CHriste the authour and doctoure of all truth. in hys gospel, math. 2 lykeneth the kyngedome of heauen, to a housholder, sayeng on this wyse. Lyke is the kyngedome of heauen to a houssholdynge man, that wente forth fyrste in the mornynge, to hyre worke­men into hys vyneyarde, so dyd he about the thyrde houre the syxte / the nynthe, and the eleuēth. And as he founde men standyng ydle, he sayed to them why stand ye here vnoccupied, Go ye into my vyneyarde and that, that is dewetye, I shall gyue you. And when the daye was ended, he called hys ste­warde, [Page] and bad that he shulde gyue euery man a pennye.

Spiritually, this householder is our maister and lord Christ the true housholder and heade of hys churche here in earthe: whiche calleth men in diuers houres of the daye, that is in dyuers ages of the worlde. As in the tyme of nature, he called by insperation, Abell. Enoche, Noe, Abrahā, and other lyke.

In the time of the olde law. he called Moses, Dauyd, Esaye, and Ieremy, with the prophe­tes. And in the tyme of grace he called the apostles, martyrs confessours, and virgins. He called also some in chyldehode as Iohan Baptiste. Some in their youth as Iohan the E­uangelyste, some in myddle age as Peter and Andrewe. Some in their later dayes. As Gamaliel, and Ioseph of Brimathye. [Page] And all those be called to la­boure in the Lordes vyneyard that is hys churche. yea and that sundrye wayes. For ryght as ye se, that in trymmynge of thys materyall vyne, there be dyuers labourers. For some cutte away the braunches that be voyde. Some vnderset, and laye abrode the vyne: yea, some pare away the olde earth, and laye newe to the roote, whiche offyces, all be so necessarye to the vyne. that yf anye of them fayle, or want, it shal be eyther let, or vtterly destroy the grow ynge of the vyne: For onlesse the vyne be cutte, she wyl waxe wylde excepte she berayled vp and layed abrode, wedes and nettels wyll soone ouer growe her. And yf the rote be not fat­ted wyth new and fresh donge for feablenesse, she shall waxe [Page] barreyne. No lesse nedefull in Christes churche be these thre off [...]c [...]rs, Preesthode, Knyght­hod, & labourers. To preestes or preachers, it behoueth to cutte awaye the voyde braun­ches of synne, with the sword of goddes worde. To knygh­tes it falleth to let wronges, & the hastes to be done, and to mayntayne Goddes lawe, and them that be teachers thereof. yea and to kepe the lande from insurrection, and inuadynge of, other lādes, The labourers muste labour bodyly, and with sore sweate, get out of the erth bodylye sustenaunce bothe for them selfe and for other, And all these estates be so nedefull to the churche, that none maye well be without other. For yf Preestes wanted, the people for defaulte of knowledge of [Page] Gods worde, wold waxe wild in vyces, and so dye goostlye.

And were not knighthode, and men to rule the people, by lawe and hardnes, theues and ene­myr [...] wolde so encrease, that no man coulde iyue in peace.

And but for labourers, bothe preestes and knyghtes must be come artifie [...]rs, plowmen and heardes, or elles muste for de­faute of bodily sustinaunce, dy And therefore sayeth the great clerke Auicenna. That euerye vnreasonable beast, if it haue that, Auicēna that nature and kynde hath ordeined for it, as kynde giuest it, is suffycyente to lyue by hym selfe, without anye o­ther of the same kynde. As yf there were but one horse, or one shepe in the worlde, Comparatio. yet yf he had come and gr [...]sse, as na­ture and kynde hath ordeyned for suche a beast, he shulde lyue [Page] wel ynough. But if there were but one man in the worlde, al­thoughe he hadde all the good that is therein yet for defau [...]e he shulde dye, or hys lyfe shulde be worse then yf he were not. And the cause is thus, for that thynge that kynde hath ordey­ned for mans sustenaūce without other preparynge, or alte­rynge then it hath of kynde accordeth not to him. As yf a mā haue corne as it commeth from the earth yet it is no meate ac­cordynge to him vntyll it be by mās craft chaūged into breade And though he haue flesshe or fysshe, yet whyle it is raw, and not by mans laboure sodden, rosted broyled, or baken it ac­cordeth not to mannes suste­naūce. Euē so the wol that the shepe bearethe muste nedes, by dyuers craftes be altered, and chaunged, or it be able to cloth [Page] anye man And [...]rewlye a man by hym selfe shulde neuer do at those thinges [...] And therefore saith thys clerke, that it is nedefull, that some be husbande mē some mē of occupations, some marchauntes to fetche that. that one lande wanteth, from other, where as is pl [...]n [...]ye.

As surelye this one thynge shulde be a greate cause, why euery estate shulde loue other. And men of one crafte shulde neither hate, neither despyse men of an other crafte. For one of them is so nedefull to a­nother, that oftentimes, those craftes that seme moost vnho­neste, myghte worste be for­borne. And thus I dare saye, that he that is not labourynge in this world, either in praieng and preachynge, as behoueth preestes. for the health of the people, or in defendynge the [Page] causes of the nedy, in sighting agaynst tyrrauntes, & enemyes which is the office of knyghtes or in laborynge on the earthe, that perteineth to the cōmons. when the daye of rekenynge shall come, that is the ende of this lyfe, right as he lyued here without laboure or trauayle, so shall he wante there the re­warde of the penny, that is the endelesse ioye of heauen. And as he was lyuynge here, after no state, nor order, so shall he thē be put into the place, wher is no order, but euerlastynge horroure and sorowe, that is hell. wherfore euery man se to what estate. Iob, 10. God hath called him. and lyue therin by labour accordyng to his degree. They that be labouring men, or craf­tes men do it trewlye, 1. Cor. 7. 1. Pet. 3. yf thou be a seruaunt, or a bondeman, be subiecte, and lyue in dreade, [Page] to displease thy maister or lord for Christes sake. If thou be a marchaunte. dysceyue not thy brother, in chaffetyng. If thou be a knyght or a Lorde, defende the pore and nedye man, 1. tes. 4. from suche as wolde harme hym.

Thou beyng a iuge or a iustice go not to the righte hande for fauour, nor into the lyft hande to punyshe for hate, Thou that art a preste then. Pro [...]. 2. Tim. 4. Instruct prayse, and reproue. Instructe the ignoraunte, prayse the obe­diente, and reproue the dysobe­dient, to god. Thus euery man laboure and trauayle after his degre. For when the eueninge cōmet [...] (that is the ende of this worlde) then shall euerye man take rewarde good or bad, af­ter as he hath laboured here.

These be the wordes, that I haue take to entreate vpon. And be thus moche to saye in [Page] englysh. Come giue a rekening of thy bal [...]wike. Christe the authoure of pitie, and louer of saluation of his people, in the proces of the gospell enfour­meth euerye man, that is his baylye, by the ensample of a baylye, that he monysshethe to prepare hym selfe to make his aunswere, and giue a re­keninge of suche goodes as he hath receiued of goddes hande when the daye of so strayte a rekenynge shall c [...]me, that is, the daye of dome, And so I at this time, thorough the helpe of God, folowinge hym that is maister of so greate authoritie because I knowe nothyng, ¶ that shulde more drawe a waye mans vnreasonable loue, from the vayne, and transitory ioye of this worlde, ¶ then to haue in mynde, that dreadeful rekening so farre as god permytteth, I [Page] at this tyme, wyll shewe you howe you shall dyspose you, to auoyde then goddes yre: and vengeaunce, when there shall be so hard iudgement, that we shall accompte for euerye ydle worde, that we haue spoken. For then shall be sayd vnto vs And we shall haue no power to go backe.

Come gyue a rekenynge of thy bayly wicke. Nota

But for further proces of this fyrste parte of thys sermon. knowe you there be three baly wykes, that shall be called to this strayte rekenynge. The fyrste shall aunsweare for hym selfe and for other. And they be preestes that haue ouersyghte or cure of mans soule. The se­conde temporall lordes that haue the gouernaūce of people And the thyrde haylye shall ac­compte for hym selfe or at least [Page] haue moch lesse charge thē the other. And that is euery Chri­stē mā for that hath he receued of God. And euery one of th [...]se shall aunswere to thre questy­ons. The questions.

