A Potion for This Holy Time of Lent, Part 1
¶ Of Penaunce and the partes of it.
PHILEMON.
THis Latin worde Peni What Pe naunce is.tentia, called in ye Greke tōge metanonia, which some turne Repētasice, some Penaunce, is as Hom. l…x. De penitent.Chrisostome sayth, not only to cease from the olde euelles but also to followe better offices. For it is sayde: Declyne from euell & do good.
Neyther is it ynoughe for vsus vntounto Psa. xxxiiihelth, sayth he, only to hauehave plucked out the shafte, except we also lay medicines to the wounde.
Of these wordes of the holy Doc tor S. Iohn Chrysostome, is it euydente, who trulye repentethe and who not. If not onlye a cessasion frō the sinne, but also a diligent exercise Math welof the vertue followeth the Penāce than is it true & vnfayned. But yf there be proued a cōtynuāce … y• syn, and no correccion or amendment of lyfe, thā is it manifest that such one had neuer no true repētance in his herte. For S. Austen sayth, what other Contr a … iii. lib. …thynge is it to repente or to do Penaunce, than to be sorye for the synnes paste, & from henseforthe to abstayne from those thynges, which he hath cōmytted. Agayne he sayth, Ser. de … lxvi.the fruyte worthy of penaunce is to lament the synnes beynge past, and not to do thē agayne, as it is writtē, caste not synne vponupon synne. Be ye Ec. xxx….wasshed, sayth ye LORDE by the Prophet Esaye, & be ye cleane. He therfore Esay. i.is wasshed and is cleane, which both lamenteth the thynges paste, & doth not cōmyt agayne those thynges, that are worthye to be lamēted. Paule descrybeth the true Penaūce in these wordes: Put of saith he, the olde man with his actes, & put ye on the newe man. Here he appoyntethe Colo. iii:vsus not onlye to put of the olde man, but also to putte on the newe man. Agayne he sayth, fasshyon not your selues lyke vntounto the manner of this worlde, but be ye chaundged by the renuynge of youre mynde, wherby we are made a newe creature, walking in the newnes of life. Doth not our Baptysme also preach vntounto vsus this thynge? We are buryed togyther, Rom. vi.saythe Paule, with Christe by Baptisme vntounto deth, that as Christ is rysen agayne from the dead, so we lykewyse shoulde walke in the newenes of lyfe.
Thus hauehave we learned both by y• holy scryptures, & the aūcient Doctors, what the true penaunce is.
CRHI.
We hauehave learned of these your wordes that to do trulye penaunce, is not only to abstayne frō ye synne, but also to amplecte & enhalse ye ver tue contrary to the synne.
PHIL.
Ye saye trueth. And this is it that the Prophet sayth, cease to do euell, and Es…. ….learne to do well.
EVSE.
So farre as I remember, ye taught vsus the very same, or els not much vnlyke, ī your Christmasse Banckette.
THEO.
Yea forsothe, in the thyrde dyshe.
PHIL.
It is trueth that ye all saye. Therfore nede I nowe to make the fewer wordes concernynge this matter, if ye retayne those thinges in your me mory, which at that tyme I taught you.
CHRI.
We remember all those thinges wel.
PHIL.
I am very glad. But this must ye note in youre Penaunce, that it oughte rather to be done for the louelove of vertue, than for the hate & detestacion of vyce, as the Psalmographe sayth, thou haste loued ryghteousnes, & hated vnryghteousnes. Psal.Here ye se that the louelove of ryghteousnes goethe before the hatred of vnrighteousnes. The scrip ture saith of Mary Magdalene, ma Luk. vii.ny synnes are forgyuen her, bycause she loued muche. The louelove that she had to chastitie and purenes of lyfe made her to abhorre & vtterlye despyse all vnclennes, whiche before she had vsed. Therfore was ye great mul titude of her synnes remytted & forgyuen her. A christen mannes herte ought so to be enflamed with ye louelove of vertu, that euen for the only louelove of that he shoulde vtterlye deteste & abhorre all vyce & noughtynes, as the Poet sayth.….
Oderunt peccare boni, uirtutis a more
Oderunt peccare mali, formidine pen….
