A Potion for This Holy Time of Lent

T His Latin word Peni tentia, called in y ^e Greke tōge metanonia, which some turn Repētasice, some Penaunce, is as Chrysostom saith, not only to cease from the old euelles but also to follow better offices. For it is said: Declyne from evil & do good.

Neither is it enough for us unto health, saith he, only to have plucked out the shafte, except we also lay medicines to the wound.

Of these words of the holy Doc tor S. John Chrysostom, is it euydente, who truly repentethe and who not. If not only a cessasion frō the sin, but also a diligent exercise of the virtue followeth the Penāce than is it true & unfeigned. But if there be proved a cōtynuāce 〈◊〉 y ^• syn, and no correccion or amendment of life, thā is it manifest that such one had never no true reap̄tance in his heart. For S. Agustine saith, what other thing is it to repent or to do Penaunce, than to be sorry for the sins paste, & from henseforthe to abstain from those things, which he hath committed. Agayne he saith, the fruit worthy of penance is to lament the sins being past, and not to do thē again, as it is writ̄, caste not sin upon sin. Be ye wasshed, saith y ^e LORDE by the Prophet Isaiah, & be ye clean. He therefore is wasshed and is clean, which both lamenteth the things paste, & doth not cōmyt again those things, that are worthy to be lamented. Paul descrybeth the true Penaūce in these words: Put of saith he, the old man with his acts, & put ye on the new man. Here he appoyntethe us not only to put of the old man, but also to put on the new man. Agayne he saith, fasshyon not yourselves like unto the manner of this world, but be ye chaundged by the renuynge of youre mind, whereby we are made a new creature, walking in the newness of life. Doth not our Baptysme also preach unto us this thing? We are buried together, saith Paul, with Christ by Baptism unto death, that as Christ is risen again from the dead, so we likewise should walk in the newenes of life.

Thus have we learned both by y ^• holy scriptures, & the ancient Doctors, what the true penance is.

We have learned of these your words that to do truly penance, is not only to abstain frō y ^e sin, but also to amplecte & enhalse y ^e ver tue contrary to the sin.

Ye say truth. And this is it that the Prophet saith, cease to do evil, and learn to do well.

So far as I remember, ye taught us the very same, or else not much unlike, ī your Christmas Banckette.

Yea forsothe, in the third dyshe.

It is truth that ye all say. Therefore need I now to make the fewer words concerning this matter, if ye retain those things in your me mory, which at that time I taught you.

We remember all those things well.

I am very glad. But this must ye note in youre Penaunce, that it ought rather to be done for the love of virtue, than for the hate & detestacion of vice, as the Psalmograph saith, thou haste loved righteousness, & hated vnryghteousnes. Here ye se that the love of righteousness goethe before the hatred of unrighteousness. The scrip ture saith of Mary Magdalene, ma ny sins are forgiven her, because she loved much. The love that she had to chastity and pureness of life made her to abhor & utterly despise all uncleanness, which before she had used. Therefore was y ^e great mul titude of her sins remytted & forgiven her. A christen man's heart ought so to be enflamed with y ^e love of vertu, that even for the only love of that he should utterly deteste & abhor all vice & noughtynes, as the Poet saith.

That is to say, they that are good, hate syn for the love that they have to virtue. But they that are evil, hate sin for fear of pain. And S. Austē saith: Every man hateth sin so much, as he loveth righteousness. Agayne: He is an enemy of righteousness, which sin the not for fear of pain. But he shall be a friend, if he sinneth not for the love of it. Hereto pertaineth the saying of S. Ambrose, it is no true Penāce saith he, except fear doth succeed & come after love. And not of fear, but of the love of righteousness beginneth the Penaunce, & of the intencion & feruentnes of love, doth the more feruente hate of sin follow.

Seynge than that it is necessary first intierly to love vertu before we can unfeignedly hate the vice, I beseech the Author of all good nes to engraffe in us this love, that we enhalsynge virtue, may y ^e more easily eschew vice.

Me think it is an hard thing for a mā to love vertu so, that for the love of that on lie, he should abstain from sin. For there be many, which would never cease to do evil, as their daily conuersaciō proveth, if they did not more fere y ^e punishment of this world & the most grievous pains of hell fire, than they desire or couyt the fa uour of God & the glory of heaven.

Truth it is y ^• ye say. Such have not in them the true Penaūce.

What is thā to be done? How may we come by & get such penaūce that may set such a brennynge love in our hearts towards vertu, that for the very love of it, we may freely hate vice, & cease to do evil.

It is hard for a natural man which understandeth not those things y ^• pertain to the Spiryte of God to do this of his own strength & power. For true Penaunce is the gift of God. Every good gift and every perfect gift cometh from above, descending from the father of light. S. Ambrose saith: Those are good tears, which wash away the faute. Moreover they, whom God beholdeth, lament their offense. Peter denied first, and he wepte not. For the the LORDE had not looked upon him. He denied the second time, & wepte not. For the LORDE did not yet loke upon him. He denied the third time Jesus looked upon him, & he wepte very bytterlye. Let them read the Gospel, & se that the LORDE Jesus was than within whē he was heard of the high Prestes, and that y ^e Apo stle Peter was without & beneth in the haull, sometime sitting, sometime stondynge at the fire with the servants, as it is declared with a very true & concordant tellynge of the Evangelists. In consideracion whereof, it cannot be said that the LORDE did loke on him with his cor porall eyes by admonysshynge him visibly. And therefore as concerning that which is written there, y ^e LORD did look upon him, it was done inwardly, it was done in the mind, it was done in the will. The LORDE did help him with his mercy secret lie. He toweched the heart. He called again the memory. He visited Peter with his inward grace. He moved & brought forth the affecte of y ^• inward man even unto outewarde tears. Behold howe God is present & helpethe our wylles & deeds. Behold how he worketh in us both the will and the deed.

That true Penaunce is y ^• gift of God, it is also manifest by these words of the Apostle, it becometh the servant of the LORDE not to strive but to be peasable unto all mē and apt to teache, & one that can suffer the evil in mekenes, & can inform them that resyst, if that God at ony time will give them repentance for to know the truth, that they may come to thenselves again out of the snare of the devil, which are taken of him at his own will.

Seynge than that the true & unfeigned Penaunce is the gift of God, howe is it possible for us to obtain it?

This is a necessary thing to be known.

Verily by fervent & continnall prayer may ye easily obtain this thing at the hand of God. Ask & have, saith he. Seke & ye shall find. Knocke and it shall be opened unto you. God vndou tedly will not fail to give them a good spirit, that ask it of him, that the y may unfeignedly repent, love righteousness and hate unrighteous nes. Praye with the Prophet Ieremye. Turn me O LORDE, & I shall be turned. For thou art the LORDE my God, & after thou haste turned me, I repented. Agayne, heal thou me, O LORDE, & I shall be healed, save thou me & I shall be safe, for thou art my praise. If we will pray thus, God undoubtedly will grant us our petitions, and give us all good things. If we will caull, he is ready to come. Yea he stondeth & knocketh at the door, so that if ony man will opē the gate, he will enter into him, and sup with him, and he w ^t him. What would we have more? If we therefore perish, the fault is in our selves, & not in God, which willeth all men to be saved & to come to the knowledge of the truth.

God give us all grace to pray aryghte, truly to repent, feruētly to love ver tue, that unfeignedly we may hate vice.

So be it.

LORDE let it so come to pass.

I have now taught you, what Penaunce is, how it ought to be done, of whom we should alke grace truly to reap̄t, & howe it may be obtained.

We remember all these things right well.

what need I declare unto you of what virtue, puissaunce, strength, power & efficacy, this most holy Sacrament of penance is, seeing y ^• I have already spokē of it suffi ciently in the third dysh of my Bācket.

I remember well that ye taught us there, y ^• there is no sin in the world y ^• doth not give place to the virtue of Penaunce.

Ye say truth.

Yet I have herd, that some men now of late have ry sen up, which deny this thing, and affirm plainly, that such as fall into sin again after they be bap tised & have put on Christ, can by no means be forgiven neither doth this Sacrament of penasice avail ony thing to the remission of their sins.

O detestable heresy.

Yea O thryse detestable heresy. This is no new heresy. For it be gan about the year of our LORDE, CC. xlix. & was first brought up of two famous Heretykes, called Novatus & Catharus. For at y ^• time did the holy martyre S. Cypriane write against the Novatians, as we may se in his works. Ambrose also, which lived in the year of our LORD. CCClxxx. did write against the favorers of that sect. So like wise did Fulgentius, which lived in the year of our LORDE. vC. besides diverse other Of these two Novatus & Catarus ensued no small swarms of Heretykes, which sins that time have maintained this abhominable Heresye, and in these our days, the Catabaptistes renewed it again to the great perturbaciō of the Christ̄ publyque weal, & much hynderaunce of Christ's Gospel.

God forbid y ^• any man should assent to this their wicked opinion seeing it doth not only fill hell with the souls of them that maintain this abomination, but also manyfestly fight w ^t gods most holy word

Ye say truth. Although if I had leisure, it were but a tryfle to confute this their wicked heresy, w ^t all the other that they maintain, yette will I for the confyrmacion of youre consciences rehearse certain Scriptures, which shall utterly refell their wicked opinion of denȳg remission & forayuenes of sins to sinners. God saith by his Prophet these words: If the wicked shall repent him & turn from all his sins, which he hath wrought, & shall keep all my precepts, and do judgment & righteousness, he shall live and shall not dy. I will not remember all his iniquities, which he hath wrought. In his righteousness which he hath wrought, shall he live. Is it my will, saith y ^• LORDE God, that the wicked should die, & not ra there that he should turn from his ways & live? Agayne in that same Chapter, turn & repent ye from all your iniquities, & your iniquite shall work you no displesure. Cast away frō you all your wickednesses, wherī ye have offended, & make you a new heart & a new spirit: & wherefor will ye die O ye house of Israel? For I will not that any man should die saith the LORDE god. Return and live. Also by another Prophette he saith, Return, O thou rebel Israel, saith the LORDE, and I will not turn away my face from you, for I am holy, saith the LORDE, and I will not be angry for evermore.

Agayne in another place the Prophet saith, turn to the LORD your God, for he is gentle & merciful, pa cient & of much gentleness, & ready to forgive his malice. Do not all these sētēces prove manifestli y ^• gods mer cy lieth bent out for all manner of siners at all times, if they repent & turn?

I marvel howe they could find in their hearts to establysh such heretical doctrine, seeing they fight so evidently with the dy uyne scriptures.

They refuse the authority of the old Testament, & only cleave to the new.

I know that right well, yet is y ^• old Testament of never the less authority therefore.

They gather their sinistrall opinion, as I hear say, of S. Paul to the Hebrews, where he saith, it is not possible that they •… , which were once lyghtened & have tasted the heavenly gift, and were partakers of the holy Ghoste, & have tasted the good word of God, & the virtues of the world to come, if they do fall, could be renewed agē by Penaunce. Agayne, if we sin wyllyngely after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for syn nes, but a fearful looking for judgment & violent fire, which shall destroy y ^• adversaries

These texts sta blysshe nothing their opinion, but rather manifestly condemn it. As touching y ^• first sentence of Paul S. Ambrose understandeth it not of Penaunce, but of Baptism. The renouaciō or renuynge, saith he, by the fonntayne of holy Baptism can not be made the second time. To be renewed, he said that is, to be made new. For it is the office of holy bap tisme to make a man new. And a lie tle after he saith, as Christ died once on the cross as concerning y ^• flesh, so do we die once in Baptism, not in flessh but in sin. And as he cannot die again, so cannot we be baptized again, except peradventure with the tears of Penaunce. not with the regeneracion of y ^• foun tayne. What than wilt thou say, is there no Penaunce? There is Pe naunce verily, but not another bap tisme. There is undoubtedly Penāce & it hath much vertu and strength, yea even for him also, that is very much drowned in sin.

Thus se you that they that sin after Baptism, cannot be made a new by Baptism (for y ^• is no more reiterated) yet is not here Penaūce denied unto them, but sin they ne uer so greatly, yet if they repent & turn to our LORDE God. they shall surely find mercy and be saved.

