¶ Certain Sermons of saint Augustine's translated out of latin, into English, by Thomas Paynell. Anno domini 1, 5, 5, 7. The Table. 1 WHy the ●estes of Saints are celebrated, and with what priveleges the Sunday above all other is honoured. 2 Of a christian nam● & what 〈◊〉 aught to do and ●●se●ue that beareth a christian name. 3 Of a christian name, and that a christian shunned o●ten t●nes ●h●●ke, why ●e is named a christian man and why ●e beareth the ●rosse of Christ in his forethe●●. 4 Of the m●sterit, f●ute and ●a●er of ●asting in lent. 5 Of fasting in lent, and al●es▪ dtdes. 6 Of con●ession and penance. 7 Of faur●en●er ronfession. 8 Of Penance. 9 Of afmose deeds. 10 Of the chastity that oug●● and should be between man and wife. 11 Of the fire of purgatory▪ and how it purgyth not mortal but hewell synnet. 12 Of chastity and clean 〈◊〉. 13 Of peace and unity. 14 Of archuinge and avoiding of 〈◊〉 and drunkenness. 15 Of sorte●ye and wytch●ra●e. 19 Of the true p●yui●n ●of 〈◊〉. 17 〈◊〉 su●●●nd of ●●ynt ●erna●●e, o● the s●pper of our ●o●he. ¶ To the most virtuous Lady and most gratyous Queen Marie, daughter unto the most victorious & most noble prince king Henry the viii king of England, france and Ireland, Thomas Paynyll wisheth most prosperous health and felicity. Although our saviour christ Jesus' doth affirm his yoke and command Mat, 1● ments, to be sweet, & easy to be observed & borne: yet how many (most excellent Lady do at this present allow, or admit the saying? ye how many do admit & affirm the contrary: For say they not that it is for any man or woman impossible to live chaste? to love their enemies, to live soberly or christianly? O God, how is Usury and Simony cloaked? how is intemperate living used and esteemed? How do men keep the chastity of matrimony: How do men pay unto God and his ministers their tithes? what charitable deeds, what fruitful penance, yea, what murder, adultery, and fornication, what bybbing, and bancketing, clean contrary to God's commandments is there used? For now to drink sunder snoeven is a virtue, to keep a concubine, is not much blamed, to seek upon caulkers and diviners is commonly used, to be proud, is accepted for cleanliness, to be avaricious, for prouldenee, to be crafty and deceitful, for policy, to spend and waste, for good fellowship, to scoff and jest, for a point of civility, to flatter, is taken for entire love and amity. O Lord shall these men come to thee everlasting be atitude? shall they see the King in his estate and majesty? no verily. Who then? He that liveth justly, Esay, 33 and speaketh thee truth: he that abhorreth to do injuries covetously, and removeth away his hands from gifts, he that stoppeth his ears, least he here the deceitful oppression of the innocents blood, and that shutteth his eyes, lest he see evil: this man shall inhabit places, & see the king in his glorious estate. Why do not men follow the sayings and words of the prophet? Why do they not ensue the doctrine of famous doctors and preachers? There was never more sincere and true preaching, than is now of late, nor the word of God more spoken of, then is in these our days. But so much preaching, & so little following, so much exhortation to charity, and so feeble & weak love, so much persuasion to souccoure and aid the poor, and so great povettie, so much good counsel given to ense we virtue, & so little apprehended & used, was never seen. Why so? For every man (as now the world is fashioned) be he never so rude and unlearned, will be his own doctor, his own interpreter of scripture, and follow his own sense and opinion, his own manner of living and pleasure, clean contrary to all wisdom, reason, and good learning. The old ancient fathers, and true interpreters of Gods holy word, the masters of virtuous and godly conversation, are among many little or no thing regarded. What were they (say they) but men as we be? Truth it is: but yet far more excellent both in learning and virtuous operations than we be: blessed martyrs, holy confessors, the chosen servants and vessels of God, the ensuers of his steps and statutes, the reprovers of vice, men of most perfect life, and the sincere preachers and expounders of the word of God. For who is he living that (as for an ensample) in subtility of wit, in profound learning, in clear declaration of scripture, or in godly example, that may becompared unto S. Augustine? Whose work are incomparable, & singular in all kinds of good iearning: and to reduce man from vice to virtue, from the active, to the contemplative life most excellent. Out of whose sermons, to admonish and revoke the people from their dissolute and vicious living, and to put them in remembrance of their duty and unthankfulness towards god: I have selected and translated these certain sermons, the which in mine opinion and mind, are most worthy, and most necessary to be known and had in memory, but to be followed, much more necessary. desiring your highness thankfully to accept this my rude translation. Rude it is (I confess) and barbarous, because I would be plain unto the plain and simple people, the which thing (as I conjecture) is not far amiss nor yet greatly to be blamed. 〈◊〉, 252. ¶ Why the feasts of saints, are celebrated, & with what priveleges the sunday above all other is honoured 〈◊〉. Ser. YE must understand and know, my dereli beloved brethren, that for this cause our holy fathers appointed, and commanded all christian men upon the solemn feasts of Saints, and specially upon the Sonnedayes, to be at rest, and void, from all earthly business: to th'intent they might be the readier, and more prompt to serve and honour God, having no impediment or let to withdraw them from the same, and that for that time, they should leave and avoid all earthly solicitude and care, that that more easily they might intent to do the will of god. And therefore our Lord saith by his prophet, be at rest, and behold for I am the lord. But they which are let tid with divers cares and businesses, do despise this sentence, nor will not give themselves to godly contemplation: and I fear me that at domes day, when they shall knock at our lords door, and desire it to be opened unto them, he shall answer, verily I say unto Luce, 13 you, I know you not, avoid from me ye workers of Iniquity. And they that now neglect to seek for god▪ shall then be refused. And therefore my brethren let it not be molestyus nor grieve you, upon the sundays, and the natyvities of Saints, to honour God. For the Apostyles and men Apostolical did therefore appoint the sunday to be religiously observed, Mat. 28 because our redeemer as upon that day, did rise from death to life, the which is therefore called the Sunday or the day of our lord, that abstaining as upon that day from earthily works, and wordly enticements, we may only serve and honour God, giving unto this day for the hope of oureresurrection, the which we have in it, all honour and reverence for as our lord Jesus christ and saviour hath rysyn from death▪ so we do hope that at the latter day we shall rise. It appeareth like wise in holy scripture, that this day is solemn. For it is the first day of the world. For upon this day the elements of the 〈◊〉, 〈◊〉. world were formid & made, and in it the angels were ●●●atyd, and the self same Mat, 〈◊〉 day▪ christ rose from death, and in it the holy spirit of God, descended from heaven 〈◊〉, 〈◊〉 upon the dyscypies, and even upon this day, manna was given from heaven in wilderness, with these documents & such other tokens, that Sunday is very excellent and noble, and therefore the holy doctors of the church have decreed, that all the glory of the Jews sabote, should be translate into the Sunday that we in verity and truth, may celebrate that they celebrated in figure: for than shall be our true rest, when the resurrection shallbe fully ended and our remuneration and reward both in body and soul made perfect. Let us therefore observe the sunday my brethren, and sanctify it, as it was commanded to our elders of the sabot day, the giver and maker of the law saying unto them. From the eventide until the Levi, 23 nyxte even, ye shall celebrate your Sabbotes. Let us therefore take heed, that our rest be not in vain, but that we from Saturday at even until Sunday at even, being sequestrated from all rusticail and other businesses, give ourselves only to the service and honour of God, for so doing we do justly sanctify the sabot day of our lord, saying. He shall do no manner Exo, 20. of work upon the Sabbote day. Therefore let every man if it be possible come unto Euynsonge, and Mattyns, and pray there in the assemble and congregation of the church unto god for his sins, And if he cannot so do, let him pray at home, not neglecting to pay his vow unto GOD, and to render the task or pensy●n of his service. Let no man upon the sunday separate himself from the holy celebration of masses, nor no man all other coming to the church, shall tarry idle at home: nor occupy himself in hunting, nor give himself to the ue●●she occupations and works, wandering about the teldes and woods: laughing and hallowing, never sorrowing nor praying from the bottom of his heart unto God, yea and yet further, the which thing is most detestable. Some there be that coming do not enter into the church, they ge●● not themselves to prayer, they tarry not in silence the holy celebration of masses, but when the holy lessous are a reading within, they with out are pleading their matters, or study to defend themselves, with divers false accusations or else they give themselves to dice, or to other unprofitable pastimes & sports. Some times truly (which is worse) they are so kyndlyd and chafyd with excessive anger, that they brawl most bit terlye, and run upon each other with swords & glaives, and often times commit murder. And this principally is done by those, the which being full of envy, and hatred, the devil being their guide, go unto the Church, not to help themselves, but to hurt other. And if such men be murdered there, or prevented by sudden death, whether go they else but with him into eternal torment, whose fotesteps they ensued and followed. O my brethren do not these things, do not deceive yourselves, give no place to the devil, in your assebles, but rather prepare & make yourselves, a dwelling place for christ, Therefore give not yourselves without to fables, but within the Church to psalmodi and prayers, brawl not one with another in the church but be quiet. There are many, and specially women, the which do so chatter, and in such wise do brawl in the church that they neither here the divine lessons them sefes, neither suffer other to hear them. Should there be such meeting with such an order in gods house? or is it decent or comely so to assist and stand in the sight of god, and of his holy angels? And yet I will further complain me with you, the which thing is generally to be served and morenyd. For why there are certain, and specially the great estates of this world, the which coming unto the church, are not devout and ready to laud & praise God, but to constrain the pressed to abreviat his mass, and to sing as it shall please them: nor it is not lewefull for him through their gluttony and covitusnes to follow the ecclesiastical fashion & manner: so that one little moment of the day, should be deputed and suffice to the service of God, and the rest of the day and the night to their voluptuousness pleasures. Do not these things my well beloved brethren nor consent not to those that so do. For they perish not only that do these things, but they also that consent unto the doers of the same. Therefore beware before all thing, that ye neither plead nor judge no matters upon the festival and holy days: but at other times and with justice. And that ye through receiving and taking of gifts, subvert not just judgement, for according to the sentence and mind Mat. 7, of our lord, with what judgement ye judge other, ye shallbe judged. Let no man drink himself drunken, for a drunkard is most like unto a mad man. drink so among men, that ye blur not your names out of heaven. There are many (the which thing is very evil) that not only inebriate and mystemper themselves, but also compel and adjure other, to drink more than is expedient, where of there ariseth very often among them brawling and murder. Do ye not way my brethren, whose will and mind these men do ensue and follow? Drunkards, saith the apostle 1, Cori, 9 and murderers shall not possess the kingdom of GOD. I beseech you miwelbeloved fathers, mothers, brethren & sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus christ, and by his kingdom and judgement that is to come, that ye with draw yourselves from all men that walk & live inordinately, and that ye walk worthily in the vocation ye are called unto, nor that ye neglect not your honour, nor little esteem your redemption which is in Jesus Christ. Year called the sons of god because the very son of god delivered you, give your study and diligence with good manersto please so great a parent, that he deliver you not as most wicked servants to perpetual pain: but lead and conduct you as most dearest children unto the supernal country, to be the heirs of Jesus christ his son, with whom he liveth and & reigneth god in the unity of the holy ghost, world without ●n●e. Amen. sir, 215 ¶ Of a christian name: And what he ought to do and observe that beareth a christian name. two. Ser. I Pray you my most dearly and well-beloved brethren that with all our study & diligence: we call to our remembrance, why and wherefore we be named and called Christians, and why we bear the cross of Christ in our fore heads. For truly we ought to know, that it is not suffici ente to receive the name of Christian men, except we do the works of Christians. For what doth it avail saith our lord, to call me lord, lord if ye fulfil not my commandments? if thou name thy ●oke, 6, self a Christian souldear, and continually dost bless thyself with the cross of Christ, and after thine ability and substance, dost no alms deeds, nor regardest not charity, justice, nor chastity, thy christian name shall nothing avail the. The sign and cross of Christ, is a thing most excellent, and therefore with this most precious signacle and seal, that thing which is most precious, aught to be sealed. For what doth it avail or profit thee, to make a seal of a ring of gold, if thou close putrefied and rotten straw therein? Or what doth it advantage us to wear, or to have the cross of christ in our foreheads and mouths, and inwardly in our souls to have and hide sin: he that thinketh evil, speaketh evil and if he that blesseth him ●elfe? will not amend, his sins decrease not, but rather augment and increase. There be that when they go about theft, or adultery, if they stumble never so little, they do bliss themselves, but yet they stay not themselves from their evil works and purposes. Nor the wretches perceive not that in so doing, they do rather include the devil then that they exclude him. But he which through the aid of god doth reject and repel all vicious and sinful living: and stryvethe both to think upon that is good, and to do good, he doth well and justly bliss his mouth with the sign and token of the cross, and endeavour himself to do such works, as shall deserve and merit to have, and to receive that sign and token of the cross. For it is written. The kingdom 1, Cor●, 4 of heaven is not in words, but in power, and good works. And again, faith with out good works is dead in itself. Therefore least that Jam, 2, peradventure we have not this christian name to our aid and amendment, but to our utter damnation and destruction (let us, whiles that we have remedy, and help in our own hands) return unto good works. And to the eutent ye may (through the help of God) accomplish and do those things, look that there be peace and concord among you: and that ye reduce and bring those that are at strife and debate, to peace and vnyti●. Avoid and fly allesyngs. Excheve perjury as perpetual & mortal death. And above all things look that after your ability as is aforesaid, ye ex hibite & give your charity to the poor and needy, and that ye offer up your oblations to be consecrated upon the altar. Look that ye can say pour belief, and the lords prayer, and that ye teach your children the same. For I marvel very much, how they dare be so hold, as once to name themselves christians, that do dissemble to say a few verses only of their creed, or of the lords prayer. Like wise ye shall understand, that for those children the which ye do Christian, ye are as sureties unto God: and therefore be circumspect to correct and chasten aswell those which ye do Christian, as your own natural children, that they may live chastened, soberly, and justly. And beware that your life be such that your children, if they will follow you, burn not in the eternal fire, but that they may approach and come with you to the perpetual bliss of heaven. Take you heed, that do here, and judge men's causes, that ye judge righteously, and that ye take no give Psa, 14, Exed, 23 tes of the poor. For gifts do blind wise men's hearts, and doo● change & alter Eccl, 20, the words of the prudent & wise, lest peradventure, whiles ye get and heap up money, ye lose your souls. For no man can get unlawful gain without lawful pain and damage, for where is lucre, there is loss, lucre in the chest, and damage in conscience. Let no man drink to be drunken, nor compel any other at his table to drink more than needeth, lest that through ebriety & drunkenness, he lose both his own soul, and theirs also. Look that ye come together to the church upon the sunday, for if the wretched Jews do keep and sanctify their sabbath day, with such devotion as one that day, they will do no earthly work at all: how much more should we christian men on the sunday, give & apply our minds to gods service & to come to that church for the salute & salvation of our own souls. And when ye come together, pray for the remission of your sins, Make no strife there, nor no debate, for who so coming to the church, doth so, he though row debate, doth wound & hurt himself there, where he might have healed, & helped himself by prayer. And being in the church, beware and look that ye brawl not, but that ye patiently do listen and take good heed to your divine service. For he that doth jangle or babble in the church, shall give an accounts and reckoning, aswell for other, as for himself, because he would neither hear GODDESS sword, nor yet suffer other men to here the same. Look that ye truly pay your tithes to the church. And let him that was proud, wax humble, that was lecherous, wax chaste, that was wont to siele or to invade other men's goods, give his charity to the poor. Let him that hath been envious, be benevolent and gentle, & that hath done injury, be ready and quick to ask forgiveness, and that he to whom injury was done unto, be pressed and ready to forgive. As oft as any infit mitie or sickness doth chance among you, let him that is diseased receive the holy communion of the very body and blood of christ, and afterwards be aneled, that scripture may be fulfilled in hymsayinge: if any man be sick, let the priest be sent Jam, 5, for to anoint him, & to pray over him, and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and God shall raise him up, and if he be in sin, they shall be forgiven him. Take heed, and mark now good brethren, that he, the which in his sickness will resort unto the church, may obtain bodily health, and receive the forgiveness of sins. saying then that double goodness and benefit may be found and obtained in the church why do these wretch's labour Deu. 18, by enchanters, by fountains, by trees, by divilysh philaters, be characters, by dyviners, and sothesayres, to induce much mischief among the people? But as I have said unto you before, look that ye do admonish & warn your children, and all your household to live chastened, and righteously, provoking and sturringe them to good works, not only by words, but by your godly and good example. But principally wheresoever ye be, whether ye be at home, or in your journey, or at the table, or among company, take heed ye speak no filthy, no luxurious, nor no light words: but that ye admonish your neighbours and kynsfolk, continually to endeavour themselves, to speak the thing that is good and honest, lest that through detraction, or dancing upon the holy days, or by babbling and reciting of luxurious & filthy communication, they with their tongues (wherewith they should laud and honour God) do wound and hurt themselves. For if these wretched and miserable persons, which are not ashamed to dance before the churches of holy saints, come thither good christians, they depart from thence as infidels, for this use and custom of daun sing doth yet remain of the observances, and infide litie of the gentiles. And ponder with yourselves what manner a Christian that he is the which coming to the church to pray, and forgetting the same, is not ashamed to speak the sacrilegius words of pagans. Consider my dearly beloved brethren, whether it be seeming or convenient: that such luxurious and light words, the very poison of the devil, should proceed or come forth of christian men's mouths, into the which the sacrament of the very body and blood of christ doth enter and is received. And above all things, take heed that ye do unto other, Tobi, 4, as ye would be done unto, & Mat. 7, that ye would other men should not do unto you, that ye do it not unto them, the which thing if ye would truly & faithfully observe and fulfil: ye should easily deliver your souls from all sin for he that hath no learning at all, and hath these two sentences in mind and memory, may by God's help and grace, in deed fulfil them. And notwithstanding, I do believe that the aforesaid evil and naughty custom, proceeding of the observances of pagans, be through my words, & gods inspiration, clean avoided, yet if ye know any that abserue and keep that most abominable filthiness of the fawn, and the heart, look that ye so chasten, and so correct them, that they may repent them that ever they committed such a sacrilegious, and so abominable a deed. And if ye know any such as do cry out, if the moon at any season, through any eclipse doth wax obscure and dark, warn thentherof, and show them, that thy sin and offend grievously, if they do trust, that through their clamours & sacrilegius boldness, they may defend themselves from the Moon (the which by God's commandment and ordinance at certain and appointed times doth wax dark) or from any other sorcery or witchcraft. And if ye see or perceive any that offer up their vows unto trees, or unto any fountains, or that hang about them or