his myracles nor byleue in hyÌ„ Moriemini iÌ„ pccis vÌ„ris I haue shewed you both by my prechers prophetê also come my self to teche you so ye can laye none excuse Ryght soo frendes many a noble sermon is sayd in this place in the yere in lyke wyse in maner thrugh the realme the lawes of god shewed you how ye shal plese hyÌ„ in leuyng your synnes of pryde couetyse symony vsury aduoutry fornycacoÌ„n all other mortall synnes And as men saye there was neuer more pryde couetyse vsury ne other capytall synnes vsed than be now a dayes for al the noble prechynge that is there made And truly brethern I am sure that in no maner reame in crystendom be so many noble clerkes of Curates in all maner facultees vertues also as be in this reame of Englonde And though all be not so perfyte as they sholde be yet loue worshyp the other that ben good For Peter Iohn other of the apostles ought not to be despysed by cause of Iudas that was apostle saynt Austen sayth Blame not my house yf there be one therin not good for I can not make my house beter than Abrahams house To whom was sayd Ecce ancillaÌ„ cuÌ„ filio eiê° Â¶ And in Noes house the sone scorned the fader And in Crystis house the seruauÌ„t betrayed the mayster as is noted xlvij dist QuaÌ„tuÌ„libet ¶ It is red xiij q. i. quasi ê‘ totuÌ„ et extra de ê‘ochijs that al crystendom is dyuyded after spyrytual diuisyon in diocesis euery dyocese hath a bysshop whiche hath cure of al the hole dyocese al the diocese is his parysshe And the dyocese is dyuyded in parysshes euery parysshe hath a chirche a curate lymyt to it And euery man that dwelleth within the sayd parysshe is parysshon therof ¶ And it is red also Luc. ij et xi q. i. MagnuÌ„ that the season that cryst sholde be born euery man was coÌ„mauÌ„ded to go to the place where he was born there he sholde make his professyon to themperour with a certen trybute his name to be wryten sent to the Emperour And therfor Ioseph went to Bedlem to make his professyon where he was born ¶ Bedlem frendes interpÌ„tatur domê° panis it sygnefyeth to euery man his parysshe chirche whiche is the place of his regeneracoÌ„n where he shall be fed with the brede of Bedlem Cryst IhÌ„u with his sacramentê whiche hath oeÌ„m dulcedineÌ„ to saluacoÌ„n of man ¶ No man ought to be crystened but in his parysshe chirche nor to be shryuen by the lawe but of his curate whiche hath charge of his soule as it is noted in c. OÌ„is extra de pe re Neuertheles ther be other places that men may be shryuen in by dyspensacoÌ„n as in places where pardons ben And to certen freres whiche ben admytted to here confessyon Nor he ought not to be houseled but in his parysshÌ„ chirchee also there to be buryed except he chese some other place makynge in his owne chirche his vltimuÌ„ vale To this Bedlem his parysshe chirche he ought to come euery holy daye other dayes yf he conuenyently may to loue to here his matyns masse euesonge And who so euer absenteth hymself fro his parysshe chirche in the tyme of seruyce gooth about in other places it is a token by lykelyheed that he woll falle in grete errour heresye ¶ William Durant in his boke called RacoÌ„nale diuinorum sayth that euery sondaye a curate goth in to the pulpytt to shewe the people how eche one shal pray for other other thyngê necessary to them for the weke folowyng in kepyng holy dayes or fastyng to the wee le of ther soules And stondeth on hye to the entent he may se yf he want ony of his parysshons yf ony be acustomed to be absent to shewe it to the bysshop And to byd strauÌ„gers to go to theyr owne chirches excepte they ben pylgrymes ¶ And though it be so as I am sure almyghty god is gretly pleased with the perfyte lyuynge of men of relygyon for theyr contemplacoÌ„n prayers theyr good exaÌ„ple prechynge also But in nyn opynyon the parysshe chirches ben they that holde kepe the people in good rule to loue serue god to ther preseruacoÌ„n of the fayth wherfor frendes I exhort you to loue theÌ„ honour mayntene them as loued be god they be full honourable here in this cyte in other places of this reame to the grete pleasure of god