And as concerning the seconde text saint Ambrose upon the same place saith, that Christ died once for our sins, & shall no more for them be offered. For w ^t one oblation hath he made them perfect for evermore, that are sanctified. Thou art made clean, thou art free from sins, y ^• art made the son of God. If thou returnest to thy first vomit, another judgment taryethe for the, except thou be renewed by Penaunce. Therefore let everyone, while he hath time, fly unto the medicine of Penaunce, unless he be committed unto everlasting fire. These words declare openlie, that so often as we repent and turn, so often shall we be forgivē. Only we ought not to loke for another Sacrifyce. For Christ already hath suffered once for all. Do ye not perceive now, howe greatly both the old Heretykes, & also these their new Apes, be deceived?

Yies verily.

It is easy to per ceyue for him that lokethe upon the texts with a single eye, & with an uncorrupted heart. But I pray you rehearse some texts of the new Te stament, that may evidently show y ^t they which sin after Baptism, may be renewed by the holy Sacrament of Penaūce, & that gods mercy is ready for them, whā so ever they repent & turn.

That sinners may receive remission of their syn nes though they syn after they have known the truth, & are baptized, it is manifest by diverse places of y ^• new Testament, who doubteth but that Peter was both baptized and knew the truth, when he confessed Christ to be the son of the living God?

No mā. For Christ said unto him, thou art blessed, Symō. Flessh & blood have not shown this unto the, but my father which is in heaven.

Uery well. Yet did he fall again after that, when he denied Christ.

Ye say truth.

Dyd not he afterward, when he repented, obtain mercy at the hand of God?

No man will de ny that, I am sure.

Uery well. Hereof doth it follow, that remissiō of sins is not denied unto siners, if they repent & believe. Agayne, did not one among the Corinthians af ter he was baptized, commytte a gre uous and detestable offense, in as much that he was excommunicate & put out of the christen congregation? and yet when he repented, was he not received again among the faithful? If his sin had been irremissible & could not have ben for given by no means, would Saint Paul have commanded, y ^t he should have been taken again into the company of the Christians?

It is to be thought nay.

Ye may be sure, he would not. S. John also saith, my little chyldrē, these things have I written to you, that ye should not sin. But if ony man shall sin, we have an advocate w ^t God the father Jesus Christ y ^• rygh teous one. Is not the lost son received, whan he repenteth, knowled geth his fault, & commethe home again? Is not the wandrynge sheep fetched home again vpō shulders? Is not the wounded man cured and made whole? Dothe not Christ day lie cry, come unto me all ye that labor & are ladē, & I shall refresh you Came not Christ to call sinners to repentance? Is not Christ a {per}petuall savior?

O most sweet & comfortable sayenges.

Theyse authorities utterly condemn the opinion of the aforesaid Heretykes, & set for the highly the blessed Sacrament of Penaūce unto the great cōsolacion & comfort of all faithful & penitent sinners. Therefore let us run to this Sacrament as unto a strong Bulwark and sure asyle. Let us fly unto it as unto an holy Anckere. Let us delight in it, as in an haven of health. Lette us not despair, but believe with a sure faith, that if we unfeignedly repent and turn unto God, desyrynge mercies for Jesus Christ's sake, he will sure lie remit our iniquity, and take us again unto his favor.

Bles sed be God for it.

I have spoken sufficiently for this time of Penaunce. I will now declare some what of the partes thereof to you. For they are also necessary to be kno wen.

I pray you let it be so.

P Penaunce consisteth in three partes, Contriciō, Confession, & Satisfaccion or amendment of life. Fyrst as concernig Contriciō, ye shall understand that it consysteth in two special partes, which must always be cōjoined together, & cā not be disseuered.

I pray you, what are they?

The first is, a very sorrow or mournynge of the heart for the sins cō mytted against the will of GOD. The seconde is a constant faith, to believe that be the sins never so great & manifold, yet if we repent & ask mercy, God the father will, not for the worthiness of ony merit or work done by us, but for y ^• only merits of the blood and passion of our Sauioure Jesus Christ, vndou tedly forgive us our sins, repute us justified & of y ^• noneber of his elect children. The contricion of such a penitent sinner pleaseth God great lie, yea it is an acceptable Sacrifyce unto him, as David saith, a Sacri fyce to God is a troubled spirit, a cōtryte and humble heart God will not despise. God saith S. Agustine, will not the Sacryfyce of a slain beast, but of a slain heart. An heart that is humbled with the knowledge of the filthiness & abomination of her own sins, & slain with the fear of God, and yet trusteth in the most comfortable promises of God the father, made unto us in Christ's most blessed blood, thyrstynge for strength to do the will of God, can none otherwise but have God merciful unto her. God fylleth thē that are hungry with good things, saith the most glorious virgyn, but he letteth go the rytch emptye. God resisteth the proud, but to y ^• humble he giveth grace. Blessed are they that hunger & thyrst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Who ever hath this godly contricion in him, can neither presume nor yet despair. For if he be unfeignedly cōtryte and sorrowful for his sins, he must ne des grant him self to be sinful, miserable, void of all goodness, bent unto evil, prone to noughtynesse, which thing utterly subdueth pre sumpcion & engraffethe in the heart submission, obedience & humility of mind. Agayne, if he be truly contryte, be his sins never so great & innumerable, yet casteth he his eyes on God's mercy, set forth to all penitent sinners in Christ Jesus, that will lay hand on it with a sure and undoubted saith, which likewise ma keth him, that by no means he can despair. For though his sins be great, yet he knoweth that the mercy of God is greater, & therefore cannot his sin condemn him. Why is Christ called a Phisicion, but because he is able to heal sinners? If our Phisicion be wise, saith Flugētius, than can he heal all infyrmities. If our God be merciful, thā can he forgive all sins. For there is no perfect goodness, of whom all nough tynes is not overcome. There is no perfect medicine, to whom any dis ease is found incurable. Thus se we, y ^• where perfect contricion is, there is neither presumpcion nor despera cion.

I pray you, hawe may we come by this true & perfect contricion?

Uerelye by the word of God. For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Ye shall note that y ^• holy scripture is divided into two partes, that is to say, the law & the promises, the knowledge whereof is right necessary for the obtaynynge of true & perfect Contricion. Ye know that a man's face shall be longe defiled, spotted & deformed before he shall per ceyue it, except it be either told him of other, or else that he him self seeth it evidently ī some mirror or glass. Semblably, the soul of a christē mā shall be spotted with sin a great space, before he perceyueth it, and be truly contryte & sorry for it, except it be either told him of other by de clarynge the law of God to him. or else he himself looketh in the glass of truth, which is the law of God, & by that menes perceyueth his own deformite, misery and wretchedness. For by the law cōmethe the knowledge of syn. The commandment is a lantern, and the law is a light & way of the life, saith Salomō. Da uid also saith, O LORDE thy word is a lantern to my feet, & a light to my pathwayes. So that y ^• next way to have the knowledge of our sins, whereby we should be moved to be cōtryte & sorrowful in our hearts for our wickednesses & offenses, & to stond in fear of God's rygh teousnes, is ever to have the law of God before our eyes. I have hidden thy speeches in my heart, saith David, that I may not offend the.

Now I pray you, how shall we do concerning the second parte of Contricion.

Whā ye are vn faynedly stryken with this Contriciō, so y ^• your hearts do truly fear y ^• justice of God, & ye abhor sin even to y ^e vttermoost of your power, longynge greatly for strength to do the will of God that ye may walk innocently before the eyes of the divine majesty, than for the consolacion of youre consciences, and the reioysynge of your hearts, ought ye to consider the most sweet, most ioyefull, most comfortable promises of God, made to us freely in Christ's most precious blood. Now to put away desperacion, doth convenient time require, that ye cleue steadfastly w ^t all main to the promises, which lay forth God's mercy before your •… eyes. Therefore loke where so ever ye hear or se ony comfortable promise of God in the holy scriptures, that declareth mercy to penitent sinners, believe without doubting, that that pertaineth unfeignedly to you. Whā so ever ye hear or read that Christ is a sauyoure, streyghte ways lay hand on that, & believe that he also is your savior. Whan the Scrypture shall say to you, Jesus Christ came into y ^e world to save sinners, & everyone y ^t calleth on the name of the LORDE shall be saved, believe you streyghte ways, that ye are of that noneber which shall be saved by Christ. Whan the scripture shall say, God will not the death of any sinner, but rather that he tourne & live, believe you straightways, that God's plea sure is, ye should be saved, if ye return to him with a cōtryte & faith full heart, and so live with him for evermore in the celestial glory, Except ye have this faith also annexed with your sorrow, verily as your con tricion is imperfecte, so is it able to cast you into desperacion. Agayne, to have a faith that God will forgive you your sins, & not to be so ry for your offenses, nor to stonde in fear of God's indignaciō for transgressynge his most holy law, nor to hunger & thyrst after righteousness, verily as your contricion is imperfecte, so is it the right way to lede you to presumpcion. Neither desperacion nor presumpcion ought to be in the heart of ony chrysten mā, but a penitent & sorrowful mind erected & lyfted up with faith. For S. Agustine saith, if faith be the foundaciō of penaūce, without the which there is nothing that good is, verily that penance ought to be desired, which it is evident to be grounded on faith. For a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruits. Therefore that penance which proceedeth not of faith, is unprofitable. For we must believe that remedy is granted to penance of our savior. Fulgētius also saith, Judas that betrayed Christ, repented him of his syn, but he lost health & salvation, because he trusted not to be forgiven. He repented worth lie in deed because he sinned betrayenge the righteous blood, but he therefore lost the fruit of his reap̄taūce, because that he did not trust that the syn of his betraieng should be wasshed away with his blood, whome he betrayed. Thus se you how necessary faith is unto a contryte heart, & howe that w ^t out that, it is not possible for any penitent siner to receive remission of his sins, as divers manifest texts & Historyes of the holy scripture do euydentlye prove & show.

You taught us this thing abundantly before in y ^• third dysh of your Bācket, neither have we forgottē it.

I am glad of it. Therefore will I now tarry no lenger about this matter, but ma •… e hast to the second parte of Penaūce which is Confession.

I pray you hertely, let it so be.

A Fter that ye have conceived in your hearts such true & perfect Contricion, as I have hitherto painted, than doth it follow in right & due order, which is Confessiō. It is requisyte y ^t a chrystē man be not only sory for his offenses committed against God, but also that he knoweledgeth and cōfessethe his sin. For the scripture saith, that they which came to be baptized of John, confessed their sins. Lykewyse read we in the Acts of y ^• Apostles. But in as much as y ^e scripture teacheth dyners kinds of con fessiō, therefore will I here somewhat towche them all.

Fyrste the chief & most pryncypall Confession, is the Confession of our faith, wherein we confess vnfay nedly, whatsoever y ^e holy scriptures teach of God. This confession is so necessary, that without it no man can be saved. No manacynge words, no imprysonmēt, no chenes, no fetters, no sword, no faggot, no fire ought to pluck us from this Confession. No tyranny ought so to be feared, y ^e God & his truth should not be con fessed. For everyone, saith Christ, y ^e shall confess me before mē, I shall also confess him before my father which is in heaven. But he that shall deny me before men, I shall deny him also before my father, which is in heaven. Of this Confession S. Paul saith, w ^t the heart it is believed unto righteousness, but w ^t the mouth cōfessiō is made to salvation. Also S. John. Hereby shall ye know the spy ryte of God. For every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God. And every spy ryte which confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of god. And this is that spirit of An techrist, of whom ye have herd, how that he should come, & now already is he in the world. But in as much as this confession is not that parte of Penaunce, whereof we do now entreat, I will omit it at this present.

