A Potion for This Holy Time of Lent, Part 8 – Part 10

A Potion for This Holy Time of Lent · Part 8 – Part 10

¶ Of y^e Ceremonies y^e are vsed in y^• Processiō of Palme sondaye, & what they signifye.

PHILEMON.

IN the begynnynge of the Procession the people goethe oute ha uynge eueryevery one a Palme in theyr hand followynge the Crosse which is couered with a clothe.

EVSE.

Ve say trueth, but what doth it mene. That the Crosse is caried forth beynge couered with a clothe, rather then with an open face?

PHIL.

The What y^• … bted crosse signifyethCrosse so velated & couered signifieth Christ the sonne of God, which beynge promised of the Fathher to the Iewes in the olde lawe, was not than come, but only adumbrated, shadowed & prefigured by certayne types, figures, Ceremonies, cloudes & shadowes, as by Manna E…. …vi. xvii. xii.the Rocke, the Paschall Lambe, y^• brasen serpent. &c. All these prefigu Num. xxi:Num 21red Christ to come. In consideraci on wherof that Crosse is borne enclosed.

THEO.

We perceyue nowe y^e What the people syg nifye.right well. But what do those people signify, which go with y^e crosse.

PHIL.

Uerely the fathers of y^• olde Testament, which lyued longe before the commynge of Christ being vnderunder the cloudes & shadowes of y^• olde lawe.

EVSE.

For what intente what the Palme signifyethdo they beare Palmes in theyr hā des?

PHIL.

Forsothe to signifye the victorye that they hauehave gotten by Christ.

CHRI.

why I pray you, how could they get any victory by christ whan he was not yet borne?Marke this well.

PHIL.

Yies forsoth brother Christopher. For although Christ at that tyme was not come in the fleshe & borne of the moost glorious virgyn Mary, yet dyd they beleue vndoubtedly, & were perfectly persuaded that he should come, & that they shoulde be redemed by his passion, & that he shoulde paye theyr dettes to God y^• father, euen with his moost precyous bloud, delyuer them out of cap tiuite, & make them pertakers of y^e glory of heauē. And although they dyd not se Christ with theyr corporall eies, yet dyd they se hym withe theyr spirituall eyes, that is to say w^t y^• eyes of theyr faith, yea & beleue wythouteony hesitacion or doubtynge, as Christ sayde of Abraham to the Iewes, Abraham youre father I…n. viii:dyd reioyse that he myghte se my daye, and he sawe it and was gladde. This is to be vnderstonde y^t Abrahā dyd se Christ with y^• eyes of hys faythe, which is y^• very true & perfecte sight.

EVSE.

So farre as Note.I remember I hauehave red this texte in the Scripture, blessed are the ey Luke. …es that se those thinges, which you se. For I saye vntounto you, that many Prophetes & kynges woulde hauehave sene those thynges that ye se, & yet hauehave they not sene them, and heare those thynges, which ye heare, and yet hauehave they not hearde them.

PHIL.

Ye saye trueth. This is vnderstonded of the corporallsyght of Mathe well.Christ. They desyred so greatly the redempcion of Israell, y^t they euermore wyshed the cōmyng of Christ in the flesshe, as we maye perceyue in the Prophette Esaye, where we Esa. xvi.Isa 16read these wordes: Sende forth O LORDE, that lambe the ruler of the earth oute of the rocke of y^e deserte vntounto the mount of the doughter of Syon. Agayne, woulde God thou wouldest clyue asunder the heuēs and come downe. They desyred in Esa. lxiiii.Isa 64dede very greatly to se Christ with theyr corporall eyes, but yet dydde they se him none otherwyse thā w^t the eyes of theyr fayth, in asmuche as he was not t…an borne, but only Gen. iii. Eco. xvi. xvi. …ii. Num. xxi.Gen 3Num 21promised of God the father, and shadowed by diuers ceremonies of the olde lawe. For as saynte Paule …. Cor. x.sayth, all oure fathers were vnderunder a clowde. Therfore in asmuche as they dyd faythfully beleue ī Christ and hope to be saued by his mooste blessed passion, althoughe they dyd not se hym with theyr corporal ey es, yet was he vntounto them a Sauyour, a redemer, a perfecte satisfaccion, so that by hym they euen at y^e tyme had gotten the victorye ouer Note here of y^• Palmesynne, death and hell.