The first Seconde Thyrde.The fyrste questyon. Howe haste thou entred? The seconde Howe haste thou ruled, The thirde, howe hast thou lyued. And yf thou can assoyle these thre questions, and dyscharge the of them. was there neuer earthly lorde (without comparison) that so rewarded hys ser­uauntes, as thy Lorde wyll re­warde the. that is to say, with lyfe and ioye euerlastyng. But on the other syde, if thou nowe regardynge not thyne owne wel [...]h [...] take no hede of thys re­keninge, if deathe take the so­denly, so that thou passe hence in deadlye synne, and euyl lyfe, and haue not amēded (as thou [Page] knoweste not, what shall be­falle the. All the tongues that euer were, or shall be, can not expresse, the sorowe, and woo, that thou shalte suffer.

Therfore the desyre of so great ioye and the dreade of so great payne thoughe the loue of god were not in thyne herte, shulde make the to thinke euermore. that thou shalte gyue a recke­nynge of the balywyke. Ther­fore as I sayde. The fyrste question, that shalbe proponed to the fyrste dayly (that is a prelate, or curate) is thus.

Howe hast thou entred. Frend howe entredeste thou hyther, who broughte the into thy of­fyce, truthe or symony. God or the deuyll, grace or money, the flesshe or the spirite, gyue now thy rekenynge yf thou can. yf thou canne not, I councell the without delay, to learne. For [Page] in case thou be called thus or it be nyght, and thē for the stāde dombe for lacke of knowledge and for cōfusion, of thin owne conscience, thou shalte fal into the sentence that here ensueth. Bynd his handes and fete and caste hym into vtter darkenesse where is waylynge: and gren­tynge of teth, Therfore I coū ­sell that thou aduyse the well, how thou wylt aūswer to this questyon, how hast thou entred whether by callyng, or by thine owne procuringe for that thou woldest labour in gods gospel. or for that thou wolde be ry­ch [...]lye arayed, aunswere to thyne owne conscience nowe, as thou shalt or it be longe aū ­swere to god. Thou that hast taken the order of presthode on the whether thou be curate, or two, who styrred the to take so hyghe an estate vpon they whe­ther [Page] because thou woldest lyue in goddes contemplacion and studye of goddes worde, to in­structe the people, or for to lyue a delycious lyfe of other mens swete, and thy selfe to laboure neuer a whytte.

And here myghte I aske a question, Questio [...] why also sette menne their children to scole, whether for to get them greate auaunce mētes, or to make th [...]m the better to knowe god and to serue him. Solutio [...] This their intention men maye se openlye, by the sciences that they put them to. For they sette them to the Canon, Ciuil or to the temporall law, not as to be ministers of Iustice, to defende the poore in righte. &c,

But because they thynke, that these sciences shall, [...]e meanes to make them great men in the worlde. Questi [...] And why be there so fewe put to learne the word of [Page] God and to be preachers ther­of, but that there is no suche gaynes as is in the other. [...]olatio, And so care they lytle on bothe par­tes, for godly lyuynge,

[...]And truth it is, that saynt [...] Iohn Chrisostome sayeth, pa­rentes be louyng to the bodies of their chyldren, but the soules they regarde not, they desyre theyr welfare in this worlde, but they passe not what they shall suffer in another. Some ordeine great fees for thē here. but none ordeyne they them to go [...]warde, the losse of theyr bo­dies they wyl sore bewayle but the helthe of their soules they make no rekenīg of. If they se them poore, they sorowe and syghe, but though they se the [...] synne, they make no maner of moone. And hereby they shewe that they broughte forthe the bodyes, but not the soules.

[Page]And nowe to speake again of prestes, yf we take hede tru­ly we shall perceyue greate abhominatiōs that ben scattered in the church nowe a dayes, Not [...]. by and amongest preestes, we shall well perce [...]ue I saye that they come not into Christes fo [...]lde by Christes callynge for to profytte but by other mea­nes and wayes, to gette theym selfe worldlye welthe. And this is cause of manye erroures a­mong the people. And therfore it is written in the booke, of mourning where the Prophet speaketh thus to god. The enymy hath put his hande to all thinges to hym desyrable.

For that he hathe seene a certayne people lawles entrynge into the sanctuarye, of whiche thou haddest commaūded that they shulde not entre that is to saye: into the churche. The [Page] enemye is Sathanas, as hys name so [...]ndeth, that hathe put hys hande to all that hym ly­keth. For what synne myghte the fende, by all his crafte or engyn, haue sowed amonge men, that is not nowe a dayes vsed whenne were they so greate in halfe, as they be nowe. In what plētye is Pride, Enuye, wrathe, and Couetyse. And lykewyse all other synnes. And wherefore thinkeste thou.

But for because there be law­les people, entered into the Tē ple, that neither in theym selfe kepe the Lawe of God, nor can teache other. And to all suche saieth God by the Pro­phete Osee. For that thou hast put away connynge, [...]ee. 4. or knoweledge of godes wyll. I wyll put the away, that thou shalte vse no preesthode to me.

Perceiue that God and ho­holy [Page] scrypture, expresselye here forbyddeth men to the state of prestehode vppon them, but yf they haue conynge that nedeth or b [...]houeth them. Thou then that canst no [...]her rule thy selfe, nor other, after the lawe of God, beware howe thou wylt answere God at this dreadful dome, when he shall saye to the Come geue a rekenynge of thy Baylywyke, The seconde que­stion, that any Prelate or Cu­rate, must aunswere to, is this. Howe haste thou ruled, that is to saye, the soules of the sub­iectes and the goodes of poore men, gyue thy accompt. Fyrste howe thou haste gouerned goddes flocke commytted to thy Cure. As a harde, or as a hyred man, that doth all for his bo­dely hyer. As a father, or as a wolfe that eateth the shepe and kepeth them not. Saye on and [Page] tell me, saye whome haste thou turned frō theyr cursed liuing, by the deuoute preachyng and good ensāple. whom haste thou taughte the lawe of God, that was before ignorāt: There shal be hard a greuous accusyng of fatheries chyldren and a strey [...] alledgynge of al the flocke that thou hast take of them thy ly­uynge, through their laboure & swete and do nothing therfore But let them go astraye, wandrynge for pasture & water, and none gy [...]en them by the.