Another kind of Confession is, which pertaineth more nearly to our matter, for to confess our sin unto God, whom we have offended. without this Confessyon our Penāce availeth but little, as we may perceive by divers places of y ^e scripture. For though all things are opē to the eyes of God, & nothing can be hyd from him, so that he knoweth all chynges, yet will he that we hūblye confess & knowledge our sins vn to him, that by this menes we may make him the more merciful unto us. We read that a certain blind man cried unto Christ, saying: Jesus the son of David have mercy upon me, Christ did know full well wherefor he called on him, yet not w ^t standing he said, what wilt y ^u that I do unto the? LORDE said he, that I may receive my sight. Christ demanded this thing of him, by cause he would have him confess his infirmite & blindness. So is it convenient for us, if we will receive our sight, to confess our blyndenes.

S. John say the, If we confess our sins, God is faithful & righteous to forgive us our sins, & to make us clean from all our vnryghteousnes. If we say, we have not sinned, we make him a liar, & his word is not in us. David also saith, I have made my trespass know̄ unto the, & mine unrighteousness have I not hidden. I said, I will confess my vnryghteousnes to the LORDE, and thou hast forgiven the ungodliness of my sin. This confession follow eth a true reap̄taunt & cōtryte heart. The Prophet Daniel confesseth his sin on this manner, we have sinned, we have done vnryghteousnes, we have wrought wickedly, we have gone away & declined from thy commandments & judgments. Also Eldras, I and the house of my father have sinned, we were seduced w ^t vanite, & have not kept thy commandments. Lykewyse David, whan the Prophet Nathan at y ^t come manndement of God, rebuked him for his adultery & manslaughter, cō fessed his sin, & said, I have sinned unto y ^e LORDE. Agayne, O God. I have sinned to the alone, & evil be fore the have I done. The Publican also made his confession on this manner, O God be thou merciful to me a sinner. This kind of Confession ought every christen man daily and hourly to make unto God, so often as he is brought unto the knowledge of his sin.

Another kind of Cōfession is to knowledge & confess our sins to them, whom we have offended. Of this speaketh S. James, saying, cō fesse your sins one to another. Al so Christ, if thou shalt offer thy gift at the Altare, & there dost remember, that thy brother have any thing against the, leave thy gift there before the Altare, & go thy way, and be first reconciled to thy brother, & than come on thy way, & offer thy gift. This Confession, whereby we are reconciled one to another, & con joined in mutual amite, is so necessary, that without it, the other pro fit & avail little before God.

There is another cōfessiō, which is public & open, & this is, whan we knowledge & confess our sins openly before the congregation, as the manner was in the prymatyue church. Of this confession speaketh Christ: If thy brother trespass against the, go & tell him his fault between the & him alone. If he he reth the, thou haste won thy brother. But if he heareth the not, thā take yet one or two with the, y ^t in the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter may be establysshed. If he heareth not thā, tell it to the congregaciō. If he heareth not the congregation, hold him as an He then and Publican.

All these kinds of confession are abundantly fortressed & approved by the holy scriptures.

But we hear nothing all this while of auriculare confession, which is chefely used among us at this time.

Of this we would be glad to hear.

I pray you express your mind concerning this kind of Cōfession also. For some approve it, some agē condemn it.

Why au riculare Cōfessiō should be condemned & exiled from y ^e boūdes of christianite I se no cause, but that it should be approved, retained, maintained & used, I find causes many, yea and those right urgent and necessary.

Muche absurdity & wickedness hath both been conspired, learned, practiced, & done in this auriculare Confessiō, as histories make mention, neither want we expery ence of this thing.

I cannot deny these things to be true.

There is no thing so good and of so great excellencye, but it may be abused. The abuse thereof is to be taken away, and not the thing it self. That Cōfessiō hath be •… great lie abused, it cannot be denied, as many other things in the church have ben also, yet ought it not there fore to be rejected & cast away, but rather restored to the old purite & to the use, for y ^e which it was first instituted. And so shall it not only not hurt, but also profytte very highly, & bring much vtilite and profit to y ^e christen congregation.

This thing shall never come to pass, except they that sytte on confession be men of grauite, sagaci te, wisdom, discrecion, sobriete, integrite, & able to teach, istruct and inform with all godly doctrine.

Me think it an extreme point of madness for a man, y •… his body be diseased, to hunt, inquire and seek about for a sober, wise, prudent & cunnynge Phisicion, y ^t may cure & heal it, & to be so necly gente in those things y ^t pertain to his soul. For many care not to what priest they go unto, be he ler ned or unlearned, wise or foolish, mo dest or light, of good conversation or of noughty living, so that to sa tisfy the custom they come to one, & receive their absolucion, and go away never the better instructed nor with the more penitent hearts.

This is a great abusion.

Ye say truth. Therefore were it convenient, y ^e they, which should be appointed to be Curates & over sears of the Christian people, into whose hands the whose life & care of Christ's flock is committed, should be of such sort, as S. Paul descri beth in his Epistles to Timothy & Titus, that is to say, irreprehensi ble, fautles, sober, discrete, righteous, holy, temperate, apt to teach, & such one as cleueth unto y ^• true word of doctrine, that he may be able to exorte with wholesome lear nynge, and to improve them that speak against it. For this cause did God command in the old Te stamēt that they should not be chosen to be preestes for to minister to him, which had ony blemysh on thē whither they were, blind, lame, w ^t an evil favored nose, w ^t any misshapen member, or y ^t have a brokē foot or hand, croak backed, or any blemish in their eyes. &c. What ment God by this perfeccion of the priests menbers, but only to show that he which should serve him, & give attendance on his flock, should be whole & sound in all kind of vertu & godliness, not corrupt nor de formed w ^t ony iniquity, & vnclenes A priest ought to have no blemysh on him, that is to say, he ought to be pure both in his doctrine & conversation.

God grant us once such Curates, that may rule among us with such integrite of life & sincerity of doctrine, as is required of them in the holy scriptures.

If this might be brought to pass, than should the gospel of Christ florysshe, and the flock of Christ, whom he purchased with his most precious blood, be better looked upon & fed, than they are now a days.

Truth it is. But I pray you mark, what I shall now say unto you, concerning this Auriculare Confession.

That Auriculare Cōfession is a thing of much weight, & grave im portaunce it appeareth well, in as much as it bringeth to men diverse ample commodities & large profytes

I pray you, what are those.

Fyrst igraffeth i us a certain hūilite, submissiō & lowliness of mid & depresseth all arrogācy and pride, while we humbly are contented to confess to our ghostly fathers such offenses, as wherewith we have of fended God, Secondly it incuteth and beteth into our hearts a shame fastnes, whereby we are so ashamed of our faults heretofore committed, that we utterly abhor them, & are wholly inflamed with y ^• love of virtue. Thyrdly, it bringeth us to y ^e knowledge of our selves, while we hear those things of the pressed, that are necessary to be known of every christen mā. Fourthly in cōfessiō we do not only learn to know howe heinous & detestable a thing sin is before God, but also means & ways to eschew it. Howe many, think you, are there, which if this auriculare confession were taken away, would not care how they lived, neither would they re garde onye parte of Christ's doctrine, but live like brute beasts w ^t out ony fear of God at all, or study of innocencye, wallowynge and tomblynge them selves dayelye in sin, not once having a respect unto the correccion of their old & wicked manners. Fyftely if we be in doubt of ony thing, in confessi on we may learn the assurance & certente of it. Syxtely in confession the ignorant is brought unto knowledge▪ the blind unto sight, the desperate unto salvation, the presumptuous unto humility, the troubled unto qu •… ernes, the sorrow full unto joy, the sick unto health, the dead to life. What need I make many words? Confessiō bringethe high trāqui •… tte to y ^e troubled conscience of a christē mā, while y ^e most comfortable words of Absolucion are rehearsed unto him by the pressed.

I pray you, what is that ab solucion.

Verily a free deliue rauuce from all youre sins thorough Christ's blood. How say you is here any thing to be condemned in Auriculare Confession.

No verily, alll things y ^t you have rehearsed, are rather worthy high praise & commendacion.

It is atributed & given us even of na ture to communicate unto other the secretes of our hearts concerning mūdane & woridly things, whither they be of joy or sadness, and till we have so done, we are never ī rest

You say truth.

Whye should we than not be redye to do so likewise in spiritual affairs, & things pertaynynge unto the salvation of our souls, except per ad uēture we be enemies of our own health. What is sweter & more pleasant, saith Cicero, than to have such one, with whom thou darest be bold so to speak all things, as w ^t thyself? A man having a learned wise, descrete, silent, close, & faith full ghostly father, which louethe y ^e penitent, no less than a natural fa there doth his child, why should he fear to declare unto him the secretes of hts heart, which is ready to cō forte, to instruct, to counsel, to tech, and to do all things y ^t should make unto his cōsolacion & health. The Prophet Malachi saith, the lips of a priest keep knowledge, and men shall seek the law at his mouthe. For he is a messanger of y ^e LORDE of hoostes. If this ought to be done at all times, whan have we a more convenient & fit time to do it, than in the time of Confession, whan we may freely talk to our spiritual fathers, whatsoever ple seth us?

It is truth that ye say. But what if such a ghostly fa there doth not chastse, as ye have dis cribed heretofore.

Verily ye ought alway to resort to the best learned mē, & to seek for such ghost lie fathers, as both will and can in structe and teache you the law of God. But let it so be, that your Cu rate be not of y ^e gretest learned mē, yet is he to much simple, if he can bring out of his treasurehouse things neither new nor old, seeing that the holy scriptures are so plenteously set forth in our English tongue, that even y ^e very ydiot may now become learned in the kingdom of God. At the leest, this commodity shall ye enjoy at his hand, even the benefyte of Absolucion. Therefore to make few wor des concerning this matter, disdain ye not to go to confession at the times appointed according to the ordinance of y ^e holy church, and the Acte of our most excellent king, yea and that with all humble & reverence. Declare the diseases of your souls unfeignedly, that ye may be healed with y ^e most sweet and comfortable salve of Absoluciō Followe the godly & wholesome ad monicions of youre ghostly father Go unto him with such an hatred & detestacion of sin, that ye may return from him with hearts all together enflamed with the perfyt love of vertu, innocency, & true godliness, being full fixed never to return unto youre old vomyte and wallowynge in the mire. And whā he shall rehearse unto you the most sweet & comfortable words of Absolucion, give earnest faith unto them, being undoubtedly persuaded, that your sins at y ^t time be assuredly forgiven you, as though God him self had spoken them, according to this saying of Christ: He that heareth you, heareth me. Agayne, Whose sins ye forgive, are forgiven them.

This have I spoken concerning Auriculare confession.

Uery godly forsothe.

What remaineth now.

Ye promised con sequently to entreat of Satisfaccion or amendment of life.

Ye say truth. Of that mat ter therefore will I now entreat.

Is there no more behind concerning satisfaccion.

Yies verily. After ye have repented you of your wickedness, ye must thā amend your life, & bring forth fruits worthy of Penaūce, as the scripture commandeth. Ye must practice in your living all godliness & innocence. Factynge, prayer and alms must dilygently be exer cysed of you in your daily conuersaciō. Ye must go frō virtue to ver tue, & frō faith to faith. As ye have walked before in darkness, so must ye walk now in light. Your whole life must now be nothing else, thā a perfect meditaciō of purite and innocencye. Excepte ye labor to do this, surely ye have no parte of Christ, neither is y ^e death of Christ a satisfacciō for your sins, but y ^• wrath of God abydethe still upon you. God hath blessed you in christ Jesus, that everyone of you should turn away from his wickednesses as the scripture saith. God hath not called us, saith S. Paul, unto uncleanness, but unto sanctificacion and holiness.

These things once done, than remaineth there a true & pepfecte satisfacciō to our neighbor, whom we have offended or hurt either in word or deed. For a satisfaccion or amēdes must needs be made to our neighbor, or else we walk not after the order of Charite, nor according to the law of nature, which commandeth every man to do to another, as he would other should do to him. Therefore God in the old law commanded that if any m •… did steal from his neyghboure an ox or a sheep, he should restore and give him again five oXes for an ox, & four sheep for one sheep. We read also in the Gospel of Luke, y ^• Zacchaeus said unto Christ: behold LORDE I give half my goods to the poor people, & if I have decey ued any man of any thing, I give him four times as much again for it. These things declare manifest lie, that we are bound to make satisfacciō to our neighbor, ī whatsoever things we have hurt thē.

