Middle English Literature

Enarratio
253

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254
Textualities
mannis witt mai bi it silf aloone or bi natural helpis withoute revelacioun
fro God rise and suffice. But so it is that noon article of feith mai be
groundid in doom of resoun sufficientli, neither into his finding, leerning,
and knowing mannis resoun bi it silf and bi natural help may rise and suffice
withoute therto maad revelacioun or affirmyng fro God . . .
The fifth principal conclusioun is this: Though neither the seide moral
lawe of kinde, neither outward bokis therof writen, mowe grounde eny
trouthe or conclusioun of verry feith, yit tho outward bokis (as Cristene
men hem maken) mowe weel ynow reherce and witnesse trouthis and
conclusiouns of feith groundid bifore in Holi Scripture, and so thei doon.
Forwhi, it is no more repugnant that bokis of moral philsophie reherce
trouthis and conclusiouns propre to the grounding of Holy Scripture than
that bokis of Holi Scripture reherce trouthis and conclusiouns propre to the
grounding of moral philsophie, and that bokis of grammer reherce treuthis
and conclusiouns propre to the grounding of Holi Scripture . . .
The sixth principal conclusioun is this: The hool office and werk into which
ben ordeyned the bokis of moral philsophie (writen and mad bi Cristen men
in the maner now bifore spoken in the fifth conclusioun) is forto expresse out-
wardli bi writing of penne and ynke the treuthis and conclusiouns, whiche the
inward book of lawe of kinde, biried in mannis soule and herte, groundith,
and forto reherce summe treuthis and conclusiouns of feith longing to the
grounding of Holi Scripture that the reders be the more and the oftir remem-
brid and stirid and exortid bi thilk rehercing into tho treuthis of feith so
rehercid. Of whiche summe ben positif lawis, as ben oonli the treuthis aboute
the newe sacramentis of Crist and aboute the usis of hem, and summe ben
not lawis, as that thre persoones ben oon God, and that the second of hem
was mad man, and that he died and roos fro deeth, and so forth . . .
The seventh principal conclusioun is this: The more deel and party of Goddis
hool lawe to man in erthe, and that bi an huge gret quantite over the re-
manent parti of the same lawe, is groundid sufficiently out of Holi Scripture
in the inward book of lawe of kinde and of moral philsophie, and not in the
book of Holi Scripture clepid the Oold Testament and the Newe . . .
The eighth principal conclusioun is this: No man mai leerne and kunne
the hool lawe of God to which Cristen men ben bounde but if he can of
moral philsophi, and the more that he can in moral philsophie, bi so miche
the more he can of Goddis lawe and service . . .
The ninth conclusioun is this: No man schal perfitli, sureli, and sufficienti
undirstonde Holi Scripture in alle tho placis where yn he rehercith moral
vertures not being positif lawe of feith, but being such as mannys resoun
may fynde, leerne, and knowe but if he be bifore weel and perfitli, suerli,

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and sufficiently leerned in moral philsophie, and the more perfitli, sureli,
and sufficientli he is leerned in moral philsophie the more able as bi that he
schal be forto perfitli, sureli, and sufficientli undirstonde Holi Scripture in
alle tho placis wheryn he spekith of eny moral lawe of God being not positif
lawe of feith . . .
The tenth principal conclusioun is this: The leernyng and kunnyng of the
seid lawe of kinde and of the seid moral philsophie is so necessarie to
Cristen men that it mai not [b]e lackid of hem if thei schulen thriftili serve
to God and keepe his lawe bitake to hem in erthe . . .
Out of thes bifore sett seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth conclusiouns and
trouthis cometh forth ful openli and sureli this eleventh conclusioun and
trouthe. Ful weel oughten alle persoones of the lay parti not miche leerned
in moral philsophi and lawe of kinde forto make miche of clerkis weel
leerned in moral philsophi, that tho clekis schulden helpe tho lay persoones
forto aright undirstonde Holi Scripture in alle tho placis in which Holi
Scripture rehercith the bifore spoken conclusiouns and treuthis of moral
philsophi, that is to seie of lawe of kinde. Forwhi, withoute tho clerkis so
leerned in moral philsophi and with oute her direccioun, the now seid lay
persoones schulen not esili, lightli, and anoon have the dew undirstonding
of Holi Scripture in the now seid placis, as is bifore proved in the ninth
conclusioun.
Also, out of the same bifore sett seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth conclu-
sions and trouthis and out of the assay and experience which mai be had in
the over reding and studiyng the bokis, anoon aftir to be rehercid folewith
this twelfth conclusioun and trouthe. Ful weel oughten alle persoones of
the lay parti not leerned oughwhere ellis bi the now seid clerkis or bi othere
bokis of moral philsophie, forto make miche of bokis maad to hem in her
modiris langage, whiche ben clepid thus: The donet into Cristen religioun,