¶ Here after ensueth two fruitful Sermons, made & compiled by the right Reverend father in god John fisher▪ Doctor of divinity and bishop of Rochester.    

¶ Here beginneth the first Sermon.  ¶ Nisi abundaverit justitia vestra plusquam Sribarum et Phariseorum non intrabitis in regnum celorum. Mathee. 5. 
THese words be written in the Gospel of Matthew, spoken by our saviour Chryst. which be thus much to say in english. whiles your rightwise life be more abundant than was the living of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  
¶ what the lives & justice of the pharisees was, & what our justice that be christian men aught to be, I intend to speak of at some other leisure. Now for this day, because it is the feest of all Saints, it is convenient somewhat to speak of the sovereign Joys and pleasures which be above in the kingdom of heaven/ where these blessed Saints be present now with our saviour Chryst. And for asmuch also as many blessed souls which are ordained to come thither into the same kingdom, be let and tarried by the way in the grievous pains of Purgatory (of whom the church as to morrow maketh special remembrance: we shall also by the grace of god somewhat speak of the grievous pains which be there. ¶ thirdly as concerning our own souls, which as yet be abiding in this world: we may by the remembrance of both those two places, somewhat quicken and stir them so to live here, that after our departure hence we be nat arrested by the way, and so cast into the prison of Purgatory, but straight to be received into that most glorious place and kingdom of heaven, wthouten any great delays.  
¶ These three things by the leave and grace of almighty god I intend to speak of by order/ but first of all we shall call for grace and say a Pater noster.  

NIsi abundaverit justitia vestra plusquam scribarum et Phariseorum non intrabitis in regnum celorum. Mathei. 5. ¶ first than we shall endeavour ourself somewhat to speak of the marvelous Joy & pleasure which now the blessed saints have above in the kingdom of heaven/ which is so great that no tongue can tell or express, nor heart can think the same. That Joy, that pleasure, that comfort, passeth all other/ nat only such as can be spoken of man, but also such as any man can think or devise in his heart of this matter. Oculus non vidit, nec auris audivit, neque in cor hominis ascend it, que preparavit deus diligentibus se. Neither the eye of man hath seen the like, nor the ere of man hath herd the like, nor the heart hath thought the like. ¶ Duriyen hath seen many pleasures, many gay sights, many wonderful things that hath appeared & seemed unto us Joyous & comfortable. But yet all these were but countrefeytes of the true Joys/ all these were but dull and dark images of the perfit comfort which the blessed saints have now above in the kingdom of heaven. I doubt nat but you have herd of many goodly sights which were showed of late beyond the see, with moche Joy and pleasure worldly. was it nat a great thing within so short a space, to see three great Princes of this world? I mean the Emperor, and the king our master, and the French king. And each of these three in so great honour, she wing their ryalty, she wing their richesse, she wing their power/ with each of their noblesse appointed and appareled in rich clotheses, in silks, velvets, clotheses of gold, & such other precious araymentes. To see three right excellent Queens at one's together, and of three great realms. That one, the noble Queen our mistress, the very exemplar of virtue and nobleness to all women. And the French Queen. And the third Queen Mary, sometime wife unto Louis French king, sister to our sovereign lord, a right excellent and fair Lady. And every of them accompanied with so many other fair ladies in sumptuous & gorgeous apparel/ such dancings, such armonyes, such dalliance, and so many pleasant pastimes, so curious houses and buildings, so precyously appareled, such costly welfare of dinners, souppers, and banketties, so delicate wines, so precious meats, such and so many noble men of arms, so rich and goodly tents, such Justynges, such tourneys, and such feats of war. These assuredly were wonderful sights as for this world/ and as moche as hath been red of in many years done, or in any chronicles or histories here tofore written, and as great as men's wits and studies could devise and imagine for that season. Nevertheless, these great sights have a far difference from the Joys of heaven/ and that in five points.   

first, the Joys and pleasures of this life, be they never so great, yet they have a weariness and a fastydyousenes with them adjoined, whereby men at length of time be weary of them, as thus. There is no meat nor drink so delicate, so pleasant, so delectable, but if a man or a woman be long accustomed therewith, he shall have at the length a loathsomeness thereof. Take the most delicate and pleasant fish or flesh that thine heart standeth unto, and use it customably & none other, and thou shalt be full soon weary thereof. And in like manner it was of those goodly sights which were had and done beyond the see. I say nat the contrary but they were very pleasant sights. But yet doubtless many were full weary of them at length, and had a loathsomeness and a fastydyousnes of them, and some of them had moche liefer have been at home. And verily in such a condition are and shall be the pleasures of this world. For the which king Solomon the which past all other kings of israhel that reigned before him/ giving his heart and study to follow all manner of pleasure, finally said that all pleasure, all mirth, and all Joy worldly, was but only Vanitas, labour, et afflictio spiritus. That is to say, vanity, weariness, and displeasure. And such a king that had tasted so many pleasures, and of the most exquisite, and had such a great wisdom to deserve them did thus say: we may well be assured that there is no pleasure of this world so perfit, but that finally it hath a weariness, a fastydyousnes, and a very displeasure adjoined thereunto.  
¶ But contrary wise it is of the Joys of heaven/ for they be pure, clean, and perfit withouten any admixture of displeasure or weariness. The Joys of heaven never shall make one weary. They have in them no loathsomeness, no fastydyousnes, ne no weariness, at all/ but ever they be lusty, ever new and new, ever alike fresh, and never doth wydder. For the which saint Peter calleth it (Immarcessibilem) The pleasure of heaven wydderyth nat nor corrupteth not for any long tyme. And therefore the Prophet david speaking of the Joys of that kingdom, saith (Melior est dies una in atriis tuis super milia). Better is one day within thine entress, than many thousands else where. This is than one great difference of the Joys of heaven fro the Joys of this world.   

THe second difference is this. The joys of this world have adjoined with them many dredes. ¶ we be certain that once we must forego these pleasures here, we know it well, and therefore we can nat but always dread to forego and lose them. And the more dear they be unto us, & the deplyer we set our hearts upon them, the more we shall dread to forego them. ¶ A little sickness, a little trouble, a nigh likelihood of death, dysapoynteth all these pleasures. we must needs therefore dread and fere sickness, fear trouble, and fear the sudden coming of death, and fear every thing that may let or break our pleasures. And verily of such pleasures ariseth their own destruction at the end/ the which did right well appear in the pleasant sights whereof I spoke before. For by the reason of them, great money was spent, many great men's coffers were emptied/ & many were brought to a great ebb & poverty. This ebb caused a greater flow of covetise afterward in many men's hearts. Sumof them were the sicker & the weaker in their bodies, & divers took their death thereby. Sum by reason of their sumptuous apparelment, learned so great pride, that hitherto they could nat shift it fro them. Never was seen in England such excess of apparelment before, as hath been used ever sins. And thereof also must needs arise moche heart brenning and secret envy amongst many for the apparel. They which had the least, did envy the other which had richer apparel than they had or might reach unto. Thus, many for these pleasures were the worse, both in their bodies & in their souls. ¶ But the pleasures of heaven be after another manner. No man is enpayred by them. There is no dread of poverty/ there is no greediness of covetise/ there is no weakness of any manner of sickness, nor fear of any manner of death. There is no pride nor envy, nor desire of honour/ but charity, concord, peace, tranquillity, and perfit rest/ and every person Joyeth as well of his neighbours furtherance as of his own/ as glad of his neighbours wealth as of his own. ¶ O, what Joyful place is this? O, how comfortable it were to devil in this kingdom?. For these be the things which we all desire/ we fly poverty, and we would have richesse/ and there is plenty. Gloria et divitie in domo eius. we fly sickness and death, and would have continuance of health. Here we get it nat/ there we may have it. Mors ultra non erit. After that we be entered thither, we shall no more feel death, nor any cause or occasion thereof/ we fly trouble and business, and would have rest/ which can nat be got nor had here. There we may be sure to have it/ and therefore it is called (Eterna reqies) everlasting rest. And saint Paul saith (Festinemus ingredi in requiem illam). Let us make speed to enter into that rest/ for as it is written in the apocalypsis (Neque luctus, neque clamour, neque dolour erit ultra). There shall never be mourning, or complaining of any manner of sorrow. For these causes the Joys of heaven incomperably passeth all the Joys that can be devised in this wretched world, or conceived by mortal men's wits.   

