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ADVENT SONDAY.

3    Good men and woymen, þys day, as ȝe knowen well, ys cleped
4Sonenday yn þe Aduent; þat ys, þe Sonenday of Cristys comyng.
5Wherfor þys day holy chyrch makyth mencyon of two comyngys
6of Crist, Godys sonne, ynto þys world, forto by mankind out
7of þe deueles bondage, and to bryng hym and weldoers to þe
8blys þat euer schall last. And his oþer comyng, þat schall be
9at þe day of dome, forto deme all wikytdoers ynto þe pyt of
10hell for euermor. But þe forme comyng of Cryst ynto þys world
11broght ioy and blysse wyth hym; þerfor holy chyrch vsyth
12summe songes of melody, as Alleluja and oþer. And for þe comyng
13of Cryst to þe dome schall be so jrus and so cruell, þat
14no tong may tell, þerfor holy chirch layth downe sum songes
15of melody as: 'Te Deum laudamus,' 'Gloria in excelsis,' and
16'Weddyng.' For aftyr þat day schall weddyng neuer be. Þus
17holy chirche layþe downe songys of melody befor, yn tokenyng
18of vengans þat woll come aftyr.
19    Then of þe fyrst comyng of Cryst into þys world, þus sayth
20Seynt Austyne: 'Þer ben þre þyngys þat ben ryuet yn þys
21world: burth, trauell, and deþe.' Þys ys þe testament þat
22Adam, our formast fadyr, made to all his ospryng aftyr hym, þat
23ys: forto be borne yn sekenes, forto lyuen yn trauayle, and forto
24dye yn drede. But Crist - blessyt most he be! - he come forto
25be executure of þys testament: and was borne, and trauayld,
26and dyet. He was borne to bryng man out of sekenes ynto
27euerlastyng hele; he trauaylde forto bryng man ynto euerlastyng

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28reste; he was ded forto bryng man ynto þe lyfe þat
29neuer schall haue ende. Þys was þe cause of Crystys fyrst comyng
30ynto þys world. Wherfor he þat wyll scape þe dome þat he
31wyll come to at þe second comyng, he most lay downe all maner
32of pride and heynes of hert, and know hymselfe þat he ys not
33but a wryche and slyme of erth, and soo hold mekenes yn his
34hert. He most trauayl his body yn good werkes, and gete his
35lyfe wyth swynke, and put away all ydylnes and slewth. For
36he þat wyll not trauayle here wyth men, as Seynt Barnard
37sayth, he schall trauayle ay wyth þe fendes of hell. And for
38dred of deth he mot make hym redy to his God, when he woll
39send aftyr hym, þat ys: schryuen of his synnys, and allway
40kepe his concyens clene not forto abyde from lenton to lenton,
41but as sone as he feleþe þat he hath synnet, anoon goo schryue
42hym, and mekly take þe dome of his schryft-fadyr: þen schall
43he haue yn þe day of dome gret remedy and worschip. For
44ryght as a knyght scheweth þe wondys þat he haþe yn batayle,
45yn moche comendyng to hym; ryght so all þe synnys þat
46a man hath schryuen hym of, and taken hys penans for, schull
47be þer yschewet yn moch honowre to hym, and moche confucyon
48to þe fende. And þose þat haue not schryuen hom, hit schall be
49schowet to all þe world yn gret confusyon and schenschyp. Þys
50ys sayde for þe fyrst commyng of Cryst ynto þys world.
51    The secunde comyng of hym to þe dome schall so cruell be,
52and ferdfull, and horrybull, þat þer schal com befor xv dayes of
53gret drede; so by þe drede of þes dayes þat comen befor, a man
54may know aparty the horobylyte þat schall be yn þe dome, þat
55comyth aftyr.
56    The fyrst day, as Saynt Jerom sayth, þe see schall aryse
57vp yn hyr styd, soo þat þe watyr schall be hear then ayny hyll,
58by xl^ti cubytys, stondyng styll yn her styd, as hit wer a wall.
59    The ij. day hit schall fall downe, so þat vnneþe hit schall be
60yseyne.
61    The iij. day þe seeswyne and þe cloppys of þe see schull

