Let us speak now of such cursing as comes from an angry heart. Execration generally may be said to embrace
every kind of evil. Such cursing deprives a man of the Kingdom of God, as says Saint Paul. And oftentimes
such cursing returns again upon the head of him that curses, like a bird that returns again to its own nest. And
above all things men ought to eschew the cursing of their children, and the giving to the Devil of their
progeny, so far as they may; certainly it is a great danger and a great sin.
Let us now speak of chiding and reproaching, which are great evils in man's heart; for they rip up the seams
of friendship in man's heart. For truly, a man can hardly be reconciled with him that has openly reviled and
slandered him. This is a terrible sin, as Christ says in the gospel. And note now that he who reproaches his
neighbour, either he reproaches him for some painful evil that he has in his body, as with "leper" or
"hunchbacked scoundrel," or by some sin that he does. Now, if he reproach him for a painful evil, then the
reproach is turned upon Jesus Christ; for pain is sent, as the righteous giving of God, and by His permission,
be it of leprosy or malady or bodily imperfection. And if he reproach him uncharitably for sin, as with "you
whoremonger," "you drunken scoundrel," and so forth, then that appertains to the rejoicing of the Devil, who
is ever rejoiced when men sin. And truly, chiding may not come, save out of a sinful heart. For according to
the abundance of what is in the heart the mouth speaks. And you shall understand that when any man would
correct another, let him beware of chiding or reproaching. For truly, save he beware, he may easily quicken
the fire of anger and wrath, which he should quench, and perhaps will slay him whom he might have
corrected gently. For, as Solomon says, "the amiable tongue is the tree of life," which is to say, of the
spiritual life; and in sooth, a foul tongue drains the vital forces of him that reproaches, and also of him that is
reproached. Behold what Saint Augustine says: "There is nothing so like the Devil's child as he that chideth."
Saint Paul says, too: "The servant of the Lord must not strive." And though bickering be a sinful thing as
between all kinds of folk, certainly it is most unsuitable between a man and his wife; for there is never rest
there. Thereupon Solomon says: "A continual dropping in a very rainy day, and a contentious woman, are
alike." A man who is in a house, the roof whereof leaks in many places, though he avoid the dripping in one
place, it finds him in another; and so fares he who has a chiding wife. If she cannot scold him in one place,
she will scold him in another. And therefore, "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and
hatred therewith," says Solomon. Saint Paul says: "Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands, as it is fit
in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them." Ad Colossensess, tertio.
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After that, let us speak of scorn, which is a wicked sin; especially when one scorns a man for his good works.
For truly, such scorners are like the foul toad, which cannot bear to smell the sweet odour of the vine when it
blossoms. These scorners are fellowpartakers with the Devil; for they rejoice when the Devil wins and sorrow
when he loses. They are adversaries of Jesus Christ; for they hate what He loves, that is to say, the salvation
of souls.
Now will we speak of wicked counsel; for he that gives wicked counsel is a traitor. For he deceives him that
trusts in him, ut Achitofel ad Absolonem. Nevertheless, his wicked counsel first harms himself. For, as the
wise man says, every false person living has within himself this peculiarity, that he who would harm another
harms first himself. And men should understand that they should take counsel not of false folk, nor of angry
folk, nor of vexatious folk nor of folk that love too much their own advantage, nor of too worldly folk,
especially in the counselling of souls.
Now comes the sin of those that sow discord amongst folk, which is a sin that Christ utterly hates; and no
wonder. For He died to establish concord on earth. And more shame do they do to Christ than did those that
crucified Him; for God loves better that friendliness be among men than He loved His own body, the which
He gave for the sake of unity. Therefore they are like the Devil, who ever goes about to make discord.
Now comes the sin of the double-tongued; such as speak fairly before folk, and wickedly behind; or they
make a semblance of speaking with good intention, or in jest and play, and yet they speak with evil intention.