What, if we be not able, shall we then lose the heretage of y ^e king dome of heaven?

God forbid For than should all they that die for theft, & many other be damned.

But this I say unto you, if we be able by ony means to make satisfacciō to them, whom we have offended, hidered or hurt, we ought w ^t out doubt to do it. But if it so be, that by no wise we are able, thā ought we to come to them, whom we have offended, & desire them for Christ's sake to forgive us. And they again ought, if they will be forgiven of God, to remit & for give their offenders.

This is very godly spoken.

Hyther to have I talked with you of y ^e holy Sacrament of Penaunce, of Cō triciō, Confession, & Satisfacciō ac cordynge to the vain of the holy scriptures & the mind of the ancient Doctors.

We remem ber all theyse things well, and we thank you right hertely for thē.

Neyghboure Philemon, ye promised also to speak somewhat of fasting, which is very necessary for this present time.

Ye say truth, & according to my promise I will now entreat of it.

We perceive now right well that fasting is a thing of weygh ty importance.

Uerelye me think that I cā not approve nor allow the manners of those Gospellers, as they caull them selves, which contēnynge all kind of god lie fasting, give thenselves to glot tony & dronckennesse, perswadyng thē selves to be thā best christē mē, whan they ar furdest from chrestia nite.

Such gross gospellers have much hyndered y ^• prosperous progress of God's word.

True the it is that ye say. But I pray you be dili •… ent a little while to hear me, and I will teach you both what the true & christen fast is, and also howe ye ought to fast.

I pray you let it be so.

Speak on brother Phelemon, we hear you gladly.

The true & christen faith, as Basilius magnus doth defyne, is not only to abstain from meats, but also to eschew evil things. Of this diffinicion do ye learn two things, y ^• is to say, that the true & christen fast consisteth not only in the abstinence of meats, but also in the eschewynge of evil. Therefore saith our golden mouthed Doctor, there is a spiritual and a corporal fast. The corporal fast is to abstain from meats. The spiritual fast is to abstain from sins. For as y ^e flesh hath a pleasure in eating, so hath the spirit of the flesh a pleasure in synnyng. In consideracion whereof the wise men call every sin pleasure or lust, because we cōmyt every sin with delectaciō & plea sure. Agayne he saith: He that abstayneth from meat, & not frō evil works, he appeareth to fast, but yet he fasteth not in deed. For loke howe much he fasteth unto men, so much doth he eat before God, seeing he goeth forth still to sin. In another place also he saith, I call fasting abstinence from vices. For the abstinence from meats is received for this purpose, that it should refrain y ^e rigoure & fearse nes of the flesh, to make it obedient even as an horse is to his keeper.

He that fasteth, must above all thin ges refrain anger, learn mekenez & lenite, have a contryte heart, & that may repel & put abacke vn clean concupiscences & lusts, set before his eyes alway the eye of y ^• everlasting judge, & the inprauable iudgynge place, by his money to be made better & to have rule over it, to be liberal in giving alms, to admyt & receive into his heart no evil against his neighbor, as Isaiah speaking in y ^• person of God saith, have I chosē this fast, saith the LORDE? Though thou wriest about thy neck like a circle, & strowest under the sackeclothe & ashes, neither shall thy fast be so called ac ceptable, saith the LORDE. What fast than, tell me? Loosen, saith he, the bōdes of the wicked bargaynes break thy bread to the hungrye, bring the poor man that hath no house into thy house. If thou dost these things, saith he, than shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall spring right shortly. Hast thou now seen (my well-beloved) what the true fast is? Let us loke upon this fast, and let us not think, as many do, y ^• fasting stondethe in this point, if we continue without ony diner until it be night. Hytherto have I rehearsed the words of S. John Chrysostom, of whom we may easily learn, that the true & christē fast is not only to abstain from meat, but also from sin. But let us hear the minds of some other doctors, Origen saith wilt thou that I show unto the, what fast y ^u oughtest to fast? Fast from evil de des, abstain from evil words, refrain frō evil thought •… , touche not the theuish breades of perverse doctrine. Couyt not, nor lust not after the deceyuable meats of phi losophye, that may seduce & turn the from the truth. Suche a fast pleaseth God. S. Agustine saith, the fasts of christen men are rather to be observed spirituallye than carnally. In consideraciō whereof, let us fast principally srō our sins, unless our fast be refused of the LORDE, as the fasts of the Jews were. What a fast is this, that an impostore or deceyuable person, I cā not tell who, should abstain frō meats, which the LORDE hath created, & yet ware fat with the fatness of sins? Have I chosen such a fast, saith the LORDE? Rede the eyght and fifty Chapter of the Prophet Isaiah. And a little after he saith, the fast which the most highest doth approve & allow, is not only to leave of to refresshe the body, but also to depart frō evil acts or deeds. Also i another place he faith, the great & general fast is to abstain frō •… iquites & vnlaw full pleasures of the world, which is a perfect fast, that we sorsakige ungodliness & the lusts of y ^• world, should live in this world soberly, righteously & godly. To this fast what reward doth the Apostle give It followeth & he saith, Lokynge for that blessed hope and the apperaunce of the glory of y ^• great god, & of our Savior Jesus Christ. In this world as a Lent of abstinence do we celebrate, whan we live well, whā we abstain from wickedness, and unlawful pleasures. But because this abstinence shall not be w ^t out reward, we loke for that blessed hope of the reuelacion of y ^e glory of the great God, & of our savior Jesus Christ. I could rehearse unto you innumerable places both of these Doctors & of many other, if I had leisure, which declare eui dently, that the true & christē fast doth not only consist in the abstinence of meats, but also in the for sakyng of sin. But these at this time may seme abūdantly to satisfy.

O good LORD, howe greatelye are many deceived, which think that they fasts well, if they do only but abstain from a smokye piece of Baconne, or hard salted and powdered befe, though they eat the most delicious fishes that can be gotten, and infarse their bodies like belied Hy crites with all the sweet meats 〈◊〉 either Potecaries or ony other cā inuēt or imagyne, yea & that so vn measurablye, that after they have once dyned, they are provoked either to the pleasure of the body, or elles like beasts of the belly fall straightways unto sleape, so that they are not able to serve God, nor themselves, nor yet onye other, O detestable abomination.

Howe much also are they deceived of the true manner of fasting, which do not only fast after such sort, as ye have now spokē, but also do no rysh in their hearts all kind of ma lyce against their christē brothers seeking howe they may destroy thē & shed their blood, yea neither do they cease to pollute and defile the most blessed name of God, so much as lieth in them, with most abho minable oaths, and are also in all their conversation wicked lyuers, as I may add nothing thereto.

Undoutedly these men are far from the true & christen man ner of fasting, which is, not only to abstain from meats, but also from sins. Agaynst those though̄dereth the holy Doctor Basilius ma gnus on this manner: Woe be unto you ye drōckardes, not with wyne only. For wrath & indignaciō is all so a certain drōckēnesse of y ^e soul making it evē as wyne doth hertles & folysh. For although y ^u eateste no flesh, saith he yet nevertheless dost thou eat thy brother. Thou tarriest from thy meat till it be night, yet all the whole day dost thou cō sum in suit & going to the law. But think not that the goodness of fasting is only in the abstinence of meats. For the true fast is the eschewynge of euelles. Whan thou fasteste, loosen all wicked bonds, disquiet not thy neighboure, pay thy money that thou owest, exercise not lawyng & suing by the fast. &c.

Thus have I declared unto you after the minds of the holy & aun cient Doctors, what the true and christen fast is, whereby ye may also easily learn to know the popish & false fast. And because ye shall not doubt of this doctrine concerning fasting, know you, that y ^e kings most royal majesty also ī his Pro clamacion concerning eating of white meats this time of Lent, hath there no less prudently than godly, set forth y ^e very same thing, that hitherto I have taught you. The words of the Proclamacion are these: Lette all men endeuoure thē selves to their possible powers with this liberty of eatīg of white meats to observe also that fast, which God most specially requirethe of them, that is to say, that they renounce the world, & the devil, with all their pomps & works, & also to subdu & repress their carnal affeccions, & their corrupt works of the flesh, according to the vow & profession, made at the fonte stone. Howe say ye to theyse words.

Verily they are wor des of such a Prince, as is worthy of immortalite and eternal glory.

I beseech almyghty God long to preserve ī prosperous health his most excellent majesty.

Amen, good LORDE I beseech the,

Seynge that I have taught you, what the true & christē fast is, I will now according to my pro myse teach you also howe ye ought to fast

I pray you let it so be.

In declaring to you this thing, whom should I rather fol low than our Sauioure Jesus Christ, the teachet of all truth? Howe we ought to fast he teacheth us in the Gospel of Math. on this manner, saying, whan ye fast, be not sad as the Hypocrites are. For they disfigure their faces, y ^t they might be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, whan thou tastest, annoint thy head, & wash thy face, that it appear not unto mē, that thou fastest, but to thy father which is in secrete, and thy father which seeth in secret, shall reward the openlie. Christ in this place, doth not only rebuke y ^e hipocritical and superstitious manner of the ungodly fasters, but he also teachethe us the true & germayne manner of fasting.

What is that I pray you?

Verily, who so ever intendeth tofast arighte, he must observe three things. The first is, y ^t he annoynte his head. The second, that he wash his face. The third, that he fast in secrete.

This is so strange a manner of fasting, as ever I heard.

It is peradventure strange unto you, because ye are not yet perfectely exercysed in the Phrases of the holy scriptures, but if ye be once taught, what is signified by this manner of speaking, it shall not only not seme vn to you strange, but also very plea saunt & praty.

I pray you de clare it to us, that we may learn to fast aryght & according to the will of Christ.

Bycause I will not teache you ony thing of myn own brain, but y ^• only, which I have read in the holy scriptures or else in the ancient Doctors, I will rehearse unto you the words of s. John Chrysostom, which shall abundantly satisfy youre desire in this behalf. In the annoyntynge of the head, saith he, we know that mercy is signified. Therefore to an noynt the head, is to show mercy to our neighbor. For that mercy that is done unto a poor man, is referred

unto God, which is the head of the man, as the Apostle saith. And the LORDE him self saith, what so ever ye have done to one of my lessest brothers, ye have done it unto me. In the stead of y ^e which mercy, with the divine retribucion, as w ^t a certain heavenly oil, we are pou red and shed over by him, which saith: Blessed are the merciful, for God shall have mercy on them. Ho lie David also did know the vnccion & annoyntynge of the celestial oil in the head, when he said, as y ^e annoyntment, which came down into the beard. But in wasshyng y ^e face, the purite of a clean body & of a syncer conscience is know̄ to be signified. So that to wash y ^e face, is to make clean y ^e face of our heart, from all fylthinesse of sins & frō the vncomelynes of trespass, & to have a very pure conscience, that we may truly have in us, the gladness of celestial joy, & the familiari te & cherefulnes of the holy Ghost. Hytherto have I rehearsed y ^e words of Chrysostom, whereby ye may learn, that to annoint our head, is none other thing than to show our selves beneficial to the poor menbers of Christ. Agayne, to wash our face, is to make clean both bo dy & soul from sin & wickedness.

If this be to fast, I fear me that so many fast not before God, as pretend outwardly to fast before men.

