intierly beloued soÌ„ne our LORDE sauiour Iesus Christ Graunt we besech the y â— we by this celestiall feaste engraffed yea incor porated i his moost holy body may so infixe in oure brestes hys moost bytter death y e we by remembryng the same maye dayly dye vnto syn and so encrease thorow thy diuine grace in al vertues that thy name maye be perpetually sanctifyed in vs thy wyll accomplysshed among vs here in earth as it is in heaueÌ„ our christen brothers loued vnfay nedly socoured mercifully vnto y â— immortall prayse of thy moost holy blyssed name to whome be all honour glory for euer euer EVSE Amen THEO So he it CHRI LORD let it so come to passe PHIL. After y â— ye departe froÌ„ y â— table of our Lorde God caull vnto youre remeÌ„brauÌ„ce what ye haue done what ye haue professed Fyrste remeÌ„ber y â— ye haue receyued the very body of our lord Iesus Christ of al treasures moost precious Secondely remeÌ„ber that by the receyuynge of that ye haue professed youre selues to be the sonnes of God the members of Christ the mayntayners of true godlines the studious followers of Goddes wyll the feruent louers of our chri sten brothers the extreme enemies of Satan his army so long as euer ye lyue All theyse thynges do ye professe whaÌ„ ye syt at the moost heauenly table Loke therfore that ye do not dallye nor mocke w t God vnlesse worser thynges chaunse vn to you Let vs departe from that table sayth Chrisostome as LyoÌ„s that breath fyre y t we maye be terri ble to the diuel Therfore that this thynge may come to passe remeÌ„ber that ye are now engraffed in christ become meÌ„bers of Christes body Howe vnsyttynge than were it to faull agayne from Christe to adioyne your selues vnto vnclennes RemeÌ„ber that ye are wasshed from youre synnes sanctifyed by Christes bloude iustifyed by the name of the LORDE Iesus Were it not than very vnsemely to pollute and defyle your selues agayne w t youre olde fylthynes RemeÌ„ber that god hath now delyuered you out of the londe of Egipte froÌ„ your moost cru ell enemy Pharao the diuel hath broughte you into the londe of promyss Haue not than a pleasure to returne into that lond of captiuite RemeÌ„ber that God hath deliuered yon from the fylthy abhominable Sodomites Prouyde therfore y t ye loke not backe agen vnto theyr pernicious manners Remember that God hath delyuered you from the babylonicall captiuite hath brought you vnto the newe celestial Ierusalem so that now ye are no more Gestes straungers but CytyseÌ„ses wyth the Sayntes and of the houshold of God Were it not than a thynge of much ignominye for you to fall from so great an honour what shal I make many wor des w t you Ye pertayne now al to gyther vnto God Loke therfore y â— ye lose not the fauour gentlenes of so bounteous a LORDE Moreouer ye haue professed day ly to dye vnto synne to walke in a new lyfe Loke that ye aunswere faythfully to this your promyse Agayne ye haue professed that ye wyll loue your christen brothers do for theÌ„ to the vttermooste what so euer lyeth iÌ„ your power Al these thynges haue ye promised to do by the receyuynge of this moost blyssed SacrameÌ„t Loke therfore that ye be not necligent in the accoÌ„plish mente of the premisses vnlesse the wrath of God falleth vpoÌ„ you For it is not ynough to begyn well excepte ye go forth in your enterprises He that coÌ„tinueth vnto y â— ende shall be safe saythe Christ. Agayne be thou faythful vnto death and I shall gyue the y â— crowne of lyfe No man that putteth hys hand to the plowgh and loketh backewarde is mete vnto y â— kyngdome of heauen Therfore neghbours do as ve haue professed Cast away your olde wic ked lyuynge Continue in the body of Christe thorowe a newe lyfe Remayne for euermore in the seruyse of God Seke the kingdome of god the righteousnes therof aboue al thynges Procure the furtherauÌ„ce of his moost holy worde so not on ly loue but also lyue y e Gospel that ye maye be couÌ„ted both before God man true earneste followers of Goddes worde Furthermore loue your christeÌ„ brothers w t a true per fecte vnfayned loue lette youre loue brynge forth good workes y t it may appeare to be w tout dissimula cion or faynynge Aboue all thiÌ„ges as I haue euer exorted you be obedient to y â— Kynges graces maieste yea and that not only for feare but muche more for conscience sake in all thynges as it becommeth fayth full subiectes The other publique magistrates also spirituall or teÌ„porall haue in perpetuall reuerence honour To be shorte be so affected towarde all menne euen as Iesus christ was toward you in al your wordes dedes lette your lyght so shyne before men that they may se your good workes glorifye youre father which is in heaueÌ„ to whom be all honour glory for euermore AmeÌ„ Thus endeth your PotacioÌ„ THEO