beware of Adultry because it is a grievous and enormous wickedness Truly If I would go about to lay open all the dangers and evills springing out of Adultry this whole day would hardly suffice and yet I fear I have already been to tedious I should now speak of Pride of covetous men of Soldiers their Comrades and Wives of handy crafts men and their Wives but the time doth not permit Truly I have yet many things which I shall say in their due time except I be silenced from preaching But I warn you beloved let not any one hit another in the Teeth with these things which ye have heard because I have only touched the vices of some For we are all guilty and obnoxious to sin But if there be any one here without Sin let him first cast a stone at them whom I have mentioned Believe me as things are with us at present it doth exceedingly concern us that with what speed possible we should amend our lives Otherwise except we so do there are some among you who may live till that time wherein God Almighty may permit some grievous and unusual distress and pressure to happen to men But arise now and let us pray the Lords Prayer and repeat the Angels salutation How after this Sermon the Master was forbidden by his Brethren to Preach again AFter this Sermon all the People of the City did talk much and variously of the Master some praised him some dispraised him but the greater part did commend him saying He is certainly a good man and devout towards God who fears no man but speaks the very meer truth of himself and all others But his Brethren presently after this Sermon being met together in the Chapter-Room unanimously concluded that he should be wholly silenced from Preaching and they studiously enough endeavoured to bring it about that they might send him away to another Monastery of their Order Which when the Rulers and chief men of the City found out they went to those Monks and intreated them to grant License to the Master again to Preach and likewise inquired of them what fault they found in him that they should prohibit him from preaching Who answered He hath offended our best friends and turned them from us To which the Lords said we believe that ye have no better Friends certainly in this City then we who can better take care of your affairs and be more helpful to you then we Therefore we fear that ye rather take it ill that he publickly reproved you But he reproved us also and yet we take it not ill Truly ye ought rather at any price to purchase such a man as he is who dares speak the Truth to men and as it ought to be fears not the face of any man So therefore out of respect to the Lords and for their sakes It was not only permitted to the Master to remain there but also to Preach again Afterwards the Master was intreated by the secular men to Preach again another publick Sermon to them He told them he would do as they desired if the Lord gave him leave the very next Lords day after the ninth Now that Lords day was Judica or the Passion of our Lord in Lent And when the appointed day and hour was come a very great multitude of common People came together thither also came the Master and thus began his Sermon The Masters second Sermon to the vulgar People THE Gospel for this present day Beloved is that where the Lord saith to the multitudes and to the chief Priests Who among you convinceth me of Sin If I say the Truth why do ye not believe me He that is of God heareth the Words of God For this cause ye hear not because ye are not of God This Gospel is long and because I hope most of you have heard it of your Pastors to day omitting it I do make my Discourse so much the shorter But before I begin to obtain Grace let us call upon the Mother of Mercy and all Grace saying Ave Mary c. Truly Beloved of right when as to day the Lords-day after the Lords Passion is Celebrated I ought to Preach of the Passion but I have so many things to speak of that that cannot be done at this time For it is exceeding necessary that we should be spoke to of our sins and failings Nevertheless if it may be commodiously done I have purposed upon some convenient day this week to Preach a Sermon of the venerable Sacrament who namely have right to come unto it and who not and what it is hindreth them who ought not to come Afterwards also I shall make a Sermon upon the most bitter Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ And indeed at this time Beloved I can say nothing to ye unless I do speak of the Community by their several Names and Titles Wherefore also I would have you take this advice that if any be here to whom my discourse shall not belong let not them wrest it as spoken to them neither let them judge them to whom peradventure it shall belong but give God thanks that he hath preserved them from evil But they who shall understand themselves to be guilty and whom my discourse shall note let them the more speedily repent and amend their lives For this will be exceedingly necessary for them to do This common true saying is found in almost every man's mouth when we say that Adam and Eve did exceeding wickedly whilst they followed the Devil and transgressed the Commandment of the Lord their God But if any one rightly did weigh it how many do we think would he find now a dayes entangled in more grievous sins then Adam and Eve were Certainly every rash and swaggering Soldier and his proud and lascivious Wife do commit far more and greater evils then Adam and Eve did Eve indeed followed the Devil and violated the Command of God Adam also had respect to the Woman and being willing to please her he transgressed the precept of God But presently for the violation of this one command they were both driven out of Paradise and in such a manner hath the wrath of Divine vengeance raged against them and all their posterity that from that time for the space of five thousand years it suffered none to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And in the mean while Adam and Eve were compelled so long in the Limbo of Hell to wait in expectation until that fullness of time came wherein God the Father did vouchsafe to deliver them by his only begotten Son Truly Beloved I know that Adam and Eve never neglected but this one command neither have I found in Scripture that they committed any other grievous sin If therefore Almighty God hath so severely horribly revenged upon them this one sin there is no cause certainly why these proud immodest and vain Women do discommend them for many things and accuse them of many crimes For verily be certain