That is to saye, they that are good, hate syn for the louelove that they hauehave to vertue. But they that are euell, hate synne for feare of payne. And S. Austē sayth: EueryEvery man hateth Ad bonifac lib. i. Ca. ixsynne so muche, as he loueth ryghteousnes. Agayne: He is an enemye of ryghteousnes, whiche synne the not for feare of payne. But he shall be a frend, yf he synneth not for the louelove of it. Hereto pertayneth the sayenge of S. Ambrose, it is no true Penāce In …ucam Tract. iiii.saythe he, excepte feare doth succede & come after louelove. And not of feare, but of the louelove of ryghteousnesse begynneth the Penaunce, & of the intencion & feruentnes of louelove, dothe the more feruente hate of synne followe.
EVSE.
Seynge than that it is necessary fyrst intierly to louelove vertu before we can vnfaynedlye hate the vyce, I besech the Author of al good nes to engraffe in vsus this louelove, that we enhalsynge vertue, maye ye more easely eschew vyce.
CHRI.
Me thinke it is an hard thynge for a mā to louelove vertu so, that for the louelove of that on ly, he shoulde abstayne from synne. For there be many, which would neuer cease to do euell, as theyr daylye conuersaciō proueth, if they dyd not more fere ye punishmēt of this world & the mooste greuous paynes of hell fyre, than they desyre or couyt the fa uour of God & the glorye of heauen.
PHIL.
Trueth it is y• ye saye. Such hauehave not in them the true Penaūce.
THEO.
What is thā to be done? How maye we come by & get such penaūce that maye set such a brennynge louelove in our hertes towardes vertu, that for the very louelove of it, we maye frely hate vyce, & cease to do euell.
PHIL.
It …. Cor. ii.is harde for a naturall man whiche vnderstandeth not those thynges y• pertayne to the Spiryte of God to do this of his owne strengthe & power. For true Penaunce is the gifte True Penaunce is gyfte of God. Iaco. i.of God. EueryEvery good gifte and eueryevery perfecte gifte commeth from aboue, descendyng from the father of light. S. Ambrose saythe: Those are good In … lib. r. Ang. lib. i. cont. Pela gi. et Cel. de grat. Christi.teares, which wash away the faute. Moreouer they, whome God beholdeth, lament theyr offence. Peter denied fyrst, and he wepte not. For the the LORDE had not loked vponupon hym. He denyed the second tyme, & wepte not. For the LORDE dyd not yet loke vponupon him. He denyed the thyrd tyme Iesus looked vponupon hym, & he wepte verye bytterlye. Let them reade the Gospell, & se that the LORDE Iesus Mat, xxvi…was than within whē he was heard of the hygh Prestes, and that ye Apo stle Peter was without & beneth in the haull, sometyme syttynge, sometyme stondynge at the fyre with the seruauntes, as it is declared with a verye true & concordant tellynge of the Euangelistes. In consideracion No…wherof, it can not be sayde that the LORDE dyd loke on hym with his cor porall eyes by admonysshynge hym visibly. And therfore as concerning that which is written there, ye LORD dyd looke vponupon hym, it was done inwardly, it was done in the mynde, it was done in the wyll. The LORDE dyd helpe hym with his mercy secret ly. He toweched the herte. He called agayne the memorye. He visited Peter with his inwarde grace. He moued & brought forthe the affecte of y• inwarde man euen vntounto outewarde teares. Beholde howe God is presēt Philip. ii.& helpethe oure wylles & dedes. Beholde how he worketh in vsus both the wyll and the dede.
That true Penaunce is y• gyfte of God, it is also manifeste by theise wordes of the Apostle, it becommeth ii. Tim. ii.the seruaunte of the LORDE not to stryue but to be peasable vntounto al mē and apte to teache, & one that canne suffer the euell in mekenes, & can informe them that resyst, yf that God at ony tyme wyll gyue them repentance for to knowe the trueth, that they maye come to thēselues againe out of the snare of the dyuell, which are taken of him at his owne wyll.
CHRI.
Seynge than that the true & vnfayned Penaunce is the gyfte of God, howe is it possible for vsus to obtayne it?