any of theirs any diabolical philaters, or characters, herbs or the joys of any herb, or that (as I have said) do seek upon sothsayres, diviners, or enchanters: correct them sharply, and say unto them that all that so do, do lose the sacrament of baptism. And in asmuch as we have hard say, that Satan hath so deceived both men and women, that they will not work upon the thursday. I protest both before God, and his holy angels: that except they which observe those things amend and redeem such sacrilege with long and sharp penance, that they shall be dampened for ever. Nor I doubt not but that such wretches, the which as in the honour of Jupyter, will not work upon the thursedayes will not be ashamed at all, nor yet fear to work and labour upon the sunday. And therefore take heed, that ye earnestly do chasten as many as ye know that do so. And if they will not amend, suffer them neither to speak, nor to eat, nor yet once to drink in your company. And if they be belonging unto you, or of your family, scourge them that they at the least, which remember not their soul's health, may fear the punishment of their bodies. I my dear brethren, remembering your manifold perils and dangers, do thus tenderly warn and admonish you, if ye then willingly do hearken unto me, ye shall come to perpetual joy and life ever lasting, the which he vouchsafe to grant you, that with the father and the holy ghost doth live eternally. So be it. Se● ● 216 ¶ Of a Christian name, and that a Christian should often times think, why he is named a Christian man, and why he beareth the cross of christ in his forehead. Ser. iii. I Do rejoice mi most dearly beloved brethren, and do thank God, that I have deserved to find you in good health. And truly my brethren a father doth righteously, & not without a great cause rejoice, as oft as he doth find his children healthful in body, and devout in the fear of God. And in as much as the goodness of God hath granted me double gladenes, aswell of yours. as of mine own health, I must now open and declare unto you the thing which pertaineth, and is for the utility & health of your souls. It is very necessary dear brethren, that with all our intention and mind we should study to inquire and understand, why and wherefore we be Christians, and why we bear the cross of christ in our foreheaddes. He must understand and perceive good brethren, that we are not made Christians to be careful for this life. For (as saith the Apostle) 〈◊〉, Co, 25, if we in this life only do believe and trust in god, then are we of all other the most wretched and miserable. For he that doth think only upon this life, is compared and likened unto a beast. For what other thing do beasts care for, but only to eat and drink, to sleep, and to live voluptuously? And even such as are all they that think moor upon their bodies, then upon their souls, that love gluttony and lechery. more than justice or chastity. Therefore my dearly beloved yemust understand, and know that we are made christians to think continually upon the eternal world, & reward that is to come, and to labour more for the soul, then for the body. Our flesh shall continue but for a few years in this would, but our souls (if we live and do well) shall inherit heaven without end. But if we do evil works, (that God forbid) and labour more for bodily pleasure, then for the health or salvation of our souls, I fear me that when good men shall be received with the angels unto eternal life, that we (that god forbid) shallbe cast headling into hell fire. Good brethren: it is not enough that we have received a christian name, except that therewith, we do good christian men's works. To him it is right profitable to be called a Christian, that loveth chastity, that exchueth ebriety, that abhorreth pride, and that as very poison doth reject envy. He is a right good Christian man, that stealethe not, that beareth no false witness, that lieth not, that useth no perjury, that committeth no adultery, that doth frequent the church, that doth not taste of his fruits, until he first have offered part of them unto God, that doth pay his tithes yearly, to be distributed among the needy, that doth love his curate, and honoureth priests, that loveth every man as himself, and hateth no man. verily he is not only a christian man that doth fear and eschew as the sword of Satan, deceitful weights, & double measures, but christ himself doth also dwele in him. He is a good Christian, that coming to the church, doth exhibit and offereth up his offering and that after his possibility and substance, doth give a penny, or a morsel of bread to some poor man, that receiveth the poor into his house: that washeth the poor men's feet, that doth not only make no debate, but reduceth such as are at discord and strife, to unity and concord, that doth show reverence, and the love of unfeigned charity un to his friends & elders, that doth live chaste, and admonynysheth his children, and his neighbours with word and deed, in sobriety and chastity. He is a good Christian man, that as oft as the holy and solemn feasts draw near, doth certain days before, abstain and keep chastity with his wife, that the more conveniently, & with a more sincere and sure conscience, a chaste body, and a clean heart he may come unto the lords board and table. And he likewise that can the lords prayer, and his creed by rote, & that faithfully doth teach his children the same. Now good brethren ye have herd who be good christians, and therefore let us with God's aid and help, do the best we can or may, that this christian name be not wrongfully and vainly in us, and that Christ'S sacraments suffer no injury in us, but in heart let us continually think up 'pon good Christian works, and in deed fulfil them. For I pray you, what manner a Christian call ye him, that scarcely cometh once to the church, and yet when he cometh doth not stand up to pray for his sins and misdeeds, but to prate & babble, to cause strife and debate, or else to drink, if he may find a convenient place, till he vomit again? & after that he hath well drunken, riseth up like a mad man, to leap and dance, and to sing luxurious and filthy songs of love. Such a one doth not fear neither to steal, nor yet to commit adultery, to give false witness, to curse, nor yet to commit perjury. But whether they be men or women that exercise and do such ungodly works, they neither receive the name of a christian, nor yet the sacrament of baptism, to their aid and consolation, but to their judgement and damnation, And without they repent them and do penance, they shall perish for ever: Now good brethren I have opened unto you, who be good, and who be evil Christians. And therefore follow those that ye see and perceive to be good: & chasten, chide, and correct those ye know to be nought that through your own utility and their amendment, ye may have and obtain double reward. For they that are good chaste, sober, humble, and gentle, will by the grace of God, continue in their good and godly works, and the myslyvers, quyckelye or ever they depart from hence, a mend themselves, for if they die without repentance, they shall not come to joy, but to perpetual and everlasting death, from the which God vouchsafeto deliver us. So be it. sir, 46. ¶ Of the mystery, fruit, and manner of fasting in Lent. iiii. Ser. WE ought to esteem & suppose the whole time of our life, to be a place to exercise virtue in, and with all virtue to strive to come to the celestial reward, But that must and ought most specially to be done and fulfilled in this holy time and days of Lent: the which days being hallowed with abstinence and fasting, do add so much to the virtue of that soul, how much they diminish of the voluptuous pleasure of the body. This a is lawful number of fasting days, the which are celebrated in holy examples. Moses when he should receive the law of God did fast forty days and forty night's without either Exo, 44. meat or drink, by such abstinence and fasting, he was prepared and ordained to receive the will and the commandments of god. He 3, Re, 19 lias after he had fasted forty days, was translated and carried out of the world in a chariot of fire to the highest place of heaven. Our lord and saviour Mat. 4. through fasting of, xl, days did triumph, and overcame the temptations of the devil, and as victorius came to the predication and declaration of the gospel. And we in like manner ought to fast, and to observe these days, the which we do read to be consecrated and hallowed by such examples. Let us therefore consecrate and honour these days with all alacrite & joyfulness of heart and mind, & prefer them above all worldly banquets, and bodily delight. For in these days we are most kindled and inflamed to fulfil the will and the commandments of god, for through abstinence the pleasure of the body is much suaged and debated. Truly the pure mind doth then make most haste to God, and to do and fulfil his commandments, when it is not mistempered with surfeyting, nor with the satiety of meats and drinks. Where of our saviour in his Gospel doth say. Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be overcome with surfeits with drunkenness, and with worldly cares and Luke, 21. cogitations, lest that sudden day come on you unwares, for it shall come as a snare upon the universal world, and no man shall scape it: Also this great utility and profit is in these hungry and fasting days: for through such abstinence and abstaining from lawful things, we are monished & much exhorted to abstain from that, which is unlawful. We abstain from flesh, the which upon other days we may use lawfully. We abstain from wine, the which we may use moderately. Let us therefore which do eschew and avoid the thing that is lawful, fly and above all things avoid sin, that can never be well and lawfully used. And if we intend & purpose to fast from meat, let us above all things fast and abstain from sin. For what doth it avail us to abstain or to void the body of meat if we replenish the soul with vice and sin? What do the it profit the to be pale and wan with fasting, if thou be blown and puffed up with hatred and envy? What doth it avail us to abstain from wine, if we be drunken and full of the poison of anger? What advantageth it the to abstain from flesh ordained to be eaten, if thou backbite and speak maliciously of th● neighbour? What doth it a veil us to abstain from those things which are at sometimes lawful, if we do those things, which are never lawful? Therefore let us (as I have said) fast and abstain from meat, but much more from vice, that we may be replenished with the abun dance of good & holy conversation, and in time to come deserve & merit through god's grace and favour, to be satisfied with the reward of good works. For they (as we do read in the gosplel) are blessed Mat, 5. that hunger and thirst, justice, for they shallbe satisfied, In truth we ought to choose this compensation, that is to give & to distribute such meats as we do abstain fro, to the poor & needy. For it is written. Blessed be they that are content to suffer, that in another place they may be refreshed. For that gift is acceptable unto God, when the needy is fed and refreshed, when the bare is clothed, when anger is not performed nor finished, when that time of anger is not kept, & when evil is not done for evil. Our fastings are then thankful Aom 12. and acceptable unto GOD, when we do refresh and comfort those that fast for veryenede & necessity, for than we shall hear this sentence, verily Mat, 25. I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto on of the lest of these, ye have done it to me. O the great be nignitie and goodness of god the which to repress and assuage the covetousness of man saith that whatsoever is given to the least poor man that is, is given unto himself. The goodness of God grant you my brethren that ye may so serve and please him with your abstinence, alms deeds, & good works: that he the which doth live eternally, may bring you to the eternal and true life. So be it. sir, 62, ¶ Of fasting in Lent, and alms deeds. v. Ser. I Pray you, & in like manner I admonish you my dearly beloved brethren, that none of you do presume to dine in this lawful and most holy time of Lent, except it be upon the sunday, or that peradventure ye be in such care and weakness, that your in firmity & sickness do the not suffer you to fast. For why, to fast upon other days, is either a remedy, or else a reward, but not to abstain in lent, is sin. He that at any other time doth fast, shall have pardon and remission, but he that doth not fast and abstain in Lente, shall feel pain. And yet let him, that through feebleness cannot fast prepare somewhat as secretly as may be, for himself and other (if there be any modiseased than himself) that they may eat it together. But he shall invyte nor call none such to his repast & dinner, that may fast: Forif he do both god and man shall easily perceive, that his infirmity is not the cause that he fasteth not, but that through gluttony he will not fast. Let him that can not fast, be content & eat his meat withsorowfulnes, that he when other men do abstain and fast, abstaineth not. Let him cause the thing that shallbe necessary for the sick, to be secretly prepared for himself and some other. For it beseemeth him not to call any whole man unto his table, lest that he, through other men's gluttony increase and augment his own sin. And yet forasmuch as he fasteth not, his charity and almose oughe to be the more large to the poor, so to redeem those sins by almose deeds, the which he could not cure nor heal, by abstinence and fasting. It is my good brethren a very good and a profitable thing to fast, but yet much better to give almose. If a man may or cando both they are two good things but if he cannot, better it is to give almose. If thou be not able to fast, almose deeds without fasting shallbe sufficient, but to fast without doing of charitable and almose deeds, is not sufficient. Therefore if a man can not fast, almose without fasting is good, but if a man may fast, and also do his almose they are two good things, but to fast without doing of alms, is neither good, nor profitable, except a man be so very needy and poor, that he have nothing at all to give, and then the good will of him that hath nothing to give, is sufficient. For it is written, Glory to God an high, and peace be on the earth to those that be well willing. Luke, 2, But who can excuse him, when the lord hath promised to give us a reward Mat, 10, for a cup of cold water? And why doth he say of cold water? least peradventure some poor man would excuse himself by penury and lack of wood, and say that he hath neither pot nor pan to warm any water withal Finally my dearly beloved brethren, the lord doth so exhort, and so admonish us by the holy prophet to do alms deeds, that there is in a manner no man so poor and needy, that can excuse himself: He saith thus. This is the fast, (saith the Lord) that I have Esay, 58, chosen, break thy bread to him that is an hungered. He saith not, give him a whole loaf, for perchance the poor man hath it not to give, but he saith, break it, that is to say, if thou be so needy and poor, that thou hast but one loaf of bread, yet break of a piece thereof, & give it to the poor. Also he saith, lead the poor ●●ay, 58, man that is without lodging, home to thy house. Now if a man be so poor and needy that he have not where withal to feed the poor, yet at lest wise, let him prepare him a bed in some corner of his house. O my dear brethren, what shall we sai to these things, or what excuse shall we make, that have great & wide houses? and yet scarely vouchsafe at any time to receive the poor pilgrim, being ignorant, yea not believing that christ (as he doth say) is received in his pilgrims I was a stranger, and ye received Mat, 25, me, and inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the lest of these, ye have done it unto me. It is tedious and laborious unto us, to receive Christ in poor and needy men, into our country, but I fear me he will requite us, & not receive us into this heavenly kingdom. We despise him here in this world, I fear me he will despise us in heaven. As he him self doth say, I was a hungered and ye gave me no meat, I was a stranger, and ye did Esay, 58, not receive me. inasmuch then as ye did it not to one of the lest of these, ye did it not Ezec, 18, to me. But I beseech GOD my good brethren, that he may remove from us, the thing that doth ensue and follow: for afterwards he saith: Get ye from me ye wicked & damned persons into that eternal Mat. 25, & everlasting fire, the which is prepared for saran & his angels. Therefore my brethren let us not hear these things slightly, or with our bodily ears only, but faithfully hearing it let us so teach it with word & deed, that other men may understand it, & accomplish the same. Our Lord christ Jesus granting it, the which liveth and reigneth with the father and the holy ghost. So be it. sir, 66, ¶ Of confession and penance. vi. Ser. HOly scripture doth often times exhort us to fly to the remedy, and medicine of confession, not that because that God hath any need of our confession, unto whom all that we think, speak, or do, is clear and at hand, but because we can not be otherwise saved, except that we being penitent, do penitently confess, that we negligentelye have committed. Satan shall not accuse him again at domes day, that doth here of his sinful deeds, and ungodly life, accuse himself, so that he be confessed, and penitently doth leave and forsake them, & reneweth them not again. Confess your sins (say the S. James) one to another, Ja●ab, 5, and pray one for another, that ye may be saved. And the Apostle Paul saith, Confession Rom, 50 with the mouth is to our salvation. And Solomon sayeth thus of the confession of sins: he that doth hide and cloak his sins shall so row: but he that doth confess Pro, 28, his faults, and forsaketh them, shall obtain mercy. It is a right good medicine of salvation, not to renew our old m●dedes, nor to refresh the scars of our old wounds. For S. John sayeth: if 1, Jo, 1, we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. David sayeth like. wise, I said that I would confess Psal, 31, mine iniquity and unright wiseness against myself, and thou didst remit the wickedness of my sin. Let the sinner confess his sins whilst he liveth, for hereafter is no fruitful confession, nor no penance that Eccle, 1● shall profit to salvation. See, now is the time of health, 2, Cor, 〈◊〉, now is the acceptable time, now is the time of remission, for those that are penitent. For why? after death shallbe the time of punishment for those that were negligent to confess them of their iniquities. All wicked and sinful persons have bitter penance in pain and torment, but yet it doth profit them nothing unto remission, for their conscience doth wring them to the increase and augmentation of the pain that they do suffer: They might by coninession have escaped the bitterness of their torments and pain, but they did not regard it. And therefore as they are outwardly troubled with fire, so they are inwardly vexed with the remorse of conscience. How cansurgion heal the would, the which the patient is ashamed to show? God doth desire our confession, that there by he might have a full and a perfect knowledge of our misde des, He that is ashamed to disclose and to confess his sins, shall have God both his judge, and his punysher. A man shall do best to judge himself in this world, lest that God here after judge him to 1, Cor, 11 perpetual pain and torment Every sinful man ought to have double sorrow in penance, first, that through his negligence he did no good and again that through a certain boldness he committed that thing which was evil That he should not have done he did, & that he should have done he did not. Confession doth justify, confession doth give Confession, remission of sin. All hope of forgiveness doth rest in confession, confession is a work of mercy, the very health of those that be sick, and with penance our only help and comfort, whose land & praise the Lord doth declare in the gospel, saying: Do penance, Math, 4, for why, the kingdom of god doth draw ●yghe. And S. John the ba●tiste doth say Do ye worthy works of penance. Math, 3, Worthy works of penance are, to be wail the sins that are past, and to renew them no more. As it is written, l●ke thou add, nor Eccle, 5, heap not sin to sin. And our Lord by the Prophet Esay, 1, Esaias doth say: Wash ye and be clean. He is washed & clean, that doth bewail that is past, & approacheth no more unto them. He is washed & not clean, that doth lament his misdeeds and afterward reneweth that he lamented. Of these men. S Peter doth speak most terribly saying: 2, Pet, ●2 A dog returning to his vomit. O my child (saith holy Eccle,: ●● scripture) hast thou committed sin? do no more so, but pray that the old may be forgiven thee. True penance is not judged by the number of years but by the bitterness and heaviness of the mind. S Peter by and by obtained of God Mat, 26. the forgiveness of his sins, because he lamented most bitterly that he had thrice denied him. And notwithstanding a man's penance be but short, yet if it be done with the inward bitterness of the mind God the righteous judge, considering the secretness of man's heart, will not despise it. For god doth not so much require the continuance of time, as he doth ponder the will and the sincere mind of him that repenteth & doth penance. For he that with all his heart & mind doth trust in Christ, although he depart and die with much sin, yet his faith shall live for ever, as GOD in his holy Gospel doth ●oan, 11, say, I am the resurrection and life, whosoever believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth on me, shall never die. He doth speak of the death of the soul, the which shall happen and chance unto man, through the infirmities and frailness of sin. God of his nature is merciful, and ready to save all those by mercy, the which he can not find to save by justice. He would that every man 〈◊〉, Ti, 2. should be saved, and that no man should perish, saying by the prophet, that whensoever a sinner doth convert himself, that he shall live & not die. And notwithstanding Ezec, 33, we are all wicked sinners, yet if we turn to penance, let us not doubt, but that through the mercy of God, we shall obtain the remission of all out iniquities & sins. The mercy of GOD doth help and secure those that in this world be penitent & do penance. For penance in the world that is to come (where every man shall give an accounts of his own works) doth not prevail. Penance must be done in this world, for after our death is none