THEO.

But I pray you why do they rather beare a Palme in theyr handes than any other thynge?

PHIL.

I wyll tel you neighbours, that which they beare in dede in theyr handes, is not pro perly called a Palme, for they are the bowes of a Salow tree, but by cause we hauehave no Palmes growīg in this londe, therfore do we beare them in stede of Palmes. By bearynge of those Palmes the victory that we hauehave gotten ouer Satan thorowe Christ is signifyed.

CHRI.

Why rather by the Palme than by ony other tree?

PHIL.

For Aristotle why victo ry is sygnyfyed by a Palme tre.& Plutarche do wryte, as Aulus Gellius testifiethe, that the nature of a Palme tree is this, y^e although there be neuer so great weyghtes & burdens layd vpō it, so that a mā would not thyncke it possible to be borne, yet doth not the Palme tree once bowe, nor gyue place to y^e bur den, but valeauntly aryseth & preuayleth agaynst the weyght layde vponupon it. Therfore by this Palme tree rather thā by any other is vic Prob. viii. Spm. viii. Lib iii. Cap. vi.torye alwaye signifyed, yea & that not only in diuyne but also in humayne literature.

CHRI.

We perperceyue it nowe ryght well.

EVSE.

Surely it is a thing much worthy to be noted.

PHIL.

Ye saye trueth. If men dyd knowe the significaciō of those bowes, which they beare in theyr hādes at y^t tyme, they would not so supersticiously abuse them, as they do

THEO.

Ye say truth, but let those thynges passe, & let vsus go forwarde with oure Procession.

PHIL.

Than go they forthe with y^• Crosse vntyll they come vntounto a cer tayne stedde in the chyrche yearde, where they stōde styll, & in y^e meane seasō, y^e prest rede, y^e gospel

EVSE.

It What the re dyng of the Gospel in y^• Chyrchyard singnifyeth,is trueth, what meneth y^t?

PHIL.

It signifiethe the Prophetes, whiche prophesied of Christes commynge, & declared that whan he once came captiuite shoulde be exiled, & liberty reduced, all sorow & care should be dry uenawaye, & all ioyfull & me ry thinges succede & come in place. They prophesied that at hys commynge the eyes of the blynde shall Esa. xxxvIsa 35be opened, the eares of y^e deafe shall heare, the halte shall skyppe as the harte, & the tonge of the dūme shall speake. Agayne the preached, that, whan y^e annoynted sauioure come, he shall preach mery tidynges to y^e poore, heale the contryte in herte, Esa. lxf: Luke, iii…,preach delyueraunce to the preson ners, and syght to the blynde. &c. Are not all these ioyfull & pleasa… newes? This doth the Gospell signify, which the prest readeth ther. For this Greke worde Euangeliō, What Euāgeliō …which we cal Gospel ī Englysh, so… deth in our common tonge, a good, ioyefull and mery message. Thus ye perceyue, what the readinge of that Gospel signifyeth.

THEO.

Yea forsothe very well. I praye you go forthe.

PHIL.

The Gospell beynge once done, thā goeth y^e people forth with the Crosse that is couered, & euen streyght wayes not farre frō them come other people & the prest with the Sacrament, which hauehave with them a Crosse bare & vncouered, prycked full of grene Oliues & Palmes.

CHRI.

What do all those thynges I praye you, preach vntounto vsus.

PHIL.

