Thyse Wordes ben conteyned in the xxiiij. chapytre of Luke▪ and rad in the holy gospel of this day. To say in englyssh tonge The same Ihūs nyghynge walkyd with mankyn­de / This Ioyous trouth conteyneth in itselfe two partyes / In whoos declaracyon wyth our lordys mercy & your suffraūce. shall stonde the sōme of this poore collacōn. The fyrste is this / that the same Ihūs nyghed to mankynde. The second is. that the same Ihūs hath wallryd w ^t mankyn­de / Of whyche two pryncyples foloweth as a con­clusyon the entent o [...] his nyghyng and walkynge. That the same Ihūs hath broughte mankynd to the euerlastynge reste of heuen / For sure it is. y ^• this same Ih [...] of whyche I purp [...] to treate. neuer put man to labour / but to the entent. that he sholde af­ter his labour haue full reste, ye & for thorte labour haue eternall reste / as after shall appere. Yet or I descende to the declaracōn of thise two partyes / for as moche as I saye. that the same Ihūs nyghynge walkyd with mankynd / I shall shewe you of whi­che Ihūs I meane. whyche it was that nyghed to man that walkyd wyth man. & that fynally brou­ghte man to euerlastynge reste in heuen. Where ye [Page] shall vnderstonde. that of dyuers we rede in holy scrypture whiche were namyd Ihūs. of thre in espe­cyall / al men of noble memory. & of grete praysyng And but figures & seruauntes of the same Ihūs of whom wyth his mercy. I purpoos pryncypally to trete. The first was) Ihūs filiꝰ Naue (The secon­de was (Ihūs filiꝰ Iosedec [...]) And the thyrde was (Ihūs filiꝰ) the sone of Sirach / All thyse thre. and eche of this. was for his tyme y ^• fygure of the four­the Ihūs / callyd (Ihūs filius dei) Iesus the sone of god / The same Ihesus whyche nyghynge. wal­kyd wyth mankynde / ¶To whose declaracōn ye shall vnderstonde. that Ihūs by interpretacōn. is to saye (saluator) a sauyour or helper / Now soth it is that eche of thyse thre rehercyd. was in his tyme an helper or sauer of the people / And yet but in fy­gure of Ihūs Cryste. Wherof folowyth / that they were not the same Ihūs of whom I purpoos talke For he bothe was & is (saluator mūdi) the sauyour of the worlde. ¶How eche of thyse thre Ihūs rehercyd dyde helpe. & saue y ^• people in his tyme / I shall shewe you. The fyrst Ihūs the sone of Naue. sa­uyd the people (ꝑ potenciā) The seconde (ꝑ obedienciā) And the thyrd (ꝑ sapienciā) The fyrste saued the people by myght & power. The seconde by pe [...] ­fyte obedyence. The thyrde by his grete wysdom. ¶The fyrste of them callyd Ihūs Naue. at hebre­ees namyd Iosue Benun after saynt Ierom i [...] his prologe (cū Iosue) the fyrste ruler of y ^• chyldren [Page] of Israel after the deth of Moyses the seruaunt of god / as it appereth in the fyrste chapytre of Iusue. was conuenyently namyd Ihūs / For by the grete myghte & power geuen vnto hym of very Ihūs. he notably sauyd the people of god / as in the story of Iosue playnly doth appere. acordynge vnto y ^• pro­myse of god made vnto him in the fyrste chapytre of the same boke / as foloweth (My seruaunt Moyses sayd god vnto Iosue is deed & from this world departid. Arise thou & passe ouer the water of Ior­dan. thou. & all my people wyth the. in to the lon­de of repromyssion. whiche I shal geue to y ^• chyld [...]n of Israel. what so euer grounde ye shal set on your fete. I shal geue it to you. as I promysid to Moyses my seruaunt. It folowyth soone after / Noo man shall mow resyst thy power in all thy lyfe. be thou herof comfortid. & take strengthe vnto the. ¶Now how this myghty prynce executyd the hyghe cōmaundement of god in helpynge the people & sauyng y ^• same by the grete power geuen vnto hym of god y ^• sayd story of Iosue playnly doth declare ¶Shortly rehercyd. eccliastic. the .xlvi. chapit [...]e (Ihūs naue sayth he successour vnto Moyses strong in were & bataylle. was a man of grete name / but of grettest name was he in helpynge of the people of god. to distroye his enmyes. where by he myght atteyne to the people of god promysid / whiche glory and renō ­mee of name he obsteyned in lyftyng his hondes & scute. in shetynge of sharpe & fy [...]y arowes ayenst y ^• [Page] cyte of hay. &c [...] / This myghty prynce dilygently executynge the hyghe cōmaundement of Ihū cryst of whom. & to whom. he was bothe fygure & ser­uaunt. through the grete myghte & power to hym gracyously geuen. so lad. so guyded. so sauyd y ^• people to his rule cōmyttid. that he brought them in y ^• lond. to Abraham. Ysaac. & Iacob. repromysid / thef vaynquisshyd & distroyed the enmyes of god / dyuy­did the londe among goddis seruauntes. & fynally sette them in reste & peasyble possession of the same As bryefly declareth saynt Ierom in his epistle (ad pa [...]linū) ¶Ihūs sayth he y ^• sone of Naue. beryng the fygure of Ihū Crist. as well in name as in de­des. passid the water of Io [...]dan. distroyed the rea­mes of Crystis enmyes. diuyded the londe to god­dis seruauntes / And by euery cytee. towne. village. by hylles: fluddes & ryuers. dyscryued in fygure the spirytuall regaly of Crystis heuenly chirche & Ie­rusalem / ¶Thenne apperyth y ^• this noble prynce Ihūs Naue was in his tyme a man of laudable memory / now callyd in all the worlde one of y ^• .ix. worthyes for dyuers causes / For by his grete myghte and power he sauyd the people to him cōmytted from enmyes & from peryll. He distoryed the aduersaryes of Cryste. and sette his people in reste & pe­as / Ye but amonge all his praysynges: his memo­ry is specyally laudable / For what cōmaundid him to do. that gladly fulfylled he wythoute grutche o [...] ieluctacōn. leuynge example vnto all pryncis & ru­lers [Page] of the people vnder god to doo the same. Our lorde cōmaundyd hym. as in the fyrste chapytre of Iosue doth appere this wyse. ¶Be thou sayth god vnto this valyaunt knyghte stronge & hertely com for [...]id. se y ^e thou obserue & kepe al my lawes cōma­undyd vnto the by my seruaunt Moyses. Declyne thou neuer fro them ne in to y ^• ryght honde. ne yet in to the lyfte honde / that is to saye. ne in prospery­te. ne yet in aduersyte / so y ^• vnderstondynge of my lawes be thy leder. Lete in no wyse the boke of my lawe departe from thy mouth: [...]ut sette therin thy meditacōn bothe nyghte & day / so y ^• thou may tru­ly obserue al thynges there wythin wryten & com­maūdyd / This cōmaundement of god he gladly fulfylled as it appereth in the .xi. chapytre of y ^e sa­me boke. in this worde (As our lorde commaunded vnto Moyses: so Moyses cōmaunded vnto Iosue) And he gladly accomplysshed all goddis preceptes There escapyd hym not one worde of goddis pre­ceptes / but to the extremytee he fulfyllyd them all. Loke & this well beholde ye Iuges of this worlde. lerne the lawes of god / and se ye theim obseruyd & kept [...]leest ye perysshe from the ryght waye of god / For & ye be one in prosperyte. a nother in aduersyte One for affeccōn. a nother for money. one for loue. a nother for hate: thenne [...]er [...]e ye fro the ryght way of Ihūs. ¶Of y ^• seconde Ihūs namyd Ihūs of laudable memory in the scrypture of god. was Ihūs y ^• sone of Iosedech. the grete preest of y ^• lawe [Page] & one of the .lxx. Interpretours of the Bible / This grete preest of the lawe at the highe cōmaūdement [...] of god in y ^• mouth of Cu. 9. kyng & fyrst Monarke of Perse. whom our lorde had w ^t his grace inspy­red / as in y ^• fyrste chapytre of the fyrst boke of Es­dre doth appere. to release the captiuyte of the Iuys Whyche for theyr synnes hadr ben in thraldom in Babylon by the space of .lxx. yere after the distruc­cōn of Ihrlm. & subuersion of the temple of god in the same. by Nabugodonosor. & Nabuzardan hys capytayne / This grete preest I saye Ihūs the sone of Iosedech. was in his tyme conuenyently named Ihūs. y ^• helper & sauer of the people of god (per sa­cram obedienciā. by holy obedience / as Ihūs Nau [...] was Ihūs. sauer and helper of the people (ꝑ magnificā potenciā) by his grete & myghty power geuyn vnto hym of god. To shewe you this. ye must vn­derstonde / that for the synnes of the Iewes it pley­syd god. to haue them punysshed / so were they acordyng to the propheci of Ieremye. the .xxvij. chapy­tre. Theyr cyte. theyr temple of grete honour was dystroyed. [...] Sediche theyr laste kynge was exocula­te & made blynde. brought wyth all his noblesse in to Babilo [...]e by Nabugodonosor. & there kepte in streyte captiuyte by the space of .lxx. yere. And here was an ende of kynges in the genelogy of Crist as by the processe of the Byble playnly dooth appere. For soth it is y ^• after the tyme of this transmigra­cōn vnto Cristis natiuyte. where regalyte & preest­hode [Page] were Ioyned in one in our sauyour Ihū Crist The Iewes beyng in ther lyberte or captiuyte. had neuer moo kynges / but oonly prestes & dukes. bys­shops & pryncis / But thenne were bysshops rulers of the people. & p [...]yncis helpers & coad [...]utours / So y ^t the lyne of kynges after this transmigracōn ses­syd as in rule. not in successyon / And thenne began the lyne of bysshops in rulynge of the people. whi­che contynuelly enduryd vnto Cristis tēporall na­tiuyte / This declaryth the Mayster of the storyes who so lyste to se it. ¶Now the fyrste of thyse gre­te preestis or Bysshops hauynge rule of the people. was this Ihūs the sone of Iosedech A man of gre­te zele. & deuowte obedyence vnto god / so y ^t he was conuenyently namyd Ihūs. helper or sauer of y ^e pe­ple by deuowte obedyence. leuynge example to alle preestys. prelates in especyall to beere deuowte obe­dience vnto almyghty god. & teche other the same For whan it pleysid our lorde to haue his people releuyd from theyr captiuyte. & his temple in Ihrl [...]m to be reedifyed to his honour & praysyng: he cōmittid therof the rule vnto Zorobabel sone to Salat [...] ­ell. & to this Ihū the sone of Iosedech / as in y ^e pro­phecy of Agge playnly dooth appere. Declarid at large in the fyrste boke of [...]ldre. the fyrste. thirde. & syxte chapytours. ¶And full conuenyently was this besynes cōmyttid vnto thise two men of auc­toryte & honour / For of y ^• one. that is of Zorobabel our Ihūs. our sauyour descendyd by his temporall [Page] natiuyte. as it apereth in the fyrst chapitre of Ma­thewe. ¶The other. that is Ihūs Iosedech prepa­ryd the people by due obedyence. truly to serue god in this materyall Temple whyche they thenne to goddis honoure reedifyed / but more v [...]rely to serue god in the temple of Crystis holy body whyche he toke of Zorobabell. and was in it togyder god and man in one persone / Of whiche holy temple of his body. hymselfe sayd. the seconde chapytre of Iohn / ¶Dissolue ye this temple. & wythin thre dayes I shall reyse it agayn. & soone after foloweth. Thy­se wordes sayd our sauyour Ihū Cryst of the tem­ple of his holy body. Of whiche holy temple of cristis body was spirytually vnderstonde the prophe­cy of Agge. in the seconde chapytre. ¶Ferre gretter sayth this prophete. shall be the glory of this seconde temple. than was of the fyrste buylded by Salomon / Spyrytually I saye For the letter full harde it is. to expowne of this temple reedifyed bi Ihū Iosedech. Zorobabell & other Iewes. Sy [...] this second temple was neuer half so gloryous as was that fyrste buylyed by Salomon. ne in buyldyng ne [...]et in aparell as Iosephus declareth / For in y ^• fyrst tem­ple was conteyned the arke of the olde testament. in it concernyng the tables of the lawe. Manna & the rodde of Aaron. whiche flourisshid & fructifyed by myracle. The appostle this declareth to the He­breos the .ix. chapytre. Many also precyous Iewels & tresours were in that temple born awaye by Na­bugodonosor. [Page] and Nabuzardan his capytayn / as it apereth in the fourth boke of the kynges. the finall & finall but on̄ chapitours. whiche wer neuer fully restored ayen in the reedifycacōn of y ^e same temple able it. that Cirus & Darius many grete thynges restoryd to the seconde reedifycacyon as it is decla­ryd the fyrste boke of Esdre the fyrste & syxte cha­pytours / So y ^• this seconde temple was no thynge lyke vnto the fyrste ne in buyldynge ne in garnys­shyng: Wherfore holy cristen doctours as saynt Ie­rom & Bede expowne this prophecye to the letter / That gretter shall be the seconde glory of this se­conde hous than of fyrste / ¶For as moche as Cri­ste god & man. Many wyses thys seconde temples with his holy presence dyde dedicate & inourne / For in to this Temple by his holy vyrgyn & moder at her purifycacōn he was offryd vnto god / In this Temple his holy moder fonde hym in myddes of doctours. From this temple he droue oute byars & sellers / In this temple he often prayed. prechyd. & many myracles shewed. grete thenne was y ^• glory of this holy hous. & ferre gretter than euer was the glory of Salomons temple. sy [...] our sauyour Crist Ihūs this second temple so many wayes made holy & gloryous / ¶Thenne to my purpoos I saye y ^• this grete preest & bysshop Ihūs Iosedech was full conuenyently namyd Ihūs an helper or sauer of y ^• people by his holy & zelose obedyence / For whe: as the people of god longe tyme in captiuyte of Ba­bylon. [Page] confusyon by interpretacōn. were after their custome falle in to ydolatry. worshipyng fals ydo­les. & mawmettes: and so had lost theyr due obedi­ence vnto almyghty god: Folowynge the wyckyd lawes of Gentiles. This grete preest & bysshop a­cordynge to his offyce & duety. with helpe of Zoro­babell the true prynce & seruaunt of god. as tymely as they had lycence of Cirꝰ & Dariꝰ to retorne home. and to reedifye. the temple of god: what obedi­ence was in this holy bysshop. ye & wyth dylygence also to brynge the people to the true & faste obedy­ence of god. the fyrste boke of Esdre playnly dooth declare / ¶So y ^• hymselfe was fully obedyent vnto almgyghty goddys wyl. and taughte al the people to the same / As it doth appere as well of the spedy buyldynge of the temple / as of ympnes. oblacyon [...] sacrifyces. with other praysynges of god / whiche he & the Leuites at his cōmaundement. shewed & made vnto goddis worshyppe & praysynge. Fyrste in settynge the fundacyon of the sayd temple. as it is declaryd the fyrste boke of Esdre the thyrde chapytre. ¶Zorobabell sayth he the sone of Salatiel. & Ihūs the sone of Iosedech. & other of ther brethern preestes & Leuites and all the resydue of Iewes de­lyuerde from captyuyte ordeynyd Leuites from .xx yeres age & aboue. to suruey the artifycers gadered to the newe buyldynge of this temple. that they dyde not neclygently theyr labour. Iosue also. whi­che was Ih [...]s Iosedech. wyth his chyld [...]n & bredern. [Page] as one man of one mynde & herte dyde all theyr dilygence to spede this holy werke. What Ioye what gladnesse was there made bi this holy Ih [...]s. & other the seruauntes of god by his example & techynge. at the settynge of the fundacōn of this seconde