amendment. ¶ Of auricular confession. seven. Ser. MEn are wont sir, 30, to say most dearly beloved brethren, that God knoweth all things, and that with god there is neither time passed, nor time 〈◊〉, 13, to come, for he seeth all thing and pondereth all thing, all things are bare & open unto Heb, 4, God. Why will God then (say they) that we should confess our sins to man? were it not better not to manifest and disclose such evil deeds, then to open them abroad? for who is he that would glad lie say, I have trespassed above all other. And if I should show all thing unto man I should be esteemed the worst of all other, & many through mine example would do much evil. Why should a man then confess himself to any other? O thou man, docite thou not know that we are all sinuers? for if we say: that we be with 〈◊〉, Joa, 1, out sin, we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us. We do all sin, we are all borne in sin, we are all drowned in sin, yea & the child to which is but one Job, 15, day old. Wherefore then do we fear to be confessed? And yet we must needs be confessed unto God, for he is good and gracious, and his mercy Psal, 99 endureth forever. God would that we should be confessed, nor that neither, because he knoweth not our misdeeds and faults, but because the devil should hear and know, that we are confessed, and sorry for our iniquities. For after that we have once wept, and be truly confessed, he hath not where withal, he may any more accuse us. Mark and see then good brethren, Satan would that we should keep silence and hold our peace. And God would we should be confessed unto whom should we soonest obey? verily unto God, the which doth evermore command that good is. Nor it is not sufficient, the we abstain from evil, except we do sorrowfully confess the evil that we have done. Nor it is not enough to be confessed to god only, but in like manner we must confess our sins and tresspaces to man. Therefore thou shalt not linger to confess thyself, and return unto GOD. Nor thou shalt not differ it from time to time. For why? the anger of God shall come suddenly and destroy the. O my brethren that have slept hitherto, awake and return unto your Lord GOD with all your hearts with fastyng● Eccle, 5, weeping, and wailing. And inasmuch as he saith with all your hearts, the prophet doth teach us, that the foutayne of penance is in the Johel, 2, heart, and that weeping is referde unto the eye, sobbing unto the mouth, and fasting unto the whole body. O ma linger not to return again unto the Lord thy God, examen thy conscience. Lok● upon the secrets of thy heart, and consider or ever thou go to confession, that thy heart hath sinned, desiring and coveting the thing that was noughts, thy eyes in beholding of vanities, thy mouth by speaking the thing that was false, thy ears through hearing of lies, thy hands with smiting and committing of murder, if not in very deed yet peradventure in wil Who can excuse him self? our feet also are very quick & speedy to evil. Therefore as ye have given your membenrs servants to uncleanness and iniquity, from iniquity to iniquity, even so now give your members Roma, 6, servants unto ryghttuousnes, that ye may be sanctified. And first let the heart be penitent and sorrowful for all such ungodly things as it hath at any time thought upon or desired: let the eye weep, let the mouth pray coutinuallye, let the ear hear the word of god, let the hands give and be doing of charitable and almose deeds: receive the poor pilgrim, feed the sick and hongri, and clothe the naked, let your feet be going to the church, & your knees labour to bow down unto god, for as there was no member but that through sin hath displeased god, so let there be no member without sufferance of semblabe and like pain, for god hath given us our members to serve him withal and not to serve the world. But alas my brethren, the citizens of heaven, and gods familiar friends, are made the servants of the world, embracing & leaning a great deal more to earthly things then to eternal, to their own substance, then to them selves. But good brethren, ye should not do so, for why, the time is at hand, and it doth threaten us, Rise ye up therefore Psal 126 that do eat the bread of heaviness. Let us haste us to the church, and with sorrowful tears confess our sins. But first this order must be taken and kept. We (or ever we go to confession) must think upon our sins and trespasses, and in opening of them, so confess to god, and to his minister the priest the manner & circumstances of them, that we may depart from their feet not burdened, but exone rated & lightened. And good brethren, look ye prolong not the time, to confess your sins, for he that doth prolongne or procrastinate the time unto the last day of lent, or of his life to confess his misdeeds▪ he giveth good evidence, that he doth it not willingly, nor graciously, nor with a pure heart, but against his will. Mark and consider how such constrained and unwilling service doth please either god or man. And therefore let us not delay from day to day to confess and to open the secrets of our hearts, for God hath promised forgiveness to those that are penitent, and not to those that delay their confession or penance until to morrow: therefore let us not prolong nor delay our confession. But yet when thou man or woman goest to confession, look thou laugh not, nor that thou be gorgeously nor well appareled, nor that thou begin not to utter and show fables, but that with all humility and tokens of repentance, ye do confess your sins one to another. Jac, 5, And I pray the not to leare to be confessed. But how shall I confess this and that? O thou man, as oft as thou dost feel and perceive that, doubt not but that it is the very temptation of the devil, the which desireth so to inwrape & entangle thee, that thou being already in sin, mighst do without any great temptation, that should please him. And therefore my brethren, fear ye not to confess your sins, for I know that thing less, the which I know by confession, then that, which I know not. Why do ye then fear to confess your sins? he is a wretched sinner as ye are, and perchance a more wretched sinner than ye are, that doth here your confession. He is a man: he differeth nothing from you, he is but as ye are. Why dost thou then thou sinful man fear to confess the to a sinner? Choose what ye will but if ye lurk unconfessed, ye shallbe condemned without confession. GOD doth require confession, to acquit and deliver him that is humble, and to condemn him eternally, that is proud. Be confeste my brethren and delay it not, haste you to come to the holy harvest of confession, for confession is the Confession, health of the soul, the destroyer of vice, the restorer of virtue, the victor & overcomer of fiends▪ the fear of hell: the obstacle of satan, the cote and garment of angels, the hope of the church, the health the guide, the light, the esperance and hope of all faithful people; O wonderful and holy confession, thou dost close up the mouth of hell, and openest heaven gates. O confession, without thee, the just man is esteemed unthankful, and the sinner shallbe reputed as dead. O the life of all just men, the glory of all sinners, Thou art only necessary for sinners, and yet he that will be esteemed just, must oftentimes visit the. Finally there shall nothing remain in judgement that was avoided & disclosed by confession. clean and pure confession is so pondered and weighed, and God doth set so much and such store thereby, that the thieves confession hanging upon the cross, was aswell accepted as though he had died for god's cause: be hold how much the sinners short confession did advantage him? But we priests (would to god we were good priests) should so diligently, and with such mode ration watch to fasten the word of fear, & of contrition in the hearts of sinners, that we fear them not from confession and so to open their hearts, that they not her shut up, nor close their mouths from the same. Nor we should not absolve the penitent except we saw and perceived that he were confeste. For the belief of the heart justifieth & the confession of the mouth Roma, 10 maketh a man safe. And therefore he that hath the word of confession in his mouth, and not in his heart, is other crafty, or else false. And he that hath it in his heart, and not in his mouth, is other proud or fearful. Therefore it behooveth priests to be such as do know what manner of medicine and how much thereof they should minister to every sick man, The Lord which liveth and reygnethe for ever, being his aid and comfort. Amen. sir, 57, ¶ Of Penance. Ser. viii. I Pray you my dearly beloved brethren, that if any of you after the course and frailness of man, be overthrown through the subtle craftiness of Satan, or inwrappedin dedelye sin▪ and hath (as sayeth the Apostle) destroyed in himself the temple of god. I pray 2, Cor, 3 him that he despere not of the mercy of God, but that he arise up quickly from his iniquity and sin, lest that by the continuance & custom thereof he drown himself in his own ruin, for he shall not be odious nor abominable unto god, that hath done & committed sin, but he that doth rest and continue in sin. And because no man should mistrust the mercy of god, the Lord by his prophet doth comfort us saying, I desire Ezec, 33, not the death of any sinner but that he should return from sin and live. And again Ezec, 18, Whensoever the wicked sinner shall return from his wickedness, it shall not hinder nor hurt him. But this his great mercy doth then profit us, when we slack not to return unto him: nor join nor accumulate sin upon sin. Furthermore we may know the wounds and fractures of the body, by the wounds and fracturs of the soul. For if a man's leg, or hand be once broken, it is wont to be hardly brought and restored to his old use again, but yet if they break twice or thrice, or oftener in one place, your charity may easily understand and perceive with what dolour and pain such wounds and fractures are healed again: and yet after long pain & torment: scarcely they can be restored and brought to their former and old estate. And like reason is thought to be in the fractures and wounds of the soul▪ for if a man do commit sin once or twice, and without any dissimulation doth fly unto the remedy of penance, he shall without any let, and per adventure without any shame recover his health again. But if sin begin to be joined to sin, and that the woun: des of the soul, through the cloaking and defending of iniquity do rather putrefy than by confession and penance do heal and amend, it is to be feared, lest the saying of the Apostle be verified in him. Dost thou not know, that the kindness of god doth lead the Roma, 2, to repentance, but thou after thine hard heart that cannot rempente, dost heap together the treasure of wrath against the day of vengeance and revelation of the true judgement of GOD. But perchance some one man may think, that he hath so grievously offended, that now he cannot merit to have and to obtain the mercy of God. But God forbidden that any sinner should think so. O thou man that doth consider and way the multitude of thy sins, why in like manner dost thou not consider the great power of the celestial physician? And considering that God of his mere goodness will have mercy upon us, and that by his mighty power, he may be merciful unto us. He do the close up the gate of his divine mercy against himself that doth believe that GOD will not, or that he can not be merciful unto him, or that mistrusteth him to be good & omnipotent. And therefore let no man neither after a hundred yet a thousand sins and crimes committed, despere of God's mercy, but make all the haste he can, that God with out any stop or let may be merciful unto him lest that▪ he perchance do so accustom himself to sin, that though he would, he can not be delivered from the snares & crafty deceits of the devil. David (the which was both by the aid and gift of God) a 2, Regum, 11, 12, king and a Prophet was so prevented, that he committed not only adultery, but also murder, and yet he reserved not himself, nor protracted nor tarried not to do penance in his old age▪ but by and by, lying in a shirt of hear, and over sprinkled with ashes did sorrowful & great penance, and fulfilled that he said in his Psalms: I will wash and water my Psal, 6, couch every night with my tears. And again, I did eat ashes as bread, and watered my brink with tears. And because that with mortiferous Psa, 101 uncarefulness he did not delay to do fruitful penance, he immediately so stirred up and revoked the mercy of God, that alonely he lost not his kingdom, but also deserved to receive and to have the gift of the holy contorter. But peradventure there be yet the will say, I am occupied in warfare, or I have a wife, how can I then do penance? As though that I (when I counsel you to do penance) would say, that ye should rather go about to pluck out the hears of your heads, then that ye should leave your sins & wretchedness, or unthrede your gowns, then to refuse your evil conversation & manners. But let him which goeth about by such dissimulation more to deceive then to excuse himself, take heed, & mark, that neither the honour of his kingdom, nor yet the dignity of his apparel, could refrain or let king david from doing of penance. Also the sacrilegius king Achab 3, Regum, 21, (of whom scripture saith) that there was never none such sold to do eutil against God) after that Jezebell his wife had depraved him & had made him abominable in the sight of God, Naboth being stoned to death, because he would not yield up his vine yard, yet after that the Prophet Heli had spoken unto him, he put on a shirt of hear, & bowed down his head unto god, & did penance. Where upon god said unto Heli, hast thou not seen, how that Achab hath humiliated himself unto me? Forasmuch as he (saith the lord) hath buxomed and bowed himself unto me for my sake (I will not as long as he shall live) punish nor trouble the people Now consider good brethren, that although this Achab was sacrilegius & noughts, yet he prolonged not the time to do penance, but incontinently offered unto GO the sacrifice of an humble and of a contrite heart, And if afterwards he had continued in his humility, the mercy of GOD, had never forsaken him. Also king Manasses was so wicked, 4, re, 21, as it is written of him: that he replenished the whole city of Jerusalem with all in iquitie, yet after that he was taken & put in prison, he through great penance and much humility, did so obtain the grace and favour of god, that he merited to be numbered & accepted among the friends & good lovers of god, And after that thesinneful Magdalene Luc, 7, (the which washed Christ's feet with her tears, & wipe them with her hear knew that the heavenly Physician was come, she went into Simons house undesired, & she that before was bold, prompt & shameless unto all unthriftiness, was now more bold to be saved, and therefore she deserved to hear, that all her sins were forgiven her. Nor this woman prolonged not to d● penance, but why lest she might sin, she did so leave of to sin, that no necessary, but her own voluntary will withdrew her from her misliving. We might find many more in holy scripture, the which through doing of penance after their infinite & innumerable crimes, provoked and caused god to be merciful and gracious Lord unto them, the which did not only return to their first estate and condition, but to a much better. But forasmuch as it were a very long thing to speak of all, these four which we have recited & spoken of, all sufficient to know that the lord (the which forgave David after so great a sin, and the sacrilegius King Achab) and that after so innumerable iniquities reputed penitent Manasses to be his friend, and forgave the sinful Magdalen, which did wash his feet with her tears, and did wipe them with her hear all her sins is ready not only to forgive us our misdeeds and trespasses, if we return unto him, but also to give us eternal beatitude, & rest everlasting. Therefore mi good brethren, let us (thinking upon those things) lafoy bower with God's help, as much as we may possible, that no deadly sin creep in among us, but if so be there be any, that througe that deceitfulness of the devil are overthrown or east into this evil, let him or ever any such crimes by a continual custom do increase, seek for remedy, and labour with great sorowfulness of heart, to be reconciled, & to win the favour of almighty God again. Nor let him not be ashamed to do penance, that was not ashamed to sin, but strive incontinently through godly operation to a mend himself, that he may be known, and accepted of the father among his children, lest that he exclude him from the eternal bliss and eject him from the heavenly banquet, and bound both hand and foot, cast him into the exterioure darkness, where is wailing and gnashing Mat, 2●, of teeth, and that he revoked, and through the medicines of penance, humility, and compunction, restored to his old estate and health again, and adorned with the perylls of good works, may merit to hear these words. O my good and faithful servant, enter and come into the joy of thy lord Amen. 〈…〉 ¶ Of almose deeds, Ser. ix. _ 〈◊〉 My most derly beloved brethren have monished you & presumed too give you counsel to do and to give almose And although my admonition hath (God willing) profited many a one, yet I fear me, lest there be, that do less than they may, or else nothing at all. But some will say unto me. I am a poor man, & not able to do any almose deeds. But because that no poor man should excuse himself from doing of almose deeds, our Saviour hath promised to reward us for a cup of cold water. Sayest thou then Math, 10 that thou art poor? If thou have in substance no more than will reasonably find thee, than thy only good will is sufficient. But I pray the exactly to examen thy conscience, whether that at times peradventure thou haste not lost through superfluous drinking, thatthou mightest have given in almose, or lest that in earth thou haste consumed through gluttoni, that thou shouldest with almose and charitable deeds have laid and treasured up in heaven, or lest by preparing of delicate welfare, and buying of superfluous array and apparel, thou hast not now the thing that thou shouldest have to give unto the poor for the salvation and redemption of thy soul. And notwithstanding our galant and precious array is wont to be consumed and moth eaten, yet the needy can not obtain nor get the thing that is most vyleste. If all these impediments then do not aggravat nor burden our souls, or if we have the thing, which only suffysethe us and ours, we shall not then appear to be in fault and guty, although we give nothing to the poorer but if luxuriousness and super fluity (as I have said) do devour and consume, that charity and mercy myghe have tresured up in heaven, let us then while time is amend ourselves, and ●●udye to recompense and with all our might to fulfil that we have not done, or perchance that we have done, but far other wise and less than we should have done. And therefore help thyself (O thou christian man) that dost read and hear these things, with daniel's Daiu, 4, most holy counsel. Accept my counsel (saith he) and redeem thy soul with almose & chartable deeds. The which counsel, if thou wilt not listen to and hear, thou shalt call upon God, but in vain. O thou soul that dost inhabit and dwell within these carnal & frail wales, watch pray, ask, seek, and knock. Math, 7. I say watch ask, pray seeking, and knock working, The Lord shall answer thee, that dost watch and ask, saying, behold here I am. If thou wilt pierce and go thorough the fire, thy lord God is with thee, & the flame Esay, 43, shall not burn the. For why, as water doth quench fire, even so doth almose deed quench sin. Therefore if thou Eccle, 3, wilt open thy hand to the poor, christ shall open his gates unto thee, that as a possessioner of heaven thou mayst enter & come in. And if thou think that the end of the world be long a coming, look only upon thine own end, and behold how the world by a little and a little doth consume and vanish. All things which were good, are gone and taken away, & such evil as never was doth approach. The thing that the word of God did pronostycate, is daily accomplished & fulfilled, & yet that notwithstanding, man doth neither change nor amend. Therefore take counsel whilst that thou hast thy redemption in thine own hand, give and distribute unto thyself that is thine, whilst it is thine. For the thing that thou dost possess and hold, is but frail and brittle▪ and other men's that thou dost look for. Consider what manner of price the Lord paid for thee, he shed his pretyous blood for thee, he loved thee entirely, that so dearly bought the. O good brother avoid and fly the example of the rich man, whose dogs Luc, 19, the poor man Lazarus did feed and nourish with his wounds, and yet they gave him not so much, as the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table, but this thing not long after was clean altered, for the poor bought his salvation with poverty, & the rich man his pain and torment● with the abundance of riches The poor man was exalted up with angels into Abraham's bosom, and the rich man thrust down into the profound deepness of hell from whence he saw the por● man, yea the poor mann● the rich man, he that denied a crome of bread, desyred● drop of water. Let the● therefore that be rich and aboundannte, (the which will not help nor redem● themselves with their ow●● goods and substaunte) think upon these things, lest they suffer and cometo like punishment. He was rich that we do speak of, & likewise there be rich men here, unto whom we do speak, they are all after a name, but let them beware, that they be not of one condition, but these things were changed between the rich man clothed in purple, and the poor man full of biles and botches. For the rich man lost that he had, & poor Lazarus began to be that he was not. The rich man left in this world his aware houses and shops full of goods and great substance, and in hell, he desired but a drop of water, and could not obtain it. Take heed good brethren, the whole body of this rich man is troubled with the flames and fire of hell, & yet his tongue (because with proud words he despised the poor man) is most vehemently tormented. The tongue which would not counsel him to give the poor man his almose, is most grievously burnt and punished with the fire and flames of hell▪ He cried out and said: Father Abraham, send Lazarus that he may dip his finger in water, and coal my tongue. O thou rich man, with what audacity & boldness darest thou require a drop of