The PurveyProject

Dominica iij Post Pascha

Par Élodie MONTEAU
Publication en ligne le 26 janvier 2013

1/9r/ Dominica iij Post Pascha

2The apostil Petur in the pistyl of þis day exortiþe every cristen man and woman seyng on this wyse: Obsecro vos tanquam aduenas et peregrinos; “I beseche ȝow as comlyngis”, that is to sey, as dere pepyll in Criste and pilgrimes that ȝe absteyne ȝow from flesschely desyrys the whiche fyȝtethe aȝenst þe sowle. And loke that ȝowre conuersacion be good, as who seythe, plesyng to God among hethen men. That is to sey, thowȝe þat ȝe be in [þis] trowblus worlde parauenture beyng among pepill not well disposed

3/9v/ in so moche that some sey wickedly in bacbytyng, as a man may here and see of þese my[s]dohers, ffor they beholden ȝow if ȝe wolde feyle of good werkis, but loke that ȝe glorifye God ever in his visitacion and be ȝe soget to every creature of man, as who seythe, ffor the luf of God, ffirste to þe kyng and to hym that is hyȝher in state, and so forthe to other dukis, as every grete state is sent of God to ponyssche them þat bithe mysdohers, and loke ȝe be soget to the presyng of good men. For so is þe wyll of almyȝti God. Et benefacientes; “and that ȝe do well,” and ȝe that ben elect and chosen of God, make ȝe the vnconnyngnes of unprudent men to be as dome, be ȝe as fre men as men that hathe fredom be the pascion of Criste. And beware of coveryng of malice and be ȝe as seruauntis of God. Omnes honorate; “honowre ȝe al men.” Fraternitatem diligite; “luffe ȝe þe

4/10r/ brotherhode of all good cristen pepil.” Deum timete, regem honorificate; “Drede ȝe God, honowre the kyng.” Serui subditi estote in omni timore domini<s>. “Seruauntis, be ȝe soget in all drede to lordis, not only to good and mylde pepyll but also to tirauntis. For this schall be to ȝow a feyre grace in Crist Ihesu owre Lord. Moraliter. Seynt Austen seythe acordyng to this holy apostill becawse we scholde beware and withedraw vs frome lust and likynis of the flessche, and that we scholde haue ever more in owre remembraunce þe bytter peynes and peynefull pascions þat Criste Ihesu sufferde in his flessche for the redempcion of mankynde.ȝFor we were bowȝt withe no lesse price þen withe Cristis dethe. For the lest drope of bloode þat Crist schede owte of his flessche, the whiche was more worthe then all heven and erthe, ȝet wolde not this blissed Lord hold him content

5/10v/ but sufferd all his blood rennyng downe withe water, to be schede owte of his flessche. And therfore seythe almyȝti God be his prophete Ysaye, quinto capitulo. Quid est quod debui vltra facere vinie mee et non feci ei, et cetera; “What is it that I myȝte do to my vynneȝard and dyd it not.” And al he dyd for owre luffe to lede vs to his kyngdome. And therfore scholde we do after þe cowncell of this holy apostil where he seythe thus: Obsecro vos, et cetera; that is to sey, “I beseche ȝow for þe passion þat Criste sufferde in his flessche, þat ȝe absteyne ȝow frome the fowle desyris of þe flessche.” For ȝe see be experiens of reson, a man that rydithe vpon a hors witheowte a brydill, he will lyȝtly haue a falle. So in like wise, and thi sowle haue a fals hors, þat is to sey, thyne owne flessche, in certen and þu wilt not ruwle hym be good reson els thi sowle is ‘full’ like to haue a falle. And therfore seythe þe

6/11r/ apostill in this pistill: Subiecti i<gitur> estote omni humane creature; “Be ȝe soget to every creature.” As who seythe, make ȝowre flessche soget to the sowle and folow ȝe Criste in his werkis after the abundaunce of discrescion þat God hathe ȝeven to ȝow. But Dauid seythe in the sawter: Nescierunt neque intellexerunt in tenebris ambulant; “synful pepill they cast no perrels. And whi so? For they wot not ne vnderstonde not becawse they walke in derkenes of synne. And therfore beware that þu walke not in the derkenes of synne, ffor that wyl distroye thy sowle, que militant aduersus animam.  Many men desirethe worschipe of this worlde and that lettythe h[e]m frome the knowleche of his God, but and þu wilt pas to the habitacion of Criste then muste þu kepe the hyȝe wey of mekenes. And therfore seythe þis holy apostil Peter in this pistill: Conuersacionem