began to fail him ABout eight dayes after the Doctor sent a certain Messenger to the Layick to desire him to come to him And when he was come the Master said to him Ah most dear son it can hardly be uttered what fightings what grief what strife and contention I have inwardly undergone both night and day before with Gods assistance I could so far attain as that I might overcome the Devil the Flesh and my own Nature But now through the Grace of God I have obtained an undanted and ready mind and also a true and perfect will so that I will chearfully God assisting enter upon that way which you have taught me and although likely it will be very troublesome to my Nature yet that ought patiently to be endured neither shall I for that cause draw back but will through the Grace of God persevere steady and constant in this purposed course Layman Do you keep still in your memory Doctor those Words which I lately spake to you Master Immediately after you left me I carefully wrote them all down Layman I congratulate to you Sir heartily rejoyce with you that you have obtained so ready so vigorous and so undanted a mind neither do I in this less wish well to you than I do to my self Therefore now safely in the Name of God begin and behave your self manlike And so taking his leave the Layick departed Now the Doctor obeying the instructions and counsel of the Layick presently set upon the work And forthwith forbore every thing that he was required to forbear In so much that before a year was come about he was as much had in contempt by all that lived with him in the Monastery as he was before had in esteem and honour yea and his special friends and as many whether men or women as were wont to confess themselves to him finally all that knew him and respected him became so estranged from him as if they had never seen him which was not a little troublesome and contrary to his nature Moreover he began to feel much infirmity and weakness in his head which struck him with greater terrour than all the rest Wherefore by a Messenger he sent for the Layman and declared to him all that had befallen him and how that his natural strength began to fail but chiefly how he was not a little distressed by reason of the infirmity of his head The Layman made him this answer Be not terrified Sir but humbly resign your self to God and put your trust firmly in him Truely I hitherto well am pleased and like matters as they stand with you and indeed things are very well with you and will be better without doubt you well know that he that will find the right Way and walk therein must through some sufferings at least and afflictions follow the example of Truth it self namely our Saviour Christ Therefore in the least be not terrified at all but leave your self totally to God for it thus heretofore befel me likewise Notwithstanding in the mean time whilest this infirmity is upon you you may discretly succour your Nature by the use of better meat I had made for me when I were in the like infirmity a certain confection of Aromatical druggs which did comfort my head and the like I 'le get made for you But this is certain that I alwayes left my self totally to God to do with my Soul or Body what he pleased Master But now you teach me otherwayes advise me to relieve succour my self with better meat in this my infirmity Layman No man ought Sir to tempt God so long as you continue in this weakness God doth freely permit you to help and comfort your nature especially your head Go to now Sir with Divine assistance go on as you have begun joyfully resign up your self to God in all things with true deep humility Put your trust in God and wait for his grace and whatever he then requires of you whether it be sweet or whether it be bitter be sure to the utmost of your strength to yield him obedience As for my part I pray you for Gods sake take it not ill that I can no longer at this time abide with you For a weighty business compels me at this time to bid you fare-well But if you cannot spare me altogether send some body to that place and there I 'le be found But it would be far better for you if you could go on without the comfort of any mortal creature Master Do not I beseech you dear Son say so for indeed I cannot long want you And truly it afflicts me much and fills my â—…ind with vehement anguish because you now will depart from me But sith as you say so weighty a business and which concerns God compels you to be gone I will content and resign my self and bear your absence as well as I may Layman Now therefore Sir sith you are brought under the Rod and scourge of the Lord to which also you have offered your self willingly it concerns you very much to lead your life discretly Be careful therefore to give your self your just due And let it not disturb you that you are forsaken by Creatures But if you should want money pawn some of your Books and borrow upon them but take heed that you sell not one