water, that wouldst not proffer a crome of bread? Thou shouldest now even of right have demanded and asked it, if thou hadst given it. O these worldly goods, the which in hell are grievous & evil. To this rich man service came fire and torment. He doth suffer the cruel and hard torments of hell. He is wrong, and crieth out, and saith. O most pure and righteous judge, other let my pains be recompensed, according to mine iniquities, or else let me receive condinge punishment and pain for the time, that I was in wealth, or double pain, or four times more pain. Why dost thou command me to be kept these many. M. years in this flaming fire? I am so bound with the bounds of my sins, that I can not escape. I am every moment of an hour, pain fully tormented and punished. The fire doth cruelly vex me, nor it doth not spare me, it both tormenteth me, and reseruethe. To these lamentable and dolorous come plaints, he might thus without doubt have answered him: What shall I do unto thee? Thou didst no almose deeds, the which might have quenched the torments Eccle, 3, & pains, that thou dost now abide and suffer for thy sins and iniquities. scripture did call upon the but thou wouldst not here. The prophets hold not their peace. The apostles preached, The gospel gave out his softd The torments and pains prepared for the sinful were declared unto thee. And the reward of the righteous was promised thee, but thou trusting and having affiance in these world lie goods and possessions, didst reject and contemn God's precepts and statutes as trifling and vain fables Let the poor pray for thee, and whatsoever thou dost ask, I do grant it thee. But yet I do handle & use thee, but justly, for there shallbe judgement merciless Ja, 2, to him, that showeth no mercy. My justice can give thee nothing else, but that thy works do deserve and merit. And therefore thou being now dead, and in another man's power and dominion, dost call upon me but in vain. For when thou might test and didst see me in the poor, than thou wast blind and wouldst not see me. O my brethren made by the hand of God, & bought as I was full dearly, hearken unto the lords counsel. Obey and fulfil the desire of your bishop, that with him ye may take and receive your inheritance in your father's kingdom. Of a bond man thou art made a friend. Despise that thou art borne, and do unto Christ, as he doth unto thee. Why should he not take part of thy substance that hath prepared for thee rewards everlasting? Why should he not have the tenth of thy goods, that hath given the all, for this earthily patrimony God doth offer us heaven, he sayeth thus. Come ye blessed children, and Math, 2● inherit the kingdom, for I was an hungered, an ye gave me meat. Then may ye say luckily, if so be ye were large and faithful in doing of your almose, when saw we the an hungered, and did feed thee? what a thing is this my brethren. The true and fairhful debtor confesseth his debt, and the creditors excuse it. Then shall your father, your LORD, and your friend with whom ye have made a celestial convention and bar gene, answer you thus. In as much as ye have done it unto one of these least of my brethren, ye have done it to me. I shall therefore give you celestial and eternal rewards and a kingdom upon my right hand. Nor that, because ye have not trespassed: but because ye have redeemed and ransomed your sins with almose and charitable deeds. I pray you good brethren to remember these things, and that it may so profit the poor and needy, that I for my gentle admonition may obtain forgiveness before the seat of the eternal judge, and ye for your liberal contribution and almose deeds, eternal glory, our Saviour Jesus christ, granting the same, to who me with the father and the holy ghost be honour for ever and ever. Amen. ¶ Of the chastity that ought and should be sir, 293 between man and wife. Ser. x. Whensoever my well-beloved brethren we do commend chastity as it ought and is expedient it should be commended, young men and such as are in the flower of their age do say thus. We are young men, we can not live chaste. To whom we may and aught to give this answer, that they can not like chaste and undefiled, because they eat more than is expedient, and drink moor wine than needeth, nor will not fly nor eschew the familiarity of women, nor yet fere, nor be ashamed to hount and to have their suspect company, but let all such listen to the Apostle saying. Fly fornication. And this▪ be not drunken with wine, wherein 1, Cor, 9, is excess. And Solomon Ephe, 5, sayeth, wine and women do reprove and cause wise men Ezec, 19, to do amiss. Let those that say that they can not keep chastity, answer me, whether they have wives▪ or no: if they have wives, why do they not take heed to Gods saying in his Gospel, What soever ye will that men do unto you, do likewise unto Math, 7, them. And why do they not keep their fidelity and promise made unto their wives, the which, they would, yea and desire that their wives should keep with them? And seeing that a man called vir, doth take his name of this word virtus, and a woman called muli cr, of this word mollities, that is, of softness and frailty, why would man, that his wife should overcome this most cruel lechery, when that he himself at the first stroke & motion thereof, doth yield and fall? But here perchance all such as be unmarried shall say unto me, that they may be well excused, because they have no wives to keep promise withal, and therefore they can not live pure and chaste. To these that pretend this false and wretched excuse, a man may and aught to make this just answer▪ No man ought more to avoid unlawful things, than they that do reject the things, which are lawful. Considering then that it is lawful for man to take and to mary a wife, and that it is against the authority of all scripture, nor never lawful to commit adultery. why dost thou not then with God's favour mary a wife▪ the which is lawful, but dost presume with God's displeasure to do the thing, that is not lawful? Yet I would fain know whether the they, the which have no wives, nor were not ashamed, nor in fear to commit adultery or ever they were married, that their souls should be defiled or corrupted, or they were married unto them? but seeing that there is no man the with patience could abide or suffer thee, why do not they then keep the self promise with their wives, the which they do desir that their wives should keep with them. And why doth he desire to be married unto a virgin that is none himself? Why doth he desire to be coupled with her that is alive, when that he himself, through adultery is dead in soul? for it is E●●● written, The soul that doth sin, shall die. And the Apostle sayeth full terryblye. God will judge adulterers. He●, 13, And again, Adulterers shall not possess the kingdom of heaven. But peradventure, 2, Cor, 6, there are that think it law full for men or ever they be married to commit fornication, but not for women. Many there are, the which not fearing God, do commit these crimes, most grievous and most worthy to be punished, because they are common, and customably used, and so little esteemed, that men now a days do not reckon them to be enorm and wicked trespasses. But yet in the catholic faith, whatsoever is unlawful for women, is utterly unlawful for men. For why, both men and women are redeemed with one price, that is▪ with the precious blood of christ. They are called to one faith, & are gathered together in one mystical body of the church, they receive the sacrament of baptism together, they come together unto the altar to receive the holy communion of the body and blood of christ, and the commandments are given equally unto them both. seeing then that it is so, with what boldness, or conscience do men believe that they only may do that thing unpunished, the which is neither lawful for man to do, nor yet for woman. But I would that all such as presume to do such detestable things, should well and perfectly know, that if they do not for the with amend themselves, and do the fruitful works of penance, but die suddenly, that without doubt or remedy, they shall be troubled with perpetual fire. But what a thing is this, for many therebe, which are not ashamed, or ever they be married too keep concubines, the which they forsake within few years after and be married first they do muse and cast with themselves, how that through deceitfulness and theft, they may come to riches and unlawful again, & afterwards against all reason, they do mary women of more nobility and substance than they themselves be. Mark with how many evils they that not only unluckedly do desire to do service unto lechery, but also to covetousness do entangle themselves with al. Therefore I do contest & de here before God and his angels, that he hath always forbode these crimes, and that they never pleased him. For sense the time of Christ'S law it was never lawful for man to keep aconcubyne, nor never shallbe. But yet there be that do it by the law of man, but not by God's law, nor yet by justice commanding, but by the only pleasure of the body ruling them, When the Apostle sayeth to those that be married, that the time which remaineth is but short 1, Cor, 7, and that they which have wives, should be although they had none. And again, wythdrowe yourselves for a while, that ye may give yourselves to prayer. How doth he suffer men to have concubines that doth command them to keep chastity that are married: And therefore I again and again do say unto you, that he, the which before he be lawfully married doth presume to keep a concubine, doth greatly sin and trespass, and more greater sin than he, which committeth adultery, for the adulterer doth it secretly, and feareth, and is ashamed to do it openly, but he that keepeth a concubine openly, doth think that without shame he may do in the presence of all the world, such an execrable thing most lawfully But they peradventure which are not defiled nor be spotted with this sin, do say, why be not they that commit and do such enormities removed then from God's board? priests verily punish not such enorm and great crimes, because that many men do use them, but if a few in number would presume to do such evil they might and ought not only to be remoned from Gods board, but also from the speech and familiarity of all christian people, as sayeth the Apostle With such a man thou shalt 1, Cor, 5, neither eat nor drink. But yet (as I have said) the multitude of misdoers doth let the priest to punish them, although good priests do what they may or can, & with continual and perfect charity do both sigh and pray, that at the least ways, they might by their admonitions and prayers provoke and induce them to penance, the which, because of the infinite multitude of them, they could neither correct nor punish. And therefore I pray you again and again, yea and likewise I desire you, that as he which would be married, doth covet and desire to find his spouse a virgin, so in like manner, let him until he be married, keep his virginity, for if he do not he shall not accept nor receive the benediction with his spouse. And so the scripture shallbe fulfilled in him, which Psa, 10 sayeth, he would have no benediction, & it shallbe far from him. Now than if penance do not help, what shall become of this man? Or what shallbe his judgement in time to come, that in this world was not worthy to receive the benediction, and to be blessed with his spouse? And note this my brethren, if they which have no wives, through keeping of concubines, or meddling with other men's wives be in so great danger, what shall they most unfortunates think of themselves, that perchance have wives, and yet commit adultery and through a certain madness do despere of the judgement of GOD, nor fear not the pains of hell, nor drsire not the eternal reward? verily if they were in true and perfect faith, they would believe in God, and fear the judgement that is to come. And this may well be proved, that all such do believe and trust more in man, than they do in God, for where they do see, & perceive that men be, there they do fear to commit adultery, but to do it secretly (where God doth see it) they fear not. But if they had never so little a spark of true faith, as they suffer not their servants to trespass in their own sight and presence, so would they not presume to do and commit adultery in the presence and sight of the Lord their God. But of these speaketh the holy ghost by the Prophet. The unwise psa, 13, &, 52, man said in his heart and mind, there is no God: For this is without peradventure, that he believeth not, that there is a God, which secretly doth those things in gods sight and presence, the which he feareth to do in the presence and sight of man. But that wrtche knoweth not that the face and anger of Psa, 3●, God is upon all those that do evil, to destroy them for evermore. But perchance some do say thus, how can I that through my great business, or by the kings commandment am absent from my wife so many months or years keep chastity? Unto this I may give this answer, that he return home unto his wife. But when I answer the merchant so, he sayeth, that if he leave of the feat of merchandise, he shall not be able to live. The man of war doth say, if I depart from the host: the kings majesty will be discontent with me. But unto these a man may say, that if he fear the king and upon that occasion retournethe not home to his own wife, he ought so to fear God, that he touch nor company with none other man's, for as the king may put him to death▪ that returneth home from the host to his wife. without licence, so may god punish him perpetually, that being far from his wife, committeth adultery. I pray you good brethren, if so be that any of you through your necessary business, or by the kings commandment be at some times far from your wives, why should ye not live so long in chastity for the love of God, and the wealth and salvation of your souls. Doth thy business, & the kings commandment, enforce the for so many days not once to touch thy wife, and the love and precept of God shall not persuade thee to touch none other man's? but I would that all they, that which for lucre sake only and riches, and at the king's commandment do observe and keep these things, and dissemble to keep them for God's sake, should know that if penance do not aid and help them, that they (when they shall stand in judgement before GOD) can not escape from hearing of heavy & dolorous words, for these words shallbe said unto them, Get you hence from me ye Math, 25 wicked and cursed people into eternal fire. And what a thing is this, that a ●olde champion going to battle shall at some times peradventure slay no less than ten of his enemies, and committing of adultery with some maid taken in warfare, doth murder his own soul with the sword of sin? Consider how great an evil it is that man should be more cruel to himself, murdering his own soul through letcherye, then to the bodies of his enemies by byctory. Forsooth, it is a dolorous and a lamentable thing, that he (as I have said) who hath victoriously overthrown ten of his enemies, should be overcome by a woman: or that he, which hath overthrown so many of his enemy's bodies, should in heart and soul be overcome by a woman. surely it is to grievous a thing, that he which can not be overcome with no weapon, should be subdued through bodily lust and pleasure, or that sweet and pleasant words should overturn him, whom no hardness could overturn, or that he which disdained to be the bondman of man, should me rite to be the bondemanne of sin, when that it is a more unworthy thing, to serve in mind, then in body, as it is written, for of whom soever a man be overcome, unto the same is he in bondage. 2, Pe, 2, Good brethren, if I should not show you these things I should answer for yourselves at the day of judgement. But whosoever he be that is more desirous to be grieved or angry with me, then to amend himself, he can not now through ignorance excuse him, sayiuge▪ that he was not monished of these things, nor forbidden to do evil, nor provoked by oft castigation and admoniti on unto all such things as should please God. But I believe, that the mercy of god shall so inspire every negligent person, that they shall be much more worth and angry with themselves, than with the priests good medeeynes and admonytyons And as the sick and weak persons do require bodily health of the carnal physician so shall they require and demand soul health of the spy: ritual and ghostly Phisityon. But I do hope and trust that through the mercy of God, they shall so study to comfort & cheer us by their good amendment, that they shall come most prosperously, God willing, to the eternal reward, and life everlasting. Amen. sir, 47, ✚ Of the fire of purgatory, & how it purgeth not mortal but venial sins. WE have herd my dearly be loved brethren the Apostle, saying in the apostolicaliesson, that no man can lay any other foundation then that which is laid, which is Jesus christ, if any man bild on this foundation, 1, Cor, 3, gold, silver, preciusstones timber, hay, or stubble, every man's work shall apere. For the day of our lord, shall declare it, & it shallbe revealed, & showed in fire. And the fire shall prove and try every man's work, what it is, if any manes work that he hath build up on, bide, he shil receive are ward, if any man's work burn, he shall suffer loss, but he shallbe safe himself, nevertheless yet as it were thorough fire. There are many that miss understanding this lesson, are through a certain false security deceived▪ believing that if they bild upon the foundation of christ criminal & mortal sins: that these sins may be purged by this transitory fire & that afterwards they shall come to perpetual & eternal life. But this understanding dexely beloved brethren, is to be corrected, for they that so flatter themselves, deceive themselves. For criminal sins are not purged by that transitory fire where of the Apostle doth speak, he shallbe safe himself, nevertheless yet as it were thorough fire, but only small & venial sins, although that not only criminal, that which thing is worse, but also venial, if they be to many do drown, and utterly destroy men. And yet some aswell of the criminal as of the venial, are to be rehearsed & spoken of lest that any man should vaniely go about to excuse himself, and say, that he knoweth not which are criminal and which are venial. And not withstanding the Apostle hath rehearsed many of the capital and criminal sins, yet lest we should be seemed to cause desperation, we shall truly & shortly declare and show you what they are. Sacrilege, murder, adultery, false witness, theft, rape, pride, envy, avarice, anger, if it continue in man, & ebriety if it be continually used, is counted & numbered among them. And whosoever doth feel and perceive that any of these do reign or have any dominion in him, except he worthily amend himself, and having time & space, do long & continual penance and distribute large almous and abstain from those sins, he cannot be pourgyd with that transitory fire where of the Apostle speaketh but the eternal flame of fire, shall torment him without remedy. And although small & venial sins are known unto all men, yet because it were long to rehearse all, needful it is to name certain of them: As oft as any man in meat or drink receiveth more than need is, he shall understand that it pertaineth ta veniali sins. As oft as he speaketh more than behoveth, or doth hold his peace more than is expedient. As oft as he exasperath the poor asking his alms inportunatlye. As oft as he being hole of body, all other given to abstinence and fasting, will dine & given to sleep & sluggishness, doth slothfully arise to come unto the church. As oft as he knoweth & meddleth with his wife, except he desire to have children. As oft as he slofully doth seek & visit the imprisoned & bound with bands. As oft as he slothfully doth visit the feeble & sick, if he neglect to revoke & call the disturled to unity & concord, if he exasperated his neighbour, his wife, his child, or his servant more than behoveth, if he flatter them more than is expedient. If he flatter any great or noble man other willingly or of necessity, if he feed not the poor hungry man, or if unto himself he prepare to delicious & sumptuus fare, if he occupy himself in the church, or out of the church with void & idle fables, where of a count Math, 1● must be given at the day of Judgement, if we swear unawares, nor cannot through some necessity fulfil the same we fall into perjury, when we of lightness and 1, Cor, 9 temerariously do curse, seeing it is written neither they that curse, shall possess the kingdom of GOD. And when we temeraryusly do sus the thing, which often times doth not prove as we believed, without doubt we do amiss. It is not to be doubted but that these things and the like, do pertain unto the small & venial sins, the which (as I have said already) can scarcely be numbered, and of the which not only christian people, but also no saint at any time could or can be unguilty: And although we believe not that these sins can kill the sole, yet they in such wise do deform and diffigure it as it were with certain blains. & an horrible stabb● that it suffereth not the soul to be embrasid of the celestial spouse, nor scarcely or else with great confusion, to come unto him, where of it is written, he hath prepared and made the church unto him Ephe, 5, self, with out spot, or wrinkle And therefore they must be continually with continually prayers, with many fastings & large almesredemed, least the they perchance gathered together in a heap, drown the soul. For whatsoever of all those sins we redeem not, shallbe purged with that fire of that which the apostle hath said It shall be revelid & showed in 1, Cor, 3, fire, & if any man's work burn he shall suffer loss. Or if we whilst we live in this world, do fatigate & trouble our selves with penance, or afflictid by god do willingly suffer the same with manifold other tribulatious for these sins, we if we give god thanks, shallbe delivered. The which doth so chance & happen, if as often as our husband, or wife, or our child, doth die, or if our substance (the which we love more than it behoveth usto do) be taken from us. And although we love christ more than our substance, and had rather if necessity should so require, lose our substance, then to deny Christ, yet because (as I have said) we love our goods more than needeth, wecān●t leave nor lose them, neither living nor dying, with out great heaviness & sorrow, & yet if we as good children give thanks unto god, the which as a good father doth permit and suffer those things to be taken from us. & with