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II. SERMONS ON
2THE SUNDAY EPISTLES

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DOMINICA PRIMA ADUENTUS DOMINI. EPISTOLA.
5SERMO 1.

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SCIENTES QUIA HORA EST. ROMANOS 13.

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9    We takon as byleue þat epistlis of apostlis ben gospelis of Crist, for
10he spac hem alle in hem, and Crist may not erre; and alle þe
11gospelis spekon goode tiþingus of ioye of þe blisse of heuene.
12And, al ȝif þe Hooly Goost spekuþ eche word of hooly writ,
13neþeles Crist spac in Poule more plenteuously and sutelly. And
14þis meueþ somme men to tellon in Englisch Poulis pistelis, for
15somme men may betture wyte herby what God meneþ by Poul.
16    This epistle of Poul telluþ how þat men schulden byge þer
17tyme. For al ȝif God ȝiue frely tyme, as lyȝt and oþre ȝiftus of
18kynde, neþeles by synne of man tyme is lost to come to heuene;
19and not only by synne of Adam, but by synne of yche man þat
20wole not in vertu of Crist byge þe tyme þat Crist ȝyueþ for to
21wynne þe blisse of heuene. And þis marchaundise schulde eche
22man do specially for þis cause: for þe dayes for synne ben yuele,
23and maken monye to leese þer tyme. Poul bygynneþ to sture þus
24to take heed to Godus tyme, and to leese not þis tyme, leeuynge to
25disserue blisse. Breþren, we schulen be wytynge þat our is now us to ryse

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26fro sleepe, for now is oure helþe neer þan it was whanne we byleuedon. Yche
27man coueytuþ kyndely to haue blisse þat God haþ ordeyned to
28mankynde to reston inne. But monye men contraryen hemself,
29for þei coueyton comunly to haue þis blis, but þer lust and fleschly
30wyt letton hem to wynne þis blis, and bryngon reson aslepe, and
31make men to contrarye hemself. For yche man schulde furst
32coueyte his beture and fle his yuel, and so a man schulde more
33wylle blisse þen any sensible lif here. And þis takuþ Poul as byleue
34whonne he bidduþ men rise fro slep. And Poul meneþ by þis sleep
35synne þat foolis lyuon ynne; for, ryȝt as man whon he slepuþ
36wantiþ wyt to kepe hym and is ner deed þen a beest, so it is of
37synful mamman, for what deede euere he doþ, hyt lettuþ þanne to
38disserue blisse, and disposuþ hym to þe peyne of helle, þat is
39worse þan bestis deþ. And for men schulden rise on morwe and do
40þer werkis aftur resoun, and men han now luytul tyme to regard
41of oolde fadris, þerfore seiþ Poule here þat our is now to rise from
42slep; an our is a luytul tyme, and sunne of riȝtwisnesse is vppe.
43    The secounde word þat Poul seiþ stureþ to þe wyt of þe formere
44word, whonne he seiþ þat now is oure helþe more nyȝ þan
45whonne we byleuedon. It is knowon by kyndely skyle þat þo
46þingus þat mouen kyndely mouen fastere toward þe ende. And it
47is also knowon by skyle þat, as tyme passuþ to men, so it comeþ
48nyȝ domesday, whonne men schullen haue fully þer helþe; for, al
49ȝif Crist be mennys helþe, ȝet he makiþ not helþe in man but as
50reson of tyme axsuþ. And herfore to þe day of doom schal not al
51Cristus chirche be in ful helþe, ne slepe in blisse wiþ hyre spouse.
52To þis entent spekiþ Poul in þe persone of al hooly chirche þat
53now, whon þe tyme is passud to byleue þat þe incarnacion is to

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54come, but þat þe incarnacion is passud, as þe chirche seeþ
55ascencion, it mot nedis now be neer to þe ful helþe of þe chirche
56þan it was byfore tyme, whan þe chirche only byleuede. For now
57þe chirche passuþ byleue of þe incarnacion of Crist, siþ it wot wel
58in heuene þat Crist haþ longe be þere man. And þis schulde moue
59cristene men to disserue hastly blisse, siþ þei be neer þe ende þat
60þei coueyton kyndely.
61    And to þis wyt spekuþ Poul aftur, þe nyȝt , he seiþ, haþ gon byfore,
62and certis þe day schal come nyȝ. And þerfore caste we awey þe werkis of
63derknesses, and be we cloþude wiþ armys of lyȝt. Walke we honestly as in
64day. Here men vndurstonden ofte by þis nyȝt þe nyȝt of synne.
65For as aungelis were not confermede, but euere stoden in nyȝt of
66grace, so mankynde, siþ it was maad, stoot sumwhat in nyȝt
67of synne tyl þat Crist was maad man. And he is sunne of
68riȝtwisnesse, and he may not falle to synne siþ he is riȝtwisnesse
69hymself. And herfore seyon grete men þat Moyses in book of
70Genesis was moued by God to seyȝe þus þat 'euon and morwon
71was maad o day'. And by þis ordre of þese wordis God techuþ
72how synne wente byfore. But be we war and trowe we not þat
73God hymself made synne. But boþe in aungel and in man was a
74maner of derknesse byfore þat God confermede hem; and þis
75confermyng was by his Sone. And aftur þe furste tyme of þe world
76Adam and Eue synnedon, and not in þe furste tyme in etyng of þe
77forfendyd appul. But ȝet byfore God confermede hem þei hadden
78a derknesse of euyn, and wantyng of Godus grace þat cam
79whonne þei weron confermede. And þus, al ȝif Adam was
80confermyd as sone as he was maad of God (for Godus ordynaunce