Praysed by God for it EVSE Bothe nowe euer CHRI For he alone is worthy all honour glorye PHIL. Thus haue I neighbours ac cordynge to my promyse in the begynnynge of our Potacion perfor med all thynges concernynge the holy Sacrament of Penaunce w t the partes therof Of fastyng of ce remonies of the moost honorable Sacramente of the 〈◊〉 I haue also taughte you many godlye and goodly thynges worthye to be imprynted in the hartes of all christâ—… men Now brothers I moost instaÌ„t ly desyre you by the great mercyes of God the precious bloud of our sauiour Christ to repose these thin ges in your memory and not to for get theÌ„ but w t al diligence maynly to prosecute followe them yea to expresse them natiuely in youre quotidiane dayly coÌ„uersacioÌ„ For the seruaunt ' which knowethe his maysters wyll doth it not shalbe beateÌ„ wyth many strypes If ye do theyse thynges knowe that in thys world ye shal haue God the father a mercifull father vnto you God y â— sonne a swete Sauiour vnto you God the holy Ghoste a ioyfull coÌ„fortour vnto you after this lyfe ye maye be sure to enioye the moost blyssed glorious syght of the holy Trinite Amen THEO Neyghbour Philemon for this your Potacion we thancke you we trust that yâ—… shall se suche fruytes procede from vs that ye shall reioyse to haue cal led vs vnto this your moost godly Potacion PHIL. So doynge neygh boures knowe me to be altogither youres Well seynge this spirituall Potacion is so fortunately ended I praye you followe me y â— we maye also refresshe oure bodies with cor porall norysshement so wyth one mynd prayse GOD for all thynges EVSE We follow Blessed be God for this
a mynd that we woulde fast in dede though no maÌ„ lyuynge dyd se vs and whan we re garde more the accomplishment of Goddes wyll the subieccion ta mynge of our body than all the hu mayne glorye that can be attributed vnto vs. EVSE It is lawefull than to fast euen before men PHIL. Yea verely or to do any other good worke so that the desyre of worlde ly prayse he not in youre myndes For Christ saythe let your lyght so shyne before men that they maye se your good workes glorify your father which is in heauen But yf we seke ony prayse of men desyre to be magnifyed for oure good dedes verelye than haue we oure rewarde not of God but of y â— world For ther is no more pestiferous in feccioÌ„ to poysoÌ„ any good worke y e it should lose the reward before God than the desyre of vayne glory and worldly prayse What dyd deiecte caste downe Lucifer from heauen into hell pytte but vayneglorye Agayne what dyd exalte lyfte vp froÌ„ the earth vnto heauen y â— moost blyssed and glorious virgin Mary the mother of our Sauiour Iesus Christ but humilite as she her selfe testifieth My soule sayth she mag nifyeth the LORDE And my spirite reioyseth in God my sauyour For he hath loked vpon the humilite of his handmayd beholde bycause of this shal all kyndredes call me bles sed God resystethe the proude but to the humble he gyueth grace and sheweth fauour Unto whome shal I loke sayth God by his Prophet but vnto hym that is poore contryte in spiryte feareth my wordes Blyssed are y e poore in spiryte forto theÌ„ belongeth the kyngdome of heauen Therfore all youre wor kes that ye do do them with a simple mynde with such an harte as beyng nothyng desyrous of vayne glory seaketh only the honoure of God the accomplyshment of his moost deuyne wyll Thus haue I taught you neyghbours both what y â— true and Christen fast is also howe ye ought to fast CHRI Brother Philemon we confesse before you that we haue lerned here this day more of you concernyng certayne thynges thaÌ„ euer we knew before God gyue vs all grace to followe youre moost godly instruccions EVSE Amen I beseche God PHIL. Well nowe is the greatest parte of oure Potacion past What is more to be done THEO Ye promised that ye woulde declare vnto vs the signifi cacions of certayne Ceremonies y e be vsed in the chyrche this tyme of Lent CHRI Ye sayde also that ye woulde teach us howe we shoulde prepare our selues worthely to receyue the moost blyssed SacrameÌ„t of the Altare at y â— tyme of Easter PHIL. I remeÌ„ber my promyse well accordyng ther vnto therfore wyll I do ¶ Of the Ceremonies vsed in the Chyrche this tyme of Lent and what they signifye Of the Asshes THe fyrste Ceremonye that is vsed in the Chyrche this tyme of Lent is the imposicioÌ„ layenge on of Asshes vpon the heades of Christen men THEO I praye you vnto what pur pose is that ceremony vsed What is the significacioÌ„ of it PHIL. This is done to put vs in remembrauÌ„ce what we are For whan the preste layethe asshes on youre heades he sayth these wordes Remember maÌ„ that thou arte asshes vnto asshes thou shalte returne This Ceremo ny prâ—…cheth vnto vs that we are nothynge