true humiliteprofes ourselves to suffer less than we have merited & deserved. These fines are so punished in this world, that the fire of purgatory in the world that is to come, shall not find or truly very little, that it shall consume & burn. But if in our tribulation we give god no thanks, nor redeem not our sins with good works, we shall so long continue in that fire of purgatory, until the foresaid sins as timber, hay, or stubble, be consumid. But loan man doth say I care not how long I continue there, so that I may come to eternal life. Let no man sai so my dearly beloved brethren, for the fire of purgatory, shallbe more painful than anypaine that in this world may be seen thought, or felt. And seeing it is written of the day of Judgment y● one day shallbe as a thousand years, & a thousand years as Psal, 89, one day, how can any man know, whether he shall pass thorough that fire, by days, months or peraventure by years? And he that will not now put one of his fingers into the fire, should even then of necessity fere, to be tormented there, for a while both in body & soul. And therefore let every man labour & travel with all his force & might to escape those capital & mortal crimes, & so to redeem with good works, those small & venial sins▪ that nothing do remain to be consumid with that fire. But if they which commit these capital & mortal crimes, redeem them not whilst they live▪ with the medicines of penance, they cannot come (as it is all ready told you) to that fire, that the apostle speaketh of, he shallbe saved 1, Cor, ●● yet as it were through fire, but shall here that hard & irrevocable sentence. Get ye hence ye cursed Math, 25 into eternal fire. And therefore they that desire to be delivered from this perpetual pain & from that fire of purgatori, should not commit these criminal and mortal sins, but if they have already committed them, let them do fruitful penance, nor cese to redeem those small & daily sins with good works; And with what works these smalesinnes may be redeemed I desire fully & perfectly to show you. As oft as we vysyt the sick, and seek for those which are in prison & tide fast in bands, & revoke those that be at discord to unity & concord As oft as we observe & keep the fasting days commanded by the church, & wash the feet of strangers, & come often together untovigilles, & give our charity and alms before our doors unto the poor, and forgive our enemies, as oftas they shall require: & ask forgiveness. With these works & other like unto these, those small & venyalsines are daily redeemed, but this only for capital & mortal sins doth not suffice, but tears must be added thereunto, & sorrow, continual fasting, leberal & large alms, removing ourself from the communion of the church, continuing for a long time in heaviness & sorrow, & doing open penance: For it is just, that he which lost & destroyed himself with the destruction & loss of many, should redeem himself with the edyfication & amendment of many. Nor finally it is not impossible, nor unconvenient neither that I persuade and counsel, that we should so lament our dead souls, as we bewail and lament other men's dead bodies. For if other my wife, my son, or my husband be departed and dead, men fall down upon the earth, they tear and pluck themselves by the hear, they knock themselves upon the breast, and continue no small time in mourning, penance & we ping. We beseech you brethren to exhibit unto your souls that they exhibit unto other men's bodies. And consider this my brethren, how evil a thing it is, to bewail that we cannot revive. We lament the flesh, the which we cannot call to life again, but our deed souls we be wail not, that which by penance we may revoke to their old state again. But that that is worse we do, we bewail the deed body which we love, but we sorrow nor lament not our dead souls, the which we love not. And therefore let us begin clean contrary to love the lord more than the servant, that is the creator & maker of the body, more than the body, more the lady than that maid, that is more the soul made like unto the image of god, than the flesh formed & and made of the slime of the earth, that when ourflesh at the later day shall begin to putrefy and be devoured by worms in the grave, that soul by the hands of the angels may be lifted up into Abraham's bosom, & that it at the day of judgement, receiving the body by the virtue of the resurrection, may merit to here, well good faithful servant, enter into thy master's joy. And Math, 25 that these things the which we have spoken of before may adhere & cleave more surely in your hearts, & that the apostolical lesson may be more fully understanded, I shall repeat them unto your charities. All saints & good men that serve god faithfully do contend to give themselves to read or to prayer, & to persever in good works. Nor they which bild not upon the foundation of christ capytal and mortal sins, nor yet venial, that is, timber hai, and stubble, but good works, that is, gold, silver, and pretyous stones, shall pass thorough the fire of the which the apostie doth say. It shallbe revealed & showed in fire without any violation or hurt. And although that they which commit no mortal sins are promyte & ready to do venial sins & negligent to redeem them, shall come to eternal life, because they believed in christ & committed no criminal sins yet they must first (as I have said) by the justice or mercy of god through bitter tribulations be troubled & scourgid or else through the mercy of God be delivered by great and manifold alms and specially when they meekly pardon and forgive their enemies, or else they shallbe long troubled & tormented in that fire where of the apostle doth speak, that so they may come without spot or wrinkle to eternal life. But they truly which have committed murder sacrilege, adultery, or other like unto these, if worthy penance (as it is said) do not help them, shall notmerite to pass unto life by the fire of purgatory, but byeternal fire shall be cast headlong unto death. And therefore as often as ye shall here in the apostolical lesson, if any man bild upon the foundation of christ gold silver, precious stones, understand that of saints & perfect christian men, the which shall merit as it were purged & pure gold, to come to the eternal reward. But they which build upon the foundation of christ, timber hay, & stubble, understand that (as it is often times said) of good christians, but yet negligent to purge those small & venial sins the which if they neither be purged through the divine justice with many tribulations, nor noman redemeth them with liberal alms, deeds, the thing that the apostle doth say, shall not be fulfilled, in them, without great dolour & heaviness, if any man's work 〈◊〉, Cor, 3, burn, he shall suffer loss, but he shallbe safe himself, nevertheless yet as it were thorough fire. Let no man yet, (as I have said before) deceive himself, that this may be done or understanded of capital & deadly sins, if they remain uncuryd. And therefore as I have often said, let us labour with the aid and help of god, to escape the greater sins, and continually redeem the less without the which we cannot be, with the love of our enemies, and large & liberal alms: our lord Jesus christ granting the same: the which with the father & the holy ghost doth live and reign god, world without end. Amen. sir, 24. Of chastity and clean living. Ser. xii. Chastity and clean living my most dear brethren, doth hold and obtain a glorious and an excellent place among other virtues: for it is she alone that causeth the clean minds of men to see god, for the truth itself doth say. blessed be the pure and clean of heart, for they shall see god. Although Math, 5, he should say on the other side. They truly are misers, & wretches, whose hearts are polluted with carnal concupisbence, for they are drowned in eternal pains. chastity is a life angely call▪ chastity with humility shall merit and deserve the habitation of the holy Ghost, the which the immundicitie and uncleanness of filthy lusts doth expel: scripture saying The holy spirit shall fly from Sapie, 1, the body subject unto sin. Our members should be dedicated & given unto god, and not to fornication. Let man set the flames of eternal torments against the desires of his flesh. Let a young man use chastity, that he may be worthy and merit the wisdom of god. For where is uncleanness of body, there is the habytation of the spirit of that devil, the which rejoiceth most in the inquination and filthiness of our flesh. All uncleanness doth displease god, but those specially, the which are not natural & there holy write doth monish us saying. Thou shalt not go after nor follow thy own concupicences, Eccle, 18 but turn the from thy own will. If thou grant thy soul her concupiscences & lusts, it shall make thine enemies to rejoice and laugh the to scorn. And Solomon the most wisest of all other, did speak forth like sentences to beware of uncleanness of living, saying. The lips of an harlot are a Prou, 5, dropping honey comb, & her throt is softer than o●le. But at the last she is as bitter as worm would, & as sharp as a two edged sword, her feet go down unto death, & her steps pierce thorough unto hell. She regardeth not the path of life, so unsteadfast are her ways, that thou canst not know them. Hear me therefore (o my son) and depart not from the words of my mouth, keep thy way far from her, and come not nigh the doors of her house. verily Solomon saith not these things only of the uncleanness of harlots, but also of all concupiscences and lusts of the flesh. But the reason of the mind should forbid the invasions & hastyenes of the flesh, and bridle the wicked voluptuousness there of. Furthermore he that before did forbid the cohabitation and dwelling with women, doth say unto young men, may a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burnt. Or can one go upon Prove, 6, hot coals and his feet not be hurt? even so whosoever goeth into his neighbours wife, and toucheth her can not be unguilty. And in like manner, the blessed apostle doth monish us saying. It is good not to touch a woman, as though there were 1, Cor, 7, even by and by peril & danger in the touching of her, Chaste pureness of young men is fair, and loved of god, and to all goodness profitable, who so hath spiritual or carnal children, let him nourish & bring them up to GOD in chastity, and not to the devil, in fornication. What doth it profit a man to have children, to nourish them and to love them, if he nourish them to eternal torments. They that line in chastity do lead and have upon earth an angelical conversation, chastity doth iowne a man to heaven and maketh him a citizens with angels, he that hath a lawful wife let him lawfully use her at times convenlent that she may after the mind 1, Cor, 7, of the Apostle give her self to prayer, and deserve to be blessed of god with children. Let no man say he cannot refrain nor keep himself from fornication. God (sayeth the apostle) is faithful which shall not suffer you to be tempted above your 1, Cor, 1● strength, but shall in the mids of the temptatyon make away to escape out. For such temptation is given to every man whether it be in the desire of the flesh, or in the ambition of the world, or in the molest●ou●nes of ani other temptation, as he may overcome with laud, or with shame, be overcommid. Chastity is very necessary for all men, but most chesely for the ministers of Christ's altar, whose life should be the erudition of other men, & a continual predication of salvation, for seemly & decent it is that our Lord should have such ministers, that are not corrupted with no contagiusnes of the flesh, but rather should glister in continencye of chastity, and shine among the people in all honest examples, unto whom our lord doth say, be ye holy, for Luce: 19, I your lord god am holy, for God is light and in him is no darkness at all, nor no filthiness 1, 〈◊〉, 〈◊〉 can be associated unto him. And therefore my most dear brethren, whether we be men or women, priests, or lay men, let us after the apostles admonition: cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, & grow up to the full holiness in the fear of god. And let us study to please him that hath called us to his eternal glory, to th'intent we may haply reign with him for ever, our lord Jesus christ granting the same, that liveth and raineth with the father and the holy Ghost. Amen sir, 166 Of peace and unity. Ser. xiii. WE read in the Gospel most dear brethren, that when our sa vioure and lord should draw nigh unto his passion, and show unto his disciples, his departure out of this world unto his father, among other words which he for the comemoration and remembrance of himself, spoke unto his welbe loved company, he chiefly commended unto them, as a special gift, the goodness of peace and unity, saying. My peace I give unto you, my peace I Joan, 14 leave with you, as though he should say. In peace I have left you, in peace I shall find you. He departing would give them, that he returning again, desired to find in them. This inheritance he gave unto his, and promised all the gifts and rewards of his policy tations and promises, in the conversation of peace. And therefore my brethren, if we will and intend to be Christ's heirs, we must be and continue in his peace, Christ (as ye have heard) hath given us his peace, and hath commanded us to be in concord and of one mind, and hath commanded the bands of dilection and charity, to be uncorrupt and inviolable. And in another place he doth marvelously 〈◊〉, 24. set forth the ornaornamentes of this peace, saying blissed be the peaceable for they shallbe called the children of god: And yfhe the which hath begoune now to be Math, 5, peaceable, doth begin to be called the son of God, he will not be said nor called the son of god that will not embrace peace and unite, he de nieth god to be his father, that contemneth to be peaceable, than it be●ouethe the children of GOD, to be peaceable, meek of heart, of words simple of one accord in affection and cleaving faithfulli together with the bonds of unanimite, but this peace must be kept with and among good men, and the keepers of gods commandments, and not with and among the celerate and wicked, the which in their sins agree and have peace among themselves. The peace of Christ doth profit unto eternal salvation, but a devely she peace cometh to eternal perdition. Peace ought continually to be had with the good, & marry with vice for the evil of wicked men. ought to be hatid. For men themselves notwithstanding that they be evil yet they are to be beloved because theiar gods creatures. The peace which is in good men, doth clasp & couple brethren in concord, & neighbours in charity. Peace doth specially merit the spirit of god peace is the mother of dilection and love. Peace is a sign of holiness, where of our lord doth say by his prophet. Love ye peace and verity. zacha, 8, Peace is the health of the people the glory of the preyste the mirth and gladness of the country, and the fear of enemies, whether they be visible or invisible. Peace my brethren is to be kept, with all force and might, for continually he continueth in God, that doth ab●de and continu in holy peace, and hath fociete and fellowship with the saints of god. It is the pryestes' part and duty in peace to monish and warn the people what they ought to do. And it is the people's duty, in humility to hear that the priest doth monish them. The priest whatsoever is unlawful must forbid that it be not done, and the people must hearken and beware they do it not, and all prelate's and like wise all sub iectes must at all times and every where observe and keep the bond of unity in faith and dilectyo●. For why without peace the prayer of the priest is not received, nor the oblation of the people. If we will then that god shall quickly hear us, and that thankfully he may receive our gifts, we must be conversant and live in peace, of the which the truth itself hath vouchsafed to in structe us, For he sayeth, if thou offreste thy gift at the altar, and there remembrest Math, 5, that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thine offering before the altar, and go thy way first, and be reconciled to to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Forasmuch then as god desireth our unity and concord, our saviour himself doth show it in the gospel, speaking thus unto his father. O holy father, keep them in thine own name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one as Joan, 17 we are. And the Apostle exhorteth the faithful saying I beseech you brethren, that 1, Cor, 1 ye all speak one thing. And again he sayeth, let there be 1, Cor, 3, no enui nor no dissension among you, let all bitterness, anger, indingnation, roaring. blasphemi be put away from you, withal maliciousness. And in another place he sayeth. For bearing one another through love, and diligent Ephe, 4, to keep the unite of the spirit in the bond of peace, Ephe, 4. being one body and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling. This unanimity was in times passed under and among the apostles. Thus the new people of our belief, observing the commandments of god, kept their charity, & the scripture doth prove it saying. All they that believed were of one will and mind Acta, 2, And again they all continued with one accord in pra Acta, 1, er with the women and mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren: And therefore they prayed with effectuous prayers, & with hope obtained whatsoever they demanded of the mercy of god. But unanimity is in us so diminishyd, that the libera litie of works is clean broken In those days they sold their houses, and laid up their treasures in heaven, and gave the price of them to the apostles for to be dystrybutyd to the use of the poor. But now we give nothing of our patrimony, nor yet our tithes. And when god ddthe command us to sell, we buy rather and increase. This the vigur and force of our faith the in us doth wax dry, thus the strength of the faithful waxith feeble. And therefore our lord considering our time, doth say in the gospel when the son of man shall come, thynkste thou that he Luce, 18 shall find faith upon the earth? we see it done that he foretold. Faith is and consisteth in the fear of god, in the law of justice, in bilectyon, and in works. No man doth think upon the fear of the things, that be to come No man considereth the day and wrath of our lord, nor the pains that shall come upon the unfaithful, nor the eternal torments appointed for misbelievers, the which things our conscience would fear if it believed them, but because it believeth not it feareth not at al. But if it believed I would take heed and beware, if it would beware, it should avoid & scape them, let us asmuch as we may stir up ourselves well beloved brethren, & breaking the sleep of our old slothfulness, watch to observe & fulfil gods commandments. And let us be such, as he hath commanded us to be, saying. Let your loins be Luce, 12 girt about, and your lights brenning, and ye yourselves lyke unto men that wait for their master, when he will return from a wedding, that assoon as he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him, happy are those servants which our lord when he cometh shalfynd watching, we must be ready therefore, lest that when the day of expedition shall come, he find us intricate and vuredye. Let our light give light Math, 5, and shine in good works, that the light itself may bring us from the obscurity and darkness of this world, to the light of eternal clearness, that we may have the fruition of the eternal peace, and perpetual felicity with christ which is the auctor of the true peace, and with his holy angels, our Lord Jesus christ granting the same, which with the father, and the holy ghost, doth live and reign world without end: Amen sir, 23. ¶ Of eschewing and anoyding of ebriety and drunkenness. Ser. xiiii. ALthongh dear brethren, I do believe that through the mercy of GOD, y● do fear the vice of drunkenness, even as ye do fear the deep pit of hell: and that ye yourselves will not drink intemperately nor overmuch, nor compel no nother man to drink more than needeth, yet it can not be but that there be some negligent persons, which will not be sober. But yet I pray yo● that do live soberly, not to be miscontent, nor yet to blame us, for needs we must blame and accuse all such drunkards. For notwithstanding my well-beloved brethren that drunkenness be a grievous vice, and much odious before God, yet among many it is throughout all the world so customably and commonly used that they which will not know gods commandments think and believe it to be no sin. Insomuch that at all their banquets they do laugh them to scorn, that can not drink and quafe all out. And thorough an envious love and amity, they are not ashamed to adjure & enforce men to drink more than sufficeth. truly it were a less fault for him that maketh a man drunken, to wound him and to cut his flesh with a sword, than to kill and murder his soul with superflutie of drink. And forasmuch as our bodies are made of earth, and that the earth, by long and to much continuannce of reign, is made moist, and so resolved into mire and dirt, that it cannot be tylde nor so when, so in like wise, when our flesh is to much moisted with drink, it cannot receive spiritual culture nor tillage, nor bring forth the necessary fruits of the soul. And therefore as all men do desire sufficient rain for their fields, to execeyse tillage withal, and to rejoice in the abundance of fruit● and corn, so in thefeild of the body, men ought to drink that behoveth only, lest that by the superfluity and abundance of drink, the earth of the body being reduced & brought as into a plash of mire, be more apt to bring forth the worms and serpents of vice, than the fruits of good works, Aldrunkardes are likened unto fens and plashes, for your charity doth know, that all such things as grow in maras grounds, do bring forth no fruit, nor nothing else but serpents, toads, and other divers kinds of worms, more apt to fear man with all, than to bring forth any thing that should profit him or his living. For all such her bes and crees as do grow in fens and plashes, or about the banks of such places, seem to have no manner of utility or profit in them, insomuch that every year once men do burn them. Take good heed, for the thing which cometh of drunkenness is prepared for the fire, And even such (as I have said) be all drunkards, whose divers endure and continue all the day long, and their suppers until the morning. The which when they seem to be most sober, can scarcely stand, whose senses are slow, ponderous, dull and in