for the purifieng of the childwife and also of the childe suÌ„what shuld be offered the most pure virgine Mary wold fulfylle the lawe also in this poynt though in her child byrth she knew was nothing after the maner of other womens byrthes contaminate or spotted but al was ful of heuenly puritie and holynes For what spotte of vnclennes could she haue which by the worke of the holy ghoste conceyued wythout mans knowlege only by imbracement of the heuenly power She goeth therfore with Ioseph who as yet was thought to haue bene father to Iesus vnto Hierusalem bearing the childe with them that they might present him in y â— temple in the sight of the lord to whom he was consecrate not but that al be the lordes but that we shuld be taught by this mystical figure that those mindes be most acceptable to God whiche with a manly strength of spirite haue conquered the lustes of y e fleshe so do auauÌ„ce to thinges heuenly and euerlasting Moses law intending this had commaunded the Iues that euery male so sone as by the openinge of the mothers wombe it was brought to lyght shulde be taken as holy to the lord whether it were of mankynde or of brute beastes that herby also the first frutes might go to the prestes so yet that the first begotten of the mankinde shuld be redemed out of the prestes handes onles the childe were of y â— Leuitical tribe Now surely the selfe law openly deliuereth our Lady froÌ„ the bonde of it where it sayth in the leuiticall boke The wife whiche receiuing sede shal bringe forth a maÌ„child For the blessed virgine our Lady was neither mulier that is to say such woman as haue lyen with man neither receiued she mans sede And as towching the opening of y e matrice surely this heauenly child did in no maner violate the chastitie of of y e virgins wombe but rather preserued halowed it from al spot of vnclennes during her life He then was presented in y â— temple as subiect to y â— law which was lord of al thingê both heuenly erthly He was redemed with a smal price which cam to redeme the hole world w t the price of his bloude For y e law had appointed y e Iues to redeme their first begotteÌ„ son with a lambe of one yeare olde which was giuen in sacrifice And thaÌ„ shuld be added a doue or a turtyll for y â— purifienge of al spot or vncleÌ„nes which might happeÌ„ to be coÌ„mitted in y â— begetting of y â— child or after to thintent y â— that whiche shuld be offered to the lord might be throughly pure Howbeit if they were not of abilitie to giue a lambe the law suffred them to giue in stede therof a turtil doue or a pigeoÌ„ for y â— redemptioÌ„ of y e child The other bird was offered for the purging of the sinne Our Lady therfore and Ioseph offered the pore mens oblatioÌ„ and it is not to be doubted but they wold haue made a richer gift if theire pouertie hadde not letted them Allbeit they re minde was rich in godlynes and to giue vs an exeÌ„ple y e professioÌ„ of pouertie was more profitable But lo there was at this self time in HierusaleÌ„ one SimeoÌ„ a iuste maÌ„ such one as stode in awe of god surelye he might wel be called a iust maÌ„ for he sought not his own but y e peoples weale he awaited for him y t shuld redeme out of boÌ„dage not him only but al maÌ„kind And bicause he was endowed w t this iustice godlines the holy ghost was in him had inspired him that he shulde not dye till he had sene with his fleshely eyen him that he longe before had espyed wyth the eyen of feyth As Mary therfore and Ioseph were bringinge the child into the temple this Simeon also cam by the guiding of the holy gost into the temple toke Iesus in his armes And here sayth Origene an auncient doctour of the church if thou Christen person wi lt in like wise hold Iesus and imbrace him in thy handê thou must with al labour attempt that thou maist haue the holy ghost to thy guide and so come to y â— temple of god as this holy SimeoÌ„ did Thou must be a iust person a fearer of god religiouse deuout godly as he was But what did Simeon ha uing this most blessed child in his armes He blessed and praysed god sayeng Now o lorde thou dost licence thy seruaÌ„t to depart in peace out of this world according to thy worde For myne eyen haue nowe seen him by whoÌ„ it hath plesed the to saue maÌ„kind