Dominica iii in Quadragesima secundum Lucam.1 Erat Jesus eiciens demonium etc.2
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245 250 255 260 265 270 275 280 285 290 295 300 305 310 315 320 325 330 335 340 345 350 355	Saynte Luke saise that a man doumbe was, Of whaim Criste chasid oute Sathanas; This man spake when the fende was oute, And all folk ferlied that was aboute; And Jewes that had at Criste envye, Saide Criste did oft swilk maistrie, In a fendes name that hight Beelzebub of mikil might, That than was halden fendes maistire, And of other fendes faystere. For haythen man god was he, Als clerkes may on bokes se, And of fendes prince was he callde, And for thaire allir lorde talde. Forthi saide the wickid Jewes, That Criste wroght thorghe his vertues And did mirakles thorghe his slightis, And noght thorghe his awne mightes. For wald thai noght for God him knawe, Bot bad he suld som ferli schawe Of hevene, als who saie: “We trowe in thi slightis, If hevene bere wittnes of thi mightis; For rightli maie thou make na ruse Of thinge that thou in erde duse. Bot ger us taken of hevene se, And than es right we trow in thee; For if thou taken of hevene schawe, For Goddes sonne we will thee knawe.” When Criste wist what thai walde mene, He saide to thaim than all bedene: “That kingdome that gase in twynne Sall barette thole if were beginne; And ilk howse on other sall fall, Thare conteke sondres bernes all. Forthi if Sathanas kyngerike, Es sondrid in itself with swik, How sall it stand or be stedfast, For ye saie here that I outecast The fende in Belzebus name. If I so did, it ware his schame, Als so saie, if I, with his might, Caste oute the fende that es his knight; Than ware ayther with other wrothe so, And swilk contek betwix thaim two, That nowthir walde do other will. Bot nowe ar thai anefalde in ylle, And for thaire willes anefalde ere, Will none of thaim on other were. For aye the langare that Sathan Wonnes within a synfull man, The bettir paied es Belzebub, That first fellid Adam with his club. And be this resoune may ye se, Thatt ye lyed forsothe on me.” Yit proved Criste with mo resounes, That thai saide als fals felounes, Thare thai saide that he kest oute wightis, Thorghe the craft of Belzebub mightis: “If I,” he saide, “fendes outecast In Belzebub, that of fendes es maste, I ask yow how and in whas mightis, Youre sonnes dryves oute ylle wightis?” Thaire sonnes his folowars he callde, That sall with him in dome be balde, On Domesdaie with him to deme, And synfull man fra joye to fleme. Forthi saide Jesus, sothe to saie, Thai sulde deme the Jewes on Domesdaie; For som men folowid Criste in lare, That tha Jewes sonnes ware, And oft in Cristis name thai kest, Fendes full fell oute of thaire rest. Forthi askid Criste in whase name, Thaire sonnes didd the fendes schame. Als who saie — “Sithen ye selcouthes se, That mi dissiples duse thorghe me, Ye mai wele witte that I am he, That gives thaim crafte and pousté, To dryve develes oute of thaire denne, Thare thai er in synfull men.” Yit schewes Criste that God gon him sende, Mankynde fro fendes to defende; For he saide, “If I outecaste In Goddis fingir the foule gaste, Goddes Kingdome es commen now, Forsothe here ymanges yow.” Goddes Kingdome was Criste, That es God in werld to triste For when Criste had mankinde here tane Than was God and man all ane; And Goddes fingir in Hali Writte, Betaknes Goddes might and his witte, That all thinge may leefe and bynde, Als we in Hali Boke writen finde. Yit proves Criste with resoune hende, That he es strenger than the fende; And sais whiles ane armid wight, Yemes his howse with all his might, All that he weldes es in pese. Bot if a man that strangere es Him ovrecome, his gude he him reves, And him in howse no wepen leves, Als so saie, “Thof the fende be stythe, And armid hard with este and nythe, Agaynes me fallis he full swithe, If I with him mi maistrie kithe; And oft sithis I fell him with fight, For he haves to me no myght. For or I come to him he ese, In synfull man wonand in pese. Bot als swithe als he me seese, Als a thefe oute of hole he flees; And be this resoune maye ye se, That I am stranger than es he: With mi Godhede I ger him fle, And noght thorghe Belzebus pousté.” Thus provid Criste with resoune right, That he kest oute with his awne might The fende of this combird manne, Fra whaim the fende his speche had tane. Yit schewid Criste apertelie The Jewis pride and thaire envye, And saide, “He that es noght with me, Agaynes me forsothe es he; Als so saie, “So fares it of yowe, For mi Godhede will ye noght trowe; And he that gedirs noght with me, His gude thewes sckatirs he; Als so saie, ye that suld me knawe, And haythen folk toward me drawe,3 And will noght sawles with me gadir To God, that es youre gasteli fadir, Ye skatir thaim with costis ylle Fra God, for ye gere thaim ga will; For ye suld teche thaim the lawe Of rightwisnes, and ye thaim drawe With wickid costis and ylle lates Fra rightwisnes to wrange gates.”    