manner buried. Finally in their usual and customable drunkenness, they neither know themselves, nor yet no nother man, they can neither walk nor stand, nor hear, nor say any thing that doth pertain or stand with reason. Nor they are not ashamed to drink, & to fill th● selves till they vomit again, and to drink by measure, without measure. They provide for great goddards. & stryne, as by a certain law, how they should drink, and he that can out drink, or over come his fellow, shallbe for his evil doing greatly exalted & praised. Of this thing doth grow and ensue strife and debate, and divers horreble leaps, whereby the body is much troubled. Of this doth chance and follow adultery and sometimes murder. And as oft as they do take excess of drink, their stinking and filthy bodies, as though they were smitten with the palsy, having not the use of their feet, are fain to be borne, and carried to bed with other men's hands; their sight waxeth dim, they are pained with the swimming of the head and with the head ach, their countenance is drowsy, their members quake & tremble, they are astonished and dull, both in soul and body. In these men is fulfilled that is written. Where is woe? where 〈◊〉, 31 is strife and debate? where are snares and deceitfulness? Where are wounds without cause? where be these bloody eyes? Are not these among those that be cuppy, & that study to drink all out? But yet they that will be such, go about to excuse themselves full wretchedly saying, I love not my friend (sayeth he) if I as oft as I do call him to dinner do not give him as much as he lusle●h to drink. Let him not be thy friend, that will make the gods enemy, for he is an enemy to thee, and also unto himself, if thou make thyself and thy friend drunken, he shallbe thy friend, and God thine enemy Therefore take good head whether it be well done or no, to leave God, and to apply, & join thyself to a drunkard But yet cause him not to swear, nor compel him not, but leave it to his own free will, to drink as much as it shall please him, and if he will over drink himself, that he perish yet alone, rather than ye should perish together. O the infelicity of mankind, how many are there found that in force these drunkards, and luxurious persons to drink more than needeth: and yet before their doors they do dissemble to give the poor man any thing at all ask him only a cup of cold water. Nor they take no heed that Christ should have that for the needy and poor, that they give to the luxuryous, saying. That ye have done to the least of mine, ye have Math, 25 done it unto me. But all such when they drown other men with drink, do say to the poor man ask his alms, go hence go, god shall send you. And truly, as long as men walk, God will send them. Then what other thing it is, that he saith, get you hence, god shall send you, but go to him that hath God, for God will give him. And so he confesseth with his own mouth, that God is not with him, by whose inspiration he should give some what to the poor and needy. I pray you dearly beloved brethren diligently to take heed & mark that after that the brute beasts, being led and brought to the water, have once satisfied and quenched their thirst, stand they never so long in the water, yet they will, drink no more no nor they can drink no more. Let now these drunkards consider, whether they be not to be judged worse than beasts? The beast will drink no more than needeth, but these bibbers take double & triple more than ever shall do them good. And the thing which might have served them well three or four days, for very envy, or else for very drunkenness they with great sin go about rather to lose and consume it all upon one day, then liberally and virtuously to spend it. And would to god that they lost their drink only, so that they lost not themselves withal. O what evil is in ebriety and drunkenness? King Pharaoh other upon envy, or else thorough ebriety, caused his master Gene, 40 baker to be trust up, and hanged. The Jews of whom it is written, sat down to eat and to drink, and stood by again to play: after they had drunken more than needed they caused Idols to be made and in the worship of them, Exo, 3●, they danced, and like mad men troubled themselves which divers sorts of gambolds. And Herode after that he was well heated with wine, for the pleasant dancing of a maid Math, 14 commanded John Baptist to be slain. What other vicious things do rise & spring of drunkenness, the Holy ghost doth witness by Solomon, saying. Wine and women eccle, 19 reprove wise men, and cause them to leave, and to forsake God. And again, Behold not wine when it sparkeleth Pro, 23, and shineth thorough the glass, for it goeth down very gently, but at the last it shall bite the like a serpent, and sting y● like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold other men's wives, and thy heart shall thnike wickedly. And the apostle. s. Paul doth like wife monish and warn us of the evil of drunkenness, saying. Be not drunken with wine, wherein Ephe, 5, is excess. We do show you even evidently by scripture. that love to be drunken, what evil is comprised therein. Who so delighteth in wine and fat Pro, 21 morsels, shall not be rich. And again. Neither give thou to much wine to kings, for there is no secretness where drunkenness doth Prou, 31 reign, lest that they through drunkenness forget judgement executing the law unjustly upon the poor. Also he saith, Eccle, 19 That a drunken workman shall never be rich. And again. If thou drink wine measurably, thou shalt be sober▪ Item, wine at the beginning was created in ioyefulnes, & not in drunkenness. Wine so berly received and taken, is the pleasure both of body & soul, but wine unmeasurably Eccle, 31 used and taken, is the setting forth of drunkenness the offentyon and hurt of wise men, and the febleshing of man's force & strength. But when we motion and make mention of these things, these bybbers & drunkards paraduentute are angerye with all, and do murmur against us, But although there be which are moved, and angry withal, yet God willing, there be that here and receive this good counsel, & that shall through god's mercy, be delivered from this horrible & wicked sin of ebryetye. Yet such as be moved with us speaking against their familiar friend drunkenness, shall hear this one thing of us, that whosoever he be that penitently doth not be wail his ebriety, but continueth therein until he die, without doubt he shallbe lost for ever. For the holy ghost seeing this by the holy Apostle cannot lie. Nether drunkards shall inherit the king 1, Cor, 6, doom of God. And therefore it were better for them to be angry and moved with themselves, them with us, and so being, they shall through the grace of God, soon deliver themselves from the filthy and dirty cannell of drunkenness. And therefore whiles they have time, let them thorough the help and aid of God, arise with all haste, and beseeching GOD with their hole hearts, say thus with the Prophet, Pluck me out of this dirt, that I stick not Psal, 6●, fast in it. And thus. And that the tempest of the water do not drown me, nor the deepness swallow me. For whosoever that drunkenness, the very pit of hell▪ doth once receive and embrace, doth so challenge them, that without penance and good amendment do ensue and follow, it shall never suffer them to return from the obscurity and darkness thereof, unto the light of charity & soberness. But above all other things we must understand & know that it is not one day alone that maketh drunkards, but the daily renewing and multiplying of cups, our most enemies, rather than our friends▪ adjuring & compelling us unto the same, but after they have once put it in use & custom, the heat of drunkenness doth so kindle, & invade them, that it inforsyth them to be always thrystye. But he that doth desire to be delivered from this vice, even as he approached & came to the darkness, and vice thereof through the encrecement of drink, so by the diminition of the same he may by little & little return to the light, and virtue of soberness. For if he should with draw at once his excess of drinking, he even with heaviness when he is most fervently athrist, would cry out & say that he had rather be dead, than to forsake his customable drinking, and drunkenness, nothing considering, that it were far more tolerable, that the body should die, than that the soul through ebriety, and excess of drink should perish for ever. And therefore to avoid the sufferance & pain of such heat, and to be delivered from such torments, as he suffereth let him (as I have said) daily diminish somewhat of that excess & superfluity, until he become to a reasonable ways & custom of drinking. For he that will (as I have said) diminyshe and debate this thing, shallbe delivered of his drunkenness, nor shall no more suffer such intolerable pain. Now good brethren I declaring and she wing you these things, do quite & unburden myself before God. And whosoever he be that is inclined to the excess of drink, & despiseth to hear me, or that at his table will adjure & compel men to drink, he shall at the day of judgement give a reckoning both for himself and them. And because there be certain priests (the, which should prohibit and forbid such things) that enforce and compel men to drink more than needeth, let them from henceforth begin to correct and to amend themselves, and so to chasten other, that they, when they shall appear before god, suffer not for their own drunkenness, and other men's to, but that through their own amendment, and the correction of other, they may merit to come to the eternal & ever lasting reward. And of this I do desire you above all things, yea & adjure you by the fearful day of judgement, that ye as oft as ye do bankette one another, avoid and fly as poison that heinous and filthy custom, by the which ye other willingly, or against your wills are wont to drink by great measure with out measure. For this unhappy custom doth yet continue: and remain of the custom & usage of Pagans. And who soever he be that consenteth that this custom of drinking & quafting, other at his own table, or at any other man's 〈◊〉, 〈◊〉 be used, let him not doubt but that he doth sacrifice to the devil. By the which bibbing and quafting, the soul of man doth not only perish, but also the body is greatly and much feblished with al. But I hope that God of his tender mercy shall voucesafe so to inspire you with grace: that this most shameful and lamentable vice shall so abhor you that you shall never suffer it to be used more, but that all such things as should be spent in such drunken superfluity, shallbe spent and go to the relief and refreshing of the poor, our Lord christ Jesus granting the same the which doth live and reign with the father and the holy ghost for evermore. Amen. sir, 24● ¶ Of sorcery & witchcraft. Ser. xv. IT is not known unto you good brethren, that I have oftentimes prayed you, and with all fatherly solicitude admonish you, that in no manner of wise ye should observe & keep these sacrylegious customs of pagans. But yet as farforthe as I do hear, my admonition hath profited some of you but very slenderly & little. But yet if I should not show you these things, at the day of judgement I should give but a slender & an heavy reckoning, both for myself & you. But I excuse & clear myself before God, when that oftentimes I do admonish & warn you that ye should not seek upon these diviners & calkers, nor question with them of any cause, or of any disease. Ye shall medie with no enchanters, for whosoever Deut, 18 doth that evil, loseth his christianity & becometh a pagan, and without he succur & aid himself, with almose deeds, & with hard & long penance he shallbe lost for ever. In like manner, look that ye take no heed to witchcraft, And when ye be in your journey, regard not the singing and chat ring of birds, nor presume not upon their songs, to de nunce or show any devilish enchantment or sorcery. It shall not observe nor mark upon what day ye go forth of your house, nor when it shall return home again. For (as scripture doth say) God made all the days. The first day is made, & the second and the third, likewise the Gene, 1. fourth, the fift, the sixth, & the Sabbath. And god made all things very good. Take heed also, that ye observe not those sacrilegius & foolish ne singes. But as oft as ye must needs go any where, bless yourself in the name of christ Jesus, & saying your cred, or else the lords prayer with good belief, take your iornei, being well assured, that god shall help & prosper you. And when that ye shall begin (god willing) to contemn & despise all these foresaid sorceries and sacrile 〈…〉 gius fashions, with such other wicked things, as Satan hath deceived you withal, then shall he take it grievously perceiving that ye departed from his familiarytye and fellowship and shall work you some displeasure. For other he shall vex you with infirmities & sickness, or else cause you by some diseases, or through wandering & straying abroad to lose part of your goods & cattle. And god to prove you & to know, whether ye come faithfully unto him or no, or whether that ye with all your hearts do despise the craftiness of the devil, or set more by his love, or by the loss of your cattle, doth suffer all this to chance & happen. But if ye would with heart & perfect faith, once or twice despise such wickedness & misfortunes as Satan doth trouble you with all, god would vouchsafe so to repel & withdraw him from troubling & vexing of you, that he with all his craft and subtility should never deceive you. But if negligent & light persons of weak desires, & of slothful & cold faith begin perchance to do well, they do not yet long continued therein. For after that they have abstained from the foresaid enchantments, & witchcrafts, by & by they repent themselves, that ever they returned to god, & that they at any time forsook the crafty subtleness of the devil, & so return again to their sorceress and witchcrafts, as a dog unto his vomit. But despise 2, 〈◊〉, you (unto whom god hath given wisdom & faith) all his deceytefulnes, & return faith fully again unto the Lord your god, & whatsoever satan doth send you, bear it patiently & stronly, that ye may say with the blessed man Job, god gave it, & took it, as it pleased the Job, 〈◊〉, lord, so it is. And that in like manner ye may say with a farm & a whole heart with the apostle. Who shall separate or divide us from the charity & love of god? shall tribulation or an guyshe, or persecution, or hunger, Roma, 8 other nakedness, or peril, or sword? Good christian men can not be separated by no torment from god. But such as be negligent, are now & then thorough idle fables & words only separated & divided from god: And if they only suffer never so little damage or loss, in continent they are slandered, & presume to murmur against god returning again to their wicked & destestable witchcraft. But perchance some if you will sai, what shall we do, considering that such calkers through their knowledge, do often times tell & show us the truth? Of this thing Dete, 13, scripture doth monish and warn us saying, Yea notwithstanding that they do show you the truth, yet believe them not. For the lord doth prove you, whether ye fear him or no. But a gain y● dost say. If there were not enchanters, nor no south says, many man, that is bitten with serpents, or troubled with some other sore disease, should other whiles die and perish Truth it is dear brethren, for god as I have said before doth suffer the devil to do such things, to prove good christian men withal, that if at any time or season they do by such sorcery and witchcraft a mend of their infirmities & diseses or come to the knowledge of anitruth, theimai there by the sooner give credence, & be leave the devil. But he that doth desire to observe & keep Christ's religion, must needs with his whole heart & mind despise all those things, fearing the saying of the Apostle chiding us: Ye observe (sayeth ●ala, 4, he) the days months, times, & years, I fear me lest I have bestowed on you labour in vain, See now, the apostle saith that whoso hath used witch craft, shall receive his doctrine in vain. And therefore fly & avoid as much as ye can or may the circumuentions & the deceitfulness of the devil. And above all things I would ye should know, that Satan can neither hurt you, none of yours, your cattle, nor yet the least part of your substance, but as farforth as he hath power & licence of god. Nor he durst not destroy Jobs substance, nor yet once Job, 1, touch it. but that God did licence & suffer him. And we read, that when the evil spirits & devils were expulsed Math 8, and cast out of men, that they besought Christ that he would suffer them to enter into the heard of swine. If the company of devils durst not enter into the swine without the leave and sufferance of God, who will be so unfaithful to believe that they can or may hurt good Christians, with out his dispensation and sufferance. God doth suffer it for two divers causes, other to prove whether we be good or else to amend us, if we be sinful. But he that will patiently suffer gods dispensation, and say when he hath lost any thing (as I have Job, 1, told you) God gave it, and god hath taken it, as it hath pleased him, so it is, blessed be the name of God. He for this his patience most pleasant and acceptable unto the lord, shall receive (if he be a good man) the crown of glory, or if he be synfuil, indulgence & pardon of his sins. Take heed of this good brethren, that when Satan had destroyed all Jobs substance, he said not god gave it, and the devil hath taken it. For the blessed man would not ascribe ne give no such glory nor power to Satan, that he could take any thing from man, that God suffered him not to take. considering than that Satan could not hurt Jobs children, his camels nor yet his asses, until it pleased god to suffer him▪ why do we Christians believe that he may do any more unto us, then that the divine power by his godly & secret judgement doth suffer him to do? And therefore let us surely believe, that we can lose no more than god doth suffer to be taken from us. Let us with all our hearts therefore go unto his mercy, and forsaking these sacrile gious observations, let us trust continually upon his aid and comfort, for he that believeth in these foresaid evils, that is in divinations, sorsaries, philaters, or in any other manner of witchcraft, notwithstanding he fault, pray go continually to the church, give large almose, & punish his body with all affliction & pain, yet so long as he leaveth not these sorceries, it shall nothing avail him: for such wicked and sacrilegius observations, do overrourne and destroy all these good & virtuous operations. Nor it can not avail them, that with these evils, do that good is. For it is true that that Apostle sayeth, a little leaven 1, Cor, 5, so wretch the whole lump of dough. And this. Ye can not 1, Co, 10 drink of the cup of God, and of the cup of the devils, ye can not be partakers of God's table, and of the table of devils. And he saith. No Math, 6, man can serve two masters Therefore if christian men do look thorough the grace of God to be saved, they must make no vows to no trees, nor pray to no fountains, if any man therefore have in his fields, in his house, or nigh unto his house, trees, altars, or any other vain thing, where the poor wretched, & simple people are wont to make their vows, and doth not hew them down, and destroy them, he is and shall be partaker of all such witchcrafts and sorcery as is and shallbe committed there. And what a thing is this, that when any such tree, unto the which they were wont and accustomed to do sacrifice, do fall, that no man dare gather it, to make them fire withal? I pray you to behold & mark the wretchedness, and the foolishness of man, the which doing honour to deed trees, despise gods commandments. They dare not burn that branches of trees, & yet through enchantments they cast themselves headlong into hell fire. And therefore let him which hitherto hath not done this evil, rejoice, be glad, thank god therefore & strive to continue faithfully in good works. But let him that hitherto hath delivered himself up to be entangled and taken with such devilish & enorm fashions, let him (I say) do penance, fly, & withal fear despise those foresaid witchcrafts, that god may forgive him, and for the glory of his name, cause him to come to the everlasting bless of heaven. And forasmuch as it is come to my knowledge that as yet there are some, that which through symplycytye and ignorance, or else thorough gluttony (the which thing is most to be believed) fear not, nor are not ashamed to eat of such sacrilegius meats as are yet after the use & custom of Pagans offered up & bewitched, I denunce and straightly command you before god & his angels, that ye haunt nor come no more to no such diabolical dinners made in any temple, or at any fountain, or tree. And like wise if any thing be sent you from thence, fear it and as though you saw the devil, refuse it, and so refuse it, that ye suffer no manner of part of such sacrilegius banquets to be exhibited or brought into your houses, & that because of this saying of the Apostle ye cannot, (saith he) drink of the cup of god, and of the cup of devils, ye 〈◊〉 Co, 10 can not be partakers of gods table, and of the table of devils. And because some are wont to say, or ever I eat thereof, I dooblesse me, let no man presume to do so. For how doth he that eateth of such sacrilegius and wicked meats bless his mouth, that put teeth a sword to his own heart? For as the body is slain with the sword, so is the soul slain with such devilish and wicked meats. But we trust in the mercy and goodness of God, that he will vouchsafe so to inspire and inflame you to goodness, that the wickedness of the devil, neither in other things, nor yet in these sacrilegyus observations and sorceries, shall not come among you but that ye shall fasten and set all your hope in God, nor never return again to these wicked abominations, our lord Jesus christ, whose empire and honour is infinite, granting the same. So be it. sir, 219 ¶ Of the true payment of tithes. Ser. xvi. GOd my dearly be loved brethren, being merciful unto us, the time approacheth & draweth on, to gather in our harvest. And therefore with thanks unto god the hath given us all, let us think upon our offerings, & true payment of our tithes. For God which hath vouchsafed Ca, decima, 16, quest, 2, to give us all, doth also vouchsafe to repeat, and to ask us tithes, nor that for his own gain and use, but for our gain and profit. For he doth promise us by the Prophet saying. Bring in saith Mala, 3, he, all your tithes into my