whom I say thou hast prepared and ordeined in the face of al peoples to be vnto y â— hetheÌ„ persons Panyms which hitherunto for defalt of true knowlege haue worshiped false godê a light for to lighteÌ„ them to disclose thy trouth vnto them againe to thyn own people y â— Israelites a cause of most high glorie This in effect spake Symeon in his maner Let vs therfore good people for our ê‘te also blesse praise god that wheras we y â— inhabitantes of this Realme were before y â— coÌ„ming of Christ wicked Panims ydolaters we now by y â— disclosing of his gospel â—ee his people Let vs labour to be iust and holy persons pore in spirite rich in godlines Let vs desire to be led w t the holy spirite of God So shall we at last depart this world in true peace by Christ our lorde To whom be prayse for euer Amen ¶ Saynt Mathias day the Apostle The Gospell Math. xi IN that tyme Iesus sayd I confesse vnto the O father lorde of heauen and of earth bicause thou haste hyd these thinges from wise and prudent persons and hast disclosed them to yonglinges Uerily father for so semed it good before the. Al thinges be deliuered vp vnto me of my father noman knoweth the sonne but the father neyther knoweth any man the father but the sonne he to whom the son wyll disclose Come to me all ye that laboure and be burthened and I shall quiet you Take my yoke vpon you and lerne of me for I am meke and lowly in harte and ye shall fynde quiet to youre soules For my yoke is pleasant and my burthen is lyght The sermon vpon this Gospel Bycause our sauiour Christ good people what tyme he was conuersant here in earth amonge the Iues hadde vpbrayded them for theire misbeleue declaring vnto them that the Hethen persones were redyer to receyue hym then they at which wordes some were offended therfore he aunswereth to theire thoughtes in thys wyse I confesse that is I do thanke prayse the O father bycause thou hast kept close this heauenly doctrine from the wise and prudent men in their owne opinions such as be the scribes and pharisees and haste opened the same to fooles and
babes after the iugement of the worlde euen to rude vnformed and rusticall persones And here sayth Chrysostomus we be taught vtterly to pluck down our high stomakê to folow humilitie And truly sayth he these wordes whiche our Lorde spake to his disciples occasioned them to be moche more diligent and lowly in hert For bycause it was likely that they stode moch in their owne conceytes for that they did cast out deuiles therfore with these wordes he abateth their courage represseth them For the thing that was done vnto them was a reue lation that is to say a disclosing and opening from god and not their owne propre studie and laboure And therefore the scribes and pharisees estemynge themselfes to be wise prudent fell from the knowlege of godes mysteries bycause of theire pryde and swelling myndes Wherfore if the secrete mysteries of god were hyd from them bycause of thys se then that we be vnder feare and awe let vs continewe as babes for this surely made the apostles of christ to enioy this secrete knowledge For lyke as whaâ— Paule saith tradidit illos deus in reprobuÌ„ sensuÌ„ that is god gaue them vp into a disalowed mynde he speaketh not this inducing god as doyng thys but them whiche gaue the cause so we must vnderstande in like wise this text where Christ sayth that hys father hath hyd this knowlegde from the wyse scribes and pharisees And why were they hid from them Herken what Paule sayth bycause goyng about to stably she theire owne iustice they were not subiecte to the iustice of god Al be deliuered vnto me sayth Christe from my father This he spake les any thing shuld be thought to be les in hym than that whiche is in god For as saynt Austin sayth if our sauiour Iesus Christ the sonne of god hath any thing les in poure then hath god the father then surely all be not his that the father hath for by begettinge did the father gyue the power to hys sonne lyke as all that he hath in hys substance did he by begettynge â–ª gyue to him whom he begatte of his substance Furthermore in the interchaungeable or mutuall knowledge of the father and sonne it is done vs to wyte that none other thinge was in god the sonne then was in God the father