Tary a whyle, & I shall de clare to you altogyther. But fyrste ye shall note, that there come forth certayne chyldren before the naked Crosse, …ngynge a certayne songe, whiche begynneth, En rex venit. Beholde the kynge commeth.

EVSE

What meanethe that.

PHIL?

This What the chyldrē sig nify, y^• come syngyng be fore the Crosse.may be vnderstonded by those Pro phetes, whiche prophecied of Christes cōmynge a lytle before he was borne, shewynge that he was nere at hande, or it maye ryght well sig nify S. Iohn Baptist, whiche dyd not only shewe before that Christe was at hand, but also poynted him euen with his fynger, sayenge: Beholde Ioan. ….the lambe of God, whiche taketh awaye the sinne of the world. Now as towchynge y^e naked crosse, What the nak…d crosse signifyeth.it signifyeth Christ alredy come, & borne into this worlde. And they y^t go w^t the crosse, betoken the people of the newe Testament, whiche beleue in Christ, & receyue hym with What those people signi fye, whych go wyth th… Crosse.enbrasynge armes.

EVSE.

But I praye you for what cause, is that Crosse adourned wythe grene Oliues & Palmes?

PHIL.

The grene What the …rene Olyues sing nyfye on y^• CrosseOlyue leaues declare vntounto vsus the vnmesurable aboundans of vertu es, whiche are in Christe, of whome alone we hauehave al that euer good is, And what so euer vertue is in vsus or what so euer good dede comme from vsus, all that we do receyue of Christ, the sole Author & foūtayne of all goodnes. I am y^e vyne, sayth Christe, & ye are the braunches. He Ioan. xv. What the Palmes signify on y^• Crosse.John 15that abydeth in me, & I in him, brī geth forth much fruyte. For without me ye can do nothyng. And as concernynge the Palmes, they signify the victory, which Christ hath gotten ouer Satan, synne, death, hell, desperacion. &c. by his mooste blessed passion, & the shedyng of his moost precious bloude, as he sayth by the Prophet Oze, from the power Oze. xiii:of death, sayth he, wyll I delyuer thē, yea from death it selfe wyl I redeme them. O death, I wyl be thy death. O hell, I wyll be thy destrucciō. Thus ye se, what is ment by the grene Olyues and Palmes, wher w^c the naked Crosse is adourned.

CHRI.

Yea verely.

PHIL.

Nowe marke what followethe. After the songe of the chyldren, the preste go eth forthe wyth the Sacrament & certayne people also withe the naked Crosse, vntyll they mete wyth that Crosse, that is obnelated and couered. They are not so sone met, but the bumbled Crosse vanyshe away, & is cōueyed from the companye streyghte wayes. Than all the whole people enclose togyther w^t great ioye, singyng & makyng melody tryumphantly followyng the naked crosse, bearyng in theyr handes eueryevery one a Palme, ī some places also they beare some grene herbes in the stede of Oliues.

EVSE.

What is signifyed, I praye you, by all those thynges.

PHIL.

Where as y^e couered Crosse vanyssheth away What the goynge awaye of y^• couered crosse signifyeth& goeth out of place at the ingresse & commynge in of the naked & opē Crosse, it preachethe to vsus, y^t whan Christe was once come, & appeared in the flesh & had suffered and dyed for vsus, that than all the Ceremonies, types, figures, clowdes & shadowes of y^e olde lawe vanysshed away and were no l…nger of ony effecte. Whan the lyghte once shyneth, the darkenes bearethe rule no lenger. Christ the true lyght of the worlde is come, therfore those ceremonies Ioan. vii.John 7of the olde law are now no more necessary. The trueth of Goddes promyse is pformed. Therfore al shado wes, which were as pledges ought of necessite to vanysh awaye. They that are truly conuerted vntounto the Note.LORDE, hauehave no more the vayle of ceremonies before theyr faces, but are free, & with open eyes of theyr …. Cor. iii.sayth they se y^• LORD Christ. More ouer y^• people, that accōpany bothe crosses mete togyther & enclose as one, followyng the open and naked crosse.

