you with a Christmasse that is to say an heauenly Bancket in the whiche I proponed brought for the vnto you foure dysshes I am sure ye remeÌ„ber it right well EVSE Ye forsoth brother Philemon PHIL. Although I doubte not but that ye retayne them all in youre memorye right wel yet by your pacieÌ„ce I wyl now reherse theÌ„ agayne to you iÌ„ few wordes CHRI I praye you let it be so PHIL. In y e fyrst dysh y t was set be fore you ye tasted of y e fal of our fore father AdaÌ„ In that ye learned how y t by the synne of Adam we all were not only depryued of immortalite all goodnes but also daÌ„ned so y t we became very fleshe without the spyryte of God vtterly estrauÌ„ged from all feare of God borne the sonnes of wrath in asmuch y t we beyng left to our selues could neuer haue bene delyuered from that miserable capti uite into the which Satan had cast vs thorowe the traÌ„sgression of goddes coÌ„maundement but dayly more more we must nedes haue precipytated cast our selues headlonge in to an hell of euels Therefore because ye shoulde not dispayre I broughte forth to you your second dysh wher in I declared proued vnto you by the holy scrypture and the auncient Doctors that whaâ—… we were in this miserable piteous case God of hys great mercies w tout our merytes or deseruynges had pytie on vs promysed to saue vs thorowe his intierly beloued SoÌ„ne our LORDE and sauiour Iesus Christ. Which thyng accordig to his promyse at the tyme predefyned afore appoynted came vndoub tedly to passe Than in your thyrde dyshe dyd I expresse to you by what meanes ye myght come by obtayn these so large so bounteous benefy tes of God the father thorow Iesus Christ. I sayd vnto you that y e next the moost redy waye to gette thys kyndenes at the hande of God is to repent beleue that is to saye to be sory for the synnes commytted and to beleue to haue remission of our sin nes of God the father for Chrystes sake In your fourth dysh I declared vnto you that after we haue repented vs of our synnes and beleued to haue forgyuenesse of them thorowe Christe it remayneth that we than sheweour selues newe men in our coÌ„ uersacion medle no more with the vnsruytfull workes of darknes but rather reproue theÌ„ For excepte our repentaunce faythe worke in vs a new lyfe they profyt nothyng at al. Brynge forth fruyies saythe â—…aynt Iohn worthye of repentaunce For euery tree that bryngeth not forth good fruyte shall be cut downe and cast into y â— fyre And as concerninge fayth S. Iames sayth as the body w tout the spirite is dead so is fayth w toâ—…t workes dead Therfore I decla red vnto you in that youre fourthe dysh that as withoute good workes your repentance fayth auayle nothyng I speake of them which haue oportunite to worke yet wyll not so lykewyse to them that exercyse no good workes but remayne in theyr olde synfull lyuynge is Christ no sauiour but remayneth styll vnto theÌ„ a feacre LORDE a cruell Iudge For Christ wyll not knowe them at the daye of iudgement to be his people that are vnfruytfull trees in this world bryng forth no good wor kes yea he wyll saye vnto them departe from me ye workers of iniquite The virgines that haue not only lampes but also oyle shall enter in with the Brydegrome vnto the mariages the other shal be sparred out Not the ydle lubbers but the faythfull workers in the vyneyearde shall haue y e peny at night Not the sonne which sayd to his father y t he would worke in his vyneyearde dyd not shall be his fathers heyre but y e soÌ„ne whiche wroughte in it in dede The fruytefull Olyue tree shall dwell in the house of the LORDE but the vnfruytfull fygge tree glystereth it ne uer so pleasantly with grene leaues shall be cursed coÌ„mytted vnto hell fyre In consideracion wherof I exhorted you at that tyme vnto the di ligent operacion of good workes y t ye myght be founde worthy y t kynge dome which youre heauenly father hathe prepared for them that fulfyll his wyll from the begynnyng of the worlde Theise such other thynges not vnworthy the hearinge I rehearsed to you at that Christmasse BaÌ„cket Neither haue ye forgotten them I am sure THEO No verely neighbour PhilemoÌ„ EVSE We haue since y t time ful oft called them to our remeÌ„brauÌ„ ce coÌ„muned