Dyrectly gyue thy rekenynge, how haste thou ruled and spended the goods of these pore mē Howe shalt thou trimble with horryble feare, [...]r [...]au [...] then thinkeste thou, heare what saynte Bar­narde saith, threttenynge Cle [...] kes, and threttenyng ministers of the churche. They be in the place of sayntes, and they doo [Page] wyckedly, in that they not holdynge them contente with wages that are sufficiente to theyr necessaries, but the ouerplus, that nedye shulde be sustayned by, they be not ashamed to waste in the howses of theyr pryde and lechery witholdynge to them selfe wyckedlye, and cursedlye the lyuinges of pore men, with double wyckenesse truely. Fyrst they do synne, for they robbe other men of theyr goodes. Furthermore, for that they misuse holy thinges ī their vanities. And in their wyckednes. Euerye suche baylye therefore beware, for to the laste fa [...] thinge thou shalte reken and giue accompte. Thinkeste thou thenne, that thou shalte not be disalowed of God, for that thou hast myspended. And in bryngynge vp of yonge ydle folowes nourysshed or taughte [Page] as it were in a schole, to blas­pheme. God in all maner of pointes of euyll lyuinge, in feadinge of fatte palfreys, of hoū ­ [...]s and haukes (and yf so be that is worste of all) on lecherous women. Here what is saide of such. They haue ledde their dayes in vanitie and in welthe and in a moment they be gone downe īto hel. Thinke not ther [...]fore, but that [...]hou shalte rendre streightlye the ac­compte of thy baly wyke. The thyrde question that he shall answere to, is this. Howe haste thou lyued, what lyghte of ho­lynes hast thou geuen? shewed to the people in thy lyuynge. what myrrour haste thou bene vnto them. Nowe giue thy re­kenynge, howe hast thou lyued as a good shepeh [...]rde, goyng before his flocke with good en­samples, or as a lewde person [Page] as a mā or best, it is to wōder truelye to se howe the lyfe of preestes is chaunged, They be clothed lyke lordes & knyghtes they speake as vnhonestlye as any rybaulde or harlot, as co­uetously for gaines do they procure as any marchaūtes. They ryde lyke Princes. And all this that thus is spente is of poore mens goodes, and of Christes heritage: Therfore sayeth a holy doctour the clay of Egipt is thoughe stycking and medled with bloode, and the slattes, were harde to be vndone, for they were taken with the fyre of couetous, and with the layre or erth of lustes. In this point do trauaile ryche men, and in this watche they, lyeng awayt for pore men. In this trauayle prelates that be blynded wyth to moche shynynge of ryches, that make th [...]ym houses lyke [Page] churches in greatenes, and su­perfluous aboundaunce of all thynges, that with dyuers pa­yntures, coulour they theyr chā bers, and with dyuers sylkes & clothinges in sōdrye colours make theyr ymages gaye, but the poore man for defaute of clothes beggeth, and with an emptye whom doth crye at the doore. And shall I saye so the sayth this doctoure. Often ty­mes these poore men be robbed for to cloth stockes and stones. Esa, 22. Quid in hic aut quasi quid hic, To such speaketh the Prophet Esai, who art thou here, or as who art thou here. Here thou arte occupieng the place of Peter, of Paule, of Thomas, or of Martyne, but howe as Iu­das was amongeste the apo­stles Symon Magus amōgest the disciples, as a candell, newly quenched, that fewmeth ouer all the house, in stede of a lyght [Page] lanterne, and as a smoke that blyndeth mens eyen in stede of a cleare fyre, yf thou contrary thus the maner of lyuynge that Christe and his apostles left to preestes. Therefore sayeth the Prophet Ieremye. Iere. [...]. They haue entred, and they haue had, and & they haue not be obediēt with fals tytle and corrupte intētiō. they haue ētred, they haue had poore mennes goodes, to their mysusynge. And they haue not beene obedyent to god in their lyuyng. Therfore it is wrytten, that they shall haue the herdest dome. A harde dome or iudge­ment, Sap [...]. 6. for that they haue misentred, a harder iudgemente, for that they haue mysruled, the hardest iudgement, for because they haue so cursedly lyued, beyonde all other, wherefore I counceyle the betymes thynk [...] howe thou wylte make thy re­kenynge.

[Page]The secōde baly, that muste answere for hym selfe and for other, is he that hathe the rule of any Realme, prouince, shyre or coūtreyes, as Kynges. Princes, Maires, Shireffes and Iustices, and these shall also aunswere to thre questions, the fyrste howe hast thou entred in thy offyce. w [...]ther to profytte the people to destroye fa [...]shed, & further trueth, or for desyre to obtayne therby, worldlye wor­shyp and richesse, yf thou take suche an office more for thyne owne worldely profyt, then for to helye the commune welthe, thou arte none of the perfecte mēbers of the churche, but arte a tiraunt. And it is to be feared lest there be manye that desyre suche estate. Some that they may be enhaficed with ryches, and some that they myghte the [Page] rather oppresse suche as they hate, and some be inhaunced in takinge gyftes, wherby they spare to punysshe, those that haue trespassed, and so make thē perteyners of their synnes and for brib [...]s they worke all thinges. And many such, when they be so high in offyce, thynk not that they be poore mens sō nes bretherne and seruauntes to the defence of the comēs but thynke them selfe to be of a hygher kynde of nature, as they be auaunced to worldlye, honoure, whiche is but wynde and vanitie, Ose. 8. Of whome saieth god by the prophet. They haue raigned, but not by me. They haue ben princes but I know them not. So was Roboam kynge Salomons sonne. 2. par. 10 when he was fyrst kynge, auaunced in his h [...]rte, when the people of Israell came to hym and [Page] sayde, Thy father in hy [...] last a dayes, putte vpon v [...] a greate charge. We desyre the that thou woldeste make it lyghter, and we wyll serue the. The kynge axed councell to the older wyse men, whiche aduysed hym to aunswere them fayre and that shulde be beste. But he forsoke these wyse mens coūcelles, and dydde after chyldren that were his playfelowes, and sayde to the people, when they came a­gayne. My least fynger is byg­ger thē my fathers rygge bone. My father greued you some­what but I wyll adde more.

The people herynge this, rebel­led againste hym. And sythen [...] the tyme, came neuer the kyngdome hole togyther agayne.

Wherfore it is good for rulers to take sobre councell, and to eschewe eare crounders and alwayes to haue an eye of loue [Page] to the comens, that they rule.

For know they well, be they neuer so high, that they shal come before a higher iudge to gyue a rekening, The seconde questiō. Howe haste thou ruled, that is the people, & the office, that thou haddest to gouerne, thou that haste bene a iudge in causes of poore me. How hast thou kept this cōmaūdemēt of god. that thou shalt not take hede, to the person of the pore mā, to be the harder to him for his pouertye, nor thou shalt haue respecte to the ryche mans countenaūce to spare or fauour hym, in wrong for his richrs. Oh Lorde God, Deu. 9. what abusion is there amonge officers of both partes nowe a daies, yf a great mā pleat with a pore mā to haue ought, that he holdeth, euerye officer shalbe ready, to further al that he may the rich mā in his cause that he [Page] maye haue the ende that he desyreth. But yf a poore mā pleat with a riche, then shal there be so many delayes, that thoughe the poore mans ryghte be open to all the countrey for pure de­faute of spendyng, he shalbe cō strayned to let his cause falle.

Shiriffes & baylyffes wyll re­turne poore mens wryts with a tarde venit except they fele money in their handes, And yet I heare say, of men that haue proued both courtes, that the court that is called more spiritual or christen, is more cursed. [...]ro. 19. Therfore it is truely sayd. Giftes they take out of mens bo­somes, to subuert the waies of ryght iudgemēt. But in especi­al the wordes of christ be to be feared. In what iudgement ye iudge other, [...]at. 7. your selfe shall re­ceiue the same As ye measure to other. &c. when ye shal come [Page] to giue your accōpt. The third question, how haste thou lyued thou that iudgeste & punysheste other for trespassyng. It behoueth the that punishest other mē for their trespasses to eschewe and flee the wyckednes of thē. For yf thy selfe do vnlawfully iudginge other thou condem­nest thy selfe, sith thou doest [...] that thinge that thou damnest Paule saith, Roma. why teachest thou not thy selfe that teachest other why [...]ealest thou that teachest other men nor to steale. Howe shall that man take rule of o­ther that can not go before thē in good lyuynge. And whē any mā stādeth before him in iudgement, he muste take hede before what iudge he shal stande hym selfe, to take his iudgement af­ter his dedes. But it is to be fe­red that many, fare, as the two false preestes, that wolde haue [Page] dāned to deth holy Susan, [...]usāna. for that she wolde not cōsent vn­to theyr lechery. Of the whiche it is written, they turned away their eyes for that they wolde not se heuen, nor haue mynd of right iudgemēt. And so it fortuneth of that they which are more worthy to be hāged, dāne thē that be lesse worthy. As Socrates the philosopher. Socrates [...] who on a tyme was demaunded why he dyd laugh. [...]alerius [...]aximus ibro. 7. For Ise, sayed he, great theues leade a lytle thefe to hangyng, I praye you whe­ther is he a greater thefe, tha [...] taketh awaye a mans house, & hys lande frō him & his heires for euermore, or he that for gree­uede stealeth a shepe or a calfe. And suppose you that sōtyme we haue not such Iudges, and mē of law thē selfe very excor­cione [...]s & bribours. And they iudge other to death. But I aduise [Page] the, that iudgest other men to remēbre that thou shalte co­me into iudgement, & giue a re­kenyng of thy baylywyck. The 38 bayly The thirde baylye, that shalbe called to this dredful dome, shalbe [...]uery christē mā, that shall re [...]ē to his lord god, for the goods that he hath had of his. And here I wyl speake but of this questiō that is, howe hast thou gouerned the & thy goodes, and how hast thou entred here to thy godes. Beware ye that haue got­ten any goodes wrongfully, ei­ther takē by extorcion, by stelth vsury, or deceyte, Austen wo shall be to you at this dredful day. For as saint Austen saith, if he be cast into the fyer, that hath not gy­uen of his owne goodes rygh­teously gotten [...] where thinkest [...] thou, that he shalbe cast, that hath stolē other mens goods [...] And yf he shal bren with the [Page] fende, that hath not clothed the naked, wher iudgest thou that he shal brenne, that hath made naked thē that were clothed.