Now comes betraying of confidence, whereby a man is defamed: truly, the damage so done may scarcely be
repaired.
Now comes menacing, which is an open folly; for he that often menaces, he often threatens more than he can
perform.
Now come idle words, which sin is without profit to him that speaks and also to him that listens. Or else idle
words are those that are needless, or without an aim toward any profit. And although idle words are at times
but a venial sin, yet men should distrust them; for we shall have to account for them before God.
Now comes chattering, which cannot occur without sin. And, as Solomon says, "It is a sin of manifest folly."
And therefore a philosopher said, when men asked him how to please the people: "Do many good deeds and
chatter but little."
After this comes the sin of jesters, who are the Devil's apes. For they make folk laugh at their buffoonery, as
they do at the pranks of an ape. Such clownings were forbidden by Saint Paul. Behold how virtuous and holy
words give comfort to those that labour in the service of Christ; just so the sinful words and tricks of jesters
and jokers comfort those that travail in the service of the Devil. These are the sins that come by way of the
tongue, and from anger and many other sins.
SEQUITUR REMEDIUM CONTRA PECCATUM IRE
The remedy for anger is a virtue which men call mansuetude, which is gentleness; and even another virtue
which men call patience or tolerance.
Gentleness withholds and restrains the stirrings and the urgings of man's impetuosity in his heart in such
manner that it leaps not out in anger or in ire. Tolerance suffers sweetly all the annoyances and wrongs that
men do to men bodily. Saint Jerome says thus of gentleness, that "it does harm to no one, nor says harm; nor
for any harm that men do or say does it chafe against reason." This virtue is sometimes naturally implanted;
for, as says the philosopher: "A man is a living thing, by nature gentle and tractable to goodness; but when
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gentleness is informed of grace, then is it worth the more."
Patience, which is another remedy against anger, is a virtue that suffers sweetly man's goodness, and is not
wroth for harm done to it. The philosopher says that "patience is that virtue which suffers meekly all the
outrages of adversity and every wicked word." This virtue makes a man god-like and makes him God's own
dear child, as Christ says. This virtue discomfits one's enemy. And thereupon the wise man says: "If thou wilt
vanquish thy enemy, learn to endure." And you shall understand that man suffers four kinds of grievances
from outward things, against the which he must have four kinds of patience.
The first grievance is of wicked words; this suffered Jesus Christ without grumbling, and patiently, when the
Jews many times reproached Him and showed how they despised Him. Suffer patiently, therefore, for the
wise man says: "If thou strive with a fool, though the fool be wroth or though he laugh, nevertheless thou
shalt have no rest." Another outward grievance is to suffer damage in one's chattels. In that Christ endured
patiently when He was despoiled of all that He had in the world, that being His clothing.
The third grievance is for a man to suffer injury in his body. That, Christ endured full patiently throughout all
His passion. The fourth grievance is in extravagant labour. Wherefore I say that folk who make their servants
labour too grievously, or out of the proper time, as on holidays, truly they do great sin. Thereof endured
Christ full patiently, and taught us patience when He bore upon His blessed shoulder the cross whereon He
was to suffer a pitiless death. Hereof may men learn to be patient; for certainly, not only Christian men
should be patient for love of Jesus Christ, and for the reward of the blessed life everlasting, but even the old
pagans, who never were Christians, commended and practised the virtue of patience.
Upon a time a philosopher would have beaten a disciple for his great misdoing, at which the philosopher had
been much annoyed; and he brought a rod wherewith to scourge the youth; and when the youth saw the rod
he said to his master: "What do you intend to do?" "I will beat you," said the master, "for your correction."
"Forsooth," said the youth, "you ought first to correct yourself who have lost all your patience at the offence
of a child." "Forsooth," said the master, weeping, "you say truth; take the rod yourself, my dear son, and
correct me for my impatience." From patience comes obedience, whereby a man becomes obedient to Christ
and to all to whom he owes obedience in Christ. And understand well that obedience is perfect when a man
does gladly and speedily, with entire good heart, all that he should do. Obedience, generally, is to put into
practice the doctrine of God and of man's masters, to whom he ought to be humble in all righteousness.
