A Potation or drinking for this holy time oflent very comfortable for all penitent sinners, newly prepared by Theodore Basille. ¶ john. 7: If any man thirsteth, let him come to me, & drink. The principal Contents of this Book. i. OF Penance. two. Of Contrition, Confession, Satisfaction, or amendment of life. iii. Of fasting. iiii. Of certain Ceremonies used in the church, this time of Lente, & what they signify. v. And information, how we ought to prepare ourselves for to receive worthily at the time of Easter, the most blessed Sacrament of the 〈◊〉. ¶ Luke. xiii. ¶ Except ye repent & amend your life, vndoubt●…dly ye shall perish all. To the right honourable sir Thomas Nevel knight, Theodore Basille wisheth long life, continual health, and prosperous felicity. I Have not forgotten with how gentle & thankful mind (as I may pass over the sigulerbene ficence & grandliberalyte, which at that time ye showed to me) your right honourable mastership did receive the Christmas Banquet which now of late I dedicated unto your name, chiefly when you had diligently compared it with the most holy word of God, the touchstone of all God's word is a touch stone to prove and try all doctrine. doctrine to try the adulteryne, feigned & false from the sincere, german & true learning, & perceived that it did not only agree with the most sacred Scriptures, but also with the teaching of the ancient Doctors of the holy church, whom you have as all men ought, in great admiration, with whose authorities it is opu●…ently fortressed. verily for the probation of that my work, & comparing it with the truth of Christ & the doctrine of the holy & learned Doctors, I can none otherwise but highly commend, praise, advance, & magnify the industry & labour of your right honourable mastership, which so prudently prove all kind of doctrine with the true & infallible towchstone of gods most blessed word. For in thus doing you show yourself not to be led with any blind or partial affect, but with an upright & high indifferency, much alienated & estranged from the man ners of divers men at this time, among whom some as foolish simple receive all kind of doctrine without any probation or trial, some again contrary to the dexteryte of Christian judgement like frantic parsons do temeraryously, rashly, & without any advisement condemn a thing before they have justly examined it by the holy Scriptures. S. Paul saith: Quench not the two. Thes. v. spirit. Despise not prophesies. Prove and examine all things, & that which is good, hold. S. Iohn i joan. iiii also saith, dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spy rites, whither they are of God or not. Hereto pertaineth the saying of Christ, search ye the Scriptures. joan. v. David also saith: Blessed are they psal. 〈◊〉. that search the testimonies of the LORD. Here are all Christian men commanded not furiously straight straightways to condemn, what so ever liketh them not at the first aspect & blush but to search the scriptures, & by them to prove, whither they be true or not Luke declareth in the Acts of the Act. xvii. Apostles, that when Paul & Sylas preached to certain men at Barrea, they that heard them, received the word gladly, yet not withstanding they searched the scriptures daily, & tried by them, whither it was so or not, as they preached. So becometh it all men to do, not rash lie to admyte & receive, nor yet furiously to condemn every thing at the first sight, but as Paul saith, to ●…i. Thes. v. prove all things, & to choose & hold that which is best. things must be proved by the Scriptures & not by the spirit of pride, contention, despite, & contumacy. If men would do this, there should not be so great division in the church of Chryst, as there is now a days. Christ & Christes Note. truth is only learned of the ho lie scriptures. They that teach any other things than the scriptures, tech not Christ, but human inventions. Neither ought any thing as a necessary truth to be believed under pain of damnation, for to be admitted in the church of christ, except it may be established by the holy scripture & pure word of God. For the righteousness of god is proved saith s. Paul by the testimony & wit Rom. iii: nes of the law & Prophets Again he saith: If we ourselves or an angel Gal. i. from heaven do preach unto you any other Gospel, than that we have preached unto you, hold it accursed. As I said before, so say I now again, if any man shall preach unto you any other gospel than that, which ye have received, hold it accursed. Hereto agreeth Origene, it is needful for us, saith he, to cawl the holy scriptures into witness. For our judgements & expositions without these witnesses, have no faith. Also S. Jerome, that we affirm, must In jerem: Hom. i. be established & approved with the testimonies of the holy scriptures, Ad ●…iesiphon. in the which God speaketh daily to them that believe. Iten Cyrillus, Christ alone In joan. cap. vi. is to be followed as a master, & to him alone ought we to cleave. They that bring any other thing besides the doctrine & teaching of the Apostles, saith Theophilact, Paul In Roma. cap. vlt●…. plainly saith, that slanders, that is to say heresies & dissensions are brought in of them. Do not these things declare how cold & vain all things are, that fight with the word of God, and have not their foundations of the most holy scriptures. Certes as toweching my lucubrations The mind of the ●…uthor concerning all his books 〈◊〉 h●… hath or shall set forth here after. and works, which I have hitherto made, or shall by the help of God here after make, I submit them all with most submission and humility of mind to the sincere iuge mentes of them that are ghostly learned & taught of GOD in Christ's church to be judged, tried and examined by the infallible verity of god's word. If the holy Scriptures shall approve & allow them, I most humbly beseech all men thankfully to accept them, & to give all the glory & praise unto God. If they shall seem to fight & dissent with the word of God, hold them accursed, as Paul saith, & so do in like manner the works Gala. i. of all other, that consent not with the evangelic verity. But if the word of God testifieth and beareth witness of them, receive them, & give God thanks, which so plenteously worketh in his servants for the edification of his church. Moreover this your diligent A Potation for Lent. searching & comparing of my Banquet with the holy scriptures and the ancient Doctors did so greatly please me, that sins that time I thought not unfitting to prepare a Potation for this holy time of Lente, & to dedicate that also unto your name. Which thing I have done, yea and that in all points according to the verity of God's word & the mind of the most ancient and best learned Doctors. Who so ever shall vouch●… What pro fit there is to be gotten at this Potation safe to be present at this Potation, & with a greedy appetite to taste of it certes he shall not a little rejoice of it. For he shall here learn almost all things that are necessary to be known of a Christian man concerning this time of Lent. first I have entreated of Penance, declaring what it is, how it ought to be done, of whom we should ask grace truly to repent, & how it may be obtained. Secondly I have spoken of Contrition, Confession & satisfaction or amend meant of life. thirdly I have decla red the true manner of fasting. Fourth lie I have entreated of divers Ceremonies, that be used in the church this time of Lent, & declared what they signify & preach unto us. last of all, I have showed how we ought to prepare ourselves for to receive worthily at the time of Easter the most blessed Sacrament of the 〈◊〉. All these things have I done in this Potation following, not following mine own fantasy or imagination but the verity of God's word, the authority of Christ's most holy church & the mind of the ancient and best learned Doctors. This my labour, what soever it be, I now dedicate & offer to your right honourable masterships name, desiring you to accept this little gift as a testimony of my good heart and obsequious mind toward you, most instantly also beseeching you, & all other in your name to judge it by the word of God, & to compare it with the truth of Christ's Gospel. In so doing I doubt not, but that both this & all my other works shall be received with the more grate, thankful & acceptable minds, unto the great profit of the readers, & the high glory of almighty God, who ever preserve your right honourable mastership in continual health and prosperous felicity. AMEN. ¶ The potation for Lente. ¶ Philemon the maker of the Potation. Theophyle, Eusebius, & Christopher the gests. PHILEMON. IT is not long agone sins I made a certain of my neygheboures a Christmas Banckette, which so far as I can perceive, they have right well digested, whereof I am not a little glad. For sins that time they have not on lie garnished their houses with the most sacred scriptures after that man ner of this my poor mansion, but they are also become new men in their conversation. They have utterly put of old Adam, & put on the new man jesus Christ. They have cast away Rom. ●…iii. the works of the flesh, & put on the armours of light, yea they have joy fully amplexed the fruits of the impi rite. For they walk now no more in darkness, but as the children of light in all goodness, justice & verity. To Eph●…. 〈◊〉. the poor people they are become very merciful & tender, to their neighbours gentle & loving, to their even mies patient & long suffering, not Roma. ●…i. rendering evil for evil but ready at all times not only to forgive them but also to do them good to the uttermost of their power. Moreover to our most sovereign Lord & excellent King they show themselves unfeignedly obedient both in word and deed with all submission & humi light. The other magistrates of the public weal they also have in great reverence. And also for the spiritual ministers of God's word they entierly love, reverently fear, & have them in no less honour, than true & faithful children have their natural parents. Yea they esteem them i Tim. v. as the servants of God, & dispensators of the divine mysteries, and therefore do they give them double honour, according to the admonition of the Apostle. To conclude, they so behave themselves, that they are it reprehensible & faultless in the sight of all men. They shine as great lights Philip. two. among their neighbours. They ●…itum. two. garnish the doctrine of our saviour Christ with all innocency & purity. So that by their means there are, I thank my LORD God, many of our neighbours which now begin to follow that trade and to practise like godliness. And as they themselves are wholly bent to this true godliness, so likewise do they train & bring up their family & household after that trade, which is to me a singular great pleasure. If they go forth, as they begin, I do not doubt, but that within few years it will come to pass, that no Re alme thorough Christendom shall be able to compare with England in sincere doctrine & godly living. Seeing therefore that they received so great profit of my Christmas Banquet, I was the gladder to call them now again unto a Potation or drinking, trusting that they shall receive here of no less commodi te than they did of the other. They appoynted to come unto me about two of the clock this after noon. I marvel therefore that they are so long absent. For the hour is paste. I will go forth out of my doors & see whither they come or not. But what need it? me thick I hear one knock at the door. It are they I am sure. I will go and bring them in., I have looked long for you, but ye are welcome to me at the last. THEO. Brother Philemon, we thank you heartily. EUSE. I pray you be not discontented that we have somewhat tarried after our hour. For we were compelled to tarry for this our neighbour Christopher. CHRI. A friend of mine old acquaintance came unto me from my parents, which did somewhat let us in deed. PHIL. It maketh no matter, ye are welcome now all unto me, will it please you to go with me into my parlour? THEO. I had rather, if it shall be your pleasure, tarry here a while in your haul to behold these most god lie spectacles, and to see, whither my house be in all points garnished like unto this or not. PHIL. To tarry here longer for that purpose, were nothing but a loss of time. For our houses in this behalf are so like one to ano there, that ye can less discern an egg from an egg, or a fig from a fig, as they say. They be in all points like, concerning the inward garnishing of them with the holy scriptures. Therefore I pray you all, come your way into my parlour. CHRI. We follow gladly. PHIL. Brothers & neighbours welcome once again. EUSE. We most entirely thank you. PHIL. If it shall please you to sytle down, I will be glad to talk with you. THEO. I pray you speak what it pleaseth you. We will hear you gladly with attent minds. EUSE. Nothing can bring to us more pleasure than to hear you, your communication is always so god lie & fruitful. CHRI. We are now all set, & wholly bend to hear you. PHIL. The spirit of God be among us, & lead us into all truth of God's most holy wisdom. Neighbours it is not unknown to you, that this Christmas last passed I bade you to a Christmas Banquet, unto the which you very gently came. At the which Banquet, I did not only set before you meat for your bodies, but also for your souls. I fed you with a Christmas, that is to say, an heavenly Banquet in the which I proponed & brought for the unto you four dishes, I am sure, ye remember it right well. EUSE. Ye forsooth brother Philemon. PHIL. Although I doubt not but that ye retain them all in your memory right well, yet by your patience I will now rehearse them again to you in few words. CHRI. I pray you let it be so. PHIL. In the first dish that was set be The sum of the Banquet. fore you, ye tasted of the fall of our fore father Adam. In that ye learned, how that by the sin of Adam we all were not only deprived of, immortality & Gen. iii. joan. iii; all goodness, but also damned, so that we became very flesh, without the spirit of God, utterly estranged from all fear of God, & borne the sons Ephe two. of wrath, in asmuch that we being left to ourselves, could never have been delivered from that miserable captivity, into the which Satan had cast us, thorough the transgression of god's commandment, but daily more & more we must needs have precipitated & cast ourselves headlong in to an hell of evils. Therefore because ye should not despair, I brought forth to you your second dish, where in I declared & proved unto you by the holy scripture and the ancient Doctors, that wha●… we were in this miserable & piteous case, God of his great mercies without our merits or deservings had pity on us, & promised Tit. iii▪ Gen. iii. to save us thorough his entirely beloved Son, our LORD and saviour jesus Christ. Which thing according to his promise at the time predefyned & afore appointed came undoub tedly to pass. Than in your third dish did I express to you, by what means ye might come by & obtain these so large & so bounteous benefits of God the father thorough jesus Christ. I said unto you, that the next & the most ready way to get this kindness at the hand of God is to repent & believe, that is to say, to be Mar. i. sorry for the sins committed, and to believe to have remission of our sins of God the father for Christ'S sake. In your fourth dish I declared unto you that after we have repent us of our sins, and believed to have forgiveness of them thorough Christ, it remaineth that we than sheweour selves new men in our conversation, & meddle no more with the Ephe. v. unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For except our repentance & faith work in us a new life, they profit nothing at al. Bring forth fruyies, saith ●…aynt john, worthy of repentance. For every tree, that bringeth not forth M●…. 〈◊〉 good fruit, shall be cut down and cast into the fire. And as concerning faith, S. james saith, as the body without the spirit is dead, so is faith I●…co. 〈◊〉. without works dead Therefore I decla red unto you in that your fourth dish, that as without good works your repentance & faith avail nothing Math ●…ell. (I speak of them which have opportunity to work & yet will not) so likewise to them that exercise no good works but remain in their old sinful living is Christ no saviour, but remaineth still unto them a feacre LORD, & a cruel judge. For Christ will not know them at the day of judgement to be his people, that are unfruitful trees, & in this world bring forth no good works , yea he will say unto them, depart Psal. vi. Math. seven. from me ye workers of iniquity. The virgins that have not only Mat. xxv. lamps, but also oil, shall enter in with the Bridegroom unto the marriages, the other shall be sparred out Not the idle lubbers but the faithful Math. xx. workers in the vineyard shall have the penny at night. Not the son which said to his father, that he would work in his vineyard, & did not, Math. xxi shall be his father's heir, but the son which wrought in it in deed. The fruitful olive tree shall dwell in the house of the LORD, but the unfruitful Math. xxi fig tree, glistereth it ne ver so pleasantly with green leaves shall be cursed & committed unto hell fire. In consideration whereof I exhorted you at that time unto the di ligent operation of good works, that ye might be found worthy that king doom, which your heavenly father Mat. xxv. hath prepared for them that fulfil his will from the beginning of the world. These & such other things not unworthy the hearing I rehearsed to you at that Christmas Banquet. Neither have ye forgotten them, I am sure. THEO No verily neighbour Philemon. EUSE We have since that time Mat. seven. full oft called them to our remembrance, & communed of them together. PHIL. In so doing, ye have done well. For Rom. two. not they that hear the law are righteous before God, but they that express the law in their deeds shall be counted righteous. He that looketh on the jaco. 