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DOMINICA IIIJ POST OCTAVAM EPIPHANIE.
2EPISTOLA. SERMO 1 1 .

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NEMINI QUICQUAM DEBEATIS. ROMANOS 13.

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6    Poul techeþ here Romayns, and so alle cristene men, how þei
7schulden kepe charite þat God ȝyueþ; and ȝif þis vertu be wel
8kept of man tyl þat tyme þat he dye, oure byleue techeþ þanne
9þat þis cloþ brynguþ hym to blisse. Poule bidduþ at þe furste þis
10word of myche wyt to no man owe ȝe ony þing, but þat ȝe loue togydere .
11Poul forfenduþ not dette of money, ne goode werkis of oþre
12vertuwis; but Poul wole þat alle þese dettis drawe to þis ende: to
13loue togydere. And so eche man by þis lawe is holdon ay to loue
14eche broþur. And so monye men in þis world ben byhynde of
15dette of loue; but God mot euere come byfore, to loue men þat
16haton hym. Take hed to ocur and oþre synnes þat sowne not in
17charite, and counte not þis anoon for dette by Poulis rewle of
18byleue. And so þis word wel vndurstondon dampneþ alle errouris
19in þe chirche. And so þis o word of Poul axsuþ myche special
20declaryng. And excusyng of ypocritis, þat þei kepon þus charite,
21schal be dampned by þe hierste iuge, whanne noo synne may
22asterte hym. Men of werre seyon comynly þat þei fyȝton for
23charite, for so schulden þer enemyes loue hem in such a caas; and
24þus seyn plederis and pursuweris þat þei don þus al for loue. But

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25þis excusacion mot be iuged by Crist hymself; and þis Lord is
26charite, and knoweþ al resoun and al gabbyng.
27    And so eche man here in erþe schulde lyue so iustly to his
28broþur, boþe in herte, in word and dede, þat it sownede al in
29charite, For ȝif he passe þis rewle of Poul, he renneþ in dette
30aȝenys his broþur. And Crist techeþ men to preyȝe hym þat he
31forȝyue hem þis dette, but riȝt as þei forȝyuon here dettouris.
32And þus men byddon aȝenus hemself þat faylon in mercy to þer
33breþren, for charite is vniustly knyttud. Muse þow not how God
34bidduþ þat þou schuldust loue eche man, siþ monye men ben
35vnknowone of þee, and noon may loue but þat he knoweþ; God
36techeþ to knowe generally, and to loue aftur þis knowyng. Do no
37wrong to þi breþren, and þow fullust þis lore of Poul, for whoeuere
38loueþ his neyȝebore haþ fulfullud þe lawe of God. Ȝif þou seyȝe þow
39louest o man, and doost wrong to anoþur, þow gabbust to God
40vpon þiself, and hatust þin furste frend. As, ȝif monye men baron
41a weyȝte, and eche schulde helpe oþur þerto, he þat fayluþ to
42helpe oon, mut nedys fayle aȝenys hem alle. And Poul telluþ
43afturward how þis o word of loue comprehendiþ al þe lawe, as he
44scheweþ by fyue lawis. For þis maundement of God þat bidduþ
45þow schalt not be a lechour ; þe secounde maundement þat bydduþ
46þat þow schalt not sle þi broþur ; þe þridde maundement þat bidduþ
47þat þow schalt not stele his goodis ; þe fourþe maundement þat
48bidduþ þat þow schalt not seye false witnesse ; þe fyueþe maundement
49also þow schalt not coueyte þi neyȝeborus good; and, ȝif þer be ony oþur
50maundement, in þis word it is instorud, þow schalt loue þi neyȝebore as

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51þiself . As monye pens ben closude in o tresour comynly, so in þis o
52word of God ben comunly oþre vndurstonden. He þat haþ þis o
53lawe, and kepuþ it wel as he schulde, haþ fulfullud al þe lawe, as
54Poul seiþ and Iamys boþe. And þis loue of þi neyȝebore worchuþ no
55synne aȝenys hym; and þerfore fulnesse of þe lawe is loue , ȝif it be wel
56takon.
57    Þis schort tresor of word of loue schulde be takon owt, whanne
58it is nede. For þis tresour may not fayle, ȝif it be groundud in þe
59furste loue; for þat loue is wiþowton ende, and loue is þe more þat
60it be vsud. Poule spekuþ not here of fleschly loue ne of worldli
61loue, but of loue in God; for þes two loues ben more hate, and
62schendon loue þat man schulde haue. For loue of God is ful of
63resoun and holduþ no þing aȝenys resoun; for, ȝif it helde aȝenys
64resoun, þanne it were aȝenys God. And þus clene loue puttuþ owt
65alle synne. And in þis lore schulden men studye, and þis charite
66schulde moue men to speke stabully herof.
67    And among alle men þat synnon aȝenys charite, þes foure
68sectis þat newe ben comen wiþowton auctorite of Crist, semon
69more stefly to synne aȝeyn þe lawe of charite. And heere is
70somwhat to speke aȝenys þe furste of þes foure. Þe furste hed of
71þis secte is þe pope wiþ hise clerkis, and þer maner of lordly lif
72aȝenys þe lore þat Crist tauȝte Petre. Þis aggregat of þes alle ben
73þe furste secte newe comen in; and alle þes foure sectis ben
74armede wiþ armure of ypocrisye. And somme clepon þis furste
75heed anticrist, for his lif. Ȝif he sue his patroun as he feyneþ he
76suweþ Crist, he suweþ more þe emperour þan oþur Crist or
77seynte Petre; for þe world is his patroun, and þe fadur of prude

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78also. Furst it semeþ þat he synneþ in charite, þat Poul spekuþ of,
79for he disseyueþ mennys wyt by þis foule ypocrisy. Ȝif Petre in his
80lif was passynge oþre apostlis, þat weron his felowis in pouerte
81and mekenesse and in trauele for þe chyrche, þanne he mut haue
82a successour contrarye to hym in alle þes þre. Certis a fend of helle
83schulde schame to disseyue men by such a skyle. And whanne
84men ben þus blyndude, he disseyueþ hem afturward of fredom
85þat Crist haþ ȝouen, and makiþ hem þral by his lawis. Petre ne
86ony oþre apostle durste not seye þat he was so nedful, þat
87wiþowten his gouernayle moste þe chyrche nedis perische, and
88by þis blasfeme gabbyng sle monye þousynde men. He is not on
89Cristus syde, þat puttude his soule for his schep, but on
90anticristus syde, þat puttiþ monye soulis for his pruyde. Þis man
91feduþ not Cristus schep as Crist bad þries to Petre, but spuyluþ
92hem, and sleþ hem, and leduþ hem in monye wronge weyus. Ȝif
93he louyde Cristus schep, he schulde lede hem by Cristus lawe,
94and wature hem and make hem reste by þe lesewis, and by þe
95watres þat Crist haþ ordeyned for hys schep. Þis man þat þus
96hatuþ God, mot aftur nedys hate hymself, and alle his breþren
97þat he seiþ ben his schep, for his riȝt cure. It semeþ þat no men
98here in erþe reuersuþ more þis lore of Poul.