of theÌ„ togither PHIL. In so doynge ye haue done wel For not they that heare the law are righ teous before God but they that expresse the lawe in theyr dedes shal be counted righteous He y t loketh on y e perfecte lawe which is the lawe of ly berte so that he is no forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke he shall be blessed in his dede CHRI GOD giue vs grace to do y t alwaye which he requireth of vs. PHIL. Your fruytes syns that tyme haue manifestly declared the nouyte and chaunge of your lyfe wherof I very muche reioyse gyue God herty thanckes de sirynge hym to fynysshe that in you prosperously which he hath beguÌ„ne godly And this is y e cause neighbou res y t I haue ben so bold to caul you agayne nowe to a Potacion or dryn kynge trustynge that if you marke those thinges well that shall at this tyme be spoken ye shall feale no lesse swetenes in them than ye dyd in the Bancket For ye knowe that this is a tyme not for the bodye but for the soule not for the belly but for y e spyryte not for the mouthe but for the mynde This tyme requireth a modelt sobriete not luxurious royot This tyme requirethe a penitent sorowfull herte not a mynde set al on pleasure This tyme requirethe abstinence and not delicate welfare This tyme requirethe sober prayer not vayne iestynges This tyme requireth lamentacion for our synnes not a pleasure to remayne in them Therfore haue I nowe prepared for you a godlye Potacion worthy this tyme that ye may go home agayne from me not with mouthes but with myndes not with bellyes but with soules 〈◊〉 and eâ—… farsed with celestiall meace I wyll nowe declare vnto you what youre Potacion shall be I pray you heare me diligently EVSE Brother Philemon we thancke you for your godly kyndenes towarde vs What so euer it shall be youre pleasure to saye we shal not only be diligent to heare it but also to beare it awaye do ther after so nere as God shall gyue vs grace PHIL. For as much as y e moost confortable Sacrament of PenaÌ„ce is in this holye tyme of Lente more vsually exercised towarde penitent synners than at ony other tyme tho rowe oute all the
ly he shoulde abstayne from synne For there be many which would neuer cease to do euell as theyr daylye conuersaciō proueth if they dyd not more fere y e punishmēt of this world the mooste greuous paynes of hell fyre than they desyre or couyt the fa uour of God the glorye of heauen PHIL. Trueth it is y ◠ye saye Such haue not in them the true Penaūce THEO What is thā to be done How maye we come by get such penaūce that maye set such a brennynge loue in our hertes towardes vertu that for the very loue of it we maye frely hate vyce cease to do euell PHIL. It is harde for a naturall man whiche vnderstandeth not those thynges y ◠pertayne to the Spiryte of God to do this of his owne strengthe power For true Penaunce is the gifte of God Euery good gifte and euery perfecte gifte commeth from aboue descendyng from the father of light S. Ambrose saythe Those are good teares which wash away the faute Moreouer they whome God beholdeth lament theyr offence Peter denied fyrst and he wepte not For the the LORDE had not loked vpon hym He denyed the second tyme wepte not For the LORDE dyd not yet loke vpon him He denyed the thyrd tyme Iesus looked vpon hym he wepte verye bytterlye Let them reade the Gospell se that the LORDE Iesus was than within whē he was heard of the hygh Prestes and that y e Apo stle Peter was without beneth in the haull sometyme syttynge sometyme stondynge at the fyre with the seruauntes as it is declared with a verye true concordant tellynge of the Euangelistes In consideracion wherof it can not be sayde that the LORDE dyd loke on hym with his cor porall eyes by admonysshynge hym visibly And therfore as concerning that which is written there y e LORD dyd looke vpon hym it was done inwardly it was done in the mynde it was done in the wyll The LORDE dyd helpe hym with his mercy secret ly He toweched the herte He called agayne the memorye He visited Peter with his inwarde grace He moued brought forthe the affecte of y ◠inwarde man euen vnto outewarde teares Beholde howe God is presēt helpethe oure wylles dedes Beholde how he worketh in vs both