按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
A god； to whom he yaf his vois。
Wherof the misbelieve cam
Into the time of Habraham：
Bot he fond out the rihte weie；
Hou only that men scholde obeie 1630
The hihe god； which weldeth al；
And evere hath don and evere schal；
In hevene； in Erthe and ek in helle；
Ther is no tunge his miht mai telle。
This Patriarch to his lignage
Forbad； that thei to non ymage
Encline scholde in none wise；
Bot here offrende and sacrifise
With al the hole hertes love
Unto the mihti god above 1640
Thei scholden yive and to no mo：
And thus in thilke time tho
Began the Secte upon this Erthe；
Which of believes was the ferthe。
Of rihtwisnesse it was conceived；
So moste it nedes be received
Of him that alle riht is inne；
The hihe god； which wolde winne
A poeple unto his oghne feith。
On Habraham the ground he leith； 1650
And made him forto multeplie
Into so gret a progenie；
That thei Egipte al overspradde。
Bot Pharao with wrong hem ladde
In servitute ayein the pes；
Til god let sende Moi5ses
To make the deliverance；
And for his poeple gret vengance
He tok； which is to hiere a wonder。
The king was slain； the lond put under； 1660
God bad the rede See divide；
Which stod upriht on either side
And yaf unto his poeple a weie；
That thei on fote it passe dreie
And gon so forth into desert：
Wher forto kepe hem in covert；
The daies； whan the Sonne brente；
A large cloude hem overwente；
And forto wissen hem be nyhte；
A firy Piler hem alyhte。 1670
And whan that thei for hunger pleigne；
The myhti god began to reyne
Manna fro hevene doun to grounde；
Wherof that ech of hem hath founde
His fode； such riht as him liste；
And for thei scholde upon him triste；
Riht as who sette a tonne abroche；
He percede the harde roche；
And sprong out water al at wille；
That man and beste hath drunke his fille： 1680
And afterward he yaf the lawe
To Moi5ses； that hem withdrawe
Thei scholden noght fro that he bad。
And in this wise thei be lad；
Til thei toke in possession
The londes of promission；
Wher that Caleph and Josue5
The Marches upon such degre
Departen； after the lignage
That ech of hem as Heritage 1690
His porpartie hath underfonge。
And thus stod this believe longe；
Which of prophetes was governed；
And thei hadde ek the poeple lerned
Of gret honour that scholde hem falle；
Bot ate moste nede of alle
Thei faileden； whan Crist was bore。
Bot hou that thei here feith have bore；
It nedeth noght to tellen al；
The matiere is so general： 1700
Whan Lucifer was best in hevene
And oghte moste have stonde in evene；
Towardes god he tok debat；
And for that he was obstinat；
And wolde noght to trouthe encline；
He fell for evere into ruine：
And Adam ek in Paradis；
Whan he stod most in al his pris
After thastat of Innocence；
Ayein the god brak his defence 1710
And fell out of his place aweie：
And riht be such a maner weie
The Jwes in here beste plit；
Whan that thei scholden most parfit
Have stonde upon the prophecie；
Tho fellen thei to most folie；
And him which was fro hevene come；
And of a Maide his fleissh hath nome；
And was among hem bore and fedd；
As men that wolden noght be spedd 1720
Of goddes Sone； with o vois
Thei hinge and slowhe upon the crois。
Wherof the parfit of here lawe
Fro thanne forth hem was withdrawe；
So that thei stonde of no merit；
Bot in truage as folk soubgit
Withoute proprete of place
Thei liven out of goddes grace；
Dispers in alle londes oute。
And thus the feith is come aboute； 1730
That whilom in the Jewes stod；
Which is noght parfihtliche good。
To speke as it is nou befalle；
Ther is a feith aboven alle；
In which the trouthe is comprehended；
Wherof that we ben alle amended。
The hihe almyhti majeste；
Of rihtwisnesse and of pite；
The Sinne which that Adam wroghte；
Whan he sih time； ayein he boghte； 1740
And sende his Sone fro the hevene
To sette mannes Soule in evene；
Which thanne was so sore falle
Upon the point which was befalle；
That he ne mihte himself arise。
Gregoire seith in his aprise；
It helpeth noght a man be bore；
If goddes Sone were unbore；