of them For if I be not mistaken the time will come when they will be all necessary to you Having thus said the Layman bidding the Doctor fare-well departed the Doctor in the mean time weeping for his departure and commending himself to God How the Doctor was wonderfully visited touched and illuminated by God and how the Layman returned to him again and meekly exerted him that he should again take upon him the care of Preaching which for some time had been omitted VVHen as now the Doctor had for 2. years together continued in most grievous temptations together with the great contempt of all his Friends and extream poverty insomuch that he was compelled to borrow money upon some of his Books which he pawned and also had undergone with much humility the grievous weakness of his whole nature It came to pass that night which immediately goes before the day celebrated for the Conversion of St. Paul that a most grievous Temptation rushed upon him such as the heart of man cannot imagine whereby he conceived such a great weakness of his whole nature that that night he was not able to go forth to Morning-Prayer but abode sitting in his Cell resigning himself from the bottom of his heart to God with huge and true humility being destitute of all help and comfort from any mortal Creature whatever And whilest he was kept in this weakness he began amongst other things to meditate on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ thinking with himself with what infinite love Jesus Christ did follow him and contrariwise he reflecting upon his own life perceiving how unconsiderable his life was
Son that these men are dead The Layman smiling said if they be dead it is the fault of you and the Bridegroom Master If the Bridegroom have a hand with me in the business we shall easily find a Remedy for this evil Layman You need not at all doubt Sir but that all these men shall live yet in time and I could wish that you would speak to the Holy Virgins of this Monastery that they would cause them to be carryed within the first Cloisters of their Monastery to some warm place least by reason of the damp ground they should catch harm Accordingly it was done the Virgins very modestly commanding them to be carried into warm Rooms and they told the Doctor that they also had one of their Sisters rapped into an exstasie and lying upon her Bed whither they had carryed her as one dead The Master answered them I beseech you Beloved be not troubled at this thing but when any of them comes to themselves give them if they will take it some kind of warm broth The Virgins answered him That they would willingly do And so the Doctor together with the Layman departed and went together to the Doctors Cell Where the Layman said to the Doctor What think you Reverend Sir did ever the like matter befal you since you were born you see now what great things God doth work by a fit Instrument And I doubt not but very many more will be sensible of this your Sermon and what was done at it For they will tell one another Wherefore I shall like it well if you please that you would suffer these your weak Sons and Daughters to rest a while For truly this Sermon will find them work enough for a long time But I verily think many would reap much benefit if you would likewise God permitting Preach to the secular men For now during this time of Lent they will more readily run to Sermons And I believe very many will flock together the more because of this Sermon which you preached to day Master If you advice me to it dear Son I will willingly follow your counsel And as I remember this next Sabbath day is the Feast of the Virgin S. Gartrude Layman And pray what is the Gospel appointed for that day Master It is concerning the Woman taken in adultry and brought to Christ But whatever the Gospel be for that day I intend not to stick only to that But will easily take from thence some sentence or other which shall be the scope of my whole Sermon and from it I will take occasion as Divine Grace shall assist me to set before Mens Eyes their sins and Iniquities Neither do I much care what becomes of me for so doing Though I easily believe that first this will be my portion my Brethren will do what they can to expel me out of the Monastery for I am resolved neither to flatter them nor any body else but will simply speak the naked truth as the Lord shall enable me neither will I balk that though I should be therefore to suffer death Layman Truly I believe Sir for these two or three hundred years or more by past there hath not been so much need to speak the naked Truth simply and seriously as now in these our days Wherefore be not at all moved with whatever can happen For if you be not suffered to abide here you may be some where else and wheresoever you be God will in no wise forsake you The Master therefore gave order to one that at the end of his Sermon he should give notice to the People that he intended to Preach the next Sabbath day which was consecrated to St. Gartrude When that day came a very great multitude of Men of divers ranks came together to hear the Doctors Sermon Who coming at the time appointed Thus began his Discourse A Sermon of the Doctors Preached to the People in which he sharply reproves Sin VVHat shall I say or where shall I begin my Discourse Dearly Beloved seeing 't is obvious to every Eye how ill it is with us in many things and unless we amend our Lives undoubtedly things will grow worse and worse and more dangerous But before I enter upon my Discourse I earnestly beg this of you all that none of you would take that grievously which I shall say unto you For truly it is more needful at this time to speak the Truth plainly and openly then it hath been any time these two