THe third difference is, that the pleasures whereof I spoke, had many interruptions. For that little while that we were there, sometime there was such dust, and therewithal so great winds, that all the air was full of dust. The gowns of velvet, and cloth of gold were full of dust/ the rich trappers of horses were full of dust/ hats, caps, gowns, were full of dust/ the here and faces of men were full of dust/ & briefly to speak, horse & man were so encumbered with dust, that scantly one might see another. The winds blue down many tents/ shaked sore the houses that were builded for pleasure, and let divers of them to be builded. Sometime again we had rains and thunders so unmeasurably that no man might stir forth to to see no pleasures. Sometime when men would longer have disparaged them at the Justes, came the night & darkness upon them, & interrupted their pleasure. ¶ In heaven is no such interruptions. There is no dust nor droughtes/ there is no reins nor no wetes/ there is no blasts nor storms of winds/ there is no thunder ne tempests. There is no night nor darkness, but a continual day, a continual temperance, a clear air without mists and clouds. wherefore the Joys of that place be never interrupted, abated, nor minished in any point.   

THe fourth, the pleasures aforesaid were soon done/ they did nat abide/ where be all though pleasures now? they were but shadows, & like shadows they be passed, like shadows they be slided away, like shadows they be now vanished away from us. You see sometime a cloud that is aloft in the air between the son & the ground, make a shadow vpōye ground & tarrieth nat but slideth away, & even so slideth away the pleasures of this life. But the pleasures of heaven continually abide. They pass nat, they slide not, they vanyssh nat away, they never less, but rather increase/ they never enpayre ne die, but wax better and fresher. Therefore the Prophet david said (Cuncupiscit et deficit anima mea in atria dni). My soul coveteth & faiteth for desire to be within the house of my Lord/. that is to say, within the kingdom of heaven.   

THe fift & last difference is, that all the glorious sights worldly that can be devised of men, be but countrefeytes in comparison of the Joys above in heaven. All the glory which is showed i this world & of worldly princes, be borrowed of other creatures/ it is nat their own natural glory. first the clot that they were. it cometh only of the poor sheep's backs. The fine & costly furs, from other unreasonable beestes. The silks wherewith they cover their bodies, were taken of the entrails of worms. The fresh colours both of cloth and silk, be made by the craft of dying, and by the mixture of divers things taken of right vile creatures. The gold which by craft is turned into their garments/ what is it else but earth?. The precious stones likewise, be gathered, some out of beestes, some out of fishes, some out of the see, some out of the earth. In these things stand all the glorious sight of man/ and this is nat his own natural glory which he hath by nature/ yet for sin, remains in us the wound of shame, that we dare nat show our own natural glory, but cover it with a borrowed glory, taken and begged of other creatures/ which is nat natural unto us, but may be laid aside & removed when so ever we list. And when this apparel is removed fro us, where is than our glory? Take away the glistering garmentis, take away the clot of gold, take away the precious stones, & the other richesse of apparel, & what difference is betwixt an Emperor and another poor man? Take from the ladies their gay clotheses, chains, and other Juels/ & what difference of them as concerning this outward glory, & of a poor woman?. The Acts of the apostles telleth of King Herode, that he in rich apparel showed himself upon a time unto the people/ & they for his glistering apparel & goodly ornation, magnified & praised him sovereignly, as though he had been a god/ but because he referred nat that honour due unto god, but took it unto himself, almighty god forthwith struck him with a sore sickness, whereupon he died/ and so dying, he said (En ego deus vester morior). Loo said he, I your god must die. ¶ Kings & Emperors, all be but men, all be but mortal. All the gold & all the precious stones of this world, can nat make them but mortal men. All the rich apparel that can be devised, can nat take from them the condition of mortalyty. They be in themself but earth & ashes, & to earth they must return/ & all their glory well considered & beholden with ryghtiyens, is but very miserable. ¶ But the glorious apparel of the blessed angels and of the blessed saints, is nat after this manner/ for their glory is so annexed & so adjoined unto them, & it is so fastened unto their substance, that it can not be taken away/ they neverley it apart/ they never put it of/ nor they need nat/ for it never fadeth nor widereth/ nor may in no wise enpayre. It is the garment of glorious immortality, more bright than the son. In the which also shall be clad all the bodies of them that shall be saved. O what marvelous Joy shall it be to see that glorious sight of that court, where the least groom is clad so richly above all the Kings and Princes of this world/ & than to see so great a multitude of them, to see so many orders of angels, and in every order such innumerable companies/ nat a seven or eight thousands, but many hundred thousands, you many thousands thousands. And than to see so many divers orders of other blessed saints, Patryarkes, Prophets, apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, virgins, widows, and such as have truly kept their bond of matrimony. To see there our special friends and acquaintance which we had here before in this life/ to see the other saints which we did choose for our advowrers and patrons here in earth, and whom specially we did worship in this world. To see our own good angels that were our guyders in this life. specially to see the glorious virgin Mary, the mother of christ, and the Queen of that most glorious kingdom. But above all other things to see that glory, that worthiness, that excellency of that glorious Trynytyte, the Father, the Son, and the holy ghost. ¶ The father, which is the father of all mercies, and his most blessed son our saviour christ Jesus, and the holy spirit, which is the fountain of all graces.  
¶ These three, though they be three divers people, yet they be but one god perfitly knit to guider in a perfit amity, in one love, in one will, in one wisdom, in one power inseparably. ¶ Thomas three Princes of whom we spoke of before, were nat so/ but they had divers wills, divers counsels, & no perdurable amity, as after that did well appear. These Princes were mortal and mutable, and so their wills did change & nat abide. But in the glorious Trynyty▪ among though three most excellent people hath been, is, & ever shallbe, a very stabylnes, a sure concord, & perfit/ & their realm & governance ever perdurable. wherefore in their kingdom be the glorious sights that make a man blessed to behold them. And all the other sights worldly, be but as countrefeyt images in comparison of these, as you would say mydsomer games, christmas games & plays. In these sights is the very true joy, the most blessed & excellent glory that never shall have end. ¶ Thus moche than we have spoken as concerning the kingdom of heaven/ whereby you may conceive some little glymyring of the joys & pleasures that the blessed saints being delivered from the miseries of this world, be now most plentyously refreshed with.   

SEcondly, I said that I would also speak of the other blessed souls which likewise be departed out of this miserable world/ but they for their dettes lie now detained in the prison of Purgatory, & let, as it were to come unto the presence of the glorious trinity, and to be made partners of the Joys and pleasures inestimable of that most noble kingdom. And therefore our mother holy church as this night and tomorrow, remembering their grievous pains maketh special intercession unto almighty god for their deliverance out of that painful place. And truly many considerations should move us effectually to remember them/ but in especial five.   

first, the nighness which they have to us & we to them by manifold bondꝭ/ we have all one father, almighty god, the which made us & them after the likeness and image of himself. They be his reasonable creatures and children as we be, and our spiritual brethren in him. He hath provision and cure of them, like as he hath of us/ for them our saviour christ Jesus shed his most precious blood upon the cross, like as he did for us. They be of the same faith, hope, and charity, that we be of. They have been made partners of the same sacraments. Wherefore when there is so great a likeness between us and them, and in so many qualities, this should move & stir us greatly to have some tender compassion upon them. ¶ we may see the unreasonable creatures how soon they be moved to have ruth, pity, & compassion of their resemblance, of such as be like unto them in nature only. The hog, which is but a very churlysshe be'st, yet when one of their kind crieth, all the residue nigh there about, gather to the relief of the same. when one Sparrow or other bird is taken in a gylder or with a lime twygge/ all the other near about gadereth about her to save & succour her life. And if this the unreasonable beestes & fowls do, for the likeness only of nature and kind: how moche rather should we (being reasonable creatures) be moved to have pity, & stirred to take compassion of the blessed souls/ which nat only be like us in nature, but also by so many spyrytualll bonds be Joined unto us. This is the first consideration.   