This manner of fa sting teacheth the holy scripture, howe so ever men use it. Therefore if ye will fast aryghte after the mind of S. John Chrysostom, ye must first annoynte youre head, that is to say, comfort the poor people with such goods as God, hath committed to you. For the riches y ^e ye have, be not yours only but they be God's also, as he saith by

y ^• Prophet, gold is mine, silver is mine. God hath put thē in yourhā des, y ^e ye should distribute parte of thē to y ^e poor people. Ye are y ^e Ste wards of God, & the dispensators of his treasures that you living of them, should also comfort y ^e poor menbers of Christ. If ye spend thē otherwise than God hath appoyn ted you in his word, ye shall render an accoūtes for it. Ye have nothig at all, but that ye shall be called to an accounts for it even to the vttermoost farthig. If ye be not fos •… d to have used your talent well, & vn to the profit of other, ye shall with that unprofitable servant of the Gospel be cast into outward dark nes, where wepynge & gnasshynge of teth shall be. If ye be proved vnmercyfull & negligent in the distribucion of the worldly goods, sure lie, surely ye shall be carried away with the rytch man, of whom S. Luke speaketh in the Gospel, unto hell; & there burn in such cruel & bitter flames, as the fire whereof shall never be quenched, neither shall the worm of them, that shall be there, die at ony time, as y ^e Pro phette saith. Thus se you that ye have no great cause to boast & glory of worldly goods, nor yet to auaūce yourselves above other mē for youre possessions sake, no more than a great man's servant hath to whom his LORDE and master hath committed his goods for a cer tayne space to keep, the servant lookynge at every hour whan his master will require them again. He is a very thief & robber, say the Basilius Magnus, which maketh that thing his own, that he hath received to distribute and give abroad. For the bread, saith he, that thou retaynest & kepeste, is y ^e bread of the hungry, the garment, which thou kepest in thy chest, is the garment of the naked, the shoo, that is moulde with the, is the shoo of him that is vnwod, & the money, which thou hydest in the ground, is the money of the needy. Moreover thou dost injury & plain wrong to so many as thou forsakeste, whē thou art able to help them. Hytherto pertaineth the saying of the wise man, the bread of the needy is y ^e life of y ^e poor, he that d •… fraudeth him of it, is a manstear. Thus se you in howe great iopardy, the rich men are, that be vnmercyefull unto the poor people, & how little their fast pleaseth God in their unmercifulness, seeing they do not annoynte their head, that is, show no mercy to the poor menbers of Christ, God teaching the true manner of fasting by his Prophet among all other thiges saith, breke thy bread to the hungry. Mark y ^e he say the, breke thy bread to the hungry. Cer tayne Doctors write on this tert & says, y ^t thou breakeste thy bread thā to y ^• hūgrye, whan y ^• so fastest y ^t thou sparest from thine own belly to give it to the poor hungrye man. For a Christian man ought to be no less careful for the poor than for himself, so that prouisiō once made for his family, he must also show mercy to the nedye.

Thou therefore dost break thy bread unto the hungrye, whā thou gyueste him that, which thou thyself necessarelye shouldest have eaten. And this is to annoynte thy head aryght, verily even to break thy bread to the hungry.

Would God that all rich mē did know this much & would follow it. For many think that they do God an high Sacrifyce, yea & y ^e they be good alms men, if whan they have once pāpred their own bellies with all kind of deynties, they than at the last give or send to the hungry a few scrappes, which they will scasely vouchsafe to give to their dogs.

I pray God give us all grace to do our duty. Now have ye heard, what it is to annoynte youre head. I will also speak somewhat of wasshyng your face, although I may seme abundantly to have spoken of the very effect of it in y ^• diffiniciō of fasting.

If we will fast aryghte, we are not only commanded to annoynte our head, that is to say, to show mexcy to the poor people, but also to wasshe our face, that is, to make our hearts clean from all sin, y ^• we may have a pure conscience. For it is not enough to be benefici all to other, except we also be benefi cial to our selves. This shall come to pass, if we labor w ^t all main to have a mind pure & clean frō all carnal affects, & a body void of wicked deeds. What was y ^e cause that God did cast away the fasts & solemn feasts which the Jews celebrated & kept holy ī his name, but only y ^t they wasshed not their face, that is, they went not about to put of their old conversation, & to become new men? I hate & abhor, saith God, your sacrifiices, youre solemn feasts, your fasts, why so? For your hands, saith he are full of blood. Youre hearts are full of vengeance, your consciences are spotted and defiled withal kind of sins, ye have no fear of God before your eyes. What is thā to be done? Be ye wasshed, saith he be ye clean, take away the evil of your thoughts from mine eyes Cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgment, help the poor oppressed, be favorable to the cōfortles, defend the widow. &c. GOD hateth those prayers, those fasts, those good deeds, as they cal them, which come from a defiled body, a corrupt hert, a filthy mind, a blou dy conscience, a spotted and pocky soul, as a certain man saith. It profit a mā nothing at all to fast & pray & to do other good things of deuocion, except the mind be refrayned from ungodliness, and the tongue from backebytinges. For God hath ever a principal respect to the heart of the doer of y ^• work. If the heart be pure, clean & faith full, than doth God approne that work. But if it be spotted w ^t syn, God casteth it away, appear it ne uer so glisteryng & excellent in the sight of y ^• world. Offer not, saith the wise man, wicked gifts, for God will not receive them.

It is evident thā, that so many as chaung not their wicked life, cast away their Hypocrisy, make clean their hearts, put out of their myn des all rācoure, malice, envy, grudge. &c. and to study above all thyn ges to lead a pure & innocent life, can by no menes please God

No forsooth. Therefore if ye entende to fast aryght, & to make your fast acceptable to God, provide earnest lie that youre fast proceed from a pure & clean heart, void of all car nall affects, stuffed full of faith & charity, and altogether studious of true innocence & unfeigned godliness. So shall it come to pass, that not only your fast, but all that ever ye do besides according to God's word, shall very greatly please god.

I beseech God give us grace to do all things according to his most godly will & pleasure.

Labor & God will help. I have declared two things that are necessary to the true use of fasting. There remaineth now the third to be brought forth, which is so expedient and necessary for that pur pose also, y ^e y ^• other two w ^t out this profiteth nothing.

I pray you let us hear it.

We are not only cōma •… ded in our fasting to annoint our head & to wash our face, but also to fast, in secret.

What is it I pray you to fast in secret.

Verily to fast in secret is not to keep you close frō y ^e sight of men, & so to abstain from your meats in preuye corners, but not to hunt & hawk after vayneglory nor praise of men for your fasting, nor to seek to be seen of men while ye fast, that they may commend & praise you. We are counted before God than to fast in secrete, whan we fast with such a mind, that we would fast in deed, though no mā living did se us, and whan we re garde more the accomplishment of God's will, & the subieccion & ta mynge of our body, than all the hu main glory that can be attributed unto us.

It is lawful than to fast even before men.

Yea verily or to do any other good work, so that the desire of world lie praise he not in youre minds. For Christ saith, let your light so shine before men, that they may se your good works & glorify your father which is in heaven. But if we seek ony praise of men & desire to be magnified for our good deeds, verily than have we our reward, not of God, but of y ^• world. For there is no more pestiferous in fecciō to poysō any good work, y ^e it should lose the reward before God, than the desire of vain glory, and worldly praise. What did deiecte & caste down Lucifer from heaven into hell pytte, but vayneglorye? Agayne what did exalte & lift up frō the earth unto heaven y ^• most blessed and glorious virgin Mary the mother of our Savior Jesus Christ but humility, as she her self testifieth. My soul, saith she, mag nifyeth the LORDE. And my spirit rejoiceth in God my savior. For he hath looked upon the humility of his handmayd, behold, because of this, shall all kyndredes call me bless sed. God resystethe the proud, but to the humble he giveth grace and showeth favor. Unto whom shall I loke, saith God by his Prophet, but unto him that is poor & contryte in spirit & feareth my words? Blyssed are y ^e poor in spirit, forto thē belongeth the kingdom of heaven. Therefore all youre wor kes that ye do, do them with a simple mind, & with such an heart as being nothing desirous of vain glory, seaketh only the honor of God, & the accomplyshment of his most divine will. Thus have I taught

you neighbors both what y ^• true and Christian fast is, & also howe ye ought to fast.

Brother Philemon we confess before you, that we have learned here this day more of you concerning certain things thā ever we knew before. God give us all grace to follow youre most godly instruccions.

Amen, I beseech God.

Well, now is the greatest parte of our Potacion past. What is more to be done?

Ye promised that ye would declare unto us the signifi cacions of certain Ceremonies, y ^e be used in the church this time of Lent.

Ye said also that ye would teach us, howe we should prepare our selves worthily to receive the most blessed Sacrament of the Altare at y ^• time of Easter.

I remember my promise well, according there unto, therefore will I do.

I pray you unto what pur pose is that ceremony used? What is the significaciō of it?

This is done, to put us in remembrance what we are. For whan the priest layethe asshes on youre heads, he saith these words. Remember mā that thou art asshes & unto asshes thou shalt return. This Ceremo ny pr •… cheth unto us, that we are nothing but asshes, dust & earth, & to that we shall return again. If we mark this Ceremony well, we shall

have but little occasion to be proud or to magnify ourselves, as y ^e scrip ture saith, wherefor art y ^u proud O thou asshes & earth? All flesh is grass, saith the Prophet, & all his glory is as a flour of y ^e feld. If we consider this thing well, it shall also provoke us unto the contēpte & utter despisynge of the world, ye a it shall pluck us from sin, & move us to do good works, as the wise man saith, remember thy last ende, and thou shalt never sin. And for as much as in the old law they y ^t would humble them selves be fore God by Penaunce, did use to sytte down in y ^e asshes & to throw asshes vpō their heads, as y ^e scriptures show of Ahab, of the Ninevites, of the Jews, whā they were oppressed of holofernes, & of diverse other, therefore the holy fathers of Christ's church in times past in stituted also this ceremony to put us in remembrance of the Penāce which this holy time of Lēt ought to be done of all christen men for their wicked deeds, which they have wrought all the whole year paste. Do ye perceive now, what the layeng of asshes upon your he des do signify.

Yea very well.

Forsoth who soever reposeth the significacion of this Ceremony in his heart, can none otherwise but alway be humble, gentle, low lie, meek, full of humility, estranged from all arrogancy, despisyng terrestiall things, & desyrynge things celestial.

Ye say truth. But what meneth I pray you, the couerynge of the Images in the temples this time of Lent.

THe ecclesiastical writers assign divers causes, one this, another that. But in this dissension & variete of opinions, I will all league one or two reasons, & bid the other fare well as things not great lie making unto the edificacion of true godliness.

I pray you let us hear.

One cause is to signify unto us, that they that are sinners & have a pleasure still there in to remain, are not worthy to behold the saints in heavē, which are represented by those Images, nether shall they at ony time come unto that glory, whereof the Sayn tes already have y ^e fruicion, except they reap̄t them of their wicked living, rise out of sin, bring forth fruits worthy of Penaūce, & become new men in their cōuer sacion. Therefore whan we enter in to the church and se all those Ima ges covered, we ought to mourn & lament our sinful living, to recognyse our selves sinners, to excyte & store up our selves to bring forth fruits worthy of Penaūce, & to cut away by true & unfeigned Contricion our sins, y ^t we may be found worthy against Easter, that is, against the time of our passyng & going out of this world clearly to behold & openly to se in the kingdom of heaven the shynynge face of God & his Saints.

Another cause is to declare the mournynge & lamentacion of sinners for their ungodly manners. Ye know that y ^e custom is among us even at this day, that so longe as we mourn for ony of our friends departed, we use to go w ^t close faces, to wear simple apparel, layenge aside all gorgeous & sumptuous garments. So likewise this time of Lent, which is a time of mournyng, all things that make to the adournement of the church whereof the Images are parte, are either laid aside or else covered, to put us in remembrance y ^t we ought now to lament & mourn for our souls dead in sin, & continually to watch, pray, fast, give alms, & do such other works of Penasice as wherewith God being excited & stored unto his antique & old mer cies, may call us again frō death to life, from sin to godliness, frō wickedness to innocencye.

I have heard also that Images in y ^e Tēple are covered for this purpose in y ^e time of Lēt, to put us in remē braunce that although we have in ony parte of the year paste committed Idolatry with thē, yet at this time we should utterly give over this abomination, & only cleue to God, & to his exceeding great mercy looking for remission of our sins & all other good things at his hand alone thorough Jesus Christ our LORDE. In consideracion whereof y ^• clothes that are hanged up this time of Lente in the Chyrche have painted in them nothing else but the pains, tormētes, passiō, blood sheddynge & death of Christ, y ^t now we should only have our minds fyred on the passion of Christ, by whom only we were redeemed, and although we have erred & run astray like sheep destitute of a shep parde all the longe year paste, yet that now this holy time we should return withe humble & contryte minds unto Christ the bysshop & curate of our souls.