or three hundred years or upwards Whereupon I have resolved with my self to reprove the Faults of us all in general and not at all to flatter any man but without any daubing obscure glosses or comments to speak simply and nakedly whatever the Lord shall teach or suggest to me being ready for the Love of God to undergo any thing that shall be laid upon me for this cause But if I shall be hindred by the shortness of the time to finish now what I have to say I shall at another time if liberty be granted me make an end of it Truly I have purposed to handle so many things in this Sermon that I will neither meddle with the Gospel for the day nor speak any thing of blessed Gartrude to whom the day is consecrated nor mingle any Latine sentences in my Discourse that so I may have the longer time to speak what I intend I have only taken for my Text a Verse or two out of this days Gospel upon which I will only insist The Words are these The Pharisees bringing a Woman taken in Adultry to our Lord set her in the midst and accused her that she ought to be stoned The Lord said unto them He that is without Sin among you let him cast the first stone When they heard this they went one after another out of the Temple Verily Beloved if in these our days our Lord Jesus Christ should speak the same Words to us Christians I verily believe very few of us could remain behind who ought not to go forth And least whilst I am reproving others for their faults I should seem to pass by my own and the sins of our Order I will begin with my self and my Brethren the Preachers and Confessors How many think you of us would stay behind upon these Words of our Saviour who being conscious to themselves of no sin would not be compelled to go forth Truly we are called and accompted poor and live upon the Patrimony of the Crucifix that is upon the Almes of the faithful But how worthily in all things we answer this our calling the Lord knows and the Devil knows Truly I fear there are very few among us who in hearing confessions do purely love God and aim at his Glory Of which thing this is an evident Argument that for the most part we are more ready to hear the confessions of the Rich than of the Poor And that this is so is plain by this If any such of us be taking
prepared for his pure and naked essence for so it is necessary that the soul be naked and empty that it may be capable of his secret misteries Wherefore there is a necessity that every one endeavor to cut off all those things in which he findeth any thing of Self Of the DEATH of the MASTER and how after his Departure he appeared to his Friend the LAYICK giving him an account of his severe and horrible departure out of the body declaring that he endured that instead of his Purgatory and also assuring him of that huge Joy and everlasting Felicity which he had obtained from God by means of his wholsome Doctrine HEre we must by no means let passe how the oft before-mentioned Master did daily make proficiency in a true humble and spiritual life and encreased very much in vertue Yea verily he was made so prudent in the grace of God that whatever was to be done in that City or Country where he dwelt whether it had been Spiritual or Secular all much desired to make use of his Counsel and Wisdom because he was acceptable to them and they had confidence in him and puttrust in him and did obey his counsels He made also very many Sermons as well to Secular as Spiritual men after the form of those which we have already above recited And when he had laudably finished nine years in this so profitable and fruitful life and as it is said was acceptable and dear unto all in all that Country and Town These nine years being finished it pleased the most high God to receive unto himself this his Servant and beloved Friend and no longer to leave him in this exile And because he had decreed to translate him to the celestial Mansions without Purgatory he suffered him to fall into grievous and lasting pain and sickness of body so that he lay for twenty weeks sick of a Palsie and suffered very sharp torments When twenty weeks were now expired he by Divine Grace understood not obscurely that within a few dayes he should depart this world and that God would put an end to his torments Knowing this he desired his servants that they would take care to bring his Layick unto him and that they should acquaint him with his approach and departure and that he had no small desire to have him present with him when he died Without delay when the Layick knew hereof obeying the Master he came to him speedily and being very familiarly received he enquired how it was with him To whom the Master answered Truly I think that that day is not very far off wherein the Lord will take me out of this world Wherefore you may know that it will be very acceptable to me and no lesse comfortable if you will vouchsafe your presence with me when I die But saith he I would entreat you that you will take those Paper Books in which you shall find diligently written all whatever hath for a long time been spoken or transacted between us There is also something of my Life some things which God vouchsafed to work by me his miserable and unworthy Servant And if you shall see fit and the Lord grant leave compile them all into one little Book To these things the Layick gave this Answer Behold Sir I have by me five of your Sermons which I writ from your mouth if therefore you think fit I will put them in among your other Writings that of them all one little Volumn may be put forth under your Name To whom the Master answered I entreat and beseech you dear son with as much love as I am able That you put not out any thing for my sake nor under my name Neither indeed are they mine