¶An exhortacyon made to Relygyous systers in the tyme of theyr consecracyon by the Reuerende fader in god Iohan Alcok bysshop of Ely.
¶I aske the banes betwix the hyghe and moost myghty prynce kyng of all kynges sone of almyghty god and the virgyn Mary in humanyte Cryste Iesu of Nazareth of the one partye. And .A.B. of the thother partye / that yf ony man or woman can shewe ony lawfull Impedyment other by ony precontracte made or corrupcyon of body or soule of the sayd .A.B. that she ought not to be maryed this daye vnto the sayd myghty prynce Iesu that they wolde accordynge vnto the lawe shewe it.
GOod syster we are here gadred before almyghty god and all his sayntes in heuen in his chirche here mylytaūt to solempne this noble spousage bytwene the sayd sone of almyghty god and you / whiche spousage must be of your partye desyred with all your hole herte and free wyll / not compelled by none of your frendes / nor for cause of worldly worshyp nor ease of your body / but oonly for the loue & seruyce ye owe to the sayd myghty prynce / to serue hym & obeye hym & kepe his cōmaūdementes / and all other men & worldly worshyp renounce and forsake [Page] and hym to loue aboue all thynge / & his preceptes to performe and all other thynge to do that perteyneth to a good wyf. How moche be ye boūde vnto hym that wyll consent that ye be maryed vnto hȳ so grete a prynce & almyghty / & ye a wretche his creature & of a poore lynage. For the cōmon vsage is kynges to mary togyder. Dukes and Erles togyder / and poore people togyder / and seldome seen the ryche and the poore mary togyder / and yet this moost myghty prynce lorde of heuen & of erthe for the loue he hereth vnto you to make you his quene his faer of heuen to be your fader his moder to be yours / & so by this maryage all your kynred shall be of cosynage by affynyte to the fad (er) of heuen / our lady all the angels with all the hole Genelogy of Cryst / to whiche honour and excellence no carnall spousage coude exalte you. Therfore yf ye contynue his faythfull & true spouse cōmyttynge your mynde your wyll & all your werkes to obserue his cōmaūdementes / your rewarde shall be as in your Ioynter & dowery excede all rewardes that can be thought and may be gyuen vnto man.
FYrst syster yf ye wyll be spoused to this noble prynce & so be determyned in your mynde. I saye thyse wordes to you of the holy ghoost. (Audi filia et vide & inclina aurem tuā et obliuiscere populum tuū et domū patris tui) That is to [Page] saye / doughter here see and gyue humble attendaūce / yf ye wyll be spoused to this myghty prynce / ye must forgete and relynquysshe Ioye and felycyte of this worlde / and the house of all your generacyon / your fader and moder and all your carnall frendes / and ye muste folowe hym in condycyons / and leue your olde name and condycyons and to be called after his name / his name is Iesus Nazarenus. And soo ye muste be called Nazarena. It is wryten (Nazarei candidores niue interpretantur virgulti vel floridi siue custodientes aut separati a mundo vel vncti siue sancti aut consecrati) That is to saye. Ye muste be as a yonge grene braunche and as a floure and as a keper of the tresour of your husbonde and seuered from the worlde as anoynted holy and consecrate quene / for thyse propertees amonge other hath your spouse. Fyrste ye muste be as a yonge grene braunche / the whiche loseth his fayre beaute whan he is seuered from the rote. The rote of all Relygyon is Iesu of Nazareth that is charyte (Quia deus caritas est) And who so euer is not in charyte he departeth hymselfe from almyghty god. Soo ye muste loue your spouse Iesu aboue all thynge / he muste be in your mynde / in your soule / in your herte / and in all your werkes. And of hym specyally ye muste speke / for yf ye haue ony pleasure for to speke of ony other thynges of the worlde or of ony [Page] other man / than wyll he be wrothe. For as Saynt Gregory sayth (Prouidendū ergo nobis est quia intueri non debet quod nō licet concupisci. Et iohannes) Cryste sayth (Qui stndet eligantes faci es inspicere. ipse fornacem passionis accendit) For he wyll that ye kepe oonly and entyerly vnto hym your fyue wyttes / to haue noo pleasure for to loke vpon man or woman / nor to here of noo worldely thynges / nor speke of noo concupyscence / nor handell noo contagyous thynges / but oonly that shall be to his pleasure and seruyce. For as saynt Ierom sayth. There was neuer man soo Ielous of his wyf and taketh hede of his werkes and dedes as our lorde your spouse wyll take hede of you For ye can thynke no thought but he knoweth it / nor speke no worde but he hereth it / nor be in noo place but he is there presente / nor noo thynge can dysceyue hym / therfore ye muste loue hym aboue all thynge and be in parfyte charyte with all your systers and his people and seruauntes. Also Cryst Iesu is called (Flos campi) The floure of Nazareth / the beaute of this excedeth all other vertues & it is soo noble a tresour that it can not be praysed / and therfore virgynyte is honoured in almyghty god. And Cryste the heed and the leder therof and the fyrste thynge that he dyde in erthe whan he became man he sette vp his husholde of virgyns & men of chastyte for to serue hym and [Page] his chirche here in erthe / as he was by virgyns / the angels serued in heuen / his moder was and is perpetuall virgyne. Iohan Euangelyste his secretary a virgyne. Iohan the Baptyst a virgyne. Ieremy the prophete a virgyne / and angelles in heuen virgyns & Innumerable there syngynge and folowynge the lombe of god the seconde persone / and neuer newe songes of Ioye and glorye. The angels of heuen honoureth virgyns as theyr brethern & systern. And as it is wryten (Apocal .xix.) The angell of god wolde not suffre saynt Iohan Euangelyste to worshyppe hym for loue he was a virgyne as he was and angell & man of the erthe And therfore Saynt Bernarde sayth. What is more full of beaute than is chastyte (Quid castitate decorius. Que mundum de immundo conceptum semine de hoste domesticū de homine angelum facit) The angels worshypped saynt Agnes and cladde her in a garment of chastyte / crowned saynt Cecylye / saynt Agas shewed her holynesse / saynt Katheryne buryed / & delyuered from deth Susanne. And as it is wryten Numery .xxxi. (Omnes feminas virgines reseruare alias ōnes iubentur interfici) That is to saye. That where all the people sholde be destroyed and slayne for synne / yet god almyghty commaunded to spare virgyns. And therfor sayth saynt Ancelme (Non est salus nisi quē tu virgo peperisti) Saynt Margarete [Page] hadde the deuyll vnder her feet and bounde hym / and he cryed & sayd / leue ye yonge mayde ye destroye me. And in lyke wyse Saynt Iulyan bette hym and put hym to grete rebuke / and therfore the deuyll worshypped virgynyte as it is radde in Thobye the sixte chapytre. For ryght as the deuyll hath power of all vnclene lyuers / ryght soo he honoureth virgyns and feereth theym bycause of the angelles. And therfore Saynt Iohan Crysostomus sayth (Castitas est res angelica ꝑ quam solum singulariter homines angelis assimulantur) And that angels haue in heuen by felycyte. A man or a woman beynge theyr in virgynyte haue by grace and by grete labour. Virgynyte by grace hath dyuerse preuyleges. Fyrste it replenyssheth paradyse (tricesimasecunda questione prima ca. Nupcie) The seconde that virgynyte is a vertue that man only may please god with fayth (in aut. de leuo. s. Scimus colla .iij. the .iij.) It is the begynnynge of other vertues (In aut. quomō op. ep̄i. s. ne (que) autem sacras. the .iiij.) That only amonge wȳmen a virgyn is to be consecrate .xxv. di. Sicucius. the .v.) Virgyns martyrs and there other / and hath (Aureolam tricesimasecūda questione quinta. Si paulus) For as matrymony replenysshed the erthe with children / ryght so a virgyne replenysshed paradyse (tricesimasecūda questione .i. Nupcie) Moders of children of the worlde [Page] hath grete besynes and sorowe for to brynge forth theyr children / a virgyn is in quyetnesse and bryngeth forth her children in grete Ioye as it is wryten (Mathei .xxij. Que parate erant intrauerunt cum eo ad nupcias) And as it is wryten (Cantico (rum) secundo. Sicut lilium inter spinas sic amica mea inter filias) Virgynyte is lykened vnto a lyly the leuys of the lyly that conserued the beaute therof is sobrenesse of mete and drynke / the contrarye therof is shewed in Loth beynge dronken fyled his owne doughters (Genesis decimonono .xv.q.i. Inebriauerunt) Ieronimus (Uirgo vinum fugiat pro veneno) As who sayth / a virgyn sholde hate wyne as venym.
