PHILEMON. That you may pre pare your selves condignly & worthily to receive the most blessed Sacrament of the ⟨image 77⟩Altar, it shall be necessary that ye observe certain things. First y• ye labour with all main to erect & lift up your selves from your old sinful living, where with in times past, ye have been miserably detained, before the approach unto this celestial table. For if it were not law full for the uncircumcised in the flesh to eat of the figurative Paschal Lamb how much more than is it unlawful for the uncircumcised in the hart, y• is, for the sinful & unclean person to taste of the true Paschal Lamb, which was offered & slain for our sake? Purge out the old leaven, 1saith S. Paul, ye ye may be new dowe, like as ye are sweet bread.
For christ is offered a Paschal lamb for us. Here he showeth, ye if we will worthily celebrate our Easter, we must put away our old & sinful living. But before all things in this expurgation of vice, ye must ⟨image 77⟩earnestly labour, that ye come not to receive the body of our LORD with a malicious, hateful & uncharitable heart. For this is a Sacrament of peace, of unite, of concord, & of unfeigned love. Therefore there ought to be mutual reconciliation on all parts, before any come unto this celestial feast, as saint John Chrysostom saith, let no Hypocrite 2approach, let no man with a cloaked mind once be so bold, as for to draw nigh unto so great mysteries, unless he be condemned & deserve the sentence, & suffer y•, which Judas suffered. For after the communion 3of the table the devil entered into him. Let no Judas therefore be at the table. This Sacrifice is a spiritual meat. For as corporal meat when it findeth a belly occupied with adverse & corrupt humours, doth both hurt the more, noy y• more, & helpeth nothing at all, so this spy ⟨image 78⟩ritual meat likewise, if it findeth any man polluted with malignity & evil, shall destroy him the more, not of the own nature of it, but through the fault of him that receiveth it. Let the mind therefore & the thought be pure in all things, for the Sacrifice is pure Let us prepare an holy sole. Let us hold fast the holy kiss, which associateth the souls, reconcileth the minds, & maketh one body. For we all seem to take upon us one body.
PHILEMON. THat you maye pre pare youre selues condignely & worthely to receyue the moost blessed Sacrament of the ⟨image 77⟩Altare, it shal be necessarey that ye obserue certayne thynges. Fyrst y• ye labour with all mayne to erecte & lyft vp your selues from your old synfull lyuynge, where wt in tymes past, ye haue bene miserably detayned, before ye approch vnto this ce lestial table. For yf it were not law ful for ye vncircūcysed in ye fleshe to eate of ye figuratiue Paschal Lābe how much more thā is it vnlawful for ye vncircūcysed in the hart, y• is, for the synfull & vnclene person to taste of the true Paschall Lambe, which was offered & slayne for our sake? Pourge out the olde leuen, 1sayth S. Paule, ye ye may be newe dowe, lyke as ye are swete bread.
For christ is offered a Paschal lābe for vs. Here he sheweth, ye yf we wyl worthely celebrate our Easter, we must put awaye our olde & synfull lyuynge. But before all thynges in this expurgacion of vice, ye muste ⟨image 77⟩earnestly labour, that ye come not to receyue the body of oure LORDE wt a malicious, hatefull & vncharitable harte. For this is a Sacrament of peace, of vnite, of concord, & of vnfayned loue. Therfore ther ought to be mutuall reconciliaciō on al partes, before ony come vnto this celestiall feast, as saynt Iohn Chrisostom sayth, let no Hypocrite 2approche, let no man with a cloked mynde once be so bolde, as for to drawe nygh vnto so great mysteries, vnlesse he be condēned & deserue the sētēce, & suffer y•, whiche Iudas suffered. For after the communion 3of the table the dyuell entred into hym. Let no Iudas therfore be at the table. This Sacrifice is a spiri tuall meate. For as corporal meate whan it fyndeth a bellye occupyed wt aduerse & corrupt humors, doth both hurte the more, noye y• more, & helpeth nothynge at all, so this spi ⟨image 78⟩ritual meate lykewyse, yf it fīdeth ony manne polluted wt malignite & euel, shal destroy hī the more, not of the owne nature of it, but thorowe the faute of hym that receyueth it. Let ye mynd therfore & the thought be pure in al thynges, for ye Sacrifice is pure Let vs prepare an holy soole. Let vs hold fast ye holye kisse, which associateth the soules, recōcy leth ye myndes, & maketh one body. For we all seme to take vpō vs one bodye.
- 1[…]. Cor. v.〈…〉. Cor. v.
- 2Hom. […] De […] Jud•e.Hom. 〈…〉 De 〈…〉 Iud•e.
- 3Mai. xxvi.