But two thīges, make mē thus to lyue by rape of other mens goodes, Moralli. Grego. 8. that is desire of honour & dread of pouertie And what vēgeaūce falleth on this sin of couetous, ye mayse by a figure of scripture whē the angel said to the prophet zachary, lift vp thin eyen & se what is that tha [...] goeth out. And the pphet asked what is that. Thē the āgel said this is the potte goynge out, [...]chary 6 that is the eye of the erth. And there was a wayghte of leade. And there was a woman sit­ting in the myddest of the pot. And he toke the gobbet of lead & cast it into the pottes mouth. the womans name was vnpie [...]ie. And the prophete lyfte vp his eyen, and se two wemē lyke spirites in the ayer, wyth wynges [Page] lyke vnto kytes or putto [...] ­kes, and they caryed vp the potte betwene heauen and erth And the prophete asked the angell whither they wolde carye this potte. And he sayd into the lande of Samary. This potte is couetise. For as a pot hath a wyde open mouthe, Expos [...] tio so coue­tousnes gapeth euermore after worldlye good, ryches, and ho­nour. And as the lycoure in the pot profiteth not to the potte selfe, but them that drawe and drinke therof, so worldly good oft profiteth not the keper but other that come after as it is written. He that hath moneye shall haue no frute of it. And this couetous is the eye of cauetous men, Eccl. 5. for they be blynde to se howe they shulde come to heuē. But to winne worldly thinges they can se manye wayes like to oules & night crewes the [Page] better [...]e by nyght then by day. The payce of lead is the synne of obstinatiō, the womā sitting in, the pot is vnpietie as the aū gel sayth that foloweth, & is cō ­panion of auarice. A man tho­rowe auerice doth lose the pitie that he shulde haue of the mys­chefe of his soule, sithens often men lese the lyfe of their soule by deadly sinne, that they cōmit to get riches. And also thei lose the pitie, that they shulde haue to theyr bodies, puttynge them selfe so many great parels and leoperdies of their bodies both by se & by lande, and leseth cō ­passion towardes other men, & all maketh couetise. The pot is stopped with this gobbet of led whē vnpietie is closed thus by synne of obstination, by coue­tousnes that it may not go out of the kepers hart by repētaūce [...]. 10.As Iob saieth when he is ful­fylled [Page] he shall be stopped. The ii. womē that bare vp the pot, were pryde & luste of fleshe that ī the scripture be called the two doughters of the water leche, cryeng: Brynge, bryng, & they had wynges. The fyrste womā that is pryde, hath two wyn­ges the fyrste wynge be graces or gyftes spiritual, as connyng wysdom, councell, and suche other, for which giftes oft men were proud. The secōde wing [...] is bodylye grace or giftes, as strength beautie, aūcetry with suche other, of which often mē waxe proude. The wynges of the seconde womā be fleshly desires, & they be glotony, & slouth Of glotony speaketh the holye doctour saint Gregory, Gregory sayeng whē the bellye is fulfilled, the prickes of lechery be stirred. Of slouth saith the great doctoure saynt Austen, that Loth, whyle [Page] he was in busynes dwellynge amongest the shrowes in So­dome he was a good mā. Augusti. de ōflic­tu virtu­tis et viciorum But when he was in the hyl ydle, in drōkennes, he laye by his owne doughters. And these wemen had winges lyke gleydes or put tockes, that with crieng voyce go sekynge their meat, as Bartholomeus sayth. Bartho­lomeus de proprietatibꝰ rerum. Thus fareth the couetousnes and feruent desyre of fleshly men, as wytnes­seth saint Austen. we se saythe he that rauenous fysshes haue some measure, for whē they hō ­ger, they do rape and eate, Austen [...] but when they be full they spare.

Onely couetous men may not be fulfylled or satisfied, euer he taketh, & neuer hath he ynough neither dredeth he god or shame of men, neither spare he father neither knoweth mother. with hys brother accordethe he not, nor wyth hys frende kepeth he [Page] trouth, he oppresseth widowes and harmeth motherlesse chyl­dren, fre men he maketh bonde, and bringeth forth false wyt­nesse, He occupieth dead mens goodes, as thoughe he neuer shulde dye. Augusti­nus. what madnes is thys, sayeth this doctour thus to lese lyfe and grace, and pro­cure the soules dampnation, to wynne golde, aud lose heauen And therefore sayeth the pro­phete, vnhappines shall com­passe them rounde aboute, Psal. 54 tra­uayle and vnrighteousnes in the myddes amonge them. Al­so Innocentius speakynge of the harme that commeth of couetousnes sayeth. Innocentius. Oh how manye men hath couetousnes de­ceiued and spylled. For coue­tousnes of rewarde of gyftes that the kyng Balac promysed Balaam he wolde haue cursed the people of god, N .22. notwithstandynge [Page] his owne Asse reproued him ī his own cōsciēce, & al that was in him reproued & hurt his fo [...]e at a wall. And yet was he ouercome and led awaye with couetousenes, whiche enforsed him what he myghte. Iosu. 7. Ach an was stoned: for couetousenes made him stele gold & precious clothes against gods cōmaūdement. [...]ehesie was strikē with misery, for that he solde a m [...] ̄ [...] health, 4. Reg. 5 that came by the grace of god. Iudas for couetousnes sold Christe, and afterwarde hanged him selfe: An any & Saphira his wyfe dyd dye soden­lye, Actu. 5. for because they denyed to Peter the price or sūme of mo­ney that they receiued. Coue­tise is cause, that riche men eat poore men, euen as beastes eat grasse keping it vnder, thys is dayly sene. For yf a ryche man haue a feld, & in the myddest or [Page] on the outs syde a poore man haue but one acre, or yf a rych man haue a hole strete saue one house that same poore brother of his oweth he neuer ceasethe tyl that he haue gottē that on [...] of the poore mans hand, other by prayenge or entreatynge or pursuynge, Thus fareth it by kynge Achab that by the procurement of his false Quene I [...] ­sabel, slew the pore mā naboth for that he wolde not sell hym his vyneyarde lyeng by his palayse, Ambro. de suo, li­bello de Naboth where vpon saith sainte Ambrose. Howe farre wyll ye ryche men stretche out your co­uetousnes, wyll ye dwel alone vpon the earth, & haue no pore man wyth you, why putte you out your felowe in kynde, and chalenge to youre selfe the pos­session, that kynde and nature hath made cōmen to al mē both poore and rich. The earth was [Page] made cōmen, & wyll ye rych mē chalenge proper sight therein Nature and kynd knoweth no ryches, for she bringeth forth al maner of men pore. we be not gotten with ryche clothes, nor borne with gold & syluer.