It may be so right well. The significacion undoubtedly that ye have now rehearsed is very godly. Well thus have I declared unto you that I have red concerning the covering of Images in Lente.

We thank you for it. Let me se, what other Ceremonies are used in the Chyrche this time of Lent?

Ther are diverse other, but I pray you neighbor Philemon, declare unto us, what the Ceremonies sig nify, which are used in the Procession of Palme sondaye. For surely I think, not one among a thousand know what y ^e Processiō prea che the unto us.

I think ye say truth in deed, & therefore is it so little regarded now a days among many, whan notwithstanding it preachethe unto us many godly & goodly lessons, if they were known. Therefore if ye will mark diligently, I will to the uttermost of my power declare to you partly mine own conjecture, & par telye what I have read & learned of y ^e aūciēt writers ī times past concerning this matter.

I pray you let it so be. We will hear you gladly.

IN the beginning of the Procession the people goethe out ha uynge everyone a Palme in their hand following the Cross which is covered with a clothe.

Ve say truth, but what doth it mene. That the Cross is carried forth being covered with a clothe, rather then with an open face?

The Cross so velated & covered signifieth Christ the son of God, which being promised of the Fathher to the Jews in the old law, was not than come, but only adumbrated, shadowed & prefigured by certain types, figures, Ceremonies, clouds & shadows, as by Manna the Rock, the Paschal Lamb, y ^• brazen serpent. &c. All these prefigu red Christ to come. In consideraci on whereof that Cross is borne enclosed.

We perceive now y ^e right well. But what do those people signify, which go with y ^e cross.

Verily the fathers of y ^• old Testament, which lived longe before the coming of Christ being under the clouds & shadows of y ^• old law.

For what intent do they bear Palms in their hands?

Forsothe to signify the victory that they have gotten by Christ.

why I pray you, how could they get any victory by christ whan he was not yet borne?

Yies forsooth brother Christopher. For although Christ at that time was not come in the flesh & borne of the most glorious virgyn Mary, yet did they believe undoubtedly, & were perfectly persuaded that he should come, & that they should be redeemed by his passion, & that he should pay their dettes to God y ^• father, even with his most precyous blood, deliver them out of cap tiuite, & make them partakers of y ^e glory of heavē. And although they did not se Christ with their corporal eyes, yet did they se him withe their spiritual eyes, that is to say w ^t y ^• eyes of their faith, yea & believe wythouteony hesitacion or doubtynge, as Christ said of Abraham to the Jews, Abraham youre father did rejoice that he might se my day, and he saw it and was glad. This is to be vnderstonde y ^t Abrahā did se Christ with y ^• eyes of his faith, which is y ^• very true & perfect sight.

So far as I remember I have red this text in the Scripture, blessed are the ey es that se those things, which you se. For I say unto you, that many Prophets & kings would have seen those things that ye se, & yet have they not seen them, and hear those things, which ye hear, and yet have they not heard them.

Ye say truth. This is vnderstonded of the corporallsyght of Christ. They desired so greatly the redemption of Israel, y ^t they evermore wished the coming of Christ in the flesh, as we may perceive in the Prophette Isaiah, where we read these words: Sende forth O LORDE, that lamb the ruler of the earth out of the rock of y ^e desert unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. Agayne, would God thou wouldest clyue asunder the heavens and come down. They desired in deed very greatly to se Christ with their corporal eyes, but yet did they se him none otherwise thā w ^t the eyes of their faith, in as much as he was not t •… an borne, but only promised of God the father, and shadowed by diverse ceremonies of the old law. For as saynte Paul saith, all our fathers were under a cloud. Therefore in as much as they did faithfully believe ī Christ and hope to be saved by his most blessed passion, although they did not se him with their corporal ey es, yet was he unto them a Sauyour, a redeemer, a perfect satisfaccion, so that by him they even at y ^e time had gotten the victory over sin, death and hell.

But I pray you why do they rather bear a Palme in their hands than any other thing?

I will tell you neighbors, that which they bear in deed in their hands, is not pro perly called a Palme, for they are the bows of a Salow tree, but by cause we have no Palms growīg in this londe, therefore do we bear them in stead of Palms. By bearing of those Palms the victory that we have gotten over Satan thorough Christ is signified.

Why rather by the Palme than by ony other tree?

For Aristotle & Plutarche do write, as Aulus Gellius testifiethe, that the nature of a Palme tree is this, y ^e although there be never so great weyghtes & burdens laid vpō it, so that a mā would not think it possible to be borne, yet doth not the Palme tree once bow, nor give place to y ^e bur den, but valeauntly ariseth & prevaileth against the weight laid upon it. Therefore by this Palme tree rather thā by any other is vic torye alway signified, yea & that not only in divine but also in human literature.

We perperceyue it now right well.

Surely it is a thing much worthy to be noted.

Ye say truth. If men did know the significaciō of those bows, which they bear in their hands at y ^t time, they would not so supersticiously abuse them, as they do

Ye say truth, but let those things pass, & let us go forward with our Procession.

Than go they forth with y ^• Cross until they come unto a cer tayne stedde in the church yearde, where they stōde still, & in y ^e mean seasō, y ^e pressed rede, y ^e gospel

It is truth, what meneth y ^t ?

It signifiethe the Prophets, which prophesied of Christ's coming, & declared that whan he once came captivity should be exiled, & liberty reduced, all sorrow & care should be dry uenawaye, & all joyful & me ry things succeed & come in place. They prophesied that at his coming the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of y ^e deaf shall hear, the halte shall skyppe as the heart, & the tongue of the dūme shall speak. Agayne the preached, that, whan y ^e annointed savior come, he shall preach merry tidynges to y ^e poor, heal the contryte in heart, preach deliverance to the preson ners, and sight to the blind. &c. Are not all these joyful & pleasa •… news? This doth the Gospel signify, which the pressed readeth there. For this Greke word Euangeliō, which we cal Gospel ī English, so •… death in our common tongue, a good, ioyefull and merry message. Thus ye perceive, what the reading of that Gospel signifieth.

Yea forsothe very well. I pray you go forth.

The Gospel being once done, thā goeth y ^e people forth with the Cross that is covered, & even straight ways not far frō them come other people & the pressed with the Sacrament, which have with them a Cross bare & uncovered, prycked full of grene Olives & Palms.

What do all those things I pray you, preach unto us.

Tary a while, & I shall de clare to you altogether. But first ye shall note, that there come forth certain children before the naked Cross, •… ngynge a certain song, which beginneth, En rex venit. Behold the king cometh.

What meanethe that.

This may be vnderstonded by those Pro phetes, which prophesied of Christ's coming a little before he was borne, shewynge that he was nere at hand, or it may right well sig nify S. John the Baptist, which did not only show before that Christ was at hand, but also pointed him even with his fynger, saying: Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Now as towchynge y ^e naked cross, it signifieth Christ already come, & borne into this world. And they y ^t go w ^t the cross, betoken the people of the new Testament, which believe in Christ, & receive him with enbrasynge arms.

But I pray you for what cause, is that Cross adourned with grene Olives & Palms?

The grene Olyue leaves declare unto us the immeasurable aboundans of vertu es, which are in Christ, of whom alone we have all that ever good is, And what so ever virtue is in us or what so ever good deed comme from us, all that we do receive of Christ, the sole Author & foūtayne of all goodness. I am y ^e vine, saith Christ, & ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, & I in him, brī geth forth much fruit. For without me ye can do nothing. And as concerning the Palms, they signify the victory, which Christ hath gotten over Satan, sin, death, hell, desperacion. &c. by his most blessed passion, & the shedyng of his most precious blood, as he saith by the Prophet Oze, from the power of death, saith he, will I deliver thē, yea from death it self will I redeem them. O death, I will be thy death. O hell, I will be thy destrucciō. Thus ye se, what is meant by the grene Olyues and Palms, where w ^c the naked Cross is adourned.

Yea verily.

Now mark what followethe. After the song of the children, the priest go eth forth with the Sacrament & certain people also withe the naked Cross, until they mete with that Cross, that is obnelated and covered. They are not so sone met, but the bumbled Cross vanyshe away, & is conveyed from the company streyghte ways. Than all the whole people enclose together w ^t great joy, singing & making melody tryumphantly following the naked cross, bearing in their hands everyone a Palme, ī some places also they bear some grene herbs in the stead of Olives.

What is signified, I pray you, by all those things.

Whereas y ^e covered Cross vanyssheth away & goeth out of place at the ingress & coming in of the naked & opē Cross, it preachethe to us, y ^t whan Christ was once come, & appeared in the flesh & had suffered and died for us, that than all the Ceremonies, types, figures, clouds & shadows of y ^e old law vanysshed away and were no l •… nger of ony effect. Whan the light once shyneth, the darkness bearethe rule no lenger. Christ the true light of the world is come, therefore those ceremonies of the old law are now no more necessary. The truth of God's promise is pformed. Therefore all shado wes, which were as pledges ought of necessity to vanysh away. They that are truly converted unto the LORDE, have no more the veil of ceremonies before their faces, but are free, & with open eyes of their saith they se y ^• LORD Christ. More over y ^• people, that accompany both crosses mete together & enclose as one, following the open and naked cross.

What signifieth that?

This showeth y ^• they, which were before the coming of Christ, & they that have been sins y ^t time, are all one, of one church, of one cō gregacion, of one shepefold, profess one God, believe in one Sauioure, have one heavenly father, & loke for one reward, which is the glory of heaven thorough Jesus Christ, as S. Paul saith, all did eat of one spiritual meat, & all did drink of one spiritual drink, for they droncke of y ^e spiritual rock, which accōpanyd thē. And this rock true lie was Christ. They singing and making melody together, signifi eth their inward & vnsayned joy, which they have cōceyued in their hearts for the redempciō that they have in Christ Jesus.

But what meanethe their Palms and Olives or other green herbs in their hands?

I have declared unto you before, that the Palms signify the victory, y ^t we have gotten over Satan thorough our LORDE & captain Jesus Christ, as S. Paul saith, death is swalo wed up into victory. O death where is thy sting. O hell, where is thy victory? The sting of death is syn The strength of syn is y ^e law But thanks be unto God, which hath given us the vyctory thorough our LORD Jesus Christ. Christ him self also saith, in the world ye shall have trouble, but be on a good con fort, for I have overcome y ^e world. All that is borne of God, overcometh the world, saith S. John, & this is y ^e victory, which hath overcome the world, even our faith.

What is signified by y ^e grene Olives or other herbs?

The abundance of virtues. The be arynge of Olyues she wethe that we are not only delivered out of servile captivity, & that we have got̄ the victory thorough Jesus Christ, & are set at liberty, that we being w ^t out fear & delivered frō y ^e poor of our enemies, should serve God all the days of our life ī holiness & righteousness, but that we are also thorough hi, plenteously garnysshed & enuyroned w ^t all kīdesof virtues do now no less florysh w ^t virtues, than y ^e Olyue tree doth w ^t fruit, which as Plini writethis never w ^t out grene leues & fruit. Therefore saith David, I being as a fruytful Olyue tree in y ^e house of God, have trusted ī the mercy of God forever: more.

we perceive now these things right well. What followeth I pray you?

These thi ges once done, thā the people gothe somewhat further unto the church doreward, and there stondeth still.

I remember it well.

Im mediately after certain children stondynge vpō an high place right against the people, singing with a loud voice a certain Hymn, in the praise of our Sauioure Jesus Christ, which beginneth, Glorialaus.

It is truth.

At the ende of every verse the children caste down certain cakes or breades with •… loures.

What do they mean by this?