tē ­ple. there forthw ^t appereth. ¶All the people sayth Esdras there gadryd. cryed wyth grete voys to goddys prasynge / for as moche as the fundacōn of the temple was sette. Many also of y ^• olde faders whi­che had seen the temple of Salomon stondynge. & this temple now begyn. wepte wyth an hyghe vo­ys / And many there present lyfte theyr voyces in Ioye & gladnes. Suche agmixcōn was there of crie amonge the people to goddys praysynge / that noo man myght discerne the voyces of wepers. from y ^• voyces of Ioyfull people. so y ^• all enioyed in god. Of this appereth morally. that one vertuous prelate dooth moche good in crystis chyrche / as well for his owne vertue & zelose obedyence vnto the lawe of god: as in ledynge other men [...]o do the same by his holy doctryne and vertuous example. ¶Agayn where this buyldynge of the temple was interrup­tid in y ^e tyme of Cambises sone vnto Cirꝰ. whom some callyd Assuerꝰ. some Arthazarses / But in the tyme of Cambises was it. y ^t the werke of god. this buyldynge went not forwarde / but lettyd was it by fals accusars / whyche neuer cesse in the chyrche of Cryste to lette the werkes of god / as dayly expery­ence dooth shewe: Whan Darius kynge of Babi­bilon [Page] inspyred by god the seconde yere of his reyne gaue lycence vnto the Iewes to perfourme the temple of god begon. And foundid at the lycence & cō ­maundement of Cirus / what obedyence / what dy­lygence / what zele. this Ihūs Iosedech. wyth y ^e prestys. Leuites & all the people had. to perfourme this holy temple to goddys worshyp & praysynge. Ye & what Ioye & loouyng was geuen to god in dedicacōn of the same temple: in the syxte chapytre of the fyrste boke of Esdre playnly dooth appere. ¶So­me men here present. ye & not a fewe. woll perauenture muse / why & to what entent I brynge in thys longe story of Ihūs Iosedech. the grete preest of y ^e olde lawe / Surely this is my cause / For syth al ho­ly scripture is wryten for our erudicōn after y ^• apost [...]e the .xv. chapytre to the Romayns / That we to whom trouthe is made open by Ihū Cryste. as te­cheth saynt Iohn in the fyrste chapytre. sholde lern obedience. lerne zele & dilygence to the lawe of god of thyse faders passyd in fygure. And agayn to ta­ke grete sham̄ & conscyence whan we rede them to haue doon so zelously in goddys cause. And beholde ourself. how neclygent we ben in the same / For cursyd is he whyche dooth the werkes of god frau­delently. after Ieremye. the .xlviij. chapytre. They buylded. we distroye. they gadryd. we disperge. they curyd. we kylle. They made. we marre. I woll no man accuse / but loke on our dedes. and behold the­yrs. and ye shall fynde that there is noo compary­son [Page] bytwene lyghte and derkenesse. ¶Thenne haue we here of two namyd by thys name. Ihūs of laudable memory in the scrypture of god. The fyrsste was Ihūs Naue. helper and sauer of the people by myghte & power. The seconde was Ihūs Io­sedech. sauer of the seruauntes of god by deuowte obedyence / as now hath be declared / The thyrde of laudable memory of the same name was Ihūs filius Sirach. the sone of Sirach. sonnys sone vn­to Ihū Iosedech / as hymself rehercyth in his Pro­loge of the boke namyd by hym Ecclesiasticus. ¶And full conuenyently was thys fader namyd Ihūs. an helper or sauer of the people (ꝑ sapienciā by his grete wysdom geuen vnto hym of god. and by hym taughte to the people. vnto the worldes ende. by reason of his laudable wysdom left behynde hym in wrytyng in the boke of wysdom callyd Ecclesiasticus. whyche boke. hymself fyrste made and wrote in Hebrewe tonge. and after translatyd the same in to Grekes tonge / As. Ysodorus declaryth and sheweth in the syxte boke of his Ethemology­se / ¶For the declaracōn and expownynge of thys trouthe. expedient & ryght necessary it is to knowe and vnderstonde. what helpe and saluacōn. wysdome doth vnto man. Where ye shall vnderstonde & marke in your mynde That oonly man of creatures vnder heuen dyrectyth & ordereth his actes and dedes by hys vnderstondynge to hys ende naturall or supernaturall / Thus I saye. to the entent. it is / [Page] or thus it sholde be. Now for as moche as mannes vnderstondyng is radically corrupte by synne. and so by ignoraunce. whiche is the moder of errour a [...] ter saynt Iohn Crisostom the .xxv. Omelye of hys Imperfyte werke on Mathu. expedyent it is ther­fore. y ^• man erre not from his ende. naturally. or supernaturally intendyd: that his vnderstondyng be dyrected by some redy lyghte / This lyghte at phi­losophers is comynly namyd the lyght of wysdom And therfor naturally men desyre cūnynge & wis­dom. as sayth Aristotle in the begynnynge of hys Metaphisyke That euery man naturally desireth to knowe / for the more y ^• [...]ny man hath of of wisdome the better shall he dyrecte all his dedes to a due ende. the lesse he hath of wysdom. the worse he shal directe his dedes: but comynly erre. And very wyse men comynly ordre wel al theyr dedes & neuer erre And for this cause. that men wolde not erre from theyr ende. ye naturally entendyd. what zele & be­synesse olde faders had to atteyne wisdom / wonder it is to rede. as at large declareth saynt Ierom in his epistle (ad paulinū) the prologe of the Byble it is / ¶We rede sayth saynt Ierom in old storyes. many men haue soughte ferre countrees. straunge na­cyns. & passid ryght peryllous sees / that they myg­hte speke famyliarly with suche philosophers. whose werkes thei befor tyme had rad. to lerne of them wysdom / This dyde bothe Pictagoras & Plato. of whom sayth saynt Ierom in the same place (Su­che [Page] zele had Plato to wysdom and cunnynge. that he folowyd scyence in al the worlde / as though scyence had fledde from him. And on a tyme was he taken bi pirates in the see. & solde to Denyse y ^• grete tyraunt / yet for as moche as he was a philosofer a louer of cūnynge & wysdom. he was more of pryce than the tyraunt that boughte hym. syth by rea­son of his cūnynge. he cowde more temperatly be­re hymself in all aduersyte than hys mayster & so­uerayne hym hauynge in seruytude) There shew­yth forth saynt Ierom of Titus Liuiꝰ. of Appolo­niꝰ. & other wise men of the worlde in grete & pro­founde wysdom & lernyng. How theyr fame of cū ­nyng & wysdom. droue men from the ferthest party of the worlde. to here them. to lerne of them wysdome. wherby they myghte surely ordre theyr actes & dedes to a perfyte ende. and not erre from the same / This labour & besynesse sayth saynt Ierom. [...]oke gentyl phylosophers oonly lenyng vnto y ^e lygh­te of reason. and wyth fayth no thynge Indowed / ¶And of this wysdom to be atteyned by mannes Inquisicōn. Aristotle one of the grete enserchers. of the same: sayd there were two kyndes or parties. in the syxte boke of his Ethikis. That one is callyd Prudence. the other Sapyence. ¶Prudence▪ after him is a wisdom to lede man that he erre not from his resonable ende intendid in worldly occupacōn & besynesse. ¶And Sapyence after hym stondeth in speculacōn of highe & presume causes. so that sapi­ence [Page] is a wysdome to lede man y ^• he erre not from his ende naturally after Aristotle / but in very dede supernaturally ententyd / And in this sapyence af­ter him restyth mannys felycyte. In so moche y ^• he myghte atteyne to sapyence. at his opynyon was (felix) blessyd or happy. For he sholde not erre from truthes necessary to his blysse & perfyte ende. ¶& [...] able it thise philosofers dide moche to atteyne ther entent & purpose. not to erre from the ende: yet fayled they ofte tymes therof. whyche appereth as wel of theyr errours abowte the laste & perfyte ende. as of theyr errours abowte meanes ledynge to the sa­me ende / as declareth Aristotle in the fyrste boke of his Ethikis / Where he sheweth that some put ther fynall ende in ryches. some in cōcupiscence. som̄ [...] honour. & other transytory pleysures. whyche may not endure: but must nedes faylle / Yet were thyse callyd & acount [...]d wyse men in the worlde / And [...]uche wyse men. that for theyr wysdom. they ben of Immortall fame amonge worldly men. & callyd Sapientes. wyse men. se [...]in by excellence. yet fayl­lyd they & erryd from the [...]outhe / For neyther by theyr prudence. ne yet theyr [...]apyence. ladde they or themself. or theyr folowers to the ryghte & perfyte ende naturall. or supernaturall ¶Then̄e was no­ne of this Ihūs) ꝑ sapienciā) the helper or sauer of man to lede hȳ by wysdom to his right ende. The second cause of this errour declareth y ^• apostle Poule in y ^• fyrste chapytre to the Romayns / This phi­losofers [Page] erred sayth saynt Poul / ¶For whan they knewe god: they worshypt not hy as theyr. god / but wanysshid in theyr proude reasons. & callyng them self wyse men. were foolys in dede / But a q [...]estion is this / How knewe thyse philosofers god: the apostle ansuereth in the same place. The Inuisible misteryes of god sayth he be knowe of man. y ^e cheif creature of this worlde. by other smaller & lower creatures of the same / But how vanysshid thyse philosofers. how erred they: For sothe for they gaue not due thankes to god theyr maker & geuer of ther benefytes. Sayth saynt Austin on this letter / ¶Thyse philosofers sawe the ende of all creatures: knewe there was one god by the lyghte of reason / but vn­kynde vnto ther maker y ^• gaue to them this knowlege: ascribed to themself proudly ther knowlege & wysdom / & for theyr pryde: lost ther true knowlege & made both blynde & errynge from trouth. accor­dyng vnto y ^• prophe [...]ye of Ab [...]y. y ^• fyrste chapytre. rehercyd by the apostle y ^e fyrst epistle. & fyrst chapi­tre vnto the Corinthees. I shall sayth god by hys prophete. distroye & brynge to nought y ^• sapience of sapient men: & I shall reproue & brynge in confusyon the prudence of prudent men of this worlde. In whyche wordes god Ioyneth [...]ogyders sapience & prudence of this world. shewyng y ^t they ne yet ony of them. ledeth or helpeth man to hys perfyte ende And forw ^t sheweth thapostle in y ^• same place. what sapience. & what prudence it is. y ^• redily ledeth man [Page] to his perfyte ende. y ^t he ne erre abowte the ende. ne yet in meanes to y ^• same. ¶It plesyd god sayth the apostle. by prechyng of his holy gospell & wysdom ther w ^t in conteyned [...]at the worlde acoūtyd folyss­nes. euerlastyngly to saue all tho. whiche therunto geue fast & stronge fayth. accordyng vnto the wor­des of our sauyour. in y ^• laste chapytre of Marke. Preche ye sayde Cryste to his discyples my gospell to all men & wȳmen. say ye vnto them / y ^• he whi­che truly bileuyth & is baptized. shalbe euerlastyngly saued / ¶So y ^t in the scrypture of god is wryten true wysdom conteynyng perfyte prudence. & per­fyte sapience Prudence to directe euery man in this worlde lyuynge. y ^• he erre not in worldly actes & be­sinesse. Sapience / y ^• he erre not in his finall ende. & truthes to the same required. Fulgens in his sermon of Confessours this shewyth at large ¶In holy scrypture is conteyned both mylke for yonge chyl­dn. & substancyall meete for men / y ^t is to saye (easy lernyng for begȳners: & profoūde wisdom for men of cūnynge) It folowyth. there is doctryne conuenyent. for eueri aege. for euery state. for eueri condicōn & [...] ̄ / This holy & ghostly wisdom was it. y ^t good fads euer desyred to haue. y ^t they with lyghte. mygh­te passe thrugh this worlde in suche astates as the [...] stode on. wythoute errour or offence to god. and fynally theyr supernaturall ende. to whyche ende. y ^• wysdome of the worlde myghte neuer lede the ha­uer / ¶ As of Salomon▪ we rede in the thyrde [Page] boke and thyrde chapytre of the kynges. whyche cō maūded by god to aske him what petycōns he wol de & it sholde be grauntyd. askyd of god on̄ly wysdom to ordre hymself & his people to goddis pleysure god gaue hym wysdom aboue all mortall men / as appereth in the fourth chapitre of the same bo­ke. ¶Almyȝty god sayth he gaue vnto Salomon plenteuous abundance of sapience & prudence. And wyth this wysdom. came generally all other profitable goodes. ¶The wysdome of this prynce was so grete. that the people of ferre countrees came to seke hym. & lerne of hym wysdom: Some in Iugementes Some to ordre well theyr reames or hous­holdes. some to ordre themselfe to goddis pleysure / In somoche that (regina Saba) the noble pryncesse heryng the merueyllous wysdom of Salomon. ca­me out of ferre countrees. to here & lerne of his wysdom / as it is open the thyrde boke of the kynges y ^e x. chapytre / ¶Of whyche apperyth that this ghostly & godly wysdom of olde tyme was gretly desy­rid of grete men. of meane men. of eueri astate / For by this wysdom they myghte ordre all theyr lyues to goddis pleysure. knowe theyr ende. atteyne theyr ende. not be ignoraunt ne yet erre abowte theyr en­de. ne meanes to the same / This worlde is goon & in effecte tornyd vp & downe / For where somtyme men [...]oughte for ghostly wysdom to saue theyr soules. Now laboureth eueri man in effecte for world­ly wysdom / For now from the hyghest to the low­est. [Page] euery man studyeth in auarice. and from y ^e pro­phete to the preeste euery man dooth gyle & sleyght Ieremy. the. vi. chapytre. yf they labour for wysoo me of cūnynge & knowlege as dyde Phylosophres of whom I spake aboue. of whom sayth the apos­tle the fyrste chapytre of the fyrste epistle to y ^e Co­rinthees ¶Iewes aske sygnes & Grekes wysdom somwhat were it. ye & somwhat cōmendable were it. For after Aristotles cūnynge & wysdom is. acoū tid amonge goodes honourable / But this wysdom is goon. also. Men force neyher of ghostly wysdom ne yet of seculare wysdom. callyd scyence & cūnyn­ge / But on̄ly wyse men ben acounted in this worlde. whiche can fynde subtyll & crafty meanes to gete goodes. playne falsnesse in englysshe / ¶Whoos ende is euerlastynge dethe. and god is glorifyed in theyr confusyon whyche sauour alle of the worlde. wryten to the Philipenses the thyrde chapytre / ¶Now to my purpoos. I saye this man Ihūs fi­lius Sirach of laudable memory. was conuenyently callyd Ihūs. an helper or sauer of the people by his grete wysdom. whyche wysdom / what worldly nay ghostly. He fyrst taughte. & thenne left in wrytyng. wherby man may duely ordre his lyfe to hys ende naturall & supernaturall. & neyther to be ig­noraunt ne erre abowte the same. or ony of the sa­me. as in the processe of the boke namyd Ecclesiasticꝰ of his wrytynge and translacion as I sayd a­aboue playnly dooth appere. In whyche boke sa­yth [Page] saynt Ierom. this holy fader ledyth and per­suadyth men in this mortall lyfe to the zele and loue of wysdom / as wysdom conteyneth all vertues / Soo that in the techynge and declarynge of wys­dom. he taughte all vertues / and how man sholde euery maner wyse lyue vertuously / wherby he my­ghte redily and surely atteyne his ende. and therof erre ne fayle.

Now is there here shewed you from the begynnynge of thre men of laudable memory conuenyently namyd by this name Ihūs / for eche of them in his tyme. was an helper or sauer of the people. The tyrste by power. The seconde by obedyence. And y ^• thyrde by wysdom / as it hath now be declaryd: yet was ther none of y ^• thre ( [...]p̄e thūs qui a [...]pinquās that ꝓū illis) The same Ihūs whyche nyghynge. walkyd with mankynde / but rather fygures or ser [...]aūtes of the same Ihūs. of the essenciall Ihūs. of the very true Ihūs / whyche is the sone of god and man / ¶And that I shewe this / For where as eche of theym was conuenyently namyd Ihūs. that is to say [...]. an helper or sauer of the people by vertues perticulare / as that one was by power. that other by obedyence / and the thyrde by wysdom / Yet was there not one of thyse thre. whyche had alle thyse vertues / neyther ony of theym plenarily / but by partycipacyon of oure Ihūs Cryste / ¶Of whoos fulnesse and abundaunce we all haue receyued dyuers vertues and manyfolde gracyous yeftes. the fyrste [Page] chapytre. of Iohn. Ihūs Naue had power: but (al mensurā) at a melure. Ihūs Iosedech had obedy­ence: but (and mensurā) So had Ihūs Sirach wisdom (ad mensuram) in a mesure as god gaue vnto hym / Būt Ihūs Cryste was (plenus g [...]e & verita­tis) the fyrst chapytre of Iohn. almyghty of power perfyte of obedyence. And full. ye infenyte of wys­dom. So that y ^• same our Ihūs gaue power is Io­sue. obedyence to Ihūs Iosedech. And ghostly wys­dom to Ihūs Sirach / ¶For at his hyghe worde al thynges were made: He cōmaūdid. & all creatures were create & brought forth of nought. the. C. xlviij psalme / Thenne of this▪ Ihūs our sauyour Cryste purpoos I to talke wyth his mercy (Om̄ ip̄e [...]hūs aꝓpinquans that cū illis) The same Ihūs nygh­yng walkyd wyth mankynde. ¶In whyche wordes I sayd there be two partyes to be declaryd. conteynynge two notable truthes. The fyrste is. y ^• the same Ihūs hath nyghed to mankynde. The seconde is. that the same Ihūs hath walkid with man­kynde / And of thyse two. foloweth as a corelary. y ^• thirde trouth. that the same Ihūs hath fynally brought mankynde to euerlastyng reste in heuen. and in this hath shewed himself to be very Ihūs. y ^• perfyte sauyour of mankynde. ¶He nyghed I saye to mankynde (ꝑ potenciā) by his almyghty power. He walkyd w ^t man (ꝑ obediēciā) by perfyte obedyence And fynally broughte man to reste & blysse (ꝑ sa­pienciā) by his Infinyte wysdom. Fyrste I say our [Page] sauiour Ihūs hath nyghed to mankynde by his almyghty power thre wayes (creando. nascendo. mi [...] ­nistrando) by his acte of creacōn. by his acte of In­carnacōn. & by his holy mynystracōn. whyche thre w ^t our lordis mercy I shal shewe you in this fyrst party. And wyth all. how mankynde hath euer & contynually be way warde. & goo from god. ¶Of whiche wyl appere the goodnesse of god. & the vn­kyndnesse of man. ¶Fyrst I say our sauyour Cryste nyghed vnto man by his almyghty power in y ^• acte of creacōn / To whoos declaracōn I shal shew you thre conclusyons. Fyrste wherin stondeth y ^• acte of creacion. Seconde y ^t Ihūs Crys [...]e the eternall sone of god the fader. excersyced & shewed this acte as well on man. as on al other creatures. And, thyrde how in executynge of this acte. he nyghed vnto man. ¶Fyrste in this party. ye shall vnderstonde / that (c [...]eare est ex nichilo aliꝙ facere) after the ma­yster of the sentence in the begynnyng of the seconde boke. The acte of creacyon is to brynge forth a substaunce of noughte. that is to say. of no thynge forgoynge. ne matere. ne fourme. / This is callyd properly the acte of creacōn after the mayster. all be it largely taken Creacōn maye be where as is ma­tere forgoynge in makynge a newe fourme of no­ughte / As the resonable soule of man is dayly crea­te of god. And ryseth not ony power of the ma­tere syth by creacōn she is infoundyd from god in to the body of man. and in her infusion she is crea­te [Page] of god / ¶This acte of creacōn oonly appertey­neth vnto almyghty power. or power of itself infi­nyte / Soo that no lymyte ne determynate power. maye ony wyse in this acte of creacyon / that is to brynge forthe oughte ofnoughte. Sayde therfore gentyll philosofers oonly consyderynge determynate & lymyte powers / That of noo thynge. can noo thynge be made. ne euery thynge: of euery thynge / but of determynate thyng [...]s: maye other determy­nate thynges be broughte forth / so that they deny­ed creacōn. and put oonly naturall produccōn. And no wond though they this wyse erryd / for they neyther consydred ne yet graunted ony almyȝty pow­wer. ne actually Infinyte / For after theyr oppy­nyons. there is no thynge actually infinyte / But surely they vanysshyd & erryd in theyr thouhtes. they were amasyd in theyr myndes not knowyng their almyghty maker whiche made al creatures of no­ughte. / It is not that thynge that I woll dyspute wyth them / ¶But to vs all of crystis relygyon & holy fayth: ynough it is to confesse that there is an acte of creacōn / whyche is to brynge forth a substaunce of no matere fore goynge. and that immedy­atly / Whyche acte is the acte of all myghty power oonly to god belongyng. The mayster of the sen­tence the fyrste distynccōn of the seconde boke this declareth. puttynge there dyuersyte atwyxe Creare & Facere. creacōn & faccōn. ¶Creatour sayth he is whyche of noo thynge makyth somwhat. so y ^t this [Page] act of creacōn properly is to make ought of nought Facere. y ^• is to make. it is not oonly to make ony thynge of nought: but of some fore goynge matere. So y ^• bothe angell & man ben namyd Factours / but not creatours / For this name of creacōn is on̄ly to god belongynge. whiche makyth some thynges of nought: And som̄ thynges he makyth of ought y ^t is to saye of a matere forgoyng. all be it in holy [...]crypture. thyse names ben often take. the one for y ^• other. as the creatour for the factour. ye & many tymes the factour for the creatour. ¶Thenne haue we fyrste in this party. wherin stondeth the acte of creacōn: I saye in the acte of almyghty power. whiche is to bryng forth ought of nought. on̄ly to god belongynge. ¶The seconde conclusyon is in this party to be declaryd. y ^t our eternall Ihūs. the sone naturall of god the fader euerlastynge. excersyced this acte or dede of creacōn / This trouthe declaryd Moyses the grete prophete of god. Gen. prio. y ^e firste chapitre of Gen) (In principio inqd creauit deꝰ celū & terrā) Almyghty god sayth he. fader. sone. & holy ghost. thre persones. & one god at the begynȳ ­ge made heuen & erth of nought ¶Of whiche wordes apereth. y ^t the outwarde ac [...] or dedes of y ^• holy trynyte be indiuisible. & therfor is this act of creacyon. rather sayd her of a terme essēcial than ꝑsonal as whan Moyses sayth. god create & not y ^e fad. son̄ & holy ghost And yet the fader dyde create. so dyde the sone. & so dyde the holy ghost. And yet not thre [Page] creatours / [...]t on̄e creatour. as not thre almyghte [...] but one almyghty. ne thre goddis / but one god. ¶y ^• and on [...] man doubte where thys acte of creacōn: be to the sone of god Ihū Criste apperteynynge & be­longynge / as to true crysten men is no doubte: goo to the gospell of Iohn. & there ye shall fynde it playnly expressyd. Fyrste by his secretary saynt Iohn. & after by hymself / Saynt Iohn purposyng to de­clare of Crystys holy diuynyte. begynneth in thys wyse (In principio erat verbū. et ve [...]bū erat apud deū. & deus erat verbū) The sone of god sayth he was euerlastyngly in the fader. with the fader. and one god with the fader. To stonde moche in declaracōn of this letter. I truste it nedyth not / For eue­ry good crysten man here vnderstondeth. y ^• verbū) is Ihūs Cryste the eternall sone of god. of whom folowyngly in the same chapitre sayth saynt Iohn (Ex verbū caro factū est & habitauit in nob, The sone of god eternall is become man sayth he & ha­the gracyously made his habitacōn w ^t vs. / Whan saynt Iohn had sayd. deꝰ erat verbū) The sone of god was euerlastyngly god. it folowith (hoc erat in principio apud deū) Vppon whyche wordes sayth Hillarius the holy bysshop / as though saynt Iohn sholde saye / This essenciall worde or sone of god y ^• fader. was neuer from god the fader separate ne diuyded / Thenne to shewe his almyȝty power egall wyth the fader: he addyth forthwyth Oia ꝑ ip̄m facta (sūt) Alle creatures sayth he were create by the [Page] sone of god. The apostle callyth hym therfore in y ^• fyrste chapytre to the Hebrees. the bryghtnes & glory of the fader. bi whom the fader creatyd all crea­tures. ¶Oour sauyour Cryste hymself declareth y ^• same. the fy [...]the chapytre of Iohn. My fader sayth he werketh vnto now. and I werke vnto now. He­re sayth saynt Austyn. as though Cryst sholde say. By me all thynges be made. The fader of heuen made lyghte: but he sayenge made it / yf he sayd & made lyghte: thenne folowyth that bi his worde he made it. And I am his eternall worde. thenne by me he made lyghte / My fader thenne wroughte & made whan he create the worlde. & vnto now wer­kyth in guydynge the worlde / Thenne foloweth y ^t by me he made whan he made. and by me he guy­dith whan he guydeth. ¶Thenne haue we here in this party fyrste wherin stondeth the acte of creaci­on. where is shewed In om̄ipotencia) in almygh­ty power. to brynge forth a substaunce of no thyng ought of nought. ¶Seconde in this party is shewed. that this acte of almyghty power. Ihūs Cryste wyth the fader. & the holy ghost one god. shewed & put in execucōn in y ^• formacōn & fyrste makyng of all creatures. ¶Now folowyngly & thyrde in thys party. shal I shewe you / & this processe is specyally to be notyd. how by thys acte of creacōn & almygh­ty power: our Sauyour Cryste nyghed vnto man­kynde / Where ye shall vnderstonde That by thys acte of creacōn. he nyghed vnto mankynde dyuers­ly. [Page] That is to saye bothe generally and specyally / Ge [...]erally / for as he lefte in alle creatures (vestigi­um) a sygne or a [...]oken of hys hondwerke. So left he in mankynde a sygne of his handwerke. as in famylyar ensample / Yf a man steppe in snowe or sonde. after his departyng remayneth a steppe. So after the act of creac [...]n remayneth behynde y ^• hond werke of god in the creature. Sygnefyenge that god is therof the dooer / This is a generall nyghinge of god to all creatures / For in all creatures app [...] ryth his handwerke. that they ben of god create & made / ¶But in this acte of creacōn of man. apperyth how specyally god hath nyghed vnto man bi his almyghty power. For where as in all creatures he lefte destigium) a generall sygne or token. In man he lefte ouer thys (ymaginem & similitudin [...] suam his propre ymage & symylitude. The fyrste chapytre of Genes. sayd god the fader vnto the sone & the holy ghost. ¶Make we man to our ym a­ge & symplytude. And it folowyth Almyghty god create man vnto his ymage and symylitude. A g [...] te dignyte is this / yf it were dylygently consydryd Wherin this ymage and symplitude stondeth D [...] dareth the mayster of the sentence the .xvi. dy [...]y [...]ccōn of the seconde boke. ¶Man sayth he was ma­de to the ymage and symylytude of god in his sou­le. wherin he excellyth alle vnresonable creatures / But to the ymage of god was he made by reason of his memory. vnderstondynge. and wyll. To the [Page] symylitude of god. by reason of Innocency. Iustyce and other vertues morall. in whiche man was made and created by the alle myghty power of god. in his soule. of goddys goodnesse. not of or fore ony mannys decerte or merytes / Thenne here appereth That by this act of creacōn. god gretly nyghed vnto man bothe generally & specyally. ¶Ye and ouer this. god dyuerse wayes nyghed vnto man by thys sayde acte of creacion. as that god thenne beganne fyrste to be lorde vnto man. and man seruaunt vn to god / As declareth saynt Iohn Crisostom in a sermon begynnynge. ¶The dygnyte of mannes condycyon is soone knowen. dylygently consydred the sublymyte and heyghte of god his maker. & [...].

¶Ouer this god nyghed vnto mankynde [...]per il­lapsum gracie specialis▪ bi his inspyred grace. to al men generally in geuynge vnto them the lawe of kynde / wryten in enery mannys herte. and stondinge in thyse pryncyples / that is to saye▪ Do vnto thi neyghbour as thou woldest be doon vnto / And doo to noo man that thynge whyche thou woldest not it were doon vnto the / ¶Ye but to some men god gaaf specyall grace / as to that Iust and ryghtwys­man Abel. the fyrste cheyf & pryncypal membre of his cytee in erthe. and to other faders. his electe and chosen predestynate seruauntes. whyche alle stode in his specyall grace. and acceptable fauoure. For they yeldid vnto hym theyr creatour kyndnesse for kyndnesse / ¶Who so lust well and studyously con­sydre [Page] the ordre of holy scrypture vnto the Incarna­cion of our sauyour Cryste Ihesu / where I shal de­clare how he nyghed vnto man by the acte of hys Incarnacion: shall moost plenteuously fynde. how from the fyrste of the creacyon of man. oure moost mercyfull lorde Ihūs Cryste our sauyour / as the tyme passyd from the fyrste creacyon of the worlde. euer more & more nyghed vnto mankynde. leuyng wyth hym certeyn remembraunce and tokens that his mercyful lorde god had ben with man. vysyted man. and wyth his manyfolde graces nyghed vn­to man / For by cause man sholde agayn▪ nyght vnto hym. and yelde vnto hym kyndnesse for kynd­nesse / ¶ As to Abrahaam he gaaf Circumsicion signaculum fidei) A very and perfyghte token of true fayth whyche man sholde beere vnto hrs lorde god. The seuententh chapitre of Genes. god wonderly and kyndly nyghed vnto man by this mystery / For this was a very sacrament takynge awaye orygynall synne. As now dooth the sacrament of of Baptysme. exceptynge that Circūmsicion dyde not open the gates of heuen / For as atte that tyme the pryce was not payed of our sauiour Crist-Ihūs moost precyous blood and dethe / ¶This declareth and shewyth the mayster of the sentence. the fyrste dystynccyon of the fourth boke.

¶God also gaue after this by his holy prophete Moyses a lawe wryten to makynde as playnly dooth appere in the Penteteuch. In the whyche [Page] lawe he nyghed vnto man very gretly / For in this he taughte man what he shold leue / what he shold take / what he sholde refuce / what he sholde folow. & what he sholde fle. How man-sholde please god wyth sacrifyces acceptable / whan̄e he were vnclene or had offended / as y ^• bokes of Leuiticꝰ & Numeri doth shewe. Ye. & in this nyghynge of god to man he nygheth [...] men specyally / as to Moyses. to whom our [...] spake very famyliarly / as fren­de to frende. Whyche after holy doctours exposycōn was in some hyghe creatur. the. xxxiiii. chapytre of Exodꝰ / And from this tyme forwarde towarde his holy Incarnacōn. god euer nighed vnto mankyn­de more & more. leuynge in dyuerse hys seruauntes specyall tokens. that he had be wyth them / whyche tokens remayne vnto this day / & shal vnto y ^• worldes ende / As the hyghe lyght of prophecy. & certen knowlege of thynges to come. In especyall the mistery of his Incarnacōn with sequeles of the same. ¶Here is now declaryd how oure sauyour Cryste Ihūs hath nyghed to mankynde by his almyghty power in the acte of creacion. as well of man as of all other creatures. & soo vnto the tyme of his holy Incarnacōn. how he nyghed to man more & more. leuyng contynually with man tokens that he had be wyth hym. vysyted hym. & doon a [...]es helpynge to the saluacōn of man / Of whyche well appere [...]h y ^• grete kyndnes of god shewed vnto man. ¶Now in the other syde. god was neuer so towardly. ne so [Page] nyghynge vnto man fro the begynnyng: but man hath euer ben as vntowardly to god. & weywarde from him. and that shewe I this. God I sayd ny­ghed to man by the acte of creacōn. syth he lefte in mankynde (vestigium) as four me or effecte of hys hond werke: but allo he left in man his propre. ymage & symylitude as I shewed aboue / by whythe y­mage & symylitude. man myght suffyciently ordre hymself to god. yeldyng to hym kyndnesse for kȳd nesse / But forth with man was vnkynde. & alway warde from god: and loste his symylitude bi synne Et in ymagīe ꝑtransit homo) the. xxxviij. psalme Man now passeth thrugh this worlde in the yma­ge of god: but his symylytude hath he loste. Vppon whyche wordes y ^• prophete sayth Cassiodor / (Man passith in this worlde) And true it is: syth in thys worlde we haue noo dwellynge cyte / But where in passyth man: surely in the ymage of god / And where is y ^t holy symylitude of god to whyche man was create: Where ben the vertues: where is grace: wher ben other holy gyftes whyche lede man to euerlas­tyng lyf: surely the wretchyd man by his synne lost all this. whan he fell in to y ^• hondes of theues: whiche robbyd man: woūdyd man. & left hym but halfe a lyue. Man was robbyd from his gyftes of grace: & sore woundyd in his naturall gyftes. in som [...] che that fro the fote vnto the heed was in man no helthe / And yet that lytyll that was of ony vertue or perfeccion. in the ymage it was vnderstondyng [Page] memory. and wyll remayne soryly and full of affeccōns. as we se in dayly experyence / But Innocency Iustice. & vertue be goon by synne. whyche causeth suche abundace of wyckydnesse. as in thys worlde cōtinually reyneth / but as man is remedy (in aqua & sp̄usancto) in y ^e water of baptym. & the holy ghoste in the same receyued. ¶Agayn I sayd that god nyghed to man. geuyng hym for a token of the same. the lawe of kynde. To loue thy neyghbour as thyself. Caym wolde none of this token: but wronge from god. slewe his innocent brother Abel. And where he sholde haue nyghed vnto god agayne: he fled from the face of god. as it is open the fourth chapytre of Gen: and thenne dwellyd he in y ^e lon­de callyd Nayde. by Interpretacion callyd fluctua­cōn. or vnstablynesse. And full conuenyently sayth saynt Ierom in his epistle to Damasus. of y ^•. vij. vengaūces of Caym / For he so departe & go from god sayth he: Anone his fete ben mouyd. that is to saye. his affeccōns. and in al [...]his wayes is made vnstable / ¶Of this folowyth a corelary or a mo [...]all erudycōn and lernynge. Whyche is so saye. y ^• syn­ners departyd from god: be very Inconstaunt and ryghte chaungeable of theyr condycyons and ma­ners. But and yf that this be true. it sholde seme That many one are separate and departyd from god in this mortall worlde. And sholde seme that there ben many synners / For moche Inconstaunce is there in mennys condycyons and maners. and [Page] moche chaunge in theyr clothynge. The one fol [...] ­wyth of the other comynly / For where as mennes myndes ben inconstaunt to god or man. to y ^• prynce or the comyn weele: there is neuer certente ne fastenesse. Take this as ye lyst: but sure it is. y ^• synne & departyng from god is euer full of vnstablinesse Thenne where so euer is moche vnstablynesse. sygne it is. y ^• men ben fled from god & woll not nyghe vnto hym. as he doth to them. so they yelde vnkyndenesse for kyndnesse. ¶I sayd ouer this. that god nyghed vnto man geuyng hym a law [...]ryten bi Moyses. willynge to be knowen for his god. for his lorde [...] for his maker. sayenge vnto man / Thou shalt geue adoracōn vnto thy lorde god. and wyth this seruyce. serue hym oonly. Ye shall not make vnto you goddis of god. ne of syluer / For I am on̄ ly god. the. xix. chapytre of Exodꝰ / ¶Came Ieroboham the sone of Nabath. & sayd playnly that god was strange vnto him in this cōmaundement / and was not so famylyare wyth man. ne so nyghe vn­to hym as he sholde be / And fyndynge a newe fals way. made two calfes of golde. the. xij. chapytre of the thyrde boke of kynges. And sayd vnto the children of Israel (Ascende ye no more in to Ier [...]m.) y ^• glose) there to. do. worshyp vnto god For in Ierlm was the temple of Salomon / in whiche almyghty god was solempnely honoured. Thenne folowyth in the same place the wordes of Ieroboham vnto the people▪ Beholde Israel. thyse ben thy goddys [Page] whyche delyuerde the from the seruytude of Egypte. & [...]) By this meane he broughte the poore foles to ydolatry / And where as they sholde haue geuen vnto god (cultū late) honour oonly due vnto god / they chaungid sayth Dauid the prophete the glory of god in to the symylitude of a calfe etynge haye. ¶This was not the fyrste vnkyndnes & way warnes of ydolatry that I rede in scrypture. by whyche god nyghynge to man was vnkyndely caste from hym / For I fynde that bothe Abraham & Tha [...]e. Moyses & Aaron wyth many other holy faders. were wyth this wretchydnesse of ydolatry greuous­ly trowblyd / But of Ieroboham I brynge this in especyall / For he mayntenyd & bare out the mater & sayd playnly That thyse were the grete Ioddys that had doon to them all theyr grete benefytes / y ^t brought them out of seruitute. & put them in to li­berte. And in remembraunce herof. he sett [...] one of thyse ydolles in Bethel. & a nother in Dan. why­che after Rabi Salomon ben two hylles distyncte. The one in the south party. & the other in the nor­the party. where the. x. tribus dwellyd / that from y ^• mydyll partyes of the same. the people myghte att theyr pleysure vysyte that. or y ^• ydoll / ¶Thys was tuyn a meane to drawe (mobile wlgus) the Incon­staunt people. to be vnkynde to god their maker. & lene vnto the deuyll theyr distroyer: And to brynge his purpoos abowte: somwhat more dyde he / as folowith in the letter [...] [...]m̄ fecit sacerdotes de extre­mis [Page] pp [...]i qui' non erat de filij [...] leui) He made sayth the glose preestes of euery trybe indifferently / For so it was The tribe of Leui wold not consente to his ydolatry / wherfore he sayd vnto the people That it neded not take preestis oonly of the tribe of Leui But it was suffycyent: That who so euer cowde offre a solempne sacrifyce as Aaron dide in his cō ­secracōn. that suche one myghte be preest wel yno­ugh. she forsyd not what prest he toke to make his sacrifyce. were he good. were he bad. of whatso euer kynne or condicōn he was. cūnynge or no cūnynge al was one wyth him. And in sygne of this I sayd he toke (sacerdotes de extremis ppli) I trowe y ^• bes [...]e englysshe here to He toke his preestes of y ^• worste of the people. ¶God cōmaundyd. there sholde be no preest in his lawe. ne mynystre his sacrifyce: but he were of the tribe of Leui. The. v [...]ij. chapytre of Numeri. leui by Interpretacōn is asmoche to saye / as Assūptus / electe or chosen of god / So there shold no man presume to take the dygnyte of preesthode but he were callyd & chosen of god. Thapostle this commaundeth the. v. chapytre to the Hebrees (Noo man sayth he presume to take on hym the honour of preesthode but he y ^• is callyd of god as was Aa­ton / ¶ That and this were true in the olde lawe where was offrid oonly blood of bestes That ther sholde noo man take on hym the offyce of preest­hode but he were chosin and callyd by god / as was Aaron and the Leuites / How moche more in oure [Page] newe lawe. where is dayly off [...]yd vnto god for synners. the very flesshe and blode of our sauyour Criste Ihesu. sholde noo man presume the offyce of preesthode / but he were elected and chosen by god to that ryght excellent offyce and dygnyte / For as the sacryfyce of y ^• newe lawe Incomperably excedyth all the sacryfyce of the olde lawe: Soo sholde the mynystre in holynesse. excede the mynystre of the olde. lawe. ¶I sayd. that Ieroboham in takyn­ge preestys (de extremis populi) of the worste of the people contrari to the cōmaundement of god: bro­ughte by theyr meanes the people to declyne and torne from god. whyche ryght often had nyghed vnto them by his manyfolde graces and benefytes as playnly declar [...]th Moyses (in exodo) and so for­warde / And not oonly by thyse euyll preestys were the people tornyd from almyghty god: But ouer this. tornyd were they to fals goddys: geuynge vn­to them (actum latrie [...] [...]ur whiche oonly belon­gyth vnto god. contra [...] dyrectly to the grete com­maundement of god / as it is aboue manyfestid / & in many places of the olde lawe playnly doth apere / ¶That in somoche and thyse euyl preestys not chosen electe thenne of god: but by byenge and sel­lynge. and dyuers & many [...] meanes / causid in this manere wyse the [...] erre from almyȝty god theyr maker by ydola [...] Moche more I thynke. that our euyll prestys in y ^e newe lawe. not chose. ne assūpte of god / yf ony suche be, brynge [Page] the people in to scisme & heresy. as well bi theyr ig­noraunce: as by theyr euyll condycōns. I truste the [...] ben not many-suche / of some I fere me. Criste had but .xij. apostles: & yet one of theirn was the chylde of perdicō [...] / And therfore no wōder is it: though in suche a multytude as we ben. there ben some chyl­dren of the deuyll. & of perdicō [...]. God amende all. I woll accuse no man ¶I sayd ouer this. y ^• oure Ihūs Cryste ayenst the tyme of his holy, Incarna­cōn nyghed vnto mankynde gretly: leuynge wyth hym a notable token of the same / whyche was the lyghte & spyryte of prophecy: wherby holy faders knewe the suretee of Crustis comyng in to our kȳ ­de. ¶Amonge many prophetes Ysay in especyall / ¶There shall goo forth sayth he a rodde of y ^• ro­te, of Iesse: & a precyous floure shall ascende of that rote: the .xi. chapytre of Ysai. But for this was som what derkly spoken & in an allegory. he more pla­ynly by the lyghte of prophecy in him inspyred: ex­pressyd the same comynge of Criste in to our kyn­de / sheynge how he sholde be borne of a vyrgyn / ¶Beholde sayth Ysai. a vyrgyn shall conceyu [...] & beere a sone / whoos name shalbe callyd (god is to vs) the .vij. chapytre. Daniel the prophete by his to ken lefte wyth hym: shewed in the. xij. chapytre of his boke / whan our sauyour Cryste sholde come. ¶After sayth he tyme: & tymes and halfe a tyme / all thyse trouthes of Cryste forsay [...] shall be acom­plysshid. Baruch the the thyrde chapytour of this [Page] bo [...]e declared the condycōns of Ihū Cryste in our nature. thenne to come / as though he had be come in dede ¶After this sayth Baruch Crist was seen in this erthe. and conuersaunt was he wyth man / And so forth of other prophetes. Eueryman spake of Crystis comynge / after the lyghte & token lefte wyth hym by god / So that in genynge this lighte of prophecye: and certen knowlege of his mysteries to come: god nyghed wonderly to man. ¶The deuyll seenge this: enuyed the mate [...]e. and besyed h [...] ­self to torne away man from god / that man shold not yelde kyndnesse for kyndnesse. ne [...]orne to god. & nyghe vnto hym / as was his duc [...]y. / And what dyde trowe ye the deuyll to brynge hys purpoos a­bowte I shall goo sayth he. & I woll be a lyenge spiryte in the mouth of all my prophete [...]) the. xxij. chapytre in the thyrde boke of kynges / And where as almyghty god lyghted his holy prophetes wyth trouth: The deuyll inpressyd in his prophetes lyes and falshede to flatere. and to disceyue the people / This openly aperyth in the same chapytre [...]yng Achab sayd of Miche y ^e prophete of god (that Mi­che neuer prophecyed. or foresayd good vnto hym) He tolde Achab the trouth. that & he. werred in Ramoth Galaade. he. sholde be slayne. & neuer retor­ne agayn. ¶Yf euer sayd Miche to Achab thou re [...]orn home in peas: god hath not spoken in me. Fo­ur hundrid prophetes of the deuylles were th [...]e w [...] Achab. whiche lyed vnto him. and sayd ¶Ascende [Page] in to Ramoth Galaad. fyghte with them / for god shall geue Ramoth in to thy hondes. Accordynge vnto their flaterynge he went vnto the werre / And accordynge vnto the sayenge of Miche. there was he slayne wyth an arowe / ¶From suche false pro­phetes. Flatterers in englysshe. our lorde saue oure prynce. his londe. and vs all. Moche myscheyf ha­ue they doon in tymes passyd / and yet doo they no good / For suche woll saye That all is well whan they knowe the contrary. Worthy lytyll thankes is suche one / For he entendyth to disceyue / For after Ysai in the thirde chapytre. The people whiche cō mende the dysceyue the) ¶Here is now declaryd vnto you. how that our sauyour Ihūs Crist hath nyghed vnto mankynde bi his almyghty power in the acte of creacion / where I haue shewed you. that he hath contynually lefte tokens wyth mankynde of his nyghynge vnto hym / As fyrste his ymage & symylytude / Thenne the lawe of kynde, and other specyall graces. After that Circūsicion. Thenne y ^• lawe wryten / And fynally the lyghte of prophecye And all thyse wayes he nyghed to man. to the en­tent that man sholde agayn nyghe vnto hym. loue hym. And yelde vnto him kyndnesse for kyndnesse That is it. that god in especyall desyreth of man / For of our goodes he hath no nede. the. xv. psalme. Now how waye warde man hathe be vnto god for alle his kyndnesse. And for eche of the same som­what haue I shewed you.

[Page] ¶Seconde in this party of the nyghynge of god to man by his almyghty power. I sayde was by his ryght hyghe and myghty acte of his holy and most blessyd Incarnacion / whanne the sone of god became man and dwellyd wyth vs in oure kynde. The fyrste chapytre of Iohn. ¶To talke moche of this matere of Crystis Incarnacōn. is to al syn­ners bothe peryllous and moche dredefull / In as moche as saynt Iohn Baptist. the frende of the spowse durste not this presume / As it is open of his owne wordes in the fyrste chapytre of Iohn in thise wordes. ¶After me sayth saynt Iohn comyth by temporall natyuytee Ihūs Cryste god & man / whyche was byfore me in excellence of euerlastyn­ge dygnytee / whoos shoo I am vnworthy to lose / Vppon the whyche wordes sayth saynt Gregory (Iohn Baptist the humble and meke seruaūt. and true frende vnto Cryste. consyderynge hys hyghe and excellent dygnytee. sayth of hym in this wyse) ¶Saynt Iohn Baptist was vnworthy to lose y ^• welte of Crystis shoo / For he was Insuffysaunt to Inuestigate the mysterye of his Incarnacion / As though he sholde playnly saye (What wonder is it though Ihūs Cryste be to me preferryd in digny­te / whom I knowe well bi temporall natyuyte bo [...] ne after me. syth I can not attayne the secretes of his Incarnacion) ¶Thenne in so moche as thys holy frende of god. the grettest man in vertue and holynesse that euer was borne bytwyxe man and [Page] woman. durste not presume to treate in this hyghe mystery of Cryste Ihūs blessyd Incarnacion: Moche lesse sholde all synners presume the same. ¶I shall therfore in thys matere noo thynge talke by waye of determynacōn / But wyth all reuerence & honoure. shewe and declare vnto you thre truthes after my lytyll lernynge. ¶Fyrst wherin stondeth this hyghe acte of Lryst Ihūs Incarnacōn. ¶Seconde that this acte. is an acte of the almyghty po­wer of god ¶And thyrde. how in this acte. our sa­uyour Cryste Ihūs nyghed vnto mankynde. / As to y ^• fyrste. wherin slondeth this acte of Lrys [...]ts In carnacōn: ye shall vnderstonde / ¶That whan the full abundaūce of the tyme of grace was come. a­cordynge to the hyghe counsell of the holy trynyte. From for euer determyned. The holy trynyte sent downe the seconde persone of the same / And toke our nature in the wombe of the gloryouse vyrgyn our lady saynt Mary in to the vnyte of hys perso­ne. w [...] out consent of man. without spotte of wēme of synne. Accordyng to the wordes of holy Gabri­el in y ^• fyrst chapitre of Luke (The holy ghost sayd tharchangel Gabriel to y ^• blessid virgyn. shal des­cende on the bi y ^• plenteuous abūdance of his grace And the vertue of god shall shadowe the from all synne) ¶So that this acte of Crystis Incarnacōn stondeth herin. y ^• by thanctorite of the hoole trinyte y ^• seconde persone of the same. hath take our nature in to [...] [...]hunite of his ꝑsone. bileue ye this truthe. it is [Page] ynough. it nedith not dispute the matere. ¶Seconde I say / this acte was an acte or dede of the almy­ghty power of god / For as in creacōn of the worlde all thynges were made at goddis o [...]nly worde and cōmaundement / Soo this acte of Incarnacōn was accomplysshed at hys worde. The angell sayenge vnto our lady (Hayle ful of grace. our lord is wyth the) For at goddys power: is no worde impossyble. the fyrste chapytre of Iohn / All be it in this acte of Incarnacōn was had consent of the holy vyrgin / sayeug to Gabriell Beholde me the hondmayde of god: I am contented. Be thy worde in me fulfil lyd. In sygne that this acte was partly preiudic [...] ­all to nature. syth it was don by the almyghty po­wer of god: vsyd she the worde of creacōn. sayenge / Fiat / partly naturall. & of her owne consent / And therfore sayd she (Ecce ancilla dm̄) cōmyttynge her wyll fully vnto the wyll of god / So that this holy chylde. Ihūs Cryste in his temporall byrth. was create by god: & yet the naturall sone of the holy vyr­gyn Mary. And she is naturall moder. god supple ed the offyce of the naturall fader / not by mynystracōn of the sede of man: but rather excercysynge the almyghty power of god the creatour. She dide the offyce of a naturall moder. after saynt Iohn Da­mascene. in mynystrynge the purest dropes of her holy blood. ¶Thyrde is here to be shewed. how in this acte of Incarnacōn. our Ihūs our sauyour. nyghed vnto mankynde / Where ye shal vn [...]stonde [Page] That in this acte. our sauyour more Intrinsecally or more in wardly. ye and more thankfully nyghed vnto mankynde / than euer he dyde before his In­carnacyon / For where as is aboue shewed That in all his nyghynge vnto man before his Incarnacōn he lefte contynually tokens in man. that he had be wyth him / as his ymage. his symylytude. and ma­ny other & dyuers tokens / as Circūcision. the lawe wryten. the lyght of prophecy. and many other graces to drawe man vnto hym as is aboue shewed / & yet hath man contynually be waywarde vnto god and declyned from hym. So it is that in this acte of Incarnacōn. he lefte hymself for a token wyth man / For in takynge our nature in to the vnyte of his persone: he vouchydsauf to Ioyne hymselfe to man. and man to him. that for euer after it sholde be true. that god is man. and man is god / For as sa yth, Iohn Damascene That god ones assumid of man in to the vnyte of his persone. he neuer after lefte or forsoke. / ¶How kynde and thankfull was this nyȝynge of god to man. to assume & take man in to the vnyte of▪ the seconde persone. Shewyth saynt Austin (de verb dn̄i) the. xxxvij. sermon. in trea­tynge thyse wordes conteyned in the. x. chapytre of Luke. of the meke Samaritane. whyche nyghyng curyd the plages of the myserable man. whyche hadr fallen in the hondes of theues. where sayth saynt Austyn in this wyse. / What thyng was the­re euer. soo ferre from other / as god from man. [Page] Immortall from mortall. Ryghtuouse from syn­ner [...]. Gracyouse from wyckyd / Not ferre by dys­taunce of place: but more rather by dyssymylytude of condycyons. whan therfore our mercyfull lorde Cryste Ihūs our sauyour had in hymself two grete goodes. Iustyce. and Immortalyte / And we of mankynde had in vs two grete maladies or euyls Wyckydnesse. and Mortalyte / Yf Cryste Ihūs sholde haue taken on hym both our euylles and mala­dies. he hadr ben but egall wyth vs. And sholde haue nedyd a Redemer as we nedyd / Thenne to the entent that he wold delyuer vs from our mysery & wretchydnesse. he wolde be nyghe vs of condycy­ōns: but not to take all our condycyons / He wolde not therfor be a synner as we ben: but he wolde be­come mortall as we ben / Soo that in takynge our payne of mortalyte: and not takynge our synne: he delyuerde vs bothe from payne and from synne.

¶Thenne is there here shewed. how our sauyour Ihesus Cryste hathe nyghed vnto mankynde by his almyghty power in the moost highe acte of his Incarnacion / where it is shewyd That he is come by this sayd acte so nyghe man. That god is man And man is god. The moost excellent & hyghest dede of grace and kyndnesse was this after saynt Austin. y ^• euer was doon of tyme / For by this gate had man his fyrst entre to heuen. whiche so many thousand yeres was closid out / & yet was man euer froward & vnkȳde to his sauyour. as at his tēporall [Page] Incarnacōn & Natyuyte playnly dyde appere / For where as angels songe. kynges honouryd. sheper­des enjoyed. vertuous men praysed god for his me he comynge in to our kynde. Herode was trowblid & all Ierl̄m w ^t hym. the seconde chapytre of Ma­thu / wheryn sayth saynt Gregory in his Omely (The kynge of heuen borne: the erthly prynce. was trowblyd) and noo wonder / For surely Temporall dignyte is sore confoundyd / whan the dygnyte of heuen doth appere. Herode feeryd Crystis comynge Suspectid his regaly. & without cause Inquyred or [...]rouyde. soughte to distroye hym. He fledr in to E­gyte. There was all y ^• worlde full of ydolatry di­recte contrary to the due honour of god. He cam̄ home agayn. Archelaus layed watche to spylle hym / And as he grewe ferder in to aege: moche contradic­cōn had he accordyng to the prophecy of holy Sy­meon in the seconde chapytre of Luke / Thys is a sygne sayd he of Cryste / whyche in his tyme shall haue moche contradiccōn / So that herof dooth ape [...]. that god was euer to wardes mankynde. & man was contynually waywarde from god. ¶Thyrde & pryncypally in this fyrste party I sa­yd our sauyour Ihūs nyghed vnto mankynde (ministrando) by his holy mynystracōn in, this worlde / And all be it soo. that the perfeccōns of god renne contynually t [...]der. syth they ben in hym Infiny­te. & really one / as his power. his wysdom. his go­denes. and so of other his perfeccōns. Yet ascribe I [Page] thys acte of (apꝓximacion) or nyghynge of god to man. vnto the power of god / For his power hathe in this acte be gretly shewed / So hath his wysdom so hath his goodnesse / All be it not so playnly to y ^• syghte of man / ¶Thenne to my purpose. I layd our sauyour Ihūs Cryste hath nyghed vnto man­kynde by the acte of mynystracōn. accordyng vnto his owne wordes writen. the. xx. chapitre of Ma [...]hu ¶The sone of man sayth criste comyth in to this worlde not be serued / but rather to be a mynystre & serue / And to geue his lyf for the redempcōn of moche people. He sayd not for al: but for many / for his holy dethe toke not in all effecte / & yet was yet for all the worlde suffycient. ¶Thre wayes our sauy­our Cryste in oure kynde. & now Incarnate hathe nyghed to man by his admynistracyon / But what shall I saye: Bodily or ghostly. / For soth to saye y ^• trouth: bothe bodyly & ghostly. all be it. more ghost­ly thanne bodyly / And all hath he doon. that man sholde nyghe vnto hym agayn. & be made one spyryte wyth god. He hath nyghed vnto man I saye thre wayes by thacte of mynystracōn / that is to say (in mynystrynge lyghte. In mynystrynge cure. and in mynystryng his holy sacramentes) ¶For who­se declaracōn ye must vnderstonde That at our sauyours comynge in to this worlde. mankynde had many defawtes / Thre in especyall. whyche lettyd hym to come vnto god non pedibꝰ: (s) sed (morib) moribus) not wyth his fete: but wyth his condicōns. he was blȳ ­de [Page] and myghte not se. Syke. and myghte not goo So vnwyldy & Impotent in euery party. y ^t he cowde in no wyse nyghe. & come vnto god. Now thys defawte our sauyour dyde helpe bi his admynystracōn / ¶Fyrst I saye where man was blynde / what bodyly: Naye rather ghostly by ygnoraunce. mynistryng his holy worde: he lyȝtned gretly the soule of man. thrugh prechynge of his holy worde. he toke fro mankynd ignoraūce / And lyghtnyd hym with the assurid lyȝte of fayth / whiche after saynt. Iohn Crisostom is the very lyghte of mannys soule.

¶To shewe this: I lete you wyte. that man was Create of god. very god: hauynge knowlege necessary of god. of hymselfe. & of other creatures abowte hym / as declareth the mayster the. xx [...]ij. distynccōn of the seconde. Now so it was as is aboue rehercyd Mankynde fell in to the hondes of theues. whyche robbed hym. woundyd hym. and lefte hym but halfe alyue. He fell in to the deuylles hondes & power by consent to synne / They dispoyllyd hym of hys yeftes of grace. and sore woundyd hym in his naturall yeftes / whan he lost the symylytude of god his maker / and in this worlde passid forth in his ymage / In whyche ymage man was sore woundyd / For he had loste Ignoraunce in his vnderstonding Oblyuyon in his memory / And in his wyll dyffy­culte to doo well. ¶Where my sayeng be true / nay I reporte me to yourself. / Whyche is he amonge vs all whyche can excuse hym of Ignoraunce / whyche [Page] can remembre hym of alle his dewetyes and not to forgete ony of them / Whiche hath no dyffyculte ne payne to do well: I deme verily not many in this audieuce. and also I am well assuryd. noo man.

¶Now by this ignoraunce in to whiche man was fallen by synne: He felle in to many other grete in­conuenyencts / As in to ydolatrye agaynst the due honour of god. In to rebellyon agaynst his souereynes and prynces. In to myscheyf and murthur by­twene man and man / In to a thousande Inconuenyences moo than I can reherce or shewe / For af­ter saynt Iohn Crisostom. the. xxv. Omely of his werke Imperfecte on Mathu Ignoraunce is the mo [...]er of errour: And euyll wyll the fader) Then̄e Ioyne thyse two togyders Ignoraunce of trouthe And euyll wyll. to knowe the same / And by al ma nere lyklyhode. errour comyth soone after. A sory kynredr And a ryght wyckyd genelogy. ¶This Ignoraunce. In especyall of thynges necessary to mannys saluacyon. somtyme in scrypture is callyd derkenesse / Somtyme it is callyd. the shadowe of dethe. Also somtyme the ymage of dethe / And som tyme the payn of. synne / So y ^• Ignoraunce I saye of thȳges necessary to m [...]nys saluacōn. hath euer Ioyned w ^t hym. s [...]ne. derknes & deth. ¶Cryst co­myng in to our hȳde. fonde y ^• worlde in derknes & y ^• shadow of deth. & in ignoraunce. & he mynystryd light / For after y ^• wo [...]de of Symeon: he was y ^• very lyȝte to releue all Gentils beyng blynde by synne. [Page] Thenne I saye our san your Cryste gaue lyghte.: What was that: Sothly he declarid his holy fayth to the worlde / whyche as I sayd aboue is the very lyghte of mannys soule. ¶And in sygne that all y ^• worlde sholde be releuyd by the lyghte of his fayth At his temporall byrth. he apperyd. wyth grete ly­ghte / as declareth saynt Luke in the seconde chapy [...]e (At the tyme sayth he of Crystis holy byrth. she peherdes were there in that regyon obseruynge the nyghte watche on theyr flockes. And sodenly y ^• angell of god was amonge them. and the grete clere­nesse of god bryghty dyde beshyne them all abowte) Vppon whyche wordes sayth saynt Gregory (y ^• where in holy scrypture we ofte rede that angelles haue aperyd to holy faders: we neuer rede that thei appered wyth suche lyghte as dyde this holy angel at Crystis byrthe) For full conuenyently sayth sa­ynt. Gregory was this priuylege reseruyd vnto cri­stys natiuyte / whan was bome very lyghte to men syttynge in the derknesse of Ignoraunce & synne / ¶So that as our sauyour came wyth grete lyght in to this roorlde: So by his power in mynystryng his holy worde to the people. he lyghtned mennys soules gretly wyth his fayth. accordynge to the wordes of Dauid the prophete in the. xxiiij. psalme (Nyghe ye vnto god sayth the prophete: & ye shalbe lyghtnyd wyth his fayth / For he nyghed vnto you by mynystracōn of the same lyghte) Thenne thou heretyk how cannest thou excuse thyself. lete se. god [Page] offreth to the his lyghte of fayth. conteyned in ho­ly scrypture sayenge (Blessyd be those whyche he­re deuowtly the worde of god. and it obserueth the xi. chapytre of Luke. He nyghed to the wyth neces­sary lyghte. thou sparest thy derke & ignoraunt soule. & wolt not come to god / what wonder thenne yf thou erre from trouth. & falle in to the derke pytte of euerlastynge dampnacōn. / This is the way war denes of all grete synners / As of grete extorcioners grete vsurers. grete oppressers of the people. Offre to them lyghte / Shewe to them the peryll of theyr grete synnes. They sparre theyr soules. Shytte out the lyghte. And delite to dwelle in ignoraunce. lay [...]ng holy scrypture for them. the. xij. chapytre of Luke. A seruaunt knowynge his soueraynes wyll / & it not perfourmynge: shall be greuously punysshyd And therfore had they moche leuer contynually lyue in [...]gnoraunce. than to knowe the trouth / But he that is ignoraunt of trouthes necessary. shall be of god vnknowen. that is to saye (vnalowed at y ^• grete Iugement. ¶Saynt Austyn sayth (y ^• one thyn­ge is euyll Not to knowe. & a nother Not to wyll knowe. The wyll of them is at god reprouyd / Of whom sayth the prophete Dauid (They woll not knowe to do wel ¶Seconde in this party. I sayd our sauuour nyghed vnto man mynystryng vnto hym cure both ghostly & bodyly. Ishewe it this At his comynge in to this worlde. Alle the worlde of men was syke. All ghostly / And many bodyly / [Page] Alle were ghostly syke by synne / For all were syn­ners. as sheweth the apostle to the Romayns the thirde chapytre / how this syknesse of synne entryd in to all the worlde. the same apostle declareth to y ^• Romayns the fyfth chapitre. ¶As by one man laych the apuostle. synne entred in to all the worlde / & by synne. deth. So by [...]o man. deth passyd in to al men / In whyche o [...] man: alle men haue offendyd god by synne. ¶Now for this ghostly syknesse of synne: many haue fallen / & yet falle in bodyly syknesse / As declareth saynt Iohn Crisostom vppon thyse wordes of Crist vnto the palsey man by him curyd / whyche laye. xxxviij. yeres sore sike in his siknesse (Goo thy way sayd Cryste vnto hym. and se thou synne noo more leest if chaunce the worse) the vi. chapytre of Iohn. ¶Here lerne we sayth saynt Iohn Crisostom. that this mannys syknesse came vnto hym for his synne / For so it is. that almygh­ty god often punyssheth the body for synnes of the soule. And it foloweth (though it be so. that al men ben not in this lyf punysshid bodyly for theyr syn­nes. lete vs not theron truste. ne be to prowde / For assurydly a synner to passe this lyf wythout aduersyte: sygne it is of grete punysshment & dampnacy on in hell) After the wordes of Iob the. xxi. chapy­tre (grete sȳners sayth he passyth this world ful of ten in moche prosperite and at a soden poynt they descende in to hell. ¶Thenne some there be why­che be here punysshid bodyly for ther ghostly sȳnes [Page] & yet not alle hauynge bodyly syknesse. haue it for their synnes: but somtyme of naturall causes: Many tymes of surfeyte. ye & somtyme for god woll shewe his grete power. & be glorifyed on wretchyd persones / As Cryste playnly shewed in the. ix. cha­pytre of Iohn: where his discyples askyd hym of y ^• blynde man of natyuyte. / ¶Who offendyd: thys man or his frendes. that he was borne blynde: Cri­ste answerde & sayd. that neyther he ne yet his t [...]endes: but that the glory of god sholde be made open on hym. Wherupon sayth saynt Austin Hadr this man not originall synne. ne yet actuall in progresse of his lyfe. that Cryste sayd of him. he had not of­fendyd: yes lurely sayth sayne Austin / both he and his frendes had dyuers wayes synned / And yet for [...]heyr synnes. was not this man born blynde: but y ^• cause was. that god wold shewe his almyghty po­wer & be glorifyed in hym) ¶So theme at our sauyours comyng in to this world. al were syke gho­stly. & many bodyly. Now he lyke a grete physicy­en b [...] his almyȝty po [...]er. mynystrid cure vnto them He nyghed vnto them that were synners. and like both ghostly & bodyly. He disdayned not theyr cō ­pany. etc & dranke wyth them famylyarly / This meke acte of cryst. displeysid the proude Scribes & Pharisees. & sayd to his disciples (Whi ete [...]h & dryketh your mayster wyth grete & open synners) the v. chapytre of Luke. Cryste was thenne in y ^• hou­se of Leui or Mathu. whiche made him a gre [...]e fest [Page] wherunto came many Publicans. grete sȳners. vsurers I deme many of them. Cr [...]ste I say ete & dranke wyth them. to cure them. not to folowe them. to drawe them to hym. not him to them▪ y ^• they shold folowe his steppes. not he theyrs. He nyghed vnto theym by grace. y ^• they sholde nyghe vnto hym by penaunce / Wherfore he answerde forth wyth to the acusacōn of the Scribes & Pharisees this wyse Sike men nedeth a physicyen. & not hoole men▪ Wher vpon sayth saynt Iohn Crisostom in thyse wordes ¶Cryste remembred them of the comyn Infyrmy [...]e of synne. shewynge them to be of the nombre of synners. And hymself to be a perfyte physicyen / & therfore addeth forth w ^t (I cam not in to this worlde. to calle ryghtwysmen: but rather synners to penaunce As though he sholde saye I disdayne not synners. syth oonly for synners loue I came in to thys worlde / not y ^• they shold remayne synners: but rather to be conuerted & lyue euerlastyngly) Then̄ I say our sauyour Ihūs Cryst dispysed not the cō ­pany of syke men. gostly. ne bodyly / but of his infinyte goodnes bi his grete power cured them all. all y ^• wolde come. nyghe. or cleue vnto hym. & forsake hȳ not / For y ^• vertue of him yede forth. & curyd all men. y ^•. vi. chapitre of Luke ¶We neuer rede y ^• crist euer caste ony sȳner or syke man fro hym y ^• sued to hȳ for mercy & grace. Al be it. we fynde. y ^• some cast away themself. & wold not come at his callyng: but were alle waywarde. & wrange from hym / As the [Page] ryche man of whom we rede the. xviij. chapytre of Luke. after moche comunycacōn atwyxe them. cri­ste sayd vnto hym Goo thy waye. selle all thy godes. geue them to poore men. Come & folowe me / & thou shalt haue a tresour in heuen) It folowyth / This ryche man departyd heuyly & soryly fro Criste / for he had grete possessions. Cryste lokynge a­bowte / & knowyng this man departyd. sayd to his discyples (Full harde it is a ryche man to entre the kyngdom of heuen) & [...]. ¶Taketh good hede here vnto ye ryche men of this worlde: Full harde it is to you. to nyghe vnto god: but ye wyth Leui caste from you your burdon. & folowe Cryste. We rede also in the. viij. chapytre of Iohn That many re­fusyd & caste Cryste from theym / whan they went backe from hym. walkyd no more wyth hym: but folowed the deuyll / This was it of the. ix. leprous men of whom we rede in the. xvij. chapytre of Lu­ke / This was it of Iudas the traytour to Cryste. & of fewe other we rede that raste Cryste from them sayenge in a parable the. xix. chapytre of Luke We wol not this man to regne on vs) But we neuer rede that Cryst caste ony seke man from hym ghost ly. or bodyly / whyche wolde come vnto hym & be curyd. In token of this. he sayd hymself in the. xi. chapytre of Mathu (Come ye vnto me. all y ^• ben char­gyd wyth the burdon of synne / & I shall cure you) ¶Ye but thou as [...]ryst me here a questyon:. Curyd Cryste his pa [...]yentes. / Ye surely: Neuer physicyen [Page] lyke vnto hym / For he made all the man hoole. the vij. chapitre of Iohn: He neuer curyd man in his body / but he fyrste curyd hym in his soule. And ful resonably / For a perfyte physicyen sholde fyrste cure that thynge in his pacyent whyche is of grete pe­ryll. & of grettest pryce / Now is there incomparably grettest peryll in syknesse of the soule than of y ^• bo­dy / For the syknesse of the soule foloweth comynly euerlastynge dethe / whyche is euerlastynge damp­nacōn in hell / And the syknesse of the body folow­eth but temporall dethe: the departyng of the body & the soule / whyche Cryste accountyd for no grete thynge / as it is open in the. x. chapytre of Mathu (Drede ye not sayth Cryste to his seruauntes. thē. whyche whan they haue slayne the body can hurte you no ferther / But drede ye hym whyche hath ful power to cōmytte bothe body & soule to euerlastynge payne of hell. Ye sayth Cryste. hym drede ye) ¶Thenne syth there is so grete peryll in syknesse & dethe of the soule aboue the syknesse & deth of y ^• body: our sauyour Lryst curyd alway the soule firste. and folowyngly the bodyes / of whom was lesse charge ¶Ye but ye must vnderstond. all his phisyk was heuenly. not erthly. all from aboue. not fro by neth / For after saynt Austyn He. whyche wyth his oonly worde made all thynge of nought: he with y ^• sam̄ his oonly worde: repayred his creatures at his pleysur) He mynistred al his cures both gostly & bodily. by his almyghty power. sayeng to one blynde [Page] man respice [...] beholde & se. To a nother that was longe w ^t the Palsey contracte (Ryse vp. take wyth the thi bedr & walke) To a nother (Be it vnto the after thy fayth) And to Lazare foure dayes in hys graue veni foras / come forth & lyue) Cryste neuer vsyd emplastre. pocion. bayne ne oyntment / but it wer ones / whan w ^t his holy spotell medled w ^t clay he enoynted the eyen of hym that was borne blynde / Whyche after saynt Iohn Crisostom was mo [...] for mystery than for the matere / ¶Of this apereth how our sauiour by mynystracōn of his grete cures on the soules & bodies of syke men. nyghed to man kynde by his grete & almyghty power. shewynge hymself a meke seruaūt. to cause mankynde to ni­ghe vnto him by hertly loue. his grete benefites duly consydred. ¶Thyrde and fynally in thys par­ty I sayd our sauyour Crist nyghed vnto man my nystrynge vnto him his holy sacramentes. leuynge in his holy chyrche wyth man for euer. auctoryte & power to doo the same / This dyde our sauyour of his grete goodnes: but bi his power & auctorite / For as hȳself sayd in y ^e. xxviij. chapytre of Mathu All power in heuen & erth is yeuen vnto our Ihū Crist ¶For the declaracōn of this trouth. how crist hath nyghed vnto mankynde by his sacrament I shall shortly shewe you thre truthes / Fyrst whi criste instituted y ^• holy sacrament [...] in his chirche. second what sacramen [...] ▪ he instituted / & thyrd how he nyghed to man in y ^• same ¶Fyrst whi our sauyour instytutde [Page] holy sac [...]amentes in his chyrche: declareth the ma­yster of the sentence in the fyrste dis [...]ynccion of the fourth. For thre causes / For mannes hum [...]lyacion / for his e [...]udycōn / & for his exercytacō [...] ¶Thise holy sacramentes were Instytute ones / for man shold meke hymself: whyche had offendid by pryde. & se­ke helpe euerlastynge in thynges sensyble / not of themself: but of god in them. & by them. ¶Agayn thyse sacramentes were Institute. for mannys ghostly erudycōn / That man whyche by his synne had loste the syghte & perfyghte knowlege of god had in the state of Innocency: myghte by vysyble syg­nes. & outward tokens. come to the knowlege of secrete mysteryes & graces of god. in thyse vysyble to kens sygnyfyed & conteyned / ¶For ye must vnder­stonde. that (sacramentū) a sacrament after y ^• ma­yster in the same place. is a token. or a sygne of an holy thynge (That is true sayth mayster Dwns) on the same / but that it is a practik & effectuous sigge. not fayllynge. ne vncertayn of his sygnyfycacy on / For it putteth in effecte. and vnder god in a manere is cause of that thynge. whyche is therby syg­nyfyed. for the thynge surely. And vndowtidly fo­lowyth / yf there be no defawte on him whiche shol­de receyue the sacrament. ¶Thyrde I saye the holy sacramentes were Institute for mannys excercytacōn. that man sholde be contynually ocupyed in the seruyce of god / & not geue hymself to vayn ydilnesse / For as sayth saynt Austyn / ¶That man is [Page] not l [...]ghtly wonne bi the deuylles temptacōn. whiche geuyth hymself to good occupacōn. Exhortyth therfore saynt Ierom (Be thou man euer more besyed in some vertuous labour. that the deuyll fyn­de not the ydyll) ¶Thenne here appereth the fyrst why our sauyour dyde mstitute sacramentes in his holy chyrche. I saye for our humylyacōn. erudicōn. & excercytacōn / but fynally for our saluacōn / as in the seconde trouth of this party shall appere / why­che I sayd to be this / ¶What sacramentes our sa­uyour dyde ordeyne. & institute in his chyrche (Vij. I saye) as the mayster declareth at large in the . [...]ij. whyche all ben effectuous sygnes of grace. to eche man. whyche them. or ony of them. worthyly doth receyue / And so be meanes of mannes fynall saluacōn / ¶To talke of all thyse sacramentes to y ^• purpoos: tyme woll not permitt I wote / I shall therfore talke of thre of them. shewynge how kyndly our sauyour Cryste Ihūs nyghed vnto man in eche of them / For that is my purpoos to shewe. The fyrst is the sacrament of baptym / The seconde of penaunce. The thyrde the holy sacrament of the awter The fyrst is of necessite simplic [...] to man. The seconde is of necessyte condicional. The thyrde is of necessyte conuenient. The fyrste that is the sacra­ment of baptym. is of necessyte simplic [...] / For baptym is that fyrste gate by the whyche euery man must passe of necessite that purposeth entre in to heuen. Cryste this affermed in the thyrde chapytre of [Page] Iohn. ¶Maye no man sayd Cryste vnto Nicho­deme entre in to heuen / but he be regenerate & redemyd in water. & the holy ghost ¶I call this sacrament of necessite simplici [...] / for syth all men be borne sȳners as is aboue declared: al men must be clensyd of ther synnes or they entre into heuen / for therne comyth. ne yet abydeth syth ony synne. or sȳner [...] Thenne our sauyour Ihūs Criste of his grete go­denes ordenyd & Instituted the sacrament of bap­tym as a necessary gate to entree by towardes he­uen. Here is none excepcōn: but yonge & olde. cristen mānys chylde & hethens. Iewe or gentile: what soeuer state he be of: by this holy sacrament must he passe. wythout the baptym of blood / as holy mar­tyrdom. it lette or preuent / And for this sacrament is so necessary. Cryste prechyd & declaryd this spe­cyally / as testifieth both Marke & Ma [...]u. a lytyll before his Ascencyon. he cōmaundyd his dyscyples this wyse (Go ye forth sayd Cryste in to all y ^• worlde. teche ye all people. [...]aptisynge them / in the na­me of the fader. & the sone. & the holy ghost / Who so euer haue true fayth. & is baptysed. he shal be sa­uyd) ¶Seconde. I saye the sacrament of penaunce is of necessite condicionall. That declare I thus For as baptym wassheth awaye origynall synne & actuall where it is. So doth y ^• sacrament of penaū ce. take awaye synne. or synnes actuall after bap­tym cōmytted. In wytnesse of this. Cryst geuyng auctorytee to preesthode for euer to geue remyssyo [...] [Page] of synnes. [...]nsufflate and gracyously brethyd in his discyples. sayeng. ¶Receyue ye the holy ghost / who so euer synnes ye forgeue. forgeuen be they at god / And whose synnes ye retayne retayned be they att god. the. xx. chapitre of Iohn / Now for as moche as euery man is a sȳner in this lyf comynly as saynt Iohn shewyth the fyrste chapytre of hys fyrst epis­tle in thyse wordes / ¶Yf we saye y ^• we be no syn­ners: we disceyue ourself. & trouth is not in vs / And not oonly in one synne we offende god: but in ma­ny synnes: as declareth saynt Iamys in his epystle the fyrste chapytre (We all sayth he offende god in many offences & [...]respasses. is therfor y ^• sacrament of penaūce. necessary to man condicionally) That is to say (yf man offēde / as we do all cominly: then̄ is y ^• sacrament of penaūce necessary to y ^• releyf of mānys synne. to put hȳ in surete of remyssion) For (penitēcia habitꝰ) thabite of penaūce is not of su­che surete as declareth mayster Dwns in the .iiij. / Then̄ syth this sacrament is of necessyte requyred to all sȳners. Crist sayeng in y ^• .xiij. chapytre of Luke (Wythout ye do penaunce. all shall ye perysshe) Caste not awaye this holy sacrament. ne the gra­ce therof. Dyspyse it not / But amende we ourself in to better lyfe. takynge penaunce for oure offen­ces by ygnoraunce commytted. leest we sodaynly prcuente wyth deth. seke for penaunce. and can not [...]henne fynde it. ⸫ ¶Thyrde I sayde the holy Sacrament of the aweer is of, necessytee [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] conuenyent / whyche. I declare thus lyke as bodyly meete & drynke is necessaryly requyred to the bodyly sustenaunce of man in this erthly lyf: So is this holy sacrament requyred as ghostly sustinaunce for mannys spyrytuall lyfe) As declareth saynt Aus­tyn on thyse wordes of Criste in the .vi. chapit [...]e of Iohn (My flesshe sayth he is veri meete. & my blo­de is very drynke) ¶Syth men sayth saynt astyn desyre by meete & drynke to satisfye their hungre & thy [...]ste. this oonly dooth that holy meete & drynke whyche maketh the deuowte receyuers therof Im­mortall & Incorruptyble. the blessyd sacrament of the awter. ¶Thenne syth this holy sacrament is ghostly mete & ghostly drynke: necessary is this mete & this drynke for the contynuaūce of the ghostly lyf of man / as in the same chapytre of Iohn declareth our sauyour Cryste at large (But ye ete sayth he the flesshe of the sone of man. & drynke his blode. ye shall haue noo ghostly lyfe in you / And who so euer ete this meete & drynke this drynke worthi­ly. shal therbi lyue euerlastyngly) ¶And maysters all [...] I beseche our lordes mercy of one thynge. that alle we here present. whyche at this blessyd feest of Ester haue receyued this holy sacrament. sac [...]amē tally. haue also receyued the same spyrytually. that is to saye (the grace by thys holy sacrament sygne­fyed & geuen) In haste we shal knowe of lyklyhode / For as ye knowe the tree by the fruyte: so shall ye knowe the man by his condicōns. He that retor­neth [Page] hastely to his olde synnes ayen: of lyklyhode neuer receyued this holy sacrament spirytually. Of lyklyhode I say. I dare no ferder presume to Iuge. ¶The thyrde trouthe in this party I sayd to be this. how our sauyour in thyse thre sacramentes in especyall. & in alle in generall. nyghed. and dayly nygheth vnto man / Where ye shall vnderstonde. y ^• our sauyour Cryste hath promysed so to assiste his holy sacramentes wyth his grace. whan he ascen­ded vnto the fad of heuen. sayeng to his discyples / & to all good crysten men vnto y ^• worldes ende for euer in the laste chapytre of Mathu (Remembre ye well what I saye I am w ^t you for euer vnto the worldes ende) That who so receyue worthyly ony of his sacramentes. receyueth by specyall condiscen dyng in to his soule. almyghty god. & his specyall grace / Wherby he stondith in the specyall g [...]ace & fauour of god. Alle his actes ben in the syghte of god specyaly acceptyd & alowed. & ordred to euerlastynge rewarde in heuen. In wytnesse herof sayth sa­ynt Iohn in the fourch chapitre of his fyrste epis­tle God is charyte. & he that dwelleth in charyte. dwelleth in god. and god in hym [...]

¶Thenne by vertu of his holy sacramentes. Criste merueylously nyghed to man / for he dwe [...]leth in man. & maketh man his holy temple. & place of his gracious habytacyon / ¶But amonge all his holy sac [...]amentes. he nyȝeth syngulerly to man in thyse thre. in baptym. penaunce. & the holy. sacrament of [Page] the awter / ¶For where man is ferre from god by synne as is aboue sayd: by baptym he wasshith. hȳ. clensyth hym. entreth in to his soule. dwellyth w ^t hym / and makyth hym one of his famyliare hous­holde. ¶Bi the sacrament of penaunce where the synner is fallen from god & his grace. fast bounde in the prison of synne. and oblisshid to euerlastyng dampnacōn: god of hys Infinyte goodnes nygheth vnto hym geuyth hym water of contrycion. losyth him. taketh him in to his housholde agayn. admit teth hym in to his fauonr / And dysposeth for hym euerlastynge saluacōn in heuen. hymself sayeng bi his prophete. ¶In what so euer hour the synner truly repent: he shall be saut. & his synnes forgeuen ¶By holy sacrament of the aw [...]er. moost syn gulerly. and moost gracyously. he nygheth vnto e­uery man it worthyly receyuynge / For by this bles­syd sacrament. he fedyth man. he comforteth man. And strengtheth hym ayenst all his enmyes. hym­self is the feder. hymself is the fode. hymself is the geuer. hymselfe is the gyfte. hymself is the prayser hymself is the pryce / So y ^• by this holy sacrament he nygheth so vnto man. y ^• he Incorporateth man in to his mystycall body. And maketh hym one of his precyous mēbres / For whom by his grete power he fyghteth. & ayenst al his enmyes he myȝtily de­fendeth / Of whom was Ihūs Naue but a fygure. for he neuer sauyd y ^• people to him cōmitted: but bi y ^• grace geuen vnto hym by our Ihūs Cryst. Syn [Page] there is no power but of god after the appostle to y ^• Romayns the .xiij. chapytre. Ihūs Naue by the po­wer of god geuen to hym. slewe & distroyed the bodyly enmyes of his people. Our Ihūs by his owne almyghty power. distroyeth the ghostly enmyes of his seruauntes / For after thapostle y ^• .xvi. chapit [...]e to the Romayns (almyghty god by his power shal spedely trede & distroye the deuyll vnder our fete. & ouer this geuyth power to all his seruauntes to do the same ¶Behold & take good hede sayth Crist to his seruaūtes: I haue geuen power to you to tre­de serpentes & scorpions vnder your fete. and none enmye shal mow noye you. the .x. chapytre of Cuke ¶Ihūs Naue agayn broughte the people to hym cōmytted in to the londe of repromission by y ^• power of god. Ye but this londe was alle erthly bryn­gyng forth of brymbles and thornes / But our Ihesus hath sauyd all his people. not one of them pe­rysshyd. exceptynge the chyldren of perdycōn / And hath broughte all hys seruauntes in y ^• to londe of euerlastynge lyfe. And there hath dystrybuted vnto euery one of hys seruauntes. glory in abundaunce Where his seruauntes shal neuer hungre ne thryste Ne neuer be trowblyd ne noyed nother wyth hete ne wyth colde. ¶Here is now declaryd & she­wed y ^• fyrste party & pryncypall conclusyon of this poore sermon (thus manere fourme) That the sa­me Ihesus Cryste whyche dyde ayde. and in alle his werkes dyde assyste vnto forsayd Ihesu Naue [Page] hath nyghed vnto mankynd by his almyghty po­wer in thre wyse creando. nascendo. ministrando) bi his actes of creacōn. of Incarnacōn. & of mynys tracōn / What shall I thenne saye vnto all cristen men but this (Be not vnkynde vnto hym. Be not frowarde. be not wayward) ¶For there was neuer nacōn in this worlde so grete. y ^• euer had their goddis nyghyng vnto them as our lorde god nygheth vnto vs: The fourth chapytre of Deutronomij. Thenne I exhorte you all to nyghe vnto god w ^t the acte of adoracōn / y ^• is to saye wyth perfyte loue & seruyce oonly due to god) For he nygheth by his manyfold graces. to all those. whyche humbly. & of a [...] [...]eyr hertes do seke hym.:

¶Seconde & pryncypally in [...]his collacōn. I sayde me to shewe & declare to you. how the same Ihūs hath walkyd wyth mankynde by holy obedyence [...] Yf y ^• axe me. whyche same Ihūs: I saye the same Ihūs. the sone of god. & of y ^• virgyn our lady. whyche nyghed to mankynde. & assisted to Ihūs Naue by his almyghty power: The same Ihūs it was y ^• walked w ^t Ihū Iosedech. & so hath sauyd mankȳ ­de by his holy obedience / To whose short declaracion. ye shall vnderstonde. y ^• our sauyour Cryst hath walkid wyth man thre wyse by holy obedience: but this must ye vnderstonde of Ihū Criste Incarnate & lyuyng in our mortall nature / & all for we shold folowe his holy steppes for our profyte / as aft shal appere. ¶Fyrste he was obedyent to hys frendes & [Page] prela [...]es. Seconde he was obedyent to the precep [...] & lawes. Third he was obedyent to passions & de [...]he. ¶Fyrst I say he was obedient to his fader putatiue Ioseph. & to his holy moder. & other potestates of the worlde. In y ^• second chapitre of Luke we rede. y ^• Ihūs descendid from Ierlm in to Nazareth & was obedyent vnto Mary & Ioseph (the story is there declared at large) but to myn entent. this ap­pereth of the same. That our sauyour Cryste she­wed grete obedyence vnto Ioseph & his holy moder [...]m̄ erat subditus illis) he was to them obedyent. They cōmaundyd. he obeyed. Vpon whyche wor­des sayth saynt Bede. ¶In this mystery sayth he is geuen of our sauyour to all [...]ortall men a grete example of mekenesse. god was subdued to man. euerlastyng to tēporall. the gretter to the lesse. y ^• hy­er to the lower (To the entent y ^• we sholde lerne & folow the steppes of mekenesse) whyche purpose to attayne y ^• hye glory of god ¶Of whiche foloweth a notable corelari or morall lesson thys (y ^• who soo euer purposeth to walke wyth Cryst in to y ^• heyth of heuen: he must fyrst folowe hym in this worlde by meke obedyence vnto all his heedes & rulers. bothe spirytuall & temporall. fader & moder / though he be better & gretter than they in merites & vertu [...] This sheweth the apostle to the Romayns in the xiij. chapytre by a longe processe. ¶Euery man sa­yth he ought to obeye to hyghe auctoryte & power. his cause is this / For there is no power but of god. [Page] wherupon sayth saynt Austin (An euyll wyll & desyre to noye. maye be of man hymself. & of his owne crokydnesse) But power to noye maye no man haue: but oonly of god / As it apereth of the deuyls wordes vnto god in the fyrste chapytre of Ioh. wyllyng to enoye thys holy man (Put forth thy honde sayth the deuyll to god. towche & stryke all his go [...] des &c) That is sayth saynt Austyn as though he sholde say (geue power) He wolde haue enoyed the holy man: but of hymself he myghte not / wherfore he askyd power to noye. ¶Then̄e syth there is no power but of almyghty god: euery man sholde be gladly obedyent vnto power / For euery thyng geue & ordeyned by god. is duely ordryd. Now who so resyst the ordynaunce of god. purchasyth to hymself euerlastyng dampnacōn. Thou sayst (syre my he­de. my ruler is cruell. Impacyent. a grete wrong doer or extorcioner) What thenne sayth saynt Peter / Be ye obedyent vnto euery man in auctorytee For goddys commaundement. To the kynge or pryn­ce. as cheyf by excellence vnd god. to dukes & other grete asta [...]es / as his hye mynistres & officers / what to good & badde thou sayst: ye syre / so sayth saynt Peter (ye seruaūtes be ye obedient vnto your lordes in all drede. not oonly to good & moderate of con­dycyons: but also to wylde & lewde of theyr dispo­sycyon) ¶Saynt Austin de natura & gracia (en­treatynge this matere sayth (Our sauyour cōmaū dyth chyldren to obeye theyr faders & moders. He [Page] commaundeth also subgettes to obeye theyr hedes and prelates. He dyde as he taughte. Fulfylled y ^• he warnyd / For he descendynge wyth our lady & Io­seph. was to them obedyent / And as a pupill was guyded vnder power in his tendre a [...]ge. all be it he was lorde of all the worlde. He hath geuen vnto y ^• example of mekenesse. he hath goon before. exhor­teth the to folowe hym. Thou refusest to be of the body of Cryste: yf thou wolt not wyth hym be vnder an heed / But y ^• sayst (I loue power / for it is of god: but I drede my prelate my heed / for ofte he is an euyl man) Here thou me sayth saynt Austyn: yf thy ruler or prelate be good & vertuous: then̄e is he to the a nouryssher. yf he be euyll: thenne is he thin attemptour [...] Wherfore take y ^• gladly thy nouryss­her. And in temptacōn be y ^• pacyent. And prouyde the folower of Cryst / whyche sayd vnto all his seruauntes in the fourth chapytre of Mathu (Folowe me. I goo before you by perfyte▪ obedyence. takyth of me ensample. and doo ye▪ the same) ¶Of this appereth y ^• our sauyour Cryste walkyd wyth man by holy obedyence. to his frendes. and other hauynge power and auctorytee in this worlde. Sayde he in testimonye & wytnesse of thys vnto Pilate bos­tynge hys power / Thou sholdest sayde Cryste haue no power on me / but it were geuen the from aboue the chapytre of Iohn / ¶And in this hys obedyence. he lefte and shewed vs ensample [Page] to folowe the same. ¶Now how the multytude to low our sauyour in his grete mekenesse & obedien­ce. god knoweth / full euyll I fere. Cryst sayd honour thy fader & moder. that y ^• may lyue longe on erthe) We saye (what so almes. or good dedys we do thy party fader or moder is therin. & it shal stonde you in stede. so leuyng them many tymes in necessyte & dystresse. the .xv. chapytre of Ma [...]hu. originally groūded the .xx. chapytre of Exodꝰ / ¶And yet I trowe veryly the defaw [...]e herof moche in the fren­des. whiche sholde lerne the chyldn. & in theyr yonge aege brynge them vp (in timore dn̄i) in y ^• drede of god. to lerne them to knowe god. to drede god & theyr frendes. Example herof in especiall was ho­ly Thoby / whyche taughte his sone from his yonge aege to drede god. & absteyne from all synne. y ^• fyrste chapytre of Thoby. accordynge to the wyse mannys counsell in the .vij. chapitre of Ecclesiasti ¶God hath geuen to the chyldren sayth the wyseman. teche them the lawe of god / For sure it is. y ^• for lacke of obedyence. & good erudicōn. the chyldn ofte ryse by vyolence ayenst y ^• faders: And putteth them to grete peryll. & many tymes vnto dethe. y ^• xiij. chapytre of Mathu. ¶Yf I shold here speke of our chyldn of the cyte. I reporte me. how well they thryue. comynly none worse / Why trowe ye: playn­ly they lacke erudicōn in youth. wyth due chas [...]ysement / So dyde Offny & Phinees the sones of He­ly. They fell to ryotte as it appereth in the [...]yrste [Page] chapytre of y ^• fyrst boke of the kynges. The cōclusion of ther foly was (ther fad Hely brake hys necke for his necligence. Both his sones were slayne in a day bi the Philistees. And tharche of god. y ^• true fygure of his holy chyrche was taken in to y ^• hondes & power of synners & thenmyes of god) The .iiij. chapytre of the fyrste boke of kynges. ¶A comyn prouerbe it is & a wyse (y ^• better is a chylde vnborn than vntaught) Teche ye therfor your chyldren to walke wyth Ihū Cryste. by true obedyence to god▪ to their frendes. ye & to their prynce. & other hedes. This ben they boūde vnder y ^• payne of euerlastynge dampnacōn as is aboue shewed. For there is no power but of god. ¶The cause whi comynly men [...]bell ayenst theyr heedys & souereynes. is pryde & highe mynde. Now our sauyour taught mekenesse Lerne ye of me sayth he to al his folowers. y ^• I am meke & humble of spyryte. the .xi. chapytre of Ma­thu. Mekenes ledyth to obedyence. & obedyence to pacyence. Then where lackyth mekenes lackyth both obedience & pacience: Then foloweth rebelly on. & wher men be vnable to rebell▪ oft they distroy thēselfe for malyce. as of Cato Vticense declareth saynt Austyn y ^• .xxiij. chapytre of y ^• fyrst boke of y ^• cyte of god. whyche thrugh his pryde was so impacyent & inobedient. y ^• he wold rather distroy hȳself than to lyue vnder the dominion of Iulius Cesar. This dyde he. distroyed hȳself. & here was thende of his pride / For sure it is of Crystis sayeng (That [Page] who exalte hymself: shall be mekyd. the .xiiij. chapy [...]re of Luke. ¶Seconde is sayde in this party. that our sauyour Ihūs was obedyent. accomplysshyd & fulfylled the lawe. and preceptes of the same / why­che oughte no duety to the lawe / And that I shall shewe by this reason (The lawe was made for to punysshe trangressours. the thyrde chapytre to the Galathees / Now our sauyour Cryste dyde neuer synne. ne yet gyle was ony tyme foūde in his mouthe. the seconde chapytre of the fyrste epystle of sa­ynt Peter) Thenne folowyth that he was no thȳ ­ge bounde to the lawe: And yet of his perfyte me kenesse. for our meryte & ensample: fulfylled he the lawe as detter to the same. bothe in his circumcisi­on. in his oblacōn at the temple. in obseruynge [...]he Pasche daye in Ierlm whan̄e he was of the aege of .xij. yeres. alle conteyned in the seconde chapytre of Luke / Of whyche holy and deuowte obedyence of Ihū Cryste. sayth the blessyd bysshop Cirillus the discyple of saynt Ierom this wyse. ¶O high [...] profundite of the grete wysdom & scyence of god. Cryste in our kynde was circumscided / whyche by the auctorite of his godheed dayly circumcideth the synnes in mennes hertes. He offrid ooutes to god / whiche in euery oblacōn made vnto god: is honou­ [...]yd egally wyth his fader. The lorde of Pasche daye. mekely as a seruaunt obseruyth the pasche. Tronthe obserueth the fygures of the lawe. The maker of the [...] lawe as god: kepyth y ^• same as man. [Page] And ouer this. in obseruynge and kepynge of the lawe: What dylygence. and what obedyence oure sauyour Cryste Ihū dyde. apperyth in the, v. cha­pytre of Mathu / Where he sayd vnto al his folow­ers. ¶Thynke ye not. that I am come in to this worlde to dyssolue or breke the lawe. or the prophetes / I came not to breke them: but rather to com­plysshe them. Wherupon sayth saynt Iohn Cri­ [...]ostom in his Omely (Cryste fulfyllyd the prophe­tes in accomplysshynge alle the tronthes wryten of hym by them) He fulfylled the lawes two wayes / Fyrste noo thynge trangressyng or brekynge. com­maunded in the lawe. seconde in iustifyenge syn­ners by fayth and charyte. that the lawe by the letter myghte neuer doo. And soo prescice was he in his obedience. and obseruaunce of the lawe. that he sayde forth wythin the same chapytre (That the leest Iote. or leest precepte of the lawe sholde not passe hym vnobseruyd & kepte) signyfyeng. That he wolde kepe the lawe to euery poynt. and vtter­moost precept commaunded in the same. ¶I saye commaunded in the lawe. Not in the / Talmody­ke tradicōns of the Iewes / whyche were besydes And out of the lawe. Many in nombre. And grete of charge. To whoos obseruaunce. the Iewes to­ke gretter kepe. Ye & gaue gretter obedyence. than̄e to the lawe / As to ete theyr meete wyth wasshen. & clene hondes. The discyples of Cryste toke no he­de to this cerimony. The Iewes therfore blamyd [Page] Cryste And sayd to hym / ¶Why breke thy dyscy­ples the tradicions of our olde faders: They was­she not theyr hondes whan̄e they ete brede. Cryste preterrynge obedience of the lawe to theyr tradici­ons: Answeryd / Why breke ye ypocrytes the com­manndementes of god For ony of your tradicions As who sayth (Ye sholde not soo doo: But com­pare to gadre the lawe of god. And the tradicions of man: ye sholde awaye be obedyent vnto the lawe of god For ony tradicion of man) I fere me we ben in the Iewes caas: We take more dyly­gence. and ben more obedyent to mannys tradici­on. thanne to the lawe of god. Stomblynge atte a strawe And lepynge ouer a blocke. Oure sauyour sayde (That we oughte of duety obserue and ke­pe the lawe / And not to leue the other vnkepte) ¶Lete therfore euery man doo his duety and fo­lowe Cryste in the waye of his cōmaundementes. That he may truely synge & say wyth Dauid the prophete (good lorde I haue renne the waye of thy cōmaundementes) He went before. he gaue vs ensā ple. he callyd vs wyth him in obedyence to y ^• lawe. to whyche he was not boūde / but for his mekenes. and our example. as it is open in the .xiij. chapytre of Iohn. where of his grete mekenes he wasshyd y ^• fete of his discyples. sayenge vnto them. ¶I ha­uelgeuen to you ensample. As I haue doon: so do ye. For there is noo seruaunt gretter. [...]e better than his lord and mayster. Signyfyeng that al Cristys [Page] true seruauntes sholde walke wyth hym by meke obedience. in obseruyng & keping the lawes of god ¶Thyrde I say this party. y ^• our Ihū Cryste. our lauyour was obedient to passyons & deth. To passyons as to hungre. thryste. colde. werynesse. to persecucōns & aduersyte. to blasphemye. & detraccyon. to thornes. scourges. naylles. to aysell & galle. & fynally to deth) And to what deth trowe ye: playn to then̄ the moost shamfull deth in the worlde. to the deth of the crosse. the seconde chapitre to the Pphi­lipen [...]. ¶Our sauyour Cryst sayth there the apos­tle mekyd hymself. made obedyent vnto deth. ye & vnto the dethe of the crosse. / Why walkyd Cryste trow ye thys streyte path of obedyence whyche le­deth to deth / for hymself: naye. he nedyd not / syth he neuer was the detter of deth / For as I sayd aboue. he neuer dyde sȳne. ne gyle or dilceyte was ony tyme foūde in his mouth. Then was it al for our sake. whyche were synners [...] & of duty the dettours of deth / As she with saynt Peter in the seconde chapytre of his fyrst epistle (Cryst he sayth suffryd for our synnes. leuyng you & vs al example to folowe his holy steppes) Then haue we here declaryd of our Ihūs Cryst. y ^• the same whiche nighed to man hȳ sauyng by his grete power. shewed in the actes of creacōn. Incarnacōn. & mynystracōn / whose fy­gure was Ihūs Naue. The same Ihūs hath wal­kyd w ^t man in our kynde. hym sauyng by perfyte obedience. to his frendes & other astates. to y ^• lawes [Page] & cōmaundementes. to passyons & deth of y ^• crosse / Whose fygure was Ihūs Iosedech: ¶Of why­che two pryncypall partyes. doth folowe a corelari That the same Ihūs whyche nyghed to man­kynde. whyche walkyd wyth mankynde. hath fy­nally bi his wysdom broughte mankynde to euer­lastyng reste in heuen / whose fygure was (Ihūs fi­li [...] sirach (whyche by his. wysdom hath gretly hol­pen & sauyd the people of god / But neuer lyke to our Ihūs Cryste / For as Ihūs Naue was but a fygure of power & strengthe. Ihūs Iosedech a fygure of holy obedyence / So was Ihūs Sirach but a fygure of the wysdom of Cryste / whyche is the eter­nall. & substancyall wysdom of god y ^• fader (attaynyng strongly from ende to ende. & delectably allethynges disposyng. The .viij. chapytre of sapien [...] / To whose power. no creature may resiste. ¶Syth all creatures be at his cōmaundement. & to him o­bedyent. y ^• .xiij. chapytre of Hes [...] / For whose meke & holy obedyence. god the fader hath hym exaltid / & geuen to hym a name aboue all the names in y ^• worlde. Syth to the holy name of Ihūs: all creatures of duty do bowe & obeye bothe of heuen. erthe. & hell. The seconde chapitre to the Philipen? / By whose infinyte wysdom all y ^• worlde is sauyd. hȳ ­selfe sayenge in the .xij. chapytre of Iohn (Whan I am lyfte vp in the crosse there deyenge for man. I shall drawe all the worlde vnto me Wherupon sayth saynt Austin / as thouh our sauyour shold say [Page] (after my deth. & my resurreccōn. I shall ascende to my fader in heuen. & drawe my chosen seruauntes vnto me) Syth by stedfast fayth. of duty. the membres must folowe the heed: yet I saye he wysli hath disposyd. y ^• all his seruauntes & membres shold be obedient: & suffre in this worlde pressure: & passions as hymselfe dyde. ¶In this worlde sayd he to all his seruauntes. ye shall haue pressure & persecucōn the .xvi. chapytre of Iohn. And saynt Poule in the thyrde chapitre of the seconde epystle vnto Timo­the (All those whyche in this worlde woll lyue the meke seruauntes of god: must nedes suffre perse [...]ncōn & aduersyte) For whyche lytyll labour & shorte trowble in this lyf: all his true seruauntes shall haue euerlastyng rewarde & rest in henen. hȳself thys promysed whyche may not erre ne faylle (Ye shall sayth our sauyour. receyue an hundryd folde more than ye paye or geue. & wyth all ye shall haue full possessyon of euerlastynge lyfe. the .xix. chapytre of Mathu / whiche graunt vnto vs. the same our sauy our Ihūs Cryste. AMEN