neither would I they should be known either in my life or after my death But they are all Gods who vouchsafed to do them by me a miserable wretch But yet if you do think that it may be profitable to my neighbours and make for their edification to publish those things I am not against it but that they may be set forth only with this caution that you mention not me or my name But you may write after this manner to wit The Master said or did this or that alwayes concealing my name But be careful of this that when you have compiled this Book you deliver it to no body in this City to read lest peradventure they should apprehend it to be mine but rather carry it away with you into your Country Finally the Master had many other good discourses with his Layick for eleven dayes together even to the hour wherein he gave up the ghost When that hour was come he said thus to he Layick I would fain dear son have on your part your consent That if it shall please God I may return unto you in spirit after my Death To whom the Layick answered If it shall said he seem good unto God I shall like it well that his will may be done in this matter Moreover when the Master was even at the point of death falling into an Agony he expressed such horrible and fearful gestures that his Brethren and as many as were present from the sight of those gestures fell into no small fear affright and sorrow And so at last he ended his last hour as much as can be gathered from external signs with great horror And when he was now dead almost all the City were moved because he was exceeding dear to them all universally Furthermore when as some of that place had taken notice how familiarly the oft-mentioned Layick stuck to him to the last they went about to honour him and invite him to their feasts But when he perceived this he presently fled from the City into his own Country Being onward upon his journey and travelling now upon the third day about Sun-set he came to a certain Village And because he could not farther travel by reason it began to be dark neither could find in that Village any publick Inn he requested a certain honest man whom by chance he met in the way to lodge him and his servant and bid him take of him what he pleased To whom the man answered that he was ready with a willing mind to do what he desired if he would accept of such entertainment as he could make him and accordingly took them in to lodge them he lodged the Layick after the best fashion he could but brought his servant into a barn upon straw After they were layen down the Layick being awake in the night heard a kind of slender voice near him yet could see nothing thereby he began to be a little affrighted Then the voice speak to him thus Fear not dear son for I am the Master When the Layick heard this he said I would very willingly know of you Sir if at least it be the will of the Lord how it is with you and what was the cause that as far as we could perceive you finished your life so horribly and fearfully Verily some of your Brethren began as it were to doubt of you and truly I fear lest your severe end hath offended some of them To which the voice of the Master answered thus I will even now open those things to you Be certain it was so decreed of God that my soul assoon as it was gone out of my body should be received by the holy Angels and by them be defended from the Devils that they should bring me no further trouble nor that I should any more see them nor have any thing more to do with them afterwards And therefore it behoved me to shut up my life with so fearful an end and to undergo it instead of Purgatory And in truth the malignant spirits did bind me fast with so great perplexities and did assault me with such subtile and crafty falacies and deceits that I thought I should have utterly despaired And if my voice had not been taken away I had sent forth such cryes that it had been wonderfull to have seen my calamity hence might my Agony which my Brethren did discern have been taken notice of But God Almighty rendered me a plentiful reward for that pain and torment for as soon as my soul was gone out of my body it was received by the holy Angels who brought it into Paradise telling me that there I must wait five dayes without fear or care neither fear that the Devil should henceforth do me any mischief and finally that I should undergo no more labour only I should want for those five dayes the glorious society of the heavenly Inhabitants which being performed I should be wholly clean and that then they would return with joy and bring me with great exaltation into inestimable never to be ended joyes More than this dear son enquire nothing of me for I have now told you what-ever I can tell you neither have I any licence to adde any thing further But I beseech my God that he would blesse you and that he would be your eternal rewarder in everlasting joyes for that faithful Instruction and wholsom Counsel you gave me Then the Layick said I beseech you my honored Master when you shall come unto God earnestly intercede with him for me After that whatever the Laick did either ask or speak it was in vain neither could he get so much as one answer more from him Which when he perceived he endeavoured as much as he could to take a little rest but in vain for he could not sleep one wink and so lay awake impatiently expecting day Day breaking he took his Pen and diligently wrote to the Prior and Brethren of the dead Master how he had appeared unto him and all his words he had spoke to him The eternal Truth our Lord JESUS CHRIST grant to us that we may conform our selves to his lovely and dilectable Image and follow it to our utmost power to his praise and glory Amen To God Almighty thanks FINIS