The Grene Tree Answerith

Capitulo Septimo

`Thenne gan this fayre grene appel tree to shaken hyr leues and said in this wyse: "though it so be", she said, "that I am comen of Adam, and sprongen of his rote, yet is not in me the venym that come in to Adam by etyng of the appel, for I was ympyd frely, and vtterly exepmtyd fro al maner taches of Adams foly. Ne in me may be founde no manere of tast ne sauour of nouther stok ne roote, so that I ne owe no suche restitucion, after my iugement, but only they ben due to payen this dette, that ben corrupte and enuenymed by the forsaid roote.

Also in that other side, I ne bere neuer no mo but this one appel, [61v] of whiche the pepyn was brought me out of Heuen, whiche I helde withynne me fully nyne monethes, hyd ryght euen in myddes of my body. And of me hath he receyued only the rynde or the paryng - yf I soo shal clepen it - whiche that ye seeth withoute, whiche hath soo be wrought with influence of vertu descendynge fro the Sonne, that I may wel be cleped only the appeltree, and berer of this appell, withoute medlure of ony straun­ge corrupcion comyng fro withouten, wherfore I see nought, why that it shold now be drawen oute from me, myn owne swete appel that is cleped Ihesus, whiche that is euerydel grauntid me frely fro Heuen.

"In hym is no parte of Adams cause, sauf only the rynde withou­te, wherwith he hath couered hym self withynne my body, in whiche rynde is no maner of synne ne defaute, for he ne come neuer nyhe the olde stock on whiche that I was ympyd, ne neuer henge on other tree than only on me, soo that bothe tree and fruyt ben hoole withouten corrupcion, and frely exempt fro al maner of synne.

"How maye thenne ony creature seyen that he oweth restitucion, that neuer ne dyde trespas, nether in word ne dede. Iustyce ne maye nought endyten this sentence that this shold be due. They only owen to payen this dette, to whome the synne of Adam hath attayned by very succession and descent of kyndely herytage".