
 1 Both here and elsewhere it is not very clear -whether the scribe intended 
 to write inlasse conjunctim or disjunct™. 
 
17G 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 TnE FIRST 
 CONCLUSION IX 
 FAVOR OF PIL- 
 GRIMAGES. 
 
 They are not 
 forbidden in 
 Scripture, either 
 by St. Feter or 
 any other writer 
 
 A passage from 
 St. Peter, in 
 which pilgrim- 
 ages are sup- 
 posed to be 
 forbidden, dis- 
 cussed. Bodily 
 pilgrimages not 
 alluded to in 
 that passage. 
 
 Into rastifiyng of this ij 3 . principal gouernaunce y 
 precede bi certein conclusiouns, of whiche the firste is 
 this : Holi Scripture weerneth not and lettith not 
 neither reproueth suche now seid pilgrymagis to be 
 don. This conclusioun y proue thus : If eny place of 
 Holy Scripture schulde so weenie, thilk place were this 
 i c . Petri iiij e . c. where it is writun thus : Moost dere 
 britheren, nile ye go in pilgrimage in fervour which 
 is maad to you to temptacioun :' hut so it is, that this 
 now rehercid text of Scripture lettith not such bifore 
 seid pilgrimage ; and noon other place of Scripture is 
 founde for to weerne suche seid pilgrimage. Wherfore 
 noon place of Holy Scripture it weerneth, reproueth, or 
 lettith. 
 
 The ij e . premisse of this argument mai be proued 
 thus : The now rehercid proces of Petri (i e . Petri iiij p . 
 c.) spekith not of pilgrimage which is a bodili going 
 or a bodili remouyng fro oon place into an other, but 
 he spekith of a variaunce and of a channging within- 
 forth - in mannis wil, bi which a man leueth and 
 forsakith and passith withinforth fro that that he hath 
 take upon him to kepe as lawe of God, and that for 
 persecucioun which is don to him for the holding and 
 keping of thilk lawe of God ; which variaunce and 
 awey going now seid Seint Peter clepith there pil- 
 grimage bi a likenes to bodili pilgrimage and bi a 
 liguratijf speche, which pilgrimage of the now seid 
 variaunce he wolde that no Cristen man schude do. 
 And this is al the meenyng of the now alleggid text. 
 And if this be the meenyng ther of, certis he thanne 
 
 1 This is AViclifs rendering of 
 the Vulgate, " Carissimi, nolite pe- 
 regrinari in fervore, qui ad tenta- 
 tionem vobis fit." Both here and 
 elsewhere Pecock's citation agrees 
 best with the later form of Wiclif's 
 
 version. See Wycl. Bibl. vol. 4. 
 p. 612. 
 
 ■ with in forth, MS., the hyphen at 
 the end of the line being (acci- 
 dentally ?) omitted. It is distinctly 
 written conjunctim just below. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 177 
 
 lettith no thing bodili pilgrimage of which spekith the CnAr. vi 
 firste now bifore sett principal conclusion. 
 
 That this vnderstonding now bi me touun is the Farther proof of 
 
 ° , . / this. The con- 
 
 vei*ry and dew litteral vndirstondiner of the text i 6 . text °, f the p 3 ?- 
 
 n ...... sa S e discussed. 
 
 Petri iiij. c. it is open ynou^ to alle hem, whiche wolen 
 biholde al the hool proces fro thens into the eende of 
 the chapiter. Forwhi euene immediatli at next to the 
 now bifore alleggid text of Peter this proces folewith ; 
 as if eny newe thing bifalle to you; but comune ye 
 with the passiouns of Crist and haue ye ioie, that 
 also ye be glad and haue ioie in the reuelacioun of 
 his glorie. If ye ben dispisid for the name of Crist, 
 ye schulen be blessid, forthat that is of the honour 
 and of the glorie and of the vertu of God ; and 
 the Spirit that is his schal reste on you. But no 
 man of you suffre as a mansleer, or a theef or 
 curser, or desirer of other e mennys goodis ; but if as 
 a Cristen man, schame he not ; but glorifie he God 
 in this name, et coztera. Lo hou open it is, (if these 
 wordis of Peter be ioyned to the former wordis of 
 Peter,) that Petir 1 meeneth forto remove bi the for- 
 mer wordis al vnstable vnconstaunce and variaunce 
 and vnperseueraunce, which peple happili wolde haue 
 in leuyng the lawe of God for persecucioun. Forwhi 
 thoru^ out al the wordis therto pertinentli ioyned 
 and cleuyng Petir stireth tho same men for to haue 
 pacience and perseueraunce in her persecucioun and 
 abiding in the lawe of God, so that thei suflfre thilk 
 persecucioun for keping 2 of the lawe of God and 
 not for her trespacis doon a^ens the lawe of God. 
 
 And therfore myn vndh-stonding ^ouun bifore to The necessity 
 the former text of Petir is not feyned, but according context and 
 to the hool al processe which Petir in the mater of passages'?? e 
 
 1 that Petir is interlineated by an 2 the keping, MS. (first hand), 
 early, but later hand. ' 
 
 M 
 
178 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 Scripture into 
 the account, 
 before inter- 
 preting them. 
 St. Augustine a 
 follower of the 
 literal and his- 
 torical method of 
 interpretation. 
 
 If the text were 
 understood so as 
 to condemn pil- 
 grimages, it 
 would be con- 
 trary to other 
 texts of the New 
 Testament. The 
 women who 
 visited Christ's 
 tomb were in 
 fact pilgrims. 
 
 writith. And alle men musten 1 nedis graunte, that bi 
 circumstauncis of the textis and processes ligging bifore 
 or bi hinde a text in Holi Scripture ou^te be take 
 which is the vera and dew litteral vndirstonding of 
 thilk text ful ofte and miche and euere, but if sum 
 special skile it lette. And so Austin knovdechid liim 
 silf hunte out the dew litteral \TLCurstonding of Holi 
 Scripture. 2 Wherfore the bifore set vnderstonding to 
 the seid former text of Peter is trewe and dew. 
 
 Also thus: But if the seid vndirstonding were the 
 trewe and dew litteral \mchrstonding to the seid text, 
 and if thilk text schulde weerne alle bodili pilgrimages, 
 thanne thilk text were a^ens the doctrine of the Gospel 
 and a^ens the doctrine of Crist. Forwhi it is writim 
 pleinli Matheu xxviij e . c., and Mark xxij e . c., and Luk 
 the xxiiij 6 . c., and Iohun the xx e . c. that deuoute and 
 hob wommen, as weren thanne certein Maries, camen 
 to the sepulcre of Crist for to visite his sepulcre and 
 liis deed bodi, and forto do office of remembrauncinjr 
 bi the signe of oynement, hjk as Crist bifore spake 
 and prophecied ther of, Matheu xxvj e . c., that it schulde 
 be so doon to liis bodi, whanne he seid thus : This 
 womman sending this oynement into my bodi dide 
 to birie me. Treuly y seie to you, where euere this 
 gospel schal be prechid in al the world, it schal be 
 seid that sche dide this into the mynde of him. And 
 no man mai seie nay, but that tho wommen in so 
 going forto visite the sepulcre of Crist and his deed 
 
 1 muste, MS. (first hand). 
 
 : It is not easy to say what pas- 
 sage of Augustine Pecock may have 
 had in view : the following remarks 
 bear out, at all events, the assertion 
 in the text. " Aut si et ipse (Adam 
 sc.) figurate intelligendus est, quis 
 genuit Cain et Abel et Seth ? An 
 et ipsi figurate tantum fuerunt, non 
 
 etiani homines ex hominibus nati ? 
 De proximo ergo attendant istam 
 pra?sumtionem quo tendat, et eo- 
 nentur nobiscum cuncta primitus 
 quaj gesta narrantur in expres- 
 sionem proprietatis accipere." S. 
 August, de Genes, ad lift., lib. viii. 
 c. i. § 4. (torn. iii. p. 170. Ed. Bene- 
 dict., Ant., 1700.) 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 179 
 
 bodi and forto do there sum bodili deede, wherbi thei Chap, yii. 
 schulden the more mynde haue of him, maden a bodili 
 pilgrimage, euen lijk to the bodily pilgrimagis whiche 
 of deuout and weel gouerned pilgrimes ben now 
 woned be doon. Wherfore the text and teching of 
 Petir weren 1 contrarie to these now rehercid placis of 
 the Gospel in whiche pilgrimagis ben allowid of Crist, 
 if thilk text of Peter schulde be vndirstonde forto 
 weerne and lette alle bodili pilgrimagis, that thei ben 
 not doon. And so is the firste principal conclusion 
 sufficientli proued. 
 
 The ij e . principal conclusioun is this: Doom of The second 
 kindeli weel disposid resoun weerneth not and lettith Reason docs not 
 not bodili pilgrymagis to be doon in the maner now images. 15 Proof 
 bifore seid. This conclusioun y may proue thus : If sion. 
 eny doom of resoun schulde so weerne and lette, cer- 
 tis thilk doom of resoun muste be oon of the iij. 
 domes bifore spoken in the iij 0 . and iiij e . chapitris of 
 this present ij e . partie, there brou^t forth in treting 
 of the ij e . principal conclusioun mad for iustifiyng of 
 ymagis. Or ellis it muste be oOn of the domes whiche 
 schulen be rehercid soone affcir in the ix e . c. in argu- 
 yng a^ens the firste and the ij e . seyde principal gouer- 
 naunces. But so it is, that noon of the iij. bifore 
 sett out doomys of resoun may weerne and lette the 
 seid pilgrimagis. Forwhi to ech of tho iij. kindis of 
 domes it is bifore sufficientli answerid bothe for ymagis 
 and for pilgrimagis to gidere, neither eny of the 
 domes soone after in argumentis to be brou^t forth 
 in the ix e . chapiter weerneth and lettith. Forwhi to 
 ech of hem anoon aftir in the x e . xj e . xij e . xiij e . xiiij e . 
 and xv e . chapitris it schal be sufficientli answerid. 
 Wherfore no doom of weel disposid resoun in kinde 
 schal lette and weerne or reproue the bifore seid pil- 
 
 1 were, MS. (first hand). 
 
 M 2 
 
180 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, vii. grimage, that it be not doon. And so this ij e . principal 
 conclusioun is to be holde for trewe. 
 the tuted The iii e . principal conclusioun is this : It is not vn- 
 
 CONCXUSION. J I I 
 
 iawfiu 0 tnaTpii l eem ^ pilgrimagis to be doon. That this conclusion is 
 fonued e proof e of trewe, J V r0VLe thus : What euer gouernaunce neither 
 the conclusion. Holi Scripture, neither doom of weel disposid resoun, 
 neither mannis positijf lawe weerneth or reproueth, is 
 not vnleeful. But so it is, that Holi Scripture weer- 
 neth not and reproueth not pilgrimagis, as it is open 
 bi the firste now next bifore going principal con- 
 clusioun ; neither doom of resoun it weerneth or 
 reproueth, as it is open bi the ij e . next bifore sett 
 principal conclusioun. Wherfore folewith that suche 
 pilgrimagis ben not vnleeful. And so this principal 
 iij e . conclusioun is trewe. 
 The pomTH The iiii e . principal conclusion is this : It is leeful, 
 
 CONCLUSION. . . 
 
 it is in a large [ n mane r of the bifore set x e . reule or supposicioun, 
 
 sense lawful to l r > 
 
 l^e^proof^f" 1 " ^ ia ^ pilgrimagis be doon. This conclusioun y proue 
 the conclusion. ^hus . What euer gouernaunce is not vnleeful is lee- 
 ful ; for so schewith the bifore sett x e . reul in the 
 firste chapiter of this present ij e . partie. But so it is, 
 that pilgrimagis to be doon is not vnleeful, as it is 
 open bi the next bifore going conclusioun. Wherfore 
 that pilgrimagis be doon, it is leeful. And so this 
 present iiij e . conclusioun is proueel to be trewe. 
 The fipth The v". principal conclusioun is this : Holi Scripture 
 
 Scripture allows allowith 1 that pilgrimage be doon. This conclusioun 
 froafof^he is sufficientli proued bifore bi what is alleggid bifore 
 in this present chapiter, in proof of the next firste 
 conclusioun in this ij e . partie, of the holi deuoute 
 wommen, whiche wenten in pilgrimage to Cristis se- 
 pulcre and to his deed bodi forto be the more re- 
 membrid of him ; and bi this that Crist prophecied 
 that Marie Magdalen schulde so do ; and he approued 
 
 1 allowith and approucth, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 181 
 
 and iustified her dede ther yn, as it is open Math. chap, yh. 
 xxviij e . c., whanne he seide, " that sche dide a good 
 " wei'k into him ; and that where euer in the world 
 " schulde be prechid thilk gospel, it schulde be seid 
 " that sche dide it into the mynde of him, and that 
 " sche dide it into the biriyng of him," and so forth, 
 as y haue write herof more pleinly in dyuerse placis. 
 Wherfore this v c . conclusioun is trewe. 
 
 Also this present v e . conclusioun is proued vnsoila- The present con- 
 
 1 1 elusion proved 
 
 bili bi a proof mad bifore in the firste parti of this also in another 
 
 * r manner in the 
 
 present book, the [xix 8 .] 1 chapiter, bi setting forth of **r lie ^£ rtof 
 iij. reulis and thanne bi taking 2 of iiij . conclusiouns 
 there formed upon hem. Se there the proof who 
 euer wole. 
 
 viij. Chapiter. 
 
 The vj c . conclusioun is this : Doom of weel disposid c°ncl^ion. 
 resoun allowith and approueth that pilgrimagis be M<Tap n proveTor 
 doon. This conclusioun y schal proue bi setting and conc^iwwn'shan 3 
 sending bifore of open reulis and supposiciouns, and seven°ro?e S b or 
 bi from hem falling doun into special proof of this from whichit 
 present conclusioun. fonow? cessarily 
 
 The firste reule or supposicioun is this : The holi The first rule, 
 lijf and passioun of Iesus Crist was to alle Cristen chrisVand of the 
 a passing greet benefet : the liftis of gratis, the glo- benefits ToChrls- 
 ries of heuen bihitt ben to alle Cristene passyng therefore most 
 
 • i » ■« ,1 r f j • P profitable to be 
 
 greete beneietis : the noli lijl and conuersacioun ol remembered by 
 ech Seint is to alle Cristen a greet benefet of God self-evident, 
 ^ouun to hem. The dignite and worthines of God, 
 his loue, and his ri^twisnes ben ful worthi and re- 
 uerend, gode, and preciose. And alle these now bifore 
 
 1 A space left in the MS. for the I * bitaking, MS. 
 number. 
 
182 pecock's eepeessoe. 
 
 cuap. viii. rehercid thingis ben therfore ful profitable to be 
 knowe and to be reniembrid of alle Cristene, that 
 God be therbi the more loued of us and that we 
 haue the ferventir wil forto do and suffre in seruyng 
 him and in keping hise lawis. Tliis reule or supposi- 
 cioun is so open that he nedith no proof at al. 
 The second rule. The ij e . reule or supposicioun is this : It were ful 
 hurtful to an vnprofitable and damageful to alle Cristene, but if 
 these and other these now bifore seid benefetis and these seid dignitees 
 notberemem- of God were of al Cristen remenibrid. Forwhi, if 
 the rule. thei be not remembrid, thei schulen not be reckid 1 
 neither bi hem men schulen be stirid into good and 
 fro yuel ; sithen al thing which is not had in mynde 
 of a man is, as toward eny thing which he schulde 
 do ther with or ther bi, deed or lost or not being. 
 The third rule. The iij e . reule or supposicioun is this: It is ful re- 
 abiethat renijnd- sonable and ful worthi that rememoratijf visible signes 
 behad "f all be had of alle these now spokun thingis in the firste 
 
 these things. . . . , . ... 
 
 Proof of the rule, and ii°. reuhs or supposicions. r orwni withoute reme- 
 
 The custom of J , ••• r 
 
 going on yiigrim- mora til f shmes of a thing or of thingis the rememo- 
 
 age torches, Jo fc> ^. . 
 
 images, cruci- racioun or the remeuibraunce of tlnlk thing or thingis 
 
 fixes, &c, dc- «. 
 
 tended on this muste needis be the febler, as experience sufficientli 
 
 ground. * 
 
 witnessith ; and therfore, sithen the bodi or the bonis 
 or othere relikis of eny persoon is a ful ny^ rememo- 
 ratijf signe of the same persoon, it is ful resonable 
 and ful worthi that where the bodi or bonis or eny 
 releef or relik of a Seint mai be had, that it be sett 
 up in a comoun place to which peple may haue her 
 deuout nei^ing and accesse, forto haue her deuout 
 biholding ther upon forto make the seid therbi re- 
 membraunce. And ferther, sithen it is not resonable 
 and conuenient that suche bodies or bonis or relikis 
 be left withoute in the baar feeld, (and that botlie 
 for it were a^ens the eese of the peple whiche schulde 
 
 1 teckil, M$. (first hand). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 183 
 
 come therto in reyny and wyndi wedris, and for Chap, viii. 
 that thei mytten thanne be take awey bi wickid 
 men not dreding God,) therfore it is fill resonable 
 and worthi forto bilde ouer tho bodies and bonis and 
 othere relikis ckapellis or chirchis ; ^he, and forto 
 bilde bisidis hem auter and queris, that the office of 
 preising God and of preiyng to God and to Seintis 
 be in the better forme doom And a^enward, in a 
 cuntrey where that of a Seint can not be had his 
 bodi or bonis or eny relik of him, it is resonable and 
 worthi that an ymage of him be mad and be sett vp 
 in place into which peple mai come forto it biholde, 
 and therbi make remembraunce of the bifore seid 
 tliingis in the firste and ij°. reule : and it is ful reson- 
 able and worthi that ther ouer be bildid chapel or 
 chirche, and that auters and queris be maad therbi, 
 for causis now next bifore spokun. And sithen of 
 Crist crucified and of Marie his modir we han not 
 the bodies or bonis, neithir in ech cuntre is eny relik 
 had of hem, therfore it muste needis be more reson- 
 able and more worthi that in dyuerse placis of cun- 
 trees be maad ymagis of Crist crucified and of his 
 modir Marie with purtenauncis therto longing, and 
 that thei be housid and doon to as it is now bifore 
 writun of the ymagis of othere Seintis. This reule 
 or supposicioun hath withinne him sett forth suffi- 
 cient euydencis for his proof, and therfore he is to 
 be holde for trewe. 
 
 The iiij e . reule or supposicioun is this : If bi the The fourth rule, 
 vmacris of which it 1 is spokun in the nest bifore ffoino- each country be 
 
 . . iiii i i ° appointed by 
 
 reule or supposicioun schulde be maad eny quyk and God or man a 
 
 * 1 t it certain number 
 
 feruent and solempne and miche deuout remembraunce °, f images, (uei- 
 
 1 t ... ther over many 
 
 vpon the thingis spokun of in the firste and ij e . bifore nor over few,) to 
 
 * t . ... which solemn 
 
 going reulis, thei mowe not be multiplied so wijde recourse must b 
 
 1 it is interlineated by a later hand. 
 
184 
 
 pecock's hepeessor. 
 
 chap. viii. that at ech chirche, at ech chapel, at ech stretis eende, 
 had for purposes or at ech heggis eende in a cuntre be sett such an 
 Proof of the rule, ymage, for certis thanne tho ymagis schulden be as 
 foule or of litil reputacioun and schulde be vndein- 
 teose for the grete plente of hem, that bi hem no 
 solempne and feruent remembraunce schulde be maad 
 upon the bifore seid thingis in the firste reule ; as 
 experience wole weel schewe that plente is no deinte, 
 and ouermyche honielines with a thing gendrith dis- 
 pising toward the same thing. And &y en ward, if 
 bi tho now seid ymagis schulde be maad solempne 
 and worthi and deuout remembrauncing upon the seid 
 thingis, thei mo we not be ouer scant or ouer fewe 
 in a cuntre or in a land. For thanne the hauyng 
 of hem schulde be ouer thinne and ouer bareyn for to 
 make to many folk the seid solempne and feruent 
 and deuout remembraunce. Wherfore it muste nedis 
 be, that in oon cuntre or lond be a certein noumbre 
 of placis and of ymagis pointid and chosun bi God 
 or bi man, in whiche placis such ymagis schulen be ; 
 and that in not mo or othere placis eny such ymage 
 be, thou£ in ech chapel or chirch may be ymagis of 
 God and of Marie and of Seintis forto make bi hem 
 sengil and leuke remembrauncis, suche as it mai 
 happe forto come forth bi hem. 
 The fifth rule, if The V*. reule or supposicioun is this : If God take 
 ht"iwsaj!poin^ upon him forto pointe and chese tho placis in whiche 
 the wor£mxof schulen be the noumbre of the seid ymagis in oon 
 mo^xreasonabic Loud or cuntre, it is more according that we stondc 
 
 that we stand to , i • • j.- i i l • xi ,1 , 
 
 his appointment to his pomting and chesmg and assignyng, than that 
 
 than to our own ■, • \ • «• ,1 , it i i • 
 
 in placing of men bi her wittis oonli therto studie and devise 
 
 images there for „ . •, • . ,. • . » . 
 
 j.urposcs of pii- forto make eny such pointing, chesmg,' or assignyng. 
 reality of these And fertherniore it is so, that God takith vpon him 
 
 miracles as- „ i • j o • i 1 
 
 sorted. forto make such now seid- pomting and chesing. 
 
 1 or chesing, MS. (first hand). | 1 acini, MS. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 185 
 
 Forwhi he hath wrou^t myraclis in summe placis in 
 whiche ben ymagis of Marie, and in rnanye othere 
 mo placis in whiche ben ymagis of Marie he hath 
 not so wrou^t ; and in lijk maner he hath do in 
 placis in whiche ben ymagis of Crist crucified and of 
 Seintis. And skile can be founde noon whi tho 
 myraclis schulde be wrou^t and don in summe suche 
 placis and not in alle othere placis like, and bi summe 
 suche ymagis and not bi alle othere ymagis like in 
 the same chirche ; saue this cause, that God wolde 
 therbi notifie to vs that he chose thilke placis and 
 thilke ymagis forto that in hem schulden be mad 
 solempne and more feruent and more deuoute remem- 
 brauncingis upon the thingis spokun in the firste 
 reule. and forto prouoke us therbi that we conforme 
 us to his pointing, chesing, and assignyng. Wherfore 
 it is to be holde, that for the now seid cause God 
 wrou^te tho myraclis in summe of tho placis more 
 and ofter than in othere placis like. Wherof folew- 
 ith ferther, that alle Cristen ou^ten stonde to the 
 seid pointing and chesing of God and conforme hem 
 therto ; inlasse 1 than men wolen frowardli and cause- 
 les seie and holde, that tho myracles, whiche ben callid 
 myraclis of God and ben doon in the now seid placis, 
 ben not verry and trewe myracles of God; but certis 
 thei ou^ten not and mowe not so seie and holde. 
 Forwhi, but if that ech deede semyng to be a verri 
 miracle of God, and hauyng notable euidencis that it 
 is a miracle of God, and noon mi^ti evidence can be 
 obiectid a^ens this that it is a myracle of God, 
 schulde be take and be holde as a myracle of God ; 
 
 1 in lasse, MS. disjunctim, (at 
 least without an hyphen at the 
 end of the line,) twice : but else- 
 where apparently conjunctim. A 
 
 little below in conuenient occurs 
 without an hyphen, (and also more 
 than once is apparently written dis- 
 junctim,) but perhaps accidentally. 
 
186 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Charviii. ellis Ave schulden not wite which such deede we 
 
 ourten holde as for a miracle of God, and whicli such 
 
 deede we ourten not so holde to be a miracle of God. 
 
 And so herof it wolde folewe, that thou^ a man wolde 
 
 denye ech miracle which Apostle dide or which Crist 
 
 dide, we myrten not weerne him so denie, but if this 
 
 reule muste be ther yn : That ech such deede, myche 
 
 semyng to be a myracle of God, is to be so take for a 
 
 myracle of God ; inlasse 1 than sum notable obieccion, 
 
 (more likeli and more probable than is the euidence 
 
 for the miracle) can be brourt forth and schewid. 
 
 Wherfore, alle tbingis seen, this present v e . reule or 
 
 supposicion is trewe. 
 
 The sixth rule. The vi c . reule or supposicioun is this : Whanne God 
 When God J f 1 . , 
 
 ciiooses partieu- chesith oon ymaM bitore an other yma^e into the 
 
 lar images for the „ ■ ,, , . . 7i ••••« t 
 
 cud above named omce now bnore seid and spokun in the mi. and v , 
 
 it is reasonable . . .... 7 . . 
 
 to suppose that supposiciouns or reuhs, it is not inconuenient that 
 
 lie will work 
 
 miracles by them. God make thilk ymage of stoon or of tre forto 
 swete, and that the ymage be mooued fro oon place 
 vnto an othir place withoute mannis bering and with- 
 oute other mannis herto sett bisynes, and that the 
 y^en of the ymage be turned hidirward and thidir- 
 ward verrili or semyngly as thou^ the ymage sie, and 
 that the ymage (in such maner as God made the asse 
 of Balaam) speke. 
 
 Proof of the rule. Forwhi, whanne it likith to God forto chese oon 
 
 God thus tosti- ... . • j xi rv i • t> 
 
 tics to men, that ymage bifore an other ymage into the omce bitore 
 
 he appoints par- ,, . .... c j o r • • 
 
 tieuiar imama sett in the iiij. and v. reulis or supposiciouns, it 
 <nd. Therea- is not inconuenient but it is conuenient that God 
 
 sonableness of . . . , , . , ... - 
 
 believing these Avirchc sum myracle in and bi tin lie ymage, that 
 sert'ed. tlicrbi God notifie and witnesse and denounce to va 
 
 that he chesith thilk ymage into the seid office, as it 
 is open bi the v c . reule. And sithen noon oon kinde 
 of miracle to be doon of God in and bi the ymage is 
 
 1 in la&se, MS. : see note in preceding page. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 187 
 
 more assignable to be propre into this witnessing and CnAP . vin. 
 denouncing than is an other miracle doable of God 
 and bi the same ymage ; (but alle kindis of myraclis 
 seruen therto ritt weel and as it were lijk weel, 
 and namelich the myracle of sweting and of movyng 
 or walking or of turnyng the i^en and the myracle 
 of speking seruen lijk conuenientli to the seid wit- 
 nessing or denouncing, as othere miracles schulden 
 therto serue :) — it folewith to be trewe, that (for this 
 eende and entent of schewing and denouncing and 
 witnessing, that God chesith this ymage of stoon or 
 tree or of metal bifore othere like ymagis into the 
 seid office spokun in the iiij e . and v . reulis,) it is 
 not inconuenient but it is conuenient ynow^ that 
 God at sumwhile make thilk ymage swete, and that 
 the ymage be moued from oon place into an other 
 place with oute mannys labom, and that the i^en 
 of the ymage be turned hidirward and thidirward, 
 and that the ymage semyngli speke, that is to seie, 
 that speche and soun be mad in the ymage bi an 
 aungel of God, as it was doon in the asse of Balaam, 
 Numer. xxij e . c. And ferthermore herof, if it be not 
 inconuenient these thingis to be doon in ymagis bi 
 God, it is not inconuenient the seers and the next 
 heerers of these thingis so doon forto knowe and wite 
 and witnesse that thei ben so doon ; and it is not 
 inconuenient othere men trowe vndoutabili the same 
 thingis as doon, whanne thei heeren credible seers and 
 next heerers reporte and telle what thei presentli sien 
 and herden so doon. 
 
 The vij e . reule or supposicioun is this : Whi and The seventh 
 wherfore God chesith this place more than an other not inquire why 
 
 ,., i 1 i • 1 • • ii Clod chooses one 
 
 certem place, and wole do miraclis m oon such place place or image 
 
 , , . P l-i , i rather than 
 
 and bitore sum such seid ymage more than m an another tor the 
 other place and than bifore another lijk ymage, is not miracles. Prooi 
 of men to be enquerid. Forwhi, that God chesith oon 
 place more than an other and oon ymage more than 
 
188 
 
 tecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, viii. anothir, that therbi be niad a solempne and a fer- 
 ueut remembraunce vpon the thingis seid in the firste 
 reule, we mowe knowe and wite bi this, that so- 
 lempne miraclis (suche as we kunnen not bi sufficient 
 euydence impugne) God dooth in oon place and not in 
 an other, and bifore summe yniage and not bifore an 
 other. And therfore that God so chesith these placis 
 and ymagis bifore othere it is of us to be holde, for 
 therto we han this now seid my^ti evidence ; but cer- 
 tis whi and wherfore he chesith this place and this 
 yniage bifore othere, we han noon evidence withinne 
 doom of resoun, neither bi eny mark or evidence 
 ^ouun to vs fro God; and therfore fro enquirancis 
 whi God chesith this place and this ymage bifore 
 othere into the seid effect of solempne remembrauncing 
 vpon the seid thingis, we ou^ten algatis abstene and 
 forbere. And so this present vij e . reule or supposicioun 
 is trewe. 
 
 The proof of the Aftir these vii. reulis or supposiciouns y argue thus : 
 
 sixtli conclusion 
 
 follows from Resoun wole and allowith and approueth nedis that 
 
 those rules. Rca- . . Ai 
 
 son approves men visite and haunte for the seide eende of solempne 
 
 that men visit , . ... 
 
 those places and renienibrauncing tho placis and tho ymagis, which it 
 
 images which , . . . 
 
 God appoints for j s sure God to chese into the seid eende and bi the 
 
 the purposes of , 
 
 devotion by tho seid euydencis of myraculis doing : forwhi ellis Ave 
 
 evidence of * . 
 
 miracles, i.e. confomieden not us to it wherto God vs callith and 
 
 that they go on 
 
 pilgrimage thi- prouokith, wherof we outten be waar. But so it is, 
 
 ther; for if they * ' 7 ' 
 
 do not, they do that such seid visiting and haunting into the seid 
 
 not conform 0 # ° 
 
 thcmseivesto eende is not ellis than pilgrimage. AVherfore resoun 
 
 God s appoint- r o o 
 
 mcut - wele iugith, allowith, and approueth pilgrimagis to be 
 
 doon ; and in this wise, fro the bigynnyng of the 
 firste reule and supposicioun in this present chapiter 
 hider to, is proued this present vj c . conclusioun, that 
 doom of weel disposid resoun allowith and approueth 
 pilgrimage to be doon. 
 
 Further proof of "Who euer wole se more i)roof for this present vi*. 
 
 the conclusion to 1 1 ° 
 
 ^w\!Tiiook V tf Principal conclusioun, rede he in The book of wor- 
 Worshiping. schijuwj, nameliche there in the ij°. partie ; and he 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 189 
 
 schal, what in the firste partie and what in the ij°. Chap. Tin, 
 partie, fynde herto proof ynou^. 
 
 The vij c . principal conclusioun is this : It is leeful, The seventh^ 
 in proprist maner of leefulnes, that pilgrimagis be is lawful in 'the 
 
 . strictest sense to 
 
 doon. This conclusioun may be proued thus : What perform piigriui- 
 
 n • i -i t i • tt t a ^ c - Proof of 
 
 euer gouernaunce is allowid and approued bi Hon the conclusion. 
 Scripture and bi doom of weel disposid resoun is in 
 proprist maner leeful, as it is open bi the ix e . reule 
 or supposicioun sett in the first chapiter of this pre- 
 sent ij e . parti. But so it is, that pilgrimagis to be 
 doon is allowid and approued bi Holi Scripture, as 
 it is 1 open bi the next bifore going v e . principal 
 conclusioun ; and it is allowid and approued bi doom 
 of weel disposid resoun, as it is open bi the next 
 bifore going vj e . principal conclusioun. Wherfore fol- 
 ewith that pilgrymagis to be doon is leeful in pro- 
 prist maner of leefulnes. And so this present vif. 
 conclusioun is trewe. 
 
 The viif. principal conclusioun is this : Pilgrimagis TnE eighth 
 
 •j r I t=o CONCLUSION. 
 
 doing is a point of Goddis moral lawe and of his The performance 
 
 ° r of pilgrimage is 
 
 plesaunt seruice, thout it be not alwey vnder co- a point of God's 
 
 r ' 7 J moral law, 
 
 maundement of his lawe. That this conclusioun is though not al- 
 ways under com- 
 
 trewe, y proue thus: What euer gouernaunce doom of ™^ nd ^ n J f 0 ^ f his 
 weel disposid resoun biddith, God biddith ; and what ^XwelTby 
 euer gouernaunce doom of weel disposid resoun coun- 
 seilith, allowith, or approueth, God the same gouer- 
 nance counseilith, allowith, or approueth, as it is openli 
 bifore schewid in mentenyng the firste principal go- 
 uernaunce bi therto mad and sett forth the viij e . 
 conclusioun and bi the processe next therto there aftir 
 going. But so it is, that pilgrimagis to be doon 
 doom of weel disposid resoun counseibth, allowith, 
 and approueth, as it is open bi proof of the next 
 bifore going vj e . conclusioun Wherfore pilgrimagis to 
 
 reason. 
 
 1 as is, MS. (first hand). 
 
190 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, yiii. b e doon is a point of Goddis moral lawe and of bis 
 plesaunt seruice. 
 
 by scripture w ° d ^ so *^ us : What euer gouernaunce Holi Scripture 
 alio with 1 and is not bi Holi Scripture reproued, is 
 a point of Goddis moral lawe and of his plesaunte 
 seruice. But sucb a gouernaunce is doing of pilgrim- 
 agis, as it is open bi wbat is bifore seid into proof 
 of the next bifore going firste conclusioun and of the 
 next bifore going v°. conclusioun. Wherfore this pre- 
 sent viij e . conclusioun is trewe. 
 the ninth The ix 8 . principal conclusioun is this : It is not 
 
 KtanSstaftd synne a man bi hise werkis forto ensaumple to othere 
 totmtoS men, that thei make pilgrimagis in the maner bifore 
 others Tper- tau^t ; and that thei do as he doith, if he do in 
 ^""proofof the the maner bifore tau^t : but it is a merytorie and 
 conclusion. a weel doon deede for to ^ ensaumple. That this 
 
 Qonclusioun is trewe, y proue thus : It is no synne a 
 man bi hise werkis forto ensaumple to othere men, 
 that thei do a deede and a point of Goddis moral 
 lawe and of his plesaunt seruice ; but it is a mery- 
 torie deede forto it 2 ensaumple to othere. And her- 
 with so it is, that forto make pilgrimagis in the 
 maner bifore tau^t is a deede of Goddis moral lawe 
 and of his plesaunt service, as it is open bifore bi 
 the next bifore going conclusioun. Wherfore it is 
 not synne a man forto ^eue ensaumple to othere 
 men, that thei make pilgrimagis in the maner bifore 
 tau^t ; but it is merytorie and weel doon forto teue 
 thilk ensaumple. And so this present ix e . conclu- 
 sioun is to be holde trewe. 
 
 1 allowith and approuctlt, MS. I 1 it is intcrlineated byalater(?) 
 (first hand). 1 band. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 191 
 
 ix. Chapiter. 
 
 Aftir al this what is tretid upon the firste and ij e . ^X-<"uSon of 
 principal gouemauncis fro the bigynnyng of this ij e . S^teKom^of 
 parti hidirto, (and that hi ix. conclusiouns seruyng to j^agrafn a #^i- st 
 the firste gouernaunce, and bi othere ix. conclusiouns e" m ages. 
 seruyng to the ij e . gouernaunce,) 'y schal next now 
 sette forth the argumentis and the obiecciouns, whiche 
 the lay peple (being ouer myche wijters of the clergie) 
 maken a^ens the seid firste and ij e . gouernauncis. 
 
 Of whiche argumentis the firste is this : No cause Tite fihst ar- 
 
 . i Of MENT OF THE 
 
 can be assigned whi ymagis schulden be had and Lollards. 
 vsid and whi pilgrimagis schulden be doon saue this, grimaces can be 
 
 ° liTi defended only as 
 
 that bi hem remembraunce and mynde schulde be calling to mind 
 maad vpon tho thingis whiche ben seid and rehercid and the Saints; 
 
 . , ... , . . „ , . .. . , but the reading: 
 
 bifore, (in the vni e . chapiter of this if. partie m the of scripture and 
 
 ' v . r .. \ t i . other devout 
 
 firste and ij e . reuhs or supposicions,) that is to seie, f U ^jy S S g° t ( ^ a t his 
 the benefetis of God, his punyschingis, his holi liif images and pfl- 
 
 . . . . firimages may 
 
 and passioun, the holi lyues of Seintis, and hi^e dig- Wen be dispensed 
 
 nitees and worthinessis of God, and suche othere 
 
 thingis, (certis if ymagis and pilgrimagis schulden not 
 
 serue to suche now seid remembrauncis bi hem to 
 
 be had, and folewingli to therbi the deuouter preiers 
 
 to be had, ymagis and pilgrimagis weren in vein;) 
 
 but so it is, that into suche now seid remembrauncis 
 
 and myndingis to be gendrid and had, and folewingli 
 
 therbi into ful deuout preiers to be had, mai and 
 
 wole serue at ful 1 Holi Scripture with othere writ- 
 
 ingis of Seintis lyues and othere deuoute treticis of 
 
 blissis 2 in heuen and of peynes in helle and suche 
 
 othere treticis. Wherfore the hauyng of ymagis and 
 
 1 at the ful, MS. (first hand). | 2 blihis, MS. 
 
192 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Ciiap. IX. 
 
 Their confirma- 
 tion of the argu- 
 ment. If any- 
 thing is good 
 only because 
 it answers a cer- 
 tain end, it be- 
 comes unneces- 
 sary when that 
 end is better 
 answered by 
 other means. 
 Application of 
 the argument to 
 images and pil- 
 grimages. 
 
 Their reply to 
 the argument 
 that many can 
 not read. They 
 t hink that all 
 might with great 
 advantage be 
 taught to road in 
 their childhood. 
 
 TnE SKCOSD AR- 
 GUMENT OP TUB 
 
 Lollards. If 
 
 the doing of pilgrimagis mowe be weel forborn. And 
 it is no nede that thei be. 
 