SEQUITUR DE ACCIDIA
After the sins of envy and of anger, now will I speak of the sin of acedia, or sloth. For envy blinds the heart of
a man and anger troubles a man; and acedia makes him heavy, thoughtful, and peevish. Envy and anger cause
bitterness of heart; which bitterness is the mother of acedia, and takes from a man the love of all goodness.
Then is acedia the anguish of a troubled heart; and Saint Augustine says: "It is the sadness of goodness and
the joy of evil." Certainly this is a damnable sin; for it wrongs Jesus Christ in as much as it lessens the service
that men ought to give to Christ with due diligence, as says Solomon. But sloth has no such diligence; it does
everything sadly and with peevishness, slackness, and false excusing, and with slovenliness and
unwillingness; for which the Book says: "Accursed be he that serveth God negligently." Then acedia is the
enemy to every state of man; for indeed the state of man is in three degrees. One is the state of innocence, as
was the condition of Adam before he fell into sin; in which state he was maintained to praise and adore his
God. Another state is the condition of sinful men wherein they are obliged to labour in praying to God for the
amendment of their sins. Another state is the condition of grace, in which condition man is bound to acts of
penitence; and truly, to all these things acedia is the enemy and the opposite. For it loves no busyness at all.
Now certainly this foul sin of acedia is also a great enemy to the livelihood of the body; for it makes no
provision for temporal necessity; for it wastes, and it allows things to spoil, and it destroys all worldly wealth
by its carelessness.
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The fourth thing is that acedia is like those who are in the pain of Hell, because of their sloth and their
sluggardliness; for those that are damned are so bound that they may neither do well nor think well. First of
all, from the sin of acedia it happens that a man is too sad and hindered to be able to do anything good,
wherefore God abominates acedia, as says Saint John.
Then comes that kind of sloth that will endure no hardship nor any penance. For truly, sloth is so tender and
so delicate, as Solomon says, that it will endure no hardship or penance, and therefore it spoils everything that
it attempts to do. To combat this rotten-hearted sin of acedia or sloth, men should be diligent to do good
works and manfully and virtuously to come by the determination to do well; remembering that Our Lord
Jesus Christ rewards every good deed, be it ever so little. The habit of labour is a great thing; for, as Saint
Bernard says, it gives the labourer strong arms and hard thews, whereas sloth makes them feeble and tender.
Then arises the dread of beginning to do any good deeds; for certainly, he that is inclined toward sin, he
thinks it is so great an enterprise to start any works of goodness, and tells himself in his heart that the
circumstances having to do with goodness are so wearisome and burdensome to endure, that he dare not
undertake any such works, as says Saint Gregory.
Now enters despair, which is despair of the mercy of God, and comes sometimes of too extravagant sorrows
and sometimes of too great fear: for the victim imagines that he has done so much sin that it will avail him
not to repent and forgo sin; because of which fear he abandons his heart to every kind of sin, as Saint
Augustine says. This damnable sin, if it be indulged to the end, is called sinning in the Holy Ghost. This
horrible sin is so dangerous that, as for him that is so desperate, there is no felony or sin that he hesitates to
do; as was well showed by Judas. Certainly, then, above all other sins, this sin is most displeasing to Christ,
and most hateful. Truly he that grows so desperate is like the cowardly and recreant combatant that yields
before he is beaten, and when there is no need. Alas, alas! Needlessly is he recreant and needlessly in despair.
Certainly the mercy of God is always available to every penitent, and this is the greatest of all God's works.
Alas! Cannot a man bethink him of the gospel of Saint Luke, 15, wherein Christ says: "Joy shall be in Heaven
over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance."