For it foloweth in the text and no man knoweth the sonne but the father nor noman knoweth the father but the sonne For surely by this that he onely knoweth the father he doth vs to vnderstande that he is of the selfe same substance that the father is of As if he shulde saye vnto vs. What meruayle â–ª I praye you is it if I be very Lord of all sith there is yet a greater thing in me euen the knowlege of the father of heuen that I am of y â— same substance y â— he is of Thus by these wordê Christ our sauiour declareth himself to be not man only but also god egal in powre w t his father And where he sayeth that none knoweth the father but the son he meaneth not y â— al men be vtterly ignorant of him but this he meaneth that by that knowledge that he knoweth his heauenly father noman ells knoweth him In so moche that that knowlege that men haue either of the father or of the son they haue it by y â— sons disclosing So y e the son discloseth not only his father but also himself vnto vs. For as the holy doctour saint Austin saith The word doth not only open y â— thing that is declared by the word but also it declareth it self But how doth y â— son disclose his fathers wil pleasure vnto vs Surely by his most coÌ„fortable word which is called his gospel Come therfore sayth Christ vnto me al ye that trauayle and I shall set you at rest He sayth not come he and he but come to me all ye that be in cares in heuynes and in synnes not that I myght take punishement of you but that I myght losen your sinnes Come not that I nede to be glorified of you but that I desyre your helth and saluation Come he sayth not wyth fete but wyth maners not wyth body but wyth feyth For this is the spirituall comming wherby one approcheth to god And if ye thus come I shal set you at rest he sayth not I shal saue you but that more is I shal set you in al quyet and reste Take my yoke vpon you What is Christes yoke Surely his Gospel which as Theophilactus saith sheweth vs glad newes forgiuenes of sinnes iustification commynge to heauen and that we be made the children of god O how swete how pleasaÌ„t and easy is this yoke Only let vs put froÌ„ vs pryde of hert and the care of worldely vanities learne of Christe to be meke lowly lyke as the holy Apostle Mathias folowynge hys maisters steppes whose memory we celebrate this day left vs exemple So shall we inioye that heauenly rest voyde of all greuance and replenyshed wyth all solace whyche here is promysed vnto vs. By Christ our lorde To whoÌ„ be all glorie Amen ¶ The Annunciacion of oure Lady commonly called our Ladies daye in Lente The gospell Luc. i. IN the sixt moneth was sent the angel Gabriel of God into a citie of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgine spoused to a man whose name was Ioseph of Dauids house and the virgines name was Mary And the angel being entred vnto her said Hayle full of grace the Lorde is with the blessed arte thou amoÌ„ges women WheÌ„ she sawe hym she was troubled vpon hys worde and deuised what maner greting this shulde be And the angel said to her Feare not Mary â–ª For thou haste founde grace with God Lo thou shalte conceyue in thy wombe and brynge forth a son and thou shalt call his name Iesus He shal be greate shal be called the son of the hyghest and the Lorde God shall gyue hym the seate of hys father Dauid and he shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his reigne shal be no ende Mary said vnto the aungell Howe shal this be for I knowe not man And the aungell answered and said vnto her The holy goost shall come vpon the and the vertue of the highest shall ouershadow the and therfore the thing that shal be born holy shal be called the sonne of God And lo Elizabeth thy cousin she also hath conceiued a sonne in her olde age and this is the sixt moneth to her which was called baren â–ª for no word shal be impossible with God Ma ry said Beholde the handmayde of the Lorde be it doon to me accordynge to thy worde The sermon vpon this gospell IF a Gospell deare people signifieth a gladde tydynges what Gospel can be compared with this gospell which sheweth to the blessed virgine Mary yea vnto vs all the gladdest tydinges that coulde come
