(1) SOME there be, that although they be not deceived with this error as it is set here, yet for pride and curiosity of natural wit and letterly cunning leave the common doctrine and the counsel of Holy Church. And these with all their favourers lean over much to their own knowing: and for they were never grounded in meek blind feeling and virtuous living, therefore they merit to have a false feeling, feigned and wrought by the ghostly enemy. Insomuch, that at the last they burst up and blaspheme all the saints, sacraments, statutes, and ordinances of Holy Church. Fleshly living men of the world, the which think the statutes of Holy Church over hard to be amended by, they lean to these heretics full soon and full lightly, and stalwartly maintain them, and all because them think that they lead them a softer way than is ordained of Holy Church.

(5) But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

(12) He spake that saying openly. Then Peter began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

(23) But seeing thou knowest it, and dost it not, and the others know it not, but yet do it, they, with their doing, judge thy knowledge; and thou art found to be a hypocrite, a dissembler, and an unprofitable servant, who wert put into the vineyard of the Lord, and wilt not work therein.

(5) Then saith the high priest, Now ye have heard his blasphemy: what need ye any further witnesses? What think ye?

(4) (And I beseech for Thine instruction), I who will abjure all disobedience (toward Thee, praying that others likewise may withhold it) from Thee; I who abjure the Evil Mind as well, the lordly kinsman's arrogance , and that lying sin which is (alas!) the next thing to the people (their most familiar fault), and the blaming ally's falsehood, and from the Kine the worst care of her meadows (the crime of stint in labour ),

(31) But he who is able to renounce them shows that he is from the generation of the Son of Man, (and) has power to accuse them. [...] he restrains [...] part(s) in a [...] in wickedness, and he makes the outer like the inner. He resembles an angel which ... ... (1 line unrecoverable) ... power [...] said them. But the one ... ... (5 lines unrecoverable) And having withdrawn [...], he became silent, having ceased from loquacity and disputations. But he who has found the life-giving word, and he who has come to know the Father of Truth, has come to rest; he has ceased seeking, having found. And when he found, he became silent. But few are the things he used to say to those that [...] with their intellectual mind the [...].

(10) But seeing I have such an impulse upon me, I let him act and move in me, he who knoweth and understands what it is, and whose pleasure it is that I should do it; I, poor man of earth, dust and ashes, could not do it. But the spirit inviteth and citeth all such mockers and despisers [to come] before the innermost birth or geniture of God in this world, [and] to desist from their wickedness and malice: If not, then they shall be spewed out as hellish chaff into the outermost birth or geniture in the wrath of God. Now observe:

(11) After a little while another saw Peter, and said, Thou art also of them, for thou art a Galilean: thy speech agreeth thereto: thy speech betrayeth thee.

(101) Woe to you, ye sinners, on account of the words of your mouth, And on account of the deeds of your hands which your godlessness as wrought, In blazing flames burning worse than fire shall ye burn.

(1) For it was ludicrous. It is I who bear witness that it was ludicrous, since the rulers do not know that this is an ineffable union of undefiled truth, as exists among the children of light, of which they made an imitation, having proclaimed a doctrine of a dead man and lies so as to resemble the freedom and purity of the perfect assembly, and having joined themselves in their doctrine to fear and slavery, worldly cares, and abandoned worship, being small and ignorant, since they do not contain the nobility of the truth. For they hate the one in whom they are and love the one in whom they are not. For they did not know the knowledge of the greatness that it is from above and from a fountain of truth and not from slavery and jealousy, fear, and love of worldly matter. For that which is not theirs and that which is theirs they use fearlessly and freely. They do not desire because they have authority, and they have a law from themselves over whatever they will wish.