THEO

What signifieth that?

PHIL.

This sheweth y^• they, whiche What the enclosyng of both the peo ple togyther signifyeth.were before the cōmynge of Christ, & they that hauehave bene syns y^t tyme, are all one, of one chyrche, of one cō gregacion, of one shepefold, professe one God, beleue in one Sauioure, hauehave one heauēly father, & loke for one rewarde, which is the glory of heauen thorowe Iesus Christe, as S. Paule sayth, all dyd eate of one spirituall meate, & all dyd dryncke 1. Cor. x.1 Cor 10of one spirituall dryncke, for they What the syngyng of the people togyther sig nyfyeth.droncke of y^e spirituall rocke, which accōpanyd thē. And this rocke tru ly was Christ. They syngynge and makynge melody togyther, signifi eth theyr inward & vnsayned ioye, which they hauehave cōceyued in theyr hertes for the redempciō that they hauehave in Christe Iesus.

CHRI.

But what meanethe theyr Palmes and Oliues or other greene herbes in theyr handes?

PHIL.

I hauehave declared vntounto you before, that the Palmes Palmes.signify the victory, y^t we hauehave gotten ouer Satan thorowe oure LORDE & captayne Iesus Christe, as S. Paule sayth, death is swalo …. Cor. xv.wed vp into victorye. O deathe where is thy stynge. O hell, where is thy victory? The stynge of deth is syn The strength of syn is y^e law But thanckes be vntounto God, which hath gyuen vsus the vyctory thorow our LORD Iesus Christ. Christ him selfe also sayth, in the world ye shall hauehave trouble, but be on a good con Ioan. xvi.John 16fort, for I hauehave ouercome y^e world. All that is borne of God, ouercommeth the world, saythe S. Iohn, & …. Ioan. v.John 5this is y^e victory, which hath ouercome the worlde, euen our faythe.

EVSE.

What is signified by y^e grene Oliues or other herbes?

PHIL.

The The Olyues that they sig nyfye.aboundance of vertues. The be arynge of Olyues she wethe that we are not only delyuered oute of seruile captiuite, & that we hauehave gottē the victory thorowe Iesus Christ, & are set at liberty, that we beyng w^tout feare & delyuered frō y^e poore Luke. …of oure enemies, shoulde serue God all the dayes of our lyfe ī holines & righteousnes, but that we are also Note here of y^• Olyue tre.thorow hi, plenteously garnysshed & enuyroned w^t al kīdesof vertues do now no lesse florysh w^t vertues, than y^e Olyue tree dothe w^t fruyte, which as Plini writethis neuer w^t out grene leues & fruyte. Therfore Lib. xv: Psal. ….saith Dauid, I being as a fruytful Olyue tree in y^e house of God, hauehave trusted ī the mercy of God for euer: more.

CHRI.

we perceyue now these thynges ryghte well. What followeth I praye you?

PHIL.

These thi ges once done, thā the people gothe somewhat further vntounto the chyrch doreward, and there stondeth styll.

EVSE.

I remēber it well.

PHIL.

Im mediately after certayne chyldren stondynge vpō an high place right agaynst the people, syngynge with a lowde voyce a certayne Hymne, in the prayse of our Sauioure Iesus Christ, which begynneth, Glorialaus.

THEO.

It is trueth.

PHIL

At the ende of eueryevery verse the chyldren caste downe certayne cakes or What the chyldren signify, y^• synge gloria laus.breades with …loures.

EVSE.

What do they meane by this?

PHIL.