Dauyd sayth Dilexi decoreÌ„ domê° tue Salomon had his grete wysdom for edyfyeng the hous of god as is noted xvi q. vij Et hoc diximê° xxxvi dist ss Ecce et de con dist i. c. io. ¶ We se by experyence frendes that to the place where proclamacoÌ„ns be made moche people resorte to here what is proclamed in theyr retorne many of them varye in theyr rehersall can not tell the very truthe for theyr varyauÌ„ce to other that herde not the proclamacoÌ„ns made Wherfore a wyse man that wolde knowe the proclamacoÌ„n suche thynges as is comprysed in it tauoyde the penalyte wyll go to the kynges ChauÌ„sery where the orygynall is vnder the kynges seale gete a copy therof wyl prynte it well in his mynde that he forgete it not In the Chaunsery frendes ye knowe there is my lorde ChauÌ„seler as heed xij maysters certen other offycers as bowgers clerkes to wryte serue the people of suche thynges as longeth to the lawe ¶ And as Breton sayth in his boke whiche he made of the lawe of the londe Nemo dêª recedere a caÌ„cellaria sine remedio And ther is rolled all statutê proclamacoÌ„ns the kynges hyghe coÌ„mauÌ„dementê all other ordynauÌ„ces made for the wee le of the reame ¶ The chirche of god may well be called the Chaunsery The ChauÌ„seler herof is Cryste Ihesu as saynt Poul sayth IpÌ„e eÌ„ caput ecclÌ„ie Et nemo potest ponere aliud fuÌ„damentuÌ„ pÌ„ter id qd posituÌ„ eÌ„ qd est xÌ„ps ihÌ„s ¶ And he sayth also ad Ephesios iiijo. Qd iÌ„pe dedit quosdaÌ„ quideÌ„ aplos quosdaÌ„ auteÌ„ ê“phetas alias euangelistas alios auteÌ„ pastores vsque ad ê¯suÌ„macioneÌ„ sanctorum in opus ministerij mediacioneÌ„ corê‘is xpÌ„i extra de hereticê c. extra iniuÌ„cto et c. Sicut in vno ¶ And Saynt Austen sayth in this verse Pro patribus tuis nati suÌ„t tibi filij ê¯stitues eos principes suê‘ oeÌ„m terraÌ„ wryten xxi dist c. in nono et lxviij dist Quorum vices that the chirche hath yet apostles whiche ben the Bysshoppes Et septuaginta duos discipulos the prophetes euaÌ„ugelystes prechers of the worde of god Pastores and the holy doctours whiche expowned the holy scrypture And this chaunselery with all the mynystres therof shall endure to the ende of the worlde And all the tyrauntes that euer was coude
grete ryches kept it in sudario spent it not in reparacyon of thy chirche mansyon kepynge housholde ne geuynge to poore people accordyng to goddes coÌ„mauÌ„dement his chirche thou shal be called seruuÌ„ nequaÌ„ called a theyf with Iudas whiche had Crystys money in admynystracoÌ„n spende it otherwyse than was Crystis coÌ„mauÌ„dement to his owne vse pleasure And therfore he is called Fur in the gospel of Iohn in the sayd chapytre exempluÌ„ .xij. q. .i. And haue the payne lymytte as he hath wryten ex de pe clericorum in .c. penultiÌ„o ¶ The copy of the byll for remembrauÌ„ce of the proclamacoÌ„ns for seculer men is this that Dauyd speketh by the auctoryte of the holy ghost Iusti hereditabunt terraÌ„ psalo. xxxvio. For as euery preest in his conuersacoÌ„n dedes ought to be holy so euery crysten man ought to be iustê° a true man And as ye knowe by experyence that the fader of his childe hath a grete plasure beynge lyke hym in hauour condycoÌ„ns In lyke wyse almyghty god hath grete pleasure in his childern true men beynge lyke vnto hym Iustus dnÌ„s et iusticias dilexit equitateÌ„ vidit vultê° eiê° Â¶ And as Arystotle sayth no vertue may make man so lyke almyghty god as Iustyce The proprytee of man is to desyre to be feliceÌ„ here in this worlde so to lyue euer to haue good name fame to haue suche thynges whiche is necessary to his exibycyon that that he hath charge vpon ¶ Amonge all vertues morall is none to conserue a man in all thynge as is the vertue of Iustyce with true fayth charyte And therfore it is wryten Ius tus ex fide viuit ad Hebre. x. et de pe dist iiij In domo et xxiiij q. i. vbi Et iustê° germinabit sicut liliuÌ„ A true man to be except florysshe in the syght of all good men they to be gladde of his company Et iustê° vt palma florebit a iuste man shall as a palme tree endure ¶ Dauyd frendes with his mery songes whiche he syngeth with his harpe in his