(2) Many unordained and unseemly practices follow on this error, whoso might perceive all. Nevertheless some there be that be so curious that they can refrain them in great part when they come before men. But might these men be seen in place where they be homely, then I trow they should not be hid. And nevertheless yet I trow that whoso would straitly gainsay their opinion, that they should soon see them burst out in some point; and yet them think that all that ever they do, it is for the love of God and for to maintain the truth. Now truly I hope that unless God shew His merciful miracle to make them soon leave off, they shall love God so long on this manner, that they shall go staring mad to the devil. I say not that the devil hath so perfect a servant in this life, that is deceived and infect with all these fantasies that I set here: and nevertheless yet it may be that one, yea, and many one, be infect with them all. But I say that he hath no perfect hypocrite nor heretic in earth that he is not guilty in some that I have said, or peradventure shall say if God vouchsafeth.

(6) ¶But woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

(25) ¶Then answered one of the lawyers, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. Jesus said,

(97) If not, then shall this spirit also be condemned to the eternal prison; and they should give over their lying and blaspheming of God; or else they are worse than the wild Heathen or Pagans, who know nothing of God, who notwithstanding live in God, and shall sooner possess the kingdom of heaven than many of these blasphemers of God shall, which I shall also demonstrate in its proper place.

(37) What does thy Knowledge avail thee, thou Opposer of Christ, that thou knowest how to speak of the Kingdom of Or stir up. Heaven, of the Suffering and Death of Christ, and of the New- Birth in Christ, when thou art without it, sticking merely in the History? Shall not thy Knowledge be a Witness against thee, which shall judge thee? or wilt thou say, Thou art not the Antichrist of Babel? Surely thou art the Hypocrite, and thou fattenest thy evil Beast yet more and more, and thou art the Devourer in the Revelation of John. Thou dwellest not only at Rome, but thou hast possessed the Breadth of the Earth. I have seen thee in the Spirit, and therefore it is that I write of thee, thou Wonder of the World, of Heaven, and of Hell.

(2) And therefore, an I might get a waking and a busy beholding to this ghostly work within in my soul, I would then have a heedlessness in eating and in drinking, in sleeping and in speaking, and in all mine outward doings. For surely I trow I should rather come to discretion in them by such a heedlessness, than by any busy beholding to the same things, as I would by that beholding set a mark and a measure by them. Truly I should never bring it so about, for ought that I could do or say. Say what men say will, and let the proof witness. And therefore lift up thine heart with a blind stirring of love; and mean now sin, and now God. God wouldest thou have, and sin wouldest thou lack. God wanteth thee; and sin art thou sure of. Now good God help thee, for now hast thou need!

(100) Woe to them who pervert the words of uprightness, And transgress the eternal law, And transform themselves into what they were not [into sinners]: They shall be trodden under foot upon the earth.

(2) Another device there is: prove thou if thou wilt. When thou feelest that thou mayest on nowise put them down, cower thou down under them as a caitiff and a coward overcome in battle, and think that it is but a folly to thee to strive any longer with them, and therefore thou yieldest thee to God in the hands of thine enemies. And feel then thyself as thou wert foredone for ever. Take good heed of this device I pray thee, for me think in the proof of this device thou shouldest melt all to water. And surely me think an this device be truly conceived it is nought else but a true knowing and a feeling of thyself as thou art, a wretch and a filthy, far worse than nought: the which knowing and feeling is meekness. And this meekness obtaineth to have God Himself mightily descending, to venge thee of thine enemies, for to take thee up, and cherishingly dry thine ghostly eyen; as the father doth the child that is in point to perish under the mouths of wild swine or wode biting bears.

(39) But hast thou been a base Slanderer, Liar, Deceiver, false murderous Man, then such a Spirit proceeds from thee, and that desires in the Eternity nothing else but mere Falshood; it spits out from its fiery Jaws, fiery Darts full of Abomination and Reproach; it is a continual Stirrer and Breaker in the fierce Sternness, devouring in itself, and consuming nothing; all its [Things, Beings, Essences, Works, or] Substances appear in its Tincture; its Image is figured according as its Mind has been here.