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DOMINICA III ADUENTUS. EVANGELIUM.
2SERMO 28 .

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CUM AUDISSET IOHANNES IN VINCULIS. MATHEI 11.

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6    This gospel telluþ a story of Iohn Baptist, þat touchiþ alle þre
7aduentis of Crist but specially þe þridde, to whom seruen two
8byfore. Baptist was in prisoun wiþ Errowde Antipas, for he
9repreuyd his auowtre wiþ his broþur wif. And Iohn, bownden in
10prisoun, herde of Cristis werkis , and he made myche ioye and
11preisude myche Crist, as oþur gospellys tellen and specially
12Iohnys gospel. Somme men in þe cuntre heelden Iohn more þan
13Crist, and Iohnys disciplys weren in þis errour; but ȝet þei
14trowedon þat þe greete prophete byhiȝte in þe lawe, þat þei
15clepedon Messyas, was more þan Iohn Baptyst. And herfore sente
16Baptist two of his disciples for to speke wiþ Crist and purgen hem of
17þis errowr. And Iohn bad hem axe þus Crist on his byhalue ' Art
18þow he þat is to comen and to saue manys kynde, þat þe lawe spekiþ
19of, or we abyden anoþur ?' We schullen supposen þat Baptist was
20stable in his trowþe, and coueyted þat þe feiþ of Crist and loue of
21Crist growede, and byfor þat he were deed, þat he trowede
22schulde come sone; for trewe men coueyten more þe honour of

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23God þan þer owne honowr, for ellys þei weren vnresonable. And
24þus caste Iohn þis weye to worschipe of Crist. And to þis entent of
25Iohn spaak Crist and wroȝte in dede, 'Go ȝe and telleþ aȝen to Iohn
26what ȝe han herd and seyn: blynde see, crokyde gon, meyselis ben
27helude, deue heren, dede ryson, poore men ben prechud of God; and blessyd
28be he þat schal not be sclawndrut in me' . And on two manerys ben men
29sclaundred in Crist. Somme men by worchyng putten errowrs in
30hym, and þis maner of sclawndryng is algatis euyl, siþ þei fallen
31in heresye þat þus trowen of Crist; þese men ben suffryngly
32sclawndred in Crist þat fallen fro byleue þat þei schulden haue of
33Crist. On þe þridde maner we seyn þat men ben sclaundryd
34whanne þei ben defamyd of any kynne þing, þat þei han hem
35amys abowten any such þing; and þus manye hooly men weren
36sclawndred of Crist. And so of þese seuene myraclis þe laste is þe
37moste. And alle þese seuene miracles techen how we schulden
38loue Crist. For we, þat weren furst blynde by defawte of feiþ, seen
39aftyr in owre sowle what we schulden trowe. And so furst crokyd
40in medful werkys wandren aftyr in holynesse of liȝt. And so furst
41leprows by heresyes of feiþ ben aftyr clansed of alle þese
42heresyes. Deef men fro Godis word heren his lawe; and deede
43men in sowle by costome of synne risen to spiritual lif of þer
44sowle. Men þat weren pore byfore for þer hooly werkis ben seyde
45goode lyuerys of hym þat may not erre. And hit semeþ þat Iohnys

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46disciples sayen somme of þese miracles, or ellis hem alle in feiþ
47þat Crist ȝaf hem.
48    And whanne þei weren wente fro Crist he preysud Iohn Baptist,
49techyng þat men schulde not preise a man in his presence, ne in
50presence of hise, leste he were a faiour. Crist preysude Baptist,
51axyng of hym þree þingus so þat þe puple were nedid to graunte
52þat Iohn was hooly. 'Whan ȝe sayen Baptist in desert, what wenten ȝee
53to see? sayen ȝe þanne a reed wawyng wiþ þe wynd?' Nay, syche men ben
54vnstable for louyng of muc; for Iohn was stable in þe loue of God,
55and soo was he growndyt in þe stoon of riȝtwysnesse. ' Or what wente
56ȝe owt to see , whanne ȝe wente to see Ioohn? Wheþur ȝee wenten to
57see a man clad in softe cloþus? Nay, loo, men þat ben cloþut þus drawen hem
58to kyngus hows , and ben tendyrley fed wiþ metis þat pleson þe
59flesch.' For Iohn Baptist was contrarye to syche men in boþe þese,
60siþ he dwelte in desert and was fed wiþowte foode þat was maad
61by mannys crafte; and so þe world and hys flesch ouercam he
62parfiȝtly, and hit is noo drede to vs þe feend hadde þan noon
63hold in hym. 'But what wente ȝe owht to see? Certys, to see a prophete?
64Ȝee! I sey to ȝow Iohn was moore þan a prophete' , for Iohn hadde offis of
65God to see Crist and waschen hym, and to schewen hym atte
66eyȝe, þat is moore þan a prophetes offis. ' And he is of whom hyt is
67wryton þat þe Fadyr spekiþ to þe Sone. " Loo! I sende myn aungel , þat
68ys myn owne messager, tofor þi face, þat schal make reedy þi
69weyȝe tofor þe " ', for Iohn Baptist meuede men to trowen in Crist
70manye gaatis.

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71    Here may men towche manye synnes þat reignen among men,
72and specially synne of clerkys, þat lyuen in lustis of foode and in
73lustis of atyr contrarye to Iohn Baptist. And þus, as þe gospel seiþ,
74þei putten on Iohn þat he hadde a feend and was lad in desert by
75þis spyriȝt þat susteynud hym, and he lyued not mannys lif, ne ȝaf
76ensaumple to sewe hym. And in Crist þei ben sclawndred, and
77seyden he lyuede a lustful liȝf, and was freend to synful men, and
78þus schulde not men lyue. And þus þese newe religious fallen in
79heresye of Iewys, for neiþur þei maken Baptist ne Iesu Crist þer
80patroun, but cheesun hem a new patroun and a new religioun,
81and seyn þat Baptiȝst was to hard, and Cristus liȝf was to large,
82but þei han founden a good mene and vertuows to lyuon inne.
83And þus boþe clerkys seclerus, and þese newe religious forsake
84þes two weyȝes and taken weyȝe of þe feend; for þere is noon oþur
85weyȝe but Cristus weye and þe feendys, syþ no man may lyue in
86vertewes but ȝif þat he sewe Crist, and noo man may lyue in
87synne byt ȝif he sewe in þat þe feend. Boþe þese eendys been to
88blame, but more þese newe religious, for þese ypocriȝtes leuen
89Crist and Iohn Baptist his prophete, and chesun hem a new weye
90þat mut ofte tymes be clowtid, and be dispensud wiþ by antecrist,
91as þe feend techuþ hem. Þe seculeris ben lasse ypocrites, but þei

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92lyuen al amys, siþ þei dwellen wiþ kyngus and lordis for to getun
93hem benefices, and in þe mene tyme þei lyuen in lustis and leuen
94þe stat þat þei schulden kepe. And þus blynde men lede þe blynde
95and boþe fallen in þe lake. For þer is noon oþur weyȝe, but owþur
96wenden vpward aftyr Crist, or ellys to wende down aftyr þe feend
97into þe deppuste lake of alle. Ȝe! þese þat seemen in heyȝere stat
98suen Petre in his errour, and seyen 'Syre, God forbede' - þat þow
99lyue þus in þi membris, for wytt and worschipe þat þow schuldest
100haue. And, certys, alle suche ben sathanas, for þei wolen reuerse
101Crist, oþur addyng to Cristys lawe or ellys wiþdrawyng þat he
102bad.