THe second consideration, & that which peradventure you will the more regard, is this. Every one of us hath some of his friends and kinsfolk there/ either father or mother/ sister or brother, nephew or niece, or some of his nigh acquaintance. There is none here, but he hath there sum of his kindred, or some of his alliance, or some of his friends to whom he had in this world here tofore some favour and petition. And when is this petition most to be showed, but when his friend is in great distress? for than hath he most need of his help/ & specially when he is in that condition that he can not help himself. Now doubtless they be so, as I shall show unto you hereafter. Now therefore if our petition be a true friendship and not feigned nor simulate (as god knoweth moche sembled friendship reigneth now in this world) now let us do like friends, now let us study to relieve them by our prayers and almose deeds/ now let us be loving unto them as we pretentyd love before unto them whiles they were conversant with us in this world here. For as scripture saith. Omni tempore diligit qui amicus est. Nat only for the time of prosperity (as many do now adays) but also for the time of adversity. They that only for the time of prosperity show their petition, they be like unto the swallows/ which all the time of Summer abide with men/ but as soon as any blast of winter or of cold weather doth appear, they shrink away and prately convey them self, and leave the other to suffer the storms. In like manner doth this feigned friendship/ so long as any man hath prosperity and possession of goods, honours, & pleasures in this life, so long they be his friend. But when the storms of adversity begin to blow, they shrink & convey themself away quickly. ¶ For as moche than as unto many of them that be now in Purgatory, we did pretend favour and amity, either by the reason of kindred, or of alliance, or else by some other familiar acquaintance of the same: let us now be glad in this time of their sufferance & trouble, to succour them with our prayers. And this is the second consideration.   

THe third consideration is their necessity. They be now in that condition that they can nat help themself. They be the prisoners of almighty god, and lie there in prison for their dettes. Great is the pains that they there endure. ¶ first they have no pleasures of this life for to comfort them withal, nor any resort of such as were their friends here. It is a great refreshing when a man or a woman is in sickness or trouble or any pain, that may have some refreshing though it be but right little/ and that their friends will visit them and offer some kindness unto them. But they want both these two confortes/ for no friend of theirs in this world can resort unto them for their comfort/ nor yet any worldly refreshing can be ministered unto them.  
¶ Furthermore they be deferred from the pleasures of that other world/ they be delayed from the Joys of heaven and fro the glorious company and from the blessed sight of their father. And so long they shall be delayed and kept therefro, till time they have paid the uttermost ferthing of their debts. Donec reddideris novissimum quadrantem. O, this is no little pain to them that be in the state of grace, and know that they shall come unto the kingdom of heaven, & have such a longing desire to be there, and is thus delayed for lack of help. Spes que differtur animam. Hope, when it is delayed it tourmentyth a soul/ and specially this hope of so great a matter and so certainly believed. Beside this, the sensible pains that they feel, is grievous. Saint Austyn saith in a sermon. Ille purgatorius ignis durior erit, quam quicquid potest in hoc seculum penarum videri, sentiri, aut cogitari. That is to say, the fire of Purgatory is more grievous than any manner of pain that can be seen in this world, or felt, or yet thought. O, we see many pains in this world, and we feel many/ and yet our thought may devise many moo. It is a great pain of the headache/ it is a great pain of the tooth ache/ it is a great pain of the gout. It is a great and dolorous pain of the stone, colic, and strangury/ who may know or think his friend to be in any of these pains and be nat sorry for them, nor take any compassion upon him, or have will to relieve and help him if he might so do.  
¶ when than the pains of Purgatory be many times much more grievous than any of these that I have rehearsed, or that ever were felt or thought in this world here tofore: we should the rather in this their great necessity be ready for to help them after our power. For doubt less the pains of that place (as saint Austyn saith) be so great, that one day there, seemeth to be a thousand years for pain. And as many Doctors hold opinion, the pains of Purgatory have no diversity in grievousness (save only they be nat everlasting and perpetual) but as the pains of Hell be.   

THe fourth consideration is, that they cry unto us for help/ they cry pytyously, they cry lamentably, they cry miserably, Miseremini mei miseremini mei saltem vos amici mei. Each of them sayeth unto us, friends have pity upon me, have pity upon me. O merciful lord, if our ears might here that sorrowful, piteous, and lamentable cry of so many people enduring so grievous pains, It would move us to pity if any pity were lodged in our breasts. But though we here it not, we must nevertheless think that troth it is that the holy doctors have assured us of by their holy doctrines. There the fathers that have sore laboured & sweat for their good which they left unto their children, cry now for help upon them. There the husbands that hath left unto their wines their substance, and put them in trust to do for them, now cry upon them for succour. There the wives which in this life did bear true love and faith unto their husbands, now cry upon them for relief. There every person as they loved & showed petition and kindness in this world, now look for kindness and petition again, and crieth unto their friends for comfort, and saith (Miseremini mei miseremini mei saltem vos amici mei). O if the children being alive might here their father's cry in though grievous pains, and the fathers the children in likewise/ & the husbands being alive might here their wives/ and the wives again their husbands/ and so every friend that now is living might hear his friends complaint in though fell and bitter pains: I suppose his heart would somewhat earn, or else he should be very hard & cruel both, if he would nat thereby be moved to some pity. For as I said, the pains there be wonderful great/ and the blessed souls lie there only for the paying of their dettes/ wherein we might ease them either with procuring of masses to be said for them, or prayers of devout people/ or fastings/ & wilful pains suffering of our own bodies/ or doing of almose and chartable deeds. Of the which because I have spoken unto you in other years past, I shall nat need now to rehearse the same again.   

THe fift consideration is, for that our own profit and our own wealth hangeth thereby. ¶ who that will have mercy of god must show mercy first into other, if thou wilt that almighty god shall have pity on thee/ begin thou & have pity of other which have need and be in that necessity/ & than almighty god will have pity upon the. Our saviour christ saith in the Gospel. Eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis remecietur vobis. In like measure as you have pitied other, so shall pity be measured unto you. Show your charity upon these prisoners of god/ take some pity and compassion upon them/ study to relieve them in their necessity by your prayers or other good works/ and than almighty god shall have pity of you again/ and else it shall be said unto every of us that will have no pity, that that is written in a parable. Serve neque nun oportuit te misereri conserui tui, sicut et ego tui misertus sum.   

Secondly thou shalt be rewarded of these blessed souls for whom thou prayest. For when they shall be delivered out of that painful prison & set above in the kingdom of heaven, they shall there again be as mindful of thee, & a mean for thy deliverance, either fro the lust of sin in this present life, or else from Purgatory, if peraducnture thou shalt come thither. scripture telleth that Joseph was beneficial to one being Sergeant of the Cellar to king Pharo/ & the said Sergeant & he were in prison/ & as it chanced after the sergeant was delivered & restored unto his office again/ & he so delivered, would nat forget the gentleness of Joseph, but was so mindful of him, that by his wisdom he gate him also delivered out of prison.  
¶ Do thou likewise/ be thou now beneficial unto these blessed souls in this time of their most need, whiles they be in this prison of Purgatory, and they in the same wise shall be benyfycyall again to relieve the when thou shalt peradventure be there.   

thirdly thou shalt hereby do a great pleasure unto their good angels that be appointed there to give their attendance upon these blessed souls in Purgatory. For these good angels never leave them that shallbe saved from the first hour of their birth into this world, till they bring them before the face of almighty god above in heaven. Therefore when these souls be delivered out of that prison, it is to their angels a great Joy & comfort. And so by the same benefit which thou dost exhibit unto any blessed soul there, thou bindest his good angel to have thee, the rather in remembrance, & like wise to pray for the at thy necessity.  
¶ Now when we have spoken, first of the joys that the glorious & holy saints have above in the kingdom of heaven, that we may Joy with them in this feestfull day, & secondly of the souls being in the miserable prison of Purgatory, which so desyrously look after the comfort of our prayers: let us nat forget our own souls as yet living in this wretched world, but speak also somewhat concerning the profit of them.  
¶ The remembrance of these two places should greatly move and stir our hearts and minds/ that one to withdraw our appetites from this world, whereby we daily gather the dust at the least of venial sins, and to make us to covyte and desire that joyful kingdom of heaven, where is all comfort and pleasure. That other, should quicken us to live so for this little while that we have to abide i this world that we be nat tarried nor arrested by the way, and so peradventure cast into that fearful prison of Purgafory, till time we have paid every farthing of our debts/ which hang as yet upon our hedes for our sins past.   