the wyll and the dede That true Penaunce is y ◠gyfte of God it is also manifeste by theise wordes of the Apostle it becommeth the seruaunte of the LORDE not to stryue but to be peasable vnto al mē and apte to teache one that canne suffer the euell in mekenes can informe them that resyst yf that God at ony tyme wyll gyue them repentance for to knowe the trueth that they maye come to thēselues againe out of the snare of the dyuell which are taken of him at his owne wyll CHRI Seynge than that the true vnfayned Penaunce is the gyfte of God howe is it possible for vs to obtayne it EVSE This is a necessary thynge to be knowen PHIL. Uerely by feruent continnall prayer may ye easely obtayne this thyng at the hand of God Aske haue saythe he Seke ye shall fynd Knocke and it shalbe opened vnto you God vndou tedly wyll not fayle to gyue them a good spirite that aske it of him that the y maye vnfaynedly repente loue righteousnes and hate vnrighteous nes Praye with the Prophet Ieremye Turne me O LORDE I shall be turned For thou arte the LORDE my God after thou haste turned me I repented Agayne heale thou me O LORDE I shalbe healed saue thou me I shalbe safe for thou art my prayse If we wyll praye thus God vndoubtedly wyll graunte vs our peticions and gyue vs all good thinges If we wyll caull he is redy to come Yea he stondeth knocketh at the dore so that yf ony man wyll opē the gate he wyll enter into him and suppe with him and he w t hym What woulde we haue more If we therfore perysh the faulte is in oure selues not in God which wylleth all men to be saued to come to the knowlege of the trueth THEO God gyue vs all grace to praye aryghte truly to repent feruētly to loue ver tue that vnfaynedly we maye hate vyce EVSE So be it CHRI LORDE let it so come to passe PHIL. I haue nowe taught you what Penaunce is how it ought to be done of whom we should alke grace truly to repēt howe it maye be obtayned EVSE We remēber all these thynges right well PHIL. what nede I declare vnto you of what vertue puissaunce strēgth power efficacy this moost holy Sacrament of penaunce is seinge y ◠I haue alredy spokē of it suffi ciently in the thyrd dysh of my Bācket THEO I remember well that ye taught vs there y ◠there is no synne in the worlde y ◠doth not gyue place to the vertue of Penaunce PHIL. Ye saye trueth EVSE Yet I haue herd that some men nowe of late haue ry sen vp which denye this thynge and affyrme playnely that such as faull into synne agayne after they be bap tised haue put on Christ can by no meanes be forgyuen neyther dothe this Sacrament of penasice auayle ony thynge to the remission of theyr synnes THEO O detestable heresye PHIL. Yea O thryse detestable heresy This is no newe heresy For it be gan about the yeare of oure LORDE CC. xlix was fyrst broughte vp of two famous Heretykes called Nouatus Catharus For at y ◠tyme dyd the holye martyre S. Cypriane wryte agaynste the Nouatians as we maye se in his workes Ambrose also which lyued in the yeare of our LORD CCClxxx dyd wryte agaynst the fauourers of that secte So lyke wyse dyd Fulgentius whiche lyued in the yeare of our LORDE vC besydes diuers other Of these two Nouatus Catarus ensued no smal swarmes of Heretykes whiche syns that tyme haue mayntayned this abhominable Heresye and in theise oure dayes the Catabaptistes renued it agayne to the great perturbaciō of the Christē publyque weale much hynderaunce of Christes Gospell THEO God forbyd y ◠any man should assent to this theyr wycked opinion seyng it doth not only fyll hell wyth the soules of them that mayntayne this abhominacion but also manyfestly fight w t gods moost holy word PHIL. Ye saye truethe Although yf I had leasure it were but a tryfle to confute this theyr wycked heresy w t all the other that they mayntayne yette wyll I for the confyrmacion of youre consciences rehearse certayne Scriptures which shall vtterly refell theyr wycked opinion of denyēg remission forayuenes of synnes to synners God sayth by his Prophet these wordes If the wycked shall repente hym turne from all his synnes whiche he hath wrought shall kepe all my preceptes and do iudgement righteousnesse he shall lyue and
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.