The chyldrē which sig, betokē y^e faithful christen men in this worlde, whiche ought to be simple & hūble in hert, as a chylde is, as Christ sayth, vere …at xviiily I saye vntounto you, excepte ye be cō uerted & become as a chylde, ye shal not enter into the kingdome of heuen. Who so euer therfore hūblethe himselfe as this chylde, he it is that is greatest in the kyngdome of heauen. Also S. Paule, Brothers, be …. Cor: …not chyldren, in vnderstandynge howe be it, as concernynge maliciousnes, be chyldren, but in vnderstandynge be perfecte. Nowe as cō cernynge the syngynge & castynge downe of cakes & floures, ye shall heare now thre thiges. The fyrst is What the syngyng of … chyldren sig nyfy…,geuyng of glorye & prayse to Christ for his innumerable benefites shewed vntounto vsus, which is signifyed by the syngyng of the chyldren. For it is conueniente that we be not forgetfull of Goddes goodnes toward vsus, but that we be thanckefull agayne for it, and synge perpetuall prayses to his moost blyssed name. For this is the rewarde and amendes that he desireth, as he himselfe sayth, the Sacrifice of prayse shall Psa. …honouor me. Also y^e Psalmograph sayth: O…ier to God the Sacrifice of prayse. The seconde is an honest conuersacion, & the continuall What … flou re… signify….exercyse of godly vertues, which is signified by the floures, that y^e chyl dren east do…ne. For seing that we are restored vntounto oure olde liberte Notethorowe Christe, whiche we lost in Adam, & are nowe become christen mē, we ought not only to be thākeful to God for his benefites, but al so leade an honest & pure lyfe, that by this meanes also Goddes glory maye be set forth by vsus, as Christe sayth, Let youre lyght so shyne before math. v.men, that they maye se youre good workes, & glorify your father which is in heauen. We are set w^t oute feare, & delyuered frō y^e power of our enemies, sayth Zacharye y^e preste father of S. Iohn Baptiste, that we should serue God all y^e day Luke. i.Luke 1es of our lyfe, in holynes & ryghteousnes. We are the workemanshyp of god, sayth S. Paule, created in Ephe. ii.Eph 2Iesus Christe vntounto good workes, which God hath prepared that we shoulde walke in them. Agayne, ye i. Cor. v…1 Cor 5are derely bought. Glorify GOD now therfore ī your body & ī your spiryte, which are Goddes. Also in another place, If any manne be in Christe, he is a newe creature. The thyrde is mercy towarde the poore ii. Cor. v.2 Cor 5people, which is signifyed by the ca stynge downe of the cakes. Thys What the ca styng dow… of the Casignifye.mercy towarde the nedy mēbers of Christ, ought diligently to be exer cised of all christē men, which hauehave the goodes of y^e world in theyr possession, or els they shewe thē selues vnworthy the benefites of GOD. For by mercye & faythe are synnes pourged, saythe the wyse man. To Prouer. x… Pro, xxi.Prov 10do mercy & iudgement pleaseth the LORDE more then Sacrifice. GiueGive Luke. xi,Luke 11almes, sayth christ, & behold all thiges are cleane vntounto you. Thus se you, what is signifyed by the syngynge of the chyldren, & by the castynge downe of the floures and of the cakes. Wherof ye learne, what is youre dutye to do agayne vntounto Beholde what our duty is to ward godGod for his excedynge & incomparable benefytes towarde you, verely to be thanckefull, to lede a godly lyfe, & to be mercyfull to y^• poore mēbers of Christ.

THEO.

Undoubtedly the significacions of these ceremonies are godlye. I woulde all men knewe them, & woulde do ther after.

PHIL.

The very same wysh I also.

CHRI.

But what doth it mene What the stōding of the chyldren in so …yghe a place sig nifyeth.I praye you, y^• the chyldren, which singe, & cast downe the floures and cakes, stonde in so hygh a place frō the ground?

PHIL.