Naked bryngeth vs nature & kynde into this world both nedy of meat and drynke. Naked the earth taketh vs agayne, as naked euen as she bringeth vs hither. And the sepulchre cā she nat close with vs our possessi­ons and riches. Kynde maketh no dyfferēce betwene pore and riche, neither in cōmyng hither neither in goinge hence, al after one maner bringeth she forth, all after one maner closeth she the graue. Who so euer ma­keth difference betwene pore & ryche, abyde tyl they haue lyen a lytle space in the graue, & thē open & loke amonge the deade [Page] bones, who was riche, & who was pore. Except it be as thus that mo clothes be rotten with the rich then with the poore. And that endamageth thē that be alyue, Iob. 24 & profiteth not them that be deade. Thus saith the holy doctour of suche extorcio­ners it is written, other mens feldes they repe, & of the vine of hī that hath bene oppressed, they plucke awaye the grapes. They leaue mē naked, & plucke awaye their clothes, that they haue not wherewith to couer thē frō cold. And they lyfte vp this pot, yt I spake of before betwene heauen and earth, for couetousenes of mē, nether hathe charitie in earth to theyr bre­thren, nor to god of heuen, and they bare this potte into the lāde of Synear, that is to say into the lande of stenche (that is) hell. For there is stenche in [Page] stede of swete smellynge. Be­ware that thou go not with this pot nor with the woman therī ī any case, take hede that thou not mary with her. For then ye must be both one. This is that lecherous womā & ful of fleshly delytes, with whom kinges & marchaūtes haue cōmit­ted lechery here in earth, & with her vertues they haue ben made ryche, whose dānation is written in the books of reuelations of saint Iohn by these wordes In one daye shall her plages come, Death sorowe, and hun­ger and fyer shall brenne her.

For stronge is God that wil auēge him on her. The kinges of the earth that haue done le­che [...]y with her, & haue lyued in her delytes. when they shall se the smoke of her brenning, shal stande a farre of weping & way lynge, yea cryenge alas, alas, [Page] that greate citie that was clo­thed with pisse, purple & brasel & ouergilt with gold & precious stones & pearle, for in one hour all these greate richesse shall be destroied. Thē shal thei say that shalbe dāned with her. we haue erred frō the way of truth, & in the lyght of ryghtwysenes hath not shyned vpō vs, & the Sūne of vnderstanding hath not risē to vs, we haue bene made wea­ry in the waye of wyckednes & of lustes & haue gone the harde wayes, but the waye of truthe we know not, what hath pride profited vs for the beste of our ryches, what hath it broughte vnto vs? All is gone as a shadowe of deathe & we can now shewe no maner of holynes to our kynred. In our wyckednes we be wasted awaye. Thynke therfore I coūsel the how thou shalte giue a rekenynge of th [...] [Page] bayly wyke when he shall say. Redderationē villicatiōis tue. ¶ The .ii. part of this sermon.

HEre shulde be asked how haste thou gouerned, thy wyfe, thy chyldrē & seruauntes haste thou brought thē vp aft [...]r the lawes of god & cōtinued thē there in asmoch as lyeth in thy powe [...] but yf thou hast brough thē vp after an other waye, or suffred them to go at theyr own wyll. thīke not but thou muste gyue accomptes therfore, when shalbe sayd, redderationē villicationis tue. But & if thou wilt auoyde all the straite & hard accōptes. I coūcell the what soe­uer thou be, to fal & cleaue vnto the mercye and goodnes of god throughe Christes demerites, with a lyuely faith & repenting her [...]e of thyne iniquities. And nowe therefore beware of thy lyfe in tyme past. & amēde, And [Page] yf thou do not, & that in tyme. who shall graūt the pardone & release of this thy accomptes.

IN this second part, with the helpe of god, I wyll shewe fyrst, who shal call vs to this rekenyng. Secondarely before whō we shal rek [...]. Finally what punishmēt shalbe to the that be foūd false seruan̄tes & wicked & what reward shalbe giuē thē that be foūde faithfull & true seruaūtes. For the fyrstlye shal know that ther be two iu­gemētes, the fyrste anone after the departing of the body & the soule which is ap [...]culer dome wherof speake [...]h [...]uke ī his gospel. The second dome shalbe anone after the generall resurrection, & that shalbe vniuersal & of this speaketh saīt mathew To the first shall euery man be called one after another, Mat. 27. as the worlde passeth. To the .ii, [Page] shall we come all togyther to the twynkling of an ey. To the i [...] mē shalbe called by .iii. sōners or sergeantes. The fyrste [...] sicknes, the .ii. age, the .iii. deathe.

The firste warneth. The secōd chre [...]tene [...]h, & the thirde taketh. This is a kyndlye ordre but sō tyme it falleth vnkindlye. For some dye, that neuer wist what was sicktnes, nor age, as chyl­drē that be sodēly slain. And so me, yea & the moost parte nowe adays that dy. dey [...] before their pure & naturall age of death [...]

Therfore I say, that the [...]yrst, that calleth vs to this especial iudgement, is sycknes, & this is double, for some is sicknesth at foloweth all mākynde, for that euery man hath it. And some is sicknes, that some men haue but not al, yea, the .i, sycknes is double, for some is wythin, in the myddest of the soule & som [Page] is without in the feblenesse of the bodye, that nedes muste be destroyed, in whom cōtinuance of tyme, himselfe, is cause of corruptiō. As the Philosopher saith that there be feblenesse in sicknes. Notetu [...] Now may a mā se here by that though a mā shut out of his house, (that is hys hert) all maner of worldlye and fleshlye thoughts yet with al that euer he cā do shal he skātly suffice to thīke onelys on God, the space of a pr̄ n [...] whyle. But some other thought of thinges that be passīg, entreth into the soule and draweth her from the contemplation. But Oh good god what a sickenes is this, & heuy burthen, vppon the sonnes of Adā. That on the foule mucke and dounge of the worlde, we can thinke longe ynoughe: but on the Lorde whome the soule shulde haue most delectatiō by, [Page] we can not thynke so lytle a space, but that the cockle wyll entre amonge the wheate. Of this syckenes spake, S. Paule whē he sayd, I se an other law in my mēbres, rebellīge against the law of my spirite & takyng me to the law of sine. So that it fareth by vs as it doth by a mā that wolde loke stedfastlye agēst the son & can not endure lōg for nothyng, & yet for no defaut that is in the sōne, for it is most cleare in him selfe, & so by reasō best shulde be sene, but it for the feblenesse of mans eyes. [...]ene. 3. Ryghte so sythens Adam our fyrste father was putte oute of Paradyse, all hys of springe haue bene thus sycke, as the Prophet sayeth. Oure fathers haue eaten a bytter grape, and the teeth of theyr chyldren be waxen an edge. [...]e. 18. The seconde sickenes, that is cōmynge to al [Page] mākynd, cōmeth of feblenes of body, as hunger, thyrste, colde, heate, sorow. werynes, and many other, as Iob sayth, Iob. 14 & man that is borne of a womā lyuīg a lytle tyme, is fylled with many miseries. But there be o­ther sycknesses that cōe to som men, but not to all, as Leprye Palsye, feuers [...] dropsyes blyndnes, & many other, as it is said to the people of Israel, in scripture. But yf thou kepe cōmaū ­dementes, that be writtē in the booke of lyfe, Deutro I shall encr [...]ace thy sorowes & the syckenes of thy seede, great syckenes & lōge abydyng, most euyls, & alwaye cōtinuinge. And ye shall vnderstande, that god sendeth suche syckenes, otherwhyle to good mē, & sōtimes to shrewes. To good men God doth it for two causes, & that I sayde of syckenes, I wold it to be vnderst [...]ēd [Page] of al maner of tribulatiō. The fyrst cause, for that they shulde euer knowe, that they haue no infectiō of thē selfe, but of god onelye and to encrese in meke­nes. [...]ori [...]. 12: Of this sayth Paule. Lest the greatnes of reuelation, lyft or extol me vp into pride to me is gyuen the prycke of my flesh thaūgel of Sathanas to smite me on the neck wherfore I ha­ue thrise prayed god that if shuld go fro me, & he aūswered vnto me my grace is sufficient, for the vertue is fulfylled ī sicknes withī thus saith the glose The fēd axyng Iob, to be tēp­ted, was hard, & not the apostle axyng hys tēptatiō to be remoued, god herd hī that shulde be dāpned, & he hard not him that he wolde saue. Also god sēdeth saintes oftentymes sycknes, & psecution, to gyue vs synfull wretches, ēsāple of paciēce, For [Page] yf he shuld suffre his saintes to haue suche tribulation in thys world, & thāke hī therof muche more we wretches, that god hath send to, not a hundreth part of their sorow, shuld bere it me­kely. Sithēs we haue deserued a thousāde tymes so moche as they haue, wherfore as we rede of Thobi, Thobi. [...]. that on a daye as he was wery of buryenge of pore men, the whiche shulde els haue ben vnburied, and haue bene eaten of houndes, and foules, as the Carrien of other vnreasonable beastes, as he for wea­rynes was layed to reste (tho­rowe the sufferaunce of God) the swallowes that bredde a­boue in the house made ordure and donged in his eyen, where by he wared blynde. This is wrytten, that god suffred thys temptaciō to come to hym, for an ensample of paciens to all [Page] thē that cam after. And so was also the temptatiō of holy Iob and thoughe Thoby frome his chyldehode euermore dyd dread God, and kepe his cōmaunde­mentes, yet was he not agrea­ued agaynste god, though that the myscheuous blyndnes fell to him, but vnmeueably dwelled in the drede of god, thankīg hym all the dayes of his lyfe.