barns, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me saith the Lord in these things, whether I shall not open unto you, the caractes and the clouds of the sky, & give you fruit abundantly. See now, I have proved how that tithes do profit us more, than they do profit the Lord. O ye imprudente and unwise people, what evil thing doth God command that he should not be worthy to be heard? he sayeth thus Exo, 22, ca, deci, 16, que, 1 Thou shalt not delay to offer up unto me the tithes of thy barn, and of thy winepress. If it be sin to be tardius and slow in offering up and paying thy tithes, how great a trespass is it, to offer none at all? He sayeth again Honour and worship thy lord God, with the fruit & gain Prou, 〈◊〉 of thy true and just labour. Do sacrifice and offer unto him of the first and chiefest of all thine increase, that thy barns may be replenished with corn, and that thy winepresses may redound and flow over with wine. Thou dost not give that thing freely, nor yet without gain, that soon after thou shalt receive a gain with great lucre. Per adventure thou dost demand. To whom shall that thing be profitable, that God doth rereave to restore again? And again thou dost ask me. To whose profit it redoundeth, that is given unto the poor? If thou believe well, it is thine own utility and profit: but if thou waver & be in doubt, thou hast lost it. Tithes good brethre●ar the tribute of the ca, dec●m● 16, que, 1 indigente and poor people, therefore give the poor their tribute, and the priests their offerings. And if perchance thou have no tithe corn, as hath the husbandman, than thy wit and thy handy craft wherewith thou dost sustain thyself, is Gods, and of that thing thou dost gain & get thy living withal, he doth ask & require tithes. give him the tithes of thy wages, and lucre, which thou dost gain in warfare, the tithes of thy merchandise, and of thy handy craft. For why, it is a diverse thing, that we give and pay for the earth, than that we give for the use of our life. Therefore o thou man, give it, because thou dost possess it, give it, because thou hast deserved to be borne, for the Lord saith thus. Every man shall redeem his soul, & there shall be no sickness, nor no misadventure among them. Thus thou hast in holy scripture, Gods own writing, wherewith he doth promise y● that if y● pay thy tithes, thou shalt not only have abundance of fruit & corn, but also that health of body. Thy barns (sayeth he) shallbe full of corn, & thy wine presses shall redound Pro, 3, with wine, and there shallbe no sickness among you. seeing then, that by the true paying of tithes thou mayest merit both the earthly and the heavenly reward, why dost thou through covetousness defraud ethy self of such double benediction? hearken therefore unto me thou unde voute man. Thou knowest well, that all that thou dost receive, is Gods, and wilt thou then not lend the maker and giver of all things part of his own? The Lord hath no need, he doth ask no reward, but honour on lie, nor he doth not require, that thou give him any thing, that is thine. He vouchsafe to ask the tithes of all things, & dost thou O thou covetous man, say him nay? What wouldst thou do, if he had kept nine parts unto himself, and had left the only the tenth part? the which thing verily is so chaunsid, now when that thy corn for lack of reign is thin and noughts, thy vines, beaten with hail, & destroyed with frost and cold. O thou covetous man, what dost thou reckon upon? nine parts are taken from thee, because thou wouldest not pay the tenth. It is clear that thou never paidst it, and yet God doth demand it and require it. This is god's most righteous custom and use, that if thou do not pay him his tenth, thou shalt be revoked and reduced to the tenth. For it is written: The Lord saith, I 〈◊〉 deci●a 16, que, 1 saw it, and ye thought to be guile me, but your treasure & your houses shallbe spoiled thou shalt give the wicked soldier, that thou wouldst not give the priest. Return unto me (saith the Lord omnipotent) that I may open the clouds for you, & spread my benediction upon you, I will not destroy the fruits of your M ala, 3, possessions, nor your wines shall not widder, nor consume away: & all nations shall say that ye are blessed. God is always ready to do well, but the maliciousness of man will not suffer him. For man looketh, that god should give him all thing, and yet he offrethe not those things unto him. the which he seemeth to possess. But what & God should say. Man whom I created and made is mine, the earth that thou dost inhabit, is mine, the seed that thou dost sow is mine, the beasts which thou dost weary, are mine, the dews, & the rain are mine, and the heat of the same is mine. Considering then that all the elements, whereby man doth live, are mine, thou that doth only bestow thy labour, dost deserve the tenth only. But inasmuch as the lord omnipotent doth meekly nourish us and feed us, he hath given a right great reward to the labourer. For he reserving only unto himself that tenth, hath given us the rest: O thou unkind deceiver, & unfaithful man. I speak unto the with the words of god. Behold & see, the year is gone & passed, give the lord, that doth send rain, his reward. O man redeem thyself whilst thou hast thy redemption in thy hand whilst thou art alive, & why lest thou mayest. Redeem thy self, the cavetous death do not so prevent thee, that thou leave both life and reward. Thou dost commit that thing unto thy wife but in vain, the which perchanuce, will have another husband. Nor thou woman doth leave it but in vain unto thy husband, for he coveteth to have another wife. Nor thou dost commit the care of thy soul but invaine unto thy kinsfolk, for there shall no man faithfully redeem nor aid thee, after thou be departed, because that thou being in prosperity, wuldest not redeem for help thyself. Cast now O thou covetous man this burden of avaritiousnes from thy shonlders, despise this most cruel master's, that doth thus hardly yoke thee, nor will not suffer the to accept and take the yoke of christ upon thee. For as the yoke of avarice is wont to thrust and to lead men to the pains of hell, so the yoke of Christ is wont to lift men up & to bring them to the joys of heaven. Tithes are required of duty, & he that denieth to pay them, doth invade & occupy other men's goods. And look how many poor-men die and perish there for hunger, where he that will not pay his tithes doth dwell, he before the seat of the eternal judge, shall appear guilty of all their deaths, forasmuch as he kept that to his own use and store which GOD had prepared for the poor. Therefore who so coveteth to obtain a reward or the forgiveness of his sins, let him pay his tithes & give of the other nine parts his charity to the poor, & beware, that whatsoever remaineth above a mean & a reasonable living be not hurded up to luxurious & voluptuous uses, but that it by doing of good & charitable deeds, be laid up in the celestial treasure. For whatsoever GOD doth give us more than needeth, he giveth it not specially unto us, but willeth us to distribute & to give the same unto other, for if we give it not, we invade and occupy other men's goods. ¶ Saint bernard sermon of the supper of our Lord. Man hath eaten the bread Psal, 77. and food of angels. YE shall understand, o ye reverend priests this order recited unto you in words, to be succent and short, but in the majesty of the spiritual senses to be very secundius, & plentiful. And principally it is your part above other, to here that we propound unto you, and not only to here it, but most faithfully to lay it up, and as the clean beasts do Le●i, 11, diligently to chaw it. Blessed david the most excellent of all the Prophets, and very dear unto the living god, ravished in spirit before him that doth sit in the throne, had red in a certain promptuary of mysteries, what & how great things our lord would meekly exhibit by your mystery unto the world that perisheth, the which being made an enterpreter of the celestial counsel, sung joyfully. Man hath eaten Psal, 77, the breed and food of angels where out to express the certent of so fruitful a thing, he clearly assignid the pretertence for the further, saying. Man Psal, 77, hath eaten the breed & food, of angels. O the marvelous mercy of God, the son hath put on flesh, god ashes, the potter clay, and life, death, the beasts might eat, the breed of angels, Men were beasts Psal. 8, for man being in honour, hath no understanding, but is compared unto the unreasonable beasts, and is made like unto them. It is not an unworthy but a joyful thing to remember, in what subiymytye and honour man was created and made, but consequently it is very profitable to understand how grievously he fell, not weighing nor considering what he was of himself, nor what he was of God. Our first parent was appointed an inhabiter of paradise, unto whom whatsoever he desired was redi and at hand▪ he was made the lord of the world, and appointed a cetezen of the supernal Iherusalem, and was made one of the household of God by whose love and knowledge he is enriched & made the companion of angels & brother and cohayre of heavenly virtues. He felt no seacitie nor no molestiousnes, for he had all things ready that he desired, no necessity I say: but a meek will: for there was no thing in his soul that might offend nor nothing in his flesh where of he should be ashamed. This was the honour and dignity of man to prosper and to flourish in the premisses. And all these things were of God. But set in honour: he understood not what he was of himself, that Note what 〈◊〉 is is slime and dust, a widdered leaf, a dry stalk, an earthly & a frail vessel, a deed skin but he waxid proud & foolish taking delight and pleasure, in the heith of honour. And by and by experimenting in himself that he after so long a time was but a man of the children of captivity he both wisely considered it, and truly pronounced it saying, he that esteemeth himself▪ to be sumwhat when he is nothing deceiveth himself. Woe be unto the a wretch, that even than Galls, 6, there was not that should have said unto him. Why art thou proud one earth & ashes Therefore with a sudden conversion and turn, man through his infirmity and weakness, found himself lying in a stable. What is this stable? the world. And that he for his bestely similitude had need of hay. For this cause the heavenly food man being changed into a best, changed himself into beastly food, for why the bread of angels, is made hay, the only son of his father, the son of man. For which son of god is made Joan, 1, flesh. And after the mind of the prophet, all flesh is hay. Therefore the angels do eat Esay, 〈◊〉 the son borne of God, and men do eat the son made hay. The angels do live in heaven with their bread, and are blessed, and men do live in earth with their hay, & are holy. This hay certainly gathered out of the pasture of that virgins wome, is made the refection of beasts and cattle. The son of GOD that he might be made hay, was hidden in the virgin, the son in the star, the workman in the work, the holy incarnation of the son of God, hath first of a liberal excellency delivered unto us this gift, and ye secundarely do daily minister it, exhibiting it unto us by the power of the office given unto you. O this your power is most excellent & reverent. Truly there is no power under god, like unto your power. Peraduentureye would know & it delighteth you to here more manifestly what manner a thing this great power is. Where unto I answer. To consecrated that body & blood of our Lord. Heaven, over this your power, over so noble a spectacle over so solemn a privilege of your dignity, is astonid, the earth doth marvel, man doth quake & tremble, and the angelycal highness doth greatly reverence it. But o most meekest Jesus, how & where of chanceth this unto us, that we worms creeping upon the face of the earth, that we (I say) which are but 〈◊〉, 18, dust & ashes, deserve & merit to have the present before our hands, before our eyes, the which doth sit entire & whole on the right hand of the father The which also in a moment of an hour from the rising of the son to the setting thereof, & from the north to the south, are priest & ready unto all men, one among many, & the selfein divers places. How is this I say? Certes of no debt, nor of any merit of ours, but of the sweetness of thy good will, for thou of thy goodness hast prepared Psal, 67. for the poor. Man, living, is poor, unto whom this goodness is given from heaven. Truly this is a celestial indulgence, this is a hepid up grace, this is truly a glori most excellent a priest to hold his lord god and delivering him to reach him to other. O new and divine power, by whose mystery the breed of angels & life, is daily prepared for mortal men. This breed by a certain excellency, is called Eucharistia, that is, good grace. For why in this sacrament is not only received all kind of grace, but he is received of whom is all grace. For Christ for the salvation of the world was made once a salutiferus host, a general reconciliation, he gave to all sacrifices aswell to those that were before, as to those that came after, virtue and efficacy, that by so great & so excellent an host, all that should be delivered by it, should be sacrificed, whereof it is ●ed For why the lamb is slain from the beginning of the world, Ap●, 13 that is to those that were from the beginning, so that by that that is said from the beginning thou shalt not determine the time of occysion, but the time of salvation, for his death was profitable or ever it was first was the promise, & afterwards the exhibition. So then he was slain from the beginning of the world. O most benign Jesus, thou hast granted unto thy most noble spouse a dowry that thy dove at the lest should hold & have a most sweet remembrance of her well-beloved, Christ the day before he should suffer, prestrybid the form of this sacrament vuto hig disciples, and exhibited the efficaci thereof, that is, he commanded it to be done. The prescription and order of the form was in bred & wine Note ye the order, when they were yet at supper, he rose up the lord of all things wasshid his disciples feet, them returning again unto the table, he ordained the sacrifice of his body & blood, delivering the breed apart, & the wine apart, saying thus of the bread. Receive and eat this is my body. And thus also of the wine. Drink ye all of this. Math, 26 This is my blood the which in remission of sins, shallbe shed for many. It is said it shallbe shed, for why every where it was shed & vilely, the which the sharp thorns, the digging of his hands, & feet with nails, and the opening of his side with a warlye spear thrusting it out strongly, they unwordly poured it out in a manner, of a running water, And that blood was more precious & rare than balm, by the which our filthynesses are clensid. And note the christ at that supper was the giver & the gift, the feather & the food, the gest, and the maker of the fest the offerer & the oblation. Ye have hard the form of the sacrament, hearken now to the efficacy & the communion of the body & blood of our lord. We are confederate to Jesus Christ, and Jesus christ unto us in an unity inenarrable, he that ereth miflesh, & drinketh my blood, remaineth in me, & I in him. This is to be taken and understanded of those that Ihou, 6, be good & the receive it worthily & not of the evil & flagitius at one table, and at our lords supper Peter, and Judas received of one breed consecrated, the good untolife, the evil unto pain, The good as abenefit, the evil unto witness, The good unto salvation, the evil unto death. All the which is hitherto fulfilled in that church, and in the sacrament of the altar, the good receiving it unto goodness, & dogs and the unclean not so. They are dogs that receive it unreverently, and therefore they depart judged, for they that live after the flesh, and fettered with the chain of vices do wander after carnality do receive poison with, Judas the traitor and run to the cord of ispiritual suspection grievously to be dammed, as well for divers crimes, as for the contempt of the sacrament, the which truly they do receive in essence, but without hole some efficacy. And shall not he discern between corn, that doth discern between steres? Certes he shall try silver, that hath also provid gold, & reproved it. Loye have hard the utility & fruit of the good, and also ye have hard, & (as I believe) ye were afeard at the loss and perdition of the evil: here now and as astonid, wonder thereat. The celebration of so great a thing upon the altar, was comittyd to no angel, nor to no supernal fprites, but to men, nor yet to all men, but only to your order, the which Christ did with his own hands at the paschal supper. Now that the form & the efficacy of the sacrament is declared, there remaineth to be rehearsed with what words christ commanded it to be celebrated. Do this saith he, in the remembraunre 〈◊〉. 22 of me. O very effectuous words, O pricking & penetrative words even unto that sole. Do this in the remembrance of me. Also the Prophet doth Psa, 144 say. The memorial of thine 1, Cor, 11 abundant kindness or sweetness, shallbe showed, O high meek, and sweet memorial truly, to show forth the death of our Lord, until he come. The death of christ is a work without ensample, humility without measure, a gift with out price, grace without merit. For us he would take this death upon him, that bore our sins upon wood that is the pain of our tresspaces upon his cross, 1 Peter, 2 by whose stripes we are healed. What dost thou, O unworthy man? what dost thou, O unkind man? Adore it more devoutly, remember more oftener that in the sacrament of the altar the salnation of the world hath suffered for thee, that life did for thee, & that fortytnde and strength is weakened for the. If thou be a member of christ, have compassion of thy head, if thou be the brother of christ, continue with thy brother, wail, be heavy with groanings and tears, upon the pretyous death of the only son of GOD. For if thou be not heavy, if thou weep not, if thou have not, compassycompassion upon him thou dost err, thou ghost out of kind, thou art bestly furyus, & deniest him to be mau. But because thou shouldest be more moved, yea and more fervent in the love of thy redeemer, Christ would that he shnlde be continually worshipped in ministry, which was once offered up 〈◊〉 hebre, 9 10, in price. And that that perpetual sacrifice should live in memory, and be continually present in grace. The which thing is so, for notwtstandyng that sin in many doth renew, again yet the generality of origival fine, is utterly so taken away, the poisoned worm. Leviathan being thorough smitten in the virtue of the glittering spear of Christ's death, that it shall not need, that Christ for the purgation of sins as daily are committed be crncified again▪ but the it is a sufficient medicine of all, if by faith & imitation the former death, be had in memory. O christ Jesus that remembrance of thy death is as it were the work of a potic arye, as it were sweet redolent, frankincense insommer, as it were a region aromatike, the which Eccle, 50 the heat of the son doth purge as the flowers of roses, in the time of vere, and as lilis, the which are by the rivers of waters. Be glad o spouse, rejoice incomparable, thou hast a presidenc, a ruler, & a bride groom, in the warfare of this present exile, Thou hast a pledge and dost hold an earnest penny, where with thou shalt be happily joined to thy bridegroom in heaven. O glorious & loving spouse, upon earth, thou hast a bride groom in the sacrament, in heaven thou shalt have one uncoverid. And both here & there is the truth. But here covered, and there manifest and open. The church hath here her bridegroom in her order. But yet not in majesty of purity, nor insecuryte of eternity. It is here verily as a sweet preamble, and a joyful desponsation and promise but there it shallbe a matrimo niall feast, and a blessed con iunction when we shall go from faith, to form from month to month, from sabot to sabot, from the he ate of bred, to the heat of the eternal fest & banquet. So that the spouse doth sus pyre & saith with Moses, show me thyself. And not with out a cause. For Jesus the which is sweet in voice, sweet in face, sweet in name, sweet in operation & work, shall appear sweeter in the vision of his diet & godhead. Truly he is sweet in voice, from whosemouth pro cedeth both milk & honey, for full of grace are his lips. Truly he is sweet in face, for he is fair, not only above the children of men, but also above thou sands of angels. truly he is sweet in name, for the name of Jesus is consecrate from the beginning, showed forth by the Angel, prophetised by that oracle of Luce, 1. Solomon, the which sayeth. This name is a sweet smelling Canti, 1. ointment, for there is no other Actu, 4. name wherein is any shall vation for he is that help that shall Math, 1● save & deiiver his people from their sins. He is sweet in the celebration of his miracles, in the tonuersyon of sinners, in the sacrament of his precious death, the which doth fawn upon the infirmity of mankind. In him charity did shine, Piete did appear more glittering, & grace most of all cast forth her beams. But he shalbemuchmore sweeter in the vision & sight of his godhead, when that he sitting upon an high seat, far above all other, shall manifestly show himself. Then shall our desire be satisfied, the which thing the prophet desiryd & said. My heart said unto that, my face hath Psa, 26, sought thee, thy face Lord will I seek. For what have I in heaven, & what should I desire of Psa, 15, that in earth. And in another place In thy presence is the fullness of joy. So that the vision and sight of the face, is much more precious, than the often imagination of the glass. For why the bark of the sacrament & Exod, 12 the marrow of the corn are not received at all with like iocundite faith. & form remembrance & presence, eternity & the time of this world, the countenance and Image of god, & the shape of a servant. Hear we wauke by faith, & not by site. In the mean while we oghte to delight & rejoice in the sacrament of the altar, in the confession & confection there of, a faithful ministre, doth find him self in the midst of the father, & the son, & the holy ghost, the supreme order standing on every side about him The sacrament a most noble mystery of the high excellent glory, doth greatly affectate & desire, the festival celebrite of so noble persons. Whatsoever may be thought or said of the priests ascending in that vowre, or profit is far under the dignity of the truth. The mind of the good priest delighting there and made morehigher, dothlabor & maketh haste, he