 Confirmacioun herof mai be this : Whanne euer eny 
 thing is not good saue for a certein fruyt and good 
 which schulde come therbi, thanne if thilk same fruyt 
 and good mai be gete and had lijk wel or better bi 
 an other meene than bi this thing, the hailing and 
 vsing of this thing is not necessarie, (that is to seie, 
 is not needisly to be had,) but mai ri^t weel be for- 
 born. But so it is in this present purpos, that the 
 hauing and vsing of ymagis and the 1 doing of pil- 
 grimagis ben idil and waastful, inlasse than thei be 
 meenys into the seid remembrancis and preiers to be 
 mad bi occasion of hem. And ^it so it is, that 
 therto writingis mowe serue better than thei. Wher- 
 fore thei ben not necessarie, but thei mowe be ri^t 
 weel lackid and not had and doon. 
 
 And if eny man wole be aboute forto answere 
 herto and seie, that not alle men and wommen 
 mowe come into this, that thei schulen kunne rede 
 writingis in bokis : and therfore for suche vnlettrid 
 men and wommen ymagis musten be had as bokis to 
 hem, and of hem pilgrimagis musten be doon, and 
 ellis the seid remembrauncis my^te not of hem be 
 had : thanne the seid arguers wolen sette to and for- 
 tofie her partie thus : It my^te be ordeyned that alle 
 men and wommen in her ^ongthe schulden leerne forto 
 rede writingis in the langage in which thei schulden 
 lyue and dwelle ; and thanne therbi schulde come 
 forth not oonli this seid good of remembrauncing, but 
 myche othir good also ther with. And therfore thei 
 setten litil bi the answere now maad. 
 
 The ij°. argument is this : If bischopis, preestis, 
 and clerkis foundun and endewid therto bi the lay 
 
 1 the is interlinealed by a later hand. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 193 
 
 peple wolden preche to the lay peple so ofte and so chap, ix. 
 myche as thei ou^ten do bi her office, the seid the clergy would 
 thingis whiche mowe be remembrid to the lay peple people about the 
 bi ymagis and bi pihmmaods, the lay peple schulde are called to their 
 
 . i o . remembrance by 
 
 be so sufficientli remembrid upon tho thingis, that images and pu- 
 
 , _ . ill i i . r> t f primages, these 
 
 thei schulden haue no neede neither profit at al ior last would be 
 
 , * . , neither necessary 
 
 to haue and vse ymagis, or 1 forto make pilgrimagis nor profitable, 
 into the seid remembrauncis to be therbi gete and 
 had. Wherfore it is not resonable neithir conueni- 
 ent that the necligence of so weel wagid bischopis, 
 preestis, and clerkis schulde be suffrid to be and con- 
 tynue; and that the lay peple schulde be dryue bi 
 thilk necligence of prelatis and preestis into cost and 
 labour, and into purchasing to hem of new meenis 
 into the same eende into whiche the diligence of 
 preestis and clerkis bi hem costioseli founde schulde 
 serue and strecche. 
 
 The iii e . argument is this : Vein and waastful occu- TnE third ae- 
 
 . . „ ill l /> GUMENT OF THE 
 
 pacioun it is forto make myche labour and cost forto Lollakds. it 
 
 1 ! i i i f 11 iS Vail1 t0 S P Cnd 
 
 haue and vse the sympler and vnpernter and lasse labour and cost 
 
 ~ 1 , about a less per- 
 
 representmg ymage of a thing, whanne with lasse fecumage 0 f 
 labour and cost mai be had the perfiter and fuller crucifix is, when 
 
 „ . . they may be 
 
 and better representmg ymage of the same thing, better spent on 
 
 r D * ° . ° a more perfect 
 
 But so it is, that ech lyuyng man is verier and per- image of him, 
 
 J J ° t x which every 
 
 fiter and fuller and better representing ymage of living man is. 
 Crist and of ech Seint, than is eny vnquyk stok or 
 stoon graued and ourned with gold and othere gay 
 peinturis. 2 Wherfore it is vein and waast forto make 
 such labour and cost into the making and hauyng of 
 suche vnquyke gay ymagis. 
 
 The iiij e . argument is this : God is lijk presentli the fourth 
 euery where, and therfore he is lijk redi for to teue the U lollaeds. 
 
 t . i i ' God is present 
 
 nise gracis and tiltis euery where, where euer a man everywhere alike, 
 
 1 or is interlineated by a later I * See The Apology for the Lol- 
 hand. I lards, ascribed to "Wiclif, p. 88. 
 
 N 
 
194 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. ix. sechith after hem ; and therfore no place in erthe is 
 and no place or holier than an other 1 place is, 2 and noon ymage is 
 
 image is holier , f . , . * . 
 
 than another: so honer than an other ink ymage is. Wheriore it is 
 
 that pilgrimages . « • 
 
 toWaisingham vein waast and idil forto trotte to Wasmgam rather 
 
 and other places . 
 
 are vain. than to ech other place m which an ymage 01 Marie 
 is, and to the rode of the north dore at London 
 rather than to ech other roode in what euer place he 
 be. 
 
 the fifth ae- The v 8 . argument is this : The feendis wiilis and 
 
 GUMEKT OF THE .... !? . _. • i • i r i 1 
 
 iiOLLAEDs. The deceitis ben torto be waarh considerid and forto be 
 
 devil has enticed . _ , • 
 
 men to pilgrim- smertli fled, as Peter techith, (i e . Petri v°. c. m the 
 
 ages by work- .... 1 j 
 
 ing miracles in eende) : but so it is that the feend hath deceyued 
 
 images, and all ........... . ■ 
 
 Christians should slitli and wiilily men and wommen whiche han wor- 
 
 l>e on their guard f . . . 
 
 ajsainst his dc- schipid ymagis and han come to ymagis in pilgrimage, 
 as it 8 is open ynoul in the lijf and legend of Seint 
 Bartholome, 4 where it is seid that the feend which was 
 in a famose ymage in a temple made the peple sijk 
 in her bodies, that thei schulden 5 come bifore him in 
 pilgrimage and preie ; and thanne he wolde make hem 
 hool. And herbi he drowe the peple into mys bileeue 
 and mys lyuyng. Wherfore ech Cristen man ou^te be 
 waar and kepe him silf fer fro such perel ; and ther 
 fore bi tendirnes, which he ou^te haue to kepe him 
 waarli fro synne, he ou^te forbere vce of ymagis and 
 going in pilgrimages. 
 
 Their sixth The vi c . argument is this : Poul techith alle Cristen 
 
 ARGUMENT. /•mi' 
 
 images bear the men (i e . Tessalonic. v°. c.) thus : Absteyne tOU from at 
 
 appearance of i • « • • 
 
 cvii, against yuel spice ; but so it is, that the seid hauyng and 
 
 which St. Paul . . . J 6 
 
 warns us. vsing of ymagis and pilgrimagis doing ben occasiouns 
 of myche synne and of other yuel. Wherfore thei ben 
 to be forbom. 
 
 1 other, MS. (first hand). 
 
 2 is is interlineated by a later 
 hand. 
 
 3 it is added by a later hand. 
 
 4 The legend (both in its Greek 
 
 and Latin form) may be seen in 
 Tischendorfs Act. Apost. Apocr., 
 p. 243, sqq., Lips. 1851. 
 
 s schulde, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 195 
 
 The vij". 1 argument is this : It is neither wisdom chap, ix. 
 neither tender loue bering to the seruice of God a TueieTseVenth 
 man forto leue vndoon many better seruicis of God, The cost spent 
 for this that he wole do oon myche lasse good b" expended on * 
 seruice of God ; but so it is, that thou^ the seid things. e " er 
 vsing of ymagis and the seid pilgrimaging weren 
 seruicis to God, yit in the whilis and with the costis 
 in and with which thei ben doon manye othere myche 
 better seruicis of God my^ten be doon, as visit- 
 ing of poor men, and teching of vnwise men, and 
 bisie studie in deuoute bookis and in othere bookis 
 of goostli leernyng. Wherfore folewith that a bad 
 chaunge is forto bisette so mich labour and coste 
 aboute ymagis and pilgrimagis. 
 
 The viii 8 . aimunent is this : It is sure and sikir TnEIE eighth 
 
 J ° ARGUMENT. It 
 
 and s;reet discrecioun Cristen men forto holde hem to £ Christian wis- 
 
 ° dom to adhere 
 
 tho gouernauncis which Holy Scripture of the Newe rufeTraiy what- 
 Testament techith hem, and forto caste aside alle othere ever may be 
 
 ' _ _ pleaded for other 
 
 gouernauncis or reulis whiche ben not tau^t in the p^f^-^ 68 by 
 
 Newe Testament ; ^he, thou tho gouernauncis and 
 
 reulis be 2 weel ynou^ and sufficientli ynow^ groundid 
 
 in doom of weel disposid resoun. Forwlii Seint Poul 
 
 seith, Coloc. ij°. c., thus : Se je that no man disceyue 
 
 yon hi philsophie and vein fallace aftir the tradi- 
 
 cioun of men, aftir the elementis of the world, and 
 
 not aftir Crist; for in him dioellith bodilich al 
 
 the fulnes of the Godhede. But so it is, that Holi 
 
 Scripture in the Newe Testament techith not the seid 3 
 
 vsing of ymagis neither the seid pilgrimaging ; but 
 
 thei ben had withoute forth bi resonyng and arguyng 
 
 in moral philsophie : and of al such craft and sutiling 
 
 ou^ten alle Cristen men be waar, that thei therbi be 
 
 not bigilid. Wherefore Cristen men, (for tendirnes 
 
 1 seuenthe, MS. ; but -written on I 2 ben, MS. (first hand), 
 an erasure: the first hand almost 3 seid is interlineated by a later 
 always uses Eoman numbers. | hand. 
 
 N 2 
 
196 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap^ix. which thei ou^ten haue that thei synne not,) ou^ten 
 be waar and forbere al such craft of ymagis vsing 
 and of pilgrimagis making. 1 
 Trgdmen? th Tlie ixe - ar g um ent is this: Iohun iiij e . c., whanne 
 ^m^ n are p vi"r- Crist saat at tne welle of Iacob and talkid with the 
 byChrist's'con- 11 vomma11 Samaritan, he excludid the vce of ymagis 
 the S womano? and vce 0I " pilgrimage. 2 Forwhi he seide to the 
 Samaria. womman thus : The tyme is come and now it is, 
 whanne treive worschipers schulen worschipe the 
 Fadir in spirit and trouthe ; for also the Fadir 
 sechith such that vvorschipen him. God is a spirit, 
 and it bihoueth hem that worschipen him to wor- 
 schipe in spirit and trouthe. Thus myche Crist seide 
 there : wherbi is excludid and wilned of Crist to 
 be removed, that eny man schulde worschipe God bi 
 eny outward ymagis ; in as miche as he wolde ech 
 man aftir him comyng forto be so perfit that he wor- 
 schipe God in spirit and in trouthe of Goddis being, 
 and not in an ymage feyned to be in Goddis stide. 
 Also Crist in the same chapiter, speking with the 
 same womman removed pilgrimagis. Forwhi whanne 
 the womman had seid to him thus : / se that thou 
 art a prophet. Dure fadris worschipiden in this hil, 
 (that is to seie, the hil clepid Garizim,) and ye, (that 
 is to seie, lewis,) seien that at Ierusalem 3 is a place 
 where it bihoueth to ivorschipe : Iesus seide to hir 
 thus : Womman, bileeue thou to me, for the hour 
 schal come, whanne neither in this his* hil neither 
 in Ierusalem ye schxden worschipe the Fader. £e, 
 (that is to seie, Samaritanis or dwellers in the cuntre 
 of Samarie,) ivorschipen what ye knowen not; we, 
 
 1 and vsing of pilgrimagis making, 
 MS. (first hand). 
 
 - pilgrimagis, MS. (first hand). 
 
 " ierPm, MS., and similarly else- 
 where. 
 
 4 his, so the MS.; hut the word 
 should probably be expunged. It 
 is not found in either form of 
 Wiclif's version, from which the 
 citation is made. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 197 
 
 (that is to seie, lewis,) worschipen what we knowen: chat, ix. 
 for helthe is of the lewis. Thus miche there. Of 
 which proces folewith that Crist excludid pilgrimage, 
 whanne he seid that peple schulde frothens after wor- 
 schipe neither in Ierusalem neither in the now seid 
 hil ; for the worschiping, which the peple made in tho 
 ij. placis, was bi pilgrimage going into tho placis. 
 And so Cristis entent was, that neither vce of ymagis 
 neither doing of pilgrimagis schulde 1 be among the 
 peple winch he came to teche. 
 
 The x e . argument is this : If a man wole go in their tenth 
 
 5> £5 ^ ARGUMENT. 
 
 pilgrimage into sum memorial of God or of a Seint, images and P ii- 
 
 i o o > primapes arc the 
 
 what skile is therto that he go thidir in pilgrimage ^ s v £[ n ^{o*y 
 
 openli, (sithen he mai go thider priueli forto make his 
 
 deuout remembrauncis and hise deuoute preiers,) but 
 
 if he desire laude and preising of the peple seiyng 
 
 that he goith in thilk pilgrimage ? Also what skile is 
 
 therto, that he bere openli bi stretis an ymage of wex 
 
 or 2 of tre forto ofTre it up at the place of pilgrimage 
 
 and forto lete it abide there contynuely aftir him, but 
 
 if he wolde meene that thilke ymage schulde preie 
 
 continueli for him in thilk place of pilgrimage bi 
 
 ny^t and dai, whanne he were departid frothens and 
 
 were come hoom a^en ? But certis open it is, that 
 
 alle these ententis ben or 3 yuel or in vein. Wher- 
 
 fore noon such open going in pilgrimagis bi stretis 
 
 and townes, (and namelich with open bering of an 
 
 ymage of wex or of tre, and forto hange thilk ymage 
 
 vp in the place of pilgrimage,) is to be doon. 
 
 The xi e . argument is this : Iosue xxiiif. c. the duke their ele- 
 
 i , , „ T _. VENTH AKGTX- 
 
 losue seid to the peple of Israel thus : Do xe awey next. Joshua's 
 
 . 7 77. 1 7. /-iTT 77 command to Is- 
 
 fro the myddis of xou alien 4 Goddis, and bowe xe raei to put away 
 
 1 schuldcn, MS. (second band) ; 
 but the original reading is manifestly 
 right. 
 
 2 or is interlineated by a later 
 band. 
 
 3 or is added by a later hand. 
 
 * alien is added by a later (?) 
 hand. It is found in Wiclif's 
 version. 
 
198 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. ix. youre hertis to the Lord God of Israel. Wherfore bi 
 strange Gods lijk skile and lijk weel it myite be seid to Cristen 
 
 may be applied r j.i jv i. 
 
 to images now. men: JJo £e awey rro the myddis 01 4ou alien 
 " Goddis, that is to seie, ^oure ymagis whiche ie 
 " worscliipen and holden as yova-e Goddis." 
 JnEiB twelfth The xij e . argument is this : The peple of lewis 
 then S s a though" wei 'en not so vnwise and so lewid as ben Cristen 
 icarncd d fen1nto c ' u l tu " en now 0I " x - } eev a g e » neither as ben foohs 
 Ima-'es*' and ' 110 w among Cristen men. Forwhi her werkis in con- 
 theremavbe' questis making and her bateilis disposing and her 
 idoiatrTbythem lotting of cuntrees and her beldingis and her othere 
 christian"! that craftiose doingis^ whiche thei diden schewen weel the 
 forboru! y be contrarie. Also the hethen men which weren in the 
 daies of lewis weren ftd wise, and thei weren not 
 so vndiscrete as ben now Cristen cliildren of x. ^eer 
 age, neither as ben folis among Cristen men. Forwhi 
 the fyDding of kunnyngis, (as of comoun natural phil- 
 sophie, of medicinal philsophie, of methaphisik, of 
 astronomye, and of geometrie, and othere particuler 
 sciencis, and of moral philsophie, and of ful discrete 
 policie, and of sutil craftis doon bi hem) schewith 
 ful miche the contrarie. But not with stonding al 
 this, the lewis weren 1 so cumbrid bi having and vsing 
 ymagis that thei maden hem a calf of siluer, and 
 seiden that it was her God which brou^t hem out 
 of Egipt, as it is open Exodi xxxij e . c., and ofte in 
 othere tymes thei worschipiden ymagis of stoonys or 
 of stockis as for her Goddis, as it is open ynou^ in 
 ful manye placis of the Book of Kingis in Holi Writt. 
 And also hethen men, how euere greet clerk is thei 
 weren and how eucr politik wise men thei wctcji, 
 ^it thei also worschipiden ymagis of tre and of stoon 
 for her Goddis, as the Sauter seith therof in the 
 cxiij e . psalme thus : The symylacris of hethen men 
 ben siluer and gold, the wcrhis of mennys hondis; 
 
 1 wtre, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 199 
 
 tho ha/A mouth and schulen not speke, et ccetera. chap.ix. 
 
 Thei that maken hem be maad lijk to hem, and alle 
 
 tliat trusten in hem. The hous of Israel hopid in 
 
 the Lord, he is the helper of hem and the defender of 
 
 hem. Wherfore as weel or miche rather Cristen men 
 
 ou^ten be waar forto entirmete with like ymagis, lest 
 
 that thei falle into lijk defaut ; for wher yn oon 
 
 niy^ti man stumblith, there an other my^ti man ou^te 
 
 drede 1 lest he also stumble. And ellis Cristen men 
 
 putten hem silf into perel of breking Goddis lawe, 2 
 
 whicli is a trespace in it silf, fhe, and ferther sithen 
 
 so wise and so my^ti men in discrecioun fillen into 
 
 ydolatrie bi occasioun of entermeting with ymagis, it 
 
 is likeli that also manye Cristen men and wommen 
 
 fallen into ydolatrie bi her vce of ymagis, thou^ it be 
 
 not knowe openli. 
 
 x. Chapiter. 
 
 The xiii 8 . argument is this : To what euer thing Theib thie- 
 
 . ■, , , TEENTH AEGU- 
 
 men preien deuouth that it saue hem, or to do hem ment. what- 
 
 1 ever men pray 
 
 what thei knowen weel no persoon may do to hem to, they take for 
 
 r . J their God ; but 
 
 saue God, the same thing thei taken for her God. some me n pray 
 
 ° to the cross, and 
 
 But so it is, that to the crosse, which is a creature, therefore take a 
 
 m ' creature for then- 
 
 men (both preestis and othere lay men) preien de- God - 
 
 uoutli, that he schulde saue hem and kepe hem and 
 
 make Crist plesid with hem which henge in him, and 
 
 forto do what mannis power sufficith not forto do to 
 
 hem. Wherfore alle tho men in thilk while taken a 
 
 creature to be her God. 
 
 The ij e . premisse of this argument is open bi what The second pre- 
 
 i i . , n Tr .,, t, miss of the argu- 
 
 is red and sungun m the ympne Vexitla Hegis pro- meutprovedfrom 
 
 1 ou-yte to drede, MS. (first hand). I : breking of Goddis lawe, MS. 
 
 1 (first hand), 
 
200 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Citap.x. cleunt sungun in. the Passion Weke in Lent. For 
 thr hymn snug ther yn aftir that long speche is mad to the cros, 
 
 in Passion Week. , ,-, . , , . , , . 
 
 which is not other than a creature, and whiche spechis 
 inowe not be trewe saue as seid to a creature oonli, 
 it is seid thus : 0 cros, the oon hope in this tyme of 
 passioun, encrece thou riytwisnes to piteful men and 
 yeue foryeuenes to gilti men. 1 Wherfore the ij e . pre- 
 misse in this principal xiij e . argument is trewe. 
 it"ai>i°thcF^ S st Also in tne Feest of tne Crossis Fynding at the 
 of the cros°s nti ° n ^ rs ^ euensong, whanne tliis response : 0 crux, viride 
 (May 3.) lignum, et caitera, is sungun, aftir that manye spechis 
 
 ben mad to the cros being a creature, (and whiche 
 spechis mowe not be verified but as seide to a pure 
 creature,) it is seid in the prose forth with therto fol- 
 ewing thus : Thou, which barist the Lord, make the 
 patroun (that is to seie. Crist) forto be to vs inclin- 
 able or boiueable or redi to heere us: and thou stok, 
 which were 2 worthi to bere* the price of the world, 
 yeue and graunte to this peple of Crist the beneficie 
 of the crosse.* "Wherfore the seid ij e . premysse iu this 
 present principal xiij e . argument is trewe. 
 ttonsu^SiHM! Also in the anteme : 0 crux splendidior, ct caitera, 
 same Feast. sungun at the ij". euensong in the same feeste, it is 
 seid thus : 0 sweete stok, bering sivecte nailis and 
 
 1 " O crux, ave spes unica ! 
 Hoc passionis tempore, 
 Piis adauge gratiam, 
 Reisque dele crimina." 
 These are the concluding -words of 
 the hymn heginning " Vexilla Regis 
 prodeunt," which is still retained in 
 the Roman Breviary for the Eve of 
 Passion Sunday. The Salisbury 
 Breviary, (Lond. 1555), ■which Pe- 
 cock follows, badly reads: 
 " Auge piis justitiam, 
 Basque dona veniam." 
 - wcrcn, MS. (first hand). 
 « be, MS. 
 
 4 The Salisbury Breviary, May 3, 
 (Lond. 1555) has the 'response' 
 " O crux viride lignum, quia super 
 te pependit Salvator, Rex Israel," 
 &c., followed by the prose: 
 " Crux fidelis, terras coelis 
 Miro nectens fcedere :" 
 which ends thus: 
 " Nobis pronum fac patronum, 
 Qucm tulisti Doniinum: 
 Salve lignum vitac, dignum 
 
 Ferre mundi pretium ! 
 Confer isti plebi (^hristi 
 Crucis benefStiuni." 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 201 
 
 sweete birthens, saue this present cumpanie gaderid to chat. x. 
 gidere now this dai in to thi preisingis. 1 In which 
 speche is open ynou^ that to the creature is preied 
 forto do what he may not do, but what oonli God 
 mai do. Wherfore the ij e . premisse in the xiij e . argu- 
 ment is trewe. 
 
 Also in the anteme Crux fidelis et ccetera, which is And from an 
 
 J anthem suhk in 
 
 sunsrun at the ii°. euensong in the Feeste of the the Feast of the 
 
 0 jo Exaltation of the 
 
 Crossis Hiding, it is seid in lijk wise thus: 0 sweete Cross. (Sept. u.) 
 
 stole, bering sweete nailis and bering sweete birthens, 
 
 (that is to seie, the bodi of Crist and hise parties,) be 
 
 thou to us a ward ayens the dartis of the enemy : 2 
 
 which speche can not be dressid treuli saue to a 
 
 creature, and for that he is a creature ; and ^it of 
 
 the same creature it is askid, that he do what he mai 
 
 not do, and what oonli God mai do. And so eftsoone 
 
 the seid ij e . premysse is schewid to be trewe. 
 
 Also in the prose clepid a sequence, 3 which is sun- And from a Be- 
 gun in the Feeste of the Crossis Hiding, aftir that the same Fcs- 
 manye spechis there ben mad to the cros, it is seid 
 toward the eende in a vers therof thus : 0 Cristen 
 medicyn, saue thou, hool men, and, hele thou sike 
 men! And what mannis myyte mai not, be it doon 
 
 1 " O crux splendidior cunctis 
 astris, mirado Celebris, hominibus 
 mnltum amabilis, sanetior univer- 
 sis ! quse sola fuisti digna portare 
 talentum mundi : dulce lignum, 
 dulces clavos, dulcia ferens pon- 
 dera! salva proesentem catervam 
 in tuis hodie laudibus congrega- 
 tam." — Id. It occurs also in the 
 Roman Breviary, May 3. 
 
 8 This hymn occurs in the Salis- 
 bury Breviary, Sept. 14, but the 
 last and most important part is not 
 found in it, nor in Mone's Lat. 
 Hymn,, vol. i. p. 131. It begins 
 thus : 
 
 " Crux fidelis, inter omnes 
 
 Arbor una nobilis, 
 Nulla silva talem profert 
 
 Fronde, flore, germine ; 
 Dulce lignum, dulces clavos, 
 
 Dulce pondus sustinens." 
 
 In another hymn, however, be- 
 ginning " O lignum venerabile," 
 (Mone, 1. c. p. 138,) we have : 
 
 " Contra Satanae jaculum 
 Sis mihi, crux, obstaculum." 
 
 3 Beginning " Laudes crucis at- 
 tollamus." 
 
 I 
 
202 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 ceap.x. in thi name. 1 In which speche it is likeli the maker 
 of the prose meene and entende forto speke to the 
 same thing to which he spak in the vers next going 
 bifore there ; and sithen in the vers next bifore going 
 he spekith to a pure creature, (forwhi he seith there 
 thus, 0 eigne of victorie, noon such among stockis, 
 et caitera,) 2 it folewith that in this present vers, 0 
 Christen medicyn, he spekith to the same pure creature. 
 And so the seid ij 9 . premysse of the xiij e . argument is 
 trewe. And so it what the xiij". argument concludith 
 finali muste needis be trewe. 
 Tiiefe four- The xiiij 8 . argument is this : Anentis what euer 
 M^fxT TU -\vha£" thing men beren hem silf and gouerne hem silf as 
 trcat'a^tliouKh thei wolden bere hem and gouerne hem, if thilk thing 
 take Tor ^Seir were God hem silf, and namelich whilis anentis God 
 they do to the 8 him silf (if he were there visibili present) thei couthen 
 makeittheb not do or make meker or louder or deuouter submis- 
 sion, saluting, and seruice than thei doon to thilk 
 thing, — thanne and for thilk while thei maken or 
 holden and taken thilk thing as for her verri God. 
 But so it is, that bifore these daies and in these 
 daies men beren and gouerne hem silf anentis a crosse 
 in this now seid maner, as now anoon aftir schal be 
 schewid. Wherfore tho whilis men maken thilk crosse 
 her God. 
 
 The second pre- That the ij°. premisse of this xiiij". argument is 
 rocnt prove d * trewe mai be argued thus : In eeldir dales, whanne 
 lions practised processioun was mad in the Palme-Sundai bifore 
 rions on Palm- masse, the eukarist was not btOUtt forth, that the 
 processioun of the clerkis and of the lay peple schulde 
 
 1 " Medicina Christiana, 
 
 Salva sanos, scgros sana : 
 Quod non valet vis humana, 
 Fit in tuo nomine." 
 Missal, ad consuet. Eccl. Saresb.. 
 Sept. xiv. (Ed. Talis. 1513.) 
 
 * " 0 crux, signum triumphale. 
 Mundi vera salus, vale ! 
 Inter ligna nullum tale, 
 Fronde, flore, germine." 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 203 
 
 meete with him ; but a baar vncouered crosse was Chap, x, 
 brou^t forth a^ens the processioun, that the proces- 
 sioun schulde meete atens it, as y haue red in dy- 
 uerse oolde orclinalis of cathedrale cliirchis and of mo- 
 nasteries in Ynglond : ] thou^ in latir daies and nanie- 
 lich in summe chirchis the eukarist is born forth, and 
 the processioun meetith with the eukarist born in a 
 chest among relikis, and in manie placis he is born in 
 a coupe ordeyned therto. 2 Thanne thus : In tho daies 
 and in tho placis whanne and where the processioun 
 mette in Palmesunday with the nakid crosse or with 
 the chest of rilikis withoute the eukarist, summe of 
 the clerkis weren ordeyned forto stonde bifore the seid 
 crosse and forto turne hem toward the processioun and 
 seie in singing to al the clergie and peple thus : 0 
 Sion mysti doubter, lo, the King mylde and nxeke 
 sitting vpon beestis cometh to thee; whom the lesson 
 of prophetis hath bifore spohun : This is he tvhich 
 cometh fro Edom, in clothis died vnth blood, fid 
 comeli in his garnement, passing forth in vertues, 
 and not in horsis of bateil, neither in hi^e touris. 3 
 This is he which as an innocent lomb is bitraied to 
 
 1 In the York Missal (in Dominic. 
 Palm.) printed at Paris in 1533, 
 occurs this rubric : " Deinde, cum 
 ante tentorium processio ordinata 
 fuerit, diaconus, accepta benedictione 
 a praelato, cum presbytero et sub- 
 diacono, et cracifero et ceroferariis, 
 in medio stans, legat Evangelium S. 
 Matth. xxi. : ' In illo tempore, cum 
 appropinquasset,' &c." The adora- 
 tion of the Host occurs later in 
 the service. 
 
 2 The Salisbury Missal (Paris, 
 1513,) agrees very nearly -with 
 Pecock's account ; we have there 
 the following rubric (in Dominic. 
 Palm.) : — " Duni distribuuntur rami 
 
 (palmarum sc.) praeparetur ferc- 
 trum cum reliquiis, in quo Corpus 
 Christi in pyxide dependeat ; . . . . 
 lumen deferatur in laterna proce- 
 dente cum cruce denudata et duobus 
 vexillis prsccedentibus." Various 
 anthems accompany these rites, 
 partly taken from Matth. xxi., 
 after -which follows the Gospel 
 as before : " Cum appropinquasset 
 Jesus." (Matth. xxi.) The an- 
 thems with the notes are given at 
 length in the "Processionale ad 
 usum insign. Eccl. Sarum." (Paris, 
 1530.) 
 
 3 Pecock badly reads turribiis. 
 
204 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 the deeth, which is deeth to deeth, and a bitte to helle, 
 ycuyng power to lyue hi his deeth, as blessid p> r °- 
 phetis sumtyme sungun in prophecie. 1 And thanne, 
 this 2 thus seid and sungun fro the clerkis in the 
 crossis bihalue to the preestis and lay peple in the 
 processioun, the preestis and peple fillen doun kneling 
 with alle the knees to the grounde, seiyng or singing 
 or in bothe maners toward the seid discouered crosse 
 thus : Heil thou, whom the peple of Hebrees meeting 
 tvitnessith to be Iesus, and crien to thee wordis of 
 helth ! Heil liyt of the world, King of king is, glorie 
 of heuen, to tvhom abidith or longith empire, jweising, 
 and worschip, here and for euere ! Heil onre helthe, 
 very pees, redempcioun, and vertu, which with thi fre 
 ivil hast goon vndir for us the lawis of deeth? And 
 
 1 " Finito evangelio.tres clerici de 
 secunda forma exeuntes ex eadem 
 processione,habitu non mutato, con- 
 vcrsi ad populum, stantes ante mag- 
 nam crucem ex parte occidentali, 
 simul cantent hunc versum hoc 
 modo. 
 
 " En rex venit mansuetus tibi, 
 Sion filia mystica, humilis sedens 
 super animalia, quern venturum jam 
 pradixit lectio prophetica." 
 
 Various rubrics are prefixed to 
 the remaining parts of the anthem, 
 which proceeds thus : 
 
 " Salve quern Jesum testatur plebs 
 Hebraorum 
 Obvia cum palmis, tibi clamans 
 verba salutis. 
 " Ilic est qui de Edom venit tinctis 
 Bosra vestibus, in stola sua formo- 
 sus, gradiens virtutibus, non in equis 
 bellicosis, nec in altis curribus. 
 "Salve, lux mundi, Rex regum, 
 gloria cu;li, 
 Cui raanet imperiom, laus, ct 
 decus, hie et in a;vuiii. 
 
 " Hie est ille qui ut agnus insons 
 morti traditur, mors mortis, iuferni 
 morsus, morte donans vivere, ut 
 quondam beati vates prompserunt 
 propbetice. 
 
 " Salve nostra salus, pax vera, 
 redemptio, virtus, 
 Ultro qui mortis pro nobis jura 
 subisti." 
 
 Processionale Sarisb., fol. lv. lvi. 
 The parts here printed as prose 
 may have been meant for a kind of 
 barbarous verse, which is perhaps 
 a little corrupted. 
 
 3 this is added by a later hand. 
 
 3 These words occur in the anthem 
 just quoted. They are to be sung 
 by the chorus : " in prostratione 
 deosculando terram proscquatur 
 resurgendo." — Id. It does not ap- 
 pear distinctly, from the rubrics, 
 whether the Host was then borne 
 in the procession or not; pro- 
 bably it was, as the bier with the 
 relics certainly was. The same 
 words, however, may have been 
 used in either case in different ages. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 205 
 
 open it is that to Crist him silf (if he had be there chap^x. 
 present) thei myiten not haue mad more low^li knou- 
 leching that he was her God, than thei at thilk tymes 
 and placis maden to the baar crosse or to the chest 
 of relikis in which the eukarist was not. Wherfore 
 thoru^ alle tho daies and placis in whiche the euka- 
 rist was not borne a^ens the processioun in Palme- 
 sunday, al the peple of the processioun bare hem silf 
 and gouerned hem silf anentis the crosse, euen as thei 
 wolden haue bore and gouerned hem silf anentis Crist 
 him silf, if he had be visibili present. And so the ij e . 
 premysse of this present xiiij 6 . argument is trewe. 
 
 Also in an othir place of the same processioun, in Further proof 
 the daies and placis whanne and where the eukarist 
 came not forth into processioun, children whiche weren 1 
 sett on hi^e sungen toward the crosse and seiden 
 these versis here folewing, Glorie, preising, and honour 
 be to thee, King Crist! Ayenbier ! to whom children- 
 nys worschiping songe Osanna, the myilde song. An 
 other vers thus : Thou art King of Israel and the 
 noble child of Dauid ! Blessid King, which earnest 
 in the name of the Lord ! An other vers thus : Alle 
 the cumpenye in hiye placis preiseth thee, ech deedli 
 man and alle creaturis. An other vers thus : The 
 peple of Hebrees came with palmes meeting to thee, 
 and lo we ben at thee with preier, good wil, and 
 ympne ! Aftir eche of these versis the queer of 
 preestis and of clerkis stonding in processioun binethe 
 bi the crosse singen the firste verse : Glorie, preising, 
 and honor, et cetera? Wherebi it is open that the 
 ij e . premysse in the xiiij 8 . argument is trewe. 
 
 1 were, MS. (first hand). 
 
 a " Finko regressu (cruciferi, 
 presbyteri, &c.) pueri in altum seu 
 ostium ecclesitc canant versum : 
 
 " Gloria, laus, et honor tibi sit, 
 Hex Christe, Redemptor, 
 Cui puerile decus prompsit 
 Osanna pium." 
 
20G 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. x. Also in an other place of the same processioun it 
 still further was and is ^it kept and vsid in manye chirchis, that 
 the principal crucifix of the chirche schal be disco- 
 uered and schewid baar and nakid to al the peple 
 of the 1 processioun. And in the while the crucifix 
 is in discoueiyng the principal preest with the queer 
 schal falle doun to grounde at the leest vpon alle 
 the knees and schal singe thus : Heil oure King, 
 the sone of Dauid ! Ayenbier of the world! Whom 
 prophetis bifore spoken Sauiour to come to the hous 
 of Israel ! Sotheli thee into an hoolsum sacrifice 
 the Fadir sende into the world, whom alle holi men 
 fro the bigynnyng of the ivorld aboden! And now, 
 Osanna to the sone of Dauid ! Blessid be he which 
 cometh in the name of the Lord ! Osanna in hiye 
 thingis!- Also whilis the hool queer of preestis and 
 
 Chorus cum genuflexione dicat : 
 
 " Gloria, laus, et honor tibi sit." 
 Puori : 
 
 " Israel cs tu Rex, Davidis et in- 
 clyta proles, 
 Nomine qui in Domini, Rex 
 benedicte, venis." 
 Chorus : 
 
 " Gloria, laus." 
 Pueri : 
 
 "C<Etus in excelsis te laudat 
 coelitus omnis, 
 Et mortalis homo, et cuncta 
 creata simul." 
 Chorus : 
 
 " Gloria, laus." 
 Pueri : 
 
 " Plebs Hebraa tibi cum palmis 
 obvia venit, 
 Cum prece, voto, hymnis, ad- 
 sumus ecce tibi." 
 Chorus : 
 
 " Gloria, laus, et honor." 
 
 Missal, ad usum Eccl. Ebor. (Domi- 
 i nic. in ram. Palm.) Paris, 1533. The 
 Host had been a little before carried 
 into the church ; -whether it was 
 afterward borne in the procession 
 does not appear from the rubrics. 
 
 1 pep/e of the is added in the 
 margin by a later (?) hand. 
 
 1 " In egressu processionis pra> 
 latus, ter flex is genibus ante crucem 
 discoopertam, adoret, dicens can- 
 tando, Ave Rex. Et chorus idem re- 
 petat : Ave, Rex noster, fili David, 
 Redemptor mundi, quern propheta: 
 pra:dieaverunt Salvatorem domui 
 Israel esse venturum, te enim ad 
 salutarem victimam Pater misit in 
 mundum ; quern expectabant omnes 
 sancti ab origine muudi : et nunc 
 Osanna filio David : benedictus qui 
 venit in nomine Domini : Osanna 
 in excelsis." — Missal, ad usum Eccl. 
 Ebor. (Dominic, in ram. Palm.) 
 Paris, 1533. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 207 
 
 clerkis singen thus, al the lay peple in the proces- chap. x. 
 sioun knelen doun and knocken her brestis and 
 summe fallen so doun that her brestis and mouthis 
 touchen the grounde. And more compunccioun, more 
 deuocioun, and louder submissioun thei my^ten not 
 neither couthen araie forto bisette vpon Crist him silf, 
 if he were in stide of the crosse so discouered. Wher- 
 fore the secunde premysse of this present xiiij 0 . argu- 
 ment is trewe. 
 
 The xv e . argument is this : To what euer thing Titeir fif- 
 
 teenth AKGTJ- 
 
 men offren in loupst wise, comyng toward it bi ment. The 
 creping, and whos feet thei kissen in deuoutist maner cross on Good 
 
 , . ■, ... . _ . Friday is idol.v 
 
 thei kunnen, thilk thing thei taken tor her soue- trous. 
 reynest and hi^est Lord. Forwhi ellis it wolde folewe 
 that ther yn thei diden vnaccordingli and vnsemeli, 
 and so therfore reprouabili and in such wise that it 
 were worthi be forbodun. But so it is, that to the 
 crosse in Good Fridai men comen in loudest wise 
 creping on alle her knees, and to this crosse in so 
 low^e and deuout maner thei offren, and the feet of 
 thilk crosse thei in deuoutist maner kissen. Wher- 
 fore thei 1 in these deedis the same crosse for her 
 worthiest Lord thei taken ; or ellis thei ouiten not 
 so creepe, offre, and kisse, and ou^ten be weerned 
 forto so do. 
 
