The Parson's Tale Folio 208r 4 of 53 folios
his Creatour / and moore shar
fader celestial /.
thed and agilt hym that bog
deliuered vs / fro the bondes of synne / and fro the crueltee of the deuel
and fro the peynes of helle
Contricio
nes /
no wey / but greet shame and sorwe for his gilt
ful men / doon werkes / worthy of Confessio
chie /. I. wol remembre me / alle the yeres of my lyf
myn herte
nes
children of god / and lymes of the regne of god /
been woxen thral and foul / and m
sclaundre of hooly chirche / and foode of the false serpent
tere of the fir of helle /.
trespassen so ofte tyme / as dooth the houn
wyng
youre synful vsage / for which / ye be roten in youre synne / as a beest in
his dong
of his synne / and no delit
rem
synnes been the weyes / that leden folk to helle
that og
seith Seint Peter
synne / put a man in greet thraldom .
Ezechiel / .I. wente sorweful / in desdayn of my self /. And c
oghte a man / haue desdayn of synne / and withdrawe hym / from
that thraldom and vileynye /.
re . He seith thus /. thoug
de neu
the same Seneca also seith / .I. am born to gretter thynges / than to be
thral to my body / or than for to maken / of my body a thral /
thral / may no man ne w
his body to synne /.
man that lyueth / and leest of value / yet is he thanne moore foul /
moore in seruitute /.
moore is he thral / and moore / to god and to the world abhomynable ;
synne / ther he was free / now is he maked bonde
seint Augustyn /. If thou hast desdayn of thy seruant
synne /. haue thou thanne desdayn / that thou thy self / sholdest do syn-
ne /.
wel oghten they thanne haue desdayn to been seruauntz
to synne / and soore been ashamed of hem self
delees goodnesse / hath set hem in heigh estaat /. or yeuen hem wit /
strengthe of body / heele / beautee / pros