Behold further, in the same gospel, the joy of and the feast given by the good man who had lost his son, when
his son, repentant, returned to his father. Can they not remember, also, that, as Saint Luke says, XXIII
capitulo, the thief who was hanged beside Jesus Christ said: "Lord, remember me when Thou comest into
Thy Kingdom." "Verily," said Christ, "I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in Paradise." Certainly,
there is no such horrible sin of man that it may not be, in his lifetime, destroyed by penitence, by virtue of the
passion and the death of Jesus Christ. Alas! Why then need a man despair, since mercy is so ready and so
great? Ask, and it shall be given unto you. Then enters somnolence, that is to say, sluggish slumbering, which
makes a man heavy and dull in body and in soul; and this sin comes from sloth. And truly, the time that a
man should not sleep, in all reason, is the early morning, unless there be a reasonable necessity. For verily the
morningtide is most suitable for a man to say his prayers, and to meditate on God and to honour God, and to
give alms to the poor person who first asks in the name of Christ. Behold what Solomon says: "Whoso would
awake in the dawn and seek me, me shall he find." Then enters negligence, or carelessness, that recks of
nothing. And if ignorance is the mother of all evil, certainly then negligence is the nurse. Negligence cares
not, when it must do a thing, whether it be well done or badly.
As to the remedies for these two sins, as the wise man says: "He that fears God spares not to do that which he
ought." And he that loves God, he will be diligent to please God by his works, and will exert himself, with all
his might, to do well. Then enters idleness, which is the gate to all evils. An idle man is like a house that has
no walls; the devils may enter on every side and shoot at him, he being thus unprotected, and tempt him on
every side. This idleness is the sink of all wicked and villainous thoughts, and of all idle chattering, and
trifles, and of all filthiness. Certainly Heaven is for those that labour, and not for idle folk. Also, David says:
"They are not among the harvest of men and they shall not be threshed with men," which is to say, in
Purgatory. Certainly, then, it appears that they shall be tormented by the Devil in Hell, unless they soon
repent.
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Then enters the sin that men call tarditas, which is when a man is too tardy or too long-tarrying before he
turns unto God; and certainly this is a great folly. He is like one that falls in the ditch and will not arise. And
this vice comes of a false hope whereunder a man comes to think that he shall live long; but that hope full
often fails him.
Then comes laziness; that is when a man begins any work and anon forgoes it and holds his hand; as do those
who have anyone to govern and who take no care of him as soon as they find any difficulty or annoyance.
These are the modern shepherds who knowingly allow their sheep to run to the wolf in the briers, or have no
care for their governing. Of this come poverty and the destruction of both spiritual and temporal things. Then
comes a kind of dull coldness that freezes the heart of man. Then comes lack of devotion, whereby a man is
so blinded, as Saint Bernard says, and has such languor of soul, that he may not read or sing in holy church,
nor hear or think of anything devout, nor toil with his hands at any good work, without the labour being
unsavoury and vapid to him. Then he grows slow and slumbery, and is easily angered and is easily inclined
toward hate and envy. Then comes the sin of worldly sorrow, such as is called tristicia, which slays men, as
Saint Paul says. For, verily, such sorrow works the death of the soul and of the body also; for thereof it comes
to pass that a man is bored by his own life. Wherefore such sadness full often shortens a man's life before his
time has naturally come.
REMEDIUM CONTRA PECCATUM ACCIDIE
Against this horrible sin of acedia, and the branches thereof, there is a virtue that is called fortitudo or
strength; that is, a force of character whereby a man despises annoying things. This virtue is so mighty and so
vigorous that it dares to withstand sturdily, and wisely to keep itself from dangers that are wicked, and to
wrestle against the assaults of the Devil. For it enhances and strengthens the soul, just as acedia reduces it and
makes it feeble. For this fortitudo can endure, by long suffering, the toils that are fitting.