w t oyle but this woman hath anoynted my feete w t oyntmēt For which thing I tel the many synnes be forgiuen her bicause she loued moche But he to whōles is forgiuē loueth les And he said to her Thy synnes be forgiuen the. And they y ◠sate at meate with him begāne to say within themselfes who is thys whiche also forgiueth synnes But he said to y ◠womā Thy feith hath saued y ◠go in peace The sermon vpon this Gospel THe gospel red in the church this day good peo ple is right cōfortable to all christē men womē cōteineth a very holsom doctrine For the most part of them which iustifie thēselfes be puffed vp w t a vayne opiniō of godlynes before they haue atteyned to the true iugemēt separatyng thēselfes as lābes frō gootes not vouchesauing ones to be cōuersant in the same house nor yet to eate the same meates with other but abhorring al which be not of like perfection as they thinke thēselfes to be of Saynte Luke therfore a phisiciō more of the soule thā of the bodye sheweth vs here howe Christe our Sauiour most tenderly did visite other He entred therfore in to a pharisees house not so much to take bodily sustenaūce of the pharisee as to giue goostly fode and instructiō to the pharisee to heale him of his vain opiniō wherby he iustified himselfe For lo as he sat at meate w t the pharisee Mary Magdalen for that was her name after the mynde of aunciēt doctours being at y ◠tyme a notable synful woman hearyng y ◠Christ which of his moost tēdre mercy was ready to receiue al synners was there cam moost penitently thither into the house to bewayle her synful life to heare some cōfort of her saluatiō She had already herd of the great miracles y t he did specially howe merciful he was to al repentant synners She therfore moued w t thys fame came wyth great humilitie stāding behind him at his feet wept so plētifully that euen w t the teares whiche fel frō her eyen she washed Christes feet which she wiped agayn not w t any cloth but with the very heare of her heade she thought not this ynough but she also kyssed them anoynted thē w t a very preciouse oyntmēt which she brought w t her The pharisee seinge thys despiceth this dede in his harte reproueth not only the synful womā but also our lorde which suffred her thus to do Sayng w tin him selfe yf thys mā were a prophet doubtles he shulde haue knowne what maner womā this is for she is a notable synner By like yf she had come thus to the pharisees feet he wold violētly haue spurned her awey with his feete And in like maner it is to be feared sayth saynt Gregory y ◠some persōs which be indowed w t the office of presthod yf they haue doon any thing in outward apparaūce iustly anone they despice their vnderlinges haue great skorn indignatiō at al y ◠cōmon sinners in the world Howbeit not only the religious persōs suche as haue diuided thēselfes frō the cōmon sort of people haue been infected w t this vice but also ge nerally euery mā is readier to espye a mote in his bro ther 's eye thā a beame in his owne Thus he despiced y ◠miserable synner which was infected him selfe w t enuye w t presūptiō w t the sicknes of bacbyting sklādering of other was so much y ◠more incurable y ◠he acknowleged not hys disease For it cōmeth cōmonly so to pas y ◠mē be soner cōuerted frō notable open vices as aduowtry ydolatry such like than frō such as cloke thēselfes vnder y ◠colour of holines Our Lorde therfore not hearing the pharisees wor des but espyeng his inward thoughtes answereth him sheweth himselfe to be lorde of the prophetes He asketh y ◠pharisee whē a creditour forgiueth two dettours the one a greater sūme y ◠other a les whether of thē welloue him best He answered he y t hath more forgiuē him Thā said Christe seest y u this woman Thou baddest me home to thy house water to my fete y u gauest me none this woman hath washed thē w t teares dryed thē agayne w t her heare She neuer ceased kyssinge of them syns I came into thy house Yea moreouer she hathe anoynted them w t oyntmēt Wherfore I tel the many synnes be forgiuē her bicause she hath loued much speaking this he turned him to the woman said thy feith hath sa ued the go in peace Oh howe cōfortable is this exemple to all synners Christe came to cal synners to repētance not those that thought thēselfes holy iust So here in the person of the pharisee may very wel be