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62stond on þe see and make roryng noyse so hyddous, þat no man
63can tell hit but God hymselfe.
64    The iiij. day þe see and all watyrs schull bren.
65    The v. day treus and herbys schull swete blode, and all
66fowles schull come togedyr and noþer ete ne drynke for ferd of
67þe dome comyng.
68    The vj. day all byldyngys and castelles schull fall adowne to
69þe grownde, and an horrybull fyre schall aryse at þe sonne goyng
70downe, and þen aȝeyne at þe vprysyng of hym.
71    The vij. day all stons and rockes schull vche all tobeton oþer
72wyth a hydwes noyse, whech noyse God hymselfe schall know
73and vndyrstond.
74    The viij. day þe erþe schall quake so horribuly, þat no best
75schall stond on hit, but all schall fal to þe grownd.
76    The ix. day all hyllys and mowntaynys schull turne ynto
77powdyr, and þe erþe schall be made playne and euen.
78    The x. day men schull goo out of hur dennys þer þay daret
79for drede so amated for fer, þat non schall speke to oþer.
80    The xj. day all þe bones of þe ded men schull ryse and stond
81vp on hor graues, and þat day all graues schull opyn.
82    The xij. day sterres schull fall from heuen and spred out of
83hom brennyng lemes.
84    The xiij. day all men schull be redy to aryse þat haue ben
85ded befor.
86    The xiiij. day heuen and erþe schull bren so horrybly, þat
87no man may tell hit.
88    The xv. day heuen and erþ schull be made newe, and all men
89and woymen and childyrne schull aryse vp yn þe age of xxx^ti
90ȝere and come to þe dome.
91    Then schal Ihesu Crist, veray God and man, come to þe
92dome, and al seyntys wyth hym, and schow all his wondys all
93fresch, and newe, and bledyng, as þat day þat he deyet on þe
94crosse. And þer þe crosse schall be schewet all blody, and all
95oþer ynstrumentys of his passyon. Then sory may þay be þat
96haue ben wont to swer by his hert, by sydes, by blod and bones
97of hym; þat schall be to hym a hygh fure and a hygh confusyon,
98but þay wer sory þerof befor.

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99    Then schall Cryst heghly þonke hom, and prayse hom þat han
100don mercy to hor euen-cristyn, and schall say þus to hom: 'My
101fadyrs blessyd chyldyrne comeþe ynto þe joy þat euer schall last.
102For when I was hongry, ȝe fedden me; when I was thursty, ȝe
103gaf me dryngke; when I was naket, ȝe cloþet me; when I was
104herberles, ȝe herbert me; when I was seke, ȝe vyset me; ȝevyng
105me þat þat was nedfull to me; when I was yn pryson, ȝe come to
106me and confortet me. For when ȝe dyddyn þus for my loue, ȝe
107dydden hyt to me and as moche þonke I kan you for þat ȝe
108dydden to þe lest of myn, as ȝe hadden don hit to myn owne
109selfe; wherfor goo ȝe now ynto þat ioye þat euer schall last.'
110    Then schall he horrubly rebuken ryche men þat han don no
111mercy, and say to hom spytwysly þus: 'Goo ȝe curset lystes
112ynto þe payne of helle, for ȝe hadden ynogh wherof to haue fed
113me and my seruantys, and ȝeue me dryngke, ycloþet me, and
114herbert me, and holpen me yn my sekenes, and vyset me yn my
115dyses, and ȝe wold not, but louet your good and not me. Wherfor
116goo ȝe now ynto þe fyre of helle þat ys ordeynt to þe fendys
117of hell wythout any mercy; for ȝe wold do no mercy, and þerfor ȝe
118schull haue no mercy.'
119    Then woo schall be to hom þat schall here þys rebuke yn þat
120day; þer schall no pleder helpe, ne gold, ne syluyr, ne othyr
121yftes; but as a man hath don, he schall haue. He schall haue
122accusars aboue hym, wythyn hym, on aythyr syde hym, and vndyr
123hym, þat he schall no way scape. Aboue hym schall be Crist his
124domes-man so wroþe, þat no tong con tell, for he dyt no mercy;
125wythyn hym his on concyens accusyng hym of þe lest þoght þat
126euer he dyd amys; hys angyll on þat on syde tellyng hym redely
127wher and how oft he haþe don amys; on þat oþer syde fendes
128chalenchyng hym horres as by ryght; vndyr hym helle ȝeonyng,
129and galpyng, and spyttyng fyre and stench forto swolon hym
130ynto þe payne þat neuer schall haue ende.
131    Thys, good men, ȝe schull know well þat yn þe day of dome
132pore men schull be domes-men wyth Cryst, and dome þe ryche.
133For all þe woo þat pore men hauen, hit ys by þe ryche men;

