<B CMINNOCE>
<Q M4 IR SERM INNOC>
<N IN DIE INNOCENCIUM>
<A X>
<C M4>
<O 1420-1500>
<M X>
<K X>
<D EMO>
<V PROSE>
<T SERMON>
<G X>
<F X>
<W X>
<X X>
<Y X>
<H X>
<U X>
<E X>
<J X>
<I X>
<Z INSTR REL>
<S SAMPLE X>


[^TEXT:  IN DIE INNOCENCIUM.
TWO SERMONS PREACHED BY THE BOY BISHOP,
AT ST. PAUL'S TEMP. HENRY VII,
AND AT GLOUCESTER, TEMP. MARY.
CAMDEN SOCIETY MISCELLANY, VII.
CAMDEN SOCIETY, N.S. XIV.
ED. J. G. NICHOLS.
LONDON, 1875.
PP. 1.1 - 13.4^]

<P 1>
[} (\IN DIE INNOCENCIUM 
SERMO PRO EPISCOPO PUERORUM.\) }]
[} (\LAUDATE PUERI DOMINUM.\) }]   
[} (\PSALMO CENTESIMO XII=O= ET PRO HUJUS COLLACIONIS           #
FUNDAMENTO.\) }]

   "Prayse ye childerne almyghty God," as the Phylosophre       #
sayth 
in dyverse places.  All those thynges that have the habyte of   #
parfyght 
cognycyon may move themself and conveye themself to theyr ende,
as a beest havynge sensyble knowlege, and man more parfyghter,
bothe sensyble and intellygyble, may move themself whether they
wyll, and so conveye al theyr accyons and dedes to theyr        #
naturall ende;
but (\carencia cognicione\) , those thynges that lacke          #
cognycyon, have no
mocyon of themself, nother be dyrected to theyr ende without    #
the
helpe of an other. As an arowe of hymself can not be movyd ne
dyrected unto the prycke without the redy conveyaunce of hym    #
that 
shoteth, thrugh whom dyrectly he attayneth his ende and is      #
shotte
to the prycke.
   In as moche thenne as mankynde is ordeyned unto an ende      #
ferre
excedynge the lymytes of nature, as it is wryten by the Holy    #
Ghost
in (\Ysay lxiiij=o=, Oculus non vidit, Deus, absque te quae     #
preparasti exspectantibus
te; et prima ad Corintheos secundo - Oculus non vidit, nec
aures audivit, nec in cor hominis ascendit quae preparavit      #
Deus diligentibus
illum\) . "The eye of a man hath not seen, nother his eeres
herde, nother it can not be thought in his herte, thende that   #
Almyghty
God hath ordened for them that lovyth hym." To this ende
man,  havynge the use of reason and parfyte knowlege, is        #
dyrected
<P 2>
by his free wyll as by a pryncypall in hymself to move hym to   #
God.
And also by fayth as a pryncypall above naturall knowlege,      #
without
the whiche it is impossyble to plese God and attayne to the     #
ende of
grace in this present lyf and glory in heven, as it is wreten,  #
(\Sine fide
impossibile est placere Deo\) . Whyle it is so that man         #
endowed with
use of reason, havynge naturall knowlege and free, maye not     #
suffycyently
dyrect hymself to the ende that God hath ordeyned to without 
the helpe of fayth, as it is wryten, (\Jheremiae iiij=o=, Non   #
est  enim hominis
vincere, neque viri est ut ambuleter et dirigat gressus ejus\)  #
 . It is not in
mannes power for to overcome vyce of hymself, nother for to     #
walke
parfyghtly and dyrecte his gooynge in the lawe of God, but by   #
his
grace assystente. Moche more those that bene chylderne for      #
tendernesse
of age and lacke of knowlege can not dyrect theyr dedes         #
convenyentely 
to that ende without specyall helpe of God. In token
herof childerne newely sette to scole, lackynge the use of      #
reason and
the habyte of cognycyon, have a recourse to Goddes dyreccyon,
fyrste lernynge this ( (^Cristis Crosse be my spede^) ), and    #
so begynnyth
the A.B.C. In wytnesse of defawte of this perfeccion in         #
knowlege,
Pyctagoras, to the dyreccyon of Chylderne, he founde fyrste     #
this letter
in the A.B.C. Y, the whyche as Ysider sayth (\Ethimologis\) is  #
formyd
and made after the symylytude of mannes lyfe, for this letter   #
Y is
made of two lynes; one is a right lyne, the other is half       #
ryght and
half crokyd. And soo verely the Infant age of a childe is ryght
neyther dysposed to vertue neyther to vyce, as the Phylosophre  #
sayth,
(\Tanquam tabula nuda in qua nichil depingitur\) .  But the     #
seconde age
is called (\Adolescencia\) , and hath two lynes, a ryght and a  #
crokyd, sygnefyenge
the dysposycion that he hath thenne to vyce and thenne to       #
vertue.