〈◊〉. perfect law, which is the law of lie berte, so that he is no forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, he shall be blessed in his deed. CHRI. GOD give us grace to do that alway, which he requireth of us. PHIL. Your fruits sins that time have manifestly declared the novyte and change of your life, whereof I very much rejoice & give God hearty thanks, desiring him to finish that in you prosperously, which he hath begun godly. And this is the cause neighbours that I have been so bold to cawl you again now to a Potation or dryn king, trusting that if you mark those things well, that shall at this time be spoken, ye shall feal no less What this holy time of Lent requireth of Christian men. sweetness in them, than ye did in the Banquet. For ye know that this is a time not for the body, but for the soul, not for the belly, but for the spirit, not for the mouth, but for the mind. This time requireth a modelt sobriety, & not luxurious riot. This time requireth a penitent & sorrowful heart, & not a mind set all on pleasure. This time requireth abstinence and not delicate welfare. This time requireth sober prayer, & not vain jestings. This time requireth lamentation for our sins, & not a pleasure to remain in them. Therefore have I now prepared for you a godly Potation, worthy this time, that ye may go home again from me, not with mouths but with minds, not with bellies, but with souls, 〈◊〉 and e●… farced with celestial meace. I will now declare unto you, what your Potation shall be. I pray you hear me diligently. EUSE. Brother Philemon, we thank you for your godly kindness toward us What so ever it shall be your pleasure to say, we shall not only be diligent to hear it, but also to bear it away, & do there after, so near as God shall give us grace. PHIL. For as much as the most comfortable Sacrament of Penance Of What things it shall been treated in this Potation. is in this holy time of Lente more usually exercised toward penitent sinners, than at any other time though row out all the year, therefore am I now determined to talk somewhat with you in this matter. This thing once done, I will teach you the true & christian fast, that your fast may be pleasant to God & profitable to your soul's health. After ward I will declare unto you the signification of certain ceremonies, that be used in the church this time of Lent. Last of all I will show you, how ye shall prepare your selves to receive worthily at the time of Easter, the most blessed Sacrament of 〈◊〉 ●…e Christ's very body & blood. For as all these things are godly, so are they very necessary to be known of all Christian men. Which thing moved me to call you hither at this time, that you having knowledge of them, may the more godly behave yourselves this holy time of Lent, both before God & man CHRI. This your beneficence towards us undoubtedly proceedeth from an heart stuffed with true & Christian charity, seeing that ye desire no less the salvation of our souls, than of your own. PHIL. That affect and mind ought to be in every christian man, that was in Christ jesus. God Philip. two. forbid therefore that I or any man should hide up the talon & ground Math. xxv. which God hath given us, but rather employ it to the utility & profit of other. Therefore while I live shall I be ready at all times by the help of GOD gladly to impart to other what so ever God hath vouched safe to give to me either in goods spiritual or corporal. But I pray you mark diligently, for now beginneth our Potation. CHRI. Our LORD GOD mought give us understanding in all things, and so at this two. Tim. two. time watch upon his word, that it jere. i. may not return again in vain, Esa. xliii. but prosper & bring forth fruit in us rytchly, to the glory of his name, & the consolation of all our souls. EUSE. Amen. THEO. LORD let it so come to pass. ¶ Of Penance and the parts of it. PHILEMON. THis Latin word Peni What Penance is. tentia, called in the Greek tongue metanonia, which some turn Repentasice, some Penance, is as Hom. l●…x. De penitent. Chrisostome saith, not only to cease from the old evils but also to follow better offices. For it is said: Decline from evil & do good. Neither is it enough for us unto Psa. xxxiii health, saith he, only to have plucked out the shaft, except we also lay medicines to the wound. Of these words of the holy Doctor S. john Chrysostome, is it evident, who truly repenteth and who not. If not only a cessasion from the sin, but also a diligent exercise Math well of the virtue followeth the Penance than is it true & unfeigned. But if there be proved a continuance 〈◊〉 the sin, and no correction or amendment of life, than is it manifest that such one had never no true repentance in his heart. For S. Austen saith, what other Contr a 〈◊〉 iii. lib. 〈◊〉 thing is it to repent or to do Penance, than to be sorry for the sins paste, & from henseforthe to abstain from those things, which he hath committed. Again he saith, Ser. de 〈◊〉 lxvi. the fruit worthy of penance is to lament the sins being past, and not to do them again, as it is written, cast not sin upon sin. Be ye Ec. xxx●…. washed, saith the LORD by the Prophet Isaiah, & be ye clean. He therefore Esay. i. is washed and is clean, which both lamenteth the things paste, & doth not commit again those things, that are worthy to be lamented. Paul describeth the true Penance in these words: Put of saith he, the old man with his acts, & put ye on the new man. Here he appointeth Colo. iii: us not only to put of the old man, but also to put on the new man. Again he saith, fashion not yourselves like unto the manner of this world, but be ye chaundged by the renewing of your mind, whereby we are made a new creature, walking in the newness of life. Doth not our baptism also preach unto us this thing? We are buried together, Rom. vi. saith Paul, with Christ by Baptism unto death, that as Christ is risen again from the dead, so we likewise should walk in the newness of life. Thus have we learned both by the holy scriptures, & the ancient Doctors, what the true penance is. CRHI. We have learned of these your words that to do truly penance, is not only to abstain from the sin, but also to amplecte & enhalse the ver tue contrary to the sin. PHIL. Ye say truth. And this is it that the Prophet saith, cease to do evil, and Es●…. 〈◊〉. learn to do well. EUSE. So far as I remember, ye taught us the very same, or else not much unlike, in your Christmas Banckette. THEO. Yea forsooth, in the third dish. PHIL. It is truth that ye all say. Therefore need I now to make the fewer words concerning this matter, if ye retain those things in your me mory, which at that time I taught you. CHRI. We remember all those things well. 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. Psal. Here ye see that the love of righteousness goeth before the hatred of unrighteousness. The scripture saith of Mary Magdalene, ma Luk. seven. ny sins are forgiven her, because 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 multitude of her sins remitted & forgiven her. A christian man's 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. 〈◊〉. Oderunt peccare boni, virtutis 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 Ad bonifac lib. i. Ca ix sin 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 of it. Hereto pertaineth the saying of S. Ambrose, it is no true Penance In ●…ucam Tract. iiii. saith 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. EUSE. saying than that it is necessary first entirely to love virtue before we can unfeignedly hate the vice, I beseech the Author of all goodness to engraft in us this love, that we enhalsing virtue, may the more easily eschew vice. CHRI. Me think it is an hard thing for a man to love virtue so, that for the love of that on lie, he should abstain from sin. For there be many, which would never cease to do evil, as their daily conversation proveth, if they did not more fere the punishment of this world & the most grievous pains of hell fire, than they desire or covet the favour of God & the glory of heaven. PHIL. Truth it is that ye say. Such have not in them the true Penance. THEO. What is than to be done? How may we come by & get such penance that may set such a brenning love in our hearts towards virtue, that for the very love of it, we may freely hate vice, & cease to do evil. PHIL. It 〈◊〉. Cor. two. is hard for a natural man which understandeth not those things the pertain to the spirit of God to do this of his own strength & power. For true Penance is the gift True Penance is gift of God. jaco. i. of God. Every good gift and every perfect gift cometh from above, descending from the father of light. S. Ambrose saith: Those are good In 〈◊〉 lib. r. Ang. lib. i. cont. Pela gi'. et Cel. de great. Christi. tears, which wash away the fault. Moreover they, whom God beholdeth, lament their offence. Peter denied first, and he wept not. For the the LORD had not looked upon him. He denied the second time, & wept not. For the LORD did not yet look upon him. He denied the third time jesus looked upon him, & he wept very bitterly. Let them read the Gospel, & see that the LORD jesus Mat, xxvi●… was than within when he was heard of the high priests, and that the Apostle Peter was without & beneath in the haul, sometime sitting, sometime standing at the fire with the servants, as it is declared with a very true & concordant telling of the Evangelists. In consideration No●… whereof, it can not be said that the LORD did look on him with his cor porall eyes by admonishing him visibly. And therefore as concerning that which is written there, the LORD did look upon him, it was done inwardly, it was done in the mind, it was done in the will. The LORD did help him with his mercy secret lie. He toweched the heart. He called again the memory. He visited Peter with his inward grace. He moved & brought forth the affect of the inward man even unto outward tears. Behold how God is present Philip. two. & helpeth our wills & deeds. Behold how he worketh in us both the will and the deed. That true Penance is the gift of God, it is also manifest by these words of the Apostle, it becometh two. Tim. two. the servant of the LORD not to strive but to be peaceable unto all men and apt to teach, & one that can suffer the evil in meekness, & can inform them that resist, if that God at any time will give them repentance for to know the truth, that they may come to themselves again out of the snare of the devil, which are taken of him at his own will. CHRI. saying than that the true & unfeigned Penance is the gift of God, how is it possible for us to obtain it? EUSE. This is a necessary thing to be known. PHIL. verily How we may come by true penance. by fervent & continual prayer may ye easily obtain this thing at the hand of God. Ask & have, saith he. Seek & ye shall find. Knock and it Math. vii●… Luke. x. xi. shallbe opened unto you. God undou tedly will not fail to give them a good spirit, that ask it of him, that the y may unfeignedly repent, love righteousness and hate unrighteousness. Pray with the Prophet jeremy. jere. iii. Turn me O LORD, & I shall be turned. For thou art the LORD my God, & after thou haste turned me, I repented. Again, heal thou jere. xvii. me, O LORD, & I shallbe healed, save thou me & I shallbe safe, for thou art my praise. If we will pray thus, God undoubtedly will grant us our petitions, and give us all good things. If we will cawl, he is ready to come. Yea he standeth & knocketh Apoca. iii, at the door, so that if any man will open the gate, he will enter into him, and sup with him, and he with him. What would we have more? If we i Timo. two. therefore perish, the fault is in ourselves, & not in God, which willeth all men to be saved & to come to the knowledge of the truth. THEO. God give us all grace to pray aright, truly to repent, fervently to love virtue, that unfeignedly we may hate vice. EUSE. So be it. CHRI. LORD let it so come to pass. PHIL. I have What hitherto is taught. now taught you, what Penance is, how it ought to be done, of whom we should alke grace truly to repent, & how it may be obtained. EUSE. We remember all these things right well. PHIL. what need I declare unto Search 〈◊〉 Banquet. you of what virtue, puissance, strength, power & efficacy, this most holy Sacrament of penance is, seeing that I have already spoken of it suffi ciently in the third dish of my Banquet. THEO. I remember well that ye taught us there, that there is no sin in the world that doth not give place to the virtue of Penance. PHIL. Ye say truth. EUSE. Yet I have herd, that some men now of late have risen up, which deny this thing, and affirm plainly, that such as fall into sin again after they be baptized & have put on Christ, can by no means be forgiven neither doth this Sacrament of penasice avail any thing to the remission of their sins. THEO. O detestable heresy. PHIL. Yea O thrice detestable heresy. This is no new heresy. For it be 'gan about the year of our LORD, CC. xlix. & was first brought up of two famous Heretics, called Novatus & Catharus. For at the time did the holy martyr S. Cyprian Lib. ep. iii●… ep. two. write against the novatians, as we may see in his works. Ambrose Lib. two. de pe n●…ten. ca two. also, which lived in the year of our LORD. CCClxxx. did write against the favourers of that sect. So like wise did Fulgentius, which lived De vera peniten. in the year of our LORD. vC. besides divers other Of these two Novatus & Catarus ensued no small swarms of Heretics, which sins that time have maintained this abominable Heresy, and in these our days, the Catabaptistes renewed it The Cata baptistes. again to the great perturbation of the Christian public weal, & much hindrance of Christ's Gospel. THEO God forbid that any man should assent to this their wicked opinion seeing it doth not only fill hell with the souls of them that maintain this abomination, but also manifestly fight with gods most holy word PHIL. Ye say truth. Although if I had leisure, it were but a trifle to confute this their wicked heresy, with all the other that they maintain, yet will I for the confirmation of your consciences rehearse certain Scriptures, which shall utterly refel their wicked opinion of denying remission & forgiveness of sins to sinners. God saith by his Prophet these words: If the wicked shall repent Eze. xviii. him & turn from all his sins, which he hath wrought, & shall keep all my precepts, and do judgement & righteousness, he shall live and shall not die. I will not remember all his iniquities, which he hath wrought. In his righteousness which he hath wrought, shall he live. Is it my will, saith y● LORD God, that the wicked should die, & not ra theridamas that he should turn from his ways & live? Again in that same Chapter, turn & repent ye from all your iniquities, & your iniquity shall work you no displeasure. Cast away from you all your wickednesses, wherein ye have offended, & make you a new heart & a new spirit: & wherefore will ye die O ye house of Israel? For I will not that any man should die saith the LORD god. Return and live. Also by another prophet he saith, Return, O thou rebel Israel, jere. iii. saith the LORD, and I will not turn away my face from you, for I am holy, saith the LORD, and I will not be angry for evermore. Again in another place the Prophet 〈◊〉. 〈◊〉. saith, turn to the LORD your God, for he is gentle & merciful, patient & of much gentleness, & ready to forgive his malice. Do not all these sentences prove manifestli the gods lieth bend out for all manner of sinners at all times, if they repent & turn? CHRI. I marvel how they could find in their hearts to establish such heretical doctrine, seeing they fight so evidently with the divine scriptures. EUSE. They refuse the authority of the old Testament, & only cleave to the new. PHIL. I know that right well, yet is the old Testament of never the less authority therefore. THEO. They gather their sinistral opinion, as I hear say, of S. Paul to the hebrews, Heb. vi. where he saith, it is not possible that they●…, which were once lightened & have tasted the heavenly gift, and were partakers of the holy Ghost, & have tasted the good word of God, & the virtues of the world to come, if they do fall, could be renewed again by Penance. Again, if we sin willingly after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin Heb. x. nes, but a fearful looking for judgement & violent fire, which shall destroy the adversaries philip These texts sta blysshe nothing their opinion, but rather manifestly condemn it. As Math●… well. touching the first sentence of Paul S. Ambrose understandeth it not of Penance, but of Baptism. The In Heb. cap. vi. renovation or renewing, saith he, by the fonntayne of holy Baptism can not be made the second time. To be renewed, he said that is, to be made new. For it is the office of holy baptism to make a man new. And a little after he saith, as Christ died once on the cross as concerning the flesh, so do we die once in Baptism, not in flesh but in sin. And as he can not die again, so can not we be baptized again, except peradventure with the tears of Penance. not with the regeneration of the foun ta'en. What than wilt thou say, is there no Penance? There is Note. Penance verily, but not another baptism. There is undoubtedly Penance & it hath much virtue and strength, yea even for him also, that is very much drowned in sin. Thus see you that they that sin after Baptism, can not be made a new by Baptism (for that is no more reiterated) yet is not here Penance denied unto them, but sin they never so greatly, yet if they repent & turn to our LORD God. they shall surely find mercy and be saved. And as concerning the second text saint Ambrose upon the same In Heb: cap: x. place saith, that Christ died once for our sins, & shall no more for them be offered. For with one oblation hath he made them perfect for evermore, that are sanctified. Thou art made clean, thou art free from sins, y● art made the son of God. If thou returnest to thy first vomit, another judgement tarrieth for thee, except thou be renewed by Penance. Therefore let every one, while he hath time, fly unto the medicine of Penance, unless he be committed unto everlasting fire. These words declare openly, that so oft as we repent and turn, so oft shall we be forgiven. Only we ought not to look for another Sacrifice. For Christ already hath suffered once for all. Do ye not perceive now, how greatly both the old Heretics, & also these their new Apes, be deceived? EUSE. Yies verily. THEO. It is easy to perceive for him that looketh upon the texts with a single eye, & with an uncorrupted heart. But I pray you rehearse some texts of the new Testament, that may evidently show that they which sin after Baptism, may be renewed by the holy Sacrament of Penance, & that god's mercy is ready for them, when so ever they repent & turn. PHIL. That sinners may receive remission of their sins though they sin after they have known the truth, & are baptized, it is manifest by divers places of the new Testament, who doubteth but that Peter was both baptized and knew the truth, when he confessed Christ to be the son of the living God? THEO. No man. For Christ said Math. xvi unto him, thou art blessed, Simon. flesh & blood have not showed this unto thee, but my father which is in heaven. PHIL. Very well. Yet did he Mat. xxvi●… fall again after that, when he denied Christ. EUSE. Ye say truth. PHIL. Did not he afterward, when he repented, obtain mercy at the hand of God? CHRI. No man will deny that, I am sure. PHIL. Very well. Hereof doth it follow, that remission of sins is not denied unto sinners, if they repent & believe. Again, did 〈◊〉. Cor. 