¶Custos.
ALso ye must be a custos / a keper of all suche thynges as this daye shall be delyuered vnto you in the name of your spouse & folowe hȳ therin. For and ye kepe not all thynges in theyr beynge as he hath made theym / they sholde forthwith be destroyed / and therof Dauyd sayth (Nisi dominus custodierit ciuitatem &c̄.) So ye must kepe the tresour of your spouse Cryste perteynynge to his fayth & to haue in your remembraūce & wyll to kepe the foure thynges that shall be delyuerd vnto you this daye / your veyle & your mantell both beynge of blake & a rynge wt a lyght of waxe berynge in your honde / and in kepynge of thyse it [Page] shalbe shewed as ye loue your husbonde. This veyle and mantell remembred ryght well the virgyn saynt Agnes whan she sayd (Posuit signū in faciem meā et nullū amatorē preter eum admittā) That is to saye. He hath couerd my soule Inwarde and myn heed with a veyle / that and yf I wyll loue ony man better than hym I shall goo to the colour of my veyle and that is euerlastynge deth. In lyke wyse she shewed that her spouse Cryste Iesu had Indued her wt a garment all sette with precyous stones / that is to saye / with charyte / fayth hope / humylyte / obedyens / abstynence / & prayer / & Inbroudred all thyse fayr vertues in the blake garmente of her body and soule here knytte togyder / whiche may euery vertuous persone dayly vse and encrease to his rewarde by grace and free wyl that be gyuen vnto hym yf he wyll seke therfore. And therfore the sayd saynt Agnes songe & sayd to all virgynes (Induit me dn̄s ciclade auro detexta) (Anulū) Also I haue by the auctoryte gyuen vnto me by Cryst Iesu to delyuer vnto you this daye a rynge in token of maryage Indyssolyble to be made betwix you & hym. For as saynt Poule sayth Ye must herafter remembre no thynge but that is godly / & therfore the sayd saynt Agnes cryed with a grete voyce agaynst the deuyll & hym that tempted her to vnclenly desyres sayenge (Discite a me pabulum mortis. quia ab aliū amatore preuenta sum) [Page] And shewed vnto hym and vnto all the people with a mery voyce (Anulo suo subornauit me dominus noster Iesus cristus et tan (quam) sponsam decorauit me corona) That is to saye. All the pleasures and temptacyōs of the worlde departe from me / for our lorde Iesu Cryste with his rynge hath wedde me and hath crowned me with a crowne of euerlastynge Ioye yf I kepe truly my loue & spousage vnto hym.
¶Lumen.
ALso remembre the lyght yt ye brynge with you / that sygnefyeth Cryste Iesu. That is (Uera lux que illuminat omnem hominē venien tem in hunc mundum) Whos fayth by his chirche taught you ye must entyerly kepe & see your lyght go not out but be brennynge in your soule and in your mynde by the blessyd Incarnacōn / passyon / resurreccyon / and the moost blessyd lyf of our sauyour Cryste Iesu / and that ye falle in none erthely synne / heresye nor errours by ony mānes techynge nor dyspute not the rules of your relygyon / but wt all reuerence and obedyence that ye may do ye take theym / obeye theym / & obserue them. And whatsoeuer your abbesse or the rewlers of your relygyon commaunde you to do / byleue it is for the helth of your soule and accordynge to your relygyon / and honour and loue theym as your fader and moder ye muste be pacyent amonge your systers & suffre [Page] theym / ye muste be meke ye muste ete and drynke suche metes and drynkes as ye be cōmaūded / and whan ye haue not half slept ynough ye must ryse / ye must synge in your course and ordre with your systers / and take no hede though your voyce be not moost swettest and clere / so ye haue a swete deuocyon / ye must serue your systers and wasshe theyr feet / for Cryste Iesu to whome ye shall be spoused vnto was obedyent to his fader and suffred deth / and he god and man wasshed also the feet of his dyscyples poore fysshers.