figured the people of the Iues whiche loked for Christ whā he came of presūption they wolde not know him But in Mary Magdalē maye be figured the synful Gentils ▪ whiche vnloked for of thē louingly receiued him Let vs then good people folow thys holy woman and not dispaire thoughe we be neuer so greate synners Only lette vs come to Christ wyth strong feith desire forgiuenes lamentynge and wailynge our offences brastynge out into workes of loue and charitie as she dyd and no doubt we shal be forgiuen as she was and at last en ioye euerlastynge blesse by Christe our Lorde who be praysed Amen ¶ On saint Iames day the Apostle The Gospell Mathew xx THere cam to Iesus the mother of Zebedees sonnes with her sonnes worshypping and demaunding somwhat of him But he sayd vnto her What wilt thou haue She sayth vnto him Saye that these my two sonnes may sitte one on thy right hand one on thy left in thy kingdō Iesus answered sayd Ye wot not what ye aske Can ye drinke the cuppe that I shal drynke They say to him We can He sayeth to them Ueryly my cuppe ye shall drynke But to sytte on my ryght hande and on my left it is not myne to gyue but to them for whom it is prepared of my father A sermon vpon this Gospell FReendes the gospell of this day declareth vnto vs how the mother of saynt Iames and saynte Ihon which were called the sōnes of Zebedee cam to Christ to aske a certayne petition of him Saynt Marke the Euangeliste telleth the tale as though the sonnes themselues asked the peticion And in dede it was theyr petition and sute to Christ but to thintent they myght the soner obteyne it they toke they re mother wyth them and had set her to speake for them as appeareth well by Christes answere This womans name was Salome which by interpretation betokeneth peacefull and truly she begat the children of peace And a great praise of this woman is gathered out of this text as
man is not to be mesured by the fylling of the bely Whom doth Christ then in this kynd calle blessed Blessed sayth he be they which be huÌ„grye thursty after rightuousnes The thynges wherwith the body is fedde ought but lyghtly to be desired and yet in caring for them the people be moost vexed many times wheÌ„ they haue gotteÌ„ theÌ„ w t moch traueile they be most disquieted But the godly ê‘sons which be contented with litle seke not carefully for thinges lacke nothing God so ê“uideth for them which fedeth also the sparows the lylies Happy be they then which translate thys bodily hungre and thurst to the hungryng and thurstynge after the iustice of the Gospell where they shall euer fynde sumwhat to be hungrye and thursty of where is a blessed fyllynge and satisfyeng yea and it is a greate parte of the Christian mans blesse and felicitie is to hungre after that breade of the mynd wherof the eater shall lyue euerlastynglye and to thurst after that lyuely drinke of which the drinker shal haue in him a fouÌ„taigne of water springynge vp to euerlastyng lyfe Wherfore my deare frendes thys breade let vs specially hungre for and this drinke let vs thurst for The people also estemeth theÌ„ happy whych be promoted and holpeÌ„ by other mens liberalitie and they reioyse rather at them that be holpen then at them that helpe But I sayth Christ do pronounce them happy which be merciful and whiche of a Christian charitie do thinke an other mans miserye to be their miserye whiche be sorowfull for the hurtes of their neighbour which wepe for other mens myshappes whiche of their owne cost do fede the hungrie cloth the naked monish the straper teach the ignoraÌ„t pardon the offender and shortly to speake which do bestowe al the talentes and gyftes that God hath lent them vpon the soucouring and releuyng of others For they that thus do be no loosers but gayners for asmuch as who so euer is merciful and beneficial to hys neighbour shall fele god much more mercifull much more beneficial to him agayne Thou hast forgiueÌ„ thy neighbour a certayne light offense god shal forgiue the al thy synnes Thou hast released to thy brother a temporal punishement god shal release vnto the euerlasting peyne Thou hast releued wyth thy money thy brothers nede god shal reÌ„der vnto the his heuenly riches Amonges men the pitifull personnes perchaunce do waxe poore