but asshes dust earthe to that we shall returne agayne If we marke this Ceremony well we shall haue but litle occasion to be proud or to magnify ourselues as y e scrip ture sayth wherfore arte y u proude O thou asshes earth All fleshe is grasse sayth the Prophet all his glory is as a floure of y e feld If we consider this thynge well it shall also prouoke vs vnto the conteÌ„pte vtter despisynge of the worlde ye a it shall plucke vs from sinne moue vs to do good workes as the wise man sayth remember thy last ende and thou shalte neuer synne And for asmuch as in the olde lawe they y t would huÌ„ble them selues be fore God by Penaunce dyd vse to sytte downe in y e asshes to throw asshes vpoÌ„ theyr heades as y e scriptures shewe of Achab of the Niniuites of the Iewes whaÌ„ they were oppressed of holofernes of diuers other therfore the holye fathers of Christes chyrch in tymes past in stituted also this ceremony to put vs in remembrauÌ„ce of the PenaÌ„ce which this holy tyme of LeÌ„t ought to be done of all christen menne for theyr wycked dedes whyche they haue wrought all the whole yeare paste Do ye perceyue nowe what the layeng of asshes vpon your hea des do signify CHRI Yea very wel PHIL. Forsoth who soeuer reposeth the significacion of this Ceremony in his herte canne none otherwise but alwaye be humble gentle low ly meke full of humilite estraunged from all arrogancy despisyng terrestiall thynges desyrynge thynges celestiall EVSE Ye saye trueth But what meneth I praye you the couerynge of the Images in the temples this tyme of Lent ¶ Of the couerynge of Images what it signifyeth PHILEMON THe ecclesiasticall wryters assigne dyuers causes one this another that But in this dissension variete of opinions I wyll al leage one or two reasons byd the other fare well as thiÌ„ges not great ly makyng vnto the edificacion of true godlynes THEO I praye you let vs heare PHIL. One cause is to signify vnto vs that they that are synners haue a pleasure styl ther in to remayne are not worthye to behold the sayntes in heaueÌ„ which are represented by those Images nether shall they at ony tyme come vnto that glory wherof the Sayn tes alredy haue y e fruicion excepte they repeÌ„t them of theyr wicked lyuynge ryse oute of synne brynge forth fruytes worthy of PenauÌ„ce become newe men in theyr coÌ„uer sacion Therfore whan we enter in to the chyrche and se all those Ima ges couered we oughte to mourne lament our synfull lyuyng to recognyse oure selues synners to excyte store vp our selues to bryng forth fruytes worthy of PenauÌ„ce to cut away by true vnfayned Contricion our synnes y t we maye be founde worthy agaynst Easter that is agaynste the tyme of oure passyng goyng out of this world clerely to beholde openlye to se in the kyngedome of heauen the shynynge face of God his Sayntes Another cause is to declare the mournynge lamentacion of synners for theyr vngodly manners Ye knowe that y e custome is amoÌ„ge vs euen at this daye that so longe as we mourne for ony of oure frendes departed we vse to go w t close faces to weare simple apparell layenge asyde all gorgious sumptuous garmentes So lykewyse this tyme of Lent whiche is a tyme of mournyng all thynges that make to the adournement of the chyrche wherof the
melody togyther signifi eth theyr inward vnsayned ioye which they haue cōceyued in theyr hertes for the redempciō that they haue in Christe Iesus CHRI But what meanethe theyr Palmes and Oliues or other greene herbes in theyr handes PHIL. I haue declared vnto you before that the Palmes signify the victory y t we haue gotten ouer Satan thorowe oure LORDE captayne Iesus Christe as S. Paule sayth death is swalo wed vp into victorye O deathe where is thy stynge O hell where is thy victory The stynge of deth is syn The strength of syn is y e law But thanckes be vnto God which hath gyuen vs the vyctory thorow our LORD Iesus Christ. Christ him selfe also sayth in the world ye shall haue trouble but be on a good con fort for I haue ouercome y e world All that is borne of God ouercommeth the world saythe S. Iohn this is y e victory which hath ouercome the worlde euen our faythe EVSE What is signified by y e grene Oliues or other herbes PHIL. The aboundance of vertues The be arynge of Olyues she wethe that we are not only delyuered oute of seruile captiuite that we haue gottē the victory thorowe Iesus Christ are set at liberty that we beyng w tout feare delyuered frō y e poore of oure enemies shoulde serue God all the dayes of our lyfe ī holines righteousnes but that we are also thorow hi plenteously garnysshed enuyroned w t al kīdesof vertues do now no lesse florysh w t vertues than y e Olyue tree dothe w t fruyte which as Plini writethis neuer w t out grene leues fruyte Therfore saith