¶Nazarena.
ALso ye must be Nazarena / that is to saye / deseuered from the worlde / as Iesus Nazarenus sayth hymself (Regnū meū non est in hoc mūdo) But though your body be here in this worlde corporally / your mynde & your soule to be with Cryste Iesu / and so take the worlde in all thynge therin and saye with Saynt Poule. The worlde is to me a payne / and I to the worlde / my Ioye is oonly in Cryste crucefyed. So syster your pleasure and conuersacyon muste oonly be in the crosse of Cryste / that is penaunce / in fastynge / prayer / and mortyfycacyon of your enemy the flesshe and let it not haue his wyll / kepe you within your monasterye and departe not therfro (.xvi.q.i. placuit. n.) For ryght as a fysshe deyeth that is without water Ryght soo a man or woman of Relygyon beynge [Page] without theyr cloyster is deed in theyr soules. Remembre the story of the bybell that Dena Iacobs doughter she wolde not kepe her within / not close as she was cōmaunded / but wolde go forth amonge yonge people and soo was corrupte and rauysshed / and therof folowed Infenyte manslaughter & murdre. Moyses beynge in monte of Relygyon he spake with god / without he spake but with man (.xxxvi.di.c. Si) A woman of Relygyon or a man beynge in theyr cloyster in prayer they speke with god / without they speke with the deuyll / & therfor an holy fader sayd / ryght as an henne yt hath egges leueth her egges shall of them neuer come chekens So shall none be good Relygyous man or woman that leueth the place of Relygyon. And as it is rad in (Vitis patrū) Ther was a monke by longe space tempted by the deuyll & he resysted hym sore / at the last he brought the monke to the dore where he sholde departe from the place of Relygyon / he made there a crosse and cryed to the deuyll / thou hast pulled me hyder / pulle me now ferder & thou canst but it shall neuer lye in thy power.
¶Uncta.
ALso remembre ye be anoynted in your Baptyme & confyrmacōn and now to be made perfyte Nazarena Crystꝭ wyf of Nazareth ye shall be sanctefyed & consecrate & so your name to be put in the grete kalender amonge the virgyns & spouses [Page] of Cryst Iesu in heuen (Iesus nazarenus was vnctus oleo leticie pre oi (bus) parti (bus) suis) And that gyuen vnto his manhode to anoynte with vertue & grace in this present lyf / & with euerlastynge Ioye his louers & seruaūtes / & therfor saynt Iohn Baptyst sayth (Nos oēs recipimꝰ grām in plenitudine eius) No thynge we haue suffycyent of our self but all cometh of his grace / & therfore yf ye wyll be anoynted with this noble oyle of mercy & grace in this present lyf & to come to be anoynted in euerlastynge Ioye. Ye must do that was cōmaūded in the gospell by the wyse maydens yt sholde be spoused vnto Cryst sayenge (Ite et emite oleū) Go & seke vnto ye may by & haue this oyle of grace / & therfor the noble lady sayd to all her gentylwȳmen as it is wryten in the boke of all songes (In odore vnguento (rum) tuo (rum) currimꝰ) That is to saye / ryght as an hoūde yt hath founde blood or percynge of a best stryken & seketh & cesseth not tyll he fynde it. So our sauyour Cryste Iesu was woūded & loste blood & percyd of his blessyd lyf in this worlde / to euery man to tast & folowe it tyll he fynde hȳ. Ye shall not syster nede to seke ferre tyll ye fynde percyd & sauour / as Dauyd sayth (Sicut ceruꝰ ad fō tes aqua (rum)) Of this swete oyntement of Cryst / for he sayth by his prophete Dauyd (Prope est dn̄s oi (bus) inuocanti (bus) eū) He is redy to euery body whan he is called vpon. Example therof. Mary magdaleyne [Page] she brought with her oyntement of deuocion & sought hym & therfore soone she foūde hym. So it is your dewte to seke Cryste Iesu to whome ye shall wedde nother at Nazareth Bedleem nor Ierusalem / but ye shall fynde hym here within your owne chirche the same god and man Cryste Iesu and for your very loue & contemplacyon go to an awter within your chirche / or to an ymage of our lady where Gabryell saluted her. Remembre the mercy & the loue that