In the whiche age is the brekynge of every chylde to goodnes or
to lewdenes. Therfore that age is moost uncertayn in knowlege,  #
as
Salomon sayth, (\Proverbior. xxx=o=, Tria sunt michi            #
difficilia ad cognoscendum,
et quartum penitus ignoro. Viam navis in medio maris, et
viam viri in adolescencia\) . "Thre thynges (sayth Salomon)     #
bene
<P 3>
harde to me to knowe, and the fourth utterly I knowe not. The 
flyghte of the egle in the ayer; The waye of the serpent on the
erthe; The sayllyng of a shyppe in the see; But the fourth and  #
moost
hardest is to understande the waye of a man in his growynge     #
age."
Tho children thenne the whiche lacke dyscrecyon, use of reason,
and parfyght cognycyon, and yet attayne to the ende that is     #
prepared
for mannes blysse, as thyse blessyd Innocentes whoos solempnyte
we halowe this daye (\(Qui non loquendo sed moriendo confessi   #
sunt)\) 
may moost in a specyall laude that gloryous Lorde (\(sequentes  #
Agnum
quocumque ierit,)\) to whom by our Moder Holy Chirche in tytle  #
of
tryumphe may contynually be applyed the wordes of my tyme
(\(Laudate, pueri, Dominum)\) , ye chosen chylderne of God,     #
lackynge
the use of cognycyon and yet gloryfyed by your passyon in lyfe
everlastynge, prayse ye God.
   In the begynnynge thenne of this symple exhortacyon, that I  #
a
chylde, wantynge the habyte of connynge, maye be dyrected by    #
hym
that gave to that childe Danyell (\Sermonem rectum et Spiritum 
Deorum\) , somwhat to say to his laude and praysynge, and to    #
alle
pure chylderne that bene here present edifyenge, we shall atte  #
this
tyme devoutly make our prayers.        
   In the whiche prayers I recommende unto your devocyons the
welfare of all Chrysts chirche; our holy fader the Pope with    #
alle
the Clergye, my Lorde of Caunterbury, and the ryghte reverende
fader and worshypfull lorde my broder Bysshopp of London your   #
dyocesan,
also for my worshypfull broder [{the{] Deane of this cathedrall
chirche, wyth all resydensaryes and prebendaryes of the same.   #
And
moost intyerly I praye you to have myself in your specyal       #
devocyon,
so that I may contynue in this degree that I now stande, and    #
never
more herafter to be vexed with Jerom's vysyon, the whiche is    #
wryten
(\Jeremiae primo\) : whan the good Lorde askyd of Jeremye,      #
(\Quid tu
vides, Jeremia?\) he answered and sayd (\Virgam vigilantem ego  #
video\) ,
"A waken rodde I see," sayd Jeremye. Truely thys waken rodde
oftentymes hath troubled me in my childehode, that (\lumbi mei  #
impleti
<P 4>
sunt illusionibus, et non est sanitas in carne mea; afflictus   #
sum
et humiliatus sum nimis\) . And therfor, though I be now in hye
dygnyte, yet whan I see other here my mayster that was thenne,
(\operuit confusio faciem meam; a voce contremuerunt labia      #
mea\) . As
Nero the Emperour wold to his mayster Seneca, the same wysshe I
wold to my mayster I love soo well. And for theyr true          #
dylygence 
that all my maysters the whiche taughte me ony connynge in my
youthe gave to me, I wolde they were promytted to be perpetuall
felowes and collegeners of that famouse college of the Kynges
foundacyon in Southwerke that men calle the Kynges Benche.