first here I say that the remembrance of the Joys of heaven, should greatly stir us to forsake the false pleasures of this life, and to desire to be there where be the very sure abiding pleasures. ¶ which of us would nat gladly be in that place where is never weariness, nor loathsomeness, ne fastydyousnes/ where there is no poverty, no sickness, no fear of death, no manner of trouble, no envy, no malice, no hatred, no pride, no covertise, but true peace and perfit rest. where there is no interruption of pleasures, neither by hetes nor colds, neither by dustes ne by reins, neither by winds ne by tempeslies, neither by night ne by darkness/ but ever a fair bright clear air, ever a still goodly calm, ever a sweet pleasant attemperance. where the pleasures vanish nat away as do the shadows, the smokes, the blazes, the dreams, & other fantasies/ but ever still abide a like fresh, a like new, a like comfortable/ where be no countrefeyt images or disguising for a time: but the very things, the true joys, the sure pleasures, the very glory that ever shall endure and never shall end. where we shall see face to face, nat him that is a king but for a few years, and upon a Realm that is subject unto many miseries: But him that is the king of all kings, the lord of all realms, the Emperor of heaven and of earth, the governor of all the world.  
¶ Halas, what mean we? O miserable dullness of our hearts? christian men, what do we? what think we?. O hearts so sore congealed in the frosty cold of sin, that can nat warm nor delight in the remembrance of these most comfortable Joys. O Jesus, we can take pains, we can take labours to get the transitory pleasures of this life, which we be nat sure to keep the space of half an hour/ and though Joys and pleasures that be so excellent and that ever shall endure and abide, & that also which with moche less pains and labours might be gotten, we nothing study for to get.  
¶ Halas, what cursed blindness is this? how be men thus deceived, you thus wretched, thus enchanted and charmed with subtle crafts of the devil, that they clean forget their own most wealth, which they might attain unto with much less labour and pain than they now take?. And yet they weary themself, toiling and labouring with moche care, trouble, and study for the wretched pleasures & vanities of this transitory world, that nat only will nat abide with them, but also lead them to everlasting weariness and to perpetual travail and labour in the most extreme pains of hell, which ever shall endure.   

SEcondly, the remembrance of Purgatory should make us so to live here, that when we departed hence, we be nat tarried by the way and be arrested for our dettes, & so be cast into that painful prison/ from the which, no man shall be delivered, till time he have paid the uttermost farthing.  
¶ Mark well what Saint Austyn saith of this fire/ that it is more grievous than any pains that thou canst see, feel, or think in this world/ whereby thou mayst be sure that it far passeth the common fire that we have here in this world.  
Take than a proof of this fire whether thou mayst endure to suffer thy finger in it by the space of half an hour. Consider whether thou mayst endure that pain you or nay. And if thou mayst nat endure that pain which is a thousand parts less. what unwysdome is it for the to Jeoparde thy soul unto the fire of purgatory, where thou canst nat tell how many hours, how many days, how many years thou shalt there abide.  
¶ Do therefore as did a right good father an holy man/ when he was tempted to sin, and was almost overcome by temptation, he said unto himself, let me first prove and assay when there I may endure the pain that is ordained for sin, before that I do take any pleasure or the same. And forthwith into the fire that was before him, he put in his finger. But when the pain of brenning waxed so great that he might no longer suffer his finger in fire, he cried/ saying. It is a great madness to take that pleasure that needs must have so grievous pain following. This gracious man used a singular wisdom. If we shall do well, we must do in like manner/ we must follow the same wisdom. Before we enter into sin, let us first assay how painful that fire is. And than I suppose we shall devise and study with ourself how that we may escape the fire of Purgatory.   

thirdly for a conclusion of my tale, I would advise every christian man and woman that hath begun a new gracious life in christ, to reckon with themself as though their own souls were now in that same grievous prison of Purgatory/ and that they must lie there for the satisfaction of their sin till time every parcel of their debts be fully contented and declared, how long that shall be no man can tell.  
¶ Saint bernard, which was a man of great & singular holiness, saith in a sermon, that if after this life he might be delivered fro the pry son of Purgatory at any time before the dreadful day of judgement: he would reckon that he were well and mercifully dealt withal. And if this singular holy man thought within himself thus long for to abide in purgatory: what shall become of us, whose lives be far from the great holiness of this man? ¶ Let us than study to deliver our poor souls from that painful prison by prayers and good works while we live here. ¶ Do this christian man thyself, while thou hast space for thine own soul, and trust non other with the doing thereof after thy death. Be now thine own friend in this urgent and necessary cause. Thou aught most specially to do for thyself. Thou should do this most effectually/ and thou mayst do the same most merytoryously.   

first I say thou aught to do this most specially for thine own soul. Thine own soul under god should be most dear unto the. Our saviour christ saith in the Gospel. (Quid ꝓderit homini si universum mundum lucretur, aīe vero sue detrimentum pacietur. Aut quam commutationem dabit homo pro anima sua?. ¶ what shall it profit any man to win all this world▪ and for the same to suffer an harm in his own soul?. Or what thing hath a man more precious or acceptable for to give for the recovering of his soul again, when it is in peril, than is itself?. ¶ By this than every man may learn how dear his own soul aught to be unto himself. So dear was every of our souls unto our saviour Jesus christ, that he for the wealth and salvation of them, did shed all the precious blood of his most noble & blessed body. And for this cause doubtless our souls aught to be moche more dear unto every one of us/ that is to say because they be so dear and precious in the ears of our saviour Jesus christ. For this derenesse, every one of us should endeavour himself more largely to deliver his soul from this painful prison. O christian man for thy works, for this wretched pleasures taking, and for thine offences, thy bear soul must suffer though grievous pains. Thou art the cause of sufferance/ and therefore of right thou oughtest moste specially to labour for this deliverance.   

SEcondly I say thou shouldest do this most effectually. Supposest thou that any friend of thine will do this more studyously & more effectually after thy departure hence, than thou thine own self will do?. If thou do so think I fear me that thou shalt be sore beceyved/ and that for two reasons especial.  
¶ The first is this. If thou to whom thine own soul aught to have been most dear (as I have said) forget the wealth thereof and made it to follow thy vain desires, and take no care ne study for this present time here for the deliverance of the same out of Purgatory, what marvel is it if other do forget the same after thy death. For how mayst thou think that any other shall be more diligent for thy soul than thou thyself was? Thy soul can nat be more dear to any other, than it was unto thyself. And therefore if thou be thus negligent thereof, think nat that any other shallbe more diligent than thyself was for thine own soul.  
¶ The second reason is this. Thou mayst right well and easily perceive that other of thy friends have souls of their own which of right must be more dear unto them than is thy soul/ and that of their own souls they must be more mindful than of thy soul/ or else they be right unwise.  
¶ furthermore thou mayst consider that every man hath enough to do to satisfy for his own sins. And therefore as our saviour telleth in a parable. when the five foolish virgins would have borrowed some oil of the other five virgins for their lamps against the coming of their great spouse. The five wise virgins answered, and bade them provide some where else, Ne fort nonsufficiat nobis et vobis. That is to say, least peradventure it can nat suffice both for you and for us. Every man's good works there shall be little enough for his own soul/ & therefore thy friend shall have enough to do to provide for himself.   

thirdly I say that any man may more merytoryousty help & comfort his own soul when that he is here living, than any other friend of his after his death. For now is the time of meriting. And after this life when the nyghnes of death is come, thou canst merit no more. And therefore our saviour saith (Veniet antem nox quando nemo potest operari). when death is comen once, farewell the time of meritorious working.  
¶ I will nat say the contrary but thy friends prayers after thy death may much profit thee: Nevertheless I say that thine own prayers as devoutly said for thyself here in this life, should have profited unto the moche more. For as all the dysputers agreed, the highest degree of fruit in every man's prayer returneth unto himself. And it is but a secondary fruit that returneth into other.  
¶ Now therefore christian man whiles thou art in this life, and while thou haste time and space. Study to make amendss for thy sins. Study to store thy soul by true contrition and sorrow for thy sins. Study here for to wash the same often with the gracious water of tears. Study to cleanse thy soul with often renewing of thy confession. Study here by thy good and gracious works to pay thine own debts before thy departure hence. Study to keep the commandments of god▪ without the which thou can nat enter into the kingdom of heaven. Be now ready to forgive all injuries and wrongs done unto thee, that there by almighty god may the rather forgive the such trespasses or injuries as thou haste before time committed unto him. Pray for thyself fast. For thyself give alms. For thyself pray, and procure other to pray for the like wise. Better is now one penny spent for the wealth and salvation of thy soul when thou mayst keep it unto thyself, than a thousand after thy death when thou mayst no longer have the use the use thereof. ¶ Do thus, & by the grace of god thou shalt eschew that painful prison. ¶ Do thus▪ and thy soul shall be cleansed & stored against thy departure out of this world, that thou shalt without any long delays or tarrying by the way, be received into the Joyous kingdom/ where thou shalt see the glorious sights of that most wonderful country, and be made partyner of the most excellent Joys and pleasures which there every where doth abound, and ever shall endure/ to the which he bring us that for us all died upon the cross, our saviour. christ Jhesu. .  
¶ Finis.   
¶ Thus endeth the first Sermon, and here after followeth the second.   