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134and þogh þay haue moche wrong, þay may not gete amendes,
135tyll þay come to þat dome; and þer þay schall haue all hor one
136lust of hom. For when þay haue wrong, and mow gete non
137amendys, þen þay pray ful hertely to God forto qwyt hom yn
138þe day of dome; and woll he truly. For þus he sayth by his
139profyt: 'Kepytt your veniauns to me, and I wyll qwyt you.'
140Wherfor, syrs, for Goddys loue, whyll ȝe byn here, makyth
141amendes for your mys-dedys, and makyþe hom your frendes
142þat schall be our domes-men, and tryst ȝe not to hom þat schall
143com aftyr you, lest ȝe ben deseyuet, and dredyth þe payne of hell
144þat schall last wythouten any ende.
145    Seynt Bede telleþe þat þer was a husbond-man here yn Englond
146þat fell seke, and lay as for ded from þe euentyde tyll þe morow.
147Þen aros he, and departed his gedys yn þre partyes, and his partye
148he gaf to pore men, and ȝede and was made a monke yn an abbay
149þat stod by a watyr syde. Ynto þe whech watyr ych nyght he ȝede
150yn, wer hyt neuer soo coold forste, and stod ther long tyme of þe
151nyght. And when he was asket, why he put hymselfe ynto so
152moche penaunce, he vnswered: 'Forto eschoyn þe more payne
153þat I haue seyn,' and ete barly-bred, and dranke watyr all his
154lyfe aftyr. And he wold tell to relygyous men þe payne þat he
155segh, þat was soo gret, þat he cowthe not tel hit openly. He
156sayde þat an angyll lad hym ynto a place þat on þe toon syde
157was suche a colde, that no tong myght tell þe payne þerof; and
158on þat oþer syde was suche a hete, þat no man myght tell þe
159payne þerof, ny of þe hete: and sowles wern cast out of þat won
160into þe toþer. And so þat angyll schewet hym þe fyre þat come
161out at þe mowþe, þat was þe fyre of hell; þat was so hote, þat als
162ferre as he myght seen hit, hym þoght he brennet for hete. And
163yn þe lees þerof he segh sowles bulmyng vp and don, cryyng
164horrybuly, and a noyse of fendes cryyng: 'Sle, sle, sle, sle, sle,
165sle, opon þe broche, rost hote, cast ynto þe cawdren, sethe fast
166yn pyche, and cood, and brymston, and hot leed!' Þus þay þat
167ben dampnet to hell, þay styntyn neuer to cry and ȝelle: 'Woo
168ys hym þat þedyr schall goo.' God hymselfe scheld vs þerfro,
169and bryng vs to þe blys he boght vs to. Amen.
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19.

173

DE DOMINICA IN QUADRAGESIMA SERMO BREUIS.