〈◊〉. not one among the Corinthians after he was baptized, commit a grievous and detestable offence, in as much that he was excommunicate & put out of the christian congregation? and yet when he repented, was two. Cor. two. he not received again among the faithful? If his sin had been irremissible & could not have been for given by no means, would Saint Paul have commanded, that he should have been taken again into the company of the Christianes'? EUSE. It is to be thought nay. PHIL. Ye may be sure, he would not. S. john also 〈◊〉. joan. two. saith, my little children, these things have I written to you, that ye should not sin. But if any man shall sin, we have an advocate with God the father jesus Christ the one. Is not the lost son received, when he repenteth, Luke. xv. knowledgeth his fault, & cometh home again? Is not the wandering sheep fetched home again upon shoulders? Is not the wounded man cured and Luke. x. made whole? Doth not Christ day lie cry, come unto me all ye that labour Math. xi. & are laden, & I shall refresh you Came not Christ to call sinners to Math. ix. repentance? Is not Christ a perpetual saviour? THEO. O most sweet & comfortable sayings. PHIL. these authorities utterly condemn the opinion of the aforesaid Heretics, & set for the highly the blessed Sacrament of Penance unto the great consolation & comfort of all faithful & penitent sinners. Therefore let us run to this Sacrament as unto a strong Bulwark and sure asyle. Let us fly unto it as unto an holy Anckere. Let us delight in it, as in an haven of health. Let us not despair, but believe with a sure faith, that if we unfeignedly repent and turn unto God, desiring mercies for jesus Christ's sake, he will sure lie remit our iniquity, and take us again unto his favour. CHRI. Bless sed be God for it. PHIL. I have spoken sufficiently for this time of Penance. I will now declare some what of the parts thereof to you. For they are also necessary to be known. EUSE. I pray you let it be so. ¶ Of Contrition. PHILEMON. PPenaunce consisteth in The two parts of Contrition. three parts, Contrition, Confession, & Satisfaction or amendment of life. first as concerning Contrition, ye shall understand that it consisteth in two special parts, which must always be conjoined together, & can not be dissevered. THEO I pray you, what are they? PHIL. The first is, a very sorrow or mourning of the heart for the sins committed against the will of GOD. The second is a constant faith, to believe that be the sins never so great & manifold, yet if we repent & ask mercy, God the father will, not for the worthiness of any merit or work done by us, but for the only merits of the blood and passion of our saviour jesus Christ, undou tedly forgive us our sins, repute us justified & of the number of his elect children. The contrition of such a penitent sinner pleaseth God great lie, yea it is an acceptable Sacrifice unto him, as David saith, a Psal. l: Sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit, a contrite and humble heart God will not despise. God saith S. Austen, De civi. de●… lib. x. ca iii●… will not the sacrifice of a slain beast, but of a slain heart. An heart that is humbled with the knowledge of the filthiness & abomination of her own sins, & slain with the fear of God, and yet trusteth in the most comfortable promises of God the father, made unto us in Christ's most blessed blood, thirsting for strength to do the will of God, can none otherwise but have God merciful unto her. God filleth them that Luke. 〈◊〉. are hungry with good things, saith the most glorious virgin, but he letteth go the rich empty. God resisteth i Pet. v. the proud, but to the humble he giveth grace. Blessed are they that Math. v, hunger & thirst after righteousness, for they shallbe filled. Who ever hath ●…rue Contrition dry ●…ethaway both presumption & ●…espetaciō this godly contrition in him, can neither presume nor yet despair. For if he be unfeignedly contrite and sorrowful for his sins, he must ne des grant himself to be sinful, miserable, void of all goodness, bend unto evil, prone to naughtiness, which thing utterly subdueth pray sumption & engraffethe in the heart submission, obedience & humility of mind. Again, if he be truly contrite, be his sins never so great & innumerable, yet casteth he his eyes on God's mercy, set forth to all penitent sinners in Christ jesus, that will lay hand on it with a sure and undoubted saith, which likewise maketh him, that by no means he can despair. For though his sins be great, yet he knoweth that the mercy of God is greater, & therefore can not his sin condemn him. Why is Christ called a Physician, but because he is able to heal sinners? If De Peniad venan. our Physician be wise, saith Flugentius, than can he heal all infirmities. If our God be merciful, than can he forgive all sins. For there is no perfect goodness, of whom all enough tynes is not overcome. There is no perfect medicine, to whom any does ease is found incurable. Thus see we, that where perfect contrition is, there is neither presumption nor desperation. EUSE. I pray you, how may we come by this true & perfect contrition? How we may come by 〈◊〉 true 〈◊〉 ●…fect contrition. Rom. x. The scripture divided into two parts. PHIL. verily by the word of God. For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Ye shall note that the holy scripture is divided into two parts, that is to say, the law & the promises, the knowledge whereof is right necessary for the obtaining of true & perfect Contrition. Ye know that Mark this similitude. a man's face shallbe long defiled, spotted & deformed before he shall per ceive it, except it be either told him of other, or else that he himself seeth it evidently in some mirror or glass. Semblably, the soul of a christian man shall be spotted with sin a great space, before he perceiveth it, and be truly contrite & sorry for it, except it be either told him of other by declaring the law of God to him. or else he himself looketh in the glass of truth, which is the law of God, & by that means perceiveth his own deformity, misery and wretchedness. For by the law cometh the knowledge Roma. iii. Prover. vi of sin. The commandment is a lantern, and the law is a light & way of the life, saith Solomon. Da vid also saith, O LORD thy word Psa 〈◊〉 is a lantern to my feet, & a light to my pathways. So that the next 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…sson. way to have the knowledge of our sins, whereby we should be moved to be contrite & sorrowful in our hearts for our wickednesses & offences, & to stand in fear of God's rygh teousnes, is ever to have the law of God before our eyes. I have hidden Psal. 〈◊〉 thy speeches in my heart, saith David, that I may not offend the. CHRI. Now I pray you, how shall we do concerning the second part of Contrition. PHIL. When ye are unfeignedly stricken with this Contrition, so that your hearts do truly fear the justice of God, & ye abhor sin even to the uttermost of your power, longing greatly for strength to do the will of God that ye may walk innocently before the eyes of the divine majesty, than for the consolation of your consciences, and the rejoicing of your hearts, ought ye to consider the most sweet, most joyful, most comfortable promises of God, made to us freely in Christ's most precious blood. Now to put Mark 〈◊〉, away desperation, doth convenient time require, that ye cleave steadfastly with all main to the promises, which lay forth God's mercy before your●… eyes. Therefore look where so ever ye hear or see any comfortable promise of God in the holy scriptures, that declareth mercy to penitent sinners, believe without doubting, that that pertaineth unfeignedly to you. When so ever ye hear or read that Christ is a saviour, straight ways lay hand on that, & believe that he also is your saviour. When the scripture i Tim. i. joel. two. Actum. two. Roma. x. shall say to you, jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, & every one that calleth on the name of the LORD shall be saved, believe you straight ways, that ye are of that number which shall be saved by Christ. When the scripture shall say, God will not the death of any sinner, but rather that he turn & live, believe Eze. xviii. you straightways, that God's plea sure is, ye should be saved, if ye return to him with a contrite & faith full heart, and so live with him for evermore in the celestial glory, Except Mark 〈◊〉 bear 〈◊〉 wa●…e. ye have this faith also annexed with your sorrow, verily as your contrition is imperfect, so is it able to cast you into desperation. Again, to have a faith that God will forgive you your sins, & not to be sory for your offences, nor to stand in fear of God's indignation for transgressing his most holy law, nor to hunger & thirst after righteousness, verily as your contrition is imperfect, so is it the right way to lead you to presumption. Neither desperation nor presumption ought to be in the heart of any christian man, but a penitent & sorrowful mind erected & lifted up with faith. For S. Austen De vera 〈◊〉 falsa peniten. cap. two. saith, if faith be the foundation of penance, without the which there is nothing that good is, verily that penance ought to be desired, which it is evident to be grounded on faith. For a good tree can not bring forth evil fruits. Therefore that penance which proceedeth not of faith, is unprofitable. For we must believe that remedy is granted to penance of our saviour. Fulgentius also saith, De penit●…. ad venant. judas that betrayed Christ, repented him of his sin, but he lost health & salvation, because he trusted not to be forgiven. He repented worth lie in deed because he sinned betraying the righteous blood, but he therefore lost the fruit of his repentance, because that he did not trust that the sin of his betraying should be washed away with his blood, whom he betrayed. Thus see you how necessary faith is unto a contrite heart, & how that without that, it is not possible for any penitent sinner to receive remission of his sins, as divers manifest texts & Histories of the holy scripture do evidently prove & show. THEO. You taught us this thing abundantly before in the third dish of your Banquet, neither have we forgotten it. PHIL. I am glad of it. Therefore will I now tarry no longer about this matter, but ma●…e hast to the second part of Penance which is Confession. EUSE. I pray you heartily, let it so be. ¶ Of Confession. PHILEMON. AFter that ye have conceived in your hearts such true & perfect Contrition, as I have hitherto painted, than doth it follow in right & due order, which is Confession. It is requisite that a christen man be not only sorry for his offences committed against God, but also that he knoweledgeth and confesseth his sin. For the scripture saith, Math 〈◊〉 Ma●…e. 〈◊〉. Luke. 〈◊〉. that they which came to be baptized of john, confessed their sins. Likewise read we in the Acts of the Actum. nineteen. Apostles. But in asmuch as the scripture teacheth gardeners kinds of confession, therefore will I here somewhat touch them all. first the chief & most principal The confes●… of faith Confession, is the Confession of our faith, wherein we confess unfeignedly, whatsoever the holy scriptures teach of God. This confession is so necessary, that without it no man can be saved. No manacing words, no imprisonment, no chenes, no fetters, no sword, no faggot, no fire ought to pluck us from this Confession. No tyranny ought so to be feared, the God & his truth should not be confessed. For every one, saith Chryst, the Math. x. Mat. viii. Luke. xii. shall confess me before men, I shall also confess him before my father which is in heaven. But he that shall deny me before men, I shall deny him also before my father, which is in heaven. Of this Confession S. Paul saith, with the heart it is believed unto Roma. 〈◊〉 righteousness, but with the mouth confession is made to salvation. Also S. i joan. 〈◊〉 john. Hereby shall ye know the spy rite of God. For every spirit that confesseth that jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God. And every spy rite which confesseth not that jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of god. And this is that spirit of An techrist, of whom ye have herd, how that he should come, & now already is he in the world. But in asmuch as this confession is not that part of Penance, whereof we do now entreat, I will omit it at this present. Another kind of Confession is, The Confession of sins unto God. which pertaineth more nearly to our matter, for to confess our sin unto God, whom we have offended. without this confession our Penance availeth but little, as we may perceive by divers places of the scripture. For though all things are open to the eyes of God, & nothing can be Heb. iiii. hid from him, so that he knoweth all things, yet will he that we humbly confess & knowledge our sins unto him, that by this means we may make him the more merciful unto us. We read that a certain blind Luke. xviii man cried unto Christ, saying: jesus the son of David have mercy upon me, Christ did know full well wherefore he called on him, yet not with standing he said, what wilt thou that I do unto thee? LORD said he, that I may receive my sight. Christ demanded this thing of him, by cause he would have him confess his infirmity & blindness. So is it convenient for us, if we will receive our sight, to confess our blindness. S. john say thee, If we confess our 〈◊〉. joan. i. sins, God is faithful & righteous to forgive us our sins, & to make us clean from all our unrighteousness. If we say, we have not sinned, we make him a liar, & his word is not in us. David also saith, I have Psal. xxx●… made my trespass known unto thee, & mine unrighteousness have I not hidden. I said, I will confess my unrighteousness to the LORD, and thou hast forgiven the ungodliness of my sin. This confession followeth a true repentant & contrite heart. The Prophet Daniel confesseth his Daniel. ix, sin on this manner, we have sinned, we have done unrighteousness, we have wrought wickedly, we have gone away & declined from thy commandments & judgements. Also Eldras, I and the house of my father two. Esd. i. have sinned, we were seduced with vanity, & have not kept thy commandments. Likewise David, two. Reg. xii. when the Prophet Nathan at that commandment of God, rebuked him for his adultery & manslaughter, confessed his sin, & said, I have sinned unto the LORD. Again, O God. I have sinned to the alone, & evil be fore the have I done. The Publican Luke. xviii also made his confession on this manner, O God be thou merciful to me a sinner. This kind of Confession ought every christian man daily and hourly to make unto God, so oft as he is brought unto the knowledge of his sin. Another kind of Confession is to The confession of sins to our neighbour. jacob. v. knowledge & confess our sins to them, whom we have offended. Of this speaketh S. james, saying, your sins one to another. Al so Christ, if thou shalt offer thy gift Math. v. at the Altar, & there dost remember, that thy brother have any thing against thee, leave thy gift there before the Altar, & go thy way, and be first reconciled to thy brother, & than come on thy way, & offer thy gift. This Confession, whereby we are reconciled one to another, & con joined in mutual amity, is so necessary, that without it, the other pro fit & avail little before God. There is another confession, which is public & open, & this is, when The publ●… que confes sion. we knowledge & confess our sins openly before the congregation, as the manner was in the primitive church. Of this confession speaketh Christ: If thy brother trespass against Mat. xviii, thee, go & tell him his fault between the & him alone. If he thee, thou haste won thy brother. But if he heareth the not, than take yet one or two with thee, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. If he heareth not than, tell it to the congregation. If he heareth not the congregation, hold him as an He then and Publican. All these kinds of confession are abundantly fortressed & approved by the holy scriptures. THEO. But we hear nothing all this while of auricular confession, which is chiefly used among us at this time. EUSE. Of this we would be glad to hear. CHRI. I pray you express your mind concerning this kind Of Ariculare confess sion. of Confession also. For some approve it, some again condenne it. PHI. Why aricular Confession should be condemned & exiled from the bounds of Christianity I see no cause, but that it should be approved, retained, maintained & used, I find causes many, yea and those right urgent and necessary. CHRI. Much absurdity & wickedness hath both been conspired, learned, practised, & done in this auricular Confession, as histories make mention, neither want we experience of this thing. PHIL. I can not deny these things to be true. There is no thing so good and of so great excellency, but it may be abused. The abuse thereof is to be Note. taken away, and not the thing it self. That Confession hath be●… great lie abused, it can not be denied, as many other things in the church have been also, yet ought it not there fore to be rejected & cast away, but rather restored to the old purity & to the use, for the which it was first instituted. And so shall it not only not hurt, but also profit very highly, & bring much utility and profit to the christian congregation. THEO. This thing shall never come to pass, except they that sit on confession be men of gravity, sagaci te, wisdom, discretion, sobriety, integrite, & able to