Part 37 (1/2)

Of predestynacion.

[Ill.u.s.tration: That man that lokyth for to haue a rewarde Whiche he hath nat deseruyd to obtayne And lenyth his body vpon a rede forwarde Whiche for waykenes may hym nat well sustayne Forsoth this fole may longe so loke in vayne And on the Crauys he styll shall bacwarde ryde Cryenge with the doue, whose flyght shall hym ay gyde]

It is vnlawfull, man to be dilygent Or serchynge G.o.ddes workes to set his thought Howe he hath made the heuen and fyrmament The erth the see and euery thynge of nought Yet of some Folys the cause hereof is sought, Whiche labour also with curyosyte To knowe the begynnynge of his dyuynyte

These folys forgettynge their owne fragilyte Wolde loke to knowe the ende of euery thynge Boldly disputynge in G.o.ddys pryuete And what rewarde is ordeynyd for men lyuynge Of many folys this is the moste musynge Whiche labour dayly with besy cure and payne.

To knowe what G.o.d doth discerne and or ordayne

Therfore in this part I shall dispyse and blame Unchrafty folys whiche scantly haue ouer sene Ought of scripture, if they knowe the bokes name Or els a whyle hath at the Scoles bene Than bende they the browys and stedfastly they wene In theyr conceyt that they ar pa.s.synge wyse For all scripture newe commentis to deuyse

They frowardly the sentence do transpose And that whiche is wryten, both playne and holely By theyr corruptynge and vnlawfull glose Oft tyme they brynge to d.a.m.nable heresy Falsly expoundynge after theyr fantasy They labour to transpose and turne the right sence Thoughe the wordes stryue and make great resystence

Here what these folys with theyr audacyte Dare besely say by theyr fals errour blynde Presumynge on G.o.ddes secrete and pryuete Here what lewde wordes they cast out in the wynde They say what man can chaunge or turne his mynde To lyue after any other fourme and rate But lyke as he is therto predestynate

They say: if G.o.d that rayneth ouerall Hath any ordeyned that in this worlde is To come to the place and rowme celestyall For to be partyner of euerlastynge blys Ordeyned for suche as here doth nat amys No man can chaunge, not other thynge mundayne That thynge whiche G.o.d by his myght doth ordayne

But if that G.o.d prefyxed hath before Any creature vnto infernall payne In derknes to be d.a.m.nyd for euer more No erthly thynge may that sentence call agayne Nor hym delyuer: o fole thou mayst complayne For this thy foly and also it repent Thynkest thou nat G.o.d alway omnypotent

Is G.o.d nat rightwyse and grounde of all iustyce Rewardynge man after his gouernaunce He that hath here nat lyen in synne and vyce Hauynge in G.o.ddys seruyce his pleasaunce Shall of his lorde be had in remembraunce And of rewarde worthely be sure Where it is worthy that synners payne endure

Trust well who seruyth his maker stedfastly With pure herte kepynge sure his commaundement And lawes shall be rewardyd fynally With heuenly ioy and scape all punysshement Therfore thou fole leue of this lewde intent Lyue vertuously and trust in G.o.ddes grace Than yll desteny in the shall haue no place

Vnto great ioy G.o.d hath vs all create And to vs all ordeyned his kyngdome And none hath vnto h.e.l.l predestynate But often whan we folowe nat wysdome By ouer owne foly we fall, and so become Vnto our maker vnkind: and hym deny Whiche them rewardyth that here lyue vertuously

Therfore thou Fole desyst thy wordes vayne And let thy tunge no more suche wordes say For G.o.d hath vs made all of one stuf certayne As one potter makyth of one clay Vessels dyuers, but whan he must them lay Vpon the kyll with fyre them there to dry They come nat all to good, moste comonly

Doth this erthyn pot his maker dispyse Whether it be made of fa.s.syon good or yll Saynge why dost thou make me in this wyse Wherfore mad man I reade the to be styll Blame nat thy maker, for thy vnhappy wyll For G.o.d hath neuer man nor childe create But all he hath to heuen predestynate

And whyle we lyue here on this wretchyd grounde We haue our reason and wyttes vs to gyde With our fre wyll and if no faute be founde In our demenour, in heuen we shall abyde But if we G.o.ddes lawes set asyde Howe may we hope of hym rewarde to wyn So our owne foly is moste cause of our syn.

THE ENUOY OF BARCLAY.

O creature vnkynde vnto thy creatour What carest thou to knowe or to inuestygate The pryuetye, of G.o.d, leue this thy errour To thynke the by hym to be predestynate To endles wo and from his blysse pryuate For syns thou hast thy reason and frewyll Gyuyn the by G.o.d, thou art in suche estate To take the eleccion outher of good or yll

Of folys that forget them selfe and do another mannys besynes leuynge theyr owne vndone.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Who that wyll suffer his owne hous to bren Tyll nought of it saue the bare wallys stonde And with his water hastely doth ren To quenche the fyre of anothers hous or londe He is a fole and haue shall in his hande A folysshe Pype or horne therwith to blowe For other folys that in my Shyp wyll rowe.]

Within my Shyp of rowme he shall be sure Whiche for anothers auantage and profyte Takyth great thought and doth moche payne endure Vnto his owne charge takynge no respyte But settyth it asyde and hath all his delyte With all his stody hym to enforce and dres: To care for euery mannys besynes.

Suche hertles folys to them self neglygent In theyr owne charge slepe contynually But with open iyen they ar full dylygent The worke of other with all theyr myght to aply And for others profyte prouyde they besely.

But whyle these Folys ar glad to take in hande Anothers charge, theyr owne styll let they stande

Wherfore I am so bolde within my boke Somwhat to touch these folys mad vsage That if it fortune them on the same to loke They may therby perceyue in theyr corage That labour they ought for their owne auauntage Most specyally. for that is the degre And the true order of perfyte charite

For perfyte loue and also charite Begynneth with hym selfe for to be charitable And than to other after his degre Thy owne auauntage is ay moost profytable The great Phylosophers of maners ferme and stable And also of wysdome G.o.dly and dyuyne Hath left to vs suche techynge and doctryne