This virtue has many species; and the first is called magnanimity, which is to say, great-heartedness. For
certainly a great heart is needed against acedia, lest it swallow up the soul by the sin of sadness, or destroy it
by despair. This virtue causes folk to undertake hard things, or grievous things, of their own initiative, wisely
and reasonably. And for as much as the Devil fights a man more by craft and by trickery than by strength,
therefore men may withstand him by wit and by reason and by discretion. Then there are the virtues of faith
and of hope in God and in His saints, to achieve and accomplish the good works in which one firmly
purposes to continue. Then comes security and certainness; and that is when a man shall not doubt, in time to
come. the value of the toil of the good works that he has begun. Then comes munificence, which is to say,
that virtue whereby a man performs great works of goodness that he has begun; and that is the goal to reach
which men should do good works; for in the doing of great good works lies the great reward. Then there is
constancy, that is, stability of purpose, and this should be evidenced in heart by steadfast faith, and in word
and in attitude and in appearance and in deed. Also, there are other special remedies against acedia or sloth,
in divers works, and in consideration of the pains of Hell and of the joys of Heaven, and in faith in the grace
of the Holy Ghost, that will give to a man the strength wherewith to perform his good purpose.
SEQUITUR DE AVARICIA
After acedia I will speak of avarice and of covetousness, of which sin Saint Paul says that "The love of
money is the root of all evil:" ad Timotheum, sexto capitulo. For verily, when the heart of a man is
confounded within itself, and troubled, and when the soul has lost the comforting of God, then seeks a man a
vain solace in worldly things.
Avarice, according to the description of Saint Augustine, is the eagerness of the heart to have earthly things.
Others say that avarice is the desire to acquire earthly goods and give nothing to those that need. And
understand that avarice consists not only of greed for land and chattels, but sometimes for learning and for
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glory, and for every kind of immoderate thing. And the difference between avarice and covetousness is this.
Covetousness is to covet such things as one has not; and avarice is to keep and withhold such things as one
has when there is no need to do so. Truly, this avarice is a sin that is very damnable; for all holy writ
condemns it and inveighs against that vice; for it does wrong to Jesus Christ. For it takes away from Him the
love that men owe to Him and turns it backward, and this against all reason; and it causes that an avaricious
man has more hope in his chattels than in Jesus Christ and is more diligent in the guarding and keeping of his
treasure than in the service of Jesus Christ. And therefore Saint Paul says, ad Ephesios, quinto, that "this ye
know, that no... covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God."
What difference is there between an idolater and an avaricious man, save that an idolater, peradventure, has
but one idol and the avaricious man has many? For verily, every florin in his coffer is his idol. And certainly
the sin of idolatry is the first thing that God forbids in the ten commandments, as witnesses Exodi, capitulo
XX: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me, thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image." Thus an
avaricious man, who loves his treasure more than God, is an idolater, by reason of this cursed sin of avarice.
Of covetousness come these hard exactions whereunder men are assessed and made to pay taxes, rents, and
payments in lieu of service, more than duty requires or reason demands. Also, they take from their serfs
amercements that might more reasonably be called extortions than amercements. As to which amercements
and fines of serfs, some lords' stewards say that it is just, because a churl has no temporal thing that does not
belong to his lord, or so they say. But certainly these lordships do wrong that take away from their serfs
things that they never gave them, Augustinus de Civitate, libro nono. The truth is that the condition of
serfdom is a sin: Genesis, quinto.
Thus may you see that man's sin deserves thralldom, but man's origin does not. Wherefore these lords should
not greatly glorify themselves in their lordships, since by natural condition, or origin, they are not lords of
thralls; but thralldom came into being first as the desert of sin. And furthermore, whereas the law says that the
temporal effects of bondmen are the property of their lords, verily, by that is to be understood, the property of
the emperor, who defends them in their rights, but who has no right to rob or to plunder them. And thereupon
says Seneca: "Thy prudence should cause thee to live benignly with thy slaves." Those whom you call your
serfs are God's people; for humble folk are Christ's friends; they are at home in the house of the Lord.