teach, istruct and inform with all godly doctrine. EUSE. Me think it an extreme point of madness for a man, y●… his body be diseased, to hunt, inquire and seek about for a sober, wise, mark this Similitude. prudent & cunning Physician, that may cure & heal it, & to be so negligent in those things that pertain to his soul. For many care not to what pressed they go unto, be he or unlearned, wise or foolish, more dost or light, of good conversation or of naughty living, so that to sa tisfy the custom they come to one, & receive their absolution, and go away never the better instructed nor with the more penitent hearts. CHRI. This is a great abusion. PHIL. Ye say truth. Therefore were What mā●…er of men they ought to ve, that should be Curates. it convenient, the they, which should be appointed to be Curates & over sears of the Christian people, into whose hands the whose life & care of Christ's flock is committed, should be of such sort, as S. Paul descri 〈◊〉. Tim. iii. Titus. i. beth in his Epistles to Timothe & Titus, that is to say, irreprehensible, faultless, sober, discrete, righteous, holy, temperate, apt to teach, & such one as cleaveth unto the true word of doctrine, that he may be able to exhort with wholesome learning, and to improve them that speak against it. For this cause Levi. xxii did God command in the old Testament that they should not be chosen to be priests for to minister to him, which had any blemish on them whither they were, blind, lame, with an evil favoured nose, with any misshapen member, or that have a broken foot or hand, croak backed, or any blemish in their eyes. etc. What meant God by this perfection of the priests Note well, members, but only to show that he which should serve him, & give attendance on his flock, should be whole & sound in all kind of virtue & godliness, not corrupt nor the with any iniquity, & uncleanness A pressed aught to have no blemish on him, that is to say, he ought to be pure both in his doctrine & conversation. CHRI. God grant us once such Curates, that may rule among us with such integrity of life & sincerity of doctrine, as is required of them in the holy scriptures. EUSE. If this might be brought to pass, than should the gospel of Christ flourish, and the flock of ●…t. xx. Christ, whom he purchased with his most precious blood, be better looked upon & fed, than they are now a days. PHIL. Truth it is. But I pray you mark, what I shall now say unto you, concerning this Auriculare Confession. That Auriculare Confession is a thing of much weight, & grave importance it appeareth well, in as much as it bringeth to men divers ample commodities & large profits THEO. I pray you, what are those. PHI. first igraffeth i us a certain The commo ditties that ensue of auricular Confession hunilite, submission & lowliness of mid & depresseth all arrogancy and pride, while we humbly are contented to confess to our ghostly fathers such offences, as wherewith we have offended God, Secondly it incuteth and beateth into our hearts a shame fastness, whereby we are so ashamed of our faults heretofore committed, that we utterly abhor them, & are wholly inflamed with the love of virtue. Thirdly, it bringeth us to the knowledge of ourselves, while we hear those things of the priest, that are necessary to be known of every christian man. Fourthly in confession we do not only learn to know how heinous & detestable a thing sin is before God, but also means & ways to eschew it. How many, think you, are there, which if this auricular confession were taken away, would not care how they lived, neither would their guard any part of Christ's doctrine, but live like bruit beasts with out any fear of God at all, or study of innocency, wallowing and tumbling themselves daily in sin, not once having a respect unto the correction of their old & wicked manners. fifthly if we be in doubt of any thing, in confessi on we may learn the assurance & certente of it. sixthly in confession the ignorant is brought unto knowledge▪ the blind unto sight, the desperate unto salvation, the presumptuous unto humility, the troubled unto qu●…ernes, the sorrow full unto joy, the sick unto health, the dead to life. What need I make many words? Confession bringeth high trāqui●…tte to the troubled conscience of a christian man, while the most comfortable words of Absolution are rehearsed unto him by the priest. EUSE. I pray you, what is that ab solution. PHIL. verily a free What ab Colution is. deliverance from all your sins thorough Christ's blood. How say you is here any thing to be condemned in Auriculare Confession. CHRI. No verily, all things that you have rehearsed, are rather worthy high praise & commendation. PHIL. It is attributed & given us even of nature to communicate unto other the secrets of our hearts concerning mundane & woridly things, whither they be of joy or sadness, and till we have so done, we are never in rest EUSE. You say truth. PHIL. Why should we than not be ready to do so likewise in spiritual affairs, & things pertaining unto the salvation of our souls, except per ad venture we be enemies of our own health. What is sweeter & more pleasant, saith Cicero, than to have Libro de 〈◊〉. such one, with whom thou darest be bold so to speak all things, as with thyself? A man having a learned wise, discrete, silent, close, & faith full ghostly father, which loveth the penitent, no less than a natural fa there doth his child, why should he fear to declare unto him the secrets of hts heart, which is ready to con fort, to instruct, to counsel, to tech, and to do all things that should make unto his consolation & health. The Prophet Malachy saith, the Mala. two. lips of a pressed keep knowledge, and men shall seek the law at his mouth. For he is a messenger of the LORD of hosts. If this aught to be done at all times, when have we a more convenient & fit time to do it, than in the time of Confession, when we may freely talk to our spiritual fathers, what soever pleaseth us? EUSE. It is truth that ye say. But what if such a ghostly fa there doth not chastses, as ye have does cribed heretofore. PHIL. verily ye ought alway to resort to the best learned men, & to seek for such ghost lie fathers, as both will and can in structe and teach you the law of God. But let it so be, that your Cum rate be not of the greatest learned men, yet is he to much simple, if he can bring out of his treasure-house things neither new nor old, seeing that the holy scriptures are so Mat. xiii. plenteously set forth in our English tongue, that even the very idiot may now become learned in the kingdom of God. At the least, this commodity shall ye enjoy at his hand, even the benefit of Absolution. Therefore to make few words An exhortation to go to Confession. concerning this matter, disdain ye not to go to confession at the times appointed according to the ordinance of the holy church, and the Act of our most excellent king, yea and that with all humble & reverence. Declare the diseases of your souls unfeignedly, that ye may be healed with the most sweet and comfortable salve of Absolution Follow the godly & wholesome ad monitions of your ghostly father Go unto him with such an hatred & detestation of sin, that ye may return from him with hearts all together inflamed with the perfit love of virtue, innocency, & true godliness, being full fixed never to return 〈◊〉. Pet. two unto your old vomit and wallowing in the mire. And when he shall rehearse unto you the most earnest faith must be given to y● word●… o●… absolution. sweet & comfortable words of Absolution, give earnest faith unto them, being undoubtedly persuaded, that your sins at that time be assuredly forgiven you, as though God himself had spoken them, according to this saying of Christ: He that heareth you, heareth me. Mat. x. ●…uk x. joan. xx Again, Whose sins ye forgive, are forgiven them. This have I spoken concerning Auriculare confession. THEO. Very godly forsooth. EUSE. What remaineth now. CHRI, Ye promised con sequently to entreat of Satisfaction or amendment of life. PHIL. Ye say truth. Of that matter therefore will I now entreat. ¶ Of Satisfaction or amend meant of life. AS touching this word Satisfaction, which hath so long been retained in the church of Christ, we must & believe undoubtedly, that christ alone is the omnisufficient satisfaction for all our sins unto God the father, by the sprynkeling and effusion of his most precious blood 〈◊〉. Pet. 〈◊〉 which abideth & lasteth for ever so perfect, that he is able at all times to save them, that are sanctified with Heb. 〈◊〉 that one & omnisufficient oblation & Sacrifice of his most blessed body on the Altar of the Cross, and that not only from the fault, but also from the pain due and belonging unto the fault. Behold that lamb of God, saith S, john Bap joan. i. tist, which taketh away the sin of the world. S. john the Euangeliographe 〈◊〉. joan. 〈◊〉. saith also: The blood of jesus Christ Gods own son, maketh us clean from all sin. Again, if any man sin, we have joan. 〈◊〉. an advocate with God the father, jesus Christ that righteous one, And he is the satisfaction for our sins, not for our sins only, but also for all the whole world. By the Rom. v. death of Christ are we reconciled to the father. Christ is our wisdom i Cor. 〈◊〉. Ephe. 〈◊〉. sanctification, righteousness & redemption. Christ is our peace. By the blood of Christ have we remission of our sins. By Christ are all things reconciled to God, and Colo. 〈◊〉. Esa. 〈◊〉. by Christ's blood are all things pacified & set at a stay both in heaven & in earth. Christ was broken for our sins. Christ bore our sins on his body upon the tree, by whose stripes we are made hole. i Pet. two. i joan. two. Our sins are forgiven us for Christ's name. All the Prophets bear witness, that thorough the name of Christ, every one that believeth on him, shall receive remission of his sins. Thus see we that there Act. x. is no satisfaction perfect & sufficient to God the father for our sins, but only the death of Christ so that we may well say with the Apostle God forbid, that we should rejoice in ●…ala. vi. Note for whose sins the death of Christ i●… a satisfaction. any thing, but in the death of our LORD jesus Christ. Who so ever repenteth him of his sins from the very heart, & is sorry for them, lamenteth his misery, hungereth for strength to do the will of God, know ledgeth his offences, laboureth with all main to walk in a new life, needeth not to doubt, but that Christ by his death hath abundantly satisfied to God the father for his sins. CHRI. Is there no more behind concerning satisfaction. PHIL. Yies verily. After ye have repent you of your wickedness, ye must than amend your life, & bring forth fruits worthy of Penance, as the Mat. iii. scripture commandeth. Ye must practise in your living all godliness & innocency. Fasting, prayer and alms must diligently be exercised of you in your daily conversation. Psa. l●…xxiii Rom. i. Ephe. v. Ye must go from virtue to ver tue, & from faith to faith. As ye have walked before in darkness, so must ye walk now in light. Your whole life must now be nothing else, than a perfect meditation of purity and innocency. Except ye labour to do this, surely ye have no part of Christ, neither is the death of Christ a satisfaction for your sins, but the joan. iii. wrath of God abideth still upon you. God hath blessed you in christ jesus, that every one of you should turn away from his wickednesses as the scripture saith. God hath Act. iii. i. Thes. iiii. not called us, saith S. Paul, unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification and holiness. These things once done, than remaineth A satisfaction to our neighbour. there a true & pepfecte satisfaction to our neighbour, whom we have offended or hurt either in word or deed. For a satisfaction or amends must needs be made to our neighbour, or else we walk not after the order of charity, nor according Mat. seven. Luke. 〈◊〉. to the law of nature, which commandeth every man to do to another, as he would other should do to him. Therefore God in the old law commanded that if any m●… did steal from his neighbour an ox or a sheep, he should restore and give him again five ox's for an Exo. x●… ox, & four sheep for one sheep. We read also in the Gospel of Luke, that Zacheus said unto Christ: behold Luke. xix●… LORD I give half my goods to the poor people, & if I have deceived any man of any thing, I give him four times asmuch again for it. These things declare manifest lie, that we are bound to make satisfaction to our neighbour, in what soever things we have hurt them. THEO. What, if we be not able, shall we then lose the heritage of the king doom of heaven? PHIL. God forbid Note well For than should all they that die for theft, & many other be damned. But this I say unto you, if we be able by any means to make satisfaction to them, whom we have offended, hidered or hurt, we ought without doubt to do it. But if it so be, that by no wise we are able, than ought we to come to them, whom we have offended, & desire them for Christ's sake to forgive us. And they again ought, if they will be forgiven of God, to remit & for give their offenders. CHRI. This is very godly spoken. PHIL. Hither to have I talked with you of the holy Sacrament of Penance, of Con trition, Confession, & Satisfaction according to the vain of the holy scriptures & the mind of the ancient Doctors. EUSE. We remember all these things well, and we thank you right heartily for them. THEO. Neighbour Philemon, ye promised also to speak somewhat of fasting, which is very necessary for this present time. PHIL. Ye say truth, & according to my promise I will now entreat of it. ¶ Of Fasting. TO tarry long in the encomy & praise of fasting, as it were but a vain thing so doth not the scarceness of time suffer it. How can it any otherwise than be a thing of high excellency & much virtue, saying that God himself was the first institutor & Author of it, prescribing Gen. two. it unto our prime parent Adam in Paradyse, which if he had observed, none of us all had fallen from that joyful state into this calamitous misery●…. Did not Moses fast forty days, that he might be ●…x. xxxiiii jud. xx. i. 〈◊〉. seven. xiii. three 〈◊〉. nineteen. made worthy to receive the Tables of the law? Did not the people of Israel many times fast when they had displeased God, to recover and win again his favour, and at divers other times? Did not Hell as also fast. xl. days? Did not josaphat two. Pa●…. xx command a solon fast to his people, Did not queen Hester with certain Hester. i●…i other jews fast three days & three nights, whenthere was a command meant given to destroy all the jews? Did not the king of the ninivites, when jonas threatened Io. two. iii: them subversion, command both man & beast, & all that ever dwelt in the City to fast? Did not Dani D●…n. ix●… ell many times fast, and neither i. Esd. 〈◊〉. Mat. ●…iii. Mat. iii. xi▪ Ac. i. xiiii. xxvii. eat nor drink? Did not Esdras so likewise? As I may pass over many of the old Testament, did not Christ the son of God in the new law fast forty days & forty night's? Did not john baptist give himself to much & continual fasting? Did not the Apostles after Christ's Affension fast? Is there not a certain kind of dyveltes, which is not cast out but by prayer Mat. ix▪ two. Cor. vi. xi. & fasting? Did not Paul fast oftentimes? Do not all these Histories declare that fasting is an excellent & very precious thing? Is not fasting one of the chief and principal works, which are requi red of a christian man in the holy scripture? Fasting, saith Basilius magnus Maketh layers wyttye. It is the Mat. vi. Ser. i. D●… jeiunio. best custody & keeping of the soul. It is the sure habitation and dwellynge of the body. It is a defence & armour to valiant men. It is an Behold what a precious thing fasting is. exercise to lusty Champions, & provers of masteries. It expelleth tentation. It is the unction of godliness. It is the familiarity of the fountain, the governor of pure lyvig. Fasting is the ornament of a City, the establishment of the judging place, the peace of houses, the health & preservation of household. As I may make short tale, thou shalt find that fasting hath made all the saints friends and neighbours unto God. Hitherto have I rehearsed the words of the famous Doctor Basilius silius. The blessed martyr S. Cyprian Set. De jeiunio. ●…t tent. Christi. also saith, with fasting the stinking pool of vices is dried up, wantonness withereth away, concupiscences and lusts decay, vain pleasures go away. With fasting the flame of the burning Ethna is quenched, & the furnace of the flammivomus vulcane quenched within, doth not burn the hills near unto it. Fasting, if it be governed with discretion, tame the all the rebellion & fierceness of the flesh, & spoileth & maketh weak the tyranny of gluttony. Fasting speareth up & encloseth as though it were in a narrow prison the extraordinary & unlawful motions, yea it holdeth straight and bindeth the wandering appetites. Fastig if it be garnished with humility maketh the servants of God despisers of the world. Fasting is fed with the deyntyes of the Scriptures, it is refreshed with contemplation, it is established with grace, it is nourished with celestial & heavenly bread. Th●…s see you also by the ancient Doctors, how precious a thing fasting is. Again ye see of how great virtue & strength it is, & how many commodities it bringeth to them that use & exercise it aright. Let these few things there fore suffice for this present, for the commendation & praise of fasting. CHRI. We perceive now right well that fasting is a thing of weigh ty importance. EUSE. verily me think that I can not approve nor allow the manners of those Gospelers, as they cawl themselves, which contemning all kind of god lie fasting, give themselves to glot tony & drunkenness, persuading themselves to be than best christian men, when they are furthest from christianity. THEO. Such gross gospelers have much hindered the prosperous progress of God's word. PHIL. True the it is that ye say. But I pray you be dili●…ent a little while to hear me, and I will teach you both what the true & christian fast is, and also how ye ought to fast. THEO. I pray you let it be so. EUSE. Speak on brother Phelemon, we hear you gladly. PHIL. The true Ser. 