7/11v/ vestram inter gentes habentes bonam; “haue ȝowre conuersacion good among men.” As who seythe, loke that ȝowre lyvyng be very pure and perfite to the plesure of God, the [whiche] sufferde for the many peynes and persecucions for þi saluacion. As Dauid spekythe in þe persone of Criste. Que vtilitas in sanguine meo, dum descendo in corrupcionem; “What prophit is in my bloode [whyle it] went in to corrupcion.” As who seythe, every cristen creature may sey “what profite or what aveyle haue I of Cristis passion if I falle into corrupcion of synne.” If þu wilt haue the worschipe of the worlde then schew þu grete worschip to God, and be not prowde þereof as thowȝe that worschipe cam of þiselfe. And þu þat art in worschip of the worlde, beware that withe þi worschipe thu oversett not the pore pepill. If þu be a rewlar, rewell well thiselfe. For as Salamon seythe, he scholde ivel rewle other that cannot rewle hymselfe. If þu

8/12r/ be a pletar in the law spirituall or temporall, loke thi mater be very tru and good. If þu be a false gaderer and a fals wiþholder of wordly good, beware that þu reken ever withe ryȝte; if þu be a boster or a grete ryng ledar, beware þu wade over [not] to far. But soche maner of pepyll desirethe gretly to be worschepyd; but þis is certen, he that purchasithe worschipe be false menys and vntru, [he] seruethe the devyll. And therfore seythe þe apostill in this pistill: Sed sicut serui Dei; “but be ȝe as the seruauntis of God.” And þerfore seythe Seynt Gregori: Omelia septima: Quisquis in superbiam mentem eleuat, quisquis auaricie estibus anhelat, quisquis si luxurie inquinacionbus poluit, cordis ostium contra veritatem claudit et ne ad se Dominus veniat claustram anime feris viciorum dampnat; “Who þat lyftiþ up his [mynde] in pride, who that besily desiriþe

9/12v/ thorow the hete of auarice, who þat defowlethe hym withe the filthis of lechery, the dore of his hert he turnethe aȝenste trowþe, þat is Criste.” Ego sum hostium; “I am the dore” and dampned the cloyster of his sowle, so that God come not to hym. And therfore be ȝe þe folowers of God as his discrete childern. Firste in the vertu of mekenes folow ȝe that blissed Lorde Ihesu, [and þen in þe vertu of ryȝtwysnes] and so forthe in the vertu of charite and kepe þese thre degreis, scilicet: Sub esse maiori sed minori et equali; Every creature in the vertu of mekenes meke hym to his soueren, and every man be soget to his neyȝbor for þe kyngis sonne of heven tawȝte us þis lesson hymselfe. And Seynt Paule biddiþe us to be meke be his doctryne, seyng thus: Obedite prepositis vestris non tantum bon<is> et modestis sed eciam discolis; “Thus scholde we do be the rule of God to rule vs after Goddys law,” every man

10/13r/ to obey hym to his soueren, or els witheowte they so do thei folow Lucifere, that no soveren wolde haue. And every soveren rule well hymselfe to þe plesure of God, and then to take vp on hym to rule well other. But þis is certen, many one takythe vpon hem to rule other, and ȝit þei cannot rule wel hemselfe. Popes, emperowrs, and kyngis, and every state in his degre scholde rule hymselfe after the rule of Criste. And every creature that is lowȝher in degre scholde be ruled after his soveren in þe law of God. And this scholde make pes betwene kyngis and betwene comens and lordys, husbondis and wyves. And so scholde all pepyll lyffe and luffe in pes, þe whiche scholde cawse every degre at þe laste to come to the joyes celestiall, of þe whiche joye owre sauiowre spekythe of in the gospell of this day in the last end þere-

11/13v/ of and seythe: Gaudium vestrum nemo tollet a vobis; “ȝowre joye schall no man take awey frome ȝow.” To the whiche joye God bryng bothe ȝow and me, et cetera.

Pour citer ce document