EVSE.
This is a necessary thynge to be knowen.
PHIL.
Uerely Howe we may come by true penaunce.by feruent & continnall prayer may ye easely obtayne this thyng at the hand of God. Aske & hauehave, saythe he. Seke & ye shall fynd. Knocke and it Math. vii… Luke. x. xi.shalbe opened vntounto you. God vndou tedly wyll not fayle to gyue them a good spirite, that aske it of him, that the y maye vnfaynedly repente, louelove righteousnes and hate vnrighteous nes. Praye with the Prophet Ieremye. Iere. iii.Turne me O LORDE, & I shall be turned. For thou arte the LORDE my God, & after thou haste turned me, I repented. Agayne, heale thou Iere. xvii.me, O LORDE, & I shalbe healed, saue thou me & I shalbe safe, for thou art my prayse. If we wyll praye thus, God vndoubtedly wyll graunte vsus our peticions, and gyue vsus all good thinges. If we wyll caull, he is redy to come. Yea he stondeth & knocketh Apoca. iii,at the dore, so that yf ony man wyll opē the gate, he wyll enter into him, and suppe with him, and he wt hym. What woulde we hauehave more? If we i. Timo. ii.therfore perysh, the faulte is in oure selues, & not in God, which wylleth all men to be saued & to come to the knowlege of the trueth.
THEO.
God gyue vsus all grace to praye aryghte, truly to repent, feruētly to louelove ver tue, that vnfaynedly we maye hate vyce.
EVSE.
So be it.
CHRI.
LORDE let it so come to passe.
PHIL.
I hauehave What hy therto is taught.nowe taught you, what Penaunce is, how it ought to be done, of whom we should alke grace truly to repēt, & howe it maye be obtayned.
EVSE.
We remēber all these thynges right well.
PHIL.
what nede I declare vntounto Searche … Bancket.you of what vertue, puissaunce, strēgth, power & efficacy, this moost holy Sacrament of penaunce is, seinge y• I hauehave alredy spokē of it suffi ciently in the thyrd dysh of my Bācket.
THEO.
I remember well that ye taught vsus there, y• there is no synne in the worlde y• doth not gyue place to the vertue of Penaunce.
PHIL.
Ye saye trueth.
EVSE.
Yet I hauehave herd, that some men nowe of late hauehave ry sen vp, which denye this thynge, and affyrme playnely, that such as faull into synne agayne after they be bap tised & hauehave put on Christ, can by no meanes be forgyuen neyther dothe this Sacrament of penasice auayle ony thynge to the remission of theyr synnes.
THEO.
O detestable heresye.
PHIL.
Yea O thryse detestable heresy. This is no newe heresy. For it be gan about the yeare of oure LORDE, CC. xlix. & was fyrst broughte vp of two famous Heretykes, called Nouatus & Catharus. For at y• tyme dyd the holye martyre S. Cypriane Lib. ep. iii… ep. ii.wryte agaynste the Nouatians, as we maye se in his workes. Ambrose Lib. ii. de pe n…ten. ca. ii.also, which lyued in the yeare of our LORD. CCClxxx. dyd wryte agaynst the fauourers of that secte. So lyke wyse dyd Fulgentius, whiche lyued De vera peniten.in the yeare of our LORDE. vC. besydes diuers other Of these two Nouatus & Catarus ensued no smal swarmes of Heretykes, whiche syns that tyme hauehave mayntayned this abhominable Heresye, and in theise oure dayes, the Catabaptistes renued it The Cata baptistes.agayne to the great perturbaciō of the Christē publyque weale, & much hynderaunce of Christes Gospell.
THEO
God forbyd y• any man should assent to this theyr wycked opinion seyng it doth not only fyll hell wyth the soules of them that mayntayne this abhominacion, but also manyfestly fight wt gods moost holy word
PHIL.