The chyldrē which sig, betokē y ^e faithful christen men in this world, which ought to be simple & humble in hert, as a child is, as Christ saith, vere lie I say unto you, except ye be cō uerted & become as a child, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Who so ever therefore hūblethe himself as this child, he it is that is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Also S. Paul, Brothers, be not children, in understanding howe be it, as concerning malicioiusness, be children, but in understanding be perfect. Now as cō cernynge the singing & castynge down of cakes & flowers, ye shall hear now three thiges. The first is giving of glory & praise to Christ for his innumerable benefits shown unto us, which is signified by the syngyng of the children. For it is conueniente that we be not forgetful of God's goodness toward us, but that we be thankful again for it, and sing perpetual praises to his most blessed name. For this is the reward and amends that he desireth, as he himself saith, the Sacrifice of praise shall honouor me. Also y ^e Psalmograph saith: O •… ier to God the Sacrifice of praise. The seconde is an honest conversation, & the continual exercise of godly virtues, which is signified by the flowers, that y ^e chyl dren east do •… ne. For seeing that we are restored unto our old liberty thorough Christ, which we lost in Adam, & are now become christen mē, we ought not only to be thankeful to God for his benefits, but all so lead an honest & pure life, that by this means also God's glory may be set forth by us, as Christ saith, Let youre light so shine before men, that they may se youre good works, & glorify your father which is in heaven. We are set w ^t out fear, & delivered frō y ^e power of our enemies, saith Zacharye y ^e priest father of S. John Baptist, that we should serve God all y ^e day es of our life, in holiness & righteousness. We are the workemanshyp of god, saith S. Paul, created in Jesus Christ unto good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them. Agayne, ye are dearly bought. Glorify GOD now therefore ī your body & ī your spirit, which are God's. Also in another place, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. The third is mercy toward the poor people, which is signified by the ca sting down of the cakes. Thys mercy toward the needy menbers of Christ, ought diligently to be exer cised of all christē men, which have the goods of y ^e world in their possession, or else they show thē selves unworthy the benefits of GOD. For by mercy & faith are sins pourged, saith the wise man. To do mercy & judgment pleaseth the LORDE more then Sacrifice. Give alms, saith christ, & behold all thiges are clean unto you. Thus se you, what is signified by the singing of the children, & by the castynge down of the flowers and of the cakes. Wherof ye learn, what is youre duty to do again unto God for his exceeding & incomparable benefits toward you, verily to be thankful, to lede a godly life, & to be merciful to y ^• poor menbers of Christ.

Undoubtedly the significacions of these ceremonies are godly. I would all men knew them, & would do there after.

The very same wish I also.

But what doth it mene I pray you, y ^• the children, which singe, & cast down the flowers and cakes, stonde in so high a place frō the ground?

This preacheth unto us, y ^e they, which give praise unto God & practice an honest con uersacion, and show mercy to the poor poople, should not do it for vain glory nor for the praise of men, but only for the glory of God, setting their minds, seeing they are come to Christ, no more upon earthly things, but upon things celestial & heavenly. In token whereof they ascend and go up into such an high place from the earth. And this is it, that S. Paul wry teth, if ye be risen again w ^t christ seek for those things that are above, where christ is sitting on y ^• right hand of God. Seke for those things that are above, & not that are vpō y ^• earth. For you are dead, & your life is hid with Christ in God.

This is a good lesson, we thank you for it.

Well, now mark the ende of your Procession, for it is almoost done.

I pray you declare whatsoever re mayneth

Theyse things once done thā goeth the Processiō forth, until they come to y ^• church door, which, whan they come unto it, is sparred, & certain children in the church singing. The song being once done, the priest taketh y ^• cross in his hand, & putteth the door frō him with it, & so openeth it, and entereth in with all the other people after him.

What do all those things preach unto us?

The spearynge of the church door signifieth, that heavē gates were speared against us for the sin of our first father Adam, in whom all we have offended, so that no mā could once enter by his own virtue, power, merits & good deeds into heaven, as Christ witnesseth, no man goeth up into heaven, but he that came down from heaven. That is to say, no man by his own strength & virtue ascendeth into heavē, but Christ, which descended from heaven, & toke flesh of the most glorious & pure virgyn Mary. Therefore everyone that goethe up into heaven, goeth up by Christ, as he himself witnesseth, I am y ^• way, the truth & the life, no man commethe unto the father, but by me. Therefore to declare that our ingress & entrynge into heaven, come meth only by Christ & by Christ's death, therefore the priest openethe the door w ^t the cross. For ye know right well, that none of all the holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Kynges, and other godly fathers of the old Testament did enter into the glory of heaven, until Christ had suffered & paid our ransom by his most precious blood

Ye say truth.

This declareth therefore manifestely, y ^e by Christ alone we have free passage into eternal glory, as S. Paul saith, everlasting life is the gift of God, though row Christ Jesus our LORD.

But what is sygnifyed by y ^e children which are within the church at the door syngyng?

Verily the mirth, joy & melodye, which the Aungelles make in heaven, for mans redēpciō by christ. It showeth how glad & merry they are, that mā is become partaker of y ^• glory, where of they have the fruicion. And this their joy maketh them to come for to mete the souls of the faithful, & to present them to the divine ma ieste.

This is a very godly ex posicion.

Whan they are once entered into the church, whereby he uen is signified, than do the all the people knele down, & the pressed pluc king up the cloth, wherewith y ^e cru cifixe was covered, and making it open to all that are there present, syngethe a certain song, the people in the mean season prayenge & giving thanks unto God. And so endethe the Procession.

I pray you declare this also unto us

This signifyethe that whan we be once departed out of this world, & are brought of the Aūgels into heaven, that than we shall forever & ever worlds without ende enjoy the most glorious sight of the divine majesty, singing unto him praises incessātly on this manner: Thou art worthy, O LORDE, to receive glory, honor & virtue. For y ^u hast made all things, and for thy will they are and were made. Thou art worthy to take y ^• boke, & to open the seals of it. For thou waste slain & haste redeemed us by thy blood. To him that syttethe on the Throne, & to the lābe be bless sing, honor, glory, & power, worlds without ende. Amen.

Now have I declared unto you neighbors, what every ceremony y ^e is used in the processiō of Palme sondaye signifieth.

Ye have done so in deed brother Philemon. We do not only thanke you for this youre great pain, but also desire almyghty God with most humble hearts to reward you for it in his glory.

In thus doing I have done but my duty, & I confess myself to be an unprofitable servant Notwithstandynge if this my sim ple declaracion hath profyted you ony thing at all, or set forward your knowledge in christ, verily I am not a little glad. And if I shall perceive hereafter, that ye practice those things in your daily manners, y ^t I have taught you in words, surely neighbors I shall vn faynedly rejoice & give God hearty thanks, that you are so serious & earnest laborers i y ^e LORDES vine yearde.

Neyghbour Phi lemō, doubt ye not, but that with God's grace we will labor diligently to follow your most godly & wholesome admonicions. Therefore if there be ony mo ceremonies to be declared. I pray you express thē to us

I pray you what me neth y ^e wasshyng of the Altares on Maūdy Thursday at after noon.

THer are diverse aūswers made unto it, as we we read, but I think it is done to put us in remembrance, howe Christ wasshed his disciples fete at his maundy, y ^• we in like manner should be redye at all times to do good unto our christen brothers, yea even to wash their fete, which seemeth to be the most humble & lowely act, that we can do unto thē. If I, saith Christ being your LORDE & master have wasshed your fete, verily you also ought to wash one another's fete. For I have given you an example, y ^e as I have done to you, so likewise ye should do. Let that mind be in you, saith S. Paul, that was in Christ Jesus.

VUhat meaneth it y ^• on Easter day the Images & all other things, that were before hyd, are made opē, & the Temple restored to her pr •… tine & old beautye?

Nothynge else but that after christ had once suffered his passion for our sins, & was risen again from death to life for our justification, all clouds & shadows were taken away, all ceremonies & sacrifices of the old law ceased, all joy, all myrthe, all felicite, all pleasure, all liberty, & all that ever we lost before in Adā, is now recovered again by Christ. In token of this our wealth & joy is the Temple on Easter day most preciously adourned

We are now aboundantlye satisfied concerning the ceremoni es y ^• are used in the Lente. I pray you therefore declare unto us y ^e last parte of our Potacion according to your promise which is this, how we ought to prepare our selves for to receive worthily at the time of Easter y ^t most blessed Sacrament of the A •… re.

Neyghbours I will do it with all my heart. I pray you therefore, mark well, what shall be said.

Speak on brother Philemō, we will hear you withe diligent ears and attent minds.

T Hat you may pre pare youre selves condignly & worthily to receive the most blessed Sacrament of the Altare, it shall be necessarey that ye observe certain things. Fyrst y ^• ye labor with all main to erecte & lyft up yourselves from your old sinful living, where w ^t in times past, ye have been miserably detained, before ye approach unto this ce lestial table. For if it were not law full for y ^e vncircūcysed in y ^e flesh to eat of y ^e figurative Paschal Lābe how much more thā is it unlawful for y ^e vncircūcysed in the heart, y ^• is, for the sinful & unclean person to taste of the true Paschal Lamb, which was offered & slain for our sake? Pourge out the old leaven, saith S. Paul, y ^e ye may be new dowe, like as ye are sweet bread.

For christ is offered a Paschal lābe for us. Here he showeth, y ^e if we will worthily celebrate our Easter, we must put away our old & sinful living. But before all things in this expurgacion of vice, ye must earnestly labor, that ye come not to receive the body of our LORDE w ^t a malicious, hateful & uncharitable heart. For this is a Sacrament of peace, of unite, of concord, & of unfeigned love. Therefore there ought to be mutual reconciliaciō on all partes, before ony come unto this celestial feast, as saint John Chrysostom saith, let no Hypocrite approach, let no man with a cloaked mind once be so bold, as for to draw nygh unto so great mysteries, unless he be condemned & deserve the sentence, & suffer y ^• , which Judas suffered. For after the communion of the table the devil entered into him. Let no Judas therefore be at the table. This Sacrifice is a spiri tuall meat. For as corporal meat whan it fyndeth a belly occupied w ^t adverse & corrupt humors, doth both hurt the more, noye y ^• more, & helpeth nothing at all, so this spi ritual meat likewise, if it fīdeath ony man polluted w ^t malignite & evil, shall destroy hī the more, not of the own nature of it, but thorough the faute of him that receiveth it. Let y ^e mind therefore & the thought be pure in all things, for y ^e Sacrifice is pure Let us prepare an holy soole. Let us hold fast y ^e holy kiss, which associateth the souls, recōcy leth y ^e minds, & maketh one body. For we all seme to take vpō us one body. Therefore let us myxte our selves inone body, not w ^t the cōmix tion of bodies, but being bound with the charity of souls y ^• by this means we may be associated to y ^• fruits of the divine table. For among all vices, this table of y ^e LORD detesteth none so much as y ^• sin of malice, seeing that it most of all alienateth men's minds frō the worthy receyuyng of this holy rōmuniō. Therefore provide above all things, that no kind of disple sure be in youre minds, but that ye be of that affeccion toward all mē, that Christ Jesus was toward you, which disdained not for your saluaciō, to suffer his most blessed body to be broken, & his most preci ous blood to be shed upon the Altare of the cross.

We will em ploye all our endeavor to come unto this most holy Bancket with pure minds & charitable hearts.

God grant it.

Secondely know that it is not enough unto the condign & worthy preparaciō of yourselves unto this most heavenly table to expourge & put sin out of you, except ye also garnysh your minds with godly virtues. Is it enough for a man against the coming of his friend only to make clean his house? Is it not also convenient, y ^• he adorn & garnysh it so pleasant lie as he can deuyse?

Reason requireth so.

It is a thousand times more convenient, that whā we shall receive the LORD of all LORDES & Kyng of all Kynges into our hearts, we than do not only make clean the house of our souls, but also garnysh it with the most odoriferous & redolēt flowers of divine virtues.

verily ye say truth.

Remember howe grievously, that man was punysshed, which presumed to come unto the marriages not having the nuptial garment.

We remember it well.

Take hede than, y ^t ye do not only provide for the expurgacion of vice, but also for the adourment of virtues, unless a like thing chaūse unto you. Blessed is he that watcheth, saith God, & keepeth his clothes, that he walk not naked, & men se his fylthines.

