The.v. chapiter

Because pylgrimagꝭ be amōg other ꝓuys testyfyed by myracles / ye messēger doth make obieccyō agaīst those myracles / partely lest they be faynyd & vntrew / partly lest they be done by ye deuill if they be dōe at all

THā sayd your frēd / well I ꝑseue thē y• force & effect of all ye ꝓfe stādyth all in myracles / whych I wyll agree to be a strōg ꝓfe yf I saw thē dō and wer sure y• god or good sayntꝭ did them / But fyrst syth ye mē may & happely do of myracles make many a lye / we must not proue thys matter by the myracles / but yf we furste proue yt the myracles were trew. And ouer thys yf they were doon in ded / yet sith ye āgell of darknes may trāsforme & trāsfigure hym self / in to an āgell of lyght / howe shall we know whether ye myracle were don by god to thēcrease of crystē deuocyō / or dō by ye craft of ye deuyl to thaduaūcemēt of mysbyleue & idolatrye / in settyng mēnys hartys vppon stokkys & stones in stede of sayntys / or vppon sayntys them self that are but creatures in stede of god hym self.

I answered hym that the force off my tale was not the myracles / but ye thyng yt I hold stronger thē any myracles / whych as I sayed in ye begynyng I rekē so sure & fast & therwt so playne & euydēt vnto euery crystē mā / yt it nedeth no other profe / and ye thyng is as I layed afore ye fayth of chrystꝭ chyrch by ye comē cōsent wherof these maters be decyded & well knowē yt ye worshyp of sayntys & imagys been allowed apꝓbate & accustumed for good chrysten & merytoryous vertues. and ye cōtrary opynyon not only reproued by many holy doctours / but also cōdēpned for heresyes by sundry generall coūsayls. And thys in ye begynyng I told you q I was & shuld be ye force & strēgh of my tale / Albe yt of trouthe I sayed vnto you besyde / yt me thoght yt ye myracles wrought by god were suffycyēt profe & auctoryte therefore all though there were none other. whych thyng syth ye seme to inpugne / I shall as I cā make you āswer therunto. Nay syr sayꝭ he I pray you take me not soo as though yt I dyd impugne it but as I shewd ye beefore / I rehersyd you what I haue hard som other saye. In good tyme q I. Thā becaus they be not here I prey you defēd & bere out theyr ꝑte wt all yt ye haue hard thē saye / And sett therto also all yt euer your own mynd geueth you yt they may more heraftyr saye lest you retorn not fully furnishid for your purpose.