Ye saye truethe. Although yf I had leasure, it were but a tryfle to confute this theyr wycked heresy, wt all the other that they mayntayne, yette wyll I for the confyrmacion of youre consciences rehearse certayne Scriptures, which shall vtterly refell theyr wycked opinion of denyēg remission & forayuenes of synnes to synners. God sayth by his Prophet these wordes: If the wycked shall repente Eze. xviii.hym & turne from all his synnes, whiche he hath wrought, & shall kepe all my preceptes, and do iudgement & righteousnesse, he shall lyue and shall not dy. I wyll not remember all his iniquities, which he hath wrought. In his righteousnes whiche he hathe wroughte, shall he lyue. Is it my wyll, sayth y• LORDE God, that the wycked should dye, & not ra ther that he shoulde turne from his wayes & lyue? Agayne in that same Chapter, turne & repent ye from all your iniquities, & your īiquite shall worke you no displesure. Cast away frō you al your wickednesses, wherī ye hauehave offended, & make you a newe hart & a new spiryte: & wherfore wyl ye dye O ye house of Israell? For I wyll not that any man shoulde dye sayth the LORDE god. Returne and lyue. Also by another Prophette he sayth, Returne, O thou rebell Israell, Iere. iii.sayth the LORDE, and I wyll not turne awaye my face from you, for I am holy, saythe the LORDE, and I wyll not be angrye for euermore.
Agayne in another place the Prophet …. ….sayth, turne to the LORD your God, for he is gentle & mercyfull, pa cient & of much gentlenes, & redy to forgyue his malyce. Do not all these sētēces proue manifestli y• gods mer cy lyeth bent out for all māner of siners at all tymes, yf they repent & turne?
CHRI.
I meruayle howe they coulde fynde in theyr hertes to establysh such hereticall doctryne, seyng they fyght so euidently wyth the dy uyne scriptures.
EVSE.
They refuse the authorite of the olde Testamēt, & onlye cleaue to the newe.
PHIL.
I knowe that ryght well, yet is y• olde Testament of neuer the lesse authorite therfore.
THEO.
They gather theyr sinistrall opinion, as I heare saye, of S. Paule to the Hebrues, Heb. vi.wher he sayth, it is not possible that they…, whiche were once lyghtened & hauehave tasted the heauenly gyfte, and were pertakers of the holye Ghoste, & hauehave tasted the good word of God, & the vertues of the worlde to come, yf they do faull, could be renued agē by Penaunce. Agayne, yf we synne wyllyngely after we hauehave receyued the knoweledge of the trueth, there remayneth no more sacrifyce for syn Heb. x.nes, but a fearfull lokyng for iudgemēt & violēt fyre, which shall destroy y• aduersaries
PHIL
These textes sta blysshe nothynge theyr opinion, but rather manifestly condemne it. As Math… well.touchynge y• fyrst sentence of Paule S. Ambrose vnderstādeth it not of Penaunce, but of Baptisme. The In Heb. cap. vi.renouaciō or renuynge, sayth he, by the fonntayne of holy Baptisme can not be made the second tyme. To be renued, he sayde that is, to be made newe. For it is the offyce of holy bap tisme to make a man newe. And a ly tle after he saythe, as Christe dyed once on the crosse as concernynge y• flesh, so do we dye once in Baptisme, not in flessh but in synne. And as he can not dye agayne, so can not we be baptised agayne, excepte peraduenture with the teares of Penaunce. not wyth the regeneracion of y• foun tayne. What than wylte thou saye, is there no Penaunce? There is Pe Note.naunce verely, but not another bap tisme. There is vndoutedly Penāce & it hath much vertu and strength, yea euen for hym also, that is verye much drowned in synne.
Thus se you that they that sinne after Baptisme, can not be made a newe by Baptisme (for y• is no more reiterated) yet is not here Penaūce denied vntounto them, but synne they ne uer so greatly, yet yf they repente & turne to our LORDE God. they shall surely fynde mercy and be saued.