Gretter worshypp I cannot wysshe than for to sytte in the       #
Kynges
owne Benche. And for by cause charyte is parfyght yf it be
extendyd as well to the ende of the lyf as it is the lyf self,  #
I wolde
they sholde ende ther lyf in that holy waye the whyche often    #
tymes
I radde whan that I was Querester, in the Marteloge of Poules,
where many holy bodyes deyed, callyd in Latyn (\Via             #
Tiburtina\) : in
Englysshe asmoche to saye as the highe waye to Tyburne. In this
behalf ye shall praye specyally for all prelates that cometh    #
to theyr
dygnytee as I dyde; for, thanked be God, wythout conspyracy,
lordshyp, or symony I was sette in thys degree; for verely      #
promocyon
in ony realme hadde (\per demonum Simonem et principem\)
hath and shall brynge Crystys chirche (\in confusionem          #
dampnabilem\) .
   In the seconde partye ye shall praye for the wele and peas   #
of all
Crysten reames, specyally for the reame of Englonde, Our        #
soverayne
lorde the Kyng, Our soverayne lady the Quene, My lorde the
Prynce, My lady the Kynges Moder, My lorde her Husbonde,
with all the Lordes of the Realme; The welfare of this Cyte,    #
for
my ryght worshypful broder and lover of the Mayer, with all the
Aldermen and Shyrefs.
   In the thyrde partye, all the soules lyenge in the paynes of
Purgatory; specyally for the soule of the reverende fader my
<P 5>
lorde Thomas Kempe late Bysshop, and for the soules of all      #
Benefactours
of thys chirche of Poules, wyth all Crysten soules, for the 
whiche and for the entent premysed I praye you devoutly saye a
Pater Noster and an Ave.
   (\Laudate Pueri Dominum (ut supra).\)
   In as moche as Cryste sayth in the Gospell, (\Sinite         #
parvulos venire
ad me, quia talium est regnum Celorum (Mathei xix=o=.)\)        #
"Suffre ye
childerne to come to me, for of suche the kyngdom of heven is
fulfylled," by whom, after saynt Austyn (\(in originali, ubi    #
thema)\) ,
it is not oonly understonde those that bene chylderne of age,   #
but
those that bene chylderne pure in clennesse from synne and      #
malyce.
As the holy appostle saynt Poule sayth, (\Nolite effici pueri   #
sensibus,
malicia autem parvuli estote (prima ad Corintheos xiiij=o=)\)   #
"Be ye not
chylderne in your wyttes; but from all synne and malyce be ye
chylderne in clennesse." And in this fourme alle maner of       #
people
and al maner of ages in clennesse of lyf ought to be pure as
childerne, to whom generally may I saye (\Laudate, pueri,       #
Dominum;
Laudate, pueri, Dominum in infantia; laudate Dominum in         #
adolescentia;
laudate Dominum in perseverante etate humana,\) - "Prayse,
ye childerne, your God in your infant age; Prayse ye hym in     #
your
growynge age; And prayse ye hym perseverauntly  (\(usque in     #
senectum
et senium)\) in your mannes age." And in thyse thre praysynge
of thre ages shall stande the processe of this symple           #
Collacyon.
   Thyse thre ages after the consceyte of the appostle ( (\ad   #
Galathas\)
and (\ad Romanos\) ) is lykened to the thre lawes, - that is    #
to saye - 
to the Lawe of Kynde, the Lawe Wryten, and the Lawe of Grace.