〈◊〉. De jeiunio. & christian faith, as Basilius magnus doth define, is not only to abstain from meats, but also to eschew evil things. Of this definition What Fasting i●…. do ye learn two things, that is to say, that the true & christian fast consisteth not only in the abstinence of meats, but also in the eschewing of evil. Therefore saith Hom. xv. i●… cap. vi. our golden mouthed Doctor, there is a spiritual and a corporal fast. The corporal fast is to abstain from meats. The spiritual fast is to abstain from sins. For as the flesh hath a pleasure in eating, so 〈◊〉: hath the spirit of the flesh a pleasure in sinning. In consideration whereof the wise men call every sin pleasure or lust, because we commit every sin with delectation & plea sure. Again he saith: He that abstaineth from meat, & not from evil works, he appeareth to fast, but yet he fasteth not in deed. For look Note. how much he fasteth unto men, so much doth he eat before God, seeing he goeth forth still to sin. In another place also he saith, I In Gen. i. Hom. ix. call fasting abstinence from vices. For the abstinence from meats is received for this purpose, that it should refrain the rigour & fierce Mark wherefore we abstain from meats. nes of the flesh, to make it obedient even as an horse is to his keeper. He that fasteth, must above all things refrain anger, learn mekenez & lenite, have a contrite heart, & that may repel & put aback unclean concupiscences & lusts, set before his eyes alway the eye of the everlasting judge, & the inpravable judging place, by his money to be made better & to have rule over it, to be liberal in giving alms, to admit & receive into his heart no evil against his neighbour, as Esay speaking in the person of God Esa. 〈◊〉. saith, have I choose this fast, saith the LORD? Though thou wriest about thy neck like a circle, & strowest under the sackeclothe & ashes, neither shall thy fast be so called acceptable, saith the LORD. What fast than, tell me? Loosen, saith he, the bonds of the wicked bargains break thy bread to the hungry, bring the poor man that hath no house into thy house. If thou dost these things, saith he, than shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall spring right shortly. Hast thou now seen (my well-beloved) what the true fast is? Let us look upon this fast, and let us not think, as many do, the fasting standeth in this point, if we continue without any dinner until it be night. Hitherto have I rehearsed the words of S. john Chrisostome, of whom we may easily learn, that the true & christian fast is not only to abstain from meat, but also from sin. But let In levit. Homel. x. cap. vi. us hear the minds of some other doctors, Origene saith wilt thou that I show unto thee, what fast thou oughtest to fast? Fast from evil deeds, abstain from evil words, refrain from evil thoughte●…, touch not the thevish breades of perverse doctrine. Covyt not, nor lust not after the deceivable meats of philosophy, that may seduce & turn the from the truth. Such a fast pleaseth God. S. Austen saith, the Ex ser●…●…e. c●…xxii. fasts of christian men are rather to be observed spiritually than carnally. In consideration whereof, let us fast principally from our sins, unless our fast be refused of the LORD, as the fasts of the jews were. What a fast is this, that an Esa. lviii. impostor or deceivable person, I can not tell who, should abstain from meats, which the LORD hath created, & yet were fat with the fatness of sins? Have I chosen such a fast, saith the LORD? Reed the eight and fifty Chapter of the Prophet Isaiah. And a little after Math wi●…: he saith, the fast which the most highest doth approve & allow, is not only to leave of to refresh the body, but also to depart from evil acts or deeds. Also i another place Extra●…. xv●… 〈◊〉 joan. he faith, the great & general fast is to abstain frō●…iquites & vnlaw full pleasures of the world, which is a perfect fast, that we sorsakige Titus. two. ungodliness & the lusts of the world, should live in this world soberly, righteously & godly. To this fast what reward doth the Apostle give It followeth & he saith, Looking for that blessed hope and the appearance of the glory of the great god, & of our Saviour jesus Christ. In this world as a Lent of abstinence Note. do we celebrate, when we live well, when we abstain from wickedness, and unlawful pleasures. But because this abstinence shall not be with out reward, we look for that blessed hope of the revelation of the glory of the great God, & of our saviour jesus Christ. I could rehearse unto you innumerable places both of these Doctors & of many other, if I had leisure, which declare evidently, that the true & christian fast doth not only consist in the abstinence of meats, but also in the for saking of sin. But these at this time may seem abundantly to satisfy. THEOPHILE. O good LORD, ●…genst the wicked 〈◊〉 ungodly Fasters. how greatly are many deceived, which think that they fasts well, if they do only but abstain from a smoky piece of Baconne, or hard salted and powdered beef, though they eat the most delicious fishes that can be gotten, and infarse their bodies like belied Hypocrites with all the sweet meats 〈◊〉 either Apothecaries or any other can invent or imagine, yea & that so unmeasurable, that after they have once dined, they are provoked either to the pleasure of the body, or else like beasts of the belly fall straightways unto sleep, so that they are not able to serve God, nor themselves, nor yet any other, O detestable abomination. EUSE. How much also are they deceived of the true manner of fasting, which do not only fast after such sort, as ye have now spoken, but also do nourish in their hearts all kind of malice against their christian brothers seeking how they may destroy them & shed their blood, yea neither do they cease to pollute and defile the most blessed name of God, so much as lieth in them, with most oaths, and are also in all their conversation wicked livers, as I may add nothing thereto. PHIL. Undoutedly these men are far from the true & christian man ner of fasting, which is, not only Ser. i. De jeiunio. to abstain from meats, but also from sins. Against those thondereth the holy Doctor Basilius magnus on this manner: Woe be unto you ye dronckardes, not with wine only. For wrath & indignation is all so a certain drunkenness of the soul making it even as wine doth heartless & foolish. For although thou eatest no Note. flesh, saith he yet nevertheless dost thou eat thy brother. Thou tarriest from thy meat till it be night, yet all the whole day dost thou con sum in suit & going to the law. But think not that the goodness of fasting is only in the abstinence of meats. For the true fast is the eschewing of evils. When thou fastest, loosen all wicked bonds, disquiet not thy neighbour, pay thy money that thou owest, exercise not lawing & suing by the fast. etc. Thus have I declared unto you after the minds of the holy & ancient Doctors, what the true and christian fast is, whereby ye may also easily learn to know the popish & false fast. And because ye shall not doubt of this doctrine concerning fasting, know you, that the kings most royal majesty also in his Proclamation concerning eating of white meats this time of Lent, hath there no less prudently than godly, set forth the very same thing, that hitherto I have taught you. The words of the Proclamation are these: Let all men endeavour themselves to their possible powers The kings Proclamaci on concerning white meats. with this liberty of eating of white meats to observe also that fast, which God most specially requireth of them, that is to say, that they renounce the world, & the devil, with all their pomps & works, & also to believe & repress their carnal affections, & their corrupt works of the flesh, according to the vow & profession, made at the font stone. How say ye to these words. CHRI verily they are words of such a Prince, as is worthy of immortality and eternal glory. EUSE. I beseech almighty God long to preserve in prosperous health his most excellent majesty. THEO. Amen, good LORD I beseech thee, PHIL. saying that I have taught you, what the true & christian fast is, I will now according to my promise teach you also how ye ought to fast E●…SE. I pray you let it so be. PHIL. In declaring to you this thing, whom should I rather fol low than our saviour jesus Christ, the teachet of all truth? How we ought to fast he teacheth us in the Gospel of Math. on this manner, saying, when ye fast, be Math. vi. not sad as the Hypocrites are. For they disfigure their faces, that they might be seen of men to fast. verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou tastest, anoint thy head, & wash thy face, that it appear not unto men, that thou fastest, but to thy father which is in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret, shall reward the openly. Christ in this place, doth not only rebuke the hypocritical and superstitious manner of the ungodly fasters, but he also teacheth us the true & german manner of fasting. THEO. What is that I pray Three things are to be 〈◊〉 in fa●…ting you? PHIL. verily, who so ever intendeth tofast aright, he must observe three things. The first is, that he anoint his head. The second, that he wash his face. The third, that he fast in secret. EUSE. This is so strange a manner of fasting, as ever I heard. PHIL. It is peradventure strange unto you, because ye are not yet perfectly exercised in the Phrases of the holy scriptures, but if ye be once taught, what is signified by this manner of speaking, it shall not only not seem unto you strange, but also very pleasant & pretty. CHRI. I pray you declare The Author tea●…heth no thing of his own brain. it to us, that we may learn to fast aright & according to the will of Christ. PHIL. Because I will not teach you any thing of mine own brain, but that only, which I have read in the holy scriptures or else in the ancient Doctors, I will rehearse unto you the words of s. john Chrisostome, which shall Hom. xlv. Ex cap. vi Math Fe ●…ia. i●…ii. 〈◊〉. abundantly satisfy your desire in this behalf. In the anointing of the head, saith he, we know that mercy is signified. Therefore to anoint the head, is to show mercy to our neighbour. For that mercy that is done unto a poor man, is referred unto God, which is the head of What it is to anoint the head. the man, as the Apostle saith. And the LORD himself saith, what so ever ye have done to one of my lessest brothers, ye have done it unto me. In the stead of the which mercy, with the divine retribution, as with i Cor. xi. Math. xxv: Math. v. Psal. cxxxii a certain heavenvly oil, we are pou red and shed over by him, which saith: Blessed are the merciful, for God shall have mercy on them. Ho lie David also did know the unction & anointing of the celestial oil in the head, when he said, as the anointment, which came down into the beard. But in washing the face, the purity of a clean body & of What it is to wash the face. a sincere conscience is known to be signified. So that to wash the face, is to make clean the face of our heart, from all filthiness of sins & from the uncomelynes of trespass, & to have a very pure conscience, that we may truly have in us, the gladness of celestial joy, & the familiari te & cheerfulness of the holy Ghost. Hitherto have I rehearsed the words of Chrisostom, whereby ye may learn, that to anoint our head, mark well. is none other thing than to show ourselves beneficial to the poor members of Christ. Again, to wash our face, is to make clean both body & soul from sin & wickedness. THEO. If this be to fast, I fear me that so many fast not before God, as pretend outwardly to fast before men. PHIL. This manner of fastynge teacheth the holy scripture, how so ever men use it. Therefore if ye will fast aright after the mind of S. john Chrisostome, ye must first anoint your head, that is to say, comfort the poor people with such goods as God, hath committed to you. For the riches Mark here o ye rich me●…. the ye have, be not yours only but they be Gods also, as he saith by the Prophet, gold is mine, silver is Agge. ●…i. mine. God hath put them in your hands, the ye should distribute part of them to the poor people. Ye are the Ste The author intendeth not here c●… munion of things, which god forbid that any man should gather her of but only m●… nysweth the rich men of there duty. Math. xxv. wards of God, & the dispensators of his treasures that you living of them, should also comfort the poor members of Christ. If ye spend them otherwise than God hath appointed you in his word, ye shall tender an accounts for it. Ye have nothing at all, but that ye shall be called to an accounts for it even to the uttermost farthig. If ye be not fos●…d to have used your talon well, & unto the profit of other, ye shall with that unprofitable servant of the Gospel be cast into outward darkness, where weeping & gnashing of teeth shall be. If ye be proved unmerciful & negligent in the distribution of the worldly goods, sure lie, surely ye shall be carried away with the rich man, of whom S. Luke speaketh in the Gospel, unto Luke. xvi. hell; & there burn in such cruel & bitter flames, as the fire whereof shall never be quenched, neither shall the worm of them, that shall be there, die at any time, as the Prophet saith. Thus see you that ye Esa. lxvi. have no great cause to boast & glory of worldly goods, nor yet to advance yourselves above other men for your possessions sake, no more than a great man's servant hath to whom his LORD and master hath committed his goods for a certain space to keep, the servant looking at every hour when his master will require them again. He is a very thief & robber, say the Basilius Magnus, which maketh Ser. i. In divites Auatos. that thing his own, that he hath received to distribute and give abroad. For the bread, saith he, that thou retainest & kepeste, is the bread of the hungry, the garment, which thou keepest in thy chest, is the garment of the naked, the shoe, that is mould with thee, is the shoe of him that is unwod, & the money, which thou hidest in the ground, is the money of the needy. Moreover thou dost injury & plain wrong to so many as thou forsakest, when thou art able to help them. Hitherto Eccl. xxxiiii. pertaineth the saying of the wise man, the bread of the needy is the life of the poor, he that d●…fraudeth him of it, is a manstear. Thus see you in how great jeopardy, the rich men are, that be unmercyefull unto the poor people, & how little their fast pleaseth God in their unmercifulness, saying they do not anoint their head, that is, show no mercy to the poor members of Christ, God teaching the true manner of fasting Esa. lviii. by his Prophet among all other things saith, break thy bread to the hungry. Mark the he say thee, break thy bread to the hungry. Cer Mathe this expo sition. ta'en Doctors write on this tert & says, that thou breakest thy bread than to the hungry, when that so fastest that thou sparest from thine own belly to give it to the poor hungry man. For a Christian man ought to be no less careful for the poor than for himself, so that provision once made for his family, he must also show mercy to the needy. Thou therefore dost break thy bread unto the hungry, when thou givest him that, which thou thyself necessarily shouldest have eaten. And this is to anoint thy head aright, verily even to break thy bread to the hungry. THEO. Would God that all rich men did O preposteroas all mes givers. know this much & would follow it. For many think that they do God an high Sacrifice, yea & the they be good alms men, if when they have once pampered their own bellies with all kind of dainties, they than at the last give or send to the hungry a few scraps, which they will scarcely vouchsafe to give to their dogs. PHIL. I pray God give us all grace to do our duty. Now have ye heard, what it is to anoint your head. I will also speak somewhat of washing your face, although I may seem abundantly to have spoken of the very effect of it in the definition of fasting. If we will fast aright, we are not only commanded to anoint our head, that is to say, to show mexcy to the poor people, but also to wash our face, that is, to make our hearts clean from all sin, that we may have a pure conscience. For it is not enough to be benefici all to other, except we also be beneficial to ourselves. This shall come to pass, if we labour with all main to have a mind pure & clean from all carnal affects, & a body void of wicked deeds. What was the cause that God did cast away the fasts & solemn feasts which the jews celebrated & kept holy in his name, but only that they washed not their face, that is, they went not about to put of their old conversation, & to become new men? I hate & abhor, Esa. i. saith God, your sacrifiices, your solemn feasts, your fasts, why so? For your hands, saith he are full of blood. your hearts are full of vengeance, your consciences are spotted and defiled withal kind of sins, ye have no fear of God before your eyes. What is than to be done? Be ye washed, saith he be ye clean, take away the evil of your thoughts from mine eyes Cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgement, help the poor oppressed, be favourable to the comfortless, defend the widow. etc. GOD hateth those prayers, those fasts, those good deeds, as they call them, which come from a defiled body, a corrupt heart, a filthy mind, a bloody conscience, a spotted and pocky soul, as a certain man saith. It ●…ius, ●…ont. Rom. profit a man nothing at all to fast & pray & to do other good things of devotion, except the mind be refrained from ungodliness, and the tongue from backbitings. For God hath ever a principal respect to the heart of the doer of the work. If the heart be pure, clean & faith full, than doth God approne that work. But if it be spotted with sin, God casteth it away, appear it ne ver so glistering & excellent in the sight of the world. Offer not, saith Ec●…l. xxxv: the wise man, wicked gifts, for God will not receive them. CHRI. It is evident than, that so many as change not their wicked life, cast away their Hypocrisy, make clean their hearts, put out of their mine des all rancour, malice, envy, grudge. etc. and to study above all things to lead a pure & innocent life, can by no means please God Godly ad moniciō●… concerning the true man ner of fasting. PHIL. No forsooth. Therefore if ye intend to fast aright, & to make your fast acceptable to God, provide earnest lie that your fast proceed from a pure & clean heart, void of