Dauid I being as a fruytful Olyue tree in y e house of God haue trusted ī the mercy of God for euer more CHRI we perceyue now these thynges ryghte well What followeth I praye you PHIL. These thi ges once done thā the people gothe somewhat further vnto the chyrch doreward and there stondeth styll EVSE I remēber it well PHIL. Im mediately after certayne chyldren stondynge vpō an high place right agaynst the people syngynge with a lowde voyce a certayne Hymne in the prayse of our Sauioure Iesus Christ which begynneth Glorialaus THEO It is trueth PHIL At the ende of euery verse the chyldren caste downe certayne cakes or breades with ◅loures EVSE What do they meane by this PHIL. The chyldrē which sig betokē y e faithful christen men in this worlde whiche ought to be simple hūble in hert as a chylde is as Christ sayth vere ly I saye vnto you excepte ye be cō uerted become as a chylde ye shal not enter into the kingdome of heuen Who so euer therfore hūblethe himselfe as this chylde he it is that is greatest in the kyngdome of heauen Also S. Paule Brothers be not chyldren in vnderstandynge howe be it as concernynge maliciousnes be chyldren but in vnderstandynge be perfecte Nowe as cō cernynge the syngynge castynge downe of cakes floures ye shall heare now thre thiges The fyrst is geuyng of glorye prayse to Christ for his innumerable benefites shewed vnto vs which is signifyed by the syngyng of the chyldren For it is conueniente that we be not forgetfull of Goddes goodnes toward vs but that we be thanckefull agayne for it and synge perpetuall prayses to his moost blyssed name For this is the rewarde and amendes that he desireth as he himselfe sayth the Sacrifice of prayse shall honouor me Also y e Psalmograph sayth O◅ier to God the Sacrifice of prayse The seconde is an honest conuersacion the continuall exercyse of godly vertues which is signified by the floures that y e chyl dren east do◅ne For seing that we are restored vnto oure olde liberte thorowe Christe whiche we lost in Adam are nowe become christen mē we ought not only to be thākeful to God for his benefites but al so leade an honest pure lyfe that by this meanes also Goddes glory maye be set forth by vs as Christe sayth Let youre lyght so shyne before men that they maye se youre good workes glorify your father which is in heauen We are set w toute feare delyuered frō y e power of our enemies sayth Zacharye y e preste father of S. Iohn Baptiste that we should serue God all y e day es of our lyfe in holynes ryghteousnes We are the workemanshyp of god sayth S. Paule created in Iesus Christe vnto good workes which God hath prepared that we shoulde walke in them Agayne ye are derely bought Glorify GOD now therfore ī your body ī your spiryte which are Goddes Also in another place If any manne be in Christe he is a newe creature The thyrde is mercy towarde the poore people which is signifyed by the ca stynge downe of the cakes Thys mercy towarde the nedy mēbers of Christ ought diligently to be exer cised of all christē men which haue the goodes of y e world in theyr possession or els they shewe thē selues vnworthy the benefites of GOD. For by mercye faythe are synnes pourged saythe the wyse man To do mercy iudgement pleaseth the LORDE more then Sacrifice Giue almes sayth christ behold all thiges are cleane vnto you Thus se you what is signifyed by the syngynge of the chyldren by the castynge downe of the floures and of the cakes Wherof ye learne what is youre dutye to do agayne vnto God for his excedynge incomparable benefytes towarde you verely to be thanckefull to lede a godly lyfe to be mercyfull to y ◠poore mēbers of Christ. THEO Undoubtedly the significacions of these ceremonies are godlye I woulde all men knewe them woulde do ther after PHIL. The very same wysh I also CHRI But what doth it mene I praye you y ◠the chyldren which singe cast downe the floures and cakes stonde in so hygh a place frō the ground PHIL. This preacheth vnto vs y e they which gyue prayse vnto God practyse an honest con uersacion and shewe mercye to the poore poople shoulde not do it for vayne glorye nor for the prayse of men but only for the glory of God settynge theyr myndes seyng they are come to Christe no more vpon earthlye thynges but vpon thynges celestiall heauenly In token wherof they ascend and go vp into such an hygh place from the earth And this is it that S. Paule wry teth yf ye be rysen agayne w t christ seake for those thynges that are aboue where christ is syttynge on y ◠ryght hāde of God Seke for those thynges that are aboue not that are vpō y ◠earth For you are dead your lyfe is hydde with Christ in God EVSE This is a good lesson we thancke you for it PHIL. Well nowe marke the ende of your Procession for it is almoost done THE.