The first age is likenyd unto the Lawe of Kynde. A childe       #
fyrste
whan he is in his infant age is not constreyned unto no lawes;
he is not corrected nother beten; and there is no defaute layde
unto hym, but utterly he is lefte unto the lawe of kynde. Do    #
he
what somever he wyll, no man doth blame hym. Morally the state 
of man inmedyatly after synne was verely the state of           #
childehode
<P 6>
and infans havinge no nouryce. Whan that man was utterly left
without ony expressyd lawe, havynge no mayster, to his owne
naturall inclynacyon as to his lawe, there was no lawe of God   #
newe
put to hym. Many defawtes dyde he, and to many inconvenyences
he ranne. Correccyon was there none, but utter destruccyon, as  #
Noes
floode, destroyenge all infantes of mankynde save viij.         #
persones
(\(Genesis vij=o=.)\)  The destruccyon of Sodome and of Gomor   #
with other
cytees (\(Genesis xix=o=.)\)  And lyke wyse as a childe,        #
havynge noo
nouryce nor guyder deputed to hym, may as well renne in to the  #
fyre
or water as to go besyde, soo verely in the fyrste age of man,  #
in
the lawe of kynde, a man beynge wythout a nouryce or guyder,
lefte to hys naturall guydynge, mysusyd soo ferre hymselfe,     #
that he
ranne to water where he was utterly destroyed as I sayde        #
before,
save Noes housholde, and also to the fyre, where a grete parte  #
was
destroyed. And verely, Maysters, yf we clerely consydre our lyf
and state that we stande in now in thyse dayes, I fere me we    #
shall fynde
ourself soo ferre guyded by our sensuall nature, that we shall  #
nede
to be purefyed to our streyte correccyon wyth a streyte         #
afflyccyon, as
the water or the fyre. And all for lacke of our maysters and
nouryces all wrapped in neclygence taketh none attendaunce to   #
us.
Our maysters and nouryces spyrytuall, (\Querentes quae sua      #
sunt et
non quae Jhesu Christi, sunt canes muti non valentes latrare    #
(Ysaye lvi=o=.)\)
Our temporall rulers (\Infideles, socii furum, diligunt         #
munera, sequuntur
retribuciones; pupillo non judicant, causa viduae non           #
ingreditur
ad eos. (Ysaye i=o=.)\) This neclygence in our nouryces         #
spyrytuall
and temporall causeth in the Chirche insolent lyf, seculer      #
conversacyon
(\(In habitu interiori et exteriori, ut qualis populus talis    #
sit et
sacerdos.)\) In the temporalte it causeth that manslaughter is  #
not
sette by; lechery is pleysure; robbery and dysceyte is called   #
chevesaunce;
extorcyon lordshyp, power; falshede, a fete of wytte; usury
counted no synne. (\Quomodo facta est meretrix civitas          #
fidelis, plena
judicii. Justicia habitavit in ea, nunc autem homicidae.        #
Argentum 
tuum versum est in scoriam. Vinum tuum mixtum est aqua. (Ysaye  #
i=o=.)\)
A merveyllous chaunge! somtyme our reame was prosperous,
<P 7>
now it is in mysery; somtyme Ryghtwysnesse was the cheyf ruler,
now Falshede is quarter-mayster; somtyme was inhabytaunt Peas,
Love, and Charyte, now Wrathe and Manslaughter and false        #
Dyssymulacyon;
somtyme Trouth was mayster of our marchauntes, (\(nunc vero 
usura et dolus)\) . And somtyme Trouth stode upryght, now he    #
is fallen.
Good men have inserchyd the strete where he felle; some sayde   #
he
fell in Lombarde Strete, some sayde in Buklarsbury. And whan it
was utterly knowe he was fallen in every strete (\(Veritas      #
corruit in
plateis)\) , the cause is none other but we lacke our maysters  #
and
guyders that sholde streytly attende in this Infant age of      #
condycyon
that we bene in. 
   Whan that infant age is ended, the fader provydeth for hys
childe for a mayster, the whyche gyveth instruccyon in small
doctrynes, as in hys Donate, Partes of reason, and suche        #
other, the
whiche mayster comunely is called (\Pedagogus\) in Latyne. This
mayster gevyth commaundementes to the childe in his growynge
age. And he breke them he is sharpely correctyd. There is no 
fawte that he doth but he is punysshed. Somtyme he wryngeth 
hym by the eeres. Sometyme he geveth hym a strype on the honde
wyth the ferell. Some tyme beteth hym sharpely with the rodde.