all carnal affects, stuffed full of faith & charity, and altogether studious of true innocency & unfeigned godliness. So shall it come to pass, that not only your fast, but all that ever ye do besides according to God's word, shall very greatly please god. THEO. I beseech God give us grace to do all things according to his most godly will & pleasure. PHIL. Labour & God will help. I have declared two things that are necessary to the true use of fasting. There remaineth now the third to be brought forth, which is so expedient and necessary for that purpose also, the that other two without this profiteth nothing. EUSE I pray you let us hear it. PHIL. We are not only cōma●…ded in our fasting to anoint our head & to wash our face, but also to fast, in secret. THEO What is it I pray you to fast in secret. PHIL. verily to fast in secret What 〈◊〉 is to fast in secret. is not to keep you close from the sight of men, & so to abstain from your meats in privy corners, but not to hunt & hawk after vainglory nor praise of men for your fasting, nor to seek to be seen of men while ye fast, that they may commend & praise you. We are counted before God than to fast in secret, when Note. we fast with such a mind, that we would fast in deed, though no man living did see us, and when we regard more the accomplishment of God's will, & the subjection & ta ming of our body, than all the hu main glory that can be attributed unto us. EUSE. It is lawful than to fast even before men. PHIL. Yea verily or to do any other good work, so that the desire of world lie praise he not in your minds. For Christ saith, let your light so shine before men, that they may Math. v. see your good works & glorify your father which is in heaven. But if 〈◊〉 we seek any praise of men & desire to be magnified for our good deeds, verily than have we our reward, not of God, but of the world. For there is no more pestiferous in fection to poison any good work, the it should lose the reward before God, than the desire of vain glory, and worldly praise. What did deject & Esay. xiiii 〈◊〉. Pet. it. cast down Lucifer from heaven into hell pit, but vainglory? Again what did exalt & lift up from the earth unto heaven the most blessed and glorious virgin Mary the mother of our Saviour jesus Christ but humility, as she herself testifieth. My soul, saith she, magnifieth the LORD. And my spirit Luke. i. rejoiceth in God my saviour. For he hath looked upon the humility of his handmaid, behold, because of this, shall all kindreds call me bless said. God resisteth the proud, but 〈◊〉. Pet. v. to the humble he giveth grace and showeth favour. Unto whom shall I look, saith God by his Prophet, Esa. lxvi. but unto him that is poor & contrite in spirit & feareth my words? blessed are the poor in spirit, forto them belongeth the kingdom of heaven. Therefore all your Math. v. works that ye do, do them with a simple mind, & with such an heart as being nothing desirous of vain glory, seeketh only the honour of God, & the accomplishment of his most divine will. Thus have I taught you neighbours both what the true and Christian fast is, & also how ye ought to fast. CHRI. Brother Philemon we confess before you, that we have learned here this day more of you concerning certain things than ever we knew before. God give us all grace to follow your most godly instructions. EUSE. Amen, I beseech God. PHIL. Well, now is the greatest part of our Potation past. What is more to be done? THEO. Ye promised that ye would declare unto us the significations of certain Ceremonies, the be used in the church this time of Lent. CHRI. Ye said also that ye would teach us, how we should prepare ourselves worthily to receive the most blessed Sacrament of the Altar at the time of Easter. PHIL. I remember my promise well, according there unto, therefore will I do. ¶ Of the Ceremonies used in the church this time of Lent, and what they signify. Of the Ashes. THe first ceremony that is used in the church this time of Lent, is the imposition & laying on of Ashes upon the heads of Christian men. THEO. I pray you unto what purpose is that ceremony used? What What the ashes signify. is the signification of it? PHIL. This is done, to put us in remembrance what we are. For when the pressed layeth ashes on your heads, he saith these words. Remember man that thou art ashes & unto ashes thou shalt return. This Ceremony pr●…cheth unto us, that we are nothing but ashes, dust & earth, & to that we shall return again. If we mark this Ceremony well, we shall have but little occasion to be proud Note. or to magnify ourselves, as the Eccl. x. scripture saith, wherefore art thou proud O thou ashes & earth? All flesh is grass, saith the Prophet, & all his Esa xxviii glory is as a flower of the field. If we consider this thing well, it shall also provoke us unto the contempt & utter despising of the world, ye a it shall pluck us from sin, & move us to do good works, as the wise man saith, remember thy last Ecc. seven. end, and thou shalt never sin. And for asmuch as in the old law they that would humble themselves be fore God by Penance, did use to sit down in the ashes & to throw ashes upon their heads, as the scriptures show of Achab, of the ninivites, ●…is. Re. xxi. jonas. three judit. iiii. of the jews, when they were oppressed of holofernes, & of divers other, therefore the holy fathers of Christ's church in times passed in stituted also this ceremony to put us in remembrance of the Penance which this holy time of Lent ought to be done of all christian men for their wicked deeds, which they have wrought all the whole year paste. Do ye perceive now, what the laying of ashes upon your heads do signify. CHRI. Yea very well. PHIL. Forsooth who soever reposeth the signification of this Ceremony in his heart, can none otherwise but alway be humble, gentle, low lie, meek, full of humility, estranged from all arrogancy, despising terrestial things, & desiring things celestial. EUSE. Ye say truth. But what meaneth I pray you, the covering of the Images in the temples this time of Lent. ¶ Of the covering of Images, & what it signifieth. PHILEMON. THe ecclesiastical writers assign divers causes, one this, another that. But in this dissension & variety of opinions, I will all league one or two reasons, & bid the other far well as things not great lie making unto the edification of The first cause why Images are covered. true godliness. THEO. I pray you let us hear. PHIL. One cause is to signify unto us, that they that are sinners & have a pleasure still there in to remain, are not worthy to behold the saints in heaven, which are represented by those Images, neither shall they at any time come unto that glory, whereof the Sayn taes already have the fruition, except they repent them of their wicked living, Mat. iii. rise out of sin, bring forth fruits worthy of Penance, & become new men in their cover sation. Therefore when we enter in to the church and see all those images covered, we ought to mourn & lament our sinful living, to recognize ourselves sinners, to excite & store up ourselves to bring forth fruits worthy of Penance, & to cut away by true & unfeigned Contrition our sins, that we may be found worthy against Easter, that is, against the time of our passing & going out of this world clearly to behold & openly to see in the kingdom of heaven the shining The second cause. face of God & his Saints. Another cause is to declare the mourning & lamentation of sinners for their ungodly manners. Ye know that the custom is among us even at this day, that so long as we mourn for any of our friends departed, we use to go with close Note: faces, to wear simple apparel, laying aside all gorgeous & sumptuous garments. So likewise this time of Lent, which is a time of mourning, all things that make to the adournement of the church whereof the Images are part, are either laid aside or else covered, to put us in remembrance that we ought now to lament & mourn for our souls dead in sin, & continually to watch, pray, fast, give alms, & do such other works of Penasice as wherewith God being excited & stored unto his antic & old mercies, may call us again from death to life, from sin to godliness, from wickedness to innocency. CHRI. I have heard also that Images in the The third cause. Temple are covered for this purpose in the time of Lent, to put us in remen brance that although we have in any part of the year passed committed Idolatry with them, yet at this time we should utterly give over this abomination, & only cleave to God, & to his exceeding great mercy looking for remission of our sins & all other good things at his hand alone thorough jesus Christ our LORD. In consideration whereof the clothes that are hanged up this time of Lente in the church have painted in them nothing else but the pains, torments, passion, blood shedding & death of Christ, that now we should only have our minds fired on the passion of Christ, by whom only we were redeemed, and although we have erred & run astray like sheep destitute of a shepparde Math. 〈◊〉 all the long year paste, yet that now this holy time we should return with humble & contrite minds unto Christ the bishop & 〈◊〉. Pet. i●… curate of our souls. PHIL. It may be so right well. The signification undoubtedly that ye have now rehearsed is very godly. Well thus have I declared unto you that I have red concerning the covering of Images in Lente. THEO. We thank you for it. Let me see, what other Ceremonies are used in the church this time of Lent? EUSE. There are divers other, but I pray you neighbour Philemon, declare unto us, what the Ceremonies sig nify, which are used in the Procession of Palm sunday. For surely I think, not one among a thousand know what the Procession preach the unto us. PHIL. I think ye say truth in deed, & therefore is it so little regarded now a days among many, when notwithstanding it preacheth unto us many godly & goodly lessons, if they were known. Therefore if ye will mark diligently, I will to the uttermost of my power declare to you partly mine own conjecture, & partly what I have read & learned of the ancient writers in times past concerning this matter. CHRI. I pray you let it so be. We will hear you gladly. ¶ Of the Ceremonies the are used in the Procession of Palm sunday, & what they signify. PHILEMON. IN the beginning of the Procession the people goeth out having every one a Palm in their hand following the Cross which is covered with a cloth. EUSE. We say truth, but what doth it mean. That the Cross is carried forth being covered with a cloth, rather than with an open face? PHIL. The What y● 〈◊〉 bted cross signifieth Cross so velated & covered signifieth Christ the son of God, which being promised of the Fathher to the jews in the old law, was not than come, but only adumbrated, shadowed & prefigured by certain types, figures, Ceremonies, clouds & shadows, as by Manna E●…. ●…vi. xvii. xii. the Rock, the paschal Lamb, the brazen serpent. etc. All these prefigu Num. xxi: red Christ to come. In consideraci on whereof that Cross is borne enclosed. THEO. We perceive now the What the people syg nifye. right well. But what do those people signify, which go with the cross. PHIL. verily the fathers of the old Testament, which lived long before the coming of Christ being under the clouds & shadows of the old law. EUSE. For what intent what the Palm signifieth do they bear Palms in their hands? PHIL. Forsooth to signify the victory that they have gotten by Christ. CHRI. why I pray you, how could they get any victory by christ when he was not yet borne? Mark this well. PHIL. Yies forsooth brother Christopher. For although Christ at that time was not come in the flesh & borne of the most glorious virgin Mary, yet did they believe undoubtedly, & were perfectly persuaded that he should come, & that they should be redeemed by his passion, & that he should pay their debts to God the father, even with his most precious blood, deliver them out of captivity, & make them partakers of the glory of heaven. And although they did not see Christ with their corporal eyes, yet did they see him with their spiritual eyes, that is to say with the eyes of their faith, yea & believe wythouteony hesitation or doubting, as Christ said of Abraham to the jews, Abraham your father I●…n. viii: did rejoice that he might see my day, and he saw it and was glad. This is to be understand that Abraham did see Christ with the eyes of his faith, which is the very true & perfect sight. EUSE. So far as Note. I remember I have read this text in the Scripture, blessed are the eyes Luke. 〈◊〉 that see those things, which you se. For I say unto you, that many Prophets & kings would have seen those things that ye see, & yet have they not seen them, and hear those things, which ye hear, and yet have they not heard them. PHIL. Ye say truth. This is understanded of the corporallsyght of Mathe well. Christ. They desired so greatly the redemption of Israel, that they evermore wished the coming of Christ in the flesh, as we may perceive in the prophet Isaiah, where we Esa. xvi. read these words: Send forth O LORD, that lamb the ruler of the earth out of the rock of the desert unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. Again, would God thou wouldst clive asunder the heavens and come down. They desired in Esa. lxiiii. deed very greatly to see Christ with their corporal eyes, but yet did they see him none otherwise than with the eyes of their faith, in asmuch as he was not t●…an borne, but only Gen. iii. Eco. xvi. xvi. ●…ii. Num. xxi. promised of God the father, and shadowed by divers ceremonies of the old law. For as saint Paul 〈◊〉. Cor. x. saith, all our fathers were under a cloud. Therefore in asmuch as they did faithfully believe in Christ and hope to be saved by his most blessed passion, although they did not see him with their corporal eyes, yet was he unto them a saviour, a redeemer, a perfect satisfaction, so that by him they even at the time had gotten the victory over Note here of the Palm sin, death and hell. THEO. But I pray you why do they rather bear a Palm in their hands than any other thing? PHIL. I will tell you neighbours, that which they bear in deed in their hands, is not pro perly called a Palm, for they are the bows of a sallow tree, but by cause we have no Palms growing in this land, therefore do we bear them in stead of Palms. By bearing of those Palms the victory that we have gotten over Satan thorough Christ is signified. CHRI. Why rather by the Palm than by any other tree? PHIL. For Aristotle why victory is signified by a Palm tree. & plutarch do write, as Aulus Gellius signifieth, that the nature of a Palm tree is this, the although there be never so great weights & burdens laid upon it, so that a man would not think it possible to be borne, yet doth not the Palm tree once bow, nor give place to the burr den, but valiantly ariseth & prevaileth against the weight laid upon it. Therefore by this Palm tree rather than by any other is Prob. viii. Spm. viii. Lib iii. Cap. vi. victory alway signified, yea & that not only in divine but also in human literature. CHRI. We perperceyve it now right well. EUSE. Surely it is a thing much worthy to be noted. PHIL. Ye say truth. If men did know the signification of those bows, which they bear in their hands at that time, they would not so superstitiously abuse them, as they do THEO. Ye say truth, but let those things pass, & let us go forward with our Procession. PHIL. Than go they forth with the Cross until they come unto a certain stead in the church yard, where they stand still, & in the mean season, the priest read, the gospel EUSE. It What the reading of the Gospel in the Chyrchyard singnifyeth, is truth, what meaneth that? PHIL. It signifieth the Prophets, which prophesied of Christ's coming, & declared that when he once came captivity should be exiled, & liberty reduced, all sorrow & care should be drivenaway, & all joyful & merry things succeed & come in place. They prophesied that at his coming the eyes of the blind shall Esa. xxxv be opened, the ears of the deaf shall hear, the halt shall skip as the heart, & the tongue of the dumb shall speak. Again the preached, that, when the anointed saviour come, he shall preach merry tidings to the poor, heal the contrite in heart, Esa. lxf: Luke, iii●…, preach deliverance to the preson ners, and sight to the blind. etc. Are not all these joyful & pleasa●… news? This doth the Gospel signify, which the priest readeth ther. For this Greek word Euangelion, What Euamgelion 〈◊〉 which we call Gospel in English, so●… death in our common tongue, a good, joyful and merry message. Thus ye perceive, what the reading of that Gospel signifieth. THEO. Yea forsooth very well. I pray you go forth. PHIL. The Gospel being once done, than goeth the people forth with the Cross that is covered, & even straight ways not far from them come other people & the priest with the Sacrament, which have with them a Cross bare & uncovered, pricked full of green Olives & Palms. CHRI. What do all those things I pray you, preach unto us. PHIL. Tarry a while, & I shall declare to you altogether. But first ye shall note, that there come forth certain children before the naked Cross, ●…ngynge a certain song, which beginneth, En rex venit. Behold the king cometh. EUSE What meaneth that. philip? This What the children sig nify, that come singing be fore the cross. may be understanded by those Pro phetes, which prophesied of Christ's coming a little before he was borne, showing that he was near at hand, or it may right well sig nify S. john Baptist, which did not only show before that Christ was at hand, but also pointed him even with his finger, saying: Behold joan. 