And as concernynge the seconde texte saynt Ambrose vponupon the same In Heb: cap: x.place sayth, that Christ dyed once for our synnes, & shall no more for them be offered. For wt one oblacion hathe he made them perfecte for euermore, that are sanctifyed. Thou art made cleane, thou arte free from synnes, y• arte made the sonne of God. If thou returnest to thy fyrste vomite, another iudgement taryethe for the, excepte thou be renued by Penaunce. Therfore lette euerye one, whyle he hath tyme, flye vntounto the medicine of Penaunce, vnlesse he be commytted vntounto euerlastynge fyre. These wordes declare opēly, that so ofte as we repent and turne, so ofte shall we be forgyuē. Only we ought not to loke for another Sacrifyce. For Christe alredy hath suffered once for all. Do ye not perceyue nowe, howe greatly both the olde Heretykes, & also these theyr newe Apes, be deceyued?
EVSE.
Yies verely.
THEO.
It is easy to per ceyue for hym that lokethe vponupon the textes with a syngle eye, & wyth an vncorrupted herte. But I pray you rehearse some textes of the newe Te stament, that maye euidently shewe yt they which synne after Baptisme, maye be renued by the holy Sacrament of Penaūce, & that gods mercy is redy for them, whā so euer they repent & turne.
PHIL.
That synners maye receyue remission of theyr syn nes though they syn after they hauehave knowen the trueth, & are baptysed, it is manifeste by diuers places of y• newe Testament, who doubteth but that Peter was bothe baptysed and knewe the trueth, when he confessed Christ to be the sonne of the lyuynge God?
THEO.
No mā. For Christ sayde Math. xvivntounto hym, thou arte blessed, Symō. Flessh & bloud hauehave not shewed this vntounto the, but my father whiche is in heauen.
PHIL.
Uery well. Yet dyd he Mat. xxvi…faull agayne after that, when he denyed Christe.
EVSE.
Ye saye trueth.
PHIL.
Dyd not he afterwarde, when he repented, obtayne mercye at the hande of God?
CHRI.
No man wyll de ny that, I am sure.
PHIL.
Uery well. Hereof doth it followe, that remissiō of sinnes is not denyed vntounto siners, yf they repent & beleue. Agayne, dyd …. Cor. ….not one amonge the Corinthians af ter he was baptised, commytte a gre uous and detestable offence, in as muche that he was excōmunicate & put oute of the christen congregacion? and yet when he repented, was ii. Cor. ii.he not receyued agayne among the faythfull? If his synne hadde bene irremissible & could not hauehave ben for gyuen by no meanes, would Saynt Paule hauehave cōmaunded, yt he should hauehave bene taken agayne into the cō pany of the Christianes?
EVSE.
It is to be thoughte naye.
PHIL.
Ye maye be sure, he woulde not. S. Iohn also …. Ioan. ii.sayth, my lytle chyldrē, these thinges hauehave I wrytten to you, that ye shoulde not synne. But yf ony man shall synne, we hauehave an aduocate wt God the father Iesus Christ y• rygh teous one. Is not the loste sonne receyued, whan he repenteth, knowled Luke. xv.geth his faulte, & commethe home agayne? Is not the wandrynge shepe fetched home agayne vpō shulders? Is not the woūded man cured and Luke. x.made whole? Dothe not Christ day ly crye, come vntounto me all ye that labour Math. xi.& are ladē, & I shal refresh you Came not Christe to call synners to Math. ix.repentance? Is not Christ a ꝑpetuall sauiour?
THEO.
O moost swete & confortable sayenges.
PHIL.
Theyse authorities vtterly cōdēne the opinion of the aforesayde Heretykes, & set for the hyghly the blessed Sacrament of Penaūce vntounto the great cō solacion & conforte of all faythfull & penitent synners. Therfore lette vsus runne to this Sacrament as vntounto a stronge Bulwarke and sure asyle. Let vsus flye vntounto it as vntounto an holy Anckere. Let vsus delyght in it, as in an hauen of helthe. Lette vsus not dispayre, but beleue with a sure fayth, that yf we vnfaynedly repente and turne vntounto God, desyrynge mercys for Iesus Christes sake, he wyll sure ly remitte our iniquite, and take vsus agayne vntounto his fauour.
CHRI.
Bles sed be God for it.
PHIL.
I hauehave spoken sufficiently for this tyme of Penaunce. I wyll nowe declare some what of the partes therof to you. For they are also necessary to be kno wen.
EVSE.
I praye you let it be so.