 Miche neede is forto assoile these thre laste prin- The necessity of 
 cipal argumentis, that is to seie, the xiij e ., 2 xiiij 6 ., three arguments 
 
 .ijj' i • „ more especially. 
 
 and xv e ., lor upon the deedis and gouernauncis ot 
 whiche these thre laste principal argumentis maken 
 mensioun alle the seid wijters han greet abhomina- 
 cioun ; and thei ben out of eese, whanne thai seen 
 tho dedis and gouernauncis doon ; and whanne thei 
 musten nedis for drede do tho deedis and gover- 
 
 1 Without doubt either this or 
 the following thei should be can- 
 celled. 
 
 - thrittenthe, MS. (later hand, and 
 on an erasure). 
 
208 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Cdap.x. nauncis, as othere men hem doon. For certis thei 
 weenen that al the world couthe not saue tho deedis, 
 as thei ben so doon of othere men, fro ydolatrie. 
 And therfore mich neede is forto se how these thre 
 laste principal argumentis and semyng euidencis 
 niowe at the fulle be assoilid. 
 
 xj. Chapiter. 
 
 If the above 
 fifteen argu- 
 ments can be 
 refuted, there is 
 nothing else 
 which can bo 
 brought against 
 images and pil- 
 grimages. 
 
 Trrn first 
 
 AEMUMKNT 
 ANSWERED. 
 Writing is not 
 the only needful 
 means of re- 
 minding men of 
 religious truth. 
 The institution 
 of sacraments 
 
 proves this. 
 
 These xv. ben the argumentis which the repungners 
 a^ens the firste and ij e . afore tretid gouernauncis 
 maken a^ens the clergie holding with the same gover- 
 nauncis. And if these argumentis mowe be cleerli 
 assoilid, sotheli alle tho repugners ben openli ouer- 
 throwe : and if these xv. argumentis mowe not be 
 cleerli assoilid, thanne thei letten the 1 firste and ij e . 
 principal conclusiouns bifore sett of ymagis, and the 
 firste and ij e . conclusiouns bifore sett of pilgrymagis. 
 But that these xv. argumentis mowe cleerli be assoilid, 
 y schal now next here aftir withoute eny doute make 
 open. 
 
 And firste, as for answere and assoiling to the firste 
 argument, y procede thus. The firste argument and his 
 strengthe hangith here vpon, that Holi Scripture and 
 othere deuoute writingis red and herd schulden " be 
 sufficient wey and meene into al profite into which 
 ymagis and pilgrimagis seruen. And if this be denied 
 and be proued vntrewe, thanne the firste argument 
 lackith al his strengthe. And that al such seid wri- 
 tingis (not oonli for that nowhere ny^ alle men kun- 
 nen rede hem, but also thou* alle men, wommen, and 
 children couthen rede hem) at the beste sufficen not 
 
 1 the is interlineated by alatcr(?) I ^schuldc, MS. (first hand), 
 hand. 1 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 209 
 
 into al the good and profite, into whiche mowen suf- Chap, xi 
 fice bothe togidere tho writingis and vsing of ymagis 
 and pilgrimagis doing, y proue thus : Mankinde in 
 this lijf is so freel, that forto make into him sufficient 
 remembraunce of thingis to be profitabli of him re- 
 membrid he nedith not oonli heereable rememoratijf 
 signes, (as ben Holi Scripture and othere deuoute 
 writingis,) but he nedith also therwith and ther to 
 seable rememoratijf signes ; as experience wole weel 
 schewe, that thou* mankinde take al the avauntage 
 whiche' he may forto plucke him vpward and forto 
 holde him upward in good thou^tis, (bi seable signes 
 of ymagis and picturis as eke bi heereable signes of 
 writingis.) al is litil ynou^. And also, if heereable re- 
 memoratijf signes hadden be sufficient to Cristen men 
 into al her nedeful goostli remembrauncingis, wherto 
 sehulde Crist haue ^eue to Cristen men vndir co- 
 maundement seable rememoratijf signes, as ben hise 
 sacramentis of the Newe Testament? Alle men muste 
 needis graunte, that but if Cristen men hadden had 
 neede to seable rememoratijf signes ouer and with 
 heereable signes of writingis, which also Crist prouidid 
 to us, ellis he wolde not haue bounden Cristen men 
 forto vse seable rememoratijf signes, whiche ben the 
 seid sacramentis. Wherfore folewith that writingis, 
 whiche ben heereable rememoratijf signes to Cristen 
 men, sufficen not into al the remembrauncing which 
 is nedeful to Cristen men ; and so it wherbi the firste 
 argument sehulde take al his strengthe is take awey. 
 
 Perauenture summen wolen answere here and seie a reply to this 
 that so 2 manye kindis of seable rememoratijf signes pau<tiiL a those 
 and tho oonli, which Crist him silf in special assigned mnembraifca ° f 
 Cristen men to haue and vse, Cristen men ou^ten haue S, S whicu be 
 
 1 whiche is added by a later (?; | 3 so is interlineated by a later ( ?) 
 hand. hand. 
 
210 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. xi. Mid vse, and no mo; neither othere seable remeruora- 
 Chiist appointed, tijf signes; (and tho ben the sacramentis whiche he 
 repiy. er By the wole to be had and vsid, with the hereable rememora- 
 aii^w^ except tijf signes of deuoute wi'itingis ;) and wole not that eny 
 
 the Bible would nl « A i- i i i 
 
 be unlawful. seable rememoratijl signes of mannys iynding schulde 
 be take into vce. That this answere is a feyned and 
 forgid thing bi pure volunte withoute eny for him 
 sufficient evidence, y proue thus : Bi lijk wise it 
 my^te, ^he, and schulde be seid, that oonli tho heere- 
 able signes which Crist him silf ordeyned and assigned 
 and purueied to Cristen peple, as ben the bokis of 
 the Bible, schulde be take into vce of Cristen men 
 forto be to hem heereable rememoratijf signes ; and 
 so no deuoute writing mad bi man schulde be take 
 of eny Cristen man to be an heereable rememoratijf 
 signe : which is nedis vntrewe. Forwhi thanne the 
 passiouns of Seintis and her holy lyues and conuer- 
 saciouns and the deedis of eldir holi men schulden 1 
 not be write, that we my^ten or schulden therbi re- 
 membre us upon thingis passid so necessarie of us to 
 be remembrid. And therfore vntrewe it is that Crist 
 in this that he iaue to us these seable rememoratijf 
 signes, he excludid fro oure hauyng and vsing alle 
 othere seable rememoratijf signes. 
 a further answer Also thus : Bi this that Crist wolde us vse seable 
 cwS^BiMtttu- 'rememoratijf signes, we mowe holde that the vce of 
 menu proves the seable rememoratijf sigues is leeful and expedient; 
 m'ss'of 1 outward and herewith Crist restreyned not us fro vce of eny 
 bnmoL. rcracm "othere seable rememoratijf signes. Forwhi nowhere 
 it can be founde, that he seide we schulden 8 vce 
 noon othere seable signes into rememoracioun than 
 the sacramentis. Wherfore forto vse alle othere 
 maners of seable signes into rememoracioun and re- 
 
 1 schulde, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 211 
 
 membraunce, whiche doom of resoun forbedith not, it chap. XL 
 is in oure liberte forto vse. A] so ellis we schulden 
 holde us silf in a bondage atena oure liberte, of 
 which bondage we han no ground neither sufficient 
 euydence ; and ^it al such bondage the seid repugners 
 holden to be aiens the fredom of the Gospel and of 
 the newe lawe ; and so bi this answere thei schulden 
 be contrarie to hem silf. 
 
 Confirmacioun herto is this : Therfore it is in oure Confirmation of 
 
 the argument. 
 
 fre liberte forto vse othere heereable signes alio we- The general law- 
 
 ° f fulness of using 
 
 able bi resoun into oure remembraunce making thanne other visible 
 
 ° signs besides the 
 
 the writingis of the Bible, bi cause that it is not sacraments ft* 
 
 a _ ' lows from the 
 
 founde ouiwhere in HoH Scripture neither in doom of admitted lawful- 
 
 7 r ness of using 
 
 resoun, that it is forbodun to us forto vse the othere °. t ! lcr 4 1 ? 00 ^. b , e - 
 writingis dyuerse fro Holi Scripture which Crist pro- 
 uidid to us. Wherfore, bi lijk skile, by cause it is 
 not founde ou^where in Holi Scripture neither in 
 doom of reson, that it is to us forbode vse othere 
 seable signes into oure remembring than ben 1 the 
 sacramentis whiche Crist laue to us, (as therto helpen 
 ful weel the firste and ij e . principal conclusiouns of 
 ymagis bifore sett in the ij e ., iij 0 ., and iiij e . chapitris 
 of this present ij e . partie,) it folewith that it is leeful 
 to us forto vse othere seable signes into oure remem- 
 braunce than tho sacramentis ben. 
 
 Also thus : What euer is not forbodun to be vsid is Neither behig for- 
 leeful ynou^ to be vsid: but so it is, that forto vse ture or reason! 11 
 othere seable signes than the sacramentis is not more lawful, 
 forbodun than forto vse othere heereable signes than 
 HoH Scripture ; ^he, and nou^where it is forbodun 
 such seid seable signes dyuerse fro Cristis sacramentis 
 be vsid, as it is proued bifore bi the now spokun 
 firste and ij°. principal conclusiouns of ymagis. Wher- 
 fore needis folewith that we ben fre with oute synne 
 for to vse hem. 
 
 1 be, MS. (first hand). 
 
 o 2 
 
212 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap, xi. Also thus: Thou£ heereable signes availen to Cristen 
 Further, visibio men into manye pointis and godis of remembrauncing 
 
 signs are profit- ... 
 
 able to all Chris- into whiche seable signes not so myche availen, iit 
 
 tians for some . " ■ / 
 
 ends, for which aienward seable signes availen to Cristen men 
 
 writings are less f 0 
 
 available. (whether thei ben lettrid or not lettrid) into manye 
 greet availis of remembrauncing, into whiche not 
 availen or not so soone and so myche and so weel 
 availen heereable signes, that is to seie wi'itingis 
 upon the same maters, as anoon aftrr schal be proued. 
 Wherfore folewith that tliou^ writingis availen bi sum- 
 wey more into remembrauncing than ymagis and 
 pilgrimagis availen, ^it the vsis of ymagis and of 
 pilgrimagis ou^ten to be not leid aside or awey, but 
 ou^ten be take in to vce with the vce of writingis, 
 that the hool profite of remembring which mai come 
 bi hem both to gidere be not lost and vnhad, but 
 that bothe to gidere profitis be had. 
 Proof of this. That nit synguler avauntagis of remembring comen 
 mfy^uchmore bi vmagifl and pilgrimagis which not comen or not so 
 jlass^'nofa'saVnt weel and so soone comen bi writingis, I proue thus : 
 turofand images If a man wolde be remembrid on the passioun of 
 Sfflttaf"* Seint Petir or of Seint Poul or of the holi lijf of 
 those who are no Seint Nicholas, certis thou^ he couthe rede in a book 
 can 0l oniy hear a the storie therof, yi he schulde rede vj. or vij. or 
 s^nan^mus 0 *" mo leevis in the book, eer he schulde bringe into 
 
 almost wholly. 
 
 knowing or into remembraunce so myche as he may 
 knowe and remembre ther of in a litil and myche 
 lasse while bi si^t of the i^e in biliolding an ymage 
 coruen with purtenancis sett aboute him, or in bi- 
 liolding a storie openli ther of purtreied or peintid in 
 the wal or in a clooth. As that this is trewe y 
 comytte me to the doom of experience and of assay, 
 and to the experience of this point, — that the i^e siit 
 schewith and bringith into the ymaginacioun and into 
 the mynde withynne in the heed of a man myche 
 mater and long mater sooner, and with lasse labour 
 and traueil and peine, than the heering of the eere 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 213 
 
 dooth. And if this now seid is trewe of a man which cpap. XL 
 
 can rede in bokis stories writun, that myche sooner 
 
 and in schortir tyme and with lasse labour and pein 
 
 in his brayn he schal come into remembraunce of a 
 
 long storie bi si^t, than bi the heering of othere 
 
 mennys reding or bi heering of his owne reding ; 
 
 miche rather this is trewe of alle tho persoones 
 
 whiche kunnen not rede in bokis, namelich sithen 
 
 tliei schulen not fyncle men so redi for to rede a 
 
 dosen leeuys of a book to hem, as thei schulen fynde 
 
 redy the wallis of a chirche peintid or a clooth 
 
 steyned or ymagis sprad abrood in dyuerse placis of 
 
 the chirche. 
 
 Also, in biholding bi si^t of ize upon manye dyuerse anthe S saints° f 
 stories or ymagis in the chirche a man schal in a litil whose images 
 
 J ° _ and pictures are 
 
 while be remembrid now upon the passioun of Seint j" a church may 
 
 1 * > be learnt more 
 
 Laurence, and now anoon aftir upon the passioun °f ^n^he history 
 Seint Steuen, now anoon aftir vpon the passioun of ^ e a m y D ° n r e e ading 
 Petir, and so forth of manye chaungis. And if in in a book - 
 thilk while in the chirche were not ymagis and 
 picturis, he schulde not bi reding in a book in xx". 
 sithis lenger tyme come into so miche remembraunce, 
 and namelich of so manye dyuerse passiouns to be 
 rad ; namelich sithen the reder schal not fynde 
 writingis of alle tho passiouns saue in dyuerse bokis, 
 or at the leste in dyuerse placis of oon book ; and eer 
 oon of tho writingis schulde be ouer rad perfitli, a 
 gretter tyme schulde be spend than in the perfit 
 ouer seing of alle tho seid passiouns. 
 
 Also ful ofte, whanne a man cometh to chirche 1 and Again, when a 
 
 overworked or 
 
 wole be remembrid vpon suche now seid thingis, his » lfirm ma » se es 
 
 r i ° in a church 
 
 heed is feeble for labour or studie bifore had or for images and pic- 
 tures, his feelings 
 
 sikenes or for age ; and certis if he schulde be aboute \> e m ° ro 
 
 ° deeply and more 
 
 forto remembre him vpon suche seid thingis, and ^^nXarfby 
 that bi calling in to mynde what he hath bifore thilk ai >y reflections 
 
 1 the chirche, MS. (first hand). 
 
214 
 
 PECOCK S REPRESSOR. 
 
 Chap. XI. 
 
 which he could 
 make on what 
 he had before 
 heard, or read, 
 or seen. 
 
 Also images may 
 bo seen in open 
 churches every 
 hour of the day, 
 but books arc not 
 so easily acces- 
 sible to all. 
 
 day red or herd red in book, 1 or herd prechid, or seen 
 peinted, it schal be to him miche gretter labour for 
 to laboure so in his brayn bi taking mynde and for 
 to witliinneforth calle into mynde without si^t of the 
 i^e withouteforth vpon ymagis what he bifore knewe 
 and thou^te vpon, than it schulde be to him if he 
 biholde bi i^e Bizt upon ymagis or other peinting ac- 
 cording to his labour. And a^enward, bi biholding 
 upon ymagis or upon such peinting his witt schal be 
 dressid and lad forthe euener and more stabili and 
 with myche lasse peyne and labour, than forto 
 WTastle witliinneforth iu his owne ymaginaciouns 
 withoute leding withouteforth had bi biholding upon 
 ymagis ; as experience vndoutabili wole schewe, and as 
 men woned forto haunte daili contemplacioun wolen 
 bere witnes herto upon perel of her soule. Wherfore, 
 thou^ for noon other commodite than for this now 
 seid, the vce of ymages 2 were so profitable, certis the 
 vce of hem were weel worthi be 3 meyntened. 
 
 Also here with al into the open si^t of ymagis in 
 open chirchis alle peple (men and wommen and 
 children) mowe come whanne euere thei wolen in ech 
 tynie of the day, but so mowe thei not come in to 
 the vce of bokis to be delyuered to hem neither to 
 be red bifore hem ; and therfore as forto soone and 
 ofte come 4 into remembraunce of a long mater bi ech 
 oon persoon, and also as forto make that the mo 
 persoones come into remembraunce of a mater, ymagis 
 and picturis seruen in a specialer maner than bokis 
 doon, thou^ in an other maner ful substanciali bokis 
 seruen bettir into remenibrauncing of tho same 
 materis than ymagis and picturis doon ; and ther fore 
 thou^ writingis seruen weel into remenibrauncing 
 
 1 the book, MS. (first hand). 
 ! ynitujc, MS. (first hand). 
 
 3 to be, MS. (first hand). 
 * to come, MS. ; but the to has been 
 erased. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 215 
 
 upon the bifore seid thingis ; yii not at the ful, CnAP - XI - 
 forwhi the bokis han not the avail of remembrauncing 
 now seid whiche ymagis han. 
 
 Confirmacioun into this purpos mai be this : Confirmation of 
 
 ^ * 1 the argument. 
 
 Whanne the dai of Seint Kateryn schal be come, 1 Effects of the 
 
 * pilgrimage to St. 
 
 marke who so wole in his rnvnde alle the bokis Catherine's coi- 
 
 lege m London 
 
 whiche ben in Loudoun writun upon Seint Kateryn's °» November 25. 
 
 lijf and passiouns, and y dare weel seie that thou£ 
 
 ther were x. thousind mo bokis writun in Londoun in 
 
 thilk day of the same Seintis lijf and passioun, thei 
 
 schulden not so moche turne the citee into mynde of 
 
 the holi famose lijf of Seint Kateryn and of her 
 
 dignitee in which sche now is, as dooth in ech teer 
 
 the going of peple in pilgrimage to the College of 
 
 Seint Kateryn bisidis London, as y dare putte this 
 
 into iugement of whom euer hath seen the pilgrimage 
 
 doon in the vigil of Seint Kateryn bi persoones of 
 
 London to the seid College. Wherfore ri^t greet 
 
 special commoditees and profitis into remembraunce 
 
 making ymagis and pilgrimagis han and doon, whiche 
 
 writingis not so han and doon. 
 
 Another confirmacioun into this same purpos is And of the two an- 
 
 i.i t nua l commcnio- 
 
 this : in Londoun sumtyme was a bischop whos name rations of Bishop 
 
 — , „ i i-TT-.i i • -i • ,1 Gravesend in St. 
 
 was (Jravyseende/ and which hjth now buried m the Paul's Cathedral, 
 chirche of Seint Poul at London in the plein pament 
 of the chirche weel binethe the myddis of the chirche. 
 This bischop whanne he was Chaunceler of Ynglond 
 dide grete benefetis to the citee of Londoun, and 
 ordeyned therfore that the meir and the aldir men of 
 Londoun with manye mo notable persoones of craftis 
 in Londoun schulden at dyuerse tymes in the ^eer 
 come openli to the chirche of Poulis, 3 and stonde in 
 euereither side of his sepulcre bi ij. longe rewis, and 
 
 1 schal come, MS. 
 -which however has 
 sign of omission). 
 
 (first hand, 
 inserted the 
 
 1 Stephen Gravesend was Bishop 
 of London from A.D. 1319-1338. 
 a Sein Poulis, MS. (first hand). 
 
216 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. xi. seie Be profundis for his soul. Now, thou£ it so had 
 be that this bischop haclde not intendid this to be 
 doon for him into this eende, that his greet benefeting 
 whiche he dide to London schulde be had and con- 
 tynued in mynde of the citezeins ; but that he en- 
 tendid oonli this, that preiers ther bi schulden ^eerli 
 be mad the sikirer for his soul, (as dout is to me, 
 whether he entendid these bothe effectes or the oon 
 of hem oonh :) ^it treuthe is, that if the seid bischop 
 wolde haue ordeyned xx. thousand bokis to be writun 
 of his seid benefeting, and wolde haue ordeyned hem 
 be 1 spred abrode in dyuerse placis of the cite, and 
 forto haue be cheyned in tho dyuerse placis of the cite, 
 that of the peple who so wolde my^te rede ther in the 
 seid benefeting, thilk multitude of bokis schulden not 
 haue contynued so myche and so weel into this day 
 the mynde of thilk bischopis benefeting, as the seid 
 solempne ^eerli goyng bi ij. tymes in ech ^eer (doon 
 bi the meir and aldir men of Londoun) hath do and 
 schal do in ech *eer to come. "Wherfore needis it is 
 
 7 
 
 trewe, that writing mai not conteyne and comprehende 
 in him al the avail which the si^t and the biholding 
 of the i^en mai ^eue and is redi forto ^eue. And so 
 bi al this, what is now seid, answerid, and proued 
 a^ens the fixate argument, it is open that the firste 
 argument procedith not into his enteut. 
 
 xij. Chapiter. 
 
 Titk second For answere to the ij°. argument it is to wite that 
 the Lollakhs bischopis and othere preestis and clerkis ben not 
 and pilobtk- bounde more or ferther for to preche or in other wise 
 
 AGES ANSWERED. - - - , , , , _ , 
 
 Everyman is teche lier peple vnthr Jiem, than that therwitli tho 
 to attend to him- same bischopis and othere clerkis attende to hem silf 
 
 6 elf more than to 
 
 1 to be, MS. (first band). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 217 
 
 bothe for gouernaunce of her bodies in helthe and CHAr. xn. 
 strengthe, and for gouernaunce and reule of her liiflode others, and there- 
 
 ^ _ , J fore the clergy 
 
 into the fyndmg of hem silf and of summe seruauntis have many more 
 
 . J ° duties than 
 
 longing to hem, and for p-ouernaunce of her owne merely to teach 
 
 0 0 0 their people. 
 
 goostli conuersacioun to be led anentis God and anen- Hence the use of 
 
 . t other means ol 
 
 tis hem silf and anentis her othere neitbouris and instruction 1 is not 
 
 / set aside when 
 
 anentis her su^ettis, in manye maners mo than whanne the clergy have 
 
 0 ' » done their duty 
 
 he couplith with hem forto teche hem. Forwhi thou^ in as teachers, 
 dew and resonable vndirstonding tau^t in othere placis 
 of my writingis ech man ou^te loue his nei^bour as 
 him silf, ^it euery man ou^te loue him silf more than 
 an other man ; and therof folewith this, that euery 
 man oiv^te attende 1 to him silf in goostli and bodili 
 needis more than to eny other man. And therfore 
 ther was neuere lawe of resoun neither of God ^it 
 maacl forto binde a curat forto attende to his suget 
 so nryche as the curat is bounde forto attende to 
 himsilf, neither so myche as the suget is bounde forto 
 attende to him silf. 
 
 Wherto accordith weel what Poul seith i e . Thi. iiij°. This doctrine is 
 
 J confirmed bv St. 
 
 c., Attende to thi silf and to doctrine, as thou^ he ^onstoTunotiiy 
 
 schulde meene that for the attendaunce which Bischop m u^ y P ay more 
 
 Thimothi schulde make to his peple he schulde not h 0 c u f ^' t s 0 0W » 
 
 leeue the dew attendaunce bifore to be maad to him souls of others. 
 
 silf. And that Poul meened so as y haue now seid, it 
 
 is open by Poul him silf there. Forwhi, whanne Poul 
 
 had seid to Bischop Tymothi thus: Take tent to thi silf 
 
 and to doctrine, (that is to seie of othere persoones,) 
 
 he seith forwith 2 there thus : Be bisie in hem (that is 
 
 to seie, in tent to him silf and in doctrine to othere), 
 
 for thou doing these thingis, (that is to seie, tente to 
 
 thi silf and doctrine to othere,) schalt make thi silf 
 
 saaf and hem that heeren thee. Lo, Sir, bi this it is 
 
 open Poul for to haue meened that ecli man ou^te more 
 
 1 to attende, MS. (first hand). 2 Perhaps a clerical error for 
 
 I forth iri 1/1. 
 
218 
 
 PECOCK'S PvEPEESSOR. 
 
 Chap. xii. coueite that he Mm silf be saaf than that eny other 
 persoon be saaf; so he ourte more tente £eue to his 
 owne good lynyng, (which stondith in many mo pointis 
 anentis God and anentis him silf than in teching and 
 reuling Ms nei^bour oonh,) than he out ^eue tent to 
 the good lyuyng of eny other persoon. And herof 
 folewith in open resoun that sum curat ou^te and is 
 bounde bi lawe of God forto ^eue double 1 or treble 
 more tent to him silf ward and double or treble lasse 
 tent to doctrine or to his sugetis lyuyng, than sum 
 other curat is bounde ; and that for as miche as sum 
 curat is in double or treble more sijk, more freel, or 
 in sum other wise hath in double or in treble more 
 neede forto ^eue tent to Mm silf than sum other 
 curat hath. And lit euereither of hem, in so reuling 
 him anentis himsilf and hise sugettis, is weel allowid 
 of God. 
 
 Application of And certis the vnknowing of this now tautt 
 
 the argument. t .... ' 
 
 when the clergy causith ouer myche vnwiis hasti increment and ouer 
 
 have done all, .. .. . 
 
 every one must myche vnwiis bacbiting in the lay peple anentis cu- 
 
 attend tohisoun J J ° m 
 
 salvation, more ratis. And so whanne al the attendaunce is doon 
 
 than any one else 
 
 can attend to it. wMch resoun or eny other lawe of God or of man 
 
 Consequently be ' 
 
 must have re- bindith a curat forto do anentis his sucretis l)isichs 
 
 course to means ° 
 
 of various kinds, the attendaunce which the same curat is bounde 
 
 as images, books, 
 
 &c besides tho forto make aboute him silf, thilk attendaunce which 
 
 teaching of tho 
 
 ?nst?uctions C he * s bounde to make aboute hise sugetis is ouer litil 
 must consist j n t 0 ^] ie f u j attendaunce which muste be maad aboute 
 
 greatly in snow- 
 
 leaVn by thcni-° ^ ne same sugetis, thou^ thei were as fewe as fourti or 
 selves. twenti ; so that forto make the ful attendance tho 
 
 sugetis musten helpe in her side, and musten the 
 lenger parti of attendaunce make aboute hem silf, as 
 bi reding in her bokis at her owne housis, or bi 
 heering suche bookis red of her nei^boris, (as y haue 
 proued in the book clepid The B if ore-crier,) and also 
 
 1 doubc, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 219 
 
 bi vce 1 of preisyngis and of preiers, and bi vce of chat, xii. 
 worschiping doon bi seable rememoratijf signes. And 
 so what is take in the bigynnyng of the ij°. argument 
 for his substance and strengthe is vntrewe, that if 
 bischopis and othere curatis diden her dew diligence in 
 teching her peple, thilk peple schulde haue no nede 
 or profit forto haue and vce ymagis and make pil- 
 grimagis. And therfore the same ij°. argument not 
 proueth neither procedith. For euen as a nurisch or 
 a modir is not bounde forto alwey and for euere fede 
 her children and putte meete in her mouthis, but 
 sche muste teche hem that thei fede hem silf, (and in 
 lijk maner doon foulis to her briddis,) so a curat 
 mai not neither ou^te forto alwey rynge at the eeris 
 of hise suggettis ; but he may so bigynne, and after- 
 ward he ou*te teche hem that thei leerne bi hem 
 silf and practize meenis into leernyng of good lyuyng 
 bi hem silf; and ellis he schal make hem to be 
 euere truauntis in the scole of God, and litil good 
 forto perfitli kunne and litle good forto perfitli wirche. 
 
 Answere to the iii e . argument schal be this : The The third 
 
 „ ., ... . . . , ARGUMENT OP 
 
 if. premisse 01 the nf. argument in which it is seid. the Lollards 
 
 si • • r> -I 1» n ANSWERED. It 
 
 thus, "that ech Unsten man is a perhter and a fuller is not true that 
 
 „-,..%. , every Christian is 
 
 " and a spedier ymage 01 Crist than is eny stok or a more perfect 
 
 ,tn . „ i ... image of Christ 
 
 " stoon graued, is vntrewe ; and therfore the ni e . ar- than carved wood 
 
 ° " or stone can be. 
 
 gument bildid ther upon lackith strengthe for to proue Three conditions 
 
 , . mh , . .. . required in a 
 
 his entent. That this now rehercid ii°. premysse is thing to be a 
 
 ... . perfect image or 
 
 vntrewe, y schewe thus : Thre condicioims muste be another thing. 
 
 had in a thing, that he be a perfit and a ful and a 
 
 spedy ymage or representer or remembrer of another 
 
 thing bi wey of ymage being of the same other 
 
 thing. 
 
 Oon condicioun is, that he be lijk myclie or sum- The first condi- 
 what to the otliir thing, and the more lijk he be to resemble th U e st 
 
 1 the vsc, MS. (first hand), 
 
220 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chat, xii. tlie other thing, the more able he is, as bi that, forto 
 t°he e moreth4 audbe the P erfit ancl ful ymage of the other thing, 
 better. -phe jje condicioun is, that he be deputid or assigned 
 
 The second coil" /» 
 
 dition. it must forto represente and bringe into mynde the other 
 
 be designed to . 
 
 represent the thing. This condicioun dooth ful niyche that a thing 
 
 other thing. II- , & J . 0 
 
 lustrations from be yniage oi an other thing. Forwhi whanne a thmo- 
 
 the sacraments. . , ? *= . . . 0 
 
 is ful litil lijk to another thing, as the visible eukarist 
 to the persoon of Crist, and the water of baptim to 
 the sepulcre of Crist ; ^it the deputacioun and the 
 assignyng bi which the visible eukarist is ordeyned 
 and assigned forto represente the bodi of Crist and 
 forto remembre vs upon the persoon of Crist and 
 hise benefetis, (as it is open Luk xxij e . c. and i e . Cor. 
 xj e . c.) and the deputacioun or ordinaunce bi whicli 
 the water of baptim is assigned for to represente to 
 us the deeth and the sepulcre of Crist, (as Poul seith 
 and meeneth Rom. vj c . c. toward the bigyimyng,) 
 maken hem to be ymagis of Cristis persoon and of 
 his sepulcre ; and if tho deputaciouns or assignaciouns 
 weren not, tho seid sensible signes were litil able or 
 not able forto represente to us these othere now seid 
 thingis. And therfore this ij°. condicioun is a spedi 
 condicioun and a myiti forto helpe that a thing be a 
 perfit and ful ymage of an othir thing. 
 The third opndl- The iii e . condicioun is, that the thing so deputid forto 
 
 tion. The thing J or 
 
 bo designed to be represente to us the othir thing haue not fat leest 
 
 an image must 1 o» > 
 
 not at the same f or thilk while) eiiy plites or officis or deimtaciouns or 
 
 time be designed . 
 
 dsc C any thing di s P os i c i° uns > wherbi we muste haue manye 1 othere 
 entermetingis with him than the entermeting of re- 
 membring oonli ; and that he haue not with us eny 
 entermetingis saue the entermeting of 2 representing 
 oonli. Forwhi, if the thing which is deputid forto 
 represente to us an other thing be such that we haue 
 manye vsis of it and many entermetingis with it 
 
 1 Written on an erasure. Pro- I 1 or, MS. 
 bably we should read eny. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 221 
 
 dyuers fro remembring bi it the otbir thing, oure Chap, xii. 
 
 witt schal falle so miche and so ofte vpon the same 
 
 thing in othere wisis than as he is representing the 
 
 other thing, that he schal seelde among be occupied 
 
 of us as representing the othir thing. Forwhi he 
 
 muste be considerid of us in manye othere maners 
 
 than in the maner of representing ; and therfore at 
 
 the leest needis it muste falle, that he represente not 
 
 to us the othir thing so ofte and so stabili, as if he 
 
 were in noon other office of us to be take than in 
 
 office of representing the other tiling. 
 
 Now, Sir, herbi it is open that no thing is so verrili Application of 
 
 P .1 .,. .,,1 ■• ,n ••• these considera- 
 
 an ymage ot an other thing it lie naue not tliese nj. tions. Noiiving 
 
 , . . , liii • r> i i n ••• man can fulfil 
 
 condicioiuis, as lie schulde be it he haue tliese nj. now these three con- 
 seid condiciouns. And thanne ferther thus : But so it a crucifix can, in 
 is, that no Cristen man now lyuyng hath these iij. image of Christ 
 
 , . . ,. „ n . .... , , crucified, unless 
 
 condicions anentis the persoon ot (Jrist m his manhode, (as in a miradr- 
 as hath a stok or a stoon graued into the likenes of hang upon a 
 
 .-, . . i-i i tt -i cross. Reproof 
 
 Crist hanging on a cros nakid and woundid, with of the ignorance 
 
 . and presumption 
 
 othere therto purtenauncis, (as it is open ynou^ to oftheLoiiards. 
 
 euery man therto weel biholding and assaiyng thoru^ 
 
 alle these iij. condiciouns to gidere ;) except whanne a 
 
 cpiyk man is sett in a pley to be hangid nakid on 
 
 a cros and to be in semyng woundid and scourgid. 
 
 And this bifallith ful seelde and in fewe placis and 
 
 cuntrees. Wherfore no man lyuyng and walking in 
 
 erthe and occupiyng him silf and occupied of othere 
 
 men, as othere men lyuen and walken and occupien 
 
 and ben occupied, is so perfit and so ful an ymage 
 
 of Crist crucified or of Crist doing this miracle or 
 
 that myracle, as graued stok or stoon therto schapun 
 
 is. And her bi it is open that the iij e . argument hath 
 
 no quyk foot for to go. Fy ! fy ! fy ! therfore vpon 
 
 presumpcioun and obstynacie in the lay party, of 
 
 whiche y herde summe seie with a strong herte, (as 
 
 thou^ he hadde be ful of kunnyng, whanne he was 
 
 therof ful empti,) that a greet heresie it is for to 
 
222 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 cnAP.xu. holcle that a stok or a stoon graued is a fuller and a 
 perfiter ymage of Crist than is a Cristen man. Certis, 
 (as it is ful open bi what is now seid for answere to 
 the iij e . argument,) litil wist he what longith to a 
 thing, that he be a perfit ymage of an other thing. 
 
 xiij. Chapiter. 
 
 The FointTir The iiij". argument leeneth here to, that bi cause 
 thb LoLLAWDa God is lijk weel in his substaunce and being euery 
 asdpim!™™ where, tlier fore God schulde be lijk redi forto leue 
 
 AGES ANSWERED. 1 . • a 1 11 1 1 l\ 
 
 itisfaisetiiataii his gracis to askers and sechers euery where ; and that 
 are equally holy, also therfore no place in erthe is holier than an other 
 
 God chooses one , n P , n . • i t ji 
 
 place rather than place, and noon ymage oi a thing is holier than an 
 
 another in which » n . -r>i i ■ t i i • 
 
 to work miracles, other ymage oi the same tiling. put certis al this 
 makes one place is vntreAve and to be denyed. And cause win God 
 
 holier than , , . . . • . , , , 
 
 another: and hy wole ^eue hise gracis rather in oon place to sechers 
 one image baler aftir hise gracis than in an other place, is this : God 
 chesith therto, that is to seie, forto ^eue hise gracis 
 oon place bifore an other place, as it is bifore proued 
 in the viij 0 . chapiter of this present ij°. partie. And 
 if this be trewe, certis therof folewith that bi cause 
 God chesith oon place bifore an other forto therinne 
 wirche holi deedis of myraclis and of gracis more 
 than in an othir 1 place, therfore the oon place is 
 holier than the other place is. 2 And if this be 
 trewe, certis so bi lijk skile, bicause that God chesith 
 oon ymage bifore an other forto wirche bi it or 
 bifore it miraclis and gracis more than bi an other 
 ymage or more than bifore another ymage, therfore 
 it is ri^tli to bo scid that oon ymage of Marie is 
 holier than an other ymage of Marie is, and oon 
 ymage of a crucifix is holier than an other ymage of 
 
 1 a othir, MS. 
 
 2 is is intcrlincated by a later (?) 
 | hand. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 223 
 
 the same crucifix is. And that God chesith (so as Chap, xiii. 
 
 now is seid) oon place bifore an other and oon ymage 
 
 bifore an other, it is vndoutabili schewid and proued 
 
 bifore in the place now alleggid, that is to seie, in 
 
 the viij". chapiter of this ij e . partie and in therof the 
 
 iiij 8 ., v e ., and vj°. reulis or supposiciouns, whiche wolden 
 
 be rehercid to ech man which wole obiecte bi the 
 
 seid iiij e . argument. And herbi the strengthe of the 
 
 iiij 0 . argument is leid aside. 
 
 The conceit of the comoun peple which thei hadden, This false opinion 
 
 . , . . . . of the common 
 
 that no place is holier than an other place is, and m people, that ail 
 
 ..... . places are equally 
 
 liik maner that noon ymaa-e is holier than an othir holy, has been a 
 
 •' . great hindrance 
 
 ymage is, and that God chesith not more oon place to pilgrimages, 
 than an othir, neither oon ymage more than an othir, 
 forto helpe mannis needis the rather, hath be a ful 
 greet lett to the comoun peple 1 forto allowe the 
 hauyng and the vce of ymagis and the doing of pil- 
 grimagis. But now sithen this conceit is vndoutabili 
 schewid to be vntrewe, it is to hope that (as bi eny 
 strengthe of the iiij e . argument) thei schulen no longer 
 so erre, aftir this answere schal be cleerli opened to 
 hem. 
 
 For the more cleering of this present answere, it is There are three 
 to wite that a thing is holi in three maners. In oon thmgmay be 
 
 , 1 • 1 ■ . i, i . . . holy ; and first 
 
 maner (which is propir maner oi spekincr) a thine- is and properly 
 
 ..7 I ,. .... when it performs 
 
 holi, lor that it doith good moral deedis : and m this m °rai actions. 
 