Loo here scripture expresselye saith that god suffred that holy man to haue this syckenes to giue other that come after hym, an ensāple of pacience. And al­so sometyme god sendeth syckenes & tribulatiō to wycked mē, & that for, ii. causes, Fyrste for that they shulde loue God, and leaue theyr synne, as it is written. Theyr sycknes are multi­plyed, and after they hasted to Godward. For we se oftē mē ī sycknes know theyr God, that [Page] neuer wolde haue tourned to him while they were hole. Also god sendeth sicknes often to a gaste other mē, leste they shulde folowe their sinne. As the sycknes of Antioche, Antioche whome God smote with suche a plage that wormes scattered out of his body he beyng alyue. And the slīck was so great, & foule that hys frendes were wery therwith & might not suffre it, yea at lēgth he myght not abyde his owne stench & thē began he to know hym selfe, & saide, it is ryghtful to be subiect to god, and a mortal man not to holde him equal with god. And the storye saithe he asked mercy of god, of whō he coulde none haue, & he made a vowe to God, that he wolde make the Cytye of Ierusalem free & the Iues as free, as the mē of Athenes, & that he wolde honour Goddes Temple with [Page] precious stones, & also array & multiplye the holy vessels, and fynde of his owne [...]ādes the costes & expēses perteining to the sacrifice, & that he wolde becom a Iewe, & go ouer all the lande preaching gods lawe. And yet god gaue hym no mercy for no ther was there in hī contrition nor repētaūce that spronge of faith, but of odious payn. For what was in hī to forsake his wickednes, whē he was vnable to do good or euell. And by this vēgeaūce that god toke on this kyng, shuld mē se what it is to be desobediēt to god. Also it is to be takē hede, that whē syck­nes cōmeth euer it sheweth that the patiēt is mortall, & that he shal nedes dye, & though he may escape this sicknes, yet can be not eschewe death. And so he muste nedes come to the reke­nynge. The se­conde somuer. The seconde Somner. [Page] that shall call to this peculyer iudgemēt is age and feblenes, Propre­ties of death. whose propertye is, althoughe hetary with the, he wil not leue the, tyll he hath broughte the to the endetthat is deth. But there be many though they haue this sōner with thē, yet they take no hede, He seth how his heed ho­reth, his back croketh, his breth stiketh, his teeth fallē his syght failes, his eares ware heuye to here, what meaneth al this, but that age sōpneth the to the dōe but what more madnes can be thē a mā beynge called & drawē to so dredfull a rekenīg where except he answere well, he for­faiteth both body & soule to dā pnatiō for euer, yf he se a lytle myrth, by the way, he forgetteth who hath hī by the sleue. So doth he that is strikē with age & hath so great pleasure in this worldes welth, that he forget­teth [Page] whether he is away. Here fore saieth a holy doctour, that amongest al the abusiōs of the worlde moste is of an old man that is ostinate, for he thinketh not of his oute goinge of thys worlde nor of hys passyng into the lyfe to come, he heareth thre messengers of deth but he bele­ueth thē not, & the cause is, for the thre fold cord, that such an olde mā is boūd with, is harde to breke this corde is costom, that is of the plattes, which be ydle youth, vnhonest speache, & wicked dede. The which if they grow with a mā frō his child­hode vnto mās age, they make a thre fold corde to byndtholde mā in custome of synne. Here­fore saith Esay, Esaye. breke the bon­des of syn. Thīke therfore who souer that thou be, that art this sōned, thou cāst not escape, but y ^t thou must make thy rekenīg [Page] The thyrde sōner to his reckenynge is deth, and his conditiō is that, the thyrde somner. diffinitio mortis, come he first or come he last, he spareth neither pore nor rych, aged nor yong nor he feareth no threatnynge, he takethe heede to no prayer, nor of anye gyft, nor graunteth any respite but without delay, he bringeth forth mā to iudgemēt. Augusti­nus. Therfor sayeth D. Austen well ought e­uery mā to drede the daye of deth For I what estate soeuer mans last day fīdeth hī whē he goth out of this world ī the sa­me estate it bringeth hī to his iudgemēt, Therefore saith the wise mans to hys sonne, Sonne thinke on thy last daye and thou shalte neuer synne. The day of iudge­ment. Nowe remēbre that thou shalt rekē for thy baylywyke. I said also, that there was an other daye of iudgemēt to the which all mē shall come togyther ī the swynklyng of an eye, and this [Page] shalbe vniuersall. And lyke as to the other, euerymā shalbe called with thre sōners, so to this iudgemēt all the worlde shalbe called with thre general sōners & right as other thre messengers shewe a mans ende, so do these messēgers til thēd of the world The first is the worldes siknes The .ii. is his age, & feblenes, & the .iii. is his end. The sickenes of the world, thou shalt know by charitie warynge cold, & his age and feblenes, thou shalte knowe thy tokēs fulfilled, & his ende thou shalte knowe, by Antichristes pursuing. Fyrst I say thou shalte knowe the worldes sicknes, by charitie waxīg cold Clerkes that do wryte on na­turall thinges saye, to know the worldes sicke­nes. that the bodye is sycke, whē that his kyndlye hea [...] is to lytle, or when it is to moch. Thē sythens vnder stande as thus, that all men is [Page] as one body, whose kyndlye or naturall hearte is charitie, that is loue to god, and loue to thy neighboure, vnnaturall or vn­kyndely heate, is lust full loue to other creatures. whē there­fore thou seest, that the loue of mē to godward, & to their ney­boures is, colde, lytle & fainte, & the loue to worldly thinges is great and feruent. Then know thou wel, that vnkindely heat is to great & vnkindly heate is to lytle. That this is a knowlege of this sickenes. Mat. 23 I maye proue by christes auctorite, for he him self gaue this as a sign drawynge to the ende of the world, for that the wyckednes shal be plenteous, charitie shal waxe colde, Therefore whē y ^u seest charitie thus litle set by, of y ^e world, & wickedne [...] in [...]rease bicause the worldly thinges be most set by & loued, know wel. [Page] y ^t the world & his welth passes & that this sommer is come. And thus saieth saynt [...] Paule, wit thou well, that in the last dayes shall come perillous tymes, [...]. Tim. 3. & there shalbe men l [...]uynge them selues (that is to saye) theyr bo­dyes, & all thinges belongynge thereto, couetousnes borne vp w ^t pryde, vnobediente to y ^e fa­ther & mother, felowes w ^t oute affectiō, w ^t out peace, blamers, vncontinēt, vnmylde, withoute benignitie, traytoures, rebelles swellyng, louers of lustes more thē of god, hauyng a likenes of pety, more then the vertue therof, & these flee y ^u, whē thou seest the people of such fashiō, know thou well. that the fyrste sōner warneth althe world, that the daye of rekeninge draweth to­warde. The secōde sōner that shal warme al the world, is the age of the world, & this sheweth [Page] tokēs fulfylled all readye, but I knowe well, that we be not sufficient to knowe the tymes, that the father hath put in his owne power, to shewe certaynly, the day, the yere, or the hour of iudgemēt. This knowledge was hedden frō the v [...]ry Apo­stles of Christe, & also frō chry­stes māhode as to shewe it vs. Neuertheles we may by auctoritie of scriptures, w ^t reasons, & expositiōs of holy mē, well & opēly shew y ^t this day of wrath is nygh. Lest any mā say in his herte, as it is written of a rich man a foule bellye seruer, that sayde I wyll gather all my frutes & my goodes, & I wyll saye to my soule, soule y ^u hast moche goodes layde vp in store, Luke. [...] for many yeres, take thyne ease, eate and drynke, & be merye. I shall shew you that this day is at hād, but how nygh I cā not [Page] say, nor wyl not. For yf Paule sayde now for a. M .ccc. yeare & more past, [...]. Cor. 10 we be those to whō thendes of the worlde be come moch more may we say y ^e same that be so moche nere the ende thē he was Also. S Iohn Chrisostome sayth. Chriso­tomus. Thou seest darknes ouer all & why do test thou that the day is at an end. First on the valleys is darknes whē the daye draweth downwarde whē therfore thou seest the valleys darke, A propre [...]imilitu­de [...] why doutest y ^u whether it be nere nyght or no. But yf thou se the sunne so lowe y ^t darknes be vpō the hylles thou wylt say doutbles y ^t it is nyght Ryght so yf thou se in the seculer men, that darkenes of sinne begineth to haue the maystrye, it is a token that the world endeth. But when thou seesle preestes, that be put in the top or susfraūcye of spirituall dig­nitie, [Page] & that shulde be as hylles amongest the cominalte of the people in perfytte lyuyng, that darkenes of syn hath gotte the vpperhand of them, who doubteth but y ^t the worlde is at an ende. Io ach­in [...] Also Abbas Io achī in y ^e expositiō of Ieremy saith, that from the yere of our lorde. M, CC. al times be to be suspected & we be past this suspect tyme nyghe two hundred yeares. And mayde yldegar, Mayde yldegar in y ^e boke of her prophesies, yf it be lefull to gyue them credite, in y ^e thyrd parte the .xi, vision and seuētye chapter, moueth this reason. Ryght as in the seuen thousād yeres the worlde shall passe, and as in the syxth daye man was made and fourmed, Aduer [...] so in syxe thousande yeares, he was brought agayne and reformed and as in the seuenth daye, the worlde was ful made, and god [Page] rested of his werkynge, so in seuēth thousād yere, ¶ the nūbre of them y ^t shalbe saued, shalbe ful­fylled, & then shall y ^e sayntes holy rest in bodye & soule. If then it be so as it semeth by thys maydens wordes, y ^e seuē thou­sande yeres in passynge, [...] of the worlde accorde to y ^e seuē daies in makīg of it. Let vs se what it wanteth, y ^t these seuen thou­sande yeares be not fulfylled. For yf we nūbre the yeares frō the natiuitie of `Christe, [...] to the yeres frō the begynnyng of the worlde, to Christes commynge folowyng, the mynd of Austen Bede, Origene, Augusti­ [...]us & the perfectest doctours teaching on this matter. It is passed nowe almoost syxe thousande, and syxe hun­dreth yeares, as it is open in a boke called Speculū iudiciale. So it foloweth y ^t this daye is more then halfe gon, yf we [Page] shulde giue credēce to this maydens