The fourth behest is this: ‘Honour thy father and thy mother, for thou shalt live the longer on the earth.’ This behest admonishes us that we beware that we anger not father nor mother wittingly. And whoso despises his father and his mother wittingly, or slanders them, or angers with evil, sins deadly, and breaks this behest.
In this same behest is understood the honour that we shall bear to our spiritual fathers, that is, to them that have the care of teaching us and of chastising us, such as are the rulers of holy Church, and those that have the care of our souls and of our bodies. And whoso will not bow to them that have the care of him, when they teach the good that one is bound to do, sins deadly; and the disobedience may be such that it is deadly sin.
THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.
The fifth behest is this: ‘Thou shalt slay no man.’ This behest forbids that one shall slay another for revenge, or for his goods, or for other wicked reason, for that is deadly sin. Nevertheless to slay evildoers, in order to do and keep right, and for other good reason, (it) is good right by the law to him that shall do it and is bound thereto.
In this behest is forbidden sin of hate, and of wrath, and of great ire. For, as saith the Scripture, he that hateth his brother, he is a man-slayer as to his will, and sins deadly; and he (also) that bears long wrath against others; for such wrath, long held and befolded in the heart, is in wrath and in hate, which is deadly sin and against this behest. And yet sins he more that does or purchases shame or harm to others wrongfully, or is in counsel and in help to cause others to be harmed in order to avenge himself. Nevertheless wrath or contempt, that goes lightly without great will and willingness to harm others, is not deadly sin.
THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT.
The sixth behest is this: ‘Thou shalt do no whoredom;’ that is to say, thou shalt not desire carnal fellowship with other men’s wives.
In this behest is forbidden us all sin of the flesh, that one calls generally lechery. That is one of the seven deadly sins, though there are some branches that are not deadly sin, as are many motions of the flesh, all of which one cannot flee. And those one shall bring to naught and withdraw from as much as one can, not nourish nor pursue them, either by too much meat or drink, or by evil thoughts too long holden, or by evil handlings. For in such things one may have harm of soul. In this behest is forbidden all sins against nature, in whatever manner they are done, either in his own body or in others.
THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.
The seventh behest is this: ‘Thou shalt do no theft.’ This behest forbids us to take and withhold other men’s thing, whatever it be, from wicked cause, against the will of him that owns it.