 ° . . . „ ' , This kind of holi- 
 
 maner (iod is holi, and aungel is holi, and mannys ncss implies free 
 
 ? . " will in the agent 
 
 soul and man is holi, if and whanne he doith eny as ' m God, men, 
 
 ......... and angels. 
 
 good moral deedis. And m this maner of holines no 
 thing is holi saue it which worchith holili, that is to 
 seie, which wirchith bi fre choise what resoun deemeth 
 to be doon for God : and that is to wirche morali 
 weel. And so in this maner no place is holi, neither 
 eny ymage is holi, neither eny other thing than which 
 
 1 peple is added by a later hand. 
 
224 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. nil. bath fre wil to do moral yuel and good in the maner 
 now seid. Of this maner of holynes spekith Holi Writt 
 in manye placis, as Leuitic. v e . c. where God seith 
 thus : / am holi, which make you holi. Also Leuit. 
 the xj e . c. God seide : Be ye holi, for y am holi. 
 Also Exodi xxij e . c. God seide thus : Xe schulen be 
 holi men to me. 
 Secondly. a thing In an other maner a thing is holi, for it is chosun 
 St or by H h hoiy n that in it or bi it or with it or bifore it a persoon 
 formed i^God wirche snch seid holi deedis ; and that whethir the 
 certahJ'pJeesor wircher be God, aungel, or man : for skile is ther 
 than others? olier noon that a man bi suche gode deedis schulde make 
 pteMatBethet a place to be holi, bnt that God and aungel bi her 
 anexampleof mora Jy vertuose wirching of miraclis schulde in lijk 
 maner make a place to be holi. And in this maner 
 oon place is holier than an other place is, and oon 
 ymage is holier than an other ymage is, bi cause in 
 oon place more grace and more other benefet into 
 mannis profite is doon than in an other place, and bi 
 oon ymage more grace and more other benefet into 
 mannis profit is ^ouun than bi an otliir ymage or 
 than bifore 1 an other ymage ; and therto God chesith 
 the place and the ymage. Wherto ful weel accordith 
 Holi Scripture, Genes, xxviij 0 . c., where it is seid, that 
 whanne Iacob wente forto seche to him a wijf, he 
 came after the siumys going doun into a place in 
 which he leide him doun forto there slepe and reste 
 in the ny^t folewing ; and he in thilk reste hadde 
 suche visiouns maad to him bi God, as it is seid 
 there, that whanne he woke he seide these wordis : 
 Sotheli the Lord is in this place and y Jcneive not ! 
 And he dreding seide: Hon gastfid is this pfacej 
 here is noon other thing no but the hous of God, and 
 the yate of heuen ! 
 
 1 hi, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 225 
 
 Also Exodi iij". c., whanne Moyses kepte the scliep CharXIII. 
 of Ietro preest of Madian, lie came with bis scheep to The fiery bush in 
 
 r , 1 . Horeb, another 
 
 the Mount of Oreh. And God append to him %n instance of holy 
 
 _ _ , r t 7 7 ground. 
 
 the flamme of Jier fro the myddis of a busch, and 
 he siy that the busch brent, and yit was not therbi 
 waastid. Therfore Moises seide : I schal go and. y 
 schal see this greet siyt, whi the busch is not wastid. 
 Sotheli the Lord sie that Moyses yede to se, and he 
 clepid Moyses fro the myddis of the busch, and 
 seide; Neiye thou not hidir, but vndo the scho of thi 
 feet; for the place in which thou stondist is holi 
 lond, et costera. Certis no man may seie that this 
 holines of place came yn bi sum cerimonie of lewis 
 lawe, for euereither of these stories were doon eer 
 eny lawe was ^ouun to the lewis : and therfore this 
 holynes of the maner was neuere reuokid bi 
 Cristis passioun. 
 
 In the iij e . maner a thing is holi, (thoui also in an Thirdly, a thing 
 
 i j, n _± \ l i is holy, when it 
 
 vnpropir maner, m reward ot the first maner ;) whanne is set apart for 
 
 it is departid and take fro worldli and fleischli vce, Tims vestments, 
 
 and is deputid and assigne to more goostli vce anentis *e„ winch are 
 
 God than it was bifore. And in this maner breed, service are holy. 
 
 water, erthe, or place, hous, candil, oile, vestimentis, 
 
 vesselis, and suche othere thingis, whanne ouer hem 
 
 ben blessingis maad, (that is to seie, whanne ouer 
 
 hem preiers be mad,) and thei ben aliened and take 
 
 fro wordli vsis in whiche thei were bifore, and thei 
 
 ben assigned and deputid into more goostli vsis, (that 
 
 is to seie, that men vse hem aftirward in a certein 
 
 office of worschiping toward God,) ben hob. In this 
 
 maner Seint Dionyse, the disciple of Seint Poul, in his 
 
 book Of the Chirchis Ierarchie 2 clepith alle suche 
 
 1 whanne eucrc, MS. (firsthand). 
 
 2 "Ta ^€i' cuV0>jTc<5y Upa rwv vor\ru>v 
 inrdKOviajxara, Kal eV aura x € 'P a ~ 
 701710 Kal 686s' Ta Si vonia toV kot' 
 
 atcr8i)aiv Upo.p~x iK 6>v apxh Ka ' 
 (TTttjin." Dionys. Areop. de Eccl. 
 Hierarch. c. 2. (Op. torn. I. p. 255. 
 Ed. Cord.) Pecock, however, does 
 P 
 
226 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, xiii. thingis in this wise deputid holi. And in tliis maner 
 God clepid the clothing of the bischop and of the 
 preestis in the oolde la we holi ; and also the taber- 
 nacle, the temple, alle the vessellis and purtenauncis 
 ther to weren clepid holi, as it is open ynou^ in 
 manye placis of the Oold Testament. And this is 
 ynou^ for answere to the iiij e . argument. 
 the fifth That the v e . argument goith not forth y schewe thus : 
 the Lollards If the v*. argument were good, thanne this argument 
 answered, if were good. The feendis wilis and hise deceitis ben 
 
 we should flee i/iii • • 1 i i 
 
 from all images, fer awev to be tied ; but so it is, that it hath oite be 
 
 because the Devil * , 
 
 has sometimes knowun that ieendis han spoke m men and wommen, 
 
 spoken in au . . * , 
 
 imafre, by like a s witness heroi is had m the Gospelis in dyuerse 
 
 reasoning we , i • i 
 
 should flee from placis, and Acts xvi e . c. of a tong womman, which gate 
 
 the company of 1 ' J 7 ° i • i 
 
 aiimankiiid.be- m yche money to her maistris bi answeris wliich the 
 
 cause the Devil * ■» 
 
 has sometimes feend iaue and spake in hir and bi hir. And alle 
 
 spoken in men / 1 
 
 and women. men m owe soone vndirstonde, that not but forto 
 deceyue men the feend wolde take such an occupa- 
 cioun vpon him, sithen he is euere oure enemy and 
 not oure freende as Peter witnessith i e . Petri v*. c. 
 Wherfore no man speke or entermete or haue to do 
 with eny other man or womman, or bileeue and 
 truste to eny man or womman ; bi cause that it is 
 founde that the feend hath spoke bi men and wom- 
 men, euen as he hath spoke bi ymagis. Certis this 
 argument is lijk to the v*. argument, as ecli man mai 
 soone se ; and this argument is nantt and hath no 
 strengthe. Wherfore neither the v a . argument hath 
 strengthe. 
 
 The rule to be This therfore is the consideracioun and the obser- 
 
 observed in such 
 
 matters, in- uaunce, awaite, and dilkrerice which is to be had in 
 
 quiry is to be > ° 
 
 made into sus- such mater. It is diligentli to be awaitid whether 
 
 pected cases, and ° 
 
 our conduct to the feend entermetith him with eny thing, (as ymage 
 
 not so much seem to have any par- 
 ticular passage in his eye, as to 
 note the fact that Pseudo-Dionysius 
 applies such epithets as Upbs, Sf»oi, 
 
 Hyios, to the chrism, the altar, the 
 eucharistic elements, &c. See pp. 
 294, 295, 339, &c. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 227 
 
 or man or eny othir thing,) and if it can be aspied chap, xiii. 
 
 bi eny sufficient or eny myche likeli evidencis that ^ resu™ in Ai> y 
 
 the feend puttith there his partie and his entermeting, jjjj^^^tb** 8 
 
 thanne first the vce of thilk thing is to be shoned, gffifo 
 
 eschewid, and avoidid ; and a^enward if, after that j^j^- Barthol °- 
 
 sufficient enqueraunce is mad, it kan not be knowe 
 
 that the feend dooth eny thing aboute the seid thing, 
 
 than the vce of the seid thing oiv^te not be 1 refusid. 
 
 Forwhi ellis we schulden neuere be boold forto vce 
 
 eny thing, (neither mete ne drinke ne hors ne asse 
 
 ne man ne womman,) and that bi cause the feend 
 
 hath putte him into suche thingis, as we mowe haue 
 
 in oold recordis. And now neerer to oure purpos. 
 
 Bi cause the peple of which the legend of Seint 
 
 Bartholome spekith were necligent forto aspie that 
 
 the feend spake in the ymage, and that he hurtid 
 
 hem, and thei my^ten 2 haue wist this weel ynow^ if 
 
 thei wolden have ^eue therto sufficient diligence ; and 
 
 a^enward now adaies no man can fynde eny sufficient 
 
 euydence or eny greet likelihode that feendis speken 
 
 now bi ymagis, as it wole appere ful weel how tho 
 
 euydencis mowe be answerid to and assoilid if thei 
 
 be brou^t forth into li^t: — therfore the peple of which 
 
 the legende of Seint Bartholome spekith weren to be 
 
 blamed for that thei attendiden to thilk greet ymage 
 
 as to her God, and peple now adaies ben not to be 
 
 blamed thou^ thei attenden 3 to ymagis forto vse hem 
 
 as signes and tokenes of God. And this is ynou^ for 
 
 answere to the v e . argument. 
 
 To the yj e . argument it is answerid sufficientli bi- the sixth 
 fore in the first 4 parti of this present book toward against images 
 the eende, m the |v .1 chapiter, that if ech gouer- ages answered. 
 
 J . If every good 
 
 naunce schulde be left of which cometh yuel, certis no ordinance should 
 
 1 to be. MS. (first hand). 
 
 2 my y te MS. (first hand). 
 
 3 attende, MS. (first hand). 
 
 4 See the following note. 
 
 * A space left in the MS. for the 
 number. Pecock's memory has 
 failed him : he appears to mean 
 Part ii. c. iv. See p. 158. 
 
 P 2 
 
228 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, xiii. gouernaunce in the world ou^te be holde, meyntened, 
 beset aside, from and kept; (for no gouernaunce in craft or out of craft 
 
 which evil some- . r i » • 
 
 times springs, is, but that of it cometh yuel ; ) and if alle tho gouer- 
 
 not one good . ' ' 0 
 
 ordinance would nauncis schulden therfore be forbore, no good gouer- 
 
 remain. The ° & 
 
 discretion neces- naunce schulde be had and vsid. And therfore aiens 
 
 sary m such . 7 
 
 cases. The ' ap- this myschaunce that yuel cometh out of the good, 
 
 pcarance or evil . J . . 
 
 spoken of by st. the discrecioun and wiisdom wolde be had, which is 
 
 Paul discussed. , J ' 
 
 had if a man that tilieth his gardein or feeld and 
 sowith it with good seed, certis thoul there growe 
 manye wedis bi occasioun of his planting, deluyng, 
 ering, and sowing, ^it he wole not ceese, but he wole 
 drawe vp the wedis and lete the herbis stonde ; so it 
 muste be in this present purpos, and ellis, if for yuel 
 which cometh bi occasioun of good we wolen forbere 
 the good, thanne we schulen 2 lacke al good. And 
 this is ynow for answere to the vj e . argument, thou^ 
 miche more therto perteynyng is seid bifore toward 
 the eende of the first parti, and aftir in the iij°. 
 parti of this book, the [viij 6 .] chapiter. And as to 
 the text of Seint Poul i c . Tessalonic. v e . c. whanne he 
 seith thus: Abstene you, from al yuel spice; the 
 dewe vnderstonding is this : that we abstene us fro 
 ech spice of moral yuel. And open it is to ech 
 leerned man, that ech spice of moral yuel is moral 
 yuel, and is a morah yuel spice : and Goddis forbode, 
 but that ech man schulde be aboute forto abstene 
 him fro ech such spice ; forwhi suche spicis ben glo- 
 tenie, leccherie, pride, envie, and suche othere. But 
 this makith not that a man abstene 3 fro eny morali 
 good spice or fro eny spice of moral good, thou£ 
 therof, as bi occasioun, cometh sum moral yuel. And 
 therfore thilk text of Seint Poul is not forto helpe 
 forth the vj e . argument. 
 
 1 that is added in the margin. 
 
 2 schulden, MS. (first hand, appa- 
 rently). 
 
 ' ahstene him, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 229 
 
 xiiij. Chapiter. 
 
 For answere to the vii e . argument y schal sette forth the seventh 
 
 J ° » ARGUMENT 
 
 hi. open reuhs, of whiche the firste is this : Whanne against images 
 
 J r » . AND PILGEIM- 
 
 euere it is so, that ii. dyuerse werkis of Goddis lawe ages answered. 
 
 ' •* J Three plain rules 
 
 and seruicis ben euen like present in oon and the sh . a1 ' be H 6 - _ 
 
 >■ mised. The first 
 
 same while after her alle dewe circumstauncis to a rul ^- if a man 
 
 prefers to do a 
 
 man forto be doon and wrouzt of him in the same «*" g°. od work > 
 
 / when he may do 
 
 while, and oon of hem is myche better than the a bet . ter one with 
 
 J equal ease at the 
 
 other : certis thanne if the man, to whom these werkis same time, he is 
 
 ' ' not therein to bo 
 
 in lijk wise so profren hem silf to be doon, chese not P rais ed. 
 to do the better werk bifore the lasse good werk, he 
 is not to be ther yn preisid, as y haue schewid bi 
 ensaumple of Hob. Writt and bi ensaumple out of 
 Hob Writt in The Crier 1 and in othere placis of my 
 writingis. 
 
 The ij e . reule is this : Whanne ij. werkis of Goddis The second rule. 
 
 , , . , Till -|I n CSSe that a 
 
 lawe and seruice thorui out alle her dewe to hem man may do a 
 
 . . {.., ■. less good work, 
 
 circumstauncis ben not Ink present to the doer, but but not a better 
 
 , one at the same 
 
 the lasse good werk is so present to the doer and the time: if he take 
 
 mm. . no' the less good 
 
 better good werk is not so present : certis than, it the work, he is not 
 
 ° . r ' therein to bo 
 
 man to whom this lasse good work is so present praised, 
 chese not and take not the lasse good werk for the 
 while, he is not to be preisid. Forwhi eUis, as for 
 thilk while, he schal lese the bothe seid godis, that 
 is to seie, the betth- and the lasse good. 
 
 The iije. reule is this : It is not in eny mannys The third rule, 
 power forto haue for ech while the better werkis of always perform 
 Goddis lawe to him present, whilis lasse good werkis when less good 
 of Goddis lawe ben present to him and profren hem themselves, 
 silf to be doon of him. 
 
 The iiii e . reule folewing of these iii. bifore going Corollary from 
 
 . . . these rules. A 
 
 reubs is this : That if a man, whanne he is to wirche man must not 
 
 1 This is no doubt the same work as The Be/ore-crier mentioned 
 above, p. 218. 
 
230 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. xiv. a good werk, schulde bithenke him whethir he in 
 perplex himself thilk tyme mai do a better werk, and schulde studie 
 whether he ther aboute ; certis he schulde haue so manye thou^tis 
 work than the and studies, that he schulde leue the good werk vn- 
 thenoffersUseif; doon which for the while profrith him silf to be doon, 
 that case often be and he schulde lese the other werke aboute which he 
 might be well studieth whether it mai as for thanne be doon or no. 
 trations from the And therfore, riit as a good huswijf in an hous now 
 
 varied tasks of a _ ' 1 1 
 
 good^ housewife, doith oon werk now an othir werk, as thei comen 
 variety of gar- to hond : and now sche brewith, now sche bakith, 
 
 ments of a well- i-i 1 .1 t • i • 1 
 
 clothed man. now sche sethith, now sche rostith, now sche weischith 
 disschis, now sche berith aischis out, now sche straw- 
 ith rischis in the halle ; and thou^ these werkis ben 
 not like gode and like worthi into the seruice of hir 
 husbonde, ^it sche ou^te do the oon with the other as 
 thei comen forth to be doon in dyuerse whilis, and 
 ellis if sche schulde seie to hir self: " Y wole not 
 " do this, perauenture y schal fynde a better werk," 
 sche schulde make badde husewijfschip, and in thilk 
 studie sche schulde ofte be troublid, ^he, and be idil 
 fro al good werk, and ofte be bigilid in chesing the 
 lasse good in stide of the better good to be doon: — 
 so a seruaunt of God in the goostli hous of the Vni- 
 uersal Chirche muste bere him, now occupiyng him in 
 smale werkis whiche for the while ben present, and 
 now occupiyng him with gretter, whanne thei profren 
 hem at good leiser to be doon ; and elhs he schal ful 
 ofte bi masing studie be ful idil, whanne he my^te 
 be weel and fruytfulli occupied. And thus myche is 
 ynou^ for answere to the vij e . argument: not with- 
 stonding that herto y haue answerid sufficientli othir 
 wise in The book of worschiping, the 1 partie, 
 
 the 1 chapiter, bi a likenes that a man is not 
 
 sufficientli clothid in bodili maner, but if he haue on 
 
 I Spaces left in the MS. for the numbers. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 231 
 
 him his scho, his slyue, his coot ; as he hath on him chap, xiv. 
 better and costioser and precioser garnementis, as ben 
 his gowne, his cloke, his hood, his cappe : and, in 
 like maner, a man is not sufficientli araied with ver- 
 tues of Goddis lawe, but if he be araied with smale 
 and lowe vertues in meryt, as with grace 1 and hi^e 
 vertues in meryt. And therefore no more for answere 
 to this vij e . argument here. 
 
 For answere to the viii e . argument, the firste pre- The eighth 
 
 ° ° 1 . . . ARGUMENT A N'- 
 
 mysse, upon whiche hangith the strengthe of the vni e . sw-ebed. it is 
 
 J ' r ° ^ 3 . , J not true that wo 
 
 argument, is to be denied for vntrewe. Forwhi bifore sp?* abide by 
 
 ° Scriptural rules 
 
 in the \\'f.~} 2 chapiter of this ii e . partie it is seid, only, but 
 
 L J -> 1 ^ must be governed 
 
 (the, and bifore in the first partie of this book fro ^iso by reason. 
 
 V ' .... . ^ ut ln truth 
 
 the bievnnyng bi xiii. conclusiouns it is proued, i ™ a « es and 
 
 oj •/ o *j i ' grunages are 
 
 and the same is proued in the firste partie of the Icrfpture"!,^ 1 
 book clepid The iust apprising of Holi Scripture,) ^S^byrewon 
 that more than xx 4 '. partie of Cristis moral lawe 
 and seruice stondith in deedis and gouernauncis 
 knoweable and groundable in doom of resoun, and 
 whiche ben not groundid in Holi Scripture ; thou^ 
 summe of hem or alle perauenture ben witnessid afer 
 and in general bi Holi Scripture. And therfore, 
 needis the seid firste premysse is vntrewe. And 
 trewe it is, that what euere resoun deemeth, coun- 
 seilith, allowith, or approueth to be doon is moral lawe 
 of God and his plesaunt seruice, thou^ in caas it 
 can not be founde speciali witnessid bi Holi Scrip- 
 ture. And therfore, sithen the vce of ymagis and 
 the doing of pilgrimagis ben sufficientli groundid in 
 doom of weel disposid resoun, thei ben to be take as 
 deedis of Goddis moral lawe and of his plesaunt ser- 
 uice, thou£ thei weren neither in general neither in 
 special touchid bi Hob: Scripture. Neuertheles in the 
 
 1 So the MS., but the sense I 2 A space left in the MS. for the 
 requires grete. 1 number. See p. 1 72. "Ji 
 
232 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. xiv. flrste partie of this present book, the [xix*.] 1 chapiter 
 it is proued that priuely and impliedli thei ben 
 witnessid bi Holi Scripture, and also bifore in the 
 [ij e .] 1 chapiter of this present ij e . partie it is opened 
 that thei ben expresseli witnessid bi Holi Scripture ; 
 and therfore needis the viij e . argument in no wise 
 proueth his entent. 
 Epfst^elothe 0 And as for the text of2 wnicl1 is alleggid Coloc. 
 cussl(f a Th d evaia ij e - as thou^ he schulde helpe, thou^ that he in 
 demnedTs r the n " n0 thin g helpith, it is to be seid thus : That in thilk 
 Sppose°d*he Which text Poul wole that men leene not to eny philsophie 
 christ°s e incar- which is a^ens feith, namelich a^ens the feith which 
 nation. is of Christis persoon and of his incarnacioun. And 
 
 thou^ men ou^ten not forto attende, trust, lene, and 
 bileue to philsophie in mater of feith ; hereof folewith 
 not that thei ou^ten 3 not truste and lene to phil- 
 sophie in mater being not of feith. And that Poul so 
 vnderstondith as now is seid of philsophie strecching 
 him a^ens feith of the incarnacioun of Crist, it is open 
 bi this : that the text and processe going next bifore 
 this alleggid text spekith of feith to be had into 
 lesus Crist for his incarnacioun. Forwhi it is seid 
 there thus : Thouy y be absent in bodi, tit bi spirit y 
 am with you, ioiyng and seyng youre ordre and the 
 sadnes of youre bileeue which is in Crist. Therfore 
 as ye han take lesus Crist oure Lord, walke ye* in 
 him; and be ye rootid and bildid aboue in him, and 
 confermed in the bileeue as ye han leerned, abounding 
 in him in doinge of thankingis. Thus miche there. 
 And thanne next after Poul settith herto the text 
 alleggid bifore in the viij°. argument thus : Se ye that 
 no man deceyue you bi philsophie^ and vein fallace, 
 
 1 Spaces left in the MS. for the 
 numbers. See pp. 115,137. 
 
 1 Either of should be cancelled or 
 Poul added. * 
 
 ' oute, MS. (first hand). 
 4 ye is interlineated by a later 
 hand. 
 
 s mm philsophie, MS. (first hand). 
 
TIIE SECOND PART. 
 
 233 
 
 after the tradicioun of men, after the elementis of CB 
 the world, and not after Grist. Whiche ij. textis, if 
 thei ben considered as thei liggen to gidere in rewe, 
 it schal be seen that if the ij e . text be knyt to the 
 former text, as it is likeli that he so is, it must 
 neclis be that the ij e . text spekith of philsophie which 
 is aiens the feith of the incarnacioun of Crist, of 
 which feith spekith the former of tho ij. textis. And 
 herto is ful good confirmacioun bi these wordis in 
 the ij e . text, whanne it is seid thus, and not aftir 
 Crist. So that not ech philsophie neithir ech doc- 
 trine which is aftir elementis of this world is to be 
 fled, but the philsophie and doctryne after elementis 1 
 " which is not aftir Crist," that is to seie, which is 
 contrarie to feith of his persoon and of his incarna- , 
 cioun. For certis more or other than this vndirstond- 
 ing can not be had bi maistrie of Poules processe there. 
 And this is ynou^ for answere to the viij e . argument. 
 
 xv. Chapiter. 
 
 For answere to the ix e . argument, it is to be seid, The ninth 
 
 ° ' ARGUMENT 
 
 that Samaritanys or peple of Samarie, which oon was answebed. 
 
 J . Christ reproved 
 
 the womman with which Crist talkid, Iohun iiii e . c.. at the Samaritan 
 
 ' J ' idolaters who 
 
 the welle of Iacob, weren not perfite and ful lewis, worshipped false 
 
 ' * ' material Gods, 
 
 neither thei were perfite and ful hethen; for thei and consequently 
 
 r ' worshipped 
 
 helden not al the hool lawe of lewis, neither thei ne f t ?i e , r ' in ,. 
 
 ' spirit nor in 
 
 leften al the hool lawe of lewis, as othere hethen men ^JV Theil \ 
 
 ' idolatry ceased 
 
 diden, but thei tooken and helden summe of the prX^on^hich 
 lewis la wis. Neuertheles thei weren ydolatreris and theuseonmi^es 
 worschipiden vntrewe visible goddis. Al this weel here maintaiueli - 
 groundid clerkis in diuinite knowen weel ynou^. 
 Thanne thus, whanne Crist seide to the womman : 
 
 1 the elementis, MS. (first hand). 
 
234 pecock's kepressor, 
 
 CHij. xv. The tyme is come and novo it is, whanne treive 
 worschipers schulen worschipe the Fadir in spirit 
 and trouthe, et castera; Crist meened therbi, that that 1 
 the ydolatrie of Samaritanys schulde ceese and be at 
 an eende. Forwhi tho that thanne among the Sama- 
 ritanys "worschipiden God, thei worschipiden him as 
 a bodili thing, and therfore not "in spirit" or not as a 
 pure spirit oonli ; and also thei worschipiden God bi 
 ydolatrie, and therfore bi vntrouthe and so not " in 
 " trouthe." And al this Crist seid schulde be left and 
 schulde ceese bi Crist, and so dide it. And herbi and 
 in al this is not includid, that God excludid or for- 
 bade the hauyng and the vce of yniagis in the maner 
 bifore tau^t in this present ij e . parti of this book. 
 Therfore the first proces, which the ix e . argument 
 alleggith, Iohun iiij e . c., lettith no thing the hauyng 
 and the vsing bifore seid of ymagis. 
 OhrtfttoWd Ferthermore, that the ij e . processe of Iohun iiij 0 . c. 
 onfv^hecVe"* alleggid in the ix e . argument lettith not pilgrimage to 
 shall so C dSt?oT S ^ e d° on » y proue thus : The wordis therto allegged 
 samalTtanand ken these : Womman, bileue thou to me for the hour 
 thaVpraycrand schal come, whanne neither in this hil, (that is to 
 finSd^tiicreno seie > 0I " Garizim,) neither in Jerusalem ye schulen 
 more ' worschipe the Fadir, et camera. Thanne thus : Bi these 
 
 wordis can not be more or other had, than that Crist 
 prophecied the seid hil and Terusalem to be distruyed ; 
 and so myche to be distroied, that ther schulde not 
 be eny preier mad or eny pilgrimage maad in the seid 
 hil or in the temple of Ierusalem. And this distruc- 
 cioun was maad bi Vaspacian and Tite, Emperouris of 
 Rome, the xlij c . ^eer aftir Cristis passion ; but open it 
 is, that herof may not be take that Crist therbi 
 schulde seie or teche pilgrimage to be vnleeful, no 
 more than if he had seid, that the hour schal come in 
 
 1 So the MS., and the repetition is perhaps not accidental i cf. p. 236. 
 1. 13. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 235 
 
 which neither in thilk hil neither in Ierusalem schal Chap. xv. 
 eny preching of Goddis lawe be, schulde folewe that 
 therbi Crist schulde teche preching of Goddis lawe to 
 be vnleeful. Wherfore open it is, that of the seid and 
 alleggid ij e . processe of loon the iiij e . c. in the ix°. 
 argument can not be had in eny wise, that Crist 
 schulde therbi reproue pilgrimagis, that thei be not 
 leefulli to be doon. And this is ynou^ for answere to 
 the ix e . argument. 
 
 For answere to the x e . argument it is to wite, that The tehth 
 
 , , . , . . . ARGUMENT AX- 
 
 vndir thre ententis and purposis a man mai go m swebed. a man 
 pilgrimage ; and ech of tho iii. ententis is leeful, sariiy go on pu- 
 
 i i t mi « i • ji i i u grimage for vain- 
 
 honest, and expedient. ihe nrste is forto be quykh glory -,hut he 
 and deuoutli remembrid in the place of pilgrimage for his own 
 
 editicut ion * 
 
 upon Goddis worthinessis, hise benefetis, and punysch- 
 ingis, his holi lijf and passioun, or upon summe Seintis 
 holi conuersacioun, or forto haue quietnes and sool- 
 nes to preie to God or to a Seint ; and al this forto 
 do there, bi cause that bothe he schal be there fer 
 fro his owne hous, (and therfore fer fro thou^tis 
 whiche wolde come into him, if he were in his owne 
 hous and with his owne meyne,) and also for that 
 God hath chose thilk place in which he wole do and 
 wirche and ^eue singulerli bifore that he wole do 
 ^eue and wirche in manie othere placis; as it is bifore 
 schewid, that he wole in summe placis bifore othere 
 placis so do. And if a man go in pilgrimage to a 
 place for this entent oonli, which is for his owne edi- 
 ficacioun oonli, he mai go priueli thider as weel as 
 openli, and aboute mydny^t as wel as about myddai ; 
 for he entendith not to ensaumple his deede of vertu 
 to eny othir persoon. 
 
 But ferthermore, for as miche as we han teching of Or for the pur- 
 Crist, Mat. v e . c., that we mowe leefulli and mery torili agood exampfe : 
 do oure vertuose deedis openli bifore othere men, 
 vndir this entent that thei be moued forto do in lijk 
 maner vertuoseli, therfore vndir an other entent, which 
 
236 
 
 pecock's repressor 
 
 Chap, xt. is the ij e . entent, a "man mai vertuoseli, honestli, and 
 expedientli go in pilgrimage in such maner that ther- 
 bi he ensaumple his dede of pilgrimage to be folewid 
 of othere men, that thei go in pilgrimage thanne or 
 in sum other leiser which thei wolen 1 to hem silf point 
 forto edifie hem silf, as he goith thidir for to edifie 
 him silf. And open ynow it is, that who euer wole 
 go in pilgrimage vnder this ij e . entent, he muste do it 
 openli and not priueli ; and ellis he failith in his pil- 
 grimage. Forwhi ellis his deede answerith not to his 
 entent, as it is open ynou^. 
 Or else, in onier In the iii e . maner a man mai so in pilgrimage 
 
 to keep up the J fc> r o o 
 
 ™ai m t 0 a«d f the e vnc ^ r entent forto supporte and menteyne that the 
 place ° fth ° niynde of the Seint and the mynde of his lyuyng 
 and the mynde of the benefet, which God hath ^ouun 
 to us, bi that thilk Seint lyued so weel ; or ellis for- 
 to supporte and menteyne the mynde herof, that God 
 hath chose thilk place and thilk memorial, (whether 
 it be an ymage or a relik,) that thilk mynde die not 
 and falle not into for^eting. For thou^ it be suffi- 
 cientli in Goddis power forto menteyne the fame of 
 thilk place and of the ymage and of the seid chesing 
 and of her holynes, yit men ou^ten do her part bi 
 kindenes and gentilnes for to bi her power menteyne 
 the same, and that bi word and bi deede of haunting 
 and comyng thidir. And this supporting and meyn- 
 tenaunce of this fame of the place of the ymage and 
 of the Seint and of the seid chesing, which God hath 
 maad there to be doon bi pilgrimage, cannot be do 
 anentis othere folk, but if the pilgrimage be don 
 openli, as it is open ynou^ to ech mannys resoun. 
 Those arc three And sithen it is 2 openli schewid that a man may 
 
 lawful intents or * t * 
 
 andThe't^iast"' l eem Uy ana expedientli and honestli do a pilgrimage, 
 intents require no fc oonli in the firste maner but also in the ij e . 
 
 1 wole, MS. (first hand). ■ is is interlincated by a later 
 
 Land. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 237 
 
 maner, yhe, and also in the iij°. maner, tho clerkis Ciiaf. xv. 
 whiche seen and knowen oonli the firste maner of that it should bo 
 doing pilgrimage and not seen and knowen the ij e . and 
 iij e . maners, ben ouer hasti, eer thei be ful leerned, 
 forto blame eny man for this, that he doith his pil- 
 grimage miche openli vndir the ij e . or iij e . seid ententis 
 or maners of pilgrimage doing. 
 
 And thanne ferther in this mater thus : Sithen it , Si " c e the two 
 
 last-named 
 
 is leeful, honest, and expedient a man forto do his motives of doing 
 
 A > pilgrimage 
 
 pilgrimage in the ii e . and iif. now bifore seid maners require that it 
 
 1 ° ° J J be done publicly, 
 
 and ententis forto denounce to the peple dwelling or a p* 1 *™" 1 mav 
 
 r r ° well and reason- 
 
 to be mett in the wey of the pilgrimage, that he ■Wy 1 0B PI 
 
 •> r o s ' visible tokens 
 
 goith into such or such a place in pilgrimage, for to jj^^eof his 
 prouoke hem into pilgrymage or forto quykee in hem journey, 
 the mynde and remembraunce of the bifore seid 
 thingis, (and open it is that this denouncing to othere 
 seers and biholders may not be mad so effectuali to 
 hem bi the oonli open going of the pilgrim 1 in his 
 persoon and with his meyne thoru^ the wey or the 
 strete thidirward, as if he schulde proclame bi his 
 owne speche or bi hise seruauntis speche to ech man 
 which he schulde meete forto seie thus : " Lo, biholde 
 " weel y go now a ' 2 pilgrimage into such a place," and 
 ^it forto denounce and publische his going in pil- 
 grimage bi this maner is not so eesi and so effectual, 
 neither so continuel, as if the pilgrime bere openli 
 visibili in his hond to alle men whiche schal meete a 
 signe bitokenyng openli that he goith into such a 
 place in pilgrimage, which signe is an ymage of wex 
 or of tre or of sum metal,) — wherfore 3 a ful good and 
 a resonable cause it is to ech pilgrime, which wolde 
 make his pilgrimage vndir the ij e . or iij e . bifore weel 
 approued entent, that he bere openli an ymage of wex 
 or of tree or of metal or of stoon in his hond, that 
 
 1 of pilgrimage, MS. (first hand). I 3 Perhaps we should read ther- 
 
 2 of, MS. (first hand). | fore. 
 
238 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 LChap. xv. alle men whiche schulen se him go or meete with 
 him, be remembrid therbi that he gooth in pilgrimage 
 and that thei bi thilk ensaumpling be stirid for to at 
 sum while make her pilgrimages. 1 And so a ful good 
 and a ful resonable cause mai be, for which a pilgrime 
 may bere an ymage openli in the wey, other than the 
 cause which the x e . argument spekith of, which is the 
 Vein glorie of the berer. 
 Furthpr, i^f the And ^it ferther in this mater thus: If thilk ymage 
 beTeftasvotfve be offrid up in the place into which the pilgrimage 
 
 offerings in the . J \ . • *T » 
 
 place of piu-rim- is mad, and be hangid up into open snt forto there 
 
 age, others will . i 1 /> • 
 
 be the more abide, vndir this entent that who euer schal aftirward 
 
 kindled into de- . , 
 
 votjon towards come into the same place he schal weel se bi thilk 
 
 God or the 1 
 
 Saint in that ymas;e that sum man, (as the offrer of thilk vmage,) 
 
 place ; more * ° v . . . 
 
 especially it these hadde deuocioun forto visite thilk place bi pilgrimage, 
 
 be the costly . . ... 
 
 offerings of men and mai therbi be stirid forto do pilgrimage into the 
 
 of rank and I o o 
 
 station. same place, (and the mo suche ymagis up offrid hange 
 
 there, the more ech comer thidir and biholder of hem 
 mai be stirid forto visite thilk place bi pilgrimage) ; 
 and if a notable ymage be offrid up there, 1 it 
 schal moue the seers for to enquere who offrid thilk 
 ymage ; and if it be answerid, that a bischop or an 
 other notable man it offrid there and it brou^t thidir 
 bi pilgrimage, the seer and heerer hereof schal thinke 
 that the offrer therof hadde sum notable cause forto 
 so bringe thilk ymage thidir and so offre it, and 
 therbi be the more stirid into deuocioun toward God 
 or the Seint in thilk place. Wherfore it folewith, 
 that a ful good cause is forto offre and leue such an 
 ymage for to contynueli abide openli in the place of 
 pilgrimage, (^he, a myche better cause than is the 
 feyned scornefully cause of which the x e . argument 
 makith mension,) and therfore alle tho persoones 
 whiche blamen pilgrimes, (and namelich notable per- 
 
 1 pilgrimage, MS. (first hand). I line) joins the words up there in 
 
 2 A hyphen (at the end of the I the MS. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 239 
 
 soones, as bischopis or kny^tis,) forto here openli chap. xv. 
 ymagis in pilgrimagis, aud forto offre up and leue 
 tho ymagis in the placis of pilgrimagis for the now 
 seid ententis, schewen hem silf at the leest as ther 
 yn foolis. Forwhi thei schewen hem silf not to vn- 
 dirstonde that suche deedis mowen 1 be doon vnder 
 suche now seid ententis, whiche ententis ben openli 
 to al the world leeful, honest, and expedient ynou^. 
 And ferthermore, sithen it longith to preestis and to 
 bischopis forto ensaumple vertuose and deuoute deedis 
 rather than to othere louder men, whiche deedis for to 
 ensaumple is not vnaccording to preestis and bi- 
 schopis, it folewith that these seid 2 bermgis of ymagis 
 in pilgrimage, and the leeuyngis of tho ymagis in the 
 placis of offring, bisemen and bicomen preestis and 
 bischopis as weel as othere men, the, and more than 
 othere louder men. And this is ynou^ for answere to 
 the x e . argument. 
 
 To the xi e . argument y answere by likenes thus : The eleventh 
 
 . ~ .i si 1 • i ARGUMENT AN- 
 
 It is writun, Ysaie i e . c. that God seid to the peple swered. jo>hua 
 
 _ . 7 • /> 110 more forbad 
 
 thus: Do ze awey the yuel of zoure thouztis fro the a11 images to be 
 
 77 . / 9 J J 7 .. 7 J used, by ordering 
 
 myddis oj zou, euen as, losue xxnij . c, losue seide : strange gods to 
 Do ze aivey alien Goddis fro the myddis of zou : but tha » Rod forbad 
 
 / * . A ■, . * all t hinking when 
 
 certis open it is, that it folewith not bi vertu and he ordered evil 
 
 l t* i • i thoughts to bo 
 
 strengthe of the seid text, Ysaie 4 l . c, that therfore P ut day- 
 men ou^ten do awey fro hem good thouitis. Wher- 
 fore of the text bifore alleggid in the xj e . argument, 
 losue xxiiij 6 . c., whanne it is seid thus : Do ze awey 
 alien Goddis fro the myddis of you, folewith not 
 therof or therbi, that men ou^ten do a wey fro the 
 myddis of hem ymagis, whiche ben not alien Goddis. 
 And thus it is li^t and esy forto answere to the xj a . 
 argument. 
 
