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of a monethe efter þe space,
quhen þat Is sad here, downe vas,
þe apostil did forowte bad
a congregacione sone be mad
of puyre & riche men elyke
for þe maste parte of þe kinryke;
& al þat euire ware sek & sayre,
he gerte disseuire fra þam þare,
& his prayere mad fore þam þan;
& al þe puple sad “amen.”
a fyr-schauchte of þe hewyn rath,
þane thomas & þe puple bath
saw stryk þe ȝerd, & gert ly þare
a space of ane houre & mare;
sa þat all wend but ony dowt,
þat þare þai suld be ded alowte.
þan thomas sad vith gladsum chere:
“ryse vpe now, myn brethir dere!
for god as fyr-schacht nov com here,
to make þire seke men hale & fere.”
þane al þe sek men, þat come þare,
parfyt heyle gat in þat sychare,
& lowit god & sancte thomas
of þat grete habundand grace.
þane sancte thomas vas rycht fovs
till tel þe twelfe greis of vertuse.
þe firste of þame, to rekine now,
Is: in god fermly til trew,
þe quhilk in substance bot ane Is,
& thrinfald in-to personis.
& by þ[r]e ensampile schawit he
felably quhow ma þis be;
for in til a man visdome Is,
& of þat ane þare procedis
vndirstandynge, memore, & wite;
for wyt is þat gerris þe fynd Ite,
þat þu lerit [nocht], & memore syne
Is þat þu laris, þu nocht tyne,
& vndirstandynge is þe aucht,
þat may be schawit or ellis tacht.
þe tothir ensampil tane ma be
sufficiandly be þe wyne-tre—
tre, & leffe, & froite with-all,
bot a wyne-tree we call.
þe threde: þat in þe hewid of man,
ar wittis four, quha rekine can,
as sycht, herynge, gustyne, tastyne,
& ȝet þir foure ar bot a thynge,
& in þe hewid ar herbreit all,
& bot a hewid ȝet ve It call.
þe tothire stage is þat we,
fore to wyne grace, suld baptist be.
þe thryd: þat we ay suld be bone
to fle fornicacione.
þe fyrd is: gyf we be wyse,
ve suld eschew auarice.
þe fyfte stage is: suthly,
to keep men fra gluttony.
þe sexte: gyf man, perchance
fel in syne, suld do pennance.
þat in lele pennance we suld dwel,
as fore þe sewine gre ve ma tell.
& [þe] aucht wel ma be,
for to luf hospitalyte.
þe ninte: for to sek goddis will
In althinge, & till fulfill.
þe tend gre is: till eschew
agane goddis wil we wirk nov.
þe lewine is: þat cheryte
to frend & fa euire haf we.
þe twelfte: þat men be ay reddy
to bere þir stagis sekyrly.
&, or he had his sermone mad,
þare ware baptiste but a-bad
a-lefyne thousand of men,
foroute barnys ore weman,
þat be thomas of goddis grace
to cristine treutht conuertit ves.