And so with commaundementes and sharpe correccyon he geveth
hym full instruccyon in the lawer scyence. So in lyke manere
after the lawe of kynde. As mankynde grewe in age almyghty
God provyded to man an enfourmer that was called Moyses, the
whiche sholde teche man his pryncypalles and small and rude 
doctrynes. And so the olde lawe taught to man his Donate and
Partes of reason. Also he taught hym how he sholde gyve to God  #
his
partes: the whyche were sacrefyces, oblacyons and tythes        #
justely and
truely to be gyven to God - as it is wryten  (\(Ecclesiasticis  #
xxxv=o=.) Da
Altissimo secundum Donatum ejus\) . That what thou sholdest     #
gyve
<P 8>
also to thy neyghbour and broder his partes, that is to saye,   #
almes
dedes frely wythout grutchynge, lenynge of thy good without ony
trust or hope of usury, and forgevynge thy neyghbour yf he be   #
in
necessyte without trouble for Goddes sake; and lyke wyse as     #
the 
people under Moyses growynge in childehode, thyse thynges were
taught by the whiche specyally Goddes lawe and praysynge was
encreaced, so in our growyng age in vertue that gode Lorde
(\(cujus laus est in ecclesia sanctorum)\) canne not be better  #
praysed,
than yf we gyve unto hym justly and truely his Donat, to hym
oblacyons, sacrefyces, and tythes. To our neyghbour mercyfully  #
geve
oure almesse, and pyteuously forgyve offences and dettes to     #
theym
that bene nedy and maye not paye. Thyse bene the thynges that
longeth to Goddes praysynge in mankyndes childehode, as is      #
wryten
of Thoby (\(Thobie primo,) Haec et his similia puerulus         #
secundum legem
observabat\) . In Moyses tyme streyte commaundementes were      #
gyven
to Man, streyte punysshmentes and sharpe correccyons; they were
taken by the eere streytly, whan it commaunded in the Lawe      #
(\aurem
pro aure, dentem pro dente\) , without ony mercy. He that       #
gadred
styckes on the Sabot daye was stoned unto the dethe. And for    #
one
grutched ayenst theyr mayster Moyses, the whiche was but        #
(\Pedagogus\) ,
the chosen woman moost accepte, Maria, Aaron's sister, was
smytten of God with the infyrmyte of leprehode. How ofte tymes
breke we our holy daye! How oft tymes grutche we ayenst our
maysters, not holdynge us content with noo kynge, nother        #
prynce,
archebysshopp, nor bysshopp; beynge as varyaunt as the mone!
And yet the good Lorde spareth us. The old lawe was harde to
observe; in the whiche tyme God entreatyd mankynde after his
wrath and punysshement. Wherfore he was callyd (\Deus           #
ulcionum\) ,
for whoos delyver mercy cryed to almyghty God to sende mankinde
a newe mayster that sholde entreate hym and teche more
curtously; and it lyked hym, (\Non ex operibus justiciae quae   #
fecimus nos,
sed secundum suam misericordiam, (Ad Titum iij=o=.)\) to come   #
downe
hymself and toke on hym oure mortallyte, gave us a newe lawe,
<P 9>
wold suffre none but hymselfe to be oure mayster; where with    #
all
love and benygnyte, without sharpnesse, he taught us noo rude
nother grose erthly doctrynes, as they were taughte in the olde
lawe; but he taughte us subtyll thynges, hevenly dyvynytee,     #
oure
glory and oure blysse (\(Docebat eos de regno Dei)\) . And as   #
longe as
we bene in the scole of mercyfull benygnytee and gentylnesse,   #
though
we doo fawtes, purposynge to amende, soo longe he abydeth us
pacyently, holdynge hymself content. For by cause we bene now   #
in
mannes state and parfyght age with oure owne correccyon         #
(\(Propterea
expectat Deus ut misereatur vestri) (Ysaye tricesimo.)\)  And   #
yf we
dyfferre and wyll not correcte our selfe here in the scole of   #
mercy,
full grevously and moost sharply shall we abyde the swerde of   #
correccyon
of his ryghtwysnesse, as dayly by experyence we maye fele.
Therfore, in the thre ages of oure lyfe lette us besye          #
ourselfe to
prayse God wyth pure childerne, amendynge our lyfe by dedes of 
penaunce and vertuouse dedes usynge, exhortynge you with the
wordes of my tyme - (\Laudate, pueri, Dominum\) .