 1 mowe, MS. (first hand). i 3 as losue seide, MS. (first hand). 
 
 1 seid is interlineated by a later * of Ysaie, MS. (first hand), 
 hand. 
 
240 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 xvj. Chapiter. 
 
 The 'hvelith: For answere to the xii e . argument y graunte the i e . 
 
 ARGUMENT AN- . J ° i n 
 
 swEEED. it is premisse ot the argument, and y denye the ii e . pre- 
 
 not true that 1 . . , .. . . . m , , , 
 
 jews or heathens mysse of it : which if. premisse is this: I hat bothe 
 
 worshipped the " . " . . • 
 
 work of men's lewis and hethen men worschipiden ymagis tor Goddis, 
 
 hands for gods, . * r ° ' 
 
 without further whiche thei wisten be mad bi mannys hondis, — if 
 
 qualification. . * . 
 
 Proof of this thilk premysse be vndnstonde thus, that thei wor- 
 
 from Scripture, . 
 
 of h «ieheat?ien S sc l a ipi < 3. eri en y suche ymagis withoute more therto sett, 
 are called deuiZs. ag f or e ny ful hool God. For that this is vntrewe y 
 
 (Ps. xcvi.) J m J 
 
 schal schewe bi witnessing of Holi Scripture, and bi 
 witnessing of him which was an ydolatrer and a greet 
 clerk among hethen men, (whos name is Hermes Tris- 
 megistus, 2 ) and also bi doom of resoun. First, bi tes- 
 timonye of Hob Scripture thus. It is writun in the 
 lxxxxv*. Psalme thus: Alle goddis of hethen men ben 
 feendis, forsothc God made heuenes. But so it is, that 
 noon ymagis maad bi mennys hondis ben feendis or 
 weren euere feendis. Wherfore no Goddis of hethen 
 men ben or weren oonli ymagis mad bi mennys hondis. 
 Cei-tis this argument is so formal a sillogisme that no 
 man may denye his forme in proceding : and the 
 firste premysse is witnessid pleinli bi Holi Scripture 
 in lxxxxv 6 . Psalme, and the ij e . premysse is open and 
 sure ynou£ in ech mannis resoun. Wherfore the con- 
 clusioun of the same argument is also needis to be 
 trewe. 
 
 Further proof Also Hermes Trismegistus in his book, (as Austyn 
 mony of Hennea rehercid, [Lib.] viij. De Civ. Dei, c. xxiij. and c. 
 whohc^dthat xxiiij. 3 ,) seith pleinli, " that tho ymagis whiche he 
 
 1 ben, MS. (first hand). 
 
 2 Trimegistus, MS., and so also 
 below. 
 
 3 " Ille (Hermes Trismegistus) 
 visibilia et contrectabilia simulacra 
 
 velut corpora Deorum esse asserit ; 
 incsse autem his quosdam spiritus 
 invitatos, qui valeant aliquid, sive ad 
 nocendum, sive ad desideria eorum 
 nounulla complenda, a quibus eis 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 241 
 
 " and othere hethen men worschipiden for Goddis, CgAP - xn - 
 " weren ymagis maad quyke bi pure Goddis descend- *™^g d ^y™. 
 " ing and alnting into hem:" and so bi witnessing of dwelling gods, 
 this greet clerk ydolatrer he and othere hethen men 
 worschipiden not for Goddis the baar ymagis, as thei 
 weren made bi mennys hondis. And no man couthe 
 ^eue to us surer and sikerer and trewer instruccioun 
 how ydolatrers diden, than he which was an ydolatrer 
 in him silf, and was a greet clerk among hem, and 
 was a greet defender of ydolatrie bi hise writingis. 
 
 Bi resoun also y mai proue this same present pur- The same thing 
 
 * * . . proved by reason. 
 
 pos thus: Hethen men and also lewis weren 1 neuer The teamed Jews 
 so lewid that thei passiden in lewidnes children of x. never stupidly 
 
 A .... imagined that a 
 
 ^eer age now lynyng, or suche persoones whiche m woribaaneould 
 these daies ben clepid and take for foolis. Forwhi 
 the deedis of greet wisdom which thei diden schewen 2 
 weel that thei weren 3 ful wise, and as wise as ben 
 now the wisist of Cristen men, as euydence herto ful 
 good is sett in the firste premysse of the xij". argu- 
 ment. And sithen it is so, that no child neither eny 
 other fonnysch man now lyuyng wole knouleche and 
 bileeue, that a carpenter or a masoun schal or mai 
 make a thing better than him silf, and such a thing 
 that schal helpe men and do weel to hem, and to 
 whiche thei mowe weel preie for help in her nedis ; 
 it folewith that the grete naciouns of hethen men and 
 of lewis with solempne kingis and emperouris and 
 othere lordis and grete clerk is neuer so myche dotiden 
 and erriden forto worschipe and take eny ymage maad 
 bi man, that it withoute more therto had schulde be 
 to hem her Souereyn Lord and her God. 
 
 divini honores et cultus obsequia 
 deferuntur." S. Aug., De Civ. Dei, 
 lib. viii. c. 23., where much more 
 may be seen to the same purpose. 
 The work referred to by S. Augus- 
 tine is the Asclepius, or ASyos Te'Aeios, 
 a Neo-Platonic production, which 
 
 may be assigned to the third century 
 after Christ, being probably the 
 earliest of the works attributed to 
 Hermes Trismegistus. 
 
 1 were, MS. (first hand). 
 
 2 schewith, MS. (first hand). 
 
 3 were, MS. (first hand). 
 
 Q 
 
212 
 
 pecock's repressor 
 
 Chap, xyi. "What thanne was the hool thing which thei wor- 
 into\l'e oH^n of scn ^P^ en ^ or God, good it were forto here leerne 
 hf^rS' M ? ny ^ and knowe. And forto here the treuthe herof this 
 
 in old times lived 
 
 of nature^vitti^ mus te he seid in this mater. Soone aftir the hig)Ti- 
 m^ie e fromGod n J n S °f the world, bisidis hern that lyueden in doom 
 of t a hMecouw me °^ resoun an d therwith recuyueden bileeue fro God 
 ««m materiai her and aungehs, summe othere and manye lyueden in 
 Sdveree Ce whic t h C doom °f resoun oonLi and receyueden not such now 
 etl?na e ifand das seid bileeue delyuered to the world bi God and bi 
 that the C harmo- aun g e bs. And of these men summe in her resonyng 
 pbSrated 8 couthen not fynde that ther was or is eny other sub- 
 g^a/eiementr 6 ' staunce being saue bodili substaunce, as the iiij. ele- 
 Jwsome or hey mentis binethe, with alle the mengid bodies maad of 
 theu- r |ods! ese as uem * n the e "*> * u * ne see > and m ei 'the, summe 
 lyuyng summe not lyuyng, and as the vij. planetis 
 of heuen with her orbis and whelis, and as the fix 
 stems with her orbe or whele. And ferthermore 
 these men, bi cause thei fonden that in the planetis 
 and stems and her seid orbis and whelis weren noon 
 contrarietees 1 suche as ben in the iiij. elementis by- 
 nethe, therfore thei concludiden and helden that al 
 the bodili heuen aboue the iiij. elementis with alle 
 hise parties was vnmaad, and was euer withoute bi- 
 gynnyng of tyme, and schal euer be withoute corrup- 
 cion and withoute noon being. And ferthermore, for 
 as myche as these men aspieden weel bi greet witt, 
 that the seid parties of heuen reuliden ful myche the 
 worchingis of bodies here binethe in the louier world, 
 and tbei couthen not come ferther forto wite what 
 was doon in eny bodi here binethe which deede was 
 not reulid bi hem aboue, therfore thei helden and 
 trowiden that the bodili heuen and hise seid parties 
 reuliden al that was reuleable here bynethe among 
 men and among othere bodies and thingis; and folew- 
 ia.'li herof thei helden and trowiden that heuen and 
 
 1 contraritecs, MS. (first band). 
 
THE SECOXD PART. 
 
 243 
 
 hise parties weren the best thingis in al the hool chap, xyi. 
 
 vnyuersite of thingis and of beingis. And sithen ech 
 
 of these men feelid weel in himsilf, that he hadde 
 
 nede for to haue help and reuling more than an other 
 
 man my^te do to him, and that in manye caasis ; 
 
 and bettir help mytte he not loke afbir than summe 
 
 of tho thingis whiche he trowid to be beste thingis, 
 
 as weren in his conceit and semyng the bodili heuen 
 
 and hise seid bodili parties ; therfore ech such man 
 
 was stirid and moved forto chese to him summe of 
 
 these planetis or sterns forto be to him his souereyn 
 
 helper and lord of hise nedis, and therbi ech such 
 
 man made to him sum planet or sterre forto be to 
 
 him his God. And manye of these men accordiden 
 
 to gidere in chesing to hem oon and the same thing 
 
 for her God, and manye othere accordiden to gidere in 
 
 chesino- to hem an other thing for her God. And 
 
 thus it was with men of the seid soort lyuyng in 
 
 resoun oonli withoute feith, and wliich my^ten not 
 
 in doom of her resoun rise hi^er or fynde ferther, 
 
 than that alle substauncis in the hool vnyuersite of 
 
 thingis ben bodies oonli. 
 
 Summe othere and manye weren quycker in natural others dis- 
 witt and waxiden better 1 philsophiris, and in her re- umrt^uiSvCTsc 
 sonyng thei founden that in the hool vniuersite of n°uaTas1re?i*as 
 thingis ben vnbodili substauncis, (that is to seie, spi- stances! and 
 ritis,) bisidis the bodili substauncis in the same hool to be e uncreated S 
 vniuersite of thingis; and thei couth en not fynde bi andtheiniWpai 
 her resoun, but that tho spiritis weren vnmade and destiny.' These 
 vndeedli withoute bigynnyng or eending in tyme ; and c iloL a for their ly 
 that these spiritis weren gretter reulers of chauncis | u ?ed that they 
 and deedis doon here bynethe than the bodili Enifo-todeseendinto 
 
 ,. .. i> 1 1 i .fi • i o rich and precious 
 
 stauncis, being parties of the bodili heuen, weren ' images made in 
 
 1 better added in the margin in a I 2 were, MS. (first hand), 
 later (?) hand. I 
 
 Q 2 
 
244 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 their honour, 
 and unite them- 
 selves to them ; 
 and so worship- 
 ped these images, 
 which they had 
 themselves made, 
 for very gods ; 
 but under the 
 idea that the 
 Godhead had 
 incorporated 
 itself with the 
 image. 
 
 reulers of chauncis here bynethe. And whether among 
 these sj)iritis oon was worthiest and Invest ouer alle 
 the othere or no, thei wisten not ; but thei trowiden 
 weel that ech of hem was a greet prince and a reuler 
 of this world, and that ech man hadde nede forto 
 haue loue and fauour and good lordschip of ech of 
 hem. And thanne for as miche as ech such seid man 
 knewe weel and feelid weel in him silf, that he hadde 
 nede to more help and to better lordschip than eny 
 man my^te do and ^eue to him in erthe; and he her- 
 with trowid no thing be better and my^tier and ver- 
 tuoser than ech of these spiritis to be, and that ech 
 of tho spiritis was sufficient forto be his good lord, 
 louer, helper and socorer in needis, therfore ech such 
 man was moued bi doom of resoun forto chese to him 
 such a spirit to be to him his Souereynest Lord and 
 so to be to him his God. And thanne ferther, sithen 
 him thou^te in his resoun that forto cleue to a thing 
 as to his Souereyn Lord, whom he wolde worschipe, 
 loue, and serue, and yit for to haue noon homelynes 
 with the same tiring were an vnchereful thing to the 
 same man, and it were damageful to the Lord so 
 chosun, (in as myche as in this straungenes the lasse 
 worschip and the lasse loue and seruice this man 
 schulde do to him,) and her with al him thou^te 
 that thilk Lord was resonable, was curteis, was gentil, 
 and louyng, and also wijs forto consente into a purpos 
 strecching in to his more worschiping and seruyng ; 
 therfore thilk man deemed in his resoun that if he 
 wolde make an honest, fair, riche, and preciose ymage 
 vndir this entent, that oon such seid hi^ spirit schulde 
 vouche saaf forto ali^te and descende into it, thilk 
 spirit wolde al redi conforme him to the seid entent 
 of the man. And furthermore, sithen men knewen 
 weel the power of spiritis to be ful grete and to be 
 gretter than men my^ten comprehende, men trowiden 
 that tho spiritis wolden so ioyne hem silf with tho 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 245 
 
 ymagis in so curiose and hi^e and incomprehensible Cn.«\ 
 maner aboue mannys witt, that of the spirit and of 
 the ymage to gidere in an vndeclarable maner schulde 
 be maad a sensible God ; sumwhat lijk to the maner 
 in which we Cristen men bileeuen that God descen- 
 did into mankind e and couplid so to him a singuler 
 mankinde, that he which was bifore pure God invisi- 
 bili was aftirvvard sensible visibil man, and wolde so 
 be and lyue among men for loue which he hadde to 
 men and for nede which men hadden therto. And her 
 upon men maden suche seid ymagis and assaieden 
 forto stire and prouoke suche seid spiritis forto de- 
 scende and come into tho maad ymagis, and where 
 and whanne thei weeneden and trowiden gode spiritis 
 forto haue come into tho ymagis, badde spiritis en- 
 triden into tho ymagis ; and bi certein whilis wolden 
 moue and speke and wirche sensibili in tho ymagis, 
 and bi manye othere whilis thei Avolden 1 do no thing 
 sensibili in the same ymagis, and herbi tho feendis 
 lettiden and bigileden thilk men forto labore ferther 
 that thei my^ten fynde the verri God which is God 
 of Cristen men. And so, forto come into the point 
 for which y write this processe, these hethen men 
 worschipiden not the pure ymage in it silf as for her 
 God, (no more than Cristen men worschipen now the 
 singuler manhede of Crist as for Grist and as for 
 God,) and ^it the hethen men helden her God to be 
 bodili and bodied in a maner which thei couthen not 
 at fulle vndiistonde, euen as we Cristen men holden 
 now oure God to be bodili and to be bodied in a 
 maner which no Cristen man kan at the ful com- 
 prehende and vndirstonde. And as it is trewe that 
 Cristen men worschipen a man and a born man in 
 this world for her God, but thei worschipen not so 
 
 1 wolde, MS. (first hand). 
 
246 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. xvi. the pure manhode in him silf with oute more thert 
 sett ; so the hethen men worschipiden an ymage and 
 a bodili graued thing for her God, but not the pure 
 bodili graued ymage in him silf with oute more for 
 her God. And so these ij e . thingis whiche Scripture 
 seith of ydolatrers stonden to gidere and ben trewe : 
 that alle Goddis of hethen men ben feendis ; and also 
 in the cxxxiiij 6 . Psalme, that the Goddis of hethen men 
 ben gold and siluer, the werkis of mennis hondis ; 
 euen as Cristen men wolen graunte these ij. thingis 
 stonde to gidere and be to gidere trewe ; that God is 
 a Spirit vnbodili ; and the same God is a man, and 
 a bodi bigete of a womman, and nurischid of hir, 
 and which was slein, and was mad deede. Thus 
 miche is ynou£, as for now and here, forto knowe 
 how ydolatrie came vp. 
 Confirmation of And that this conceit of ydolatrie is not feyned, it 
 
 this account of ... 
 
 the origin of i s open. Forwhi ellis Holi Scripture herto bifore 
 
 idolatry. The r i l 
 
 passages of alleged mai not conuenientli and likely be saued, nei- 
 
 bcripture which oo J ' 
 
 speak of idols as ^her ^jjg testimony e of Hermes mai ellis weel stonde, 
 
 devils reconciled » 
 
 ngwwbtoi?* 6 ' ne ^ ner I'esoun mai consent how ydolatrie in so wise 
 onivU?e works 3,8 persoones schulde in other wise bigynne and be doon. 
 of men's hands. Ferthermore, for as mychfi as the seide hethen men 
 trowiden the seid ymagis to haue be quyke continueli 
 with the seid spiritis whom thei trowiden to haue be 
 Goddis, therfore^tho hethen men trowiden tho ymagis 
 to haue alwey herd what men spakcn to hem and 
 haue seen what was doon to hem ; thou* for hi^ dig- 
 nite thei wolden not at alle tymes ^eue answeris, nei- 
 ther at alle tymes schewe that thei herden and sawen 
 and my^ten move hem silf, into tyme thei weren 
 myche preied and weel serued and plesid of men. 
 And lit al this was vntrewe ; for feendis, whiche 
 ben bad spiritis and enemyes to men, entriden at 
 summe whilis tho ymagis, not making tho ymagis to 
 be quyke, neither forto heere or se or speke, neither 
 making oon persoon of the ymage and of the feend 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 247 
 
 entrid ; but the feendis moveden tho ymagis, and chap. XVI. 
 spaken bi hem, and ful ofte left tho ymagis to be bi 
 hem silf withoute eny feend mouer and withoute eny 
 speker bi hem and in hem. And therfore alle the 
 vpbreidis and alle the reproues which Holi Writ 
 ^eueth to the worschipers of tho ymagis (as Baruch 
 vj e . c., Ysaie xliiij 6 . c., and in the Sauter, the cxiij e . and 
 the cxxxiiij 6 . psalmes, and in manye othere placis,) 
 were treuly iouun to tho ydolatrers in this sen- 
 tence and vndirstonding, that in tho ymagis, whiche 
 ydolatrers taken with more therto sett for her Goddis, 
 weren noon othere spiritis thanne feendis, and that 
 in manye tymes whanne tho ydolatrers worschipiden 
 tho ymagis as hauyng in hem summe othere thingis, 
 tho ymagis hadden in hem noon othere thingis than 
 gold and siluer and the werkis of mennys hondis. 
 And if Holi Scripture in the placis of Scripture now 
 spokun be vndirstonde in this now bi me formed 
 sentence, certis alle tho reprouyng and upbreiding pro- 
 cessis vpon ydolatrers ben trewe, and alle her vpbreid- 
 ingis mad ben iust ; and that whether tho idolatrers 
 weren hethen men or lewis. 
 
 xvij. Chapiter. 
 
 Forto make bi al this proces an answere to the The twelfth 
 
 r ARGUMENT 
 
 xij e . argument it is to be seid thus: The hethen answered. ^ The 
 
 ° ° learned heathen, 
 
 men, of which it is now seid that thei worschipiden a "o P *e by°thdr n 
 ymagis for her Goddis, diden so and camen into flXtryby not* 0 
 thilk greet synne of ydolatrie, bi cause thei neuer reasonabie^vi^ 
 receyueden the feith which othere men (not being ^th^hM? 8 
 ydolatrers) in tho same daies receyueden : but tho others received - 
 hethen men trustiden as into al her reule to the doom 
 of resoun, and wolden not seche aftir forto attende 
 to the euydencis whiche thei my^ten bi doom of re- 
 
248 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. XTII. 
 
 Many also of the 
 Jews fell into 
 idolatry by not 
 continuing to 
 attend to the 
 evidences of their 
 own faith, and 
 by following 
 their own and 
 other nations' 
 conceits. 
 
 But now both 
 Heathens. Jews, 
 and Christians 
 are so well con- 
 vinced of the 
 unity of God, 
 that there is no 
 peril of idolatry 
 to any one from 
 the use of 
 images. 
 
 soun haue had for the feith, which othere men in 
 tho daies hadden and to whiche thei attendiden. And 
 therfore the principal clerkis and grettist and wor- 
 thiest reulers of tho hethen men fillen into idolatrie 
 bi the now discriued and tau^t maner, and the s}-mpler 
 partie of hem folewiden the worthier and the more 
 wijs partie, as hem thou^te it was conuenient forto 
 do ; and thus al the greet multitude fil into ydolatrie 
 and continueden therin. 
 
 Manye also of the lewis, whiche weren 1 bifore suffi- 
 cientli instructid in the feith of oon God and of veil 
 God and in the evidences longing therto, fillen bi her 
 necUgence fro the attendaunce which schulde haue 
 be £ouun bi a continuaunce to tho evidencis ; and 
 thanne thei reuUden hem after her owne witt and 
 after the wittis of the hethen men, whiche weren in 
 tho daies miche wijse and grete philsophiris. And 
 therfore and therbi manie of the lewis at dyuerse 
 tymes fillen into ydolatrie and continueden therinne. 
 
 But now sumwhat bifore the birthe of Crist alle 
 lewis camen into so greet attendaunce to the euydencis 
 of verry feith teching oon God to be, and also aftir 
 the passioun of Crist hider to in this 2 present day so 
 gret doom of resoun hath be founde bothe of hethen 
 men and of lewis and of Cristen men, and herwith 
 also so grete evidencis of the feith teching oon God 
 to be aloon ben hadde in so greet haunt and vce and 
 in so long confermed continuaunce, that a this side the 
 passioun of Crist was not into this present dai eny 
 ydolatrie among lewis neither among hethen men, 
 whiche lyuen in eny notable famose sect ; or, if 
 among hethen men be eny ydolatrie, it is in ful 
 fewe placis among wrecchid persoones not sett bi of 
 othere hethen men. And sithen al this is trewe, (as 
 
 1 were, MS. (first hand). 
 
 I s iutltis, MS. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 249 
 
 ech wijs man can it recorde to be trewe,) herof it chap. xvii. 
 
 muste nedis folewe that now adaies it is not perel to' 
 
 Cristen men neithir to the lewis neither to hethen 
 
 men forto haue and entermete with ymagis of God, 
 
 as it was in the daies fer bifore going the incarna- 
 
 cioun of Crist. And the cause herof is now next 
 
 bifore seid, that the knowing of oon verri God is 
 
 more substanciali and more sureli and confermedli 
 
 had now than it was bifore in tho eeldist daies. 
 
 Neither it is to be drad that eny Cristen men ben 
 
 priueli ydolatrers bi occasioun of ymagis. And the 
 
 cause is now bifore seid, which [is] that the feith of 
 
 oon God is so weel attendid to and so weel confer- 
 
 med, and doom of resoun longing therto is so miche 
 
 hi^ed aboue that it was in eeldist daies, that noon 
 
 such drede is to be had now of ydolatrie as was longe 
 
 bifore in eeldist daies to be drad. And this is ynou^ 
 
 for answere to the xij e . argument. 
 
 If eny man wole obiecte a^ens my conceit now it may be ob- 
 bifore sett vpon the bigynnyng and cause of idolatrie, origin of idolatry 
 
 , ° J J ° , . . . . „ 'is affirmed in the 
 
 and wole allegge atens me what is writen m ba- Book of wisdom 
 
 .... ^ fiii- i i n to have sprung 
 
 pience xmf. c. oi the bigynnyng and the cause of from the deffi- 
 
 i n • i 7-r t .7 7 - i 7 cation of dead 
 
 ydolatrie thus : h orsothe idohs weren 1 not at the pen. The ot>- 
 biqi/nnyng, neither tho schulen be withoute ende. Scripture, re*. 
 
 j j j j> # son and the 
 
 Forwhi the voulnessis of men jounden these vdolis testimony of 
 
 t,,. 7 ; Hermes are 
 
 into the world, and therfore the eend of tho is ™. or ? t0 he cre- 
 
 T7 7- 7 7 • 7- dlted tha " 311 
 
 founden schort. I ovwia the fadir making soroive apocryphal book 
 
 . 7 . written by I'hilo 
 
 with bitter moorning, made soone to him an iimage Judseus. More- 
 
 i • j -77 77. ovcr ' tne °"g in 
 
 of the sone which was rauischid, and biqanne to assigned in that 
 
 7 • 7 • /~r 7 7 * 7 7 7 7 hook is too late : 
 
 worschipe him now as hod, which was deed thanne t0T the ful \ , 
 
 77 7 7 7 7-7. 7 ./. canses of idolatry 
 
 as man: and he ordeyned holi thinqs and sacnncis existed earlier, 
 
 " and therefore no 
 
 among hise seruanntis. Aftirward in the tyme f^^^y 
 cornyng bitwixe, whanne the wiokid custom ivas 
 strong, this errour ivas kept as a lawe, and ymagis 
 
 1 were, MS. (first hand). 
 
250 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Ciiap. xvii. iveren worscliipid bi lordschip of tyrannys, et ccetera : 
 — certis herto y answere thus : If this processe writun 
 Sapience xiiij 6 . c. meene that thilk maner, which is 
 there sett and seid, ydolatrie biganne in the world, 
 as it semeth that thilk processe schulde it meene, 
 thanne y seie and holde that thilk proces, Sapience 
 xiiij 6 . c., is vntrewe. And forto so holde, whilis 
 y haue strong euydence bi Holi Scripture and bi 
 resoun and bi witnes of him which was a greet clerk 
 among idolatrers, y may be bold ynow^. For the 
 Book of Sapience is not a book of Holi Scripture, 
 and the nakid affermyng of the writer and maker of 
 thilk book of Sapience, whos name was Philo, 1 is not 
 so myche to be bileeued neither so myche to be cleued 
 to 2 as it is to bileeue or cleue to Holi Scripture, and 
 to the euydencis which y haue bifore here write and 
 sett for fundacioun of my conceit vpon the bigynnyng 
 and cause of ydolatrie. And ^it ferther and more to 
 hem y mai sette this skile thus : Whanne euer weren 
 the ful causis of ydolatrie, was ydolatrie: but so it is, 
 that ful causis of ydolatrie whiche y haue bifore here 
 write weren bifore thilk fadiris dai of which the 
 xiiij". chapiter of Sapience spekith, and that as miche 
 and as ful as thei han be a this side the deies of 
 thilk fadir. And no raann 3 maie seie but that tho 
 causis musten 4 needis bringe forth ydolatrie, whanne 
 euere thei were. Wherfore it is rather to be holde 
 that ydolatrie was bifore the daies of thilk fadir, (as 
 it was aftir hise daies,) than that idolatrie biganne 
 
 1 Teeock got this notion from the 
 Prologue to Wisdom in the Vulgate, 
 ■which is also prefixed to the book 
 in Wiclifs translation, from -which 
 (in its later form) he has cited the 
 above passage. See WicL BibL 
 vol. 3, p. 85. The prologue runs 
 thus : " Liber Sapientiae apud 
 
 Ilebrrcos nusquam est. Unde et 
 ipse stylus Graecam magis cloquen- 
 tiam redolet Hunc Juda?i Philonis 
 esse affirmant." 
 
 * to is added by a later hand. 
 
 3 man, MS. (first hand). 
 
 4 mustc, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 251 
 
 in the daies of thilk fadir. And so (as it semeth to chap. xvir. 
 me) credence is not to be ^ouun to the xiiij e . chapiter 
 of Sapience, as in that. 
 
 If symple men wolen wondre here whi that thilk Th& reason why 
 
 r the books of the 
 
 book of Sapience is so famoseli sett in Biblis now Apocrypha are 
 
 r > united to the 
 
 adaies, the, and liik solempneli as othere bokis of Canonical books 
 
 '/'ii in our Bibles 
 
 Holi Scripture ben sett in the Bible, herto y mai explained, 
 answere thus : That in the bigynnyng of the chirche, 
 soone aftir Cristis passioun, writingis dressing men into 
 holynes weren scant and fewe in reward that thei han 
 ben sithen and aftir in tyme, and Cristen men 1 weren 
 thanne ful myche desirose forto haue deuoute writ- 
 ingis ; and therfore for deuocioun and avidite whiche 
 men in tho daies hadden into goostli techingis thei 
 wroten into her Biblis the book of Philo which is 
 clepid Sapience, and the book of Iesus the sone of 
 Sirak which is clepid Ecclesiastik, and othere mo, for 
 greet deinte which Ci'isten men hadden 2 of tho bokis 
 in tyme of so greet scarsenes of deuoute bokis ; not 
 with stonding that thei wisten these seid bokis not 
 be of Holi Scripture, as Ierom and othere mo openli 
 witnessen that tho bokis ben not of Holi Scripture. 3 
 And this oolde deuocioun forto plante the seid bokis 
 into Biblis, whanne euere Biblis weren in writing, 
 ceecid not into al tyme aftei\ And yit herbi is not 
 the auctorite of tho bokis reisid hi^er than it was 
 bifore ; and namelich it cannot be reisid therbi so 
 hi^e, that it be putt bifore gretter euydencis than is 
 the nakid seiyng of hem. And thus y answere to 
 the laste moued clout. 
 
 1 men is added by a later hand. 
 
 2 hadde, MS. (first hand). 
 
 3 " Porro in eo libro, qui a pleris- 
 que Sapientia Salomonis inscribitur, 
 et in Ecclesiastico, quern esse Jesu 
 
 filii Sirach nullus ignorat, calamo 
 temperavi : tantummodo Canonicas 
 Scripturas vobis emendare deside- 
 rans." S. Hieron. in libros Salon:, 
 juxt. LXX. (Op. torn. x. p. 436., 
 Ed. 1740.) 
 
252 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. XVII. 
 
 Possibly some 
 may agree with 
 what is here said 
 of the abstract 
 lawfulness of 
 images and pil- 
 grimages, but 
 may argue that 
 there is so much 
 mischief mixed 
 up with them, 
 that they will be 
 free to speak 
 against them; 
 and will prefer 
 other means of 
 being reminded 
 of God and his 
 benefits. 
 
 Reply to these 
 rcasoncrs. Let 
 thcin first be 
 »ure of the ex- 
 istence of abuses, 
 and next let 
 them proceed 
 discreetly while 
 they blame them. 
 Nobody is 
 obliged to use 
 
 Perauenture, whanne al this what y haue write of 
 tlie ij e . and iij e . principal gouernauncis in the firste 
 and in the ij e . and iij e . parties of tins book hiderto 
 schal be weel ouer red and schal be weel vndir- 
 stonde, the men whiche were bifore impugners of the 
 seid first and ij e . gouernauncis, that is to seie, of 
 having and vsing ymagis and of doing pilgrimagis, 
 wolen agree and accorde to al what is entendid fro 
 the bigynnyng of the ij e . parti of this book hidir to, 
 (or perauenture fro the bigynnyng of the first parti of 
 this book hidir to,) but thanne thei wolen seie thus : 
 " Thou^ it be leeful and expedient to manie folk 
 " for to haue the seid vce of ymagis and for to do 
 " pilgrimagis, iit we seen so manye viciose gouer- 
 " nauncis mengid ther with or comyng forth therfro, 
 " that we wolen be free forto speke a^ens tho syn- 
 " ful gouernauncis. And also, thou^ it be leeful and 
 " expedient to manye folk is forto vce in _ the seid 
 " maner ymagis and forto haunte pilgrimagis, yit 
 " sithen it is not to alle folk lijk expedient and 
 " profitable, and it is not to eny persoon comaundid 
 " bi doom of resoun or bi Holi Scripture, we wolen 
 " not holde us bounde as bi eny precept of lawe of 
 " kinde or of God forto vce ymagis and do pilgrim- 
 " agis ; but we wolen stonde in oure liberte forto be 
 " remembrid upon God and hise benefetis and the 
 " othere fer bifore rehercid thingis bi suche ymagis 
 " and pilgrymagis, or by redingis and heringis of Holi 
 " Scripture, or by inward meditaciouns, or bi talking 
 " to gidere of oure ncibouris or with oure curat 
 " hauyng cure of oure soulis." 
 
 Sotheli if the men, whiche weren sumtyme impug- 
 ners a^ens ymagis and pilgrimagis, wolen in this now 
 rehercid maner seie and holde, y wole seie to hem 
 a^enward as for her firste seiyng thus : Be je weel 
 avisid what is vicioseli doon and vsid aboute ymagis 
 and pilgrimagis, and be ye siker of the treuthe, bifore 
 
THE SECOND PA11T. 
 
 253 
 
 Ze bigynne to vnrlirnyme it ; and whanne ze ben Chap, xvii. 
 ther of sufficientli leerned and instructid, se ze that images or go 
 
 i ■ , , . , , . 7 . , on pilgrimage, 
 
 m ioure vndirnymynrr ze bere ion discreetli, as the but as these 
 
 7 7 . . 7 are lawful, men 
 
 office of vndivnymynor askith, which is sum what tautt may fairly be 
 bifore in the prolog of this present book: and Goddis abstain from 
 
 10 slandering them 
 
 forbode that eny man forbede iou forto make such and from causing 
 
 J / ... schisms about 
 
 vndirnymyng. And ferthir as anentis the ij e . seiyng them, 
 y haue not herde zit into this day, that eny prelat 
 hath compellid ^ou for to vce ymagis or forto make 
 pilgrimagis : but sithen it is a trouthe of Goddis 
 lawe that ymagis mowen be vcid profitabili and a 
 trouthe it is of Goddis lawe that pilgrimagis mowen 
 be doon fruytefulli, therfore prelatis of the chirche 
 mowen 1 leeffulli compelle ^ou that ze not seie a^ens 
 these treuthis of Goddis lawe ; and that ze lette 
 not othere men forto vce ymagis into the seid dew 
 maner and forto make pilgrimagis in the seid dew 
 maner, thou^ to ^ou silf it likith not forto haue and 
 vse ymagis and forto make pilgrimagis ; and that ze 
 lette not eny othere persoones forto take the seid 
 vce of ymagis and of pilgrimagis in dew maner ; and 
 that ze make no cisme neither disturblaunce neither 
 debate among Cristen peple bi holding 2 a^ens the 
 seid dew vce of ymagis and of pilgrimagis ; and that 
 ze not diffame alle vsers of ymagis and pilgrimagis, 
 bering an hond upon hem that thei ben ydolatrers, 
 whilis they ben 3 noon. And if ze wolen not obeie 
 herto with good wil, after that the cleer teching- of 
 this book fro the bigynnyng of it hidir to is to ^ou 
 mynystrid, (namelich with therto ioyned The book of 
 worschiping,) sotheli y schal neuere birewe zou, thou^ 
 ze be therto dryue bi peynes, and thoui ze for so 
 greet and so perilose obstinacie be soor punyschid. 
 
 ] mowe, MS. (first hand), and 
 perhaps so also in the two instances 
 preceding. 
 
 ! biholding, MS. 
 
 3 be, MS. (first hand). 
 
254 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chaj. XVII. And oon thing truste te weel, that thou^ ze wolde 
 wci/assuretf th-ft WVTlc y an d repugne a^ens the clergie and a^ens alle 
 their cause win tho whiche wolen deuoutli and profitabli vce yniao-is 
 
 never prevail. L jo 
 
 images csta- anc i piWiinaois, ze schulen neuer haue the maistrie. 
 
 bushed by a r o o > 7 
 
 ro^Vad 0 :^ 1 Forwhi Leo the Thridde Emperour, whanne- he was 
 iT a er amsf£eo emperour of the hool Eest and Weest Cristendom, 
 * ersecutedUieii" hnpungned ymagis with al his power, and he brake 
 maintained. ymagis, and punyschid men soor whiche wolde vse 
 hem ; and myche of the Eest cuntre helde with him : 
 but zit, ther upon was mad a greet counceil of all 
 the Eest and Weest clergie bi Gregori the ij e . Pope 
 of Rome ; and it was so stabilid ymagis to be had 
 in chirchis a^ens the Emperouris entent, and the de- 
 uocioun of al the peple in the West partie was therto 
 so greet, that tho ^vhich wolden haue had ymagis to 
 be leid doun myiten not haue her entent. 
 images defended Also Constantvn the v e . (sone of the seid Leo and 
 
 against Coustan- _ , _ v ,, . , . 
 
 tine Copronymus emperour next aitir Ins iadir,) attemptid tlie same 
 
 by Stephen II. 
 
 .V.D.751, and Avhich his fadir bifore attemptid ; but tit Stevyn the 
 
 confirmed by the ,. _ - . Ir ' ^' 
 
 second Nicene u 9 . Pope aienstode him, and aitirward a greet coun- 
 
 Council A.D. 787 J 1 7 ~ ' . . to 
 
 under Adrian 1. ceil was mad bi Pope Adrian 1 and bi the Patnarke 
 
 and Tarasius. . • i o mi •• i • i • 
 
 of Constantinople/ Tharasi, in which counceil in the 
 citee of Nycee the ritt vce of ymagis was eftsoone 
 confermed. 
 
 ah attempts And certis in liik maner it wole fare, who euer 
 
 against the law- * . . . 
 
 iui use of images attempte a2ens the seid vce 01 ymagis. And ther 
 
 will in like man- r . 7 . . J . 0 
 
 nor fail, and fore, sithen ymagis and pugrimagis ben leeful and 
 
 cause nothing ' J f 1 & . ? . .... 
 
 but evil. raowe be profitabili vsid, (as it is sumcienth bi me 
 
 proued here and in The book of ivorschijiing,) and 
 peple ben so sett that thilk vce thei wolen not lacke 
 and leue, it is a greet folie forto thera^ens repugne ; 
 and a greet folie it is forto counceile men into the 
 contrarie, but if a man wole make myche yuel come 
 whanne noon is had, and but if he wole of a litil 
 
 1 Audrian, MS. 
 
 I 2 Constantyn, MS. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 255 
 
 defaut make ten tyraes gretter yuel come forth, chap, xvii. 
 which ou^te not bi eny la we of God to be doon. 
 
 Who euer wole se more for iustifiyng of the seid £ffiKSa 
 first and ij e . principal gouernauncis now bifore tretid to be'^dm 68 
 thoru^out this present ij e . partie of this book, rede 'i^Jhi^g. 
 he oner weel The booh of worschiping thoru^ hise 
 bothe parties, and there of this mater he schal se 
 more toward the fulnes. 
 
 xviij. Chapiter. 
 