〈◊〉. the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Now as touching the naked cross, What the nak●…d cross signifieth. it signifieth Christ already come, & borne into this world. And they that go with the cross, betoken the people of the new Testament, which believe in Christ, & receive him with What those people signi fie, which go with th●… cross. embracing arms. EUSE. But I pray you for what cause, is that Cross adorned with green Olives & Palms? PHIL. The green What the ●…rene olives signify on the Cross olive leaves declare unto us the unmeasurable aboundans of virtues, which are in Christ, of whom alone we have all that ever good is, And what so ever virtue is in us or what so ever good deed come from us, all that we do receive of Christ, the sole Author & fountain of all goodness. I am the vine, saith Christ, & ye are the branches. He joan. xv. What the Palms signify on the cross. that abideth in me, & I in him, bringeth forth much fruit. For without me ye can do nothing. And as concerning the Palms, they signify the victory, which Christ hath gotten over Satan, sin, death, hell, desperation. etc. by his most blessed passion, & the shedding of his most precious blood, as he saith by the Prophet Oze, from the power Oze. xiii: of death, saith he, will I deliver them, yea from death itself will I redeem them. O death, I will be thy death. O hell, I will be thy destruction. Thus ye see, what is meant by the green olives and Palms, where which the naked Cross is adorned. CHRI. Yea verily. PHIL. Now mark what followeth. After the song of the children, the pressed goeth forth with the Sacrament & certain people also with the naked Cross, until they meet with that Cross, that is obnelated and covered. They are not so soon met, but the bumbled Cross vanish away, & is conveyed from the company straight ways. Than all the whole people enclose together with great joy, singing & making melody triumphantly following the naked cross, bearing in their hands every one a Palm, in some places also they bear some green herbs in the stead of Olives. EUSE. What is signified, I pray you, by all those things. PHIL. Where as the covered Cross vanisheth away What the going away of the covered cross signifieth & goeth out of place at the ingress & coming in of the naked & open Cross, it preacheth to us, that when Christ was once come, & appeared in the flesh & had suffered and died for us, that than all the Ceremonies, types, figures, clouds & shadows of the old law vanished away and were no l●…nger of any effect. When the light once shineth, the darkness beareth rule no longer. Christ the true light of the world is come, therefore those ceremonies joan. seven. of the old law are now no more necessary. The truth of God's promise is pformed. Therefore all shadows, which were as pledges aught of necessity to vanish away. They that are truly converted unto the Note. LORD, have no more the veil of ceremonies before their faces, but are free, & with open eyes of their 〈◊〉. Cor. iii. saith they see y● LORD Christ. More over the people, that accompany both crosses meet together & enclose as one, following the open and naked cross. THEO What signifieth that? PHIL. This showeth that they, which What the enclosing of both the people together signifieth. were before the coming of Christ, & they that have been sins that time, are all one, of one church, of one congregation, of one sheepfold, profess one God, believe in one saviour, have one heavenvly father, & look for one reward, which is the glory of heaven thorough jesus Christ, as S. Paul saith, all did eat of one spiritual meat, & all did drink 1. Cor. x. of one spiritual drink, for they What the singing of the people together signifieth. drunk of the spiritual rock, which accomplished them. And this rock true lie was Christ. They singing and making melody together, signifis their inward & unfeigned joy, which they have conceived in their hearts for the redemption that they have in Christ jesus. CHRI. But what meaneth their Palms and Olives or other green herbs in their hands? PHIL. I have declared unto you before, that the Palms Palms. signify the victory, that we have gotten over Satan thorough our LORD & captain jesus Christ, as S. Paul saith, death is swalo 〈◊〉. Cor. xv. wed up into victory. O death where is thy sting. O hell, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin The strength of sin is the law But thanks be unto God, which hath given us the victory thorough our LORD jesus Christ. Christ himself also saith, in the world ye shall have trouble, but be on a good con joan. xvi. fort, for I have overcome the world. All that is borne of God, overcometh the world, saith S. john, & 〈◊〉. joan. v. this is the victory, which hath overcome the world, even our faith. EUSE. What is signified by the green Olives or other herbs? PHIL. The The olives that they signify. abundance of virtues. The bearing of olives showeth that we are not only delivered out of servile captivity, & that we have gotten the victory thorough jesus Christ, & are set at liberty, that we being without fear & delivered from the poor Luke. 〈◊〉 of our enemies, should serve God all the days of our life in holiness & righteousness, but that we are also Note here of the olive tree. thorough high, plenteously garnished & environed with all kindesof virtues do now no less flourish with virtues, than the olive tree doth with fruit, which as Plini writethiss never with out green leaves & fruit. Therefore Lib. xv: Psal. 〈◊〉. saith David, I being as a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, have trusted in the mercy of God for ever: more. CHRI. we perceive now these things right well. What followeth I pray you? PHIL. These things once done, than the people goeth somewhat further unto the church doreward, and there standeth still. EUSE. I remember it well. PHIL. Immediately after certain children standing upon an high place right against the people, singing with a loud voice a certain Hymn, in the praise of our saviour jesus Christ, which beginneth, Glorialaus. THEO. It is truth. philip At the end of every verse the children cast down certain cakes or What the children signify, the sing gloria laus. breads with ●…loures. EUSE. What do they mean by this? PHIL. The children which sig, betoken the faithful christian men in this world, which ought to be simple & humble in heart, as a child is, as Christ saith, vere ●…at xviii lie I say unto you, except ye be converted & become as a child, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Who so ever therefore humbleth himself as this child, he it is that is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Also S. Paul, Brothers, be 〈◊〉. Cor: 〈◊〉 not children, in understanding how be it, as concerning maliciousness, be children, but in understanding be perfect. Now as con cerning the singing & casting down of cakes & flowers, ye shall hear now three things. The first is What the singing of 〈◊〉 children sig nyfy●…, giving of glory & praise to Christ for his innumerable benefits showed unto us, which is signified by the singing of the children. For it is convenient that we be not forgetful of God's goodness toward us, but that we be thankful again for it, and sing perpetual praises to his most blessed name. For this is the reward and amends that he desireth, as he himself saith, the Sacrifice of praise shall Psa. 〈◊〉 honovor me. Also the Psalmograph saith: O●…ier to God the Sacrifice of praise. The second is an honest conversation, & the continual What 〈◊〉 flowers signify●…. exercise of godly virtues, which is signified by the flowers, that the children east do●…ne. For seeing that we are restored unto our old liberty Note thorough Christ, which we lost in Adam, & are now become christian men, we ought not only to be thankful to God for his benefits, but all so lead an honest & pure life, that by this means also God's glory may be set forth by us, as Christ saith, Let your light so shine before math. v. men, that they may see your good works, & glorify your father which is in heaven. We are set without fear, & delivered from the power of our enemies, saith Zacharye the pressed father of S. john baptist, that we should serve God all the day Luke. i. es of our life, in holiness & righteousness. We are the workmanship of god, saith S. Paul, created in Ephe. two. jesus Christ unto good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them. Again, ye i Cor. v●… are dearly bought. Glorify GOD now therefore in your body & in your spirit, which are Gods. Also in another place, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. The third is mercy toward the poor two. Cor. v. people, which is signified by the casting down of the cakes. This What the casting dow●… of the Casignifye. mercy toward the needy members of Christ, ought diligently to be exer cised of all christian men, which have the goods of the world in their possession, or else they show themselves unworthy the benefits of GOD. For by mercy & faith are sins purged, saith the wise man. To Prover. x●… Pro, xxi. do mercy & judgement pleaseth the LORD more than Sacrifice. Give Luke. xi, alms, saith christ, & behold all things are clean unto you. Thus see you, what is signified by the singing of the children, & by the casting down of the flowers and of the cakes. Whereof ye learn, what is your duty to do again unto Behold what our duty is to ward god God for his exceeding & incomparable benefits toward you, verily to be thankful, to lead a godly life, & to be merciful to the poor members of Christ. THEO. Undoubtedly the significations of these ceremonies are godly. I would all men knew them, & would do there after. PHIL. The very same wish I also. CHRI. But what doth it mean What the stonding of the children in so ●…yghe a place signifieth. I pray you, that the children, which sing, & cast down the flowers and cakes, stand in so high a place from the ground? PHIL. This preacheth unto us, the they, which give praise unto God & practise an honest conversation, and show mercy to the poor people, should not do it for Mathe this well. vain glory nor for the praise of men, but only for the glory of God, setting their minds, seeing they are come to Christ, no more upon earthly things, but upon things celestial & heavenly. In token whereof they ascend and go up into such an high place from the earth. And this is it, that S. Paul 〈◊〉. 〈◊〉 writeth, if ye be risen again with christ seek for those things that are above, where christ is sitting on the right hand of God. Seek for those things that are above, & not that are upon the earth. For you are dead, & your life is hid with Christ in God. EUSE. This is a good lesson, we thank you for it. PHIL. Well, now mark the end of your Procession, for it is almost done. THE. I pray you declare what soever remaineth PHI. these things once done than goeth the Procession forth, until they come to the church door, which, when they come unto it, is sparred, & certain children in the church singing. The song being once done, the pressed taketh the cross in his hand, & putteth the door from him with it, & so openeth it, and entereth What the spering of the church door signifieth. in with all the other people after him. CHRI. What do all those things preach unto us? PHIL. The spearing of the church door signifieth, that heaven gates were speared Gen. iii. Rom. v. against us for the sin of our first father Adam, in whom all we have offended, so that no man could once enter by his own virtue, power, merits & good deeds into heaven, joan. iii. as Christ witnesseth, no man goeth up into heaven, but he that came down from heaven. That is to say, no man by his own strength & virtue ascendeth into heaven, but Christ, which descended from heaven, & took flesh of the most glorious Note & pure virgin mary. Therefore every one that goeth up into heaven, goeth up by Christ, as he himself witnesseth, I am the way, joan. xiiii the truth & the life, no man cometh unto the father, but by me. Therefore to declare that our ingress & entering into heaven, cometh only by Christ & by Christ's death, therefore the pressed openeth the door with the cross. For ye know right well, that none of all the holy patriarchs, Prophets, Kings, and other godly fathers of the old Testament did enter into the glory of heaven, until Christ had suffered & paid our ransom by his most precious blood EUSE. Ye say truth. PHIL. This declareth therefore manifestly, the by Christ alone we have free passage into eternal glory, as S. Paul saith, everlasting Rom. v●…, What the children sig nifye, which sing with in the church life is the gift of God, though row Christ jesus our LORD. THEO But what is signified by the children which are within the church at the door singing? PHIL. verily the mirth, joy & melody, which the Angels make in heaven, for man's redemption by christ. It showeth how glad & merry they are, that man is become partaker of the glory, where of they have the fruition. And this their joy maketh them to come for to meet the souls of the faithful, & to present them to the divine majesty. CHRI. This is a very godly ex position. PHIL. When they are once What the church signifieth. entered into the church, whereby heaven is signified, than do the all the people kneel down, & the priest pluc king up the cloth, wherewith the cru cifixe was covered, and making it open to all that are there present, singeth a certain song, the people in the mean season praying & giving thanks unto God. And so endeth the Procession. EUSE. I pray you declare this also unto us What the Crucifix & the people signify PHIL. This signifieth that when we be once departed out of this world, & are brought of the Angels into heaven, that than we shall for ever & ever worlds without end enjoy the most glorious sight of the divine majesty, singing unto him praises incessantly on this manner: Thou art worthy, O LORD, Apo iiii. to receive glory, honour & virtue. For thou hast made all things, and for thy will they are and were made. Thou art worthy to take the book, & to open the seals of it. For thou Apo. v. waste slain & haste redeemed us by thy blood. To him that sitteth on the Throne, & to the lamb be bless sing, honour, glory, & power, worlds without end. Amen. Now have I declared unto you neighbours, what every ceremony the is used in the procession of Palm sondaye signifieth. THEO. Ye have done so in deed brother Philemon. We do not only thank you for this your great pain, but also desire almighty God with most humble hearts to reward you for it in his glory. PHIL. In thus doing I have joan. ●…vii; done but my duty, & I confess myself to be an unprofitable servant notwithstanding if this my simple declaration hath profited you any thing at all, or set forward your knowledge in christ, verily I am not a little glad. And if I shall perceive hereafter, that ye practise those things in your daily manners, that I have taught you in words, surely neighbours I shall unfeigned rejoice & give God hearty thanks, that you are so serious & earnest labourers i the LORDS vine yard. CHRI. Neighbour Phi lemon, doubt ye not, but that with God's grace we will labour diligently to follow your most godly & wholesome admonitions. Therefore if there be any more ceremonies to be declared. I pray you express them to us EUSE I pray you what meaneth the washing of the Altars on Maundy Thursday at after noon. ¶ Of washing of the Altars, & what it signifieth. PHILEMON. There are divers answers made unto it, as we we read, but I think it is done to put us in remembrance, how Christ washed his disciples feet at his maundy, that we in like manner should be ready at all times to do good unto our christian brothers, yea even to wash their feet, which seemeth to be the most humble & lowly act, that we can do unto them. If I, saith Christ joan. xii●…. being your LORD & master have washed your feet, verily you also aught to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, the as I have done to you, so likewise ye should do. Let that mind be in 〈◊〉. 〈◊〉. you, saith S. Paul, that was in Christ jesus. ¶ Of garnishing the church on Easter day, & what it signifieth. THEOPHILE. what meaneth it that on Easter What the garnishing of the church on Easter day signifieth. day the Images & all other things, that were before hid, are made open, & the Temple restored to her pr●…tine & old beauty? PHIL. Nothing else but that after christ had once suffered his passion for our sins, & was risen again from Rom, iiii: death to life for our justification, all clouds & shadows were taken away, all ceremonies & sacrifices of the old law ceased, all joy, all mirth, all felicity, all pleasure, all liberty, & all that ever we lost before in Adam, is now recovered again Note by Christ. In token of this our wealth & joy is the Temple on Easter day most preciously adorned CHRI. We are now abundantly satisfied concerning the ceremoni es that are used in the Lente. I pray you therefore declare unto us the last part of our Potation according to your promise which is this, how we ought to prepare ourselves for to receive worthily at the time of Easter that most blessed Sacrament of the A●…re. PHIL. Neighbours I will do it with all my heart. I pray you therefore, mark well, what shall be said. EUSE. Speak on brother Philemon, we will hear you with diligent ears and attended minds. How we ought to prepare ourselves to receive worthily at the time Easter, the most blessed Sacrament of the 〈◊〉 PHILEMON. THat you may pre pair yourselves condignly & worthily to receive the most blessed Sacrament of the Altar, it shall be necessarey that ye observe certain things. first that ye labour with all main to erect & life up yourselves from your old sinful living, where with in times past, ye have been miserably detained, before ye approach unto this celestial table. For if it were not law full for the uncircumcised in the flesh to eat of the figurative Paschal Lamb how much more than is it unlawful for the uncircumcised in the heart, that is, for the sinful & unclean person to taste of the true paschal Lamb, which was offered & slain for our sake? purge out the old leaven, 〈◊〉. Cor. v. saith S. Paul, the ye may be new dough, like as ye are sweet bread. For christ is offered a Paschal lamb for us. Here he showeth, the if we will worthily celebrate our Easter, we must put away our old & sinful living. But before all things in this expurgation of vice, ye must earnestly labour, that ye come not to receive the body of our LORD with a malicious, hateful & uncharitable heart. For this is a Sacrament of peace, of unite, of concord, & of unfeigned love. Therefore there ought to be mutual reconciliation on all parts, before any come unto this celestial feast, as saint john Chrisostom saith, let no Hypocrite Hom. 