A Potion for This Holy Time of Lent, Part 6 – Part 7
¶ Of the Ceremonies vsed in the Chyrche this tyme of Lent, and what they signifye. Of the Asshes.
THe fyrste Ceremonye that is vsed in the Chyrche this tyme of Lent, is the imposiciō & layenge on of Asshes vponupon the heades of Christen men.
THEO.
I praye you vntounto what pur pose is that ceremony vsed? What What the ashes sig… nyfye.is the significaciō of it?
PHIL.
This is done, to put vsus in remembraūce what we are. For whan the preste layethe asshes on youre heades, he sayth these wordes. Remember mā that thou arte asshes & vntounto asshes thou shalte returne. This Ceremo ny pr…cheth vntounto vsus, that we are nothynge but asshes, dust & earthe, & to that we shall returne agayne. If we marke this Ceremony well, we shall
hauehave but litle occasion to be proud Note.or to magnify ourselues, as ye scrip Eccl. x.ture sayth, wherfore arte yu proude O thou asshes & earth? All fleshe is grasse, sayth the Prophet, & all his Esa xxviiiglory is as a floure of ye feld. If we consider this thynge well, it shall also prouoke vsus vntounto the contēpte & vtter despisynge of the worlde, ye a it shall plucke vsus from sinne, & moue vsus to do good workes, as the wise man sayth, remember thy last Ecc. vii.ende, and thou shalte neuer synne. And for asmuch as in the olde lawe they yt would hūble them selues be fore God by Penaunce, dyd vse to sytte downe in ye asshes & to throw asshes vpō theyr heades, as ye scriptures shewe of Achab, of the Niniuites, …is. Re. xxi. Ionas. iii. Iudit. iiii.of the Iewes, whā they were oppressed of holofernes, & of diuers other, therfore the holye fathers of Christes chyrch in tymes past in stituted also this ceremony to put vsus in remembraūce of the Penāce which this holy tyme of Lēt ought to be done of all christen menne for theyr wycked dedes, whyche they hauehave wrought all the whole yeare paste. Do ye perceyue nowe, what the layeng of asshes vponupon your hea des do signify.
CHRI.
Yea very wel.
PHIL.
Forsoth who soeuer reposeth the significacion of this Ceremony in his herte, canne none otherwise but alwaye be humble, gentle, low ly, meke, full of humilite, estraunged from all arrogancy, despisyng terrestiall thynges, & desyrynge thynges celestiall.
EVSE.
Ye saye trueth. But what meneth I praye you, the couerynge of the Images in the temples this tyme of Lent.
¶ Of the couerynge of Images, & what it signifyeth.
PHILEMON.
THe ecclesiasticall wryters assigne dyuers causes, one this, another that. But in this dissension & variete of opinions, I wyll al leage one or two reasons, & byd the other fare well as thīges not great ly makyng vntounto the edificacion of The fyrst cause why Images are couered.true godlynes.
THEO.
I praye you let vsus heare.
PHIL.
One cause is to signify vntounto vsus, that they that are synners & hauehave a pleasure styl ther in to remayne, are not worthye to behold the sayntes in heauē, which are represented by those Images, nether shall they at ony tyme come vntounto that glory, wherof the Sayn tes alredy hauehave ye fruicion, excepte they repēt them of theyr wicked lyuynge, Mat. iii.ryse oute of synne, brynge forth fruytes worthy of Penaūce, & become newe men in theyr cōuer sacion. Therfore whan we enter in to the chyrche and se all those Ima ges couered, we oughte to mourne & lament our synfull lyuyng, to recognyse oure selues synners, to excyte & store vp our selues to bryng forth fruytes worthy of Penaūce, & to cut away by true & vnfayned Contricion our synnes, yt we maye be founde worthy agaynst Easter, that is, agaynste the tyme of oure passyng & goyng out of this world clerely to beholde & openlye to se in the kyngedome of heauen the shynynge The secōd cause.face of God & his Sayntes.
Another cause is to declare the mournynge & lamentacion of synners for theyr vngodly manners. Ye knowe that ye custome is amōge vsus euen at this daye, that so longe as we mourne for ony of oure frendes departed, we vse to go wt close Note:faces, to weare simple apparell, layenge asyde all gorgious & sumptuous garmentes. So lykewyse this tyme of Lent, whiche is a tyme of mournyng, all thynges that make to the adournement of the chyrche wherof the Images are parte, are either layd asyde or els couered, to put vsus in remembraūce yt we ought nowe to lament & mourne for our soules dead in sinne, & continually to watche, praye, fast, gyue almes, & do such other workes of Penasice as wherwith God beyng excited & stored vntounto his antique & olde mer cies, may call vsus agayne frō death to lyfe, from synne to godlynes, frō wickednes to innocencye.
CHRI.
I hauehave hearde also that Images in ye The third cause.Tēple are couered for this purpose in ye time of Lēt, to put vsus in remē braunce that although we hauehave in ony parte of the yeare paste cōmytted Idolatry with thē, yet at this tyme we shoulde vtterly gyue ouer this abhominacion, & only cleue to God, & to his exceding great mercy lokyng for remission of our synnes & al other good thinges at his hand alone thorowe Iesus Christe oure LORDE. In consideracion wherof y• clothes that are hanged vp thys tyme of Lente in the Chyrche hauehave paynted in them nothynge els but the paynes, tormētes, passiō, bloud sheddynge & death of Christ, yt now we shoulde only hauehave oure myndes fyred on the passion of Christe, by whome only we were redemed, and althoughe we hauehave erred & runne astray lyke shepe destitute of a shep Math. …parde all the longe yeare paste, yet that now this holy tyme we should returne withe humble & contryte myndes vntounto Christe the bysshop & …. Pet. i…curate of our soules.
PHIL.
It may be so ryght well. The significacion vndoubtedly that ye hauehave now rehearsed is very godly. Well thus hauehave I declared vntounto you that I hauehave red concernyng the couering of Images in Lente.
THEO.
We thancke you for it. Let me se, what other Ceremonies are vsed in the Chyrche this tyme of Lent?
EVSE.
Ther are diuers other, but I pray you neyghbour Philemon, declare vntounto vsus, what the Ceremonies sig nify, which are vsed in the Procession of Palme sondaye. For surely I thyncke, not one amonge a thousand knowe what ye Processiō prea che the vntounto vsus.
PHIL.
I thyncke ye saye trueth in dede, & therfore is it so lytle regarded nowe a dayes amonge many, whan notwithstandynge it preachethe vntounto vsus many godly & goodly lessōs, yf they were knowen. Therfore yf ye wyl marke diligently, I wyll to the vttermost of my power declare to you partly myne owne coniecture, & par telye what I hauehave read & lerned of ye aū ciēt wryters ī tymes past cōcernīg this matter.
CHRI.
I praye you let it so be. We wyll heare you gladly.