Here Ben Rehercyd the Excepcions of Mercy and the Iugement Yeuen vpon Synful Sowles

Capitulo xliii

Soo thenne was this pylgryme wyth grete solempnyte ledde, sawe I nought where. But of al this ioye this cursyd Sathanas ne sawe no thyng at al, for he was fallen grouelynge, gredynge, and cryenge with a lothely voys, byholdyng doune in to Erthe. Ful oftymes wysshed I that he neuer muste arrise ne shewe his foule face, but soone after this al other wise it befelle, for Iustyce, that hadde me bitake my sory fardelet, as I haue seyd, she steyh vppon the scaffold and said in this wise:

'Cometh fort ye creatures that hauen long abyden your iugementes^a, & hereth your sentence, for many ther be of you for which Mysericord hath [34v] nought at al purchacyd, though soo that she hath here a Chartre of Pardonne Generall, graunted here of the Souerayne Lord, in whiche chartre is conteyned an excepcion as touchynge dyuerse poyntes, whiche ben these in specialle:

'Al they that wylfully and wyttyngly hauen contynued in synne to theyr lyues ende, pasyng^b withoute hertely repentaunce;

`And al tho, that hauen ben obstynate to the Lawes of oure Lord God, blasfemynge, and despysynge tho that lowely and sympelly obeysaunt ben therto, and hauen nought amended theym with wylful repentaunce;

`Alle tho that wylfully and wyttyngly breken Goddes Hestes, dysclaundrynge tho that repentyn them therof;

`Alle fals pilgrymes that hauen lefte the sharp weye of penaunce and vertue, and hauen gone by pathes of lustes, and of alle vnthryfty vyces, as been forsworen wretchys, false renegates, traytours, mansleers, morderers, theues, lecherours, glotons, conspyratoures, and alle other that wylfully haue applyed theym seluen to wycked synnes that shalle nought ben rehercyd;

`And al tho that haue sewyd theyr owne vycyous wylle, withdrawynge theyr hertes froo the wylle of oure Lord God. Also alle heretykes and scysmatykes, that presumptuously peruertyn Hooly Scrypture by fals vnderstandynge, glosynge, cuttynge, kouerynge, and cloutynge with vycyous adinuencyouns the Lawe of Crystes Gospel;

`And alle tho that hauen receued ordre, offyce, or estate to mayntene Crystes lawes, and they wretchydly and cowardely withdrewen theym to worldly lustes, nought doynge theyr deuoyre in shewynge and techynge the lawe of oure Lord, ne in chastysynge of mysdoers. but only for couetyse of worldly goodes;

`And alle tho that suche estates, ordres, or offyce yeuen or receyuen by symony or suche vnleful menes, and nought to the entent to proufyte of theyr offyce, but only to be magnyfyed and maad ryche and for to lede theyr lyues in lustees and delyces;

`Alle thylke also that vppon the tryste of Mercy haue leyn in theyr lustes to theyr lyues ende, and hauen nought hadde veray repentaunce of theyr fowle errour;

`And these, and many other, whiche that hauen theyr accusoures here redy besydes theym, whiche shalle haue place and audyence to appelen them of many other poyntes in specialle, whiche that ben exceptyd froo the [35r] pardon conteyned in this forsaid Chartre. For Mercy hath for none such purchacyd no pardon at al; the balaunce sheweth the soothe.'

Soo thenne by ordre they wente to the balaunce, these accusoures with theyr empechementes. But theyr prysonners hadden nought for to leyen in that other parte. And though they ought hadde, it was of no weyght.

Somme other also there were, for whoos parte was leyde the forset with the tresoure. And they anon were assigned with their fardels to gone to Purgatorye, ryght as I was.

To alle the remenaunt after Iustyce sentencyally seyd in this wyse:`In the name of oure Soueraygne Lorde and Iuge Ihesu Cryste, Goddes Sone Omnypotent, by sentence of Mychael the Prouoste of Paradys and Lyeutenant of oure Blysful Lord, goo al ye condempnyd and foriuged to brenne withynne the fyre of Helle, withouten hope or truste euer to be releuyd. And ferthermore I assigne yow to comen byfore the Souerayne Iuge efte ageyne, clothid in youre cursyd bodyes, receyuynge youre Fynal Iugement, body and soule at ones, of endeles dampnacion. This daye loke that ye kepe, whanne Gabryell shalle blowen with his dredeful trompe. Hyeth yow faste hennes, as the Prouost yow hoteth and commaundeth, withoute ony taryenge.'