This worde es mikil agaynes clerkes, That suld kenne lawde men Goddes werkes, And gedir thaim to Goddes horde, With rightwisnes and Goddis worde; And leves for forworthinnes, So mikil thai lufe thaire awne ese. Thaim burd think, if thai ware wise, How thai sall stand at Goddes assyse, To yelde acounte of all thaire witte, How thai in the werld have spendid it. To God what sall this persounes saie, When thai er chalangid on Domesdaie, To yelde of all thaire live acounte? And what thair rentes maye amounte, That thai of the lawde takes here, And of God will thaim noght lere, How thai sall thaire sawles save, That the fende thaim noght crave, To bringe thaire sawles to hell pyne? Thus God for slewthe sall thaim tyne. Than mai thir men of Hali Kirk, Drede full sare for thai ware yrk Thaire parihssenes for to teche, For thai er made Goddes leche. Bot now lives ovre mani in lust, And lates thaire sawles in synne rust, And lawde mennes als swa, For att thaim ensaumpil thai ta, To life in synne and in folye, In lust of flehsse and glotonye. Thus in wickidnes thai live, For othir ensawmpil nane thai give. The lawde amende thai ne maie for drede, When thai er coupeabil of wickid dede.4 Thir persones and vikars that riche are, Thai suffir thaire parihssenes missefare. Of thair godes thai suld thaim dele To all tho that had no catele. And pure clerkes to sette to lare, And helpe chappemen to gette thaire ware; And pure maidens to give to howse, To gude yomen for to spouse; And other gode dedes at thaire powere, To do till all that had misstere. Bot now than do thai nothinge so, That geres thir lawed menne missego; For thai live all in likinge and lust Of flehsse, that geres the saule rust; For riche persones lufes now, Flehssli lust more than sawle prowe. Thai wene to folowe Cristis trace, With lust, likinge, rivere and chase. Thai fede thair flehsse with gode metes, That lawde folk bringes to thaim and getes. Thai live of lawde folc travayle, And right noght till thaim thai avayle; For thare thai suld with sermoune till The lawde folk hertes and will, To right langinge of hevenes rike, With wickid ensawmpil thai thaim swike; For wickid ensaumpil thai thaim give, In wickidnes forthe for to live; For thare thai suld thaim mekenes schewe, Thai schewe thaim pride and other unthewe; And thare thai suld kenne thaim to dele, And parte with god of thaire catele, Thare kenne thai thaim with covetise, To spare thaire godes on ylle wise. For we se so thir persones spare, That thai lat pure men missefare; We se thaim faire grehoundes fede, And thole the pure dye for nede. And ylle ensaumpil thus thai give, To thaire parihssenes wele to live. Forthi methink it na ferlie, Thofe lawde folk live in folye, When thai se prestis and persounes, Missetake agaynes God als felownes: Goddes felounes I thaim call, That thus geres men in synne fall, With ensaumpile of ylle life, That now es in this werld full rife. Forthi I rede persounes and prestis, That thai bere God in thaire brestis, And think that all thaire mete and drink, Comes of thaire parihssen swink; And give thaim ensawmpil how that thai, Sall toward hevene take the waie, And sithen hald thaim wele tharein, And yeme thaim fra dedeli synne. For wele es thaim that with prechinge, Mai bringe saules to hevenes Kinge; For all that till him saules ledes, Maie siker be of heveneli medes. And thof the prechoure may no man drawe, Fra synfull will to Cristen lawe, Tyne he ne maie his travaile, For mede of God maye he noght faile; For God that his entente wele knawes, Es full wele paied of all his sawes.    That mai we se be Saynte Bede, That mikil wroght Goddes dede.    For writen in his lyfe we finde, That he was in his elde blynde; Bot noghtforthi he prechid aie, And nameli everilk a hali daie. Thof he ware blynde wald he noght leve The fende fele saules for to reve. And als he ones to prechinge fore, His knave wexe werie on a more; Him to rest had he gude will, And bad his maistir thare stand still; And saide, “Mikil folk es commen here, Youre prechinge now for to here.” And Bede wende his sawe sothe ware, And stude and prechid right thare His knave restid him ynoghe, And his marstire to hethinge loghe; For na man herd his spell bot he, And stones and fowhles on the tre. A fayr mirakel maie men here se, Of Godes awne faire priveté; For when he had saide what he walde, The hard stones on him callde, And all thir fouhles also, Or ever thai wald ferrer go; And said to him als thai ware menne: “Blissid be thou that can so kenne — Wele has thou prechid here saule hele, For Goddes wordes will tow noght fele.” Here mai we se withouten faile, That God was paied of his travaile; So es he of all verraymente, That prechis his worde with gode entente. This mirakel have I tolde yow here, To gerre thir lerid men lawde lere, For siker may thai be of medes, That oft spekes of saule nedes. Bot of all es thare no men, So mikil halden the lawde to ken, Als parihsse prestis er and persounes, And vikars als with thaire brade crownes. For all thaire livynge of the lawde thai take:5 Forthi thaim aght be warre for wrake. Thai take of thaim offirand and tende, And techis thaim noght fro the fende. Thai gedir noght to Goddes horde Sawles, with lare of Goddes worde. Forthi, saise Criste in oure Gospell, Als ye before hafe herd me tell: “He that gadirs noght with me His sawles mede skatirs he.” For man skatirs with wickidnes, The gude of kynde that in him es. Yitt es a worde in oure Gospell, That almos ware yow for to tell; For when Criste had casten obak The Jewes, that agayne him spak, He saide to thaim, “When Sathanas Oute of the combird mannes