This preacheth vntounto vsus, y^e they, which gyue prayse vntounto God & practyse an honest con uersacion, and shewe mercye to the poore poople, shoulde not do it for Mathe this well.vayne glorye nor for the prayse of men, but only for the glory of God, settynge theyr myndes, seyng they are come to Christe, no more vponupon earthlye thynges, but vponupon thynges celestiall & heauenly. In token wherof they ascend and go vp into such an hygh place from the earth. And this is it, that S. Paule wry …. …teth, yf ye be rysen agayne w^t christ seake for those thynges that are aboue, where christ is syttynge on y^• ryght hāde of God. Seke for those thynges that are aboue, & not that are vpō y^• earth. For you are dead, & your lyfe is hydde with Christ in God.

EVSE.

This is a good lesson, we thancke you for it.

PHIL.

Well, nowe marke the ende of your Procession, for it is almoost done.

THE.

I pray you declare what soeuer re mayneth

PHI.

Theyse thinges once done thā goeth the Processiō forth, vntyll they come to y^• chyrche dore, whiche, whan they come vntounto it, is sparred, & certayne chyldren in the chyrch syngynge. The songe beyng once done, the preste taketh y^• crosse in his hande, & putteth the dore frō him with it, & so openeth it, and entreth What the sperynge of the Chyrche dore signi fyeth.in with al the other people after hym.

CHRI.

What do all those thīges preach vntounto vsus?

PHIL.

The spearynge of the chyrch dore signifyeth, that heauē gates were speared Gen. iii. Rom. v.Gen 3Rom 5agaynst vsus for the synne of our fyrst father Adam, in whom all we hauehave offended, so that no mā could once enter by his owne vertue, power, merites & good dedes into heuen, Ioan. iii.John 3as Christ witnesseth, no man goeth vp into heauen, but he that came downe from heauen. That is to say, no man by his owne strēgth & vertue ascendeth into heauē, but Christ, whiche descended from heauen, & toke flesh of the moost glorious Note& pure virgyn Marye. Therfore eueryevery one that goethe vp into heauen, goeth vp by Christe, as he hymselfe witnesseth, I am y^• waye, Ioan. xiiiiJohn 14the trueth & the lyfe, no man commethe vntounto the father, but by me. Therfore to declare that oure ingresse & entrynge into heauen, com meth only by Christe & by Christes death, therfore the preste openethe the dore w^t the crosse. For ye knowe right well, that none of all the holy Patriarches, Prophetes, Kynges, and other godly fathers of the olde Testamēt dyd enter into the glory of heauen, vntyll Christ had suffered & payed oure raunsome by hys moost precious bloud

EVSE.

Ye say trueth.

PHIL.

This declareth therfore manifestely, y^e by Christe alone we hauehave free passage into eternall glorye, as S. Paule sayth, euerlastynge Rom. v…, What the chyldren sig nifye, which synge with in the chyrchRom 5lyfe is the gyfte of God, tho row Christ Iesus our LORD.

THEO

But what is sygnifyed by y^e chyldren which are within the chyrche at the dore syngyng?

PHIL.

Uerely the myrth, ioye & melodye, whiche the Aungelles make in heauen, for mās redēpciō by christ. It sheweth how glad & mery they are, that mā is become pertaker of y^• glory, wher of they hauehave the fruicion. And this theyr ioy maketh them to come for to mete the soules of the faythfull, & to present them to the diuine ma ieste.

CHRI.

This is a very godly ex posicion.

PHIL.

Whan they are once What the chyrch sig nifyethe.entred into the chyrche, wherby he uen is signifyed, than do the all the people knele downe, & the prest pluc kyng vp the cloth, wherwith y^e cru cifixe was couered, and makyng it open to all that are there presente, syngethe a certayne songe, the people in the meane season prayenge & gyuynge thanckes vntounto God. And so endethe the Procession.

EVSE.

I pray you declare this also vntounto vsusWhat the Crucifixe & the people signifi

PHIL.