174    Good men and woymen, þys day ys called in holy chyrch
175Sonday yn Quadragesin. Þen ys quadragesin a nowmbur of
176fourty; for fro þis day to Astyr ben forty dayes þat byth þe teþedayes
177of þe ȝere. And for ych man dothe forfet more oþer las,
178þerfor, forto make satysfaccyon for þat gylt, yche man ys holden
179by þe lawe of holy chyrch to fast þes fourty dayes, outtaken hom
180þat þe lawe dyspensyth wyth for nede. That ben chyldyr wythyn
181xxi ȝere, woymen wyth chyld, old men passed age and myghtles
182to fast, pylgrymys, and seke, and pore, and þes þat labryn sore
183fore hor lyuelod: þus þe lawe dyspensyth wyth apon hore
184concyens. Þen for bycause þat Sonday ys no day of fastyng,
185þerfor ȝe schull begyn your fast at Aske-Wanysday, and þat day
186com to holy chyrche, and take askes at þe prestys hond, and ber
187forth in your hert þat he sayth to you, when he layth askes on
188your hedys. Þen he saythe þus: 'Man, thynke þat þou art but
189eskys, and to eskys þou schalt aȝeyne turne.' Þen byn þer þre
190dyuerse skylles why ȝe schull fast þes fourty dayes.
191    On ys, bycause as þe gospell of þys day tellyþe, how þat þe
192Holy Gost lad our Lord ynto desert þat was bytwyx Ierusalem
193and Ieryco, forto be temptyd of þe fende. And was þer fourty
194dayes and so mony nyghtys fastyng for our loue, schouyng to vs
195and all cristen men and pepull þe uertu and þe mede þat comyth
196of fastyng; þe wheche uertu and mede ben expressed yn þe

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197preface yn þe masse þat ys sayde in holy chyrche þes fourty dayes.
198Ther ys sayde þus: 'Þe bodely fast þrostys don vysis, and lyftyþe
199manys hert to God, and ȝevyth hym vertu and mede; hit ȝeuyth
200hym mede in Heuen þat euer schall last, and uertu yn erþe gret.'
201For, as clerkys tellyþe and techyth, for þe spolde of a fasting man
202may sle any eddyr bodyly. Then, moche mor, he schall sle þe myght
203of þe deuyll, þat ys þe old eddyr, þe fende of hell, þat come to Eue
204yn paradyce in lyckenes of an eddyr, forto tempt hur of gloteny,
205of vayne glory, and of couetyce. Ryght so he come to Crist yn
206lykenes of a man, lest he had ben knowyn, and temptyd hym of
207þat same synne. Thus, as þe gospell tellyþe, when Crist had fast so
208long, and was by kynd of manhed anhongred, þe fende come to
209hym, and schewed hym stonys, and sayde: 'Yf þou be Godys
210sonne, make þes stonys brede'; þat ryght as Eue, when scho sygh
211þe appull, was raght forto ete þerof, ryght so he had hope forto
212haue made Crist, and so by gloteny haue eten of þe brede: for
213gloteny ys not yn a manys mete, but yn foule appetyte. Þen
214sayd Crist to hym: 'A man schall not only lyue by bred; but
215yche word þat goþe out of Godys mowþe.' Þen þe fende toke
216Crist, and set hym on a pynacull on þe tempull, and sayde: 'Yf
217þou be God sonne, bryng þyselfe downe wythout monys helpe, þat
218I may know þe for Godys sonne.' Then sayde Crist: 'Tou schalt
219not tempte God, þy Lorde.' ȝet, þe þryd tyme, he toke hym, and
220set hym on a hegh hulle, and schewed hym all þe kyndomes of þe
221world by takyng, and all þe ioyes of hom. And when he had all
222told hym, he sayd þus to hym: 'All þes I woll ȝeue þe, so þat
223þou wolt fall don to þe erþe and worschyp me.' Then he vnswared
224and sayde: 'Goo on bak, Sathan, hit ys wryttyn: þou schalt
225worschyp þy Lord God, and only serve hym.' Þen þe fende lafte
226hym, and angelys comyn, and broghten hym mete.
227    Then, for þe fende ys most bysy forto make yche man to gylt
228yn þes þre synnes, most þes fourty dayes, þerfor you nedythe þre
229helpys aȝeynys hom; þat ben þese: aȝeynys gloteny, abstynens;
230aȝeynys pryde, mekenes; aȝeynes couetyse, largenes. Then aȝeyne
231gloteny ȝe most fast, þat ys, not ete befor tyme; but abyde tyll
232none of þe daye. And when ȝe byn at your mete, ete ȝe not

