A potacio[n] or dry[n]king for this holy time of le[n]t very co[m]fortable for all…A potacio[n] or dri[n]kynge for this holi time of le[n]t very co[m]fortable for all…

PHIL. I am very glad. But this must ye note in your Penance, that it ought rather to be done for the love of virtue, than for the hate & detestation of vice, as the Psalmographe saith, thou haste loved righteousness, & hated unrighteousness. ¹Here ye see that the love of righteousness goeth before the hatred of unrighteousness. The scrip ture saith of Mary Magdalene, ²many since are forgiven her, because ⟨image 17⟩she loved much. The love that she had to chastity and pureness of life made her to abhor & utterly despise all uncleanness, which before she had used. Therefore was the great mull titude of her since remitted & forgiven her. A christen mans heart ought so to be inflamed with the love of virtue, that even for the only love of that he should utterly detest & abhor all vice & naughtiness, as the Poet saith.³ Oderunt peccare boni, uirtutis a more Oderunt peccare mali, formidine pen•. That is to say, they that are good, hate sin for the love that they have to virtue. But they that are evil, hate sin for fear of pain. And S. Austen saith: Every man hateth ⁴sin so much, as he loveth righteousness. Again: He is an enemy of righteousness, which sin the not for fear of pain. But he shall be a friend, if he sinneth not for the love ⟨image 17⟩of it. Hereto pertaineth the saying of S. Ambrose, it is no true Penance ⁵saith he, except fear doth succeed & come after love. And not of fear, but of the love of righteousness beginneth the Penance, & of the intention & ferventness of love, doth the more fervent hate of sin follow.

PHIL. I am very glad. But this must ye note in youre Penaunce, that it oughte rather to be done for the loue of vertue, than for the hate & detestacion of vyce, as the Psalmographe sayth, thou haste loued ryghteousnes, & hated vnryghteousnes.