boke called the sawter in the psalme Noli emulari QuaÌ„ bonê° maketh a dyologe after the comyn opynyon of men bytwix a false man a true lyuer coÌ„syderynge the prouydence ryghtwysnes of god that an vntrue man whiche obserueth not nor kepeth his lawe hath peas without trouble He hath felycyte also in temporall goodes as is red eccliasti vij Iustê° perit in iusticia sua et impiê° multo tempore viuit in malicia sua The wycked man hath ryches to helpe hym whan he is seke by physyke A poore iuste man hath none therfore lyeth in grete payn They are neuer put to labour afflyccoÌ„n as other true poore men be whan ought is to be done for the comyn wee le nor to paye taxe but at theyr pleasure euer lyueth in theyr pleasure solace so spared for theyr ryches oftyme the good of Iuste men be perysshed by casueltees Ieoperdy of the see theyr goodes ben spared not perysshed They oppresse the Iuste men dyspyse god though they haue al thynge at ther desyre This prouydence of god pacyence made Dauyd to starker and muse in his mynde what this sholde meane coude not fynde by no naturall reason that the vniuste sholde thus be sparyd the poore iuste man punysshed Donec intrareÌ„ in saÌ„ctuariuÌ„ dei intelligaÌ„ in nouissimis eorum Vnto the season he hath the scrypture of god ruled shewed vnto hym he remembred ê™ iudicia dei vera suÌ„t And lykned thyse vniuste men vnto herbes whiche sowen soono growe soone fade vnto the fume of a fyre the hyer it fleeth the sooner it is destroyed vnto a man in his slepe dremynge of moche good whan he waketh he is in pouerte as he was before we ben all a slepe lyuynge in this worlde tyll we shal be waked in nouissiÌ„a die tuba michelis And whan Dauyd had consydred al this he songe with his harpe Vidi impiuÌ„ exaltatuÌ„ sicut cedros libani transiui et ecce noÌ„ erat quesiui noÌ„ inuentê° locê° eiê° I sawe sayd Dauyd wycked proude vniuste men exalted in honour worshyp as grete hye trees of Lybanye soone after I sought them theyr progeny all theyr goodes proude seruauÌ„tes aboute them coude not fynde them aboue the erthe but they passed as a shadowe ¶ Of this frendes we haue exaÌ„ples ynough in our dayes wtout scrypture of grete men how they are passed with all theyr grete dygnytees ryches lytell speche is now of them The sayd Dauyd therfor songe with his sayd harpe an other balet sayeng Iunior fui ethemÌ„ senui et noÌ„ vidi iustuÌ„ derelictuÌ„ nec semen eius quereÌ„s paneÌ„ that is to saye I was yonge now am I olde I sawe neuer a true man that god forsoke but gaue hym helpe in tyme of nede to his profyte nor his childern beyng true at last dauÌ„ger of theyr extreme pouertee And what hungre or other trybulacoÌ„ns they suffred were for the wee le of theyr soules euerlastynge Ioye at theyr departynge The lawe of god in lyke wyse the lawe of naturall reason wolde that the fader sholde make his sone his heyre to succede hym in his goodes lyuelode And as I haue experyence therof that many faders whiche for the loue they owe to theyr childern sercheth to make the londes sure vnto theyr childern after theyr dyscese costeth them moche money to men of lawe for the same entent whiche as I haue herde men of the lawe saye it is harde to do And durste not take vpon them to promyse them But frendes I dare take vppon me to make your children you also sure euerlastynge Ioye not to be forgote but to be helped by almyghty god here in this worlde yf ye woll gete your good truly with out synne falshede of those goodes so goten geue parte of theym in dedes of charyte as is wryten eccliastici xliiij Hij suÌ„t viri miÌ„e quorum iusticie obliuioneÌ„ noÌ„ acceperuÌ„t cuÌ„ semine eorum ê‘manent bona hereditas scaÌ„ nepotes eorum Thyse ben the wordes of the holy ghoost and thus moche to saye Thyse men whiche ben mercyfull in dedes of charyte theyr ryghtwysnesse in theyr lyuynge and getynge of good truely shall neuer be forgote His childern neuewes shall enioye his goodes InherytauÌ„ce Et in testamentê stetit semeÌ„ eorum As he dysposed in his testament so shall his wyll be perfourmed Wherfore yf ye woll that your childern shal enioye your goodes pryncypally se that they be wel goten For the ryghwysnes of the fader geueth grete Influence of grace to his succession as ensample of Abraham that good true man gaue to his sone Ysaac Ysaac to Iacob his sone Iacob to his