ascendith, his desire groeth, and the higher he is lifted up, so much the more he is extenuatid so that this man being all spiritual avoiding all the clondes of earthly concupiscence, consumeth man in man, & glorifieth in the secret hiding of the face of our lord, Nor a meek mind sensing, & devotion doing sacrifice, is not i nhibytid to look in to that propitiatory and holy place, but yet they are very rare whom pureness of life doth admit to the heathen of this profundite, or whom inte grite doth even suddenly life up to such a heythe of holiness. Therefore the holy minister doth see, & sele god spiritually, the which by rreation is father of all men but most specially his father by dignation & favour: For why by grace he is the father of all pupyls, unto whom the il father is deed, that is the world, & the evil mother, that is carnal concupiscence. Blessed is he that dare say, & may say, my father & my mother have forsaken me, butour lord hath Psa: 26 received me. Also he saith & feeleth that the son of god, is his well-beloved brother, that which being made a little one for us, is verily made the brother of little once, that is of the meek & humble. He saith I will declare thy name un to my brethren in the mids of the congregation will I praise the. He sayeth & felythe the holy ghost, proceeding from Psa: 21: the father & the son, to be his household fautur, & his defender. For he is the conferter of those that truly repent & the advocate of those that trust in him. Again he saith & feeleth that the angelical spirits do rejoice & favour his profits, & firmly to desire that he may deferue to be written & appointed as one of their citizens, verily this church is a prom tuary of these which are written in heaven. That church whose organs being suspended, doth as yet upon the flood des of babylon breath towards god, is joined and unityd, by original cognation, & natural affinity, manners & vows unto this church. Of such a minister the fat calf being hole and perfect, the lamb of a year old, full & unbespot tide, is with all sweetness sweet taste & most joyful jocundity received, and received, is not consumed. For why it is the food of life, that came from heaven. Canst thou esteem what manner a thing, or how great this holy thing of all holy things is, and sacrament of sacra mentes, love of all loves, and sweetness of all sweetness? truly these be the paschal feasts these be the joys and the lively meats of the just, these be the spiritual delights of the just and of Saints: Here in a plentiful plaee are drunken the rivers of milk the floods of honey, the lykers of balm celestial. Here the bride with the bridgrom are made one flesh, the holy & devout soul with christ. The experience of these things is spiryt, and life, nor the carnal man hath not the feeling of these things, nor the access unto them. The brydgromes friends, that is good, bishops, good abbots, and other fere full and religious men have tasted, and have fully proved that we say. And therefore they come oftentimes to the table of the altar, at all times making their garments white, that is, their bodies aswell as they can or may. For they shall touch with their hand & mouth their God, & here him speaking unto them For there is celebratid a familiar communication between god, and Moses, his friend, that is a good and a faithful minister. But yet that communication is not sounding nor peresing, nor full of words but effections, not sounding about a man's ears, but with affections pleasant, & rejoicing. This communicaty on is not popular & vulgar, but secret and private. It sounds not in the market, it is not herd openly, secret counsel doth seek for a secret friend. But without doubt it shall give joy & gladness to the hearing, if it be percevid with the sober ear of the heart, Our lord saith here Israel & be still, A faithful friend & a faithful struaunt with the boldness of 〈◊〉 meek familiarity doth answer, and not with a vocal and a loud voice, but with a sweet mourning, saying with Samuel, Speke lord, for thy servant doth here. And with the Prophet, I will hearken 〈◊〉, Reg● 3 what the lord god will say, in me. Truly Christ doth Psa, 84, there speak with his ministers he saith, ponder it continually, lay it up faithfully embrace it sweetly that thou doest see, that thou doest that thou holdest, embrace it I say with the affection of pitiful remembrance with the effect of meek imitation, knoing that such things thou must prepare. The preparation of this table is not of man but of faith, not of mischyfe, but of mystery not of temporal food, but of eternal. I that am the author of the gift, am witness of the truth. The Altar that thou dost stand at, Altar, doth represent the cross and passion that I suffered for the & the chalice, the sepulchre in Chalyc●, the which being deed I rested. The patten, the stone that Patten, was laid upon it, the corporas, Corpari● the sundary, the altar cloth, the winding sheet The Altar cloth host which y● dost see, is no we Host. no bred, but my flesh the which did hang upon the cross, for the life of the world. Truly this change is a work of be nediction, and not of a beginning virtue doth this, & not use, it is an effect of power, & not the use of nature, It is a favour, and not reason. It is mercy & not misery. It is no common thing, but a divine thing, & not a human thing. It is a sacrament of piety, and not a detriment & a loss of the deite. In this all physical nourishment doth perish. This meet is not of the belly, but of the mind. For why it is not Jacob, 4, given to the ruin of this life which is but a vapur continuing for a while, but to give life unto the soul, this is the bred of angels, the which cannot putrefy, it goeth not into the secret, but tendeth upward. It bridgeth manthether again from hence he took his Image. Truly my flesh is mete. Like John, 6, wise this liquor the which thou sayst is now no wine, but my blood, the which I have shed for y● in price reserving a cup of drink for y●, in the altar, a help in thy peregrination in thy going out of Egypt a guide & in heaven a provisityon, I a cluster of flesh am brought for thy salvation to the press, of the cross, where out is pressed the ioist of thy redemption. My blood is verily drink, John, 6, There are wonderful things brethren that are spoken of this sacrament, Faith is necessary, the knowledge of reason is clean void. Knowledge is gathered by reason and understanding, faith is inducid by authority only. S. Austen against Felician. Faith believeth this intelligence, requireth it not, lest that either it should think that, that is not invented and found incredible, or not believe that to be singular that is found. Thsee be the things my brethren that necessarily do require ●ayth, and utterly admit no reason. They require a simple believer, and reprove a wick●d examiner. And therefore that must simply be believed, that can not profitably be south ought. This is the river that Helesius could not wade over. Therefore seek not 4, reg●r 2 seek not how it may be done, nor doubt not whether it be done. Come not unrenerently unto it lest it be death unto you. For why it is God, & although it have & containeth the mystery of breed, yet it is converted into flesh, he is both god and man, that doth testify that the breed is truly John, 6, turned into his flesh. He is a chosen vessel, that doth threaten 1, Co, 10 judgement to those that do not judge so holy flesh. And thou o the Christian shalt think and judge the same, of the wine 1, Cor, 11 & honour the same in the wine He is the creator & the maker of the wine, that doth bring & alter the wine into Christ'S blood, It is the doctor of the gentiles, that assuryth him to drink his death, that unworthily drinketh the blood of christ. And ye must know that water, the water mixed with the wine death signify the union of the members, with his head. For many waters are much people the third portion of the host, The three portions which are made of Christ's body upon the altar, have a mistycal signyfication. The body of christ is the universal church, that is the head with themembers, and there are found in this bodias it▪ were three parts, of the which the whole body doth confess. One part is the head itself. The head is the head, and likewise apart of the body, therefore the head itself is one part of the body. I say the head that now hath rysyn immortal and impassable, shall die nor suffer no Roma, 6 more. The other part of the body is in these members the which do now rest in the soul with the head as it were in the sabbote, possessing one stole of immortality as concerning the souls in heaven. Of the which it is said. The souls of saints rejoice in heaven. Therefore these two parts are together, the head that is christ, & the otherpart of the body, that is the good which are dead and buried, whose bodies do rest in their grave and theyrsoules with christ, And therefore two parts are reserved without the chalice upon the altar, as it were without the passion, For why goodmen now do feel Apo, 12, no dolour nor pain, for all these things are passed. The third part which we do put into the blood doth signify that part of the church which doth drink our lords chalice, that is which doth en●ue & follow the passion of christ, unto whom our lord among his apostles said. In me ye have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation. Saver, John 1● form, taste & wait do remain & coutinue to the rite of the mystery, & to the suffrage and help of the taste, that the abhorring of the thing might utterly be taken away & the merit might take place. For lest humane infirmity should abhor the eating of the fieshe, and drinking of the blood in the taking thereof, christ would that those things should be covered & hidden under the forms of breed & wine, the which among all other food of mankind Psal, 10, are principal & chiefest. For certainly as concerning the letter bread, above all other food doth strengthen the heart of man, and wine doth most comforth the same: Therefore he purposed & appointed his body and his blood so to be received, that in the one the senses of man, should be nourished, and that faith in the other should be edified. For why the senses in the one, whilst they behold wontly & customably things are nourished, & faith in the other whilst that the fleshly eye doth outwardly see onthing & thee, eye of the heart doth inwardly feel, & reverence another is edified. For one thing is hidden & another appeareth. Psal, 17 For he made darkness his secret place. And as the forms are seen there, & the things and the substance of them, not credydyd to be there, so the thing is truly & substantially believed, whose form & shape is not seen. The form of bred and wine is seen, and yet the substance of bread and wine is not believed. But the substance of the body and blood (although the form is not seen) is believed, and the form of bread & wine, is set before us to teach us that there is a full and a perfect refectyon. There is in the receipt of the body and blood of christ a full refection meet and drink is breed and wine. And being but one sacrament, yet three divers things are set before us, that is, a bysyble form, the unity of the body, and the virtue of spiritual grace. The visible form is one thing, the which is seen vysibly, and the verity of the body which is believed unvisible, under a visible form is another, & the spiritual grace, the which is a visybly and spiritually reeeyved, with the bopye & blood only of those, that worthily receive it. For ye must mark three things in the sacrament of the altar, the form of bred, the verity of the flesh, & the virtue of the spiritual grace. The outward sense doth exted & reach unto the form of bred, the inward faith unto the verity of the flesh, & the superior charity unto the virtue of the spiritual grace. The little mouse doth at sometimes gnaw the form, & an 〈◊〉 dog doth also receive it but that only predestinate doth receive the virtue of the spiritual grace. That we do see, is the form of bred & wine. But y● that we believe to be under the form of bred & wine is the very body, & the very blood, that hung, & that ran out of his side upon the cross. Therefore the sacramental, eating & receiving, as concerning the visible form and the verity of the body of christ is commonly convenient, both unto the good and evil. But there is (as I already have said) another eting of good men only, the which the merit of life doth cause the grace of god & faith working affection of the mind in the hearts of the receivers or of the ministers a certain spiritual & subtle union of the head and the members coming between where upon is this. That it may be unto us, the body and blood of thy son. It may be unto us, sayeth he. No doubt the body of our lord is always made upon the table of the altar, when that solemn mystery is duly celebrated. But yet it is not always made unto those, by whom it is made. Where upon is that also in the canon. That as many as shall receive of this partycypatyon of the alter, the sacrament of thy son, may be replenished with all bevenlye grace & benediction, For why all that receive the body of our lord, by this pertytypation of the altar, are not spiritualy replenished with the heavenly grace and benediction. Whereof is this, that we for that that we do temporally, may obtain eternal joy. And also. That we may obtain the things with an invisible effect, which we perceive to be received with visible mysteries. And many other saying after this sort & manner. This sacrament therefore the which is reposyd even from the beginning eternally, hidden from the devil, revelid unto the prophets, & committed to yoursolicitude, is to be followed with dew thanks. O your holy and celestial mystery, O laudable desire, O noble spectacle, O solemn miraclc: God which in all things is wunderful is showed as concerning you more marvelous than him self, whilst that by you he worketh things of more marnel, what shall I sai sore. O ye priests of God bless ye the Lord, doing the things that may please god, lest that be to your rain, that is provided to the worthy receiver for health and salvation, I shall not call your gods priests, without a cause, if in the house of god ye do live priestly. For why that dignity cometh not in this name because he is a priest. I say not of the name, but of virtue, of conversation & not of the office, of merit, & not of the word, of holiness, & not of the mystery. For scripture sayeth we that have many priests, seek for priestly men, many I say in number, & not in merit, in dissimulation & not in faith, in form & not in virtue, in coral commixtion, and not in spiritual band, in the connuiction of the flesh, & not in the unity of heart. Their hands be washed, but their works be unwashed. They come unto the divine sacrifices with bloody consciences. They eat without fear & reverence, the flesh of the Babe, the which sitteth in heaven, as the flesh is sold in the market. They do not assist & stand at the alter as priests, but as butchers in that shambles. This degree certainly is a casual degree, it is a judicial degree this anointid dignity, is not clarifide but by merits, by no bilife of manners, exercise of virtue, & by the instance of good works. Therefore my dearly beloved, dig up your household walls, that is, set your hearts upon your ways, go about as much ye may quickly to redeem the things wherein ye have offended for the day of our lord shall come even like a thief, And as there is no thing more certain 1 Peter, 3 , than death, so there is nothing more uncertain than the hour of death, upon the which think ye as it is worthy to be thought upon, & watch ye circumspecly to think up on it. The which thing shallbe to the honour of god, to the joy of angels, a saver unto life, to your subjects, and to you a crown of eternal life. In the which thing christ ministering the help of his grace vouchsafe to here his anointed the which liveth & reigneth world without end. Amen. ¶ Imprinted at London in Paul's Churchyard, at the sign of the holy ghost by John Cawoode. Printer to the King and queens majesties. ¶ A declaration of the Almanac. ¶ The golden number. nineteen. ¶ The Cycle of the Sun. xxvi. ¶ The Sunday letter. ¶ Between Christmas and shrovetide. ix. weeks and two days. ¶ Ashewednesday the third day of March. ¶ Easter day the. xviii. of Apriell. ¶ The Ascension day, the. xxvii. of May. ¶ Whitsonday the. vi. of June. ¶ Good to take purgations all the day, in this sign. ✚ ¶ In the morning, in this. ⊣ ¶ In the evening, in this. ⊢ ¶ Good to let blood all the day, in this ✚ ¶ In the morning, in this. ⊣ ¶ At after none, in this. ⊢ ¶ Good to sow, in this sign. S. ¶ To set, plant, and graff, in this. P. ¶ The days dangerous to begin any thing * ¶ The new moon in this sign ● ¶ The first quarter in this ☽ ¶ The full moan, in this. ❍ ¶ The last quarter, in this. ☾ ¶ Ye shall find in what day the son entereth in any of the. xii. signs. ¶ Also in what sign, and in what degree the moon is every day at noon. ¶ Also when the Term beginneth, and endeth. ¶ To comfort the virtue natural attractife, Aries, Leo, Sagittarius. ¶ To comfort the virtue natural retentise, Taurus, Uirgo, Capricornus. ¶ To comfort the digestife, Gemini, Libra, Aquarius. To comfort the expulsive, Cancer, Scorpio, Pieces. ¶ Also the change and disposition of the wether be marked upon every quarter of the moan. ¶ In this year we shall have no Eclipse of the Sun, nor of the Moon. 18 g simion episcopi 〈…〉 19 a Sabini et Juli. ma● 18 pt ✚ 20 b Mildrede virgin 0 sa ✚ 21 C Lx. x. martyrs 13 get ☾ The last quarter the xxi day at ten of the clock afore noon cold rain, wind East. 22 d Cathedra petri 25 ta 23 e Locus bisexti Fast. 8 ca 24 f Mathee apo. ¶ Term en 20 pri● * 25 g Inuen off. Paul 2 aqua p * 26 a 15 ra ✚ ✚ ● 27 b augustine 28 us ✚ ✚ ● 28 C oswalde inar 11 Pis ✚ ✚ ● ¶ March. 1 d David bishop 25 ces ● ynewe moon the first day at three a clock. 〈◊〉 min. morning cold, wind somewhat thoist 2 e chad bishop A●● 3 f martin ¶ Ascewenisday es ●● 4 g adrianis mar. e Tau ●● 5 a focas eusebii. ● rus 〈◊〉 6 b victer pope 6 Goe ● 7 C perpetue et soci 〈…〉 ☽ First quarter the seventh day at ten ●clok after noon, wind somewhat moist. 8 d depo. felix 4 〈…〉 9 e agapite vir. 8 cer ✚ ✚ 10 f ymber day le p * 11 g ¶ Son in Aries 10 o p 12 a gregori pape 9 vic S 13 b theodore matr 13 go s ● 14 C lo bishop 25 go. 15 d longine mar 〈…〉 ❍ Full moon the xu day at iii a clock xlii inhis. afore noon rain change dry. 16 e Hilary 20 bra 17 f patricii bishop 2 scor * 18 g Edw. king 14 pi 19 a Josephsponsus 26 us ✚ 20 b cuthbert abbot 8 sa ✚ 21 C benedicti abba. 20 git ✚ 22 d aphrodesii bishop 2 ta S * 23 e theodori priest 15 pri s ☾ The last quarter the xxiii day, at three a clock before noon fair, after moist. 24 f agapite Fast. 28 cor. s 25 g ¶ Annun. or our lady 10 aqua ✚ ✚ p 26 a Castor martyr 23 ● ✚ ✚ p 27 b 6 pis ✚ ✚ p 28 C Dorothy virgin 20 ces ✚ ✚ 29 d Uictorine 4 art ✚ 30 e quirine 18 es ● The new moon the xxx day at one a cloak xlix min. after noon, fair. 31 f Aldelme bishop 2 tau p * ¶ April. 1 g Theodore virgin 16 tau p 2 a Mary egiptian 1 goe 3 b Richard bishop 16 mi 4 C ambrose bishop 2 can ✚ 5 d Martin and Mart 16 cer 6 e Sixtus pope 29 cer ☽ The first quarter the vi day at five a clock afore noon temperate. 7 f euphemy 13 le p 8 g 26 oh p 9 a perpetuus bishop 9 by'r ✚ 10 b ¶ Sun in ●auto 22 go 11 C s. Guthalke 5 li 12 d simon martyr 17 bra 13 e Julius pope 29 bra ❍ The full moon the xiii day at vi. a clo●●● min. after noon moist. 14 f tiburtie 11 scor 15 g oswald arch. 23 pi ⊢ 16 a Isidori bishop 5 sa ● 17 b Anicete pope 17 get ● 18 C ¶ Easter day. 28 ta ● 19 d victor bishop 10 ca. ● 20 e alphege bishop 22 pri ● 21 f simeon bishop 5 aqua * ☾ The last quarter the xxi day at ix at after noon fair. 22 g sother 18 rius ● 23 a s. Georgi martyr 2 pis ● 24 b wilfride martyr 15 sces ● 25 C ¶ Mark Evangelist 28 sces ● 26 d clete pope 12 ari ● 27 e anastasi pope 26 es● 28 f vital. 11 tau ● ● The new moon the xxviii day at xi a● xi. min. after noon temperate. 29 g s. peter of mil 25 rus ● 30 a depos. s. erken 10 ge ● ¶ may. 1 b Philip and jacob 25 mi ● 2 C athanasi bishop 10 ca. ● 3 d 25 cer ● 4 e 9 le ● 5 f Term begin 23 ● ● The first quarter the .v. day at one a cloak after nun fair, after moist. 〈◊〉 John port latin 6 vir p s a John of beverl. 19 go s b appearing of s. mich. 2 li ✚ c Nicholas 14 bra * d gordian & Epsm 26 bra ✚ e Anthoni martyr 8 sror * f Son in Gemini. 20 pi ✚ g seruacius con 2 sa ●Full moon the xiii day ten a cloak two min. afore noon fair. a 14 get b boniface mar. 26 ta ✚ 〈◊〉 qsid o●i mar. 7 ca s 〈◊〉 trans. s. benardi 19 pri * s 〈◊〉 diosco mar. 1 aqua p * 〈◊〉 Dunstan● bishop 13 ris ✚ ✚ p 〈◊〉 saint varnarde 26 us ✚ ✚ p 〈◊〉 Helen quenen 9 pis p ●ast quarter the xxi day at xi a cloak afore noon wind. b augustini 23 ces ✚ C desiderii ¶ Rogation. 6 ari ✚ s d trans. franc. 20 es * s e Urbani mar. 5 tan * p f augustini anglo. 20 rus p g bede ¶ ascension day. 4 goe a nicodeme mar 10 mi 〈◊〉 move the xxviii day at .v. a cloak. xiii. min. afore noon, wind, a little moist. b. corone mar. 4 can ✚ c felix bishop 19 cer s * 19 d Ruffini et instrini 8 tau ☾ The last quarter the xix day at vii a clock before noon fair, after a little moist. 20 e Margaret virgin 23 rus 21 f praxedes virgin 7 gé 22 g Mary Magdalene 22 mi 23 a Appoline bishop 7 can ✚ ✚ 24 b ¶ Fast. 22 cer ✚ ✚ 25 ¶ James apostle. 6 le ● The new moon the xxv day at vii a clock xxxii. minutes after noon hot and windy. 26 d S. Anne 20 le 27 e Seven slepers 4 vir s * 28 f sampson bishop 18 go p 29 g 1 li ⊢ 30 a Abdon and sen. 14 bra ⊣ ⊢ 31 b Germani 27 bra ✚ ¶ August. 1 c Petri ad vincula 9 scor * 2 d Stephano pope 22 pis ☽ The first quarter the ii day at four of the clock afore noon somewhat moist. 3 e Inuentio stephani 5 sa 4 f Justine priest 17 get ✚ 5 g 29 ca ✚ 6 a Trans. of our lord. 11 ca〈◊〉 7 b Feast of Jesus 22 pri 〈◊〉 8 c ciriari socio 4 aqua ✚ 9 d ¶ Fast. 17 ri ⊣ p * 10 e S. Laurence 29 us p ● full moon the ten day at .v. of the clock 〈◊〉 before noon fair. ●iburti martyr 12 pis ⊢ p ●aynct ●●are 25 sces ✚ ✚ ●o. and his ●e 8 ari ✚ s ¶ Dol in vi● ¶ Fast. 20 es ✚ s Assu● Ma. 5 tau p * Roche 19 rus p * Octa. of saint Lau. 3 goe 〈◊〉 quarter the xvii day at xi a cloak afore 〈◊〉 dry wind. ●agapte martyr 17 mi s. magnus martyr 2 can ✚ ✚ s saint jews bishop 17 cer ✚ ✚ s barnard 1 le p octo assumpti mar. 16 o p fast. 29 le p * ¶ Ba●●●olomew 13 vir p 〈◊〉 moon the xxiiii day at .v. a clock four 〈◊〉 before noon fair wind. Rudovici 26 go p s soverine bishop. 9 li ✚ dogs days end 22 bra ✚ augustini 5 scor ⊣ decola. s. John 17 pis ⊢ felicis ●audi. 29 us ⊣ ● paullnus 12 sa 〈◊〉 quarter the last day at viii. a cloak after 〈◊〉 fair. ¶ September. 〈…〉 24 gic