hert gase, He gase be stedes unwattirye, To seke him rest and findis all drye. Forthi in thaim may he noght geste, For in weete stede findes he moste reste; That es to saye when Sathanase, Oute of a synfull mannes hert gase, He gase thir hali men to spye, If thai be thorghe penaunce drie; Or if thaire willis be watterye, With wete of willis of liccherye. And if he find thaim noght wate, In thaim hase he than nane inlate. Than saise the fende, “Agayne I go Into the stede thare I come fro.” He comis and findis his chaumbir swepid, Thare he and other gastis er kepid; For with him bringes he sevene gastes That mannes godenes gasteli wastis. For all samen wone thai thare, And mase that man werse than he was are. Thare Criste spekis of swepynge, Es for to saie gasteli clensinge, For schrift clenses man of synne. Bot if he eftsones fall tharein, Than findis Sathan him tome and lendes In him with other sevene fendes; That es to saie with synnes all, That his schrift gert fra him fall. For man that schrives him of his synne, And sithen falles eft tharein, He is coupeabil of all that wyte, Whareof his schrift made him qwite. For when man schrives him of synne, He makes a vowe his sake to blynne; And bettir him ware no vowe to make, Than eftir the vowe to fall in sake. Forthi he that will him right schrive, His schrift he hald with clene lyve, For wers than he was es he elles, Als Jhesu in oure Gospell tellis. When Criste had saide this last sawe, A wommane thare spak that folowid o rawe, And saide full hye till him right thare: “Blissid be the wombe that thee bare, And the pappis that thou soukid, For all es in thi handis lowkid.” “Ya, and als,” than saide he, “Blissid mote thai all be That heres Goddes wordes in lede And fullfillis it in dede.” This er the wordes of oure Gospell, Als man with Yngliss tonge mai tell. God gife us grace his worde to yeme, So that we maie finde him qweme, On Domesdaie when blast of beme, Sall ger us come whare he sall deme; And that we may with him wende Into the joye withouten ende. Amen.	mute marveled were envious of powerful deeds was called great; (see note) held to be; ruler boss; (see note) god of heathen men accounted the lord of them all through [Beelzebub’s] powers performed; skills; (t-note) recognize commanded; marvel show From; will believe; powers boast earth let us see a sign from heaven understood at once divides in two suffer strife; war each Where strife divides all men kingdom divided against itself; treachery cast out would be to his shame That is to say servant each would be angry with the other such strife unified; evil because their wills are united make war Dwells satisfied further What When; spirits Through; greatest with whose power evil; (see note) judgment; certain judge banish judge teaching cast evil; resting place did shame to the fiends Since; wonders do know skill; power dwelling place Where did send him By; spirit taken on human nature one Signifies; knowledge loose and bind skillful as long as; man Guards stronger belongings; steals strong malice and envy; (see note) make known often; vanquish before; is Within power wretched revealed; openly (see note) is it with you Since; believe joins not together habits squanders But separate; evil behavior make them willingly go [astray] but evil behavior and false pretence ways; (see note) clergy teach ignorant men flock But fail [to do this] out of feebleness comfort They ought to think judgment give; knowledge dispensed parsons required give income; may amount to from the laity take wages teach So that; claim because of their laziness; destroy; (see note) may these reluctant parishioners; (see note) helper[s] too many [of the clergy] (see note) For they take their example from them [the clergy] vicars allow; to go astray distribute possessions poor; teach merchants; look after bring to the home; (see note) Of; marry need go wrong lechery makes reward think; path lechery, robbery and hunting off of ignorant people’s work do nothing worthwhile for them persuade kingdom betray bad habits teach; share divide well; possessions hoard; evil manner in such a way poor parsons Do wrong; evildoers sinners cause people plentiful advise remember; (see note) work protect rewards His effort will not be in vain who knows his intention satisified; words (see note) nevertheless every single Though; desist many; deprive of proceeded servant; grew; moor He desired greatly to rest believed; true laughed his master to scorn; (see note) no one; words birds (t-note) divine mystery wished Before as if teach soul’s health you not conceal truly (see note) To cause these learned men to teach the laity So greatly required to teach the laity (see note) wary of vengeance offerings and tithes reward wastes human nature (see note) charitable; would be; (see note) back wretched passes through waterless regions take his lodging wet places; (see note) wet entrance place swept; (see note) spirits Who destroy man’s spiritual goodness together dwell make; previously again empty; enters (see note) deserving; punishment acquitted (t-note) sin to cease it would be better [again] into sin [Let him] hold to his shrift behind quickly breasts enclosed among the people (see note) heed agreeable blast of trumpet

 

[Homilies 21–24 not included in this edition. See Explanatory Notes.]