   The fourme and the maner how that we sholde worshyp and love
almyghty God in the thre Ages, that is to saye, in Childehode,
Yongthe, and Manhode, is shewed to us by a prety conceyte of    #
oure
comyn Kalender in every boke of servyce. Ye shall understande
that every moneth noted in the Kalender is dyvyded in thre      #
partyes,
that is to say (\Kalendas, Nonas\) , and (\Ydus\) . The fyrst   #
daye of every
moneth is called and named (\Kalendas\) ; the seconde is        #
namyd, not
(\Kalendas\) , but (\quarto, quinto\) , or (\sexto Nonas\) ,    #
and soo tyll ye come
to (\Nonas\) ; and after (\Nonas\) , the dayes bene namyd       #
(\Ydus\) tyll ye come
to the myddell, and thenne all the moneth after named           #
(\Kalendas\)
after certen nombres; as the myddes of the monthe is namyd      #
(^xix.^)
other (^xviii.^) (\Kalendas\) , countynge lesse tyll ye come    #
to the ende.
Morally by these thre, (\Kalendas, Nonas\) , and (\Ydus\) , is  #
understande
the thre Ages of Man. By (\Kalendas\) is understande Childhode;
(\Kalendae\) is as moche to saye (\quasi colendo\) , for the    #
consuetude of the
<P 10>
Romaynes was, the fyrste daye of the moneth that is called      #
(\Kalendas\)
falleth, to solempnyse to ther goddes Hely, Juno et Jupyter.    #
So verely
the childehode of man is dedycate to devocyon. Thenne sette     #
the
faders the childerne to scole; and thenne be they taughte to    #
serve God,
to saye grace, to helpe the preest to synge; for to be meke,    #
gentyll,
and lowely. Thenne saye they our Lady matens, and bene ryght
devoute. Of whom may be verefyed that is wryten by Davyd - 
(\Haec est generacio quaerencium Dominum\) , that is the        #
generacyon that
besyly by devocyon seke almyghty God.
   By the seconde daye that is callyd (\Nonas\) I understande   #
the
seconde age, that is callyd (\Juventus\) , Youthe. (\Nonae      #
dicuntur quasi
nullae\) , for in that daye the Romayns worshypt no Goddes,     #
nother in
that season was noo festyvall dayes; or elles (\nonae dicuntur  #
quasi
nundinae\) , as moche to saye as a fayer, for in that tyme      #
they occupied
themself in fayers and marchaundyses. And herto convenyently
may be the Youthe of man applyed, that is in specyall from      #
xiiij.
yeres unto xviij., in the whiche he is ful of undevocyon, and   #
all
moost forgetith to worshyp his God or ony saynt. And yf he do
it with his mouthe, his herte is ful ferre from God aboute      #
worldly
vanytees. As it is wryten, (\Populus hic labiis me honorat,     #
cor autem
eorum longe est a me (Ysay. xxix=o=.)\) Congruently also Youthe
maye be namyd (\Nonae i. nundinae\)  - a fayer or market,       #
for in this age
is the marchaundyse of the devyll. The worlde habundauntly      #
bought.
Here the yonge man byeth a strompettes body for his body and
soule. Here all vayne marchaundyses of the worlde bene bought,
to the whiche is very prone and redy oure youthe of Englonde,   #
as
we may see dayly. There is no vanyte in no partye of the worlde
but we bene redy to bye it: longe heres and shorte collers of   #
Almayns;
evyll fasshenyd garmentes and devyllisshe shoone and slyppers   #
of
Frensmen; powches and paynted gyrdylles of Spaynardes; newe
founde hattes of Romayns; and so is fulfylled the wordes of     #
oure
Lord wryten in holy scrypture (\(Jeremiae xi=o=.),              #
Elongaverunt a me,
et ambulaverunt post vanitatem, et vani facti sunt\) . "This    #
Youthe
(sayth our Lorde,) hath ferre put hymselfe fro me, and they     #
have
<P 11>
walked after theyr owne vanytees, and by theyr invencyons they  #
bene
all vayne and undoubtyd." This alterable vanytees in garmentes  #
is
a true argument and a faythfull conclusyon to all wyse          #
straungers
that Englysshemen bee as chaungable in theyr maners and wyttes
as they be in outwarde garmentes. And yf this vayne             #
marchaundyse
were oonly in youth of the reame it were more tollerable, but   #
(\inveterati
dierum malorum\) , boyes of fyfty yere of age are as newe       #
fangled
as ony yonge men be. The whiche by reasons holde torne theyr    #
face
from the worlde, consideryng the ende of theyr lyfe. But lytell
that is consydered; ye, rather in theyr vanytees they bene      #
praysed.
