Here Doctryne
Speketh to the Sowle and Enformeth Him of Many
Dyuerse Thynges
Capitulo Visesimo Quinto
What tyme that we neyhed to this forseid Lady,
she gan to speken to me, and
saide: `Thou knowest me nought, byleue me, in tyme
that is passyd. And so hath send me word thyn owne
body, to whiche thou passyng by the wey spake ful
bitterly, puttynge vpon hym al thyne owne defautes, whiche were nought done
by hym none otherwyse but as by thyne instrument
that was vnder thy gouernauncea. For what tyme
that thou firste entred in hym, there was in hym no
lif, nought but that he was organysed kyndely only in power for to
receyuen the withynne hym, by the to haue his
mouynge. Thou were his first accion, his first
werke, & his first mocion, ne neuer ne dyde he
thyng [71r] withouten thyn assent and thyne
owne lycence, for why thyne were the
occupacions, myghtes and virtues, and all the dedes
by whiche thou sholdest deserue blame either
preysynge. Withouten the had the body no maner of
power. He was only maater to whiche thou were the
fourme, of whome now is he naked.
`Another fourme - accidentale68, of lytel
valewe - maye he wel haue, but fourme substantcial
is hit nought that he hath. God fourmed theb
to be his gouernour & hath put in the power vegetable, wherby to
norisshen him, & power sensitif also, wherby for
to mouenc hym. And ouer this ferthermore, he
hath yeuen the reason, wherby for to worchen and
chesen the good fro euylle. Soo hath he made the to
his owne ymage and lykenes.
`And as Seynt Austyn hath taught me, God made man
ryght as a Trynyte, yeuyng to hym his owne
resemblaunce by lykely conuenyence.
For why he yaf him memory, apperteynynge to the
Fader, he yaue hym vnderstandyng, that belongeth to
the Sone, and also he yafe hym wylle, whiche that
apperteyneth propyrly to the Holy Ghost. These three
persones or propyrtees is veryly one sowle, of
whiche neuer one is other, but al thre distynct in
maner of theyr worchynge. And all thre ben one
thynge in substaunce veryly indyuysible, wherfore
hath he myght and kyndely
power for to comprehenden hym self alone, withoute
bodyly instrument, al maner of lykenes of alle
thynges that ben intellygyble, subtyle, and
ghoostely. But bodyly thynge he comprehendeth by
bodyle instrument, nought withstandynge that he
fyndeth dyuersite and contrariosite, as hete and
cold, moist and drye, only by touchynge quantitees,
and colours also by the syght.'