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81was þanne vpon hym þat he schulde þanne come to blisse),
82neþeles Adam was kyndely byfore þat he was confermed of God.
83Þis day þat schal come aftur is vndurstonden þe day of doom. But
84somme men þenkon more sutely þat þis day of ordre, bytwixe
85þe kynde þat man hadde furst and grace þat he haþ of Crist. And
86to þis wyt spekuþ Poul þat, siþ þis ordre is reuersud by grace of
87Crist þat furst ys liȝt, and siþen schyneþ vpon kyndely euyn, we
88schulden caston awey werkis þat ben of derknesse of synne, and
89furst in þis goostly gendrure be cloþude wiþ armys of þe furste
90lyȝt. And þis dyuysion in mannys kynde, and priorite in liȝt of
91grace, ben tolde here bi wordis of Poul, whon he clepuþ 'werkis of
92derknesses' but synglerly 'armys of lyȝt'. And þus in þis heuenly
93gendrure schulde we wandren in day of grace and flee derknesse
94of synne, for ellis we kepe not Cristus ordre. It is knowon to
95experte men þat man schameþ kyndely to do monye synnys in
96lyȝt, þat he wolde do in derknesse, as ben lecherye and þefte and
97monye oþre syche synnys þat man doþ in derknesse of nyȝt, and
98schameþ of hem in lyȝt of day. And herfore Poule bydduþ men
99walke honestly as in day, þat men schulde kepe hemself in grace
100by goode werkis, and fle synne; for ydelnesse in goode werkis
101stureþ monye men to synne. And herfore Poul bydduþ us
102walke - and not stonde ne ligge in þis weye.
103    And ȝet Poule specifieþ more of sixe synnes þat men don.
104Dwelle we not in ofte etyngis and drunkenesses þat sueþ aftur. Monye
105men han a maner to ete ofte for to drynke, and þis mete is an ale
106spore to sture hem ofte to drynke; and suche ofte etyngus of men
107ben clepude 'comessaciones', and ofte aftur suche etyngus sueþ
108drunkenesse in men. But, for men in þis lif reuerson þe ordre of
109God, þerfore in þis secounde ȝok Poule rykeneþ synnys þat
110comen byfore. Suche men þat synnen þus liggen ofte to longe in
111þer beddis, and so þei han vnchastnesse in þouȝt, in word and in

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112dede. And herfore seiþ Poul aftur þat we schulde not reste in
113beddis, ne in vnchastite þat sueþ ofte aftur þis reste. For monye ben
114temptude of fleschly synnes by suche cowchyngus in þer beddis;
115and, ȝif þei ryson and wakedon byfore, þei schulden flee such
116vnchastite. And herfore monye men vson wel to come not in
117bedde wiþ schetis, but be hulude aboue þe bed, and rison anon
118whonne þei ben temptude, and þis semeþ Poule to teche more
119þan to rise at mydnyt. Þe þridde ȝoc þat Poule forfendiþ is chydyng
120and enuye , for þese foure sustris byfore bryngon in liȝtly þese two;
121for ydelnesse in þis lif makiþ men to stryue aftur, and for strif wiþ
122yuele wordis ben men growndude in long enuye. But medicyne
123for alle such synne is to be cloþud in Iesu Crist . And þat man is
124cloþud in Crist þat haþ fresch muynde of his lif, and cloþuþ his
125wille to sue hym, leste his soule be coold in loue. And þis were a
126general medycyn to fle synnes and sue vertuwes, for no man may
127synne in þes but in defauȝte of cloþing of Crist.
128    And for þis alle cristene men han nede to knowe byleue of þe
129gospel, and so to knowe þe lif of Crist, and þe wisdam of hise
130wordis. And so cristene men schulden wyte þat Poulus wordis
131passon oþre writyngus in two þingus: þei ben pure, sutel, and
132plenteuous to preche þe puple. Þe sutilte of Poulis wordis may
133make me and foolis schame, whenne we konnen not vndurstonde
134sutilte of his schorte wordis. Þei ben also plenteuous, for
135eche trewþe þat Poul spekuþ is knyttud wiþ eche poynt of byleue;
136and so aftur speche of oon may come speche of anoþur, aftur þat
137it profiȝtuþ to þe hereris, as þe laste word of þis epistle bidduþ us
138be cloþud wiþ Iesu Crist. And, siþ þis is gostly cloþing, in whiche
139mannys soule schulde be cloþud, alle þe vertues of Iesu Crist may
140sittyngly be broȝt hereinne. And, siþ alle vertuwes ben hise, alle
141vertuwes may heere be tauȝt; and vices þat ben contrarye to

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142vertues may be declarude to fle hem, as men þat takon pryuate
143sectis, or putte not Cristus secte aboue, (siþ þis cloþ by hitself
144wolde suffise) faylon of þe cloþ of charite. And so it is to drede to
145hem þat, in tyme of þe laste soper, þei schullon be doumbe for
146defauȝte þat þei han in bride cloþ. Þei schulde not be cloþude in
147wollen and lynnene, ne putte secte of Crist byneþe, but putte þis
148lordis cloþ aboue, and charge hem not wiþ oþre cloþis, siþ Crist
149byddiþ men of his suyt þat þei schulde not haue two cotis.