while by giuing to the nedy they waste their riches but w t God they waxe riche while by empting their cofers they fylle and garnyshe their sowle wyth the frutes of godlynes The coÌ„mon sorte of people do calle them vnhappy whiche be depriued of their eye syght and they that lacke thys mooste deare sense do counte themselfes halfe deade and to walke in darkenes So swete a thing it semeth with the eyen to se light and to contemplate thys moost goodly syghtes of the worlde Wherfore if it semeth a thyng so pleasauÌ„t to behold the Sunne with bodily eyen howe moch more blessed is it with the eyen of the mynde to beholde God the maker of the Sunne and of all thynges We se how ioyful they be whiche haue been in daunger of losing their sight and haue recouered it agayne we se how highly they reioyse eueÌ„ as though they were returned out of hel But moch more happy be they froÌ„ whom the blindnes of the mynde is taken awey and haue nowe the grace inwardly to se God welle of al ioye whom to se is moost highe welth and felicitie That thing that the SuÌ„ne is vnto pure eyen the same is god vnto pure myndes That matter or guÌ„me is to the eyen that is synne to the soule Blessed be they than whose hart is pure w tout wemme and spotte of al fylthynes For to these shal be grauÌ„ted the thing whiche surmounteth all worldly pleasures And what is that Uerily to se God But how be mens hartê made cleane verily by feith in Christ as holy scripture witnesseth Thys syghte therfore sayth saynt Austine is the rewarde of feith as it is writen in the Actes of the Apostles purifyeng the hartes by feith For it is not to be thought that god which is most cleane wol be seen but of cleane hratê as writeth saynt Hierom for the temple of god may not be polluted The worlde iugeth them happy which setting all their thynges in a stey accordynge to their mynde do liue in â—uyet and rest hauing noman to put them to trouble and busynes But them both Christe calle happy blessed whiche after they themselues haue ones compressed in their mynd the rebellion of all their lustes do apply themselfes to sette vnitie concorde and peace betwen their euenchristeÌ„ not only hauing no purpose to reuenge wheÌ„ any man dothe them displeasures but also of their owne swynge and mere motion sturring and exhortyng other men to peace of whom they haue susteyned displeasures If thys shall seme an hard thyng to any man let him heare the rewarde suche shal be called sayth our Sauiour Christ the soÌ„nes of god What is more honorable then thys coÌ„mendation Nay what is more blessed For it is no vayne tytle He that is the soÌ„ne of god must nedes be also heire But the vnlykenes of maners and conditions doth vtter and bewrey a bastarde chylde and on the contrary syde resemblaunce of manners and of conditions doth declare the true naturall sonne God frely pardonynge all our synnes doth allure vs all of whom he hath been offeded to peace and amitie Of hys owne bountie mere goodnes he sheweth hym selfe mercifull to all whiche do repent them Wherfore he wol knowlege none for his chyldreÌ„ but those that shewe themselfes suche to their brethern as he hath shewed himselfe towardes al uniuersally Carnall fathers do disherite suche chyldren as wyll not agre wyth the rest of their brethreÌ„ so in lykewise the heuenly father woll refuse for his chyldern suche as be haters of peace makers of debate And bycause the more parte of men and women be naughtyly disposed peace can not frame wyth all persoÌ„nes onles it be by suffrauÌ„ce of wroÌ„ges It is the parte of them that be good to apply themselfes by all the meanes they can possible that they haue variaunce wyth no maner personnes whether they be good or bad yea they must prouoke al as nere as they caÌ„ to loue and concorde by gentlenes by softnes by doyng good turnes and benefites But there be some so froward and so vngraciouse that with good turnes they be the more kyndled to mischief and whiche for pleasures do men displeasures agayne they rage vpon their well wyllers and count them for extreme enemyes whiche labour to saue them If peace can not here take holde on bothe sydes yet neuertheles they shal be blessed eueÌ„ for their desire and study of peace when the wycked do persecute and trouble