Think, also, that such seed as churls come from, from such seed come the lords. As easily may the churl be
saved as the lord. The same death that takes the churl takes the lord. Wherefore I advise you to do unto your
churl as you would that your lord should do unto you, if you were in the churl's plight. Every sinful man is a
serf to sin. I advise you, verily, that you, lord, act in such wise with your serfs that they shall rather love you
than fear. I know well that there is degree above degree, and that this is reasonable; and reasonable it is that
men should pay their duty where it is due; but, certainly, extortions and contempt for underlings is damnable.
And furthermore, understand well that conquerors or tyrants often make thralls of those who were born of as
royal blood as those who have conquered. This word of thralldom was unknown until Noah said that his
grandson Canaan should be servant to his brethren for his sin. What say we then of those that plunder and
extort money from Holy Church? Certainly, the sword which men give to a knight when he is dubbed,
signifies that he should defend Holy Church and not rob or pillage it; and whoever does so is a traitor to
Christ. And, as Saint Augustine says: "They are the Devil's wolves that pull down the sheep of Jesus Christ."
And they do worse than wolves. For truly, when the wolf has filled his belly, he ceases to kill sheep. But
truly, the plunderers and destroyers of God's Holy Church do not so, for they never cease to pillage. Now, as I
have said, since it was because sin was the first cause of thralldom, then it stands thus: that all the while all
the world was in sin, it was in thralldom and subjection. But certainly, since the time of grace came, God
ordained that some folk should be higher in rank and state and some folk lower, and that each should be
served according to his rank and his state. And therefore, in some countries, where they buy slaves, when
they have converted them to the faith, they set their slaves free from slavery. And therefore, certainly, the
lord owes to his man that which the man owes to his lord. The pope calls himself servant of the servants of
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God; but in as much as the estate of Holy Church might not have come into being, nor the common
advantage kept, nor any peace and rest established on earth, unless God had ordained that some men should
have higher rank and some lower: therefore was sovereignty ordained to guard and maintain and defend its
underlings or its subjects within reason and so far as lies in its power, and not to destroy or to confound them.
Wherefore, I say that those lords that are like wolves, that devour the wealth or the possessions of poor folk
wrongfully, without mercy or measure, they shall receive, by the same measure that they have used toward
poor folk, the mercy of Jesus Christ, unless they mend their ways. Now comes deceit between merchant and
merchant. And you shall understand that trade is of two kinds; the one is material and the other is spiritual.
The one is decent and lawful and the other is indecent and unlawful. Of this material trade, that which is
decent and lawful is this: that where God has ordained that a kingdom or a country is sufficient unto itself,
then it is decent and lawful that of the abundance of this country men should help another country that is
more needy. And therefore there are permitted to be merchants to bring from the one country to the other
their merchandise. That other trade, which men barter with fraud and treachery and deceit, with lies and with
false oaths, is accursed and damnable. Spiritual trade is properly simony, which is earnest desire to buy
spiritual things, that is to say, things that appertain to the sanctuary of God and to the cure of the soul. This
desire, if it be that man is diligent in accomplishing it, even though his desire have no effect, yet it is a deadly
sin; and if he be ordained he sins against his orders. Simony is named for Simon Magus, who would have
bought, with temporal wealth, the gift that God had given, by the Holy Ghost, to Saint Peter and to the other
apostles. And therefore you should understand that both he that buys and he that sells spiritual things are
called simonists; be it by means of chattels, or by entreaty, or by fleshly asking of his friends- fleshly friends
or spiritual friends. Fleshly friends are of two kinds, as kindred and other friends. Truly, if they ask for one
who is not worthy and able, it is simony if he take the benefice; but if he be worthy and able, it is not. The
other kind is when a man or woman asks folk to advance him or her, only for wicked fleshly affection that
they may have for that person, and that is vile simony. But certainly, in that service for which men give
spiritual things unto their servants, it must be understood that the service is honest; and also that it be done
without bargaining, and that the person be able. For, as Saint Damasus says: "All the sins of the world,
compared to this sin, are as naught." For it is the greatest sin that may be done, after that of Lucifer and
Antichrist. For by this sin God loses the Church and the soul that He bought with His precious blood, because
of those who give churches to those who are not worthy. For they put in thieves, who steal souls from Jesus
Christ and destroy His patrimony. By reason of such unworthy priests and curates have ignorant men the less
reverence for the sacraments of Holy Church; and such givers of churches put out the children of Christ and
put in the Devil's own sons. They sell the souls that they watch over as lambs to the wolf that rends them.