xij sones of whoÌ„ cometh the. xij tribus of Isrl ¶ And as Lyre sayth the kyngdom of Isrl was kept by a longe season in the succession of Dauyd after his dyscesse not for ther merytes but for the goodnes truthe of Dauyd therfore it is wryten In bonis iustorum exaltabitur ciuitas in ê‘dicoÌ„e eorum erit laudacio et in bnÌ„diccoÌ„e iustorum exaltabit ciuitas That cyte whiche is replenysshed with good true men is exalted to it all good men haue good wyll to enhabyte therin And whan a wycked man deyeth therin to them it is a grete reioysynge And the blessyng of god whiche true Iuste men haue concerueth the cyte in prosperyte ¶ And Archedeken in rosario c. hoc auteÌ„ xxx dist sayth Si iusti fuerimê° debemê° deo honoreÌ„ sanctis imitacoÌ„em defunctis ê¯passioneÌ„ ê“ xio. amoreÌ„ peccato odiuÌ„ diabole ê¯tinuuÌ„ belluÌ„ Fyrste thou muste do honour worshyp to almyggty god with body soule as thy creatour And in token therof to yelde vnto hyÌ„ tythes oblacoÌ„ns other sacrefyces Qr eiê° est terra et plenitudo eiê° viij dist c. Quo iure And secondly to folowe example of holy sayntes A preest to folowe saynt Peter the apostles saynt Martyn saynt Nycholas holy confessours And laye men to folowe Zachee Whiche sayd to Cryste Si aliqueÌ„ defraudaui reddo quadrupluÌ„ Yf I haue doo ony man wronge or desceyued hym I woll make amendes with due satysfaccyon or elles I knowe well I can not be called a Iuste man haue god in my hous The thyrde to haue coÌ„passyon of them whiche be departed the worlde and praye for them And who soo haue ony goodes of thers to dyspose do it not causeth them to lye in payne It is a grete offence frendes to desceyue a man that is a lyue but moche more to desceyue hym whiche is deed And all brekers of a mannes laste wyll be acursed as ye haue herde ofte tymes The fourth ye muste loue your neyghbour as your selfe desceyue hym not lyke as ye wolde not be desceyued yourself neyther in worde nor dede ¶ And good frendes note oo worde what I shal saye to you whiche Iohn crysostom sayth in .c. eicieÌ„s lxxxviij dist to al them that vseth choppyng chauÌ„gynge what occupacoÌ„n they be of he byddeth them beware in theyr byeng sellyng that they vse no othes periury nor desceyte for al suche marchauÌ„tes Cryst bete out of the temple the prophete sayth Quia noÌ„ cognoui negociacoÌ„es iÌ„troibo iÌ„ poteÌ„cias dmÌ„ I knewe neuer suche vntrue byers sellars entre in to the kyngdom of heuen And he putteth an example of a man whiche syfueth or fanneth corn the good corn falleth thrugh there remayneth but stones other harlatrye Ryght so a man that hath goten with othes lyes fasehede his goodes lete hym restore all that he hath goten by that waye there remayneth to hymself but synne The fyfth is we sholde hate synne Synne is that thynge whiche is contrary to all Iustyce forbode by the lawe of god as is wryten .xv. q. i. c. i. in fie And as longe as a man is in dedly synne he is drede in the syght of god called seruê° peccati a seruaunt of the deuyll ¶ And Ancelme sayth whan a man is in dedly synne all creatures made by almyghty god abhorreth hyÌ„ And therfore sayth Seneca as the glo noteth xv q. i. c. merito Si scireÌ„ deos ignoscituros hoiÌ„es eciaÌ„ nescituros adhuc dedignarer peccare And he that seaseth not to be in dedly synne but contynewe therin he shall haue this punysshment to forgete god whan he deyeth to aske hym mercy as saynt Gregory noteth in a sermon de InnoceÌ„ noted xxxij q. v. c. Sicut cuÌ„ glo IohÌ„ et Guid. No man can lyue so perfytly here ocupyed in the worlde but he must falle in to vanyal synne that ben put awaye dyuersly as by sayeng his prÌ„ nrÌ„ by holy water by almes dede by tuncoÌ„n made on his brest by fastyng by anelyng by general confessyon by blessyng of the bysshop preest beyng at masse and by contrycoÌ„n of thy synne whiche all ben noted de pe dist iij. de quotidianis cum glo