reason. Mat. 2 [...] But yf we leane to the gospell of Matthew, we shal fynde y ^t the disciples axed of Christ thre questions. Fy [...]ste what tyme the citie of Ierusa­lem shulde be destroyed. The seconde, what tokens were of his cōming to iudgemēt. Third what signe shulde be of thende of the worlde. And Christ ga [...]e no certen tyme of these thinges whē they shuld fal, but he gaue the tokens, Nota. by the whiche they myght know when they drewe neare. To the fyrst question of the destructoin of Ierusalem, he sayed when the Romaynes come to beseige y ^e citie, thē sone after it shall be destroyed. And as to the seconde & the thyrde, he gaue them many tokens, as were these, that realm, shal rise agaynste realme, and people a­gaynste people, and that there [Page] shulder the opening of seuē seales is declared the state of the churche, from the tyme of Christ to be ende of th [...] worlde. The .iiii. fyrst Seales shewe the estate of the church, frō the time of christ to the tyme of Antichristes ap­pearyng, and his foregoers, the which is shewed in the openīg of the other seales: The ope­nynge of the fyrste seale, The y [...]st seale. telleth the state of the churche in the tyme of preachynge of Chryste and his apostles. For then the fyrst beast that is a Lyon, gaue his [...]oyce, that betokeneth the preachers of Christes resurrection, and his ascension. For then wente out a whyte horse and he that sate vpon hym had a bowe is his hande, and he wente forthe ouercomynge to ouercome. Expositi By this whyte hors we vnderstande the cleane lyfe and conuersation, that those [Page] preachers had, & by the bowe theyr true preachyng, pryckyng sorow or repentaunce, in mens harte [...] for their synnes with­out flattering. They went out of Iewrye that they came of, wynnīg and ouercoming some of the Iewes, & made theym to leaue the truste y ^t they hadde in tholde lawe, & to beleue in Ies [...] Christ & folowe his teachinge and they went out to ouercome the paynems, shewynge to them that theyr ymages were no goddes, but mans werke vnmygh­tie to saue thē self, or any other drawyng thē to y ^e beleue of Iesu Christ God and mā. The . [...] seale. In the openynge of the seconde seale, there cried a calfe, whiche was a beaste wonte to be slayne, & offred to god in the olde lawe. This shewethe the state of the churche in the tyme of marters that for theyr stedfast preachīg Expositio. [Page] and for the trouthe of goddes worde shede theyr bloode, and that is betokened by the redde horse that went out at the openynge of this seale, and this e­ [...]tate began at Nero the cursed Emperour, Nero. Constantin [...] magnus. and endured to the tyme of Constantyue the great that endowed the churche. In this tyme many of Christes se [...] ­uaūtes, and namely the leaders of Christes flocke were slayne and of .xxii. Bysshops of rome that were before the tyme of Syluester, Sylue­ster. the fyrst, I rede but of foure, but y ^t they were mar­tyrs. And also in y ^e time of Dioclesian the Emperour the persecution of Christen men was so greate, that in .xxx. dayes, were slaine .xxii. thousande mē and women in diuers coūt [...]is for the lawe of God, The .iii. seale. The ope­nyng of the thyrde seale, telleth the state of the churche in the [Page] tyme [...]f heret [...]kes that is fygu­red by the blacke horse or false vnderstādyng of scripture. Expositi For then cried the thirde beast, that is a man, for at that tyme was it nedefull for to preach the mysterye of Christes incarnation and passion, agaynste the heretykes that take amysse these poyntes. How christ toke very mankynde of Mary, he beynge god as he was before, and his mother beynge mayde before & after. The .iiii. seale. Expositi The opening of y ^e fourth seale telleth y ^e state of y ^e church in the tyme of hypocrites, that be tokened by the [...]ale [...] horse, y ^t be signes of penaūce withoute forth, to blinde the people. And he that sat vpon the horse, hys name was death. For they flee goostly them that they lede and teache to God by other wayes thē by christ. And hel foloweth them, for hell receiueth those y ^t [Page] these men deceyue. At that time shall it be nede that the fourth bea [...]te, that in the Egle flyeth hyghest of all fowles, make his crye, to raise vp the gospel, and to prayse goddes lawe aboue al other, lest mennes wytte and their traditions, treade downe and ouergrow the lawe of god by enfourmynge of these hypocrites. And this is y ^e last estate that is or shalbe in the churche before the commyng and cleare appearynge of the great mem­bre of Antichrist. the fifth seale, The openyng of the fyfte seale. sheweth the state of the churche, that then shal folow. And the desyre that the folowers of goddes lawe, shall [...] haue, after the ende of this worlde, to be delyuered of this woo. The .6. seale. [...] The openynge of the syxte seale. telleth the state of the churche, in the tyme of Antichristes lymmes, whiche [Page] estate ye may knowe to be whē ye se fulfylled [...] that [...]aynt Iohn prophesyed to fall in the ope­nynge of this seale, where he sayth. After this I se foure an­griles standyng vpō foure cor­ners of the earth holdynge the foure wyndes y ^t they blow not vpō the earth vpō the se, Note. nor vpon the trees. The .iiii. angels be the nombre of all the deuyls ministers that in those dayes, to do their maister pleasure, shall stoppe the foure wyndes, that be the foure Gospels to be preached, & shall let the brethe of the holye goost to falle vpon men, that they myghte mourne for their synne, to amēde theyr lyfe, and also vpon theym that wolde encrease in vertue, The se­uenth seale. and vpon perfecte men, what after this is to come? but that the mysterye of the seuenth seale be shewed, y ^t he come in his owne [Page] person, whō Iesu Christ shall sle [...] the breath of his mouthe whē the fende shall [...]hewe the vttermoost persecutiō that he & his seruaūtes can do to Chri­stes [...] subiectes, and that shalbe y ^e .iii. warnyng, y ^t y ^e world shall haue to come to this last iudgemēt. In all this mater. I haue nought sayde of my selfe, but of other doctours that be ap­proued. I sayde also in my se­conde principall that it was to be knowē, before what iuge we must reken, that is, god, him selfe, he that seeth all our dedes & all our thoughtes frō the be­gynninge of our lyfe to [...]hend, & he shall shewe there the hydde thynges of our hertes, openīge to all the worlde the righteousnes of his iudgemēt, so that by the power of God, euery mans dedes shall be shewed to all the worlde. And so it semeth by the [Page] wordes of saynte Iohn in the Apocalyps where he see deade men greate and lytle standyng in the figure of the throne: And bookes were opened. And another boke was opēed that was of lyfe, the deade men were iudged, after the thinges that were wrytten in the bookes after theyr owne doynges. These bookes be mennes conscience, that nowe be closed, Ex posi­tio. but then shalbe opened to all the worlde to read therin, both theyr dedes and thoughtes. And the booke of lyfe, is Christes lyuynge and doctryne, that is hydde nowe to them that shal be dampned, thorowe theyr owne malyce, that councel men to folow the worlde rather then God. In the firste booke shalbe wrytten all that we haue done. In the other all that we shulde haue done. And then shall deade men [Page] be iudged after those thinges that be wrytten in the bookes. And yf the dedes that we haue done, and be written in the bokes of our conscience be accor­dynge [...]s the booke of Christes teachyng and lyuynge the whiche is the boke of lyfe, we shall be saued or elles we shall be dampned for the iudgemente shal be gyuē after our workes Loke therefore nowe what is written in the booke of thy conscience whyle thou arte here, and yf thou fynde any thynge contrarye to Christes lyfe and teachynge, scrape it oute with the knyfe of repentaunce, and wryte it better, euermore thyn­kynge that thou shalte gyue a rek [...]nyng. &c. Also I sayed principallye that it were good to know what rewarde shall then be gyuen to the wyse seruaun­tes and good, & what to false [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [Page] and wycked seruaūtes, where­vppon it is written, Nota. that the Lorde Iesus Christ shall come to iudgemente in the same bo­dye, that he toke of Marye the vyrgyne, and the woūdes that he suffred for oure redemption And all that euer shalbe saued, takynge agayne, theyr bodyes cleauynge to the heede Christe shalbe rauysshed metynge him in the ayer (as Saynte Paule sayth) they that shalbe dāpned lyenge vpon the earthe, as in a tonne of wyne the dregges by dethe benethe, and the cleare wyne houeth aboue, Thē shall Christ axe accomt of the dedes of mercy reprouyng fals Christen men, for leauynge theym vndone, rehersyng the dedes of mercye and other paynes that his true seruaūtes haue suffe­red in folowynge hym. Then shall those, fals seruauntes go [Page] with the deuyll whome they haue serued, the earthe swallo­wynge theym into the endles fyre, and ryghtfull men shall go into euerlastynge lyfe. Then shalbe fulfylled that is written ī the boke of the priuities. wo wo, wo shalbe vnto them that dwell on erth, wo to the payn [...] ̄ that gaue that worship to deed ymages wrought with mans hande, and to other creatures, that he shulde haue gyuen to god that hym made, wo to the Iewe that trusteth to moch to the olde lawe, then shall he se the sonne of Marye iudgynge the worlde whome he despysed and crucified, wo to the fals christen man [...] that knewe the wyll of God and fulfylled it not. Also woo shalbe for the synne of thoughte, to the that haste shutte oute of thy herte, the famylye of God, that is [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [Page] mynde of hys Passyon, holye contemplatiō of his goodnes, and memorye of his benefytes and thākes therfore, and haste also excluded mekenes, petye, gentylnes, &c. And haste made thyne herte a howse of swyne, and a denne of theues, by vn­cleane thoughtes and delytes. As thou here haste shu [...]te God out of thy herte, so shall he shut the out of heuen. Thou haste harboured the company of the fende, & with hym in hell thou shalt euer abyde, wo also shall be for the synne of speache, for that thou couldeste not open thy mouth, for foule and styn­kynge synne, to prayse God in the felowshyppe of sayntes.