This signifyethe that whan we be once departed oute of thys world, & are brought of the Aūgels into heauen, that than we shall for euer & euer worldes without ende enioye the moost glorious syght of the diuine maieste, syngynge vntounto him prayses incessātly on this mā ner: Thou arte worthy, O LORDE, Apo iiii.to receyue glory, honour & vertue. For y^u hast made al thinges, and for thy wyll they are and were made. Thou arte worthye to take y^• boke, & to open the seales of it. For thou Apo. v.waste slayne & haste redemed vsus by thy bloude. To hym that syttethe on the Throne, & to the lābe be bles syng, honour, glory, & power, worldes without ende. Amen.

Now hauehave I declared vntounto you neighbours, what eueryevery ceremony y^e is vsed in the processiō of Palme sondaye signifyeth.

THEO.

Ye hauehave done so in dede brother Philemon. We do not only thāke you for this youre great payne, but also desyre almyghty God with moost humble hertes to rewarde you for it in his glory.

PHIL.

In thus doing I hauehave Ioan. …vii;John 7done but my duty, & I confesse my selfe to be an vnprofitable seruaūt Notwithstandynge yf this my sim ple declaracion hathe profyted you ony thynge at all, or set forwarde your knowledge in christ, verely I am not a lytle glad. And yf I shall perceiue hereafter, that ye practise those thynges in your dayly manners, y^t I hauehave taught you in wordes, surely neyghbours I shall vn faynedly reioyse & gyue God herty thanckes, that you are so serious & earnest labourers i y^e LORDES vine yearde.

CHRI.

Neyghbour Phi lemō, doubte ye not, but that with Goddes grace we wyll labour diligently to follow your moost godly & wholesome admonicions. Therefore yf there be ony mo ceremonies to be declared. I pray you expresse thē to vsus

EVSE

I pray you what me neth y^e wasshyng of the Altares on Maūdy Thursday at after noone.

¶ Of wasshynge of the Altares, & what it signifyeth.

PHILEMON.

THer are diuers aūswers made vntounto it, as we we reade, but I thyncke it is done to put vsus in remembraunce, howe Christ wasshed his disciples fete at his maundy, y^• we in lyke manner shoulde be redye at all tymes to do good vntounto oure christen brothers, yea euen to wash theyr fete, whiche semeth to be the moost hūble & lowely acte, that we can do vntounto thē. If I, sayth Christ Ioan. xii….John 12being your LORDE & mayster hauehave wasshed your fete, verely you also ought to washe one anothers fete. For I hauehave gyuen you an exāple, y^e as I hauehave done to you, so lykewyse ye should do. Let that mynde be in …. ….you, sayth S. Paule, that was in Christ Iesus.

¶ Of garnishyng y^• chyrch on Easter daye, & what it signifyeth.

THEOPHILE.

VUhat meaneth it y^• on Easter What the garnysshyng of y^• chyrch on Easter daye signi fyeth.daye the Images & all other thynges, that were before hyd, are made opē, & the Temple restored to her pr…tine & olde beautye?

PHIL.

Nothynge els but that after christ had once suffred his passion for our synnes, & was rysen agayne from Rom, iiii:death to lyfe for our iustificacion, all cloudes & shadowes were taken awaye, all ceremonies & sacrifices of the olde lawe ceased, all ioye, all myrthe, all felicite, all pleasure, all liberte, & all that euer we lost before in Adā, is nowe recouered agayne Noteby Christe. In token of this oure welth & ioye is the Temple on Easter day moost preciously adourned

CHRI.

We are nowe aboundantlye satisfyed concernyng the ceremoni es y^• are vsed in the Lente. I praye you therfore declare vntounto vsus y^e last parte of our Potacion accordynge to your promise which is this, how we ought to prepare our selues for to receyue worthely at the tyme of Easter y^t moost blessed Sacrament of the A…re.

PHIL.

Neyghbours I wyll do it with all my herte. I pray you therfore, marke wel, what shal be sayde.

EVSE.

Speake on brother Philemō, we wyll heare you withe diligent eares and attent myndes.