¶ Here beginneth the second sermon.  ¶ Nisi abundaverit justitia vestra plus quam Scribarum et Phariseorum, non intrabitis in regnum celorum. Math. 5. 
I Did remember unto you in my first Sermon this other day, somewhat of the Joys that be above in the kingdom of heaven. And to that intent I laboured to bring into your minds an image of that glorious court, by a comparison of the pleasures that we have seen in this life here. I than declared unto you that the pleasures of this life, be they never so great: they have five manner of diversities from the pleasures of heaven. ¶ first, the joys of this world, have at length a weariness. The Joys of heaven never have weariness/ but a. M. years is there but one day. ¶ Secondly, the Joys of this life, have fears adjoined unto them/ either of sickness, of death, or of trouble. In heaven is no fere of any of these. ¶ thirdly, the Joys of this world, have many interruptions/ by hetes and colds, by storms, by tempests, by night, and darkness, by sleep, and dullness. In heaven is no interruption at all/ but a pure continual Joy without any mixture of displeasure. ¶ Fourthly, the joys of this world vanish away like the smoke, and abideth nat/ the joys of heaven shall never pass. ¶ Fyftly the Joys of this world, be like mid summer games/ & christmas games/ or plays. The Court of king Edward, the Court of king richard, & the court of the king that now is dead/ where be they now? all they were but counterfeit images and disguising for a time/ it was but a play for a tyme. But the court of heaven is always stable in one point/ where the officers change never. There is the true nobleness, the sure honour, the very glory. This glory, this honour, this nobleness, we shall never see, we shall never come unto it, whiles our life be more rightwise than was the lives of the Jews. ¶ A sore word, a sore threat, nevertheless it is true. These be nat my words, these be nat my threats, I written nat these words in the Gospels. The holy Evangelist written them, our saviour christ Jesus spoke them/ they be his words that can nat lie/ they be his words that may perform them.  
¶ O christian soul, mark well these words, ponder them, weigh them/ think what it is to be excluded from that place of all pleasure, and to be thrown into the most horrible dungeon of hell, from the which thou shalt never be delivered. This life is short, and the Joys of this life be but as dreams and fantasies.  
They be like to the pleasures that a poor man hath in his dream/ when he dremeth that he hath got a fair wife & innumerable good with her, he thinketh himself clad in precious garments, and that he doth handle the gold and silver and the goodly plate/ some of silver, some of gold/ he seethe houses, gardeyns, fields of his own, and hath many pleasures. But when he doth awake out of his dream, and findeth none of all these things, he is a sorry man. Such dreams many men have had before this.  
¶ Francis Petrarke writeth himself that he had such a dream/ and that he had found a great heavy hurde full of gold/ and he had great sorrow and care for the conveyance of the same/ but as soon as he awaked out his sleep, his treasure was go. So long as such a dream lastyth, who is more joyous than such a man is, in his own opinion? who is more joyous than he is in his own fantasy?. But all that is but fantasy in deed/ it is but a very dream. And so when he is awaked out of his sleep, he findeth it in very truth/ and than perceiveth he right well that all that, was but a fantasy.  
¶ And in like manner, scripture calleth all this life of man but a dream & fantasy. Dormierunt somnium suum, et nihil invenerint omnes viri di vitiarum in manibus suis. These wise men says scripture, when they be awaked out of their sleep, none of all these fantasayes whereof they dreamed before, they than find in their hands. For when death shaketh them out of their dreams, and maketh them to awake: they must than departed hence with empty hands/ and neither they shall have these pleasant fantasies of life with them, nor yet they shall find before them the Joyful pleasures of the life to come. Better it is therefore to wake betimes, according to the words this dayred of saint Paul (Hora est iam de somno surgere). Now it is time for us to arise out of our sleep. A wake man out of these dreams, and fantasies/ and lose not for these dreams and fantasies which be full uncertain/ and how soon we shall for go them we know not/ lose not I say for these transitory fantasies, the Joys everlasting. For when we shallbe shaked out of this sleep: if than we have not the rightwiseness of good living, we shallbe excluded from the kingdom of heaven according to the words above rehearsed. Nisi abundaverit justitia vestra plusquam scribarum et phariseorum non intrabitisin regnum celorum. ¶ unless your rightwiseness be more large than was the rightwiseness of the scribes and the pharyseys, you shall not enter in to the kingdom of heaven. scripture telleth how that the first man Adam was put into a place all of pleasure, named paradise. In the which was much pleasant & delicate fruit/ but especially there was two trees, that is to say the tree of life, which was assigned unto him to eat upon, and the tree of knowledge of good and bad, which was for bod unto him. almighty god gave unto him under pain of death that he should not eat of this tree. But not withstanding this commandment, Adam following the mind of his wife, left the tree of life which was assigned unto him, and▪ ate of that other which was forbid him. ¶ For this disobedience, for this unrightwiseness, and for breaking of this commandment, almighty god excluded him out of paradise, out of that place of excellent pleasure, and put him into this vale of misery, this wretched world. And fynyally to the intent that the way of entress into that place should be kept he set before him an angel of the order of Cherubin, and a brenning sword two egged that neither he nor yet any other of his posteryty, should have entress there, whiles he were justified. ¶ This, Scripture evidently declareth the words of our saviour chryst above rehearsed (that is to say) that no man shall enter in to the kingdom of heaven, that hath in him any spot of sin or of unrightwiseness. For the which more clearly to be showed▪ I will here touch three things by order. ¶ first, how the demeanour of Adam representeth the demeanour of every sinner in this world. ¶ The second, how that for the breaking of justice and disobedience unto the commandment of god, we be excluded fro the pleasure of heaven, like wile as he was from the pleasures of paradise. ¶ The third, what those lets do mean which he set in the entress in paradise, that no sinner can enter thither whiles he be justified before.  
¶ Every man and woman that liveth in this world, hath in them by a manner of representation, these two persons Adam & Eve/ for they have a soul and a body/ and the soul representeth Adam, and the body, Eue. For as the man should order his wife, so should the soul rule and govern the body. And as the wife should be ruled by her husband, so the body should be governed and be obedient unto the soul.  
¶ where the soul governeth, there wisdom governeth, there reason governeth, there Adam is master, and there is all well. ¶ where the body governeth, there folly governeth, there bestelynes governeth, there Eve is mistress, and all is amiss.  
¶ But here we shall declare three points necessary to be known. ¶ first, what these fruits do mean and betoken unto us. ¶ The second▪ when we sin by tasting of this fruit, and when not. ¶ thirdly, the great folly of Adam, and how all sinners be in like folly.  

Three manner of fruits there was i Para dice. One that was called the fruit of the tree of life. This, Adam▪ eaten nat of, all the time he was in paradise/ as appeareth. Ne forte mittat manum suam et sumat etiam de ligno vite & vivat ineternum. ¶ Than was there another fruit of the tree, that was called the tree of knowledge of good & bad. And the taste of this fruit, was to Adam the fruit of death. Beside these two was the third manner of fruit/ the which neither gave life nor death/ but only refreshed the eater, and was as you would say, indifferent. These three fruits betoken three kind of pleasures that we men taste in this would. fruit, may well betoken unto us pleasure/ because that fruit is pleasant for to taste. And therefore these three fruits betoken three divers manners of pleasures which be offered unto us in this life.   

