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DOMINICA V POST PASCHAM. EPISTOLA. SERMO 27.

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ESTOTE FACTORES UERBI. IACOBI PRIMO.

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5    Iames techeþ in þis epistle how þe religion of Crist schulde be
6clene kept of men wiþowten ordre of mannys fyndyng. And he
7bygynneþ of þis maner: be ȝee doerys of Godus word and not only
8hereris, for þanne ȝe disseyuon ȝoureself by medelyng of mannys ordre.
9For alle þes foure newe ordris moten be lernyng al þer lif of þe
10rewle þat þei han foundon, bysyde þe rewle þat Crist ȝaf; and by
11þer rewlus þei ben tyede, as a bole by a stake, to dwelle at home in
12þer cloystre, or to loue yuele þer owne ordre. Aȝenys þis spekuþ
13Iamys heere wiþ oþre auctores of hooly wryt. And Poul seiþ to
14Tymothe of þes veyne newe ordris þat þei ben euermore
15lernyng, and neuere comynge to fruyt þerof. It is knowon by
16Godus lawe þat heryng and lernyng of Godus word is schapon
17of God for þis ende, to teche it and do it in deede. So, ȝif a man
18hadde ful knowyng of þis word as Crist hadde, it were but foly
19and veyn to here and lerne more of þis word. As ȝif a lond wolde
20bere good corn wiþowte tylyng and donghyng þerof, it were but
21ydel to traueyle þerfore, whonne it encresuþ not þe fruyt.
22    And herfore seiþ Iames heere þat þes men disseyuon hemself, as

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23doon monye traueyloris in scole. For, ȝif a man be herere of Godus
24word and no doere, þis man schal be likned to man þat byholduþ þe face of
25his ȝowþe in a myrour . And no drede þes wordis of Iames ben sutyl
26and ful of wyt. And by techyng of God spekon somme men þus of
27þes wordis, as tellon men of perspectif. Þer ben þre maneris of
28bodyly siȝt: þe furste siȝt is euene siȝt, as man seeþ þing þat is
29byfore hym; þe secounde siȝt is reflectid, whanne it is turned aȝen
30by myrour; þe þridde siȝt is reflexud, whanne it comeþ by
31dyuerse menys, and þei ben of dyuerse kyndis, as þe mone is seyn
32aȝenes nyȝt. And þus men seen a peny in a dysch by heldyng in of
33watur, and ellys not; and by þis siȝt may men see ful luytul þing
34by fer space. Þe furste of þese þre siȝtus is moste cler and mooste
35certeyn. We schulden wyte ouer þis for Iamys wordis þat þis man,
36þat euere lerneþ and doþ not in deede Godis word, stondeþ
37euermore in þe mene, and neuere comeþ to þe fruyt þerof. And
38þus he faruþ as a man þat myȝte wel bettre se a þing wiþowte
39myrour þan wiþ myrour, and ȝeet he takuþ in veyn a myrour;
40and þus he falluþ in monye errouris of place and quantite of þat
41þing. And þus þes men þat euere lernon and leuon to do aftir þis
42lore, ben as lokeris in a myrour of fisege þat þei hadden in ȝowþe.
43For þis lore of Godus word schulde be a new lore and vnparfiȝt
44syȝt, for þe ende in dede schulde come aftur þat schulde be euene
45as þe furste siȝt. And þus þis man þat lokuþ hym þus þowȝte on his
46sowle for a tyme, but wente forþ by curyouste and forȝat sone to worche

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47þerfore. Þus don men þat stondon in science and worche not aftur
48by þes science. And þus ben men of veyn religioun, as Iames
49techeþ oponly, for worche we here in good lif, as ende of lore of
50Godus word, and þanne we schulen se in heuene myche bettre
51vsself and alle oþre þingus. On þe þridde maner of siȝt, wiþ
52curyouste þat liþ þerynne, for we schulon se in Godus word alle
53þe þingus þat God haþ maad, in a more cler kynde þan is þe
54kynde þat þei han wiþowten. And clerkis clepon þis 'intuicion' in
55cler siȝt in God and blisse; and þis þing þat we seen þere is in
56substaunce God hymself, and in a maner þe same þing þat God
57haþ maad wiþowteforþ. And þus seiþ Iohn in his gospel 'þat þing
58þat is maad of God was lif in hym wiþowton ende', for it was
59Godus kynde.
60    And þus seiþ Iames of Cristus religion þat he þat lokuþ in Godus
61lawe , þat is lawe of parfiȝt fredom, and dwelluþ parfiȝtly in þis lawe by
62al his lif, wiþowton medelyng of mannys lawe þat is derk, and is not
63maad forȝetful herere, but makere of þe dede þat he haþ herd, þis man
64schal be blessud in his deede . And þis is þe beste fruyt þat may folwe
65mannys lif here. God þowte not only on þingus but made hem
66wiþowton in þer kynde; and so he wole not þat men konnen only,
67but þat men do in deede þeraftur. And þus þe þridde gospel of
68Iohn myȝte be teeld on Ȝol day. And of þis declaruþ Iames þat
69certis, ȝif ony man gesse þat he is a religious man, and ȝeet refreyneþ not
70his tonge, but disseyueþ his herte, his is a veyn religioun . On monye
71maneris oure religious disseyon hemself in vanyte. Furst þei
72refreyne not þer mouþ in preyȝeris, but forȝeton to worche; as ȝif

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73preyeris weron þe beste þing by whiche men seruon and plesen
74to God. On þe toþur maner religious ben veyn, whanne þei
75lernon þer owne rewlis and leuon þe rewle þat God ȝaf, and
76ocupyon hem in þis lore, to seye and synge wiþowte book; as ȝif
77þis plesude moost to God. On þe þridde maner þes ordris ben
78veyn þat prechon iapis to begge betture, and to susteyne hem
79cloystres and howsus, and oþre goodis þat þei coueyton. And
80certis þes lompus faylon here, as mowon gras þat were vnteddid;
81for þat gras mot nedis rote and fade in colour and swetnesse.
82    But Iames telluþ þat clene religion, and religion wiþowten wem
83anentis God þe Fadyr of al, is religion þat lyueþ þus: it visituþ moderles
84children and wydewys in þer tribulacion, and kepuþ it wiþowte wem fro
85coueytise of þis world . Lord! siþ Iames and oþre apostlis knewe
86not þes newe ordris and þes cloystres, wiþ newe howsis and oþre
87rytis þat þei han fowndon, what schulde moue to loue hem þus
88and leeue religion þat God haþ ȝouon? It is blasfeme vnbyleue,
89howeuere þat men spekon here. Þe apostlis weron tawt of þe Holy
90Goost for to wandre in þe world, and teche men boþe by word
91and deede, - for þat lore is best to men, - and not to gedere in
92weete lompis, as doon owre newe ordris now. We schulden þenke,
93as dydon apostlis, how men ben now wiþowton help of þer modyr
94hooly chyrche, for prelatis and preestis ben turnyde amys fro þe
95ordre þat Crist ȝaf. And siþ men ben wiþowton help of oure
96modyr hooly chyrche, þei schulden visite more bussyly by þe
97forme þat Crist haþ ȝouen. And for þis folye of nouelrye God mot

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98nedis forsake men. And so þis chyrche is a wydwe, forsakon of
99hyre spouse for hyre vnkyndenesse; and to counforte men in þis
100tribulacion were a greet almys deede.