IoheÌ„s et Guido et ex de pe et re c. OiÌ„bus ê‘ hostienÌ„ ¶ The vi laste is to contynewe batayle euer with the deuyll And who so euer woll haue the vyctory of hyÌ„ he must arme hyÌ„ with humylyte whiche is the vertue that he hateth moost in man here in the erthe whiche vertue he forsoke in heuen therfore he is called the kynge of all proude men Iob .xli. et .xiij. dist Nulli ê‘ Guido ¶ I fere frendes that he is a grete kyng ouer many folkes moche people in this londe now a dayes as apperyth by theyr araye many gooth in his clothynge excedynge theyr power offyce blood dygnyte And ryght as the deuyl presumed to be lyke almyghty god excedynge his ordre degree so caste out of heuen and is shal be in euerlastynge payne Ryght soo all proude men now beynge in this londe werynge theyr garmentes in fourme maner of them that put Cryste to deth his sayntes as ye may se in storyes of pycture therof The abhomynacoÌ„n of theyr clothynge mysshappe therof is ferre out of reason that it passeth my wytte to shewe the vnthryftenesse therof the paynes put in holy scrypture whiche they shall suffre for theyr mysbehauour in this behalfe And therfore almyghty god sayth thyse wordes wryten Sophonie io. Visitabo suê‘ oeÌ„s q i induti suÌ„t veste ê‘egrina I shall punysshe all them that bryngeth in newe shape of garmentes whiche causeth my people to falle to wantennesse in varyauÌ„ce of theyr araye Therfore saynt Ierom sayth vpon this text Sanguis ftÌ„is tui clamat vindictaÌ„ ad me who so euer bryngeth in a wronge custome in to a cyte or ony shape of garmentes whiche sholde cause synne amonge the people as longe as it is vsed he shall neuer come in heuen ¶ Frendes I remembre dayes here before in my yongthe that there was a vertuous monke of Bury called Lydgate whiche wrote ma ny noble hystoryes made many vertuous balettê to the encrease of vertue oppressyon of vyce And amonge other he made a treatyse called Galand all the kyndred of Galand he dyscryued therin I suppose yf galantes vnderstode the progeny they wolde refuse to be of that felyshyp kyndred The occasyon of makynge this boke was whan englysshe men were bete out had loste Fraunce Gascoyn Gyon Normandye came home dysguysed in theyr garments in euery parte of theyr bodyes whiche englyssh men sawe neuer before And many folowed the lewde abhomynable garmentes in so moche that all good men cryed out of them And this good monke in detestacyon of theyr synne wretchednesse made the sayd boke in balette wyse And the repete of euery balett was this Englonde may wayle that euer Galand came here And in short season after were grete surreccoÌ„ns murdre of lordes other as I doubte not many that lyueth can remembre it I praye god they may amende them that we be not punysshed for them wayle theyr wretchednesse for by cause we suffre the subgettes of the kyng of pryde to dwelle amonge vs. ¶ Frendes I saye the wordes of Cryst vnto you whiche I toke to my tyme. Qui habet aures audiendi audiat that thyse wordes whiche ye haue herde by my symplenesse by your materyall eeres may be vnderstonde also by your Inwarde eeres of your soule by true Intellecte so put in execusyon For I saye vnto you as saynt Ierom sayth in an epystle saynt Austen in lyke wyse ê™ noÌ„ suÌ„t nuge et friuola que dixi vobis Sed suÌ„t scripture et verba dei And therfore saynt Poul sayth Syres take good hede at the lawe of god perfourme it in that you is qia deê° noÌ„ irridetur he wyl not be laughed to scorne but punysshe them that by worde or dede despyseth his coÌ„mauÌ„dement ¶ Thenne frendes I ende thus besechynge eche one of you to remembre kepe the fyue proclamacyons whiche I haue shewed vnto you And ye of the spyrytualte to calle to mynde your bylle of remembrauÌ„ce to be holy in your conuersacoÌ„n And ye maysters of the temporalte to remembre your bylle of Iustyce truthe to god man And yf ye haue grace thus to do I answere dare promyse in the name of Cryste Ihesu ye shall haue Ioye that the eye may not se nor herte can thynke nor tonge can speke to the whiche god brynge all Amen ¶ Enprynted at Westmynstre by Wynken de worde W C