THe first manner of pleasures be the pleasures of life/ which fruit cometh of the tree of life/ that is to say (of christ Jesus) which is called in Scriptutes (the tree of life). Out of this tree springeth much dylycyouse fruit. whereof to taste is to be made partyners of ever lasting life. ¶ we taste of this fruit when we delight in his words, when we comfort us in his doctrine, when we Joy in his most blessed birth, passion, & resurrection, when we take pleasure in reading of his most gpacyous life. And generally all pleasures in god and godly things, is the fruit that springeth of this most gracious tree. For by him and of him ariseth all these gracious pleasures unto us. And for the tasting of this fruit, we shall have the reward of everlasting life.  
¶ we taste & eat of this fruit when for the love of christ we give alms unto the needy, and do forgive iviuryes done unto us. ¶ when we pray, fast, watch/ any of these to do for the love of christ, is to taste of the fruit and of the tree of everlasting life.   

THe second manner of pleasures, be the pleasures of death, and bring our souls to everlasting death. And these be such pleasures as be forbid by the law of god. They be forbid by the commandments of god. who that followeth these pleasures, and taste of this fruit: breaketh the commandments of almighty god. Such be they that liveth in adultery/ the man that taketh an other woma beside his wife, and that woman that taketh an other man beside her husband/ they that believeth not truly of almighty god and of his doctrine/ they that commit periuryes and willingly for swear themself upon a book or other wise/ they that break their holy days, and cometh not to the service of god, and to here the word of god as other christian people do. They that bribe and steel, & by wrongful means get other men's goods/ they that do nat not due honour to their fathers and mother's/ they that commit, assent, or council to any murder doing. They that bear false witness, or bring up false slanders of their neighbours. All these be deadly pleasures and be the fruit of death. And the synall reward of these pleasures and of this fruit, shall be everlasting death.   

THe third manner of pleasures be those that be indifferent/ so that neither we shall have great reward for them, ne yet great punishment. And these pleasures, be necessary eating, drinking, keeping, walking, & speaking, and necessary recreation. For these we shall neither have everlasting punishment, nor yet the reward of everlasting life. These pleasures be common to all folk, and indifferent to good & bad/ without these pleasures no man may continue. Every man must eat, drink, & sleep. And in these, so long as they pass nat the bonds of necessity, neither make a man good ne bad, nor make it to deserve other ponysshment or any reward by them. Thus you perceive what is meant by these three manner of fruits.  
¶ Now secondly I will show unto you when the tasting of this fruit is deadly sin.  
¶ Look man or woman, when thou folowest the desires of thy body: Eve is the ruler.  
When thou follows the desire of thy soul & of thy reason: than Adam is orderer. Therefore saint Austyn saith. when thou beginnest to feel in thyself any unleeful pleasure arise: there Eve he saith, tastyth of the apple, and offereth it unto Adam for to eat/ yet Adam is at his liberty whether he will taste of this apple, you or nay. That is to say, after that the body be stirred to uncleanness, the ●●reasonable soul is at his liberty whether it will assent to the stirrings & unclean delights of the flesh you or nay. But if it assent, than Adam eateth of the Apple.  
¶ Also if thy reason and thy will do assent to this unleeful pleasure: than dost thou taste of this deadly fruit of death. For by this fruit is betokened (as I said before) all unleeful pleasures/ specially those which be contrary unto the commandment of almighty god. ¶ when so ever for our pleasure to be done, we break the commandment of almighty god: than we taste of this mischievous fruit. Our flesh & carnal desires, are prone & ready to taste of this fruit of death, & of all that naught is & perilous unto our souls. Our flesh would have the carnal pleasures, the worldly richesse, the commodities & honours of this life. All these desires arise in us by the reason of our flesh/ & no man liveth, but he feeleth in himself some desire of these. Nevertheless, if his soul & will assent not unto these desires: yet Adam hath nat tasted of the fruit of death, nor hath as yet broken the commandment of almighty god. Many a good man, & many a good woman, feeleth in themself great temptations, great motions, & styringes/ now to lechery, now to pride, now to covetise. But if they be sorry for them in their souls, & resist & wrastyll against them, & keep themself so, that they do nat assent inwardly by their wills to follow these same motions, Yet they keep them fro the eating of the apple. This is no sin in them/ but it shall be greatly to their merit. These battles which they make against the stirrings & desires, so long as Adam is nat willing to take & follow this pleasure, all is well. So long as the reason of man is content to forbear, & striveth, there is no sin. But when Adam (that is to say man's reason & will) agreeth to the eating of this apple, when he doth assent & is content to take any pleasure contrary to the commandment of god: than is sin done, than is sin committed in thy soul, though thou never made further in doing the deed. This consent is sin. ¶ Mark what I say. Thou man seest peradventure a fair woman, & thou haste a carnal liking of her, & a pleasure to behold her/ so that thy body is stirred & moved with an unclean desire to have her at thy will/ if thy soul do nat assent unto this stirring & motion of thy body, yet art thou safe front any certain sin/ except thy negligence to repel this thought fro the, & the sufferance of it to abide in thy mind without any resistance/ which by the fathers is thought to be sin. But if thy will once assent to this desire of thy flesh, though they never go any further, or though thou never come to the actual deed, thou dost offend and sin deadly by this only consent of thyself. Nevertheless, if thou revoke this consent betimes, & repent thyself, it is much less offece, & more pardonable, than if thou performed thy desire with the actual deed. ¶ By this that I have said, thou mayst perceive when thou dost sin by tasting of this fruit. Now let us here the great folly of sinners.  
¶ Many there be which follow the steps of the old Adam/ they leave the most profitable fruit and take the worse. ¶ Adam left the fruit of life, and tasted of the fruit of death.  
¶ Adam, all the while that he was in paradise, he never touched the tree of life/ as plainly it doth appear by the words written in the same story. Ne forte sumat etiam de ligno vite et comedat et vivat in eternum. That is as much to say, least peradventure he eat of the tree of life, and so live for ever.  
¶ almighty god would betimes have him excluded out of paradise, least he should have eaten of the tree of life, like as he had done before of the tree of death. Adam tasted of the tree of death, & so broke the commandment of almighty god thereby/ whereby he become mortal, & was assured for to die. But if he had abstained therefro & kept himself to the fruit of the tree of life: he should never have died, but have lived ever lastyngly. Thus all sinners do/ they leave the gracious fruit whereby they might merit the life everlasting, & boldly taste & eat of the pestilent fruit, whereby they deserve the death everlasting. If Adam had had any like example before him of some punishment taken for sin, as was taken upon himself for breaking of this command dement: it is full like that he would have eschewe that offence/ but he never see example of such punishment. And for this consideration the madness of sinners in tasting of this unleeful fruit is much more grievous & odious be-before the time of god/ for when they have nat only the example of this sore punishment, but many other more before their iyes: yet they will nat beware, but still continue in their folly & madness. This one example, if there were no more written in all scripture, might suffice to make the sinner to repress & leave his wretched pleasures that be against the laws & commandments of almighty god/ seeing so grievous punishment was taken upon the first man Adam for so little a default. This grievous punishment was taken upon him for eating of an apple. Thus he that was so perfitly created & made by the hands of god nat many hours before & was lifted up to such a dignity. Yet for the first fault that ever he made, & for so little a fault, he was spoiled of his dignity: & cast out of paradise, the place of excellent pleasures, into misery & wretchedness/ & finally stricken with death/ & nat only in himself, but in all his posterity. ¶ If this one default in him that never heard ne see any example of punishment before, were thus sore punished/ how grievously shall in other men the multitude of defaults be tormented, which hath herd and seen many great & grievous punysshmentes taken for sin, & for breaking of the commandments of almighty god?. ¶ If this little default was thus roughly entreated/ how roughly shall be punished the horrible & abominable trespasses that stink before the nostrils of god, & cry vengeance at his ears, when so openly without any change, they be committed & done before the face & eyen of god, & provoke him to be revenged of them. ¶ For what may you suppose or think, when this first default of man which never offended before, nor see any correction done before for sin, was thus straightly corrected, but that much more straightly the continuance & long living in sin, heping sin upon sin from day to day/ and after so many examples of correction done & showed before, shall at the last be grievously corrected & punished, if betimes they will nat repent themself and sue for remedy.  
¶ The great folly of Adam, appeareth many wise.  
¶ First in that, that he would prefer the pleasure of his life before the pleasure of god, Secondly in that, that he left the fruit of the tree of life, & tasted of the fruit of the tree of death. For by this means he left the Joys of Paradise, the which he might have kept, & also was thrown out thereof into the miseries of this life, which he endured by the space of. M. years almost. And at the last he suffered death, which he might have eschewed. And finally after his death was kept in the prison of darkness, called (limbus patrum) from the face of almighty god, & fro the joys of heaven by three thousand years. And all this ponysshment fallen upon him for the tasting of an apple. was nat this a wonderful folly?.  
¶ But yet greater is the madness of them that follow his steps/ in the which condition be all sinners that breaketh the commandment of almighty god. They prefer the pleasures of their flesh, before the pleasure of god. They taste of the fruit of the tree of death, and leave the fruit of life untasted of. ¶ And therefore as Adam lost the Joys of paradise: so they lose the Joys of a clear conscience. As Adam was cast into misery: so they ever after endure misery, and suffer the fretting and gnawings of their troubled conscience, which hath a continual remorse & a corsy of their sinful dealing. ¶ Adam suffered temporal death/ and they shall suffer everlasting death. Adam was kept in dark prison fro the face of god, and fro the Joys of heaven by three. M. years/ and they shall be kept in the prison of hell from the face of god and all the glorious court of heaven, by innumerable thousands & thousades of years/ that is to say, for ever.  
¶ By this than you may learn to know the great folly of sinners, that for a little transitory pleasure, they do exclude themself from the place of ever lasting pleasure, and for the same also they must needs be thrown into ever lasting misery. ¶ Adam, as you have herd, might have continued many years in Paradise/ and finally at the last should have been translate into the Joys of heaven/ but for the casting of an apple contrary to the commandment of god, he was soon excluded from thence, and so lived in this world in pain and misery almost. M. year/ and after his death, yet was he kept fro the sight and face of almighty god by the space of three thousand year and more.  
¶ But you will say unto me after this manner. Sir we were born and ordained for to have the Joys and pleasures of heaven for our inheritance/ and it was dearly bought for us by the bitter passion of our saviour christ Jesus, and by the same it was assuredly promised unto us.  
¶ To this I answer and say, that no man's inheritance is so sure unto him, but he may lose it by his folly. ¶ we have herd of many noble men, & great Earls & Dukes, that for their mysbehavour against their Prince, for their treason & traitoury have lost their inheritance, & yet they were born unto the same, & their ancestors many years before, had possession thereof.  
¶ And thou christian man, when so ever thou committest any deadly iyn, thou deest great treason unto thy Prince you, unto the prince of all princes our saviour christ Jesus/ for to him y thou hast promised to keep thy faith & truth, & to forsake the devil & all his works. This promise thou made when thou became a christian man & received the sacrament of baptism. But contrary to this promise thou haste done many times thou hast falsed this promise, thou haste violate this promise, & betrayed thy prince. Thou hast followed the council of his enemy & set at naught the commandment of thy most gracious & loving prince. That strong hold which he most specially desired, & with bloody sweet laboured to have gotten & kept unto himself (that is to say thine heart) thou hast betrayed into the hands of his enemy the devil, & let him have entress there, & suffereth him to reign there, & there to make his donghyll against thy promise, against the commandment of thy prince, & therefore rightwisely thou shalt be excluded from thine inheritance. And where thou sayest that our saviour christ Jesus bought this inheritance with his most bitter passion for the it is of a troth. But this is more to thy condemnation. For the more pain that he hath taken to bring the to this inheritance, the greater is thine unkindness, & the more odious & detestable is thy treason & traytory toward him But know this for a certain/ he neither bought this inheritance for thee, ne made promise thereof, but with condition/ which condition if thou keep, thou shalt be sure to have this inheritance/ and if thou break it, than shalt thou be sure to forego the same.  
¶ You hear daily of promises and of leases that be made with certain conditions/ that he that taketh this lease, shall do thus or thus as the case requyryth. And if case be that he observe these conditions, well/ this lease is good and sure. But if the condition be broken, the lease is of no value.  
¶ O christian man, the very condition of thy lease, is this. Si vis ad vitam ingredi, serva mandata. If thou wilt enter into the kingdom of life, thou must observe and keep the commandments of god. This condition observed, thou shalt enter. But if this condition be broken, than farewell, thy lease is broken.  
¶ And therefore man, if thou wilt nat observe this condition (that is to say) if thou wilt nat keep the commandments of our saviour christ, neither look for to have this inheritance, nor that any promise shall be performed unto thee, or that any benefit shall arise unto the by the passion and precious blood of our saviour christ Jesus.  
¶ O wretched sinners, O most stinking lechours, that live thus synfully against the laws & commandments of our saviour Jesus that so waste your bodies and destroy your souls in the foul sin of Lechery/ to you this answer appertaineth. ¶ And you most horrible bawds, the which keep this foul bawdry and brodelry in your houses, stinking both in the sight of god and also before the world. And you that use these blasphemous oaths and great periuryes, and that break your holy days ordained by the church. To you and unto all other such that breaketh the laws and commandments of our lord, this word appertaineth. ¶ I say unto you that you shall never enjoy that inheritance above in heaven, because you will nat endeavour yourself to keep the conditions thereunto belonging. You will nat labour to get a rightwise life/ and therefore nat I, but our saviour saith unto you the words above rehearsed, Nisi abundaverit justitia vestra plusquam Scribarum et Phariseorum non intrabitia in regnum celorum.   