 For to make a cleer soiling answere to the xiij e . x^xh^abgu- 
 argument y pntte bifore these vj. reulis or supposi- ED.^Stend^' 
 ciouns. Oon is this : Fro eeldist daies contynueli J^f* The first 
 hidir to men weren 1 woned forto speke and write j^emoriS tuac 
 her wordis not oonli in treiithe, bnt also ther with riThavebeen* 0 " 
 to gidere for to speke and write tho wordis in sum S \u veretf" 
 gaynes and bewte or in sum debciosite ; and into this t^" kiieseLf- s °' 
 eende and purpos thei vsiden certein colouris of re- cvldent - 
 thorik, that with hem her spechis schulde be the more 
 lusti, and thei ordeyneden summe certeyn figuris 
 rennyng therwith forto excuse tho colourid spechis 
 fro vntrouthe, and summe othere certein figuris 
 for to excuse tho spechis fro vncongruyte of gramer : 
 euen ri^t as menn fro eeldist daies hider to weren 
 woned not oonli for to ete her mete, but also ther 
 with forto ete her mete in deliciose maner; and 
 therfore thei ordeyneden spicis and saucis forto 
 therwith make her mete the more sauori and more 
 plesant. This reule is so open to alle men, which 
 taken heede how the myche custom of spechis and 
 writingis ban be maad and ^it ben mad, that nede 
 is not forto make therto eny proof. 
 
 1 were, MS. (first hand). 
 
256 pecock's repressor 
 
 Chap.XVIII. 
 
 The second rule *j "* rem " e 0V SUppOSlcioun is tllis I AlUOng SUChe 
 
 when a man now se [^ colouris and fio-uris of specliis and of 
 
 does anything _ o f 
 
 with one of ins writingis, summe ben these ii. now to be rehercid. 
 
 limbs or with au O ' _ ■* 
 
 instrument, we "Whane a man doitli a deede bi a partie of him, (as 
 
 say by a hgure 1 ' V 
 
 that his limb or \,[ \£g \ l0n< \ or hi s foot.) we vsen for to seie that his 
 
 the instrument »/ 
 
 does it. Proof l 10 nd or his foot dooth thilk deede : not withstanding 
 
 of the rule troiu o 
 
 scripture and that in the speche of verri pure trouthe to be take 
 
 experience. m A . . , . 
 
 withoute colour and figure, it is to be seid that the 
 bond doith not the deede neither the foot dooth the 
 deede, but the ful hool man doith the deede bi his 
 bond or foot, as bi a parti of him seruyng to thilk 
 deede ; and ^it bi cause the hool man doith the 
 deede bi his bond or foot as a parti therto seruyng 
 we vsen forto seie that his bond or foot dooth 
 thilk deede. In lijk maner, whanne a man dooth a 
 deede bi an other thing being an instrument forto 
 therbi do the deede, (as is a spere forto ouerthrowe 
 another 1 man in iowsting, 2 or an hamer forto make 
 a knyf in smythiyng,) we vsen forto seie that the in- 
 strument doith the deede, (as that the spere thro with 
 doun the other man, and that the hamer maketh the 
 knyf), notwithstanding that in speche of pure trouthe 
 to be take withoute colour or figure, it ou^te be seid 
 that oonli this man throwith doun bi his spere, as bi 
 therto an instrument, the other man, and the smyth 
 bi the hamer so makith the knyf ; and the spere 
 throwith not the other man doun, neither the hamer 
 makith the knyf, for neuerneither of tho instrumentis 
 hath the craft which is doon and bisett into the 
 knyfis making. And ^it bi cause that euereither of 
 hem is an instrument to the doer of a deede, it is 
 woned be seid that euereyther of these instrumentis 
 dooth the deede which the man doith bi eny of hem. 
 
 1 Possibly here also the word may have been intended to be 'written 
 disjunctim. 
 
 2 inioirsting, MS. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 257 
 
 Open experience is sufficient proof to this present Chai-. xyiii. 
 
 ij e . reule ; ^he, and not oonli these colouris and figuris 
 
 han ben vsid in spechis and writingis out of Holi 
 
 Writ, but also Holi Writt vsith ful manye dyuerse 
 
 colouris and figuris for cause seid bifore in the firste 
 
 reule. And among al other Holi Writt vsith these ij. 
 
 bifore ensaumplid colouris. Forwhi as to the firste 
 
 colour ensaumpling therof is writun lob xvij e . c. in 
 
 the bigynnyng thus : Lord, delyuere tliou me, and 
 
 seite thou me bisidis thee; and the hond of ech fiyte 
 
 ayens me, 1 and as to the ij e . colour ensaumpling therof 
 
 is writun, i e . Regum ij e . c., thus :] The bowe of strong 
 
 men is ouercome, and infirme or feble men ben gird 
 
 with strengthe. Lo, it is seid that the hond of ech 
 
 schulde fi^te a^ens him, and £it open it is that the 
 
 hond of a man fi^tith not, but the hool man fi^tith 
 
 and not his hond ; but he aloone fi^tith bi his hond, 
 
 as bi a parti seruyng in to thilk fitting. And in 
 
 lijk maner it is seid that the bowe of strong men 
 
 ben ouercome, thou^ in verri trouthe of propre specho 
 
 the bowe is not ouercome ; forwhi the bowe fi^tith 
 
 not, but the strong man is ouercome in and bi his 
 
 bowe as his instrument. And thus it is open that 
 
 Holi Writt witnessith this ij e . reule to be trewe. 
 
 The iii e . reule or supposicioun is this: Whanne oon The third rule. 
 
 .. . . . One thing is 
 
 thing is lijk to an othir thing; in substaunce or being wont to be called 
 
 ° J ° . 6 by the name of 
 
 or in gouernaunce or in worchine:, thilk thing is another thing 
 
 ° . ? winch is like it, 
 
 woned be clepid vndir name 2 cf the othir thing. *»th in scripture 
 
 > 1 ° and in common 
 
 Forwhi we seien that this knytt is Hector or Arthur speech, by the 
 
 •> / figure called 
 
 for that this kny^t is strong and dou^ti as was tranumption. 
 Hector or Arthur ; and where euer this kny^t is seen 
 or cometh, it mai be seid in lijk maner of speche : 
 " Arthur or Hector is here or is come : " bi cause 
 that oon which is lijk to Arthur or Hector is come. 
 
 1 This is Wiclifs version of Job I 2 the name, MS. (first hand) 
 xvii. 3. in its later form. | 
 
 R 
 
258 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, xyiii. This maner of speche is bad not oonli in comoun 
 vce out of Holi Scripture, but also tbis maner of 
 colouring specbe is ofte and mycbe bad in Holi Scrip- 
 ture. Forwbi bi tbis colour of specbe, which in 
 rethorik is clepid transsumpcioun, Crist seid that he 
 was a vyne, and hise disciplis weren brauncbis, and his 
 Fadir was an erthe tilier, and Iohun the Baptiste was 
 Hebe. 3 And al for this, that he was lijk in wirching 
 to a vyne, and hise disciplis weren lijke to brauncbis 
 of a vyne, and bis Fadir was Hjk to an erthe tilier, 
 and Iohun Baptist was lijk to Helie. 
 The fourth rule. The iiij e . reule is this : Whanne oon thing is or- 
 wonl to be called deyned and deputid forto represente and signifie and 
 
 by the name of q . , n . , . , . , •, . 
 
 another thin?, brmge into niyude or consideracioun an other thing, 
 designed to re- tbilk thing is woned be clepid vndir the name of the 
 scripture and'lii other thing so signified or representid. Forwbi in 
 common speech. maner Q f ^lom^ S p eCQe we seien : "This ymage 
 
 " is Seint Peter ; and this ymage is Seint Marie ; and 
 " here stondith Seint lame ; and a laumpe hangith bi- 
 " fore Seint Kateryn ; and in tbis steyned clootb ridith 
 " Hector of Troie; and here in this steyned clootb 
 " King Herri leieth a sege to Harflew ; in this dai, 
 " which we now in this ^eer halewen, Crist was born ; 
 " in this dai, which now is at Mydsomer, Iohun Bap- 
 w tLst was born." And al for this, that this ymage re- 
 presentith Seint Peter or Seint Marie or Seint lame or 
 Seint Kateryn, and this ymage representith Hector or 
 King Herry, and tbis dai in tbis ^eer is deputid forto 
 represente and signifie the same dai in which Crist was 
 born, and this other day in this same ^eer is deputid 
 forto represente the same dai in which Iohun Baptist 
 was born. And not oonli the specbis of this iiij*. reule 
 ben vsid out of Holi Scripture, but also in Holi Scrip- 
 ture. Forwbi in Holi Scripture, Genes. xli e . e., vpon 
 
 1 See John xv. 1 ; Matth. xvii. 12. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 259 
 
 the dreem of Pharao is is seid thus : The vij. faire Chap, xviii. 
 
 kijn and the vij. ful eeris of corn ben vij. yeeris of 
 
 plente ; and the vij. kijn thynne and leene, whiche 
 
 stieden up after tho, and the vij. thinne eeris of 
 
 com and smyten with brennyng wijnd ben vij. jeeris 
 
 of hungir to comyng. Also, i e . Cor. x e . c., it is seid 
 
 thus : Grist was the stoon which yaue water in desert, 
 
 Numeri the xx e . chapiter. And also, Ephes. ij e . c., it 
 
 is seid that Crist was the corner stoon, ioynyng the 
 
 ij. wallis to gidere in Salamonis temple, of which it 
 
 is writun in the cxvij 6 . Psalme. And al for that the 
 
 stoon in desert signified and representid Crist, and 
 
 also the other corner stoon in the temple of Salamon 
 
 signified and representid Crist, and the vij. fatte kijn 
 
 and the vij. ful eeris 1 of corn signifieden the vij. plen- 
 
 teuose ^eeris next thanne comyng. 
 
 The v e . reule or supposicioun is this : Ech spech or The fifth rule. 
 
 writing so colourid and figurid as the i e ., ij e ., iij e . and rative speeches 
 ..... i» • 1 i i i-i ii , • i in the four rules 
 
 nil . reuhs techen, ouiten be redueid and brouit into above named 
 
 - , t . v p i may be reduced 
 
 the meenyng and vndirstonding oi a speche or writ- into a speech 
 
 . , .,, , ii without a figure, 
 
 mg, which m him sill is trewe with out such colour which is literally 
 
 and figure. Forwhi no vntrewe speche, as and for tions of this. ' 
 
 that he is vntrewe, is alloweable and vsable ; but 
 
 ech such speche, as in that, is reprouable : for al 
 
 vntreuthe, as such, is viciose, and ther fore ech such 
 
 speche is alloweable and vseable in that, and for that, 
 
 that he is mad trewe bi bringing and reducing him 
 
 into the meenyng and vndirstonding of a speche, which 
 
 is trewe withoute such colour and figure. And ther- 
 
 fore the dewe menyng or vnderstonding of this speche 
 
 or writing ; " Thi riit hand dide this dede," is to be 
 
 seid thus : " Thou bi thi ri^t hond, as bi thi partie 
 
 " therto seruyng, didist this deede." And the dew 
 
 meenyng or vndirstonding of this speche or writing ; 
 
 1 yeeris, MS. (first hand). 
 
 R 2 
 
260 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 cpap. x\iip « Thi spere threwe doun hors and man," ou^te be 
 this : " Thou bi thi spere, as bi thin therto seruyng 
 " instrument, threwist doun hors and man." The dew 
 vndirstonding of this speche ; " Hector cometh now," 
 is this : " Oon lijk to Hector cometh now." The dew 
 vndirstonding of this speche ; " Iohun 1 was Helie," is 
 this : " Iohun was lijk to Helie." The dew vnder- 
 stonding of this speche ; " Crist was the corner stoon," 
 is this : " Crist was representid and signified bi the 
 " corner stoon." 
 
 The sixth rule. The vi e . reule is this : Euen as it is alloweable me 
 
 As WC ltiny SUV 
 
 that an instru-. for to seie that the instrument dooth the deede, for 
 
 mcnt does a . t < 
 
 thing, winch a that the man dooth thilk deede bi the instrument ; so 
 
 roan does there m t _ 
 
 by, so we may bi Ink skile it is alloweable me forto seie thus: I 
 
 pray to an U> • i_ • >> 
 
 strumenttodo « preie the instrument to do the same deede," for 
 
 that, which wo 1 
 
 pray to any one that y preie the man to do thilk deede bi the same 
 
 to do thereby. mi 
 
 instrument. That this reule is trewe y proue thus : 
 It is alloweable me to seie to the spere of this man 
 thus: (: Thou threwist doun the other man;" for that 
 the dew meenyng and vndirstonding of this speche is 
 this : " Thou, man, bi thi spere threwist doun the 
 " other man," (as it is open bi the v e . reule, and this 
 meenyng and vnderstonding is alloweable as conue- 
 nient :) but so it is, that as weel and as dewely the 
 dew vnderstonding of this speche ; " Y preie thee, O 
 " spere, throwe thou doun the othir man," is this : 
 " Y preie thee, 0 man, throwe thou doun bi this 
 " spere the other man," as it is open bi the same 
 v°. reule ; and this meenyng and vndirstonding is 
 alloweable and conuenient, as it is open bi the same 
 v°. reule. Wherfore as weel and as alloweabili y mai 
 seie this speche : " Y preie thee, spere, throwe doun 
 " this man," how weel and alloweabili y mai seie this 
 speche : " I seie to thee, spere, that thou threwist 
 
 1 Ioltun Baptist, MS. (first hand). 
 
THE SECOND TART. 
 
 2G1 
 
 " doun the other man," or ellis thus : " 0 thou spere, CnAP - xviii. 
 " throwe doun the other man." 1 
 
 Certis these vi. reulis or supposiciouns teuen suffi- Application of 
 
 . . 7 , ., those rules to the 
 
 cient and cleer lustifiyngf to manye spechis and writ- addresses made 
 
 . . ., • j j- - V. i • •£ 't. U to the cross. 
 
 ingis seid to crossis and ot crossis. iorwhi it it be some of those 
 
 seid or writun to the same crosse in which Crist prayers cx- 
 
 henge : " Thou, crosse, a^enbou^tist man," the dewe plame ' 
 
 meenyag and vndirstonding ther of is this : " Sum 
 
 " persoon a^enbou^te man bi thee, crosse, in that 
 
 " that thou were an instrument forto a^enbie man." 
 
 And if it be seid or writun of the same crosse 
 
 thus : " The crosse of Crist saued the world and 
 
 " clensid the world," the dewe vndirstonding ther 
 
 of is this : " Crist bi his crosse as bi therto a seru- 
 
 " yng instrument saued the world and clensid the 
 
 " world." And if it be seid or writun to an other 
 
 crosse sett vp in a chirche : " In thee the Sauiour of 
 
 " the world henge," the dew vndirstonding ther of is 
 
 this : " In oon thing lijk to thee (or in oon thing, 
 
 " which thou representist,) the Sauiour of the world 
 
 " henge." And if to the same crosse in which Crist 
 
 died it be preied thus : " O crosse of Crist, y preie 
 
 " thee helpe me and defende me and iustilie me," 
 
 the dew vndirstonding her of mai be this : " O Crist, 
 
 " y preie thee helpe me and iustifie me bi thi crosse 
 
 " as therto the helping instrument." And herbi it 
 
 is open that the dew vndirstonding of thi lk preier 
 
 bifore rehercid in the xiij e . argument and conteyned 
 
 in this ympne, Vexilla Regis prodeunt, et ccetera, 
 
 1 The following words occur in 
 the MS., being in part written on 
 an erasure by a later (?) hand, but 
 some still later corrector has drawn 
 a pen through every line : — " And 
 thanne ferther, if this speche is 
 alloweable : ' Y preie thee, spere, 
 
 throwe thou douu the other man,' 
 this present vj«. reule muste nedis 
 be trewe, that it is alloweable and 
 conuenient speche forto seie, ' That 
 y preie thee, spere, that thou ouer- 
 throwe the othir man.' " 
 
262 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, xviii. whanne it is seid 1 thus: 0 cros, the oon hope in this 
 tyme of passioun, encrese thou riytwisnes to piteful 
 men, and yeue foryeuenes to gilti men, may be this, 
 if the speche be maad to a crosse in oure chirche : 
 " O God, encrece ri^twisnes to men hauyng pitee, 
 u and ^eue for^euenes to gilti men bi the cros, which 
 " representith and signifieth the instrument of oure 
 " oon hope in this tyme representing the tyme of 
 " passioun." And in lijk maner dew vnderstonding 
 of the preier, which is conteyned in the prose of the 
 response, 0 crux viride lignum, et ccetera, whanne it 
 is preied there thus : Thou, ivhich barist the Lord, 
 make the patroun (that is to seie, Crist) forto be to 
 us redi or boweable ; and thou, stole, which were 
 worthi to bere the price of the world, yeue and 
 graunte to this peple the benefice of the crosse, mai 
 be this, if the preier be mad to eny crosse now being 
 in oure chirche : " 0 God make the patroun (that is 
 " to seie, Crist) be to us inclynable bi this cros signi- 
 " fiyng the instrument or the crosse which bare the 
 " Lord: and, O Lord, yeue and graunte to this peple 
 " of Crist the benefet of the crosse, bi the stok which 
 " signifieth the stok that deserued bere the price of 
 " the world." And eftsoone in lijk maner the dew 
 vndirstonding of the preier conteyned in the anteme 
 0 crux splendidior, et caiera, if it be preied ther to 2 
 a comon crosse among us thus, 0 sweete stok, bering 
 siveete nailis and sweete birthens, saue thou this 
 present cumpany gaderid into thi p>rcising, may be 
 this : " O God, this present cumpany gaderid into the 
 " preising of thee to be doon bi the crosse saue thou 
 " bi this stok, signifiyng the sweete crosse instrument 
 " bering sweete nailis and sweete birthens." And in 
 lijk maner dew vndirstondingis mo wen be iouun to 
 
 1 seid there thus, MS. (first hand, but the whole written on an erasure). 
 : thcrto, MS. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 263 
 
 the othere preieris mad to the cros, and rehercid bi- Chap, xviii. 
 fore in the xiij°. argument in the [x c .] 1 chapiter of 
 this present ij e . partie. 
 
 xix. Chapiter. 
 
 Neuertheles, thou* bi these vj. reulis these preiers, These six rules 
 
 urc ji sufficient 
 
 whiehe mowen be seid as mad to the cros, mowen be vindication of the 
 
 . „ . o n i / i .i • prayers offered to 
 
 saued fro mconuemence * and vnaccordaunce, (and that the cross ; yet 
 
 -i tit i-i . two otlicr rules 
 
 for the dew vnderstondmg which mai be touun to shall be laid 
 
 i.i • t \ i i . i i ... down by which 
 
 hem bi these vi. reulis,) tit also sureli and vndoutabili their use ami 
 
 * / . _ _ . lawfulness shall 
 
 tho preiers mowen be excusid iro mconuemence, and be made yet 
 
 * t* ' • m0le evident. 
 
 mowen be mad ful alloweable, fair, and honeste bi 
 the vij°. and viij". reulis or supposiciouns whiche now 
 schulen be put forth. 
 
 The vii e . reule or supposicioun myche lijk to the ii e . The seventh rule. 
 
 i . n • -itti i ■ -l » ii When a man does 
 
 reule is this: Whanne a man doith or sunrith a deede anything by the 
 
 . . . . . intervention of 
 
 bi env thins, wluch is a meene prouokinsr or stirme; a »y provocative 
 
 o.». .. i jv medium, it may 
 
 notabili the doer or suffrer lor to it do or sunre, or be said that iho 
 
 . medium itself 
 
 which is in env other wise a notable meene therto, does it.asheip- 
 
 . .„ iiiii ]1 'K tberetoby its 
 
 it is woned be seid that thilk meene dooth the deede : mediation, proof 
 
 .... . of the rule from 
 
 in this vnderstondme;, that thilk meene helpith and scripture and 
 
 i ill _ * . _ experience. 
 
 fortherith in meenyng that the deede be don of his 
 veri doer : as, if Iohun be a prouoking meene that 
 the King ^ene 3 to me xx". pound of ^eerli fee, whilis 
 Iohun preieth the King that he so do, it mai be seid 
 and is woned be seid that Iohun dooth and ^eueth 
 to me thilk fee, and his preier doith and ^eueth to 
 me the same fee ; in this vndirstonding, that Iohun 
 meeneth or helpith, and fortherith in meenyng that 
 the ^euyng be doon, and his preier doith in meenyng 
 
 1 A space left in the MS. for the I 
 
 numher. 
 
 2 in conuenience, MS. ; 
 
 and so just 
 
 below, where in (at the end of the 
 line) has no hyphen. 
 
 3 yueth, MS. (first hand). 
 
261 pecock's repressor. 
 
 CnAr. xix. that the same ^euyng be doon. This reule is open 
 bi experience. Also in Holi Writt the colour of this 
 present vij e . reule is ensaumplid and vsid. Forwhi, 
 lames the v e . chapiter, it is seid thus : If eny of yo\h 
 is sijk, lede he in preestis of the chirche, and preie 
 thei for him, and anointe thei in the name of the 
 Lord : and, the preier of feith schal saue the sijk 
 man. Lo how Holi Writt seith that the preier schal 
 saue the sijk man, not withstonding that in very 
 trouthe of propre speche neither the preier neither he 
 that preieth dooth thilk deede of sauyng, but God 
 aloone doith 1 thilk deede of sauyng ; and the preier 
 wirchith oonli as a meene in prouoking ther to, and 
 the man preiying wirchith also oonli as a meene pro- 
 uoking in to the saaf sauyng. Thus it is open that 
 the vij e . reule is Avitnessid bi Holi Scripture to be 
 trewe. 
 
 Tin! eighth rule. And if this reule be trewe, certis thanne folewith 
 
 We may lawfully 
 
 pray both to the ther of that the vur. reule or supposicioun is trewe, 
 
 man ana to the u rr 
 
 provocative which is this : It is allowable that y seie thus : w I 
 medium to per- * 
 
 t?m™°Tvoofof " P re ^ e lohun forto ^eue to me the seid fee;" and 
 
 the rule. ft fa allowable that y seie thus: "I preie the seid 
 
 " preier of lohun to be maad to the King, that 
 
 " thilk preier ^eue to me the same fee of xx". pound." 
 
 For whi, if this speche is alloweable : " lohun ^euyth - 
 
 " to me the seid fee of xx li . pound ; " and if this 
 
 speche be alloweable : " The seid preier of lohun 
 
 " ^euith 2 to me the seid xx t! . pound;" certis thanne 
 
 it is alloweable that I seie thus : " I preie bothe to 
 
 1 doith is intcrlineatcd in a later ( ?) 
 hand. 
 
 2 -ycuyth and yeuitli (as well as 
 protrid below) are not forms used in 
 the body of the MS. : they occur 
 in the midst of words written ou 
 erasures, which are very extensive 
 
 throughout this paragraph, two- 
 thirds of which have been re- written 
 in a very similar style, but not by 
 the same hand as the rest. The //, 
 which the original scribe dots, is 
 here uudotted. 
 
THE SECOND TAUT. 
 
 265 
 
 " Iohuii and to his preier, that thei ieue to me the chap, xix. 
 " seid fee of xx H . pound." But so it is, that euer- 
 either of the ij. former seid spechis is alloweable. 
 Wherfore euereither of the 1 ij. spechis of preiers ben 
 also allowable. The first premisse is open ynou^, as 
 is prouicl bifore bi the vj e . reule and his proof. And 
 that the ij°. premisse is trewe, it may be prouid thus: 
 To this speche, " Iohun ^eueth to me this seid fee 
 " of xx". pound," and to this speche, " His preier 
 " ^eueth to me the same xx' 1 . pound," the dewe vn- 
 dirstondinffis ben these : " Iohun is meene that the 
 " seied fee be ^ouun to me, and his preier is also 
 " meene that the same seid fee is ^ouun to me," as 
 sehewith the vij e . reule. And open it is bi the v°. 
 rewle that this vndirstonding is allowable and con- 
 venient ynou^. Wherfore the ij c . premysse is trewe. 
 And so nedis the conclusioun of the bothe premyssis 
 is trewe, namelich sithen in lijk maner lijk verrili 
 the dewe vndirstonding of this speche : " Y preie 
 " Iohun that he ^eue to me the seid fee, and y preie 
 " his preier forto ^eue to me the same fee," is this : 
 " I preie Iohun that he be meene into the ^euyng of 
 " the seid fee, and y preie Iohun that he make the 
 " preier of him to be also meene into the same 
 " ieuing of the same fee," as it is open Li the vj e . 
 and bi the vij e . reulis. And this vndirstonding is 
 allowable and conuenient ynou^. Wherfore nedis 
 folewith that the seid conclusioun is trewe. 
 
 And thus these vii e . and viii 9 . rewlis schewen openli Th , cse two la ?t 
 
 ° ° 1 rules prove the 
 
 ynoui and sureli ynoui, that ech of the preiers lawfulness of an 
 
 <* 7 ' /' r the prayers 
 
 whiche semen to be mad to the crosse (and rehercid be , { ?™ cited > , 
 
 x which are made 
 
 bifore in the xiii e . argument) is alloweable and con- m appearance to 
 
 J . tllc cross. A full 
 
 uenient ynoui. Forwhi the vii e . and viii e . reulis explanation and 
 
 » / o ,i paraphrase of 
 
 schewen that the dewe vndirstonding of the firste oneof these 
 
 o prayers. 
 
 1 these, MS. (first corrector). 
 
266 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, xix: preier there reherchid in the ympne, Vexilla Regis 
 prodeunt, is this : " 0 thou God, bi whom 1 the cros is 
 " the prouocative meene of oure oon hope in tyme of 
 " this passioun, encrese ri^twisnes to men hauyng pite, 
 and [make] that God jeue for^euenes to gilti men ;" 
 and sotheli so the cros is therto prouocatijf meene. 
 Forwhi God bi biholding to the cros is stirid and 
 prouokid forto do alle maners of good to us, sithen a 
 cros was the instrument wher yn Crist, in sum maner 
 of deseruyng, deserued to us al oure good And for 
 as miche as if we desire and preie that the cros be 
 such a prouocatijf meene into the seid ^euyng, thanne 
 oure desijr therto schal encrece and be the gretter ; 
 and aftir that oure desijr schal therto be the grettir, 
 God schal make that the crosse schal the more pro- 
 uoke him or schal make him silf so that he the more 
 be prouokid bi the cros into the seid for^euyng, — 
 therfore it is not veyn but it is ful profitable that 
 we desire and preie to God, that he ^eue to us oure 
 goodis in this now spokun vnderstonding, that the 
 cros be meene into the toayng to be doon to vs fro 
 God him silf as the verry doer and ^euer therof. 
 Neuertheles, thou^ this preier be mad as in voice or 
 in inward speche to the cros, ^it in the trewe vnder- 
 stonding therof it is maad to God, as is now next 
 bifore expowned. 
 a similar expia- And eucn as it is HOW answerid bi the vij e . and 
 Sfcrifi 'tho 0 viij 0 . rewlis for iustifiyng of the first there rehercid 
 iVirUuTjusUiica- preier maad (as in voice thou^ not in the vnder- 
 
 1 The erasures on both sides of 
 the leaf have produced holes in the 
 MS.: between whom and the are 
 traces of another letter, in the hand 
 of the corrector, either p or possibly 
 the Saxon ih, having a trace of some 
 contraction above, or perhaps a 
 
 mark intended to cancel it. Pos- 
 sibly we should read this the cros, 
 but more probably the text, as 
 edited, is correct. Much of this 
 paragraph is re-written on an era- 
 sure. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 267 
 
 standing) to the cros, so in lijk wijse it mai be an- chap, xix. 
 swerid bi the same vii e . and viii e . reulis into the Hon of them to 
 
 J J he found in 
 
 iustinyng of alle othere preiers there maad (as in Peeock'a Book of 
 
 <f o r v worshipping. 
 
 voice thoui not in the vnderstonding) to the cros, 
 whiche ben rehercid bi fore in the xiij e . argument. 
 And for that this is open ynou^, therfore more speche 
 therof y ouer passe. In other wise into iustifiyng 
 of the seid preiers mad to the cros, I haue answerid 
 in The book of u-orschiping, the ij e . parti, the iiij". 
 chapiter. Chese the seers which of tho answers to hem 
 lijkith; for these answers here mad and the answer 
 ther mad ben vndoutabli and at fulle 1 euydently 
 trewe. 
 
 xx. Chapiter. 
 
 For answere to the xiiii e . and xv e . argumentis to the foue- 
 
 TEEIfTH AND 
 
 gidere vndir oon, y sende bifore these iii. reulis or fifteenth 
 
 . . Arguments 
 SUppOSlClOnS. ANSWERED. 
 
 Oon is : That a man schal haue more feruentli hise Three ruiespre- 
 affecciouns and loues anentis his loued freend, whanne rule. A man will 
 
 have his afl'ection 
 
 and whins thilk freeud is at sumwhile present per- more fervently 
 
 , * iii kindled towards 
 
 sonali with him and bisidis him, than he schal haue, ins friend while 
 
 • n ' * i i i i ,. present than 
 
 if the freend be absent alwey and not personali pre- white abaest. 
 sent with him. This reule is openli trewe bi expe- 
 rience. Forwhi, (not withstanding a man talke and 
 speke of his freend at the mete table or in sum other 
 place, and haue as good affeccioun as he can haue 
 upon the same freend in such absence,) if in the 
 meene while the freend come into him personali and 
 sitte doun with him, he schal haue miche gretter af- 
 feccioun vpon the seid freend than he hadde in the 
 freendis absence. Wherfore this firste reule is trewe. 
 
 1 the fulle, MS. (first corrector). The whole of this paragraph is 
 re-written on an erasure. 
 
» 
 
 268 
 
 PECOCKS REPRESSOR. 
 
 Chap. XX. 
 
 The second rule. 
 If our friend be 
 not actually pre- 
 sent, our affec- 
 tion is increased 
 by imagining 
 liini to be pre- 
 sent. Proof of 
 the rule by ex- 
 perience. 
 
 Another proof of 
 the rule by rea- 
 son. Bodily 
 presence being 
 the best means of 
 catling out our 
 affection, pre- 
 sence in imagina- 
 tion, which is the 
 next nearest 
 presence, is the 
 next best means. 
 
 The third rule. 
 It is easier to 
 imagine an 
 absent tiling 
 present by the 
 aid of something 
 like it than with- 
 out such aid. 
 Proof of the rule, 
 and illustration 
 from the cal- 
 endar. 
 
 The ij e . reule is this : If a man wole encrese his 
 gode affecciouns anentis his absent freend, whilis he 
 mai not haue the same freend visibili present, it is 
 profitable to him that he ymagine thilk freend to be 
 with him present bodili. This is euydentli trewe bi 
 assay of experience to alle hem whiche ^euen hem 
 wijsly to the bisynes of contemplacioun, namelich in 
 the bigynnyng of her contemplatijf lijf. Wherfore 
 this reule is trewe. 
 
 Also thus : If the freend were bodili visibili pre- 
 sent, thilk presence were best forto gendre the seid 
 affeccioun. Wherfore the other next present being of 
 his freend, which is next aftir his bodili present 
 visible being, is the next grettist meene aftir his 
 bodili visible presence into the gendring of the seid 
 affeccioun. And thanne ferther thus : But so it is, 
 that thilk present beyng of the freend, grettist aftir 
 his bodili visible presence, is his presence in ymagi- 
 nacioun. Wherfore this present ij e . reule is trewe: 
 That it is ful profitable into gendring of affecciouns 
 upon the absent freend, that the desirer of the affec- 
 cioun haue ymaginacioun that thilk freend is in 1 bodili 
 manor present. 
 
 The iij c . reule is this : It is esier forto ymagj'ne a 
 thing absent to be present in an other thing lijk 
 therto, than withoute eny other thing lijk therto. 
 Forwhi euery thing lijk to an othir thing bringith 
 into ymaginacioun and into mynde better and littir 
 and esier the thing to him lijk, than the thing to 
 him lasse lijk or vnlijk. And herfore it is that miche 
 esier men schulen ymagine the dai of Cristis birtlie 
 to be present in the dai as lijk therto markid in the 
 
 1 The preposition (occurring 
 at the end of the line in the MS.) 
 is joined by ;i hyphen to its sub- 
 stantive, thus showing that in- 
 
 stances of apparent junction ot 
 prepositions to their substantives 
 are not purely accidental. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 2G9 
 
 ^eer, than in an other dai not so lijk therto ; and citap. xx. 
 men schulen esier ymagine the dai of Cristis resurrec- 
 cioun and the dai of' Pentecost in the daies therto 
 assigned bi more lijknes in the ^eer, than in othere 
 daies lasse therto like. 
 
 Now after these thre reulis and vpon hem y pro- Now the crucifix 
 
 A •> 1 % or cross serves to 
 
 cede thus : Ech man hath nede forto haue gode affec- mate us imagine 
 
 & . Christ to be 
 
 ciouns anentis Crist, as upon his best freend ; and this visibly present; 
 
 ' 1 ' and the prayers 
 
 freend ieueth not to us his presence visibili ; wherfore t° ward . u 'i 11 
 
 7 r » Palm-Sunday 
 
 it is profitable to ech man for to vmasrine this freend w , er ? ? akl to 
 
 r J ° Christ imagined 
 
 be present to us bodili and in a maner visibili. And *2 B ^ >tI,on 
 sithen herto serueth ful weel and ful myche the ymage 
 of Crist crucified, whilis and if the biholder ymagineth 
 Crist to be street abrode bodili thoru^ the bodi of 
 the same ymage, heed to heed, hond to bond, breste 
 to breste, foot to foot, — therfore the oolde practik of 
 deuoute Cristen men was forto so ymagyne ; thou^ 
 thei knewen and bileeueden weel ynou^, that it was 
 not so in deede as thei deuoutli ymagineden. In this 
 ymagmacioun thei helden hem silf forto meete bodili 
 and presentli with Crist in Palme-Sunday, in which 
 dai ^eerli thei ymagineden the same firste dai be in 
 which Crist came visibli riding into Jerusalem and 
 was mett of the lewis singing to him : Osanna to the 
 sone of Bauith. And so al what in suche proces- 
 siouns was seid and sungun toward the crosse in eelde 
 daies of the chirche in Palme-Sundai was seid of Crist 
 and to Crist ymagined to be bodili present with and 
 in the crucifix or crosse, which the peple in proces- 
 sioun bihelden. 
 
 And herbi lit into ferther encrecing of deuocioun The ceremonies 
 
 i jm • i j-* • • used 011 Good 
 
 and good aneccioun to be gendrid upon Crist, thei Friday to be 
 
 • t , , „ explained on the 
 
 crepiden to ward and to such an ymage of the crucifix same principle, 
 in Good Fridai ; not as thou^ thei crepiden thanne 
 and there to noon other thing saue to the ymage, 
 but that thei aftir her ymaginacioun crepiden to the 
 persoon of Crist, which bi her ymaginacioun was 
 
270 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap, xx. bodili street forth with the bodi of the yrnage. And 
 ^it ferther into more loue and good affeccioun to be 
 gendrid, thei kessiden the feet of the ymage ; not as 
 that the feet of the ymage weren al that thei there 
 kissiden, but that ther with thei kessiden the feet 
 of Crist whom thei ymagineden to be there in bodili 
 maner present. And this deuout practik, namelich in 
 his outward deede, abidith ^it in al the West Chirche 
 a this 1 side Greek lond ; how euer it be of the inward 
 ymaginatijf deede, whiche (as y trowe) abidith ful litil 
 or nou^t, — the more harme is ! And so it mai be 
 seid that no thing is seid and sungun to the nakid 
 and bare crosse in processioun of Palme-Sundai, nei- 
 ther eny creping or offring or kissing is maad to the 
 crosse in Good Fridai ; but al this is doon to Cristis 
 persoon in his manhede, which is ymagined there to 
 be in and with the ymage crucified and street thoru^ 
 the ymage crucified, heed to heed, hond to hond, 
 foot to foot ; thou£ it be not trowid so to be, but 
 thout the contrarie is trowid to be. And herbi is 
 sufficient answere ^ouun to the xiiij". and xv c . argu- 
 ments to gidere. 
 These jirpumpnts "Who euer schal cleerli and perfitli vndirstonde the 
 
 will also vindi- 1 .... 
 
 cato the devo- answere which is now biiore maad to the xnii". and 
 
 tions paid to . . • 
 
 imaecsbvkisshiK X v e ar^umentis, he schal therbi take sufficient ground 
 
 the hands which ' i i • i 
 
 touched them. f or f,o excuse fro blame and fro vnfruytful and lewid 
 
 As our affection i.j i 
 
 towards Christ rrouemaunce alle tho whiche wolen touche with her 
 
 would be m- o ^ 
 
 creased if wo hondis the feet and othere parties and the clothis of 
 
 could actually r 
 
 touch ins body, vmao -i s and wolen thanne aftir sette to her visage 
 
 so it is in- J '""o 10 ) t> 
 
 creased by our j ^ ] 1C1 . i* en an( j t 0 h er niouthis her tho hondis, 
 
 touching it by »"» / 
 
 cruciiix wuiiour w i tn whiche in the now seid maner thei touchiden 
 oo,Vs!-nu<M,tiy WC the ymagis or the clothingis of the ymagis. Certis — 
 with l ournK,'uth sithen it is openli knowe for sooth, that tliou woldist 
 toudu'd'thc" 11 oe ri*t weel plesid and thou woldist myche make 
 
 1 Ottw, MS. Sec note on p. 268. 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 271 
 
 therof, if Crist were now in ertlie in a greet prece charts. 
 
 of peple, and tliou myttist come so ny^ that thou 
 
 schuldist touche with thin hond hise feet or his hond g^ggfj"? 
 
 his breste or his cheke or hise clothis, and woldist oftovetodtoS'to 
 
 therbi gendre to thee bi so myche the more affeccioun "Xs'of'thi the 
 
 anentis him than if thou my^tist not so touche him lovers - 
 
 or his clothing, (euen rilt as we han experience that 
 
 oon persoon gendrith more loue to an other, if he 
 
 biclippe him in armys, than he schulde, if he not 
 
 come so ny^ to him and not biclippid him,) — it muste 
 
 nedis folewe, if thou ymagine Crist or an other Seint 
 
 for to be bodili street thoru^out the bodi of the 
 
 ymage, that thou schalt gendre, gete, and haue bi so 
 
 miche the more good affeccioun to God or to the 
 
 Seint, that thou dost to him touching him in the 
 
 ymage as bi ymaginacioun. And sithen what a man 
 
 mai not haue and do at the next and immediatli, 
 
 he wole be weel paied and weel plesid for to haue 
 
 it mediatli, (that is to seie, forto haue it arombe 
 
 and bi a meene,) it folewith that it is coueitable 
 
 to a man into the genclring or the contynuyng of 
 
 such seid affeccioun to God and to Seintis for to 
 
 desire haue, and for to gete to him and haue vnto 
 
 his visage or i^en or mouth the touche of Cristis 
 
 feet or of his mouth or of his hond or breste bi 
 
 meene of the touche which the hond getith fro hem 
 
 and vpon hem immediatli ; (euen as thou woldist 
 
 be weel plesid, if thi freend, whom thou louest and 
 
 which loueth thee, wolde sende to the a cosse or an 
 
 handling or a biclipping or eny other bodili touching 
 
 bi a meene persoon receyuyng thilk cosse, handling, 
 
 biclipping, or othere touching of him immediatli, and 
 
 delyueryng to thee as fro him mediatli :) namelich 
 
 sithen the nature of loue bitwixe persones [is] forto 
 
 be a moving in to oonyng and ioynyng tho per- 
 
 soones to gidere, in so miche that if tho persoones 
 
 mitten make euereither of hem forto entre into the 
 
272 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 CnAr. xx. ful hool persoon of the other of hern .and forto be 
 street thoru^ out the bodi or persoon of the other of 
 hem, than were had a greet entent and purpos into 
 which her loue enclyneth ; euen ri^t as hate bitwixe 
 twey persoones bi his nature labourith and moueth 
 into departing and disseuering and into rombe dis- 
 taunt being of euereither of hem from the other of 
 hem atwyn. 
 
