Then, this devil being such one as can never be unlike himself; lo, of
Envy, his well-beloved Leman, he begat the World, and after left it with
Discord at nurse; which World, after that it came to man's state, had of
many concubines many sons. He was so fecund a father, and had gotten so
many children of Lady Pride, Dame Gluttony, Mistress Avarice, Lady
Lechery, and of Dame Subtlety, that now hard and scant ye may find any
corner, any kind of life, where many of his children be not. In court,
in cowls, in cloisters, in rochets, be they never so white; yea, where
shall ye not find them? Howbeit, they that be secular and laymen, are
not by and by children of the world; nor they children of light, that are
called spiritual, and of the clergy. No, no; as ye may find among the
laity many children of light, so among the clergy, (how much soever we
arrogate these holy titles unto us, and think them only attributed to us,
_Vos estis lux mundi, peculium Christi, &c_. "Ye are the light of the
world, the chosen people of Christ, a kingly priesthood, an holy nation,
and such other,") ye shall find many children of the world; because in
all places the world getteth many children. Among the lay people the
world ceaseth not to bring to pass, that as they be called wordly, so
they are wordly indeed; driven headlong by worldly desires: insomuch that
they may right well seem to have taken as well the manners as the name of
their father. In the clergy, the world also hath learned a way to make
of men spiritual, worldlings; yea, and there also to form worldly
children, where with great pretence of holiness, and crafty colour of
religion, they utterly desire to hide and cloak the name of the world, as
though they were ashamed of their father; which do execrate and detest
the world (being nevertheless their father) in words and outward signs,
but in heart and work they coll and kiss him, and in all their lives
declare themselves to be his babes; insomuch that in all worldly points
they far pass and surmount those that they call seculars, laymen, men of
the world. The child so diligently followeth the steps of his father, is