NOw thirdly we have to speak of the stopnes that be in the way, that (without sufficient justice) shall let many to enter/ and these three be they. ¶ First, the double two edged sword. The second, the brenning flame.  
The third, the angels of the order of cherubin. Every one of these three, if there be nat in us perfit justice, shall let us from the entress into the most glorious kingdom.  
Shortly to say if there be deadly sin in us, it must take punishment by the two edged sword/ the which of that one side sleeth the body, and of that other, the soul/ and both at one stroke. If there be any venial sins abiding in us, they must be clean scoured by the flame of this said fire/ and they shall be swine gedere they pass. If there be neither deadly sin nor venial sin in us remaining/ Yet if our souls be nat appareled accordingly with good works, we shall nat enter there. For the angels shall so duly and streyghtly examine and make search of every such person that shall covet or press to enter there, that nothing can escape ne pass with out their straight examination.   

first the sword betokeneth that terryryble punishment, that most dreadful punishment, that punishment of everlasting death both in soul and body.  
¶ There is a great difference betwyrte this sword and the sword of temporal princes/ and especially for two causes.  
¶ This is a wonderful sword/ for at the first stroke it sleeth both soul and body. A kings sword doth nat so. Quum occiderint corpus, non amplius quid faciant. when that sword hath slain the body, it can nat rage's no further. But this sword sleeth both the body and the soul. And in a token thereof it is two edged. ¶ furthermore the death stroke that this sword doth give, taketh nat away the feeling from a man/ neither of the soul nor of the body. The kings sword taketh away the feeling from the body forthwith/ for prick it, beat it, bounche it, bren it/ it feeleth none of all these pains. But contrary wise, this sword giveth rather a more perfit seling, & a more clear perceiving of the pain than had the persons before they were stricken with it. And therefore our saviour telleth of the great pain that the rich glutton felt, which lay dampened and broiled in the fire of hell. Amongst other of his pains, he felt so great and so painful a dryness in his tongue, that he was fain to beg one drop of liquor to refresh his tongue, and could nat get it in his thirst. Many sinners peradventure would be glad that they should have neither feeling nor being, neither in soul nor body, after this life/ for than they should feel no pain. But that can nat be so/ for they shall have perfit feeling, & very perfitly feel the grievous pains that they shall be in/ which shall be as grievous as though they were in the continual pains of death every month. desiderabunt mori et mors fugiet ab eyes. Their pains shall be so exceedingly grievous, that they shall wish to die a thousand times, and death shall always flee from them. They shall never die, but live ever in the continual pains of death. ¶ Our saviour says of Judas, considering the pains that he should suffer for his offence, Melius ei esset si natus non fuisset homo ille. It had been better for him that he never had been born. which word may in like wise be said of all them that shall be excluded from the heaven celestial▪ into the dungeon of damnation/ for it had been much better for them that they never had been born into this world, than to endure that grievous stroke of that two edged sword.   