 Thus the least And so, therfore, the leest degree of ooninw or 
 
 union to the per- ° 0 
 
 son of God or a ioynyng of a man to Goddis persoon or to a Seintis 
 
 Saint increases J J o i 
 
 our afieetionpro- persoon is a meene forto gendre loue anentis God or 
 
 portionably to its 1 0 
 
 ( losoness. nius- t ne Seint, and forto continue and encrece the loue 
 
 trations from 
 
 human inter- bifore gendrid ; and that more or lasse aftir that 
 
 course. o ' » 
 
 thilk ioynyng or coupling to Goddis persoon or to the 
 Seintis persoon is more or lasse nyjer or romber. 
 Seen we not that, if a man loue a child, he wole sette 
 his cheke to the cheke of the child, his i^e to the 
 childis i^e, his forhede to the childis forhede, his nose 
 to the childis nose, and therbi the more loue is gendrid 
 anentis the child? Win not in lijk maner the more 
 loue and good affeccioun mai be gendrid anentis God 
 or a Seint bi such touche to be maad bi the bifore 
 sett ymaginacioun to God or the Seint? Whethir not 
 oon man schal loue bi so miche the more a lord, if 
 he mai be admyttid for to come so nyj that he lie 
 with the lord in oon bed? And if he mai not be 
 admyttid into so greet ny^nes, yit if he mai be ad- 
 mittid for to ligge in the same chambir with the lord, 
 certis therbi schal good loue and affeccioun be gen- 
 drid. And therfore such good symple bisynessis biforo 
 spokun, whiche lay persoones doon aboute ymagis, 
 ou^ten not be scorned neither be rebukid, but if the 
 scorners or rebukers ther yn schewe that thei knowen ' 
 not al what mai iustifie tho symple persoones deedis. 
 
 1 knowe, MS. (first baud). 
 
THE SECOND PART. 
 
 273 
 
 In an other master to such creping toward an ymage Chap. xx. 
 crucified and to such kissing doon to the ymagis feet, Further justm- 
 and (bi lijk skile) to the now seid handling y haue kinds of devotion 
 answerid in The book of tvorschiping, the ij e . parti, foundmPeoool'a 
 the iiij e . chapiter. Of whiche answeris euer either is ing. worshi!P 
 good ynou^ and trewe ynow£, and neuerneither of 
 hem is contrarie to other of hem ; and therfore chese 
 the reder of this place and of thilk place whether 
 this or thilk or bothe he wole holde. 
 
 I haue bisett the lender bisynes forto answere suf- The reason for 
 
 ° .» the length of 
 
 ficientli and cleerh to the xni e . and xini e . and xv*. *he reply to the 
 
 ■ , t-. three last argu- 
 
 argumentis, bi cause that in tho deedis of Palme-Sun- m< \»ts of the 
 
 » _ ... Lollards. 
 
 day and Good Fridai, where upon the xiij e . and xiiij". 
 [and] xv e . argumentis rennen, the aduersaries holden 
 to be greet and cursid wickidnes. Not withstonding 
 that if the conceitis ben had in vce, whiche the 
 bifore 1 reulis ^euen and techen, alle tho deedis doon 
 in Palme-Sundai and in Good Fridai schulen be doon 
 fid miche holili and blessidli and ful profitabli into 
 making the doer strong and my^ti in othere tymes 
 forto do and suffre for the loue and the lawe of Iesus 
 Crist. 
 
 Neuertheles this y wolde that ech man knewe, (and stall, though, 
 herto y wolde that ech man toke hede,) thout the devotion rightly 
 
 - „ , understood are 
 
 excercise and vce 01 suche now seid visible signes, profitable at eer. 
 doon in deuocioun and with vndirstonding of tho areVoTwbeso' 
 signes what thei bitokenen, is good and profitable to tended to 'as to 
 be had at certein whilis, namelich of hem whiche out of sight. ^ 
 kunnen not rede or moun not here the word of God superior to such 
 
 . , , exercises as 
 
 red or prechid to hem, — lit y wole not that men sunlight to 
 
 -j. 7 i xi • moonlight. 
 
 schulden - naunte as it were alwey the excercise m 
 suche visible signes, whanne thei coueiten to be mad 
 spiritual, sweete, and deuoute with God, and stronge 
 forto do and suffre for him ; neither that thei haunte 
 
 1 Probably we should read bifore | 2 schulde not, MS. (first hand). 
 seid. 
 
274 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. xx. so miche or so ofte the vce of suche visible signes, 
 that thilk haunte and vce lette hem fro vce of a 
 better excercise ; and speciali that he not drenche al 
 the leiser, which tho men mitten and 'schulden haue 
 forto reede or heere the word of God vndirstonden 
 sumwhat of hem or declarid sumwhat to hem. For 
 certis, how the sunne passith in cleernes, cheerte, and 
 coumfort the moone, and as a greet torche passith a 
 litil candel; so in these seid pointis reding and heer- 
 ing in Goddis word, which is an excercise in hereable 
 signes ^ouun to us fro God, passith in cleernes of 
 teching and in cheerte of delijt and in coumfort of 
 strengthe ^euyng forto do and suffre for God in his 
 lawe keping al the excercise had, or which can be 
 had, in suche now bifore seid visible signes deuisid 
 bi man. 
 
 The word of God The experience had in this mater is so sure, that 
 
 is proved both . « , . , 
 
 by experience therfore v am bold forto it knouleche ; in so miche 
 
 and by Christ's » , , . ' 
 
 remark to be the that it is weel aspied bi assai whi 1 Crist was moued 
 
 true life of man. A . 
 
 Yet this word is forto seie, that " man lyueth not oonh bi breed, but 
 
 not Scripture * 
 
 only. « bi ech word which passith fro the mouth of God. - 
 
 Certis to hem which assaien of thilk word it is (as 
 it were) so deliteful as her lijf, so weel teching and 
 dressing, that withoute it can be to hem (as it were) 
 no good lijf. And yk al this vndirstonde not y of 
 the Bible aloon, as summen ouer vnredili and ouer 
 myche syngulerli vndirstonden. 
 
 Here eendith the if. parti of The Represser. 
 
 1 which, MS. (first hand). 
 
 | - See Mattb. iv. 4. 
 
THE THIRD PART. 
 
 275 
 
 And here bigynneth the iif. parti of 
 The Represser. 
 
 i. Chapiter. 
 
 The iii e . principal Q-ouernaunce, for which many of The landed pro- 
 
 • n 1 1 • 1 ■ • ■ T. Perty ° f tlle 
 
 the lane blamen vniustli the clero-ie, is this : Persoones clergy is the 
 
 ° -ill. third ordinance 
 
 of the clemie receyuen, holden, and occupien lordscbip complained or. 
 
 ° " ' ' x . x Some men con- 
 
 of housis and feeldis, not oonli in which thei hem sider those clergy 
 
 ' t who defend tlic 
 
 silf dwellen and which thei hem silf tilien, but also possession on m- 
 
 ■ moveable pro- 
 
 which thei hem silf setten forth to be fermed of p prt .y> whether 
 
 great or small, to 
 
 othere occupiers, and receyuen rente therfore of the S e in a state of 
 
 * ' J damnation. 
 
 same occupiers. Certis summe persoones of the lay 
 peple beren an hond this now seid iij". principal 
 gouernaunce to be a^ens the lawe of God, how euer 
 litle or fewe tho vnmouable godis ben ; and therfore 
 thei beren an hond that alle tho persoones of the 
 clergie whiche willingli contynuen the now seid iij e . 
 principal gouernaunce ben thoru^ al thilk while in 
 state of dampnacioun, what euere gode deedis thei 
 doon. 
 
 That this bering an hond is vntrewe, (and that for Six conclusions 
 
 . . i . , shall be made 
 
 that the seid nj e . principal gouernaunce is not a^ens against their 
 the lawe of God,) y schal proue bi yj. 1 conclusiouns ; exccptlons- 
 of whiche the firste is this : The seid iii°. principal Tn "E "est 
 
 J 1 r CONCLUSION. 
 
 ffouernaunce is not atens Holi Scripture of the Oold The institution 
 
 ° / *■ is not contrary to 
 
 Testament neither of the Newe Testament. the oid or New- 
 
 Testament. 
 
 That this conclusioun is trewe for his first parti, y tiie fiust 
 
 ARGUMENT 
 
 proue thus : If Holi Scripture of the Oold Testament mom m Old 
 schulde forbede the seid gouernaunce, it schidde so for- the first con- 
 
 CLUSION. No 
 
 bede bi summe of these processis nowhere anoon affcir text of theoid 
 to be rehercid ; of which oon is writun, Numeri xviii e . bids it. Certain 
 
 texts (ll Si 'USSOll, 
 
 c., where it is seid thus : And the Lord seid to Aaron. The first text. 
 
 (Num. xviu.) 
 
 ty% MS. 
 
 s 2 
 
276 
 
 PECOCK'S REPRESSOR. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 The second text 
 (Dent, x.) 
 
 The third text. 
 (Dent, xviii.) 
 
 £e schulen 1 not weelde eny thing in the lond of hem, 
 neither ye schulen haue part among hem ; I am thi 
 part and heritage in the myddis of the sones of 
 Israel. Forsothe y yaf to the sones of Leuy alle- the 
 tithis of Israel into possessioun for the sendee, hi 
 which thei seruen me in the tabernacle of boond of 
 pees, that the sones of Israel neize no more to the 
 tabernacle of boond of pees, neither do deedli synne. 
 To the sones aloon of Leuy, seruyng me in the taber- 
 nacle and bering the synnes of the peple, it schal 
 be a lawful thing euerlasting in zoure genera- 
 ciouns. Thei schulen 1 weelde noon othir thing, and 
 thei schulen be apaied with the offring of tithis, 
 whiche y departid into vsis and necessaries of hem. 
 
 An other processe is writun, Deut. x c . c., where 
 Moyses seide thus : In that tyme y departid the lyn- 
 age of Leuy, that it schulcle bere the arke 3 of boond 
 of pees of the Lord, and schidde stonde bifore him 
 in seruice, and schulde blesse in his name til into 
 present dai ; for which thing Leuy hadde not part 
 neither possessioun with hise britheren, for the Lord 
 him silf is his possessioun, as thi Lord God bihizte 
 to him. 
 
 The iij*. processe is writuu Deut. xviij 0 . c. in the 
 hioynnyug, where Moyses seide thus: Freest is and 
 dekenes and alle men that ben of the same lynage 
 schulen not haue part and heritage xvith the other e 
 peple of Israel, for thei schtden ete the sacrificis of 
 the Lord and the ojfringis of him. And thei schulen 
 not take eny other thing of the possessioun of her 
 britheren, for the Lord him silf is the 4 heritage of 
 hem, as he spak to hem. 
 
 1 schulde, MS. (first band), appa- 
 rently, t 
 
 3 alle is added in the margin by 
 a later (?) hand, the same -which 
 
 rubricated the MS. apparently : it 
 occurs in Wiclif's version. 
 
 3 ark, MS. (first hand). 
 
 4 the is intcrliueated by n later 
 band. 
 
THE THIRD PART. 
 
 277 
 
 The iiij e . processe is writun Iosue xiij c . c. iu the Cu ^; L 
 eende, where it is seid thus : Forsothe Iosue 1 yaf not ^^^) text - 
 possessioun to the lynage of Leuy, for the Lord God 
 him silf of Israel is the possessioun of Leuy, as the 
 Lord spah to him. 
 
 The v e . processe is writun Ezek. xliiii e . c., where The fifth text, 
 God in discryuyng the lijf which preestis of the oold 
 lawe schulde lede, seide thus : Forsothe noon heritage 
 schal be to hem : y am the heritage of hem. And, 
 ye schulen not yeue to hem possessioun in Israel; 
 for y am the p>ossessioun of hem. 
 
 The vj e . processe is writun Ecclesiastici xlv°. c., J^'ctis^iv)*' 
 where of Aaron and of hise sones Scripture seith there 
 thus : Thei schulen ete the sacrificis of the Lord, 
 which he yaf to him and to his seed ; but in the lond 
 of his folk he schal not haue heritage, and no part 
 is to him among the folk ; forivhi God is the part 
 and heritage of him. 
 
 But so it is, that these now rehercid textis and T , h 9 se * eit ^^- 
 
 ' _ plained. They 
 
 processis meenen not ferther than that the preestis °. n] y re{ ^ *° th f 
 
 ■i 1 first partition of 
 
 and dekenes of the Oold Testament schulden not haue * he ]and of 
 
 Canaan among 
 
 part and lott in the firste parting of the lond of^^?™ 88 
 Iewry to the children and kinredis comyng out of S?i«vimsto >e 
 Iacob, as it is open ynou^ to ech man diligentli bSuhistribeUas 
 reding the placis out of whiche the now alleggid 1 ^^ d t e h ^^ b p ^° r " 
 textis ben drawe. And also ellis God schulde haue f th s c ?wS y s?so y 
 be contrarie to him silf in hise owne ordinauncis, as tn'e'oia Testa- 
 schal be open aftir in this present chapiter, (bi the tempo^endow- 
 iij e . argument,) and bi 2 the iiij e . chapiter. Wherfore no J}riesti"ood. c 
 strengthe of the seid textis gooth not so fer as forto 
 forbede to preestis and dekenys of tho daies forto 
 haue lordschip of immouable godis bi othere weies, 
 
 1 Pecock should have written 
 Moyses. AViclif's version has he 
 yif not, &c. ; where however there 
 is a various reading Moises, which 
 
 is expressed in the Hebrew and in 
 the authorized version. 
 
 2 bi is interlineated by a later (?) 
 hand. 
 
278 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. i. cleyines, and ri^tis dyuers fro the firste departing, 
 soorting, and lotting of the al hool lond. For her of 
 the pleyner vndirstonding it is to wite that Iacob 
 hadde xij. sones, out of which xij. sones camen xij. 
 large kinredis of peplis ; of whiche xij. sones the 
 names were these : Ruben, Symeon, Leuy, Iudas, Isa- 
 char, Zabulon, Ioseph, Beniamyn, Dan, Neptalim, Gad, 
 and Aser ; and the oon of these xij. sones and the 
 kinrede which came out of him, (that is to seie, Leuy 
 and hise children or kinrede,) God chase to be preestis 
 and dekenis as for the tyme of the Oold Testament. 
 And for the reuerence which God wolde be ^ouun to 
 Ioseph, being oon of the xij. seid sones, God wolde 
 that hise children and kinrede comyng out of him 
 schulde be rekened and be takun for ij. kinredis 
 vnder the names of hise ij. sones, whiche weren clepid 
 Effraym and Manasses ; and so God wolde that xij. 
 kinredis of Iacobis children schulde be bisidis the 
 kinrede of Leuy, which God chase into his clergie for 
 thilk tyme of the Oold Testament, not withstonding 
 that Iacob had not but xj. sones bisidis his seid sone 
 Leuy. To whiche now seid xij. kinredis God bade 
 that al the lond, (which was afterward clepid lond 
 of lewis, and into which thei schulden entre bi con- 
 quest for special graunte mad ther upon to hem fro 
 God,) schulde be departid bi lott, whanne thei schulde 
 firste entre into it after her comyng out of Egipt ; 
 and the kinrede of Leuy, which God chase in to his 
 clergie, schulde haue no part in this firste departing 
 and lotting ; for God wole purueie in othere wisis for 
 hem, as sumwhat is open bi the textis bifore alleggid, 
 and sumwhat more ther of schal anoon aftir here be 
 seid. And into ferther purpos than in to this purpos 
 now here seid strecchith not eny of the textis now 
 bifore alleggid, as is open ynout to ech diligent reder 
 of the processis in whiche tho textis ben sett. Wher- 
 fore nedis folewith, that bi textis of the Oold Testa- 
 
THE THIRD PART. 
 
 279 
 
 ment can not be founde that the seid iij a . principal Burl 
 gouernaunce was forbode to the clergie of the Oold 
 Testament. 
 
 The ii e . argument to the same purpos is this : the second 
 
 ARGUMENT 
 
 Thou* God forbade that the kinrede of Leuy, being feom the old 
 
 / T • i Testament. 
 
 as for thanne his clergie, schulde haue part m the The lawfulness of 
 
 . />i T ill! endowment 
 
 seid firste departing and lotting of the al hool lond, of the priesthood 
 
 r ° ° is proved by the 
 
 as is open bi the textis bifore sett in this i e . chapiter, fact that forty- 
 
 r 1 eight cities and 
 
 £it God purueied for hem in other wise ; and bade, | l f l t b e u . r ^ c 
 Numeri xxxv 6 . c., to al the hool multitude of the first partition of 
 
 ? _ Canaan, assigned 
 
 seid xij. kinredis receyuyng the al hool lond bi the to the Levites. 
 seid departing and lotting, that after the seid depart- 
 ing and lotting mad to hem of al the hool lond, they 
 schulden ^eue to the kinrede of Leuy, being the clergie 
 of preestis and dekenis, certein citees bi lott of her 
 al hool receit with the suburbis of pasturis ligging to 
 the same citees, that in tho citees the peple of clerkis 
 my^ten sufficientli ynou£ dwelle, and that in the seid 
 pasturis of suburbis the same clerkis my^te sufficientli 
 pasture her beestis. And in the performyng and exe- 
 cuting of this now rehercid comaundement of God 
 xlviij. citees with her suburbis weren iouun to the 
 preestis and dekenes, as it is open, Iosue xxj e . c. 
 And so, if good rekenyng in this mater be mad, it 
 schal be founde tha the kinrede of Leuy hadde mo 
 citees ^ouun to hem than hadde eny oon other of the 
 seid xij. kinredis, except the kinrede of Iuda ; name- 
 lich sithen summe of the seid kinredis hadde not mo 
 than ten citees in his part and lott of the firste 
 departing and lotting, as it is open, Iosue xvj e . c. 
 Wherfore needis folewith, that the Holi Scripture in 
 the Oold Testament grauntid and licencid preestis and 
 dekenys of thilk tyme forto haue in lordschip and 
 in possessioun vnmouable godis, as citees, housis, and 
 pasturis ; namelich so manye as thei hem silf, withoute 
 into ferine to othere men leting, hadden nede or profit 
 for to haue, holde, and occupie. 
 
280 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap^i. That al this which is take in this ij e . argument 
 oidToSeut ^ or ^° proue conclude his conclusioun is trewe, 
 
 ti'on wasSofh' 1 ^ ^° what is writun Numeri xxxv e . c. in the bigyn- 
 ^S dcda,ld ning thus: And the Lord spak these thingis to 
 Moyses in the feeldi placis of Moab aboue Iordan 
 ayens Ierico : Comaunde thou to the sones of Israel 
 that thei yeue to dekenes of her possessiouns citees 
 to dwelle and the subarbis of tho bi cumpas, that 
 thei dwelle in the citees ; and the subarbis be to 
 beestis and wcrk beestis: whiche subarbis schulen be 
 strecchid forth fro the wallis of citees without forth 
 bi cumpas in the space of a thousind pads; ayens 
 the eest schulen be ij. thousind cubitis, and ayens 
 the south in lijk maner schulen be ij. thousind cu- 
 bitis, and at the see that biholdith to the west schal 
 be the same mesure, and the north schal be eendid 
 by euen terme. And the citees sclmlen be in the 
 myddis, and the subarbis withoute forth. Thus 
 myche there. Ferthermore, that this comaundement 
 of God was executid, performed, and fulfillid, it is 
 openli expressid, Iosue xxj°. c., where mensioun is 
 maad that to the dekenis were ^ouun xlviij. citees 
 with her subarbis in the maner now bifore comaundid 
 bi God, and the names of tho citees ben there in the 
 same chapiter rehercid. Wherfore what is seid and 
 take into making and formyng of this present ij c . 
 argument is trewe. 
 tub TirinD The iii e . argument is this :' Ouer and bitonde alle 
 
 ARGUMENT .... . . / 
 
 fbokthbOud the xlviii. citees with her seid suburbis, which God 
 
 Testament. j , ' 
 
 thV'fortv^ight or deyned to be ^ouun to the clergie of the oold lawe, 
 ^Vcd t C o h tho° d ^ 0( ^ bcencid to ech persoon of the lay party forto 
 aiuwed them to } exxe vow ^° *he preestis and dektuis of the seid 
 possess any clergi his feeld and his hous, whether he hadde hem 
 
 landed property ° ' 
 
 Ki« i 'nV"thcm bv ^ heritage or W purchase ; and if he for deuocioun 
 individuals. wolde not bigge a^en hem so fcotnm to the clerkis, 
 
 1 this is added in the margin by a later ( ?) Land. 
 
THE THIRD PART, 
 
 281 
 
 but wolde hem abide for euer so iouun to the clerkis, Chap. i. 
 tho 1 hous and feeld schulden be the hous and feeld of 
 the preestis and dekenys for euermore, as it is open 
 ynou^, Leuiticus the laste chapiter. Wherfore folewith 
 that Holi Scripture of the oold lawe licencid and not 
 forbade preestis and dekenis of thilk tyme forto haue 
 in her lordschip immovable godis, (as ben housis and 
 feeldis,) ^ouun to hem thanne bi deuocioun of the 
 lay peple, ouer and bi^onde the xlviij. citees and the 
 suburbis of pasturis, ^ouun to hem soone aftir the 
 firste departing of the al hool 2 lond to the xij. kin- 
 redis. 
 
 ij. Chapiter. 
 
 To the ii°. bifore going argument mowe be louun Tw0 p° ssib,c 
 
 J o o o j answers of 
 
 ii. answeris, of whiche the firste is this : That tho Pec ?<*' s °pp?- 
 
 « * nents to the forc- 
 
 xlviij. citees, of whiche speken the textis of the ij e . frgument OU Tho 
 argument, weren not ^ouun into the propre hauour f 0 rty!e\ghu : ities C 
 and lordschip of the preestis and dekenys, but into ^feLevitesTo" *° 
 her vce oonli ; so that the lordschip and propirte of ISti^b^oniy 
 tho citees abode in the lay persoones, whiche ^auen 0 ° c u u S p y a Pfkepro- 
 the perpetuel vse of tho same citees to the preestis stunhoseTifo 
 and dekenys. ^ignS! 6 " 13 ' 
 And into this answere thei wolen take ii. colouris, One plausible 
 
 . * ground for this 
 
 of the which oon is bi the text of Numeri xxxv e . c., answer is the cx- 
 
 . .. pression in Nuni- 
 
 alleggid biiore m the ii e . argument, for as miche as bers > tnat t hcse 
 
 f & „ 7 , 7 , 7 forty-eight cities 
 
 (jrod seide there thus: Uomaunae thou to the sones were given to the 
 
 77 7- 777^ Levites to dwell 
 
 of Israel, that thei yeue to the dekenis of her pos- {"J^^Q 110 
 sessiouns citees forto divelle in hem. and the sub- amounting to a 
 
 ( " t ' right of use only, 
 
 urbis of tho citees in cumpas ; that thei dwelle in not of possession. 
 
 1 So the MS., perhaps by some 
 clerical error : thil/c would be the 
 most natural reading. 
 
 2 Perhaps it deserves notice that 
 
 the scribe had written al the hool 
 lond, but afterwards placed over 
 the words the marks of transposi- 
 tion. 
 
282 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 ohap^ii. tho townes, and the suburbis be to beestis and help- 
 ing beestis : ivhiche suburbis schulen strecche withoute 
 forth fro the wallis of the citees bi space of x a thou- 
 sind pads, that is to seie, a niyle. Thanne, sithen 
 it is seid that tho citees weren ^ouun for to in hem 
 dwelle, summen wolen thenke to folewe ther of and 
 ther bi, that in this word " forto in hem dwelle " 
 is expressid al the ri^t which the preestis and 
 Leuytis hadden in tho citees ; and if this be trewe, 
 that al her ri^t had into tho citees was for to in 
 hem 2 dwelle, folewith nedis that al her ri^t had into 
 tho citees was the ri^t to vse tho citees, sithen in- 
 dwelling 3 is no more than an vsing ; and so folewith 
 farther, that bi thilk ^ift mad to hem thei hadden 
 no ri^t of lordschip, sithen ri^t of vce is dyuers and 
 departable fro the ri^t of lordschip. 
 That this is tho The ij°. colour forto grounde and strengthe the 
 
 true, view of tho . . . , . ml . „ 
 
 matter appears seid answere mai be this : lhat JLbron was oon 01 
 opinion! from the the seid xlviii. citees touun to preestis and dekenes, 
 
 fact that Hebron ., . J T ' „ i m 
 
 was in the occu- as it is open, losue xx°. c. ; and yx this same Ebron 
 V>evites,'imt iii was 4 iouun into the propre lordschip of Caleph, as 
 
 the possession of . ' « ~ n j -l • it ,. .„ ., 
 
 Caleb at one ana is open, losue xv . c. JbJut so it is, that thilk: citee 
 was not in propirte of lordschip to gidere and at 
 oonis to Caleph, (which was a lay man,) and to the 
 clergi of preestis and dekenis : and herwith open it is, 
 that thilk cite was not in vce of Caleph ; for it was 
 in the vce of preestis or Leuitis, as it is open, losue 
 xxj°. c. Wherfore thei wolen seie to folewe nedis, 
 that the seid citee was of Caleph as in propirte and 
 in lordschip, and was of the clergie as for her vce 
 without theryn had lordschip. 5 
 
 1 of is interlineated by a later (?) 
 hand. 
 
 2 iiihem, MS. 
 
 3 in du elling, MS., and so also on 
 p. 283 and p. 288. 
 
 * was is interlineated by a later (?) 
 band. 
 
 ■ lurschip, MS. The same cleri- 
 cal (?) error occurs at p. 287, 
 
THE THIRD PART. 
 
 283 
 
 Certis the seid answere may not be strengthid chap^ii. 
 bi the i e . now rehercid colour or evidence. Forwhi Reply to th0 . , 
 
 first argument or 
 
 whanne a persoon makith a ^ifte, and to gidere first answer, 
 therwith the ^euer expressith his entent or eende t'^^cto^w 
 into which and for which he makith his ^ifte, J^^fa^n 
 thilk expressioun of his intent and of the eende thiTxpri^sionof 
 entendid to be had bi the jift lettith not the * e ^ 8 e *^" re 
 ^ift to be a fift, but suffrith it to be a ^ifte 
 ferforth as thouj he had mad the yi& withoute the ggEJgSSk 
 expressioun or the open pronouncing of the same en- ^^eprindpics 
 tent or eende: as if a man wolde seie; "Y ^eue to ^ t c c ^ asc cf thc 
 " thee a 1 peny forto spende it at the wijn ; " the ex- 
 pressioun of his entent lettith not but that he ^eueth 
 the peny, and makith the receyuer of the peny to 
 be lord of the peny. But so it is, that whanne God 
 seide that the laife of Israel schulde ^eue of her pos- 
 sessiouns to the clergie of Israel citees to dwelle in 
 hem ; here in these wordis is expressid the ^ifte, and 
 therwith is expressid the eende which the ^euer wolde 
 be had bi the same ^ifte. Wherfore bi these wordis 
 is not lett maad, that this same ^ifte into the now seid 
 eende be a verri ^iffce ; as it schulde haue be, thou£ the 
 eende of indwelling hadde not be expressid, but hadde 
 oonli be entendid and hopid withoute expressioun. 
 And so it is vntrewe, that 2 whanne it is seid that in 
 these wordis " forto dwelle in tho citees " is expressid 
 al the ri^t whiche preestis and dekeuis hadden into 
 tho citees ; for more ri^t than so is expressid in these 
 wordis, ^eue to the dekenys citees. And the ful hool 
 ri^t is expressid in these to gidere wordis, ^eue to 
 the dehenis citees forto dwelle in hem; for in the 
 firste parti of these wordis is expressid the substaunce 
 of the ^ifte, and in the ij e . parti of tho wordis is 
 
 1 a is interlineated by a later (?) 
 hand. 
 
 2 that seems to be superfluous 
 
 and unmeaning; probably it should 
 be cancelled. 
 
284 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. ii. expressid a circumstaunce of the same ^ifte ; which 
 circumstance is the eende for which the ^ifte is maad. 
 And open to ech man it is, that the expressioun of 
 a iifte is an expressioun of more ri^t than is the 
 expressioun of a circumstaunce longing to the same 
 ^ifte ; thou£ it be the cheef and principal circumstaunce, 
 worthier than eny othir circumstaunce of the same 
 deede of ^ifte, as is now this present circumstaunce 
 of eende. Wherfore herbi open it is, that the seid 
 answere mai not be holpe bi the firste colour ; and 
 that for this that sufficient answere assoiling is now 
 touun to the same firste colour. 
 Confirmation of Confirmacion to this answere, now maad a^ens the 
 the lanBu^cof same firste colour and the former answere groundid 
 
 common life. . , . . , . T/ , 
 
 ther upon, mai be bi these ensaumplis. It a man ^eue 
 to me a gowne that y were it, certis herof folewith 
 that he ^eueth to me thilk gowne ; and thilk gown is 
 myn in lordschip as verrili as, if he £eue to me a 
 pijnt of wijn forto drinke it, thilk wijn is mad myn 
 in verri lordschip ; and as, if a man £eue to me a peny 
 to spende at the wijn, certis he ^eueth to me the 
 peny, and the peny is myn in verri lordschip of it. 
 Forwhi, if he wolde that y haue the vce of a thing 
 with outen lordschip of the same thing, he wolde seie 
 thus : " Y delyuere or y bitake to thee this gowne 
 " for to were it ; y delyuere to 1 thee this hous forto 
 " dwelle in it ; y delyuere to thee this feeld forto tile 
 " it : " eucn as an oosteler seith to his gist ; " Sir, y 
 " take this chaumbir to ^ou forto ligge in it; y take 
 " this bed to £ou forto slepe in it ; " and as oon 
 scoler seith to an other scoler thus : " Y take this book 
 " to thee, that thou leerne in it." And the oosteler 
 seith not to his gist ; " Y £eue to thee this chambir, 
 " that thou reste in it ; y ^eue to thee this bed, that 
 
 1 to is interliiieated, perhaps by a later hand. 
 
THE THIRD PART. 285 
 
 " thou slepe in it," neither the scoler seith to his Chap. II. 
 
 felow thus : " Y ^eue to thee this book, that thou 
 
 " leerne in it ; " for certis, if he so seide, the receyuer 
 
 my^te cleyme the book for his in lordschip, as bi vertu 
 
 and strengthe and forme of tho wordis. And therfore, 
 
 sithen God seid that the lay parti of Israel "schulde 
 
 " ^eue to the dekenys citees forto in hem dwelle, " 
 
 and seith not thus, "that the lay parti schulde take 
 
 " or delyuere to the dekenis citees forto in hem 
 
 " dwelle," it folewith openli ynout bi likenes of these 
 
 now bifore rehercid ensauniplis, that it is to be vndir- 
 
 stonde and deemed that God wolde the dekenis to be 
 
 verri lordis of tho citees, whiche thei schulde receyue 
 
 bi tifte of the lay parti mad ther upon to hem. And 
 
 this is ynou^ a^ens the answere and his i e . colour. 
 
 That the if. colour bifore sett for to fortofie and iteply to the 
 
 ■ i _ second argn- 
 
 strengthe the same badde answere 1 availith not, lo ment of the first 
 
 ° , answer. Hebron 
 
 y mai schewe bi this ensaumple. If the king of a * *»e first aiiot- 
 
 ' -i ° ment was made 
 
 Enp'lond ieue to me a citee with manye villagis ove >" to Caleb, 
 
 ° 7 . . but at the second 
 
 theraboute in cumpas lige-ing, and sone aftir this tift allotment to the 
 
 i oo o> / Levites ; and so 
 
 y ^eue the same citee with hise suburbis to an other ? h ^ s ^,dX^ m 
 man Robert, reseruyng to my silf the seid villagis, Caleb together, 
 what schal herof folewe? Schal it be seid that 
 Robert is not lord of this citee, aftir y haue ^ouun 
 this citee to him ; and that, bi cause that bifore y 
 was lord of the same citee bi ^ifte ther of maad 
 to me bi the king ? Alle men mowe wite that it 
 is not so to be holde and seid. Wherfore bi lijk 
 skile, thou^ in the firste soorting and lotting of the 
 al hool lond of lewis the cite of Ebron fille bi lott 
 to Caleph, (and therbi Caleph was very lord of it, 
 as it is open therof, Iosue xv e . c.) ^it her of folew- 
 ith not neither colour is worth forto seie, that ther- 
 
 1 ansicere is inserted by a later (?) hand, which has erased and re- -written 
 the two lines preceding. 
 
286 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. ii. fore afterward — whanne the secunde lotting was mad 
 for the xlviij. citees to be ^ouun to the dekenes, 
 and this ij e . lott fill upon Ebron, as forto be oon of 
 tho xlviij. citees, as it is open, Iosue xxj". c. — this 
 Ebron herwith my^te not be in the lordschip of the 
 dekenis, bi cause the same Ebron was ^ouun bifore 
 into the lordschip of Calepf. And so open it is herbi, 
 that the ij e . bifore sett colour helpith not the bifore 
 seid mad bad answere. 
 This answer, Ferthermore thoui the seid answere mytte lette 
 
 even supposing it ... . r i ii 
 
 were a refutation the ii e . bifore soiiig argument, as treuthe is that he 
 
 of the second J t> o & > 
 
 argument, win may not lette ; (for the worse plite, in which the 
 
 not at all apply . » ' v , . \ 
 
 to the third : for seid proces, Numeri xxxv e . c. mai be take alens 
 
 it is certain that ..... i • i 
 
 the fields, which this iii e . principal gouernaunce, is such that thilk 
 
 devout men gave 7 • 
 
 to the Levites, proces is indifferent 1 to bothe sidis, that is to seie, to 
 
 became their 1 * 
 
 ^himdv^nder P rmc ip a l gouernaunce and to his contrarie,) 
 
 wMhaUowed? M }^ thilk answere mai not lette the iij e . bifore going 
 argument fro his proof. Forwhi as it is open, Le- 
 uiticus the laste chapiter, tho housis and tho feeldis, 2 
 whiche weren tOttUn to the preestis and dekenis bi 
 deuoute vowis of the comoun peple, fillen into lord- 
 schip of the preestis and dekenis ; thou^ it be seid 
 there sumwhilis, that thei weren ^ounn to God and 
 weren halewid to God. Forwhi of a feeld so touun bi 
 vow in a certeyn caas it is seid there thus : Whanne 
 the dai of iubile schal come, the feeld schal be halewid 
 to the Lord, and the halewid 2>ossessioun perteyneth 
 or longith to the riyt of the ^reestfis. Lo, how in the 
 wordis of God these tweine stoden weel to giderc and 
 weren trewe to gidere, that an hous or a feeld or 
 a citee was ^ouun to God, and yit was also therwith 
 ^ouun to preestis into her lordschip ; ri^t euen as in 
 the same laste chapiter of Leuitik it is seid, that 
 mouable godis (as money) weren ^ouun to God and 
 
 1 in different, MS. 
 
 | ifeeehlis, MS. 
 
THE THIRD PART. 
 
 287 
 
 halewid to God, and yit thei "weren maad therbi the Chap. h. 
 preestis and the dekenis godis in lordschip. Forwhi 
 the preestis and dekenis my^ten turne thilk money 
 into the lordschip of the lay parti, whanne euere 
 dekenis hadden nede forto bigge ther with wijn or 
 corn or breed or othere to hem necessarie thingis. 
 
 Also thus : No persoon mai in his owne name sille Neither would 
 eny ffood, which is ' not his in lordschip; but so it fui for the priests 
 
 7, . . _ _ _ , .1, i aud Levites to 
 
 was, that preestis and dekenis ruyiten sille to lay have sold the 
 
 ■ i/»tt »• t • /> lands so given 
 
 folk the housis and ieeldis, which lai folk taue to them, unless 
 
 . . * tu ey had been 
 
 God and to hem bi deuoute vowis, as is open ynout, their absolute 
 
 t • • ii i ttti <• t n property. And if 
 
 Leuiticus the laste chapiter. W herfore nedis fole w- such lands be- 
 
 • ii ii • i/-iT o loused to them 
 
 ith, that tho housis and feeldis weren of the prestis absolutely, it is 
 
 , 1 hard to think 
 
 and dekenis m lordschip and not in vce oonli. And that the forty- 
 
 * . t eight cities were 
 
 if the preestis and dekenis hadden verri cyuyl lord- not also theirs in 
 
 c . toe same un- 
 
 schip vpon the housis and feeldis, which came to hem ignited sense, 
 bi ^ift 1 of the comoun peple aftir her first endewing 
 in the xlviij. citees ; certis, bi lijk skile, it is not to 
 be denied but that thei hadden veri cyuyl lordschip 
 vpon the xlviij. citees receyued of hem in her firste 
 endewyng, — namelich sithen noon skile of dyuersite is 
 seen, whi the preestis and dekenys ou^ten not haue 
 lordschip 2 upon tho xlviij. citees, as weel as upon the 
 othere immouable godis. 
 
 iij. Chapitre. 
 