〈◊〉 De 〈◊〉 Iud●…e. approach, let no man with a cloaked mind once be so bold, as for to draw nigh unto so great mysteries, unless he be condemned & deserve the sentence, & suffer y●, which judas suffered. For after the communion Mai. xxvi. of the table the devil entered into him. Let no judas therefore be at the table. This Sacrifice is a spiritual meat. For as corporal meat when it findeth a belly occupied with adverse & corrupt humours, doth both hurt the more, noye the more, & helpeth nothing at all, so this spiritual meat likewise, if it findeth any man polluted with malignity & evil, shall destroy him the more, not of the own nature of it, but thorough the fault of him that receiveth it. Let the mind therefore & the thought be pure in all things, for the Sacrifice is pure Let us prepare an holy foole. Let us hold fast the holy kiss, which associateth the souls, reconcyleth the minds, & maketh one body. For we all seem to take upon us one body. Therefore let us mixed ourselves in one body, not with the commixtion of bodies, but being bound with the charity of souls that by this means we may be associated to the fruits of the divine table. For among all vices, this table of the LORD detesteth none so much as the sin of malice, saying that it most of all alienateth men's minds from the worthy receiving of this holy rommunion. Therefore provide above all things, that no kind of dispel sure be in your minds, but that ye be of that affection toward all men, that Christ jesus was toward you, which disdained not for your salvation, to suffer his most blessed body to be broken, & his most precious blood to be shed upon the Altar of the cross. EUSE. We will employ all our endeavour to come unto this most holy Banquet with pure minds & charitable hearts. PHIL. God grant it. secondly know that it is not enough unto the condign & worthy preparation of yourselves unto this most heavenly table to expourge & put sin out of you, except ye also garnish your minds with godly virtues. Is it enough for a man against the coming of his friend only to make clean his house? Is it not also convenient, that he adorn & garnish it so pleasant lie as he can devise? THEO. Reason requireth so. PHIL. It is a thousand times more convenient, that when we shall receive the LORD of all LORDS & King of all Kings into our hearts, we than do not only make clean the house of our souls, but also garnish it with the most odoriferous & redolent flowers of divine virtues. CHRI. verily ye say truth. PHIL. Remember how grievously, Mat. xxii. that man was punished, which presumed to come unto the marriages not having the nuptial garment. EUSE. We remember it well. PHIL. Take heed than, that ye do not only provide for the expurgation of vice, but also for the adourment of virtues, unless a like thing chance unto you. Blessed is he that ●…po. xvi. watcheth, saith God, & keepeth his clothes, that he walk not naked, & men see his filthiness. thirdly it is requisite, that when ye have thus garnished your selves, ye trust not in your own good works, or in your own preparation, as though ye had made yourselves worthy enough to come unto the eating of this inestimable treasure, but let your whole affiance be in the mercy of God, and when ye have done all that ye are able to do, grant yourselves unprofitable servants, & desire more & more continually valiance and strength to do the will of God, beseeching him of his infinite goodness to supply that, which lacketh in you, & because that ye may receive the more grace & strength to walk in the pathways of the LORD, ye now come with all reverence unto the most heavenly meat, wherewith you being saciated, may valiantly en arm yourselves & mainly fight against Satan, & his wicked army. Fourthly, ye must give serious diligence, that ye come unto this table of y● LORD with a fervent desire, with an hungry stomach, with a greedy mind, & with a famelyke soul. For this Sacrament hateth a stomach that is already saturated & filled. It proponeth and setteth forth all kind of celestial dainties to the hungry soul, as the most blessed virgin saith, he hath filled the Luke. 〈◊〉 hungry with good things, but the rich hath he let go empty. Blessed Mat. v. are they, that hunger & thirst right teousnes, for they shall be filled. Al Esa. iv. ye that are a thirst, saith Christ, come unto the waters, & ye that have no money, make haste, buy and eat. Come buy without money, & without any merchandise wine & milk. Again, I will give to him that thyrstethe of the well of the water Apoc. xxi. of life freely. And he that is a thirst let him come, & he that will, let him take the water of life freely. The fat Pharisee, the belied Hypocrite, A●…o. 〈◊〉. the porkling justiciary, which trust in their own righteousness, are no fit G●…stes for this most delicious table, but the humble sinner, which knoweth his infirmity, confesseth his imbecillite, desireth valiance, h●…ngreth & thirsteth for strength to do the will of GOD. THEO. God send us this hunger & thirst evermore. PHIL. fifthly ye may not only come unto this celestial table with hungry stomachs to obtain these inestimable treasures, but also believe unfeignedly that ye shall have all good things, that ye wish or long for, according to your desire & faith For he that cometh unto God, saith S. Paul, must believe 〈◊〉. that god is, & that he is a rewarder to them that seek him. Without this faith, no man cometh worthily to recepue the body of our LORD, as Chrisostom saith: Let us all that are sick go Hom. in Mat. ●…v. Cap. xiiii. unto Christ with great faith. For if all they which did but touch the hem of his garment, received their perfect health, how much more shall we be corroborated and made strong, if we have him whole within us? Therefore when ye sit down to receive the blessed body of Christ, call straight ways to your remembrance the death of Christ. Remember that his body was brokon for you upon the Altar of the cross. Rem●…mber that he offered himself Ephe. v. a sweet smelling Sacrifice to God the father for the abolishment of all your sins. Remember that his Mat. ●…vi Luk. xxii. blood was shed for the remission of your sins. Remember that by the effusion & shedding of his most precious blood, all your offences are 〈◊〉 joan. i. clean washed away, & you purged from all iniquity. In consideration whereof, ye now receive the very body of christ, because ye should nothing doubt of the remission of your sins, & of the favour of GOD toward you, as Christ himself witnesseth. He that eateth my flesh & drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, & I shall raise him up in the last day. For my flesh is very meat, & my blood is very drink. He that eateth my flesh & drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, & I in him But do not only call to remembrance these aforesaid things, but believe faithfully also, & be persuaded undoubtedly, that they be true, & shall chance to you according unto your faith. So shall it come to pass, that with the receiving of Christ's body, ye shall also receive all the benefits, gifts, and graces of Christ, if ye believe, so that not only Christ is be come altogether yours, but also all that ever he hath besides is yours, as S. Paul say thee, he that hath not Roma. viii spared his own son, but gave him for us all, how is it possible, that he also should not give us all things with him? O the inestimable treasures, that lie bend out in this most holy Sacrament of the Altar for the faithful. blessed is he that is a faithful geste of this celestial table. Blessed is he that with a pure faith & sincere charity eateth the body of his LORD. Blessed is that man which receiveth this most honourable Sacrament, Christ's very body & blood with an undefiled conscience. For Satan, sin, death, hell, desperation. etc. shall not prevail against him. Such one may be sure to dwell in Christ, & Christ in him. Such one may be sure to have his heart abundantly enfarsed with celesti all graces & heavenvly gifts. Such one may be sure to have God the father, God the son, & God the holy Ghost dwelling perpetually in his breast. when ye have done these things a for said, than draw nigh, when time requireth, with all humble & reverent fear unto the feast of the lords body, & before that ye receive it into your mouth, pray on this manner. ¶ A prayer to be said before the receiving of the Sacrament. O LORD I am not worthy, that thou shouldest enter into me, but say the word only & my soul shall be made whole. heal thou me O God, and I shall be healed, save thou me, Psal. 〈◊〉 & I shall be saved. Create in me, O LORD, a clean heart, that with true faith, & perfect charity I may receive thy most holy body with such dignity & worthiness thorough thy grace into my breast, that thou mayst dwell in me & I in the for evermore AMEN. Thus have I neighbours declared unto you compendiously, how ye shall prepare yourselves worthily to receive at the time of Easter the most blessed Sacrament of the A●…re. If ye receive it on such manner, as I have taught you here tofore, ye may be sure to receive it worthily & according to Christ's institution unto the health of your souls. EV●…E. I pray God give us grace to receive it according to your most godly instructions, that our souls may be truly fed with the true body of our Saviour jesus Christ. PHIL. But for as much as we see many depart unreverently from the lords table, therefore will I in few words by your patience declare to you, after what manner ye shall go from it, & how ye shall behave yourselves ever Ephe. v. after, that ye may walk as it becometh the children of light, CHRI. I pray you heartily let it so be ¶ How we ought to behave ourselves, after that we have received the most blessed Sacrament of the Altar. PHILEMON. Now most dear brothers after that ye have received the body of our LORD jesus Christ, and with that same most glorious body tasted also his most precious blood H●…m. 〈◊〉. De sac. par●… Myst. which, as Chrisostome saith, is the health of our souls, washeth, garni sheath, inflameth our souls maketh our mind more shining than the fire, more clear than the gold, & is the sufficient price of the hole world, it is convenient that ye show yourselves thankful again to God for these his iestimable benefits, which he at that time hath freely given unto you, even the very body & blood of his well-beloved son & our LORD jesus Christ, with all the other incom parable treasures which pertain unto him. For all these things hath he most bounteously given you in this most holy Sacrament. It is therefore, I say, convenient, that ye show yourselves again thankful to him, by rendering hearty & immortal thanks. For this most holy mystery is called, Sacramentum Eucharistiae, that is, the Sacrament of thanks giving, because that when either we ourselves receive it, or else be present, when other do receive it, we should give God precordiall thanks for his bounty & kindness, showed to us thorough jesus Christ. Who cometh to the table of any man, & departeth without thanks giving? To approach therefore to sit down at the table of the most high & redoubted king, where no terrestrial & corruptible meat is eaten, but even the very body of the pure & immaculate Lamb jesus Christ, & to depart from so heavenvly a table with unthankful hearts, certes it were a thing to much for to be detested. It shall therefore be very convenient after ye have received that most blessed Sacrament, not to departed out of the church before ye have given God hearty thanks for his manifold benignity toward you, ye may do it on this manner. ¶ thanks giving after the receiving of the Sacrament. VUe thank the most gentle & merciful father that thou hast vouchsafe this day of thine own goodness to feed us with an heaven lie meat, even the very body & blood of thy most entirely beloved son our LORD & saviour jesus Christ Grant we beseech the that we by this celestial feast engrafted, yea incor porated i his most holy body, may so infix in our breasts his most bitter death, the we by remembering the same, may daily die unto sin, and so increase thorough thy divine grace in all virtues, that thy name may be perpetually sanctified in us, thy will accomplished among us here in earth, as it is in heaven, & our christian brothers loved unfeignedly & succoured mercifully, unto the immortal praise of thy most holy & blessed name, to whom be all honour & glory for ever & ever. EUSE. Amen. THEO. So he it. CHRI. LORD let it so come to pass. PHIL. After that ye depart from the table of our Lord Learn he ●…e what we 〈◊〉 fez to do when we receive the Sacrament God, cawl unto your remembrance what ye have done, & what ye have professed. first remember that ye have received the very body of our lord jesus Christ, of all treasures most precious. secondly remember that by the receiving of that, ye have professed yourselves to be the sons of God, the members of Christ, the maintainers of true godliness the studious followers of God's will, the fervent lovers of our Christian brothers, & the extreme enemies of Satan & his army, so long as ever ye live. All these things do ye profess, when ye sit at the most heavenly table. Look therefore that ye do not dally, nor mock with God, unless worse things chance unto you. Let us depart from that table, saith Chrisostome, as Lions Hom. lxi. De sac. par●… Myst. that breath fire, that we may be terrible to the devil. Therefore that this thing may come to pass, remember that ye are now engrafted in christ, & become members of Christ's body. How unfitting than were it, to fall again from Christ, & to adjoin yourselves unto uncleanness? Remember that ye are washed from 〈◊〉. Cor. vi. your sins & sanctified by Christ's blood, & justified by the name of the LORD jesus. Were it not than very unseemly to pollute and defile yourselves again with your old filthiness? Remember that god hath now delivered you out of the land of Egipte from your most cru ell enemy Pharaoh the devil, & hath brought you into the land of promise. Have not than a pleasure to return into that land of captivity Remember that God hath delivered yond from the filthy & abominable Sodomites. provide therefore that ye look not back again unto their pernicious manners. Remember that God hath delivered you from the babylonical captivity, & hath brought you unto the new & celestial jerusalem, so that now ye are Ephe. two. no more Jests & strangers, but Cytysenses with the Saints and of the household of God. Were it not than a thing of much ignominy for you to fall from so great an honour? what shall I make many words with you? Ye pertain now all together unto God. Look therefore that ye lose not the favour & gentleness of so bounteous a LORD. Moreover ye have professed day lie to die unto sin, & to walk in a new life. Look that ye answer faithfully to this your promise. Again, ye have professed, that ye will love your christian brothers, & do for them to the uttermost what so ever lieth in your power. All these things have ye promised to do, by the receiving of this most blessed Sacrament. Look therefore that ye be not negligent in the accomplish mente of the premises, unless the wrath of God falleth upon you. For it is not enough to begin well except ye go forth in your enterprises. He that continueth unto the end, No●…. shall be safe, saith Christ. Again, be thou faithful unto death, and I Math. x. shall give the the crown of life. No 〈◊〉. two. Luke. man that putteth his hand to the plough, and looketh backward, is meet unto the kingdom of heaven. Therefore neighbours do as ve have professed. Cast away your old wicked living. Continue in the body of Christ thorough a new life. Remain for evermore in the service of God. Seek the kingdom of god Math. vi. & the righteousness thereof above all things. Procure the furtherance Love and live the Go spell. of his most holy word, & so not on lie love but also live the Gospel, that ye may be counted both before God & man true & earnest followers of God's word. Furthermore love your christian brothers with a true, per foot & unfeigned love, & let your love bring forth good works that it may appear to be without dissimulation, or feigning. Above all things as I have ever exhorted you, be obedient mark well f●…r true o bedience toward 〈◊〉 kings graces majesty Rom. xiii. to the Kings grace's majesty, yea and that not only for fear but much more for conscience sake, in all things, as it becometh faith full subjects. The other public magistrates also spiritual or temporal have in perpetual reverence & honour. To be short, be so affected Phi●…. 〈◊〉 toward all men, even as jesus christ was toward you, & in all your words & deeds, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, & glorify your math. v. father, which is in heaven, to whom be all honour & glory for evermore. Amen. Thus endeth your Potation. THEO. Praised by God for it. EUSE Both now & ever. CHRI. For he alone is worthy all honour & glory. PHIL. Thus have I neighbour's A brief rehearsal of all things i●… this Prot●…cion according to my promise in the beginning of our Potation, performed all things, concerning the holy Sacrament of Penance, with the parts thereof. Of fasting, of ceremony & of the most honourable Sacrament of the 〈◊〉 I have also taught you many godly and goodly things, worthy to be imprinted in the hearts of all christ●… men. Now brothers I most instant lie desire you by the great mercies of God & the precious blood of our saviour Christ, to repose these things in your memory, and not to for get them, but with all diligence mainly to prosecute & follow them, yea & to express them natively in your quotidian & daily conversation. For the seruaunt', which knoweth his Luke. masters will, & doth it not, shallbe beaten with many stripes. If ye do these things, know that in this world ye shall have God the father, a merciful father unto you, God the son a sweet Saviour unto you, & God the holy Ghost a joyful comforter unto you, & after this life, ye may be sure to enjoy the most blessed & glorious sight of the holy trinity. Amen. THEO. Neighbour Philemon for this your Potation we thank you, & we trust that y●… shall see such fruits proceed from us, that ye shall rejoice to have call led us unto this your most godly Potation. PHIL. So doing neighbours, know me to be altogether yours. Well saying this spiritual Potation is so fortunately ended, I pray you follow me, that we may also refresh our bodies with corporal norysshement, & so with one mind praise GOD for all things, EUSE. We follow. Blessed be God for this heavenly Potation. THEOPHILE. AMEN. ¶ give the glory to God alone. ¶ Imprinted at London in botulph lane at the sign of the white Bear by me Iohn Mayler for Iohn Gough. Anno Dni. 1542. Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum Per Septennium.