And therefore they shall never have any part in the pasture of lambs, that is, the bliss of Heaven. Now comes
hazardry with its appurtenances, such as backgammon and raffles; whence come deceit, false oaths, chidings,
and hatred for one's neighbours, waste of wealth, mis-spending of time, and sometimes homicide. Certainly,
hazarders cannot be without great sin while they continue to practise their craft. Of avarice come also lying,
theft, false witnessing, and false oaths. And you must understand that these are great sins, expressly against
the commandments of God, as I have said. False witnessing lies in word and also in deed. In word, as by
taking away your neighbour's good name by bearing false witness against him, or by depriving him of his
chattels or his heritage by such false witnessing when you, for anger or reward, bear false witness or accuse
him by your false witnessing, or else when you falsely excuse yourself. Beware, you jurymen and notaries!
Certainly, by false witness, was Susanna in great sorrow and pain, as have been many others. The sin of theft
is also expressly against God's command, and that of two kinds, corporal and spiritual. Corporal, as taking
your neighbour's chattels against his will, be it by force or by fraud, be it by short lineal measure or by short
measure of capacity. By secret swearing, and, of false indictments against him, and by borrowing your
neighbour's goods with intent never to return them, and by similar things. Spiritual theft is sacrilege, that is to
say, injuring of holy things, or of things sacred to Christ, and is of two kinds; by reason of the fact that it is a
holy place, as a church or a churchyard, every vile sin that men do in such places may be called sacrilege, or
every violence done in such places. Also they who withhold what of right belongs to Holy Church are guilty
of sacrilege. And plainly and generally, sacrilege is to steal a holy thing from a holy place, or an unholy thing
from a holy place, or a holy thing from an unholy place.
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REVELACIO CONTRA PECCATUM AVARICIE
Now shall you understand that the relief for avarice is mercy and pity in large doses. And men might ask why
mercy and pity relieve avarice. Certainly, the avaricious man shows no pity nor any mercy to the needy man;
for he delights in keeping his treasure and not in the rescuing or relieving of his fellow Christian. And
therefore will I speak first of mercy. Mercy, as the philosopher says, is a virtue whereby the feelings of a man
are moved by the trouble of him that is in trouble. Upon which mercy follows pity and performs charitable
works of mercy. And certainly, these things impel a man to the mercy of Jesus Christ- that He gave Himself
for our sins, and suffered death for the sake of mercy, and forgave us our original sins; and thereby released
us from the pains of Hell and lessened the pains of Purgatory by means of penitence, and gives us grace to do
good, and, at the last, gives us the bliss of Heaven. The kinds of mercy are: to lend, and to give, and to
forgive, and to set free, and to have pity in heart and compassion on the tribulations of one's fellow Christian,
and also, to chasten, as need may be. Another kind of remedy for avarice is reasonable largess; and truly, here
it behooves one to give consideration to the grace of Jesus Christ, and to one's temporal wealth, and also to
the perdurable wealth that Christ gave to us; and to remember the death that he shall receive, he knows not
when, where, or how, and also that he must forgo all, that he has, save only that which he has invested in

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