For thanne thurgh the ferste Sinne；
Which Adam whilom broghte ous inne； 1750
Ther scholden alle men be lost；
Bot Crist restoreth thilke lost；
And boghte it with his fleissh and blod。
And if we thenken hou it stod
Of thilke rancoun which he payde；
As seint Gregoire it wrot and sayde；
Al was behovely to the man：
For that wherof his wo began
Was after cause of al his welthe；
Whan he which is the welle of helthe； 1760
The hihe creatour of lif；
Upon the nede of such a strif
So wolde for his creature
Take on himself the forsfaiture
And soffre for the mannes sake。
Thus mai no reson wel forsake
That thilke Senne original
Ne was the cause in special
Of mannes worschipe ate laste；
Which schal withouten ende laste。 1770
For be that cause the godhede
Assembled was to the manhede
In the virgine； where he nom
Oure fleissh and verai man becom
Of bodely fraternite；
Wherof the man in his degre
Stant more worth； as I have told；
Than he stod erst be manyfold；
Thurgh baptesme of the newe lawe；
Of which Crist lord is and felawe。 1780
And thus the hihe goddes myht；
Which was in the virgine alyht；
The mannes Soule hath reconsiled；
Which hadde longe ben exiled。
So stant the feith upon believe；
Withoute which mai non achieve
To gete him Paradis ayein：
Bot this believe is so certein；
So full of grace and of vertu；
That what man clepeth to Jhesu 1790
In clene lif forthwith good dede；
He mai noght faile of hevene mede；
Which taken hath the rihte feith；
For elles； as the gospel seith；
Salvacion ther mai be non。
And forto preche therupon
Crist bad to hise Apostles alle；
The whos pouer as nou is falle
On ous that ben of holi cherche；
If we the goode dedes werche； 1800
For feith only sufficeth noght；
Bot if good dede also be wroght。
Now were it good that thou forthi；
Which thurgh baptesme proprely
Art unto Cristes feith professed；
Be war that thou be noght oppressed
With Anticristes lollardie。
For as the Jwes prophecie
Was set of god for avantage；
Riht so this newe tapinage 1810
Of lollardie goth aboute
To sette Cristes feith in doute。
The seintz that weren ous tofore；
Be whom the feith was ferst upbore；
That holi cherche stod relieved；
Thei oghten betre be believed
Than these； whiche that men knowe
Noght holy； thogh thei feigne and blowe
Here lollardie in mennes Ere。
Bot if thou wolt live out of fere； 1820
Such newe lore； I rede； eschuie；
And hold forth riht the weie and suie；
As thine Ancestres dede er this：
So schalt thou noght believe amis。
Crist wroghte ferst and after tawhte；
So that the dede his word arawhte；
He yaf ensample in his persone；
And we the wordes have al one；
Lich to the Tree with leves grene；
Upon the which no fruit is sene。 1830
The Priest Thoas； which of Minerve
The temple hadde forto serve；
And the Palladion of Troie
Kepte under keie； for monoie；
Of Anthenor which he hath nome；
Hath soffred Anthenor to come
And the Palladion to stele；
Wherof the worschipe and the wele
Of the Troiens was overthrowe。
Bot Thoas at the same throwe； 1840
Whan Anthenor this Juel tok；
Wynkende caste awei his lok
For a deceipte and for a wyle：
As he that scholde himself beguile；
He hidde his yhen fro the sihte；
And wende wel that he so mihte
Excuse his false conscience。
I wot noght if thilke evidence
Nou at this time in here estatz
Excuse mihte the Prelatz； 1850
Knowende hou that the feith discresceth
And alle moral vertu cesseth；
Wherof that thei the keies bere；
Bot yit hem liketh noght to stere
Here gostliche yhe forto se
The world in his adversite；
Thei wol no labour undertake
To kepe that hem is betake。
Crist deide himselve for the feith；
Bot nou our feerfull prelat seith； 1860
〃The lif is suete；〃 and that he kepeth；
So that the feith unholpe slepeth；
And thei unto here ese entenden
And in here lust her lif despenden；
And every man do what him list。
Thus stant this world fulfild of Mist；
That noman seth the rihte weie：
The wardes of the cherche keie
Thurgh mishandlinge ben myswreynt；
The worldes wawe hath welnyh dreynt 1870
The Schip which Peter hath to stiere；
The forme is kept； b