By this than you may conceive, that this sword meaneth everlasting punishment/ and that it shall be a stop to all them that shall be found in deadly sin (that is to say) that hath broken the laws and the commandments of almighty god and hath so commit any deadly sin, of the which here before their death and departure hence out of this world, they have nat sufficiently repented them. ¶ Nevertheless, who that either hath taken sufficient repentance in this life, or else hath truly kept the commandments of almighty god/ to them this sword shall be no stop nor any impediment. The stroke of this sword can nat annoy them, nor they shall nat be stricken with this sword.   

THe flame of this sword betokeneth unto us the fire of purgatory/ the which is ordained for them that be found in any venial sin/ for every venial sin must be scoured out of our souls, ere we can be suffered to have any interest. ¶ But here peradventure you will ask me what venial sins be. To this quest then saint Austyn saith that venial sins be these sins that we daily commit/ without the which the frailty can nat continue in this life. In to these manner of sins we daily fall & offend/ when we eat and drink more than very necessity requyryth/ when we speak more idle words than needeth to be spoken/ when we hold our peace & le just cause to speak, as in telling other folks their faults, and so forbear for loathness of displeasure/ when we be more negligent in prayer than were profitable for us/ when we be slack in having pity and compassion upon the poor/ when we cherish and nourish our bodies to delycatly without cause/ when we let the time pass from us unfruytefully/ when we jangle idly and unfruytefully/ when we be dull and sleepy in the service of god/ when we speak more roughly than the cause requyryth/ or again flatter more than is expedient. These and other like unto those (as saith saint Austyn) be such as must be scoured in the fire of purgatory. But you will say again/ Sir no man liveth so perfectly but that he daily falleth in some of these. A troth it is/ and therefore the same saint Austyn saith, that the holy saint lived nat without many of these. But when so ever they fell in any of these, they were sorry and known their offence. And so must we do when we so fall in any of these, we must be sorry therefore, and knowledge our offences/ and almighty god will than be merciful unto us if we so do. But in no wise we may repute them as naught, and reckon them to be no sins, for than we shall find them great sins. And especially when we shall approach into that fire, we may nat therefore I say recount them as nothing/ for than they shall increase upon us daily more & more, & that so largely that the number of them shall be importable. These during this life may be lightly put aside by beating of our breasts, & by ostending the words in the Pater noster, dimit nobis debita vostra, forgive us father our dettes, By visiting also of them that be seek/ by comforting of them that be in trouble/ by forgiving of our injuries/ by patient suffering of adversity and by many other such. But we may nat account them as naught/ for saint Austyn says/ though they be little, yet many lytels maketh a moche. It is but a little thing he saith one corn of gravel/ but yet thou mayst overlade thy boat with many of them. Thou mayst put so many corns in to thy boat, that it shall be overcharged/ and finally drowned. And so like wise if thou be negligent of these little sins/ thou mayst heap so many of them together, that finally they shall drown thy soul. And in another place the same saint Austyn doth like them to little blains and scabs/ and the deadly sins to great mortal wounds. Many blains or scabs in a man or a woman, though they slay not, yet they deform and dysfygure the face and the body of man, and maketh it loathsome to be looked upon. And so saith he, these little sins deform our souls, and maketh them ungodly to be looked upon/ and unworthy the presence of almighty god. They may be also likened to the rust of a knife, and the deadly sins to the cancer. The rust that is nat cankered may more easily be removed with a little rubbing and scouring, than may the very cancer, And so likewise these little sins, albeit they cancrenat the soul like as doth the great sins: yet they rust the soul. And therefore they must have a scouring/ either in this world, or else in the fire of purga ory. we shall nat escape nor pass by that flame, till time we be clean scouted from all venial sins. A troth it is, the two edged sword can nat harm thee, if thou have no deadly sin in thy soul. But if the brenning flame shall swinging away thy venial sins ere thou pass that way.   

THe third stop that we shall find before us when we shall covet to enter, shall be cherubin. ¶ cherubin betokeneth the straight examination that shall be made of every person the which shall pass and enter into that kingdom/ for these angels shall give heed that all such as shall enter there, be accordingly appareled with the justice of good works. You see that in the kings court, the porters standing▪ before the gate, will nat suffer any person to enter that is nat in honest apparel. For if his garment be raggydor torn, he shall not enter there. In like manner these blissed angels of cherubin, which is as much to say as (plenitudo scientie) that is plenty of cunning and knowledge, and nothing can escape their iyes, but that they will anon perceive if we want our apparel (that is to say) the rightwiseness of good works. For it suffysyth nat to them that shall enter there, if they be scoured of their evil works/ but they must have also many good works. For of their apparel the prophet saith, Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo? My lord who shall inhabit in thy tabernacle? And he answereth, Qui ingreditur sine macula, et operatur institiam, He that entereth without any spot, & worketh rightwiseness. ¶ we must both be clean of all scabs of sins, & also be appareled with the works of rightwiseness. And our saviour saith of him that was nat appareled accordingly, that he should be bound hand and foot, and so thrown out into outward darkness, where shall be weeping and gnasting of teeth. Thou must therefore have thy garment made of rightwise works, or else thou shalt nat enter into that kingdom. ¶ when thou art cleansed from deadly sin, and purged from venial sin/ yet if there be found in the no good works, thou shalt nat be suffered to enter there. Thou must bring with the a clean garment of justice/ which was betokened by that white garment that was taken unto the at the Sacrament of baptism by the priest when he said unto thee, Accipe vesten candidan quam perferas ante tribunal dni nostri Jesus christi, Take here this white garment, to the intent that thou mayst bring it before the throne of our lord Jesus chryst. This garment if thou have lost, or torn, or sold, thou must study betimes to repair it again by/ some good works. But alas I fear me that this garment be far to seek with many people. Some hath smodged this garment with the smoke of worldly affection/ some hath male it and spot it with many venial sins/ some hath foul blotted it by deadly sin/ some hath made it uggly by pride/ some by wrath and envy hath torn it/ some hath made it horrybly stinking by lechery/ some by covetise hath clearly cast it from them. But none of these as saint Paul saith, Regnum dei possidebunt, Shall have possession of the kingdom of god. ¶ we must therefore study to recover this clean white garment again by rightwise living, and keeping of the commandments of almighty god/ of the which my purpose is to speak at large for the time that I inten●● to be occupied with you/ for doubtless as I 〈◊〉 ●●hersyd unto you the words of our saviour, 〈◊〉 ●●etyng us all, Nisi abundaverit, etc. unless your rightwise lice be more amyle, than was the life of the scribes and pharyseys: you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. & Thus than I suppose you conceive those three things that I promised to declare. ¶ first, how after the example of Ada● and Eve which broke the commandment of god: every other sinner falleth unto sin. ¶ The, second how that for the unrightwiseness of sin, and breaking of the commandments of god: all sinners not amending their life, shall be excluded from the intresse into the kingdom of heaven. ¶ The third, that there standeth such stops in our way, that whiles we begin once to enfovime our life by the true keeping of the commandments of god, to recover again this unrightwiseness that we have lost, we shall never have entress into that kingdom.  
¶ wherefore it shall be expedient for every true christian man and woman to learn to know the commandments of our lord/ to the intent that he may endeavour himself to keep them/ and so by the keeping of them, he may recover again the possibility to enter into that joyful and glorious place/ the which he grant us, qui cum patre et spiritu sancto vivit et regnat deus.  
Amen.   
¶ Finis.   

¶ Newly imprinted at London, by me w. Rastell, the. xxviii. day of June/ the year of our lord. M. CCCCC. xxxii.  
¶ Cum privilegio.   

¶ These books be to cell at London in Southwark by me Peter Treverys.