thinks] the needy must spend his sweat wholly in his service; there is no pity nor release to be had from him: his dog hath a better life than the poor needy soul under his roof, and this he accounteth his right and prerogative; whereas it is not at all grounded in nature, but only in the abyss, where one form or property plagueth, vexeth, and tormenteth the other, where the life is its own enemy; [and there it is grounded] .
11. This the inferior learneth from the superior, and so getteth his living also with subtlety and deceit, covetousness and knavery; for, if he doth not use these things, he can hardly fill his belly in righteousness; and therefore reason persuadeth him that necessity forceth him, that he must enhance his labour and commodities, and must wrest from his neighbour his sweat again, without love and righteousness, that he may but fill his belly: He learneth from his superior to gormandize and pamper his body, and live a bestial life. What the superior spendeth in a courtly stately fashion, that the inferior spendeth in a beastly, swinish fashion, and manner of life: Thus one wickedness effecteth another, and the devil remaineth prince on earth over body and soul.
12. How wilt thou be able to subsist, when God in his zeal or jealousy shall judge the secrets of mankind, when the cause of every thing will appear, why that or the other thing came to be evil? And there every soul will cry out of those that lead it astray, and curse them: Every thing will have its cause appear before it, and the soul will feel it in its conscience: Where then will you, superior, remain, when your inferior shall cry out and say, Woe be to you, in that you have forced him to such wicked courses, and that you have bereaved him of his sweat, and consumed his goods and labours in idleness and wantonness ? How will you give an account of your office, into which you are put, wherein you should stop unrighteousness, and hold the wicked in awe by reproof and punishment? And you have not regarded his wicked courses, that you might prevent and hinder them, but have only looked after your covetousness, how you might bereave him of his sweat: You have not sought his soul's good, but his sweat and labour: He might else do what he would: And besides, you have given an evil example to him, so that he hath looked upon your courses, and made them his pattern. Cursing, blaspheming, threatening, daring surliness [provocations], have been your fashion, and that he hath learnt of you, and hath so constantly reproached the name of God, which you have not regarded; you have only looked after, his money, and not after his soul.
13. And now, when the severe judgment of God shall appear, and that every work shall be manifested in the fiery essences, where then all shall be tried in the fire, what think you? Shall not all such works remain in the eternal fire? And there will the poor soul cry out upon your ungodly cursed deeds, words and works: And one will curse and wish all evil to the other, for being the cause of such evil to him, and the source and property of falsehood and wickedness will rise up in the soul, and gnaw it, that, for so short and empty vanity, voluptuousness and false lust, it hath fooled away such great eternal glory.
14. All manner of reproaches, all slanders, all scoflings, all covetousness, pride, and deceit shall rise up in the soul, and one source [or property] shall continually kindle and gnaw the other, which hath given cause to the stirring up of the other, and the soul will think, if these abominations were not in thee, thou mightest attain grace; and when it shall behold and consider itself, it will find how one abomination hath generated another, and will see that itself is a mere stinking abomination in the presence of God; and there it will cast itself down in the source of anguish, into the centre of nature, and curse God, that he hath made it a soul; and the deeper it desireth to plunge itself, the deeper it falleth, and yet must continue in
thinks] the needy must spend his sweat wholly in his service; there is no pity nor release to be had from him: his dog has a better life than the poor needy soul under his roof, and this he accounts his right and prerogative; whereas it is not at all grounded in nature, but only in the abyss, where one form or property plagus, vexes, and torments the other, where the life is its own enemy; [and there it is grounded] .
11. This the inferior learns from the superior, and so getts his living also with subtlety and deceit, covetousness and knavery; for, if he does not use these things, he can hardly fill his belly in righteousness; and therefore reason persuads him that necessity forces him, that he must enhance his labour and commodities, and must wrest from his neighbour his sweat again, without love and righteousness, that he may but fill his belly: He learns from his superior to gormandize and pamper his body, and live a bestial life. What the superior spends in a courtly stately fashion, that the inferior spends in a beastly, swinish fashion, and manner of life: Thus one wickedness effects another, and the devil remains prince on earth over body and soul.
12. How will you be able to subsist, when God in his zeal or jealousy shall judge the secrets of mankind, when the cause of every thing will appear, why that or the other thing came to be evil? And there every soul will cry out of those that lead it astray, and curse them: Every thing will have its cause appear before it, and the soul will feel it in its conscience: Where then will you, superior, remain, when your inferior shall cry out and say, Woe be to you, in that you have forced him to such wicked courses, and that you have bereaved him of his sweat, and consumed his goods and labours in idleness and wantonness ? How will you give an account of your office, into which you are put, wherein you should stop unrighteousness, and hold the wicked in awe by reproof and punishment? And you have not regarded his wicked courses, that you might prevent and hinder them, but have only looked after your covetousness, how you might bereave him of his sweat: You have not sought his soul's good, but his sweat and labour: He might else do what he would: And besides, you have given an evil example to him, so that he has looked upon your courses, and made them his pattern. Cursing, blaspheming, threatening, daring surliness [provocations], have been your fashion, and that he has learnt of you, and has so constantly reproached the name of God, which you have not regarded; you have only looked after, his money, and not after his soul.
13. And now, when the severe judgment of God shall appear, and that every work shall be manifested in the fiery essences, where then all shall be tried in the fire, what think you? Shall not all such works remain in the eternal fire? And there will the poor soul cry out upon your ungodly cursed deeds, words and works: And one will curse and wish all evil to the other, for being the cause of such evil to him, and the source and property of falsehood and wickedness will rise up in the soul, and gnaw it, that, for so short and empty vanity, voluptuousness and false lust, it has fooled away such great eternal glory.
14. All manner of reproaches, all slanders, all scoflings, all covetousness, pride, and deceit shall rise up in the soul, and one source [or property] shall continually kindle and gnaw the other, which has given cause to the stirring up of the other, and the soul will think, if these abominations were not in you, you might attain grace; and when it shall behold and consider itself, it will find how one abomination has generated another, and will see that itself is a mere stinking abomination in the presence of God; and there it will cast itself down in the source of anguish, into the centre of nature, and curse God, that he has made it a soul; and the deeper it desires to plunge itself, the deeper it falls, and yet must continue in
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