(\Quoniam laudatur peccator in desideriis animae suae, et       #
iniquus benedicitur.
(Psalmo, etc.)\)
   And the thyrde daye is callyd (\Ydus\) , the whiche is       #
asmoche to saye 
as (\divisio\) , a departynge. By whom I understande the        #
latter age of
man, in the whiche man is dyvyded from the worlde by dethe, to
the ende for to receyve good or evyll as he hath deserved in    #
this
present lyfe. Lyke wyse thenne, as in the fyrst part of the     #
moneth
there is but one daye that is callyd (\Kalendae\)  , the        #
whiche is the 
fyrste daye of all, but in the later ende there be many dayes   #
that
bene named of the worde (\Kalendas\) , so, in comparyson of     #
the fyrst 
daye of thy lyfe, that is to say of thy childehode, in the      #
whiche 
thou wert well disposyd in devocyon, multeplye thy good lyf and
holy dysposycyon in thy latter dayes, that thou mayest deserve  #
oure
Lordes mercy, sayenge with the Prophete in the sawter, (\Et     #
senectus
mea in misericordia uberi\) . And how be it thou hast often     #
before in
thy yonge age and myddell age dyvydyd thy lyfe somtyme to
vertue, somtyme to vyce, ye as now in thy latter age kepe thy   #
lyfe
holy in vertue. Dyvyde it no more tyll dethe dyvyde it, after   #
the 
counsell of the Gospelles, (\Joh'is xix=o=: Non scindamus eam,  #
sed sorciamur
de ea cujus sit -\) "Lete us not cutte it, but lete us draw     #
lottes
whose it shall be." How be it this texte after the letter is    #
understonde
of Crystys cote without seme, yet convenyently it may be
understonde of every mannys lyfe or soule - (\Tunica dicitur    #
quasi tua
<P 12>
unica\) . Whether is more surer thyne owne than thy soule, for  #
the 
whiche prayeth the Prophete, sayeng, (\Erue a framea, Deus,     #
animam
meam, et de manu canis unicam meam\) . And whyle it is so that  #
man
lyveth here in two lyves, one lyvynge after the pleasur of the  #
worlde,
the tother lyvynge here in vertue by grace to come to blysse,   #
tho
that woll geve one partye of theyr lyfe to vyces and another    #
to vertue,
and specially in theyr age, thyse maner of men dyvyde theyr 
cote, and they, nother all the tayllers in the worlde, shall    #
never
make it hole ayen; for, as saynt Jerome sayth in a pystle,      #
(\Difficile,
ymmo impossibile est, ut quis in praesenti et in futuro         #
fruatur gaudiis,
ut hic ventrem et ibi mentem, et de deliciis transiat -\) "It   #
is harde, ye
it is impossyble, that a man may have alle joye in this worlde  #
and
also in heven - here to fylle his body and there to fylle his   #
mynde;"
for truly the delytes of this worlde and the joyes of heven     #
can never
be togyder in one cote of thy soule. Wherfore yf thy cote of    #
thy
soule be ones hoole in vertue, without ony seme of vice,        #
departe it 
never, but lete it retorne (\in sortem Domini\) , and           #
contynewe thy
lyfe in goodnesse without ony interrupcyon. And lyke wyse as    #
in thy 
childehode thou begannest vertue oonly, where thrugh in that    #
age
thou prayseste almyghty God, so in thy myddell age, all wanton
vanytees layed apart, encresse thy vertu as tho dyde of whom    #
it is
wryten, (\Ibunt de virtute in virtutem quousque videatur        #
Deus\) . And
that the ende may be conformable to his pryncyple without       #
dyvysion,
followynge the wayes of Innocency with thyse holy Innocents,
in whose commendacions syngeth our moder holy chirche, (\Novit
Dominus viam Innocentum qui non steterunt in viis peccatorum\)  #
 . And
yf we be in synne to repare ourselfe to the state of grace      #
without
wyll to falle agayn. And in recognysaunce of this gracyous      #
benefyte
of remyssyon we may lovyngly prayse God as I exhortyd you
<P 13>
before, sayeng, (\Laudate, Pueri, Dominum\) , graunt us all,    #
(\Cryste Jhesus
Splendor Patris, corona Innocencium.
Amen.
Explicit sermo ista.\)



