Appendix III
Below I provide a transcription of the unique and unpublished
Westminster text 5 (ff.
103v-104v).
How men schulden be pacient in tribulacioun and euer triste
in
goddis helpe and neuer forsake truþe, noiþer for liif ne for
deeþ.
"Þe lord is my li3t," or he þat 3yueþ me li3t, "and myn
helpe; whom schal I drede?" as who seie noon. "Þe lord is defendour"
or mayntenour "of my liif; of whom schal I quake" for fere? As who seie
of no man.[1] Vpon þis lettre
seiþ seynt Austyn to | comforte cristen men in persecucioun,[2] "An erþely emperour
envirouned and
defendid by men of armes þat ben frele and deadly wrecchis holdiþ
hym sikir fro his enemyes and bodily perelis. Mich more a cristen man" in
persecucioun for truþe of Goddis lawe or good liif schulde holde hym
sikir in Goddis proteccioun and drede not enemyes, siþ God hymsilf and
his hooly aungelis ben wiþ Goddis seruaunt ny3t and day to teche hym,
comfort hym, and strengþe hym þat no man ne feend may ouercomen
hym but by his owne cowardise, for þei mowen not dye, ne be
ouercomen, ne faile to helpe at nede as it is beste on alle sydes. Þerfore
seiþ God
by Dauiþ to a ri3tful man,[3] "I
am wiþ hym in tribulacioun; I schal delyuer hym and glorifye hym."
And Iesu Crist seiþ to hise apostlis,[4] "I am wiþ 3ow in alle dayes
vnto
þe eende of þe world." And Seynt Iame techiþ in his epistle
þus,[5] "My breþeren, deme
3ee all ioye
whanne 3ee fallen into dyuerse temptaciouns," þat is bodily
persecucioun for þe truþe of Goddis lawe. And resoun schulde stire
men to þis triste and ioye in God siþen God is eendeles my3ty,
eendles witty, and eendeles ful of good wille. He wil best ordeyne fort'o'
meyntene his truþe and his seruauntis and kan best do it, | and no
creature may lette hym of his ordenaunce. Þerfore seiþ Seynt
Poule,
[6] "God is feiþful," or
trewe, "þat schal not suffre 3ow to be temptid more þan 3ee mowe
bere, but schal make purueyaunce" of grace and helpe "with temptacioun."
Þerfore as Poule seiþ,
[7]
"Blessid be God and fadir of oure lord Iesu Crist, fadir of mercy and God
of al comfort, þat comfortiþ vs in al tribulacioun." For certis as no
creature may destroye God, so no creature may destroie fully his lawe. But
as bi þe grete peyne and deeþ þat Crist suffride whanne Iewis
gessedyn
þat þei hadde fully destroied hym and his techyng, boþe he and
his techyng weren more magnyfied and glorified, so whanne worldly
wrecchis ful of pride, ypocrisye, and couetise wenen to stoppe most Goddis
lawe, it schal be knowyn and magnifyed, and þei next confusioun as
þe wickid Iewis weren. And al þe persecucioun and sclaundre þat
comeþ to Goddis trewe seruauntis schal turne hem to good, as holy writ
seiþ, to exercise of pacience, mekenes, and brennyng charite and hi3e
blisse in heuen, maugrey alle þe feendis of helle and all þer false
mynystris. Þerfore no man grucche þof God suffre his law born doun
for a litil tyme, for þei boþe schul rise þe strenger and more
glorious. For no creature may, ne can, ne wil ordeyne or cast for
magnifiyng of his lawe and seruauntis as God doiþ. Þerfore be euery
man trewe to þe deeþ, and he schal haue þe corowne of
euerlastyng liif as God seiþ in þe
apocalips,
[8] "for all þat wil
pytously lyue schullen suffre persecucioun."
Explicit.