Thyrdely it is requisite, y ^• whā ye have thus garnysshed youre selves, ye trust not ī your own good works, or in your own preparacion, as though ye had made youre selves worthy enough to come unto the eating of this inestimable treasure, but let youre whole affiaunce be in the mercy of God, and whan ye have done all that ye are able to do, grant youre selves unprofitable servants, & desire more & more continually valeaunce and strength to do the will of God, besechynge him of his infinite good nes to supplye that, which lacketh ī you, & because y ^• ye may receive y ^• more grace & strength to walk in the pathwaies of the LORD, ye now come w ^t all reverence unto y ^e most heavenly meat, wherewith you being saciated, may valeauntly en arm yourselves & maynely fight against Satā, & his wicked army.

Fourthly, ye must give serious diligence, that ye come unto this table of y ^• LORD w ^t a fervent desire, w ^t an hongry stomach, with a gredye mind, & with a famelyke soul. For this Sacrament hateth a stomach that is already saturated & filled. It proponeth and setteth forth all kind of celestial deynties to the hungrye soul, as the most blessed virgyne saith, he hath filled the hungry with good things, but y ^• rytch hath he let go empty. Blessed are they, that hunger & thyrst righ teousnes, for they shall be filled. Al ye that are a thyrste, saith Christ, come unto the waters, & ye y ^t have no money, make haste, bye and eat. Come bye w ^t out money, & without ony marchaundyse wyne & milk. Agayne, I will give to him that thyrstethe of the well of the water of life freely. And he that is a thyrst let him come, & he that will, let him take the water of life freelye. The fat Pharisee, the belied Hypocrite, the porkelynge Iusticiarie, which trust in their own righteousness, are no fytte G •… stes for this most delicious table, but the humble sinner, which knoweth his infirmite, confesseth his imbecillite, desireth valeaunce, h •… ngreth & thyrsteth for strength to do the will of GOD.

God send us this hunger & thyrst evermore.

Fyftely ye may not only come unto this celestial table with hongry stomachs to obtain these inestimable treasures, but also believe unfeignedly that ye shall have all good things, that ye wysshe or longe for, according to your desire & faith For he that cometh unto God, saith S. Paul, must believe y ^• god is, & that he is a rewarder to thē that seek him.

Withoute this faith, no man cometh worthelye to recepue the body of our LORDE, as Chrysostom saith: Let us all that are sick go unto Christ with great faith. For if all they which did but touch y ^e hēme of his garment, received their perfect health, howe much more shall we be corroborated and made strong, if we have him whole w ^t in us? Therefore whē ye sit down to receive the blessed body of Christ, call straight ways to your remembrance the death of Christ. Remēber that his body was brokon for you upon the Altare of the Cross. Rem •… mber that he offered himself a sweet smelling Sacrifice to God the father for the abolysshement of all your sins. Remēber that his blood was shed for the remission of your sins. Remēber that by the effusion & sheddynge of his most precious blood, all your offēses are clean wasshed away, & you pourged from all iniquity. In consideracion whereof, ye now receive y ^• ve ry body of christ, because ye should nothing doubt of the remission of your sins, & of the favor of GOD toward you, as Christ him self witnesseth. He that eateth my flesh & dryncketh my blood, hath eternal life, & I shall raise him up in the last day. For my flesh is very meat, & my blood is very drink. He that eteth my flesh & dryncketh my blood, dwelleth in me, & I in hī But do not only call to remembrance these aforsayd things, but believe faithfully also, & be persuaded undoubtedly, that they be true, & shall chaūse to you according unto your faith. So shall it come to pass, that w ^t the receyuīg of Christ's body, ye shall also receive all the benefits, gifts, and graces of Christ, if ye believe, so that not only Christ is be come altogether yours, but also all y ^• ever he hath besides is yours, as S. Paul say the, he that hath not spared his own son, but gave hī for us all, how is it possible, that he also should not give us all things w ^t him? O the inestimable treasures, that lie bent out in this most holy Sacrament of the Altare for the faithful. Blyssed is he that is a faithful geste of this celestial ta ble. Blessed is he that with a pure faith & sincere charity eateth y ^e body of his LORDE. Blessed is that mā which receiveth this most honora ble Sacrament, Christ's very body & blood with an undefiled conscience. For Satan, sin, death, hell, desperacion. &c. shall not prevail against him. Such one may be sure to dwell in Christ, & Christ in him. Such one may be sure to have his heart abundātly enfarsed w ^t celesti all graces & heavenly gifts. Such one may be sure to have God y ^e father, God y ^e son, & God y ^e holy Ghost dwelling perpetually in his breast. whā ye have done these things a for said, than draw nygh, whan time requirethe, w ^t all humble & reverent fear unto the feast of the LORDES body, & before y ^t ye receive it into your mouth, pray on this manner.

I pray God give us grace to receive it according to youre most godly instrucciōs, y ^t our souls may be truly fed w ^t the true body of our Savior Jesus Christ.

But for as much as we se many depart vnreuerētly frō the LORDES table, therefore will I in few words by your patience declare to you, after what manner ye shall go from it, & howe ye shall behave yourselves ever after, that ye may walk as it becometh the children of light,

I pray you hertely let it so be

NOwe most dere brothers after y ^• ye have received the body of our LORDE Jesus Christ, and w ^t that same most glorious body tasted also his most precious blood which, as Chrysostom saith, is the health of our souls, wassheth, garni sheth, inflameth our souls maketh our mind more shynynge thā the fire, more clear than the gold, & is y ^e sufficient price of y ^e hole world, it is convenient that ye show your sel ues thankful again to God for these his iestimable benefits, which he at that time hath freely givē unto you, even y ^e very body & blood of his well-beloved sonne & our LORD Jesus Christ, w ^t all the other incom parable treasures which pertain unto him. For all theyse things hath he most bounteously given you in this most holy Sacrament. It is therefore, I say, convenient, y ^• ye show yourselves again thankful to him, by renderynge hearty & immortal thanckes. For this most holy mystery is called, Sacramentum Eucharistiae, that is, y ^• Sacrament of thanks giving, because y ^t whā either we our selves receive it, or else be present, whā other do receive it, we should give God precordiall thanckes for his bounty & kindness, shown to us thorough Jesus Christ. Who cometh to the table of onye man, & departeth without thanckes giving? To approach therefore to sytte down at the table of y ^e most high & redoubted king, where no terrestrial & corruptible meat is eaten, but even the very body of y ^e pure & immaculate Lamb Jesus Christ, & to depart from so heavenly a table w ^t vnthanckefull hearts, certes it were a thing to much for to be detested. It shall therefore be ve ry convenient after ye have received that most blessed Sacrament, not to depart out of y ^e chirch before ye have givē God hearty thanks for his manifold benignite toward you, ye may do it on this manner.

Amen.

So he it.

LORD let it so come to pass.

After y ^• ye depart frō y ^• table of our Lord God, caull unto youre remembrance what ye have done, & what ye have professed. Fyrste remember y ^• ye have received the very body of our lord Jesus Christ, of all treasures most precious. Secondely remember that by the receiving of that, ye have professed youre selves to be the sons of God, the members of Christ, the mayntayners of true godliness the studious followers of God's will, the fervent lovers of our chri sten brothers, & the extreme enemies of Satan & his army, so long as ever ye live. All theyse things do ye profess, whā ye sit at the most heavenly table. Loke therefore that ye do not dallye, nor mock w ^t God, unless worser things chance vn to you. Let us depart from that table, saith Chrysostom, as Lyōs that breath fire, y ^t we may be terri ble to the devil. Therefore that this thing may come to pass, remember that ye are now engraffed in christ, & become menbers of Christ's body. Howe vnsyttynge than were it, to fall again from Christ, & to adjoin yourselves unto uncleanness? Remēber that ye are wasshed from youre sins & sanctified by Christ's blood, & justified by the name of the LORDE Jesus. Were it not than very unseemly to pollute and defile yourselves again w ^t youre old fylthynes? Remēber that god hath now delivered you out of the londe of Egypt frō your most cru ell enemy Pharaoh the devil, & hath brought you into the londe of promyss. Have not than a pleasure to return into that lond of captivity Remēber that God hath delivered yon from the filthy & abhominable Sodomites. Prouyde therefore y ^t ye loke not back agen unto their pernicious manners. Remember that God hath delivered you from the babylonicall captivity, & hath brought you unto the new & celestial Jerusalem, so that now ye are no more Gestes & strangers, but Cytysēses with the Saints and of the household of God. Were it not than a thing of much ignominye for you to fall from so great an honor? what shall I make many wor des w ^t you? Ye pertain now all to gyther unto God. Loke therefore y ^• ye lose not the favor & gentleness of so bounteous a LORDE.

Moreover ye have professed day lie to die unto sin, & to walk in a new life. Loke that ye answer faithfully to this your promise. Agayne, ye have professed, that ye will love your christen brothers, & do for thē to the vttermooste what so ever lieth ī your power. Al these things have ye promised to do, by the receiving of this most blessed Sacrament. Loke therefore that ye be not necligent in the accomplish mente of the premisses, unless the wrath of God falleth vpō you. For it is not enough to begin well except ye go forth in your enterprises. He that continueth unto y ^• ende, shall be safe, saith Christ. Agayne, be thou faithful unto death, and I shall give the y ^• crown of life. No man that putteth his hand to the plowgh, and looketh backewarde, is mete unto y ^• kingdom of heaven. Therefore neghbours do as ve have professed. Cast away your old wic ked living. Continue in the body of Christ thorough a new life. Remayne for evermore in the seruyse of God. Seke the kingdom of god & the righteousness thereof above all things. Procure the furtheraūce of his most holy word, & so not on lie love but also live y ^e Gospel, that ye may be counted both before God & man true & earneste followers of God's word. Furthermore love your christē brothers w ^t a true, per fecte & unfeigned love, & let youre love bring forth good works y ^t it may appear to be w ^t out dissimula cion, or faynynge. Above all things as I have ever exorted you, be obedient to y ^• Kynges graces majesty, yea and that not only for fear but much more for conscience sake, in all things, as it becometh faith full subjects. The other public magistrates also spiritual or temporal have in perpetual reverence & honor. To be short, be so affected toward all men, even as Jesus christ was toward you, & in all your words & deeds, let your light so shine before men, that they may se your good works, & glorify youre father, which is in heavē, to whom be all honor & glory for evermore. Amē. Thus endeth your Potaciō.

Praised by God for it.

Bothe now & ever.

For he alone is worthy all honor & glory.

Thus have I neighbors ac cordynge to my promise in the beginning of our Potacion, perfor med all things, concerning the holy Sacrament of Penaunce, w ^t the partes thereof. Of fasting, of ce remonies & of the most honorable Sacrament of the 〈◊〉 I have also taught you many godly and goodly things, worthy to be imprynted in the hearts of all christ •… men. Now brothers I most instant lie desire you by the great mercies of God & the precious blood of our savior Christ, to repose these thin ges in your memory, and not to for get thē, but w ^t all diligence maynly to prosecute & follow them, yea & to express them natiuely in youre quotidiane & daily cōuersaciō. For the servant', which knowethe his masters will, & doth it not, shall be beat̄ with many strypes. If ye do theyse things, know that in this world ye shall have God the father, a merciful father unto you, God y ^• son a sweet Savior unto you, & God the holy Ghoste a joyful cōfortour unto you, & after this life, ye may be sure to enjoy the most blessed & glorious sight of the holy Trinite. Amen.

Neyghbour Philemon for this your Potacion we thank you, & we trust that y •… shall se such fruits proceed from us, that ye shall rejoice to have cal led us unto this your most godly Potacion.

So doing neygh boures, know me to be altogether yours. Well seeing this spiritual Potacion is so fortunately ended, I pray you follow me, y ^• we may also refresshe our bodies with cor porall norysshement, & so with one mind praise GOD for all things,

We follow. Blessed be God for this heavenly Potaciō.

AMEN.