 The ii e . answere which may be mad to the ii e . bifore The second pos- 
 
 . *, . * sible answer to 
 
 pomor argument sett in the firste chapiter of this iif. the above-made 
 
 . ml i.ii. & second argument 
 
 parti mai be this : Thou^ bi the bidding of God the ^' e °!J 1 am a g n ^ ld 
 preestis and dekenys hadden in her verri lordschip Although the 
 
 1 yist, MS., but without doubt I 2 lorschip, MS. 
 accidentally. 
 
288 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 cnjip. in. tlio xlviij. citees with the suburbis of the same citees; 
 
 Levites had *it herbi rose not this, that thei hadden eny more of 
 
 forty-eight cities { 
 
 assigned to them immouable wodis in her lordschip and possessioun than 
 
 as their own by 0 r r 
 
 God yet it was was nedeful hem to vse and occupie in her owne de- 
 
 not Ins will that * 
 
 iand e s should be men y n g- And therto sownen tho wordis,* Numeri 
 given them than xxxv*. c., whiche ben bifore rehercid in the firste 
 
 they themselves ' 
 
 had need to colour to the firste answere, whanne God seid thus, 
 ^eue ye to the dekenis citees forto dwelle in hem: 
 wherbi it wolde seme folewe ferther, that mo citees 
 or othere citees than in whiche the preestis and de- 
 keuys badde nede to dwelle yn, was not Goddis wil 
 that schulden be youe to hem ; and thanne folewith 
 ferther, that it was not leeful thanne preestis and 
 dekenys forto haue so manye housis and feeldis, that 
 thei my^ten sette hem out to ferine and receyue ^eerli 
 rentis for hem. 
 
 Reply to the To this answere muste be seid thus : This answere 
 
 answer. It is . . 
 
 probably true seith sooth in this, that it is likeli to be trewe that, 
 
 that in the first , . 
 
 allotment of the m the firste endewni£ of the preestis and dekenys bi 
 
 forty-cipht cities .... . — , 
 
 the Levitcs re- the UVUl. citees with her suburbis, thei receyueden 
 
 reived no more J , * 
 
 than they could no more of immouable o-odis than was necessarie hem 
 
 themselves ° . 
 
 occupy, but the s ilf to occupie in her owne demenyng ; but whanne it 
 
 unlimited per- 1 J ° 
 
 mission pranted i s concludid forto folewe herof, that it was Goddis wil 
 
 to them to re- 
 ceive lauds from that the same preestis and dekenys schulden neuer 
 
 the laity, which 1 • 
 
 mi K htbesoid aftirward receyue and haue into her lordschip eny 
 
 before thejubilee J . 
 
 to another than jnimouable £odis, whiche thei hadden no nede bi 
 
 thepner, and . . 
 
 juinieeVcturiicd nem s ^ occu pie bi her owne indwelling or tiling : 
 apintothe certis it is to be seid, that this folewith not in 
 
 clerpy, shows ' 
 
 tion'madeh/uie f° urrae °f gode argument. And also the contrarie 
 soScandfa'ise. tlier of folewith of it which was ordeyned of God 
 him silf to be doon, Leuyticus the laste chapiter. 
 Forwhi it was ordeyned of God him silf, that if a 
 lay persoon wolde offre and ^eue an hous or a feeld 
 to the clergie in the next yeer bifore the iubile 
 ^eer, (^he, thou^ it were so nyy to the iubile ^eer, 
 that it were not but iiij. or v. daies bifore the 
 iubile yeer,) the clergye my^te sille this hous or 
 
THE THIRD PART. 
 
 289 
 
 fceld to an other persoon than to him which ^aue cnxr. hi. 
 
 it to hem. And thanne anoon aftir, as soone as the 
 
 iubile yeer were come, the same hous or feeld schulde 
 
 turne a^en into the lordschip of the clergie for euer- 
 
 more, as it is open, Leuytik the last chapiter. And 
 
 as oon lay man my^te in this maner offre an hous 
 
 or a feeld to the clergie, so ij. lay men or iij. lay 
 
 men or xx. or an hundrid my^ten so do, that ech 
 
 of hem schulde offre and ^eue to the clergie an hous 
 
 or a feeld ; xhe, and oon man my^te offre and yeue 
 
 ij. or iij. housis and ij. or iij. feeldis, as is open 
 
 ynou^ to folewe of the proces there, which ^eueth 
 
 such licence in general withoute eny restreynyng. 
 
 Here upon y argue thus : In the next leer going Hence it appears 
 
 / that after the 
 
 bifore the iubile ieer, (the, in the iiii e . day bifore Levites had been 
 
 . 7 7 i . , sufficiently en- 
 
 tile iubile *eer,) whanne the clergie was endewid dowed, they 
 
 • i < „ i might at any 
 
 with immouable godis sufficientli forto exclude al nede time receive one 
 
 ° ..... or more fields in 
 
 to haue more of immouable godis, the clergie miite perpetuity; con- 
 
 ° ' ° 7 sequently it 
 
 receyue an hous or a feeld touun to hem of the accorded' with 
 
 J t (*od s will that 
 
 laife; ("and bi liik skile iiii. housis and iiii. feeldis the priesthood 
 
 » \ « ° J _ might receive 
 
 ^ouun to hem of the layfe ;) and the clergie my^te ^"hSi^dto 
 tlianne anoon forth with sille hem to lay persoonis 0CCl W- so 
 
 J 1 much as they 
 
 othere and dyuerse fro the ^euers. And thou$ in the ™js ht let out t0 
 
 next ^eer folewing, which is iubile ^eer, the clergie 
 
 schulde as litle be nedi to haue tho housis and feeldis 
 
 as thei were in the iiij e . dai bifore the iubile ^eer, 
 
 ^it tho housis and feeldis schulden needis bi the lawe 
 
 of God turne into the lordschip and possessioun of 
 
 the clergie, as is open, Leuyticus the laste chapiter. 
 
 Wherfore it accordid with the lawe of God and with 
 
 his ordinance, that the clergie my^te receyue 1 and 
 
 haue mo housis and feeldis than thei hadden nede to 
 
 occupie in her owne demenys; and tlianne folewith 
 
 herof, that thei my^ten putte tho same housis and 
 
 1 recey, MS., but a hyphen follows at the end of the line. 
 
 T 
 
290 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap^ii. feeldis into ferme and rente ; for 1 ellis tho housis 
 and feeldis sckulden 2 not be to hem availing, 
 sale possessed ^ en 7 man w °lde se ^ e here, that in tho daies no 
 s^owsa^so^that ^ a 7 persoon ou^te ^eue eny hous or feeld 3 to the 
 ^ve^hem n more clergie of thilk tyme, saue whanne the clergie had 
 Lewtescouid nede to occupie bi her owne vce thilk same or 
 occm> S y. lv So that summe othere like hous or feeld, certis this seiyng 
 ment auowedthe ma y be a t full6 putt abak and be rebukid. Forwhi 
 pol C sess°iwus?s if this seiyng were trewe, thanne the clergie schulde 
 toocwpyand n °k an d ou^te not sille anoon forth with eny hous 
 affords n" argu- or feeld, which the lay peple hadde ^eue to hem ; 
 ™ie n endo"Vmcnt a nd ^it pleinli in the laste chapiter of Leuitik it is 
 priesthood with licencid to preestis and dekenis for to sille the hous 
 
 fixed possessions. or which § ky perg00n ^ eue to hem . 
 
 ^he, forto sille it anoon aftir the ^ifte maad to hem ; 
 ^he, and forto sille anoon forthwith to hem that 
 ^auen the hous and the feeld or to othere per- 
 soones whiche ^auen 4 hem not. And so bi al this 
 processe now bifore going (fro the bigynnyng of the 
 firste argument markid in the firste chapiter of this 
 present iij e . parti hiderto) it is weel proued, that to 
 preestis and to othere clerkis of the Oold Testament 
 it was not forbodun bi the lawe of God forto haue 
 lordschip and in possessioun immouable godis ; but it 
 was licencid and grauntid to hem bi the lawe of God 
 for to haue in lordschip and in possessioun citees, 
 housis, and feeldis, and pasturis, — not oonli tho whiche 
 thei helden in her owne demenys, but also mo othere 5 
 whiche thei my^ten sette forth to ferme and rente. 
 And therfore Holi Scripture of the Oold Testament 
 forbedith not to preestis and clerkis of the Newe 
 Testament forto haue in lijk maner like immouable 
 goodis. 
 
 1 or, MS. (first hand). 
 
 2 schulde, MS. (first hand). 
 
 ■ or feeld is added by a later (?) 
 hand. 
 
 * yauc, MS. (first hand). 
 1 Perhaps we should read othere 
 mo. 
 
THE THIHD PART. 
 
 291 
 
 And ^it wherto schal y make me so bisy forto chap, hi. 
 defende the firste 1 principal gouernaunce at ens eny Even if it had 
 
 r r ° 7 J been true that 
 
 forbode which schulde be pretendid to be ther aiens the Jewish law 
 
 1 < / had not sanc- 
 
 in the lawe of lewis? Forwhi, ben not alle the lawis tioned the en- 
 dowment of 
 
 of the lewis reuokid bi Crist ech oon, except what the priesthood, 
 
 1 that would not 
 
 is lawe of kinde, that is to seie, what doom of cleer have made ,. sucl1 
 
 endowment un- 
 
 resoun wole haue to be do or to be left vndo : as alle > awful for chris- 
 
 ' _ tian priests, un- 
 
 Cristen men bileeuen, and as it is open bi Poul in } ess lt naa als ° 
 
 r been contrary to 
 
 his Epistle to the Romayns and in his First Epistle n e o ascm . as it is 
 to Corinthies and in his Epistle to Galathies and 
 Acts xv e . c. ? And therfore, thou^ it hadde be trewe, 
 (as it is not trewe,) that vnmouable endewing in 
 propirte of lordschip hadde be 2 forboden to preestis 
 and clerkis of the lewis, what is it forto forbede to 
 preestis of Cristen men, but if Cristen preestis weren 
 Iewen preestis ; or but if the lawis of lewis weren 
 not ceesid ; or but if doom of cleer resoun wolde 
 nedis dryue and proue that Cristen preestis ou^ten 
 not haue eny vnmouable endewing? Which thing 
 doom of cleer resoun can not proue, (as in the ij e . 
 principal conclusioun of this iij e . present parti it schal 
 be proued,) but y can proue the contrarie, as schal be 
 seen aftir in this present iij e . partie in the v e . prin- 
 cipal conclusioun. Wherfore, forto answere to eny 
 colour taken bi Iewes lawes a^ens the seid firste prin- 
 cipal gouernaunce had and vsid in the clergie of Cristis 
 chirche is more than is nede forto take upon me. 
 
 Also thus : If eny oon forbode maad in lewis lawe F?ji fon ° PA?" 
 
 J t , hibition of the 
 
 to preestis schulde binde also Cristen preestis, bi lijk bf^chriltian 
 skile ech other forbode maad in lewis lawe to preestis priests, so does 
 
 r every other : ana 
 
 schulde 3 also binde Cristen preestis. And so wolde u ° [ aW fJJi fo r be 
 folewe this, that if this forbode mad to Iewen preestis, intoxicating k 
 that thei schulden not haue vnmouable endewing, 1'iwors.. 
 
 1 Both here and below Pecock 
 should have written thridde instead 
 of firste. 
 
 2 An erasure of a letter (n ?) has 
 been made at the end of be. 
 
 9 schulden, MS. twice (first hand). 
 
 T 2 
 
292 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 ^ Iu « schulde strecche to Cristen preestis ; bi lijk skile this 
 forbode inad to Iewen preestis, that thei schulden 
 drinke no wijn, neither sidir, neither eny drinke. 
 which my^te make the drinker drunke, thoru^ al the 
 tyme whilis he schulde olfre sacrificis in her cours, 
 (which forbode is writun Leuiticus x c . c.) schulde 
 also binde Cristen preestis, that al the while thei were 
 wekeli occupied in offring the sacrifice of the auter, 
 thei schulden drinke no wijn, neither ale ne bere, 
 neither sider, neither eny drinke which mai make 
 drunke. But this thing wole not be so hard forto 
 leie upon Cristen preestis, that thei ben bounde therto 
 bi strengthe of a lijk forbode mad to Iewen preestis. 
 Wherfore folewith, that neithir eny man mai make 
 him so streit to Cristen preestis forto pretende, that 
 bi strengthe of eny 1 forbode in lewis lawe Cristen 
 preestis ou^ten not be endewid bi vnmouable pos- 
 sessiouns. And thus miche fro the bigynnyng of this 
 chapiter in this present iij e . partie hidir to is ynou^ 
 for proof of the firste conclusioun for his firste partie, 
 that Holi Scripture forbedith not neither weernetli 
 in eny place of the Oold Testament the seid firste 
 principal conclusioun. 
 
 iiij. Chapiter. 
 
 The second part Now that the same firste conclusioun is trewe for 
 
 Of the first con- .... tt 1 • n • 
 
 elusion proved, ],i s ij". party, (winch is this, that Hon Scripture of 
 
 viz., that the New J l J' \ » i 
 
 Testament does the Newe Testament forbedith not the seid jjouer- 
 
 not forbid the . . ° 
 
 endow ment of naunce, which is that preestis and clerkis in the 
 
 the priesthood. 1 
 
 Kadi part of the Newe Testament liaue in her lordschip and possessioun 
 
 New Testament r 1 
 
 his e tflHcai P o7 ly immouable goodis,) y procede thus : Ech party of 
 oHdstorica^y* 1 ' Scripture of the Newe Testament is oon of these 
 ensampial. jjj soortis, 2 or ellis therto longing ; for it is pure 
 
 1 iny, MS. 
 
 ■ sorortis, MS. (partly written on 
 
 an erasure). 
 
THE THIRD PART. 
 
 293 
 
 historial oonli as is this, that Gabriel was sent to Chap. IT. 
 Mai'ie ; and seide to hir thus ; and that sche answerid 
 thus ; and that sche childide hir Sone in Bethleem ; 
 and that he aftirward dide this miracle, and thilk mi- 
 racle : or it is doctrinal oonli, that is to seie, loor of 
 moral conuersacioun how a man schal gouerne him in 
 his lyuyng immediatli anentis God, anentis him silf, 
 and anentis hise nei^boris, as is this, Thou schalt 
 loue God of at thin herte and thi neiybour as thi 
 silf; and so of othere like : or it is historial ensam- 
 pial of the now bifore seid moral conuersacion, as is 
 this, that Crist or eny of hise Apostlis in his moral 
 lyuyng anentis God or him silf or his nei^bour lyued 
 thus or thus. 
 
 Here upon y argue thus : If Hob Scripture of the if the New Tes- 
 Newe Testament schulde forbede the seid gouernaunce, bid it at ail, it 
 
 . , ,. ii- i /» ,1 ••p ,t must do so by one 
 
 he muste nedis so do bi sum party oi the ij . or the or both of the iat- 
 iij°. seid soort ; for the firste seid soort longith not ^ 0 ternamL par s- 
 bidde or forbede eny vertu or eny vice, as is open 
 ynou£, for he is historial oonli witlioute doctrine of 
 moral conuersacioun. But so it is, that no Scripture 
 of the ij e . or of the iij e . soort in the Newe Testament 
 so forbedith. Wherfore folewith, that no parti of the 
 Newe Testament so forbedith. 
 
 That no parti of the ii e . seid soort so forbedith, y certain doc- 
 
 r J . TRINAL TEXTS 
 
 proue thus : If eny such party of the ij°. seid soort ^^^niT 
 schulde forbede the seid thridde gouernaunce, it which appa- 
 
 ° i ' RENTLY CON- 
 
 schulde bi 1 this processe writun Math. xix e . c., where DEMN THE EN * 
 
 r > » DOWIKG OP THE 
 
 it is seid thus : Lo, oon came and seid to lesus, clergy d» 
 
 ' ' cussed. The 
 
 Good maister, what good schal' 2 y do, that y haue ^f*^* Mat'th. 
 euerlasting lijft Which seide to him, What askist christ W orders a 
 thou me of good thing ? Ther is oon good God. But ™ J^f^"^^ 
 if thou wolte entre to lijf kepe the comaundementis. thl'^cuftyof 3 
 He seith to him, Whiche ? Iesus seide, Thoti schalt 3 ^ ation of 
 
 1 Perhaps a clerical error for be. 
 
 2 what schal, MS. (first hand). 
 
 3 schal, MS. ; but schalt is the 
 reading of Wiclif's (later) version, 
 whence this is quoted. 
 
294 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 not do mansleing, Thou schalt not do avoutrie, Thou 
 schalt not do thefte, Thou schalt not seie fals wit- 
 nessing, Worschipe thi fadir and thi nriodir, and, 
 Thou schalt loue thi neiybour as thi silf. The yong 
 man seith to him, T haue kepte alle these thingis 
 fro my yongthe, what yit failith to me ? Iesus seith 
 to him, If thou wolte be perfit, go and sille alle 
 thingis that thou hast and yeue to poor men, and 
 thou schalt haue tresour in heuen ; and come and 
 sue me. And whanne the yong man had herd these 
 ivordis, he wente awey soruful; for he hadde manye 
 jwssessiouns. And Iesus seide to hise disciplis, I 
 seie to you tveuthe, a riche man of hard achat entre 
 into the kingdom of heuens. And eftsoone y seie to 
 you, it is Uyter a camel to £>asse thoruy a needlis 
 iye, than a riche man to entre into the kingdom of 
 heuenes. Whanne these thingis weren herd, the dis- 
 ciplis wondriden greetli and seiden, Who thanne may 
 be saaf? Iesus biheld and seide to hem, Anentis 
 men this thing is impossible, but anentis God alle 
 thingis ben possible. Thus miche there. Lijk processe 
 thoruy al is had and writun Luk xviij". c. In this 
 processe ben ij. seiyngis, whiche my^ten seme forto 
 lette the seid iij°. principal gouernance. Oon is this, 
 that Crist seide to the *ong man comyng to him : 
 " Go and sille alle thingis that thou hast and ^eue 
 " to poor men, and come and sue me." The other 
 seiyng is this : "It js lifter a camel to passe throu^ 
 " a needelis i^e, than a riche man to entre into the 
 " kingdom of heuenes." 
 mand'to'ni'is That the first seiyng helpith not in this wey, y mai 
 ' v tru"ted i£ wh0 P roue - Forwhi, Mark the x e . c., where this same storie 
 w^untiTto 50 1S W1 *itun with lijk proces, it is meened that this yong 
 Soe^not^'o man (which m the now seid maner came to Crist) 
 ^SaUy u™it T0 was so vndisposid anentis hise richessis, that he hadde 
 i^onghtnot to trus t, m } iem . Forwhi there, Mark x e . c., in the same 
 speche and proces longing to the same yong man, 
 Crist seid thus, How hard is it for men that trusten 
 
THE THIRD PART. 
 
 295 
 
 in ricchessis to entre into the kingdom of God. So chap, iv. 
 
 that therbi it may be take and vndirstonde, that 
 
 therfore Crist seide and counseilid or bade to him for- 
 
 to forsake and sille hise ricchessis, bi cause that he 
 
 was, as it were, vnable forto haue to do with tho 
 
 ricchessis ; and that for his natural indisposicioun and 
 
 ouer soor inclinacioun of loue anentis hem, and for his 
 
 ouer greet trust which in his witt he bisettid upon 
 
 hem. Wherof folewith not, that Crist schulde wilne 
 
 and bidde in lijk maner to eny other man, (preest 
 
 or no preest,) which is not so vndisposid anentis 
 
 ricchessis as this £ong rnan was ; and therfore al this 
 
 what Crist seide to the seid ^ong man groundith not, 
 
 that nedisly ech preest owith to lacke and forsake 
 
 alle immouable possessiouns ; no more than folewith, 
 
 thou^ the riche man, of whom it is writun Luk xij e . c., 
 
 was vndisposid and vnable to haue and reule and 
 
 dispense ricchesis, that therfore Zache and Abraham 
 
 and Iosep of Armathie and king Dauith were vnable 
 
 and vnworthi and vndisposid 1 forto haue and reule 
 
 and demene ricchessis. 
 
 Also this present processe sowneth and berith ful Moreover it is 
 
 r r clear that Christ 
 
 greet euydence, that Crist here clepid this tong man called him to be 
 
 y . . / ° . an apostle, and 
 
 into apostilhode 2 or into disciplehode ; and her with >n those days 
 
 x 1 ' apostleslup and 
 
 open trouthe it is, that the state and condicioun of holding of pro- 
 
 L ' # perty were m- 
 
 tho daies weren such, that it accordid not with resoun consistent for 
 
 reasons which 
 
 eny man forto holde to gidere apostilliode or discipil- have now ceased. 
 
 hode and possessioun of immouable godis or holding 
 
 houshold and reuling of meyne and of movable goclis, 
 
 as it is schewid in The book of counseilis ; thou^ now 
 
 adaies it may weel ynow^ accorde with resoun, as 
 
 soone aftir here schal be schewid. Forwhi ech man 
 
 thanne stonding in apostilhode or discipilhode hadde 
 
 1 vnworthi disposid, MS. (first 
 band). 
 
 apostil hode, MS. (no hyphen 
 
 following apostil at the end of the 
 line ; but apostilhode and disciple- 
 hode distinctly just below). 
 
296 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 Christ's remark 
 about the dilli- 
 culty of the sal- 
 vation of rich 
 men applies to 
 those only who 
 
 trust in riches. 
 
 Moreover Christ 
 allows that 'with 
 God ' it is pos- 
 sible for a rich 
 man to be saved, 
 
 nede forto ecli dai make him redi to die bi martirdoom 
 of tirantis, and tlierfore hadde nede more forto ^eue 
 awey good than forto gadere, reule, gouerne, or kepe ; 
 and also ech such man was to traueile into strauncre 
 cuntrees forto preche the feith ; and also he muste 
 nedis leeue hise godis, if he eny 1 hadde, into his ene- 
 myes hondis. And so neither wisdom neither profit 
 were to hem so circumstancid with tho daies, placis, 
 and maners of the peple for to holde eny movable or 
 vnmouable godis, but if it were sum what of money 
 oonli. Wherfore folewith nedis, that bi strengthe of 
 the firste seiyng of Crist may not be proued that the 
 iij c . principal bifore seid gouernaunce of this book is 
 a^ens Holi Scripture of the Newe Testament. 
 
 That the ij e . seiyng of Crist lettith not the seid 
 iij e . principal gouernaunce, y proue thus : The riche 
 man, of which Crist spekith in tbilk ij e . seiyng, is he 
 which not oonli hath ricchessis, but which therwithal 
 tristith ouer myche in hise ricchessis, and therforo 
 folewingli loueth ouer miche hise ricchessis ; as the 
 text of Mark x e . c., Avriting the same storie, declarith 
 openli in this that Crist seide thus : Hoxv hard it is 
 for men that trusten in richessis to entre in to the 
 kingdom of God ! Wherfore this ij e . seiyng of Crist 
 toucbith not suche riche men, whiche ban ricchessis 
 and not ouer myche trusten in hem, neither ouer 
 myche louen hem. And so folewith, that if eny 
 man be so disposid that be can forbere ouermyebe 
 trust and ouer myche louc to ricchessis, he mai wcel 
 ynou^ holde prelacie and ricchessis to gidere for eny 
 lett which this ij°. seiyng of Crist makith ther 
 a^ens. 
 
 Also Crist seide here in this present proces, that 
 " at God " it is possible a riche man to entre into 
 the kingdom of heuen ; that is to seie, with grace 
 
 eny is added in the margin by a later (?) hand. 
 
THE THIRD PART. 297 
 
 which God profiith and ^eueth to a riche man he Cmp. iv. 
 mai entre into the kingdom of heuen : thou* he from the 
 
 ° ' 7 abstract lawful- 
 
 abide stille riche, and thou* withoute such erace it is »<' ss I s P rovcd > 
 
 / ° certain cases 
 
 ouer hard to him being riche for to entre. Wherfore (, " lv Y"^ 
 
 ~ t t excepted. 
 
 folewith lierof openli, that it is not forbodun of God 
 eny man to be riche ; for thanne noon such man 
 schulde euere entre heuen, bi cause he schulde thanne 
 entre a^ens Goddis forbode. And if it be not for- 
 bode eny man to be riche, certis thanne it is leeful 
 ynou^ ech man to be riche ; in lasse than he vowe 
 the contrarie, or that he knowith bi assay and expe- 
 rience him silf so miche indisposid anentis ricchessis, 
 that he schal not mowe rewle him silf ari^t anentis 
 tho ricchessis : for in thilk caas he is bonde to holde 
 him silf in pouerte, accordingli to this that Crist seith 
 in the Gospel, Math. v c . c., If thi riyt iye or tki 
 riyt hond sclaundre thee, Jcutte him of and caste 
 him fro thee. And here bi it is euydent ynou^, that 
 the ij e . seiyng of Crist gooth not a^ens the iij c . 
 bifore principal seid gouernaunce. 
 
 The ij e . principal processe of Holi Scripture in the The second text 
 Newe Testament, which myite seme forto lette the sidered, where 
 seid iij e . principal gouernaunce, it is which is write, mandsaifhis 
 Luk xiiij 6 . c., thus : So therfore ech of you, that for- sakeaii thauhey 
 salcith not alle thingis that he hath, may not be my commands laity 
 dAsciple. But certis, the hool chapiter in which this to forsafc B eaii lke 
 text is sett schewith well ynoui, that this text was of riches, 
 seid as weel to al the comoun peple folewing Crist 
 in thilk tyme, as it was seid to hise Apostlis and 
 disciplis ; and therfore it reulith no more prelatis 
 into pouerte than ech lay persoon into pouerte. Wher- 
 fore it is to be seid, that in this now alleggid text 
 Crist meened of forsaking of ouer myche trust and 
 of ouer myche loue to ricchessis, (in the maner now 
 late bifore declarid upon the first principal processe,) 
 and not that he meened a forsaking of ricchessis 
 vttirli. Forwhi ellis ech lay man ou^te needis be 
 
298 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 This view con- 
 firmed from 
 Christ's com- 
 mand to all his 
 disciples to hate 
 their parents and 
 their own lives, 
 t. c, to abstain 
 from excessive 
 love of them. 
 
 The third text 
 (Matlh. xx.) 
 considered, 
 where Christ 
 forbids any of 
 his Apostles to 
 have lordship 
 over others, and 
 so may seem to 
 forbid the clergy 
 to have lands 
 and tenants. 
 
 poor vttirly, sithen this text was seid to hem as 
 weel as to the Apostlis and disciplis. 
 
 Also, in the same chapiter of Luk, Crist seid to 
 the same peple of hise Apostlis and of the othere 
 comoun peple thus : If eny man cometh to me, and 
 katith not his fadir and moder and wijf and 
 sones and britheren and sistren and yit his owne 
 lijf, he mai not be my disciple. Who may seie other 
 wise, but that Crist in this now laste alleged text 
 
 I CO 
 
 meened oonli thus, that ech man ouite forbere ouer 
 myche loue to his fadir and modir, wijf and sones, 
 britheren and sistris, and to his owne lijf; and not 
 that he ou^te forbere 1 his al loue fro hem : namelich 
 sithen Crist comaundid a man to worschipe his fadir 
 and moder, and that he schulde loue ech nei^bore 
 as him silf, and so loue bothe his nei^bour and him 
 silf? Wherfore bi lijk skile the other alleggid text 
 in the same xiiij 6 . c. of Luk mai resonabili and co- 
 lorabili ynou^ be vndirstonde, that Crist meened in 
 it the forbering of ouer myche trust and loue to 
 ricchessis. And if this be trewe that thilk text, Luk 
 xiiij 0 . c., mai be so vndirstonde colorabili ynou^, it 
 folewith needis that bi thilk text mai no ground be 
 take a^ens the seid iij c . principal gouernaunce of pre- 
 latis endewing. 
 
 The iij e . principal processe of the Newe Testament 
 which seeme 2 to meete a^ens the seid gouernaunce of 
 prelatis endewing is write, Math. xx e . c., where Crist 
 seid to hise Apostlis thus : £e witen tliat princis of 
 hethen men. ben lord is of hem, and thei that ben 
 gretter vsen power on hem ; it schal not be so among 
 you; but who euer wole be mad gretter among you, 
 be he youre mynystre ; and who euer among you 
 wole be the firste, he schal be youre servaunt: as 
 
 1 for here, MS. (without hyphen). 
 
 - Probably we should read my-^te secmc. 
 
THE THIRD PART. 
 
 299 
 
 Mannis Sone came not to be serued but to serue, chap, iv. 
 and to yeue his lijf redempcioun for manye. Lijk 
 processe thoru^ out is write Mark the x e . c. Out of 
 this processe semeth to folewe, that preestis ou^ten 
 not haue ouerte among hem silf, oon of hem vpon an 
 other of hem ; neither eny preest ouite haue ouerte 
 upon eny lay persoon of hise nei^boris. And if 
 this be trewe, than schulde no preest haue immou- 
 able godis in lordschip. Forwhi thanne he muste 
 nedis comaunde and regne upon hise tenauntis, and 
 thei muste needis obeie and do sewtis and seruicis 
 to him. But certis if this processe be weel in seen 
 and thoru^ seen, he gothe 1 not for this purpos. For- 
 whi in two maners ouerers mowen holde and vse 
 her ouerte vpon her vndirlingis. 
 
 Oon maner is bi tiranrie, which is forto in alle The lordship 
 
 , .. i r- i ni condemned by 
 
 deedis oi ouerte awaite and periorme her owne pront Christ is tyranny, 
 oonli, and not the profit of her vndirlingis ; and in own profit only, 
 this maner kingis and princis of hethen folk helden 
 her ouerte in the daies of Crist. And of this ouerte 
 spekith Crist in the now bifore alleggid processe, 
 which maner of ouerte Crist wolde not to be bitwixe 
 preestis and her vndii'lingis, neithir bitwixe oon per- 
 soon of hem and another of hem. And more than this 
 can not be proued and schewid the seid processe to 2 
 bere in him ; and therfore this processe makith not 
 sufncientli a^ens the seid iij a . gouernaunce of preestis 
 endewing. And that this is trewe, lo, the processe, 
 which Luk writith in his xxij e . chapiter, sum what 
 declarith. Forwhi Luk there 3 storieth Crist to haue 
 seid thus : Kingis of hethen men ben lordis of hem, 
 
 1 This and the six words pre- 
 ceding are -written on an erasure, in 
 seen being added in the margin, in 
 a later hand. The orthography is 
 against the common usage of this 
 MS. ; though occurring in others. 
 
 See Maundevile's Travels, p. 111. 
 (Lond. 1839). 
 
 2 to is added in the margin by a 
 later (?) hand. 
 
 3 there is interlineated by a later (?) 
 hand. 
 
300 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. iv. and thei that han poiuer of hem ben clepid gode 
 doers ; but ye not so ; but he that is grettist among 
 you be mad as yonger, and he that is bifore goer as 
 a seruaunt. For vjho is gretter, he that sittith at the 
 mete or he that mynystrith ? xvhether not he that sit- 
 tith at the mete ? And y am in the myddil of you 
 as he that mynystrith. Certis in this that Crist 
 seide, Thei that han power of hem ben clepid gode 
 doers, but ye not so, Crist meened not of hem whiche 
 ben verrili gode doers to her vndirlingis, but whiche 
 ben not gode doeris, and ^it for flatery and plesaunce, 
 (lest gretter tirantrie be doon,) ben clepid gode doeris 
 of her vndirlingis. 
 Another kind of An other maner of ouerte bering and vsing is for 
 
 lordship seeks ^ ° ° 
 
 the prom of the to (in alle deedis of thilk ouerte vsing and executing) 
 
 inferior; this >• o w 
 
 kind of lordship aw aite and perfonne the profit of the vndirlinons in 
 
 practised by 11 ° 
 
 Christ hiniseif ] )em wee l reulino- bi doom of resoun, and of hem not 
 
 over his Apostles, o » 
 
 and commended more or other asking than as resoun or feith wole ; 
 
 to them hy way © ^ > 
 
 of example. which maner of ouerte holding and vsing mai be 
 clepid therfore seruice to the vndirlingis, bi cause it 
 is into the profit of the vndirlingis ; thou^ it be ther 
 with an ouerte beryng and hauyng and holding. And 
 of this ouerte spekith Crist in the place now bifore 
 alleggid, Luk xxij e . c., Who is gretter, he that sittith 
 at the mete, or he that mynystrith ? vjhether not he 
 that sittith at the mete ? And y am in the myddil 1 
 of you as he that mynystrith. Lo, how Crist pleinli 
 and openli was aknowe that he took upon him to 
 be the gretter, in that that he settid him silf in the 
 myddil ; and seith that therfore he sate in the myddil, 
 forto schewe that he bare him as her gretter and 
 worthier. And ^it therwith, in that that in so sit- 
 
 1 myddit, MS. (first hand), myd- 
 dil is the reading of most MSS. in 
 the later form of Wiclifs version, 
 from which this quotation is made, 
 
 and is written more than once by 
 the first hand in this MS. just 
 below. 
 
THE THIRD PART. 
 
 301 
 
 ting in the myddil he was the redier and the abler 
 forto waite into al her good and profit, (for to be 
 seen of hem alle, and forto be herd of hem alle, 
 and alle hem forto receyue mete of him the bettir,) 
 he seith that his sitting in the myddil and his 
 ther yn ouerte bering is as semice to hem alle. 
 Certis this ij e . maner of ouerte bering, holding, 
 and vsing Crist weerned not hise Apostlis forto 
 haue and holde in the alleggid processe, Math. xx e . c., 
 and Mark the x e . c., and Luk xxij e . c. : for thanne 
 Crist hadde weerned to hem the same gouernaunce 
 which he ensaumplid him silf to hem and bifore hem 
 at his soper. And also the same bifore allegid processe, 
 Math. xx e . c., Mark x e . c., and Luk xxij e . c., wolen 
 proue sufficientli ynou^, that Crist ther yn ^aue 
 ground and teching that thei schulden haue, holde, 
 and vse the ouerte of the ij e . maner. Forwhi how euere 
 schulde Crist teche and bidde to hem thus : He that 
 is grettist among you be maad as yonger, and he 
 that is a bifore goer be mad as seruaunt 1 ; but if 2 
 ther yn he schulde meene that among hem schidde 
 oon be gretter than an other, and that oon schulde 
 go bifore an other ; and yit ther with in sum 
 maner 3 serue to the same othere bifore whom he 
 gooth, and to whom he holdith him as gretter ? 
 Certis, but if Crist schulde meene thus, ellis he 
 schulde teche such doctryne which includith repug- 
 nance and contrariete. 4 Forwhi ellis he schulde meene 
 that among hem schulde sum be gretter than othere 
 and bifore goers to othere, and ^it noon schulde be 
 ouerer to othere neither gretter in degree than othere. 
 And therfore needis cost it muste be grauntid, that 
 Crist wolde among preestis be ouerte, and bitwixe hem 
 
 1 as aseruaunt, MS. (first hand). 
 5 btuf, MS. 
 
 3 summaner, MS. (perhaps not 
 accidentally. Cf. summon). 
 2 contrarite, MS. (first hand). 
 
 T 7 +» 
 
302 
 
 pecock's repressor. 
 
 chap. iv. and othere persoonis be ouerte, in the ij e . seid maner, 
 al into the avail of the vndirlingis ; and not in the 
 firste seid maner, by tyranrie into the avail oonli of 
 the ouerers. 
 
 This iutcrprcta- In lijk maner, Ecclesiastici iij e . c., it is writen 
 word°coiitaiied th us, In hoio miche thou art greet, lou^e thou thee 
 ofEcci^^^lus. ill alle thingis ; and thou schalt fynde grace b if ore 
 God. If eny man wolde seie, that the wise man 
 in this text entendid to teche that no man schulde 
 bere him as an ouerer to othere, certis he ther yn 
 accusid the wijs man amys : for as miche as the same 
 wijs man approueth weel such ouerte in the same 
 book, the x e . c., in the bigynnyng ; and also for as 
 miche as in this same now alleggid text he impli- 
 etli, includith, and meeneth, that he which is ouerer, 
 and whilis he is ouerer, and berith him silf as ouerer, 
 schulde lou^e him silf in sum other maner ; as, whilis 
 that he berith him as ouerer in outward countenaunce, 
 he schulde louie him silf in inward feeling of herte. 
 And ellis these wordis my^ten not stonde to gidere 
 forto make a treuthe ; that he which is greet, and 
 how euer greet he is, he oiute lou^e him, that he 
 fynde grace bifore God. And also ellis the wijse man 
 schulde seie in waast, that the greet man schulde loiue 
 him, but if eny greet man were aboue other men. 
 Wherfore in lijk maner whanne Crist seide, Luk xxij l> . 
 T., He that is grettist among yon be mad as ganger ; 
 he muste nedis meene that he allowith oon to be 
 grettist among hem, and that he in sum other maner 
 lou^e him as a ^onger. Wherto ful miche accordith 
 and helpith this maner of seiyng and writing, " be 
 " he maad as ^onger and as a seruant ; " that is to 
 seie, " be he maad lijk to a ^ongir, and be lie niaad 
 " lijk to a seruaunt." 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
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> 
 
DATE DUE 
 
 JAN 4 91 
 
 1 
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 GAY LORD 
 
 
 
 PRINTED IN U 5. A