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233frechudly, no more þen anoþer tyme, ny sytte for lust no lengyr
234þen anoþer day, and beþe well war þat ȝe fast, boþe day and nyght,
235as Crist dude. Ther byth mony þat fastyn þe day at on mele;
236but þay wyll sytte moche of þe nyght, and drynke, and soo full
237hor wombe wyth drynke as well as wyth mete; and þay þat don
238so, don gloteny. And also ȝe most fast from all maner flesch
239mete and whyt-mete; for as Ierom says: 'Eggys and chese byn
240molton flesche, and mylke ys wyth blod.' And forto shew ensampull
241of holy chyrch, takyth hede on þe prest þat goþe to
242masse, þat ys, to Godys bord, how he at hys bygynnyng bowþe his
243knees to God, and byddyþe all oþer do soo; and also, at þe end
244of hys masse, he bydduþe all men bow herre hedys to God. So do
245ȝe when ȝe gon to your Lord: furst worschip ȝe God wyt a Pater
246Noster and an Aue oþer mo, as your deuocyon ys, and maketh
247a crosse on your mete, and aftyr mete þonkyth God wyth anoþer
248Pater Noster and an Aue, þat euer sendyth you mete at your
249nede. Þus ȝe schull aȝeynes gloteny.
250    And aȝeyn vayn glory þat ys yn mannys hert, ȝe most fast
251wythyn-forth gostly. ȝe schull put away all euell þoghtes of
252heghnes, and haue þoghtys of lones. Þenkyþe how a man ys
253borne febull, and seke, and naked, and pore; and how he goþe
254yche day a journay toward his deth, woll he, nyll he; and how
255þat, at þe last, dethe comyþe and castyþe hym downe seke yn hys
256bed, gronyng and sykyng, and sone castyþe vp hys mete and hys
257drynke, and turnet hyde and hew; and how his brethe stinkyth,
258hys lyppys wexyn blew, hys face pale, hys een ȝolow, hys mowþe
259froþys: and so, at þe last, wyth depe ȝoskyng ȝeldyth vp þe gost.
260Then lythe þer but a stynkyng stoke of ȝerthe, and ys hyed to be
261putte ynto þe erþe, and laft þer, and sone forȝetyn. Hold þys yn
262your mynd; and I hope þys schall put away pryde.
263    Aȝeynes couetyse ȝe schull fast wythyn and wythout. Wythyn:
264for oure bysy þoghtys of worldys occupacyon and of hardnes, to
265hold good aȝeynes Godys byddyng. Also wythout: your hondys
266þat han ben ay redy forto take, now ȝe schull make hom redy
267forto reche þe pore mete, and drynke, and þat þay han nede
268to; for þe hondys be not worþy to heue vp to God, þat be not
269wont to reche þe pore mete. And þilke folke þat han ben bysy
270erly and late to walke aboute worldely good, now schuld be

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271bysy, alsoo, to vyset pore and seke, and goo on pylgrymage, and
272goo to þe chyrch, to here Godys seruyce. And ȝe þat haþe before
273fast for chynchnes, now schall spare on hys mouþe, to ȝeue suche
274þat haue nede. Thys fast plesyth God more and helpeth þe soule
275hegly; for ryght as watyr quenchyth fyre, ryght so almys-dede
276quenchyth synne. Wherfor þe profyt sayth þus: 'ȝeue allmes,
277and all þyng schall be clene to you, soo þat hyt be ȝeuen wyth
278good wyll.' But, mor harme ys, þer byn mony þat han mor lust
279to fede hor owne bodyes wyth lusty metys, and drynkes, and
280daynteþs, þen forto ȝeue a pore man a schyue of bred.