Thou haste vsed thy speache vnhonestlye, wyth cursynge, fraude, deceyte, lyenge, forswe­rynge, scoruynge, and backby­tynge. For praysynge, cōmenlye [Page] is not in the mouth of synners in the whiche yf thou haddeste kepte thy mouthe cleane, thou shuldest haue songe in heauen in the felowshyppe of aungels this blessed Songe, Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, dominus, deus onmipotēs, that is, holye, holy, holy art thou Lorde god almyghtye. Nowe crienge, and wepyng, thou shalt in the com­panye of deuyls. Crye, Ue, ve, ve, quāte sunt ten [...]dre, that is, wo, wo, wo, greate be these darkenesse, wo also shall be for the synne of workes. Thou hast ben proude, thy pryde as Esaye sayeth, shall be drawen with the into hell. Thou haste ben brent with enuy. Through enuy of the deuyll, death entred into the worlde, and they shall folowe hym that be on his side as Salomon saith. Salomō Or thou be styrred with wrath, and euerye [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [Page] man that beareth wrathe to hys brother is gyltye of iud­gemente, as Christe sayeth in the gospell of Mathewe: Mat. 5. Or thou hast bene slowe, and ther­fore dysease shall come to the as to a wayfarynge man, and thy power shall be as of one vnarmed man, sayeth the boke of Prouerbes. Prouer. Or yf thou hast bene lecherous, a glotton, or a couetous man, Know (sayeth Paule) that neyther aduoute­rer, Paulus. nor vnclene person, that is a glotton or a couetous person shall euer haue enheritaunce in the kyngedome of heuen. But fyre and brymstone and the spiryte of tempestes, that is, the fende of hel shalbe part of their peyne. Nota. when these dampned men be in thys woo, they shall synge thys rufull songe, wryt­ten in the boke of mournynge. The ioy of our hertes is gone: [Page] Oure myrth is turned to woo and sorow. The crowne of our heade is fall from vs. Alas for the synne that we haue doone. But ioye, ioye and ioye, shal be vnto them that be saued, ioye in God, ioye all amonge them selues. And ioy one, of another that be saued, Conclu­ [...]on. then are they happy. Oh how happye are they for that theyr trauayles ben finyshed thorowe christe, whiche broughte them to so gratious an [...]ende. Then are they happye for that they be escaped the pe­rylles of the worlde and the payne hell. Oh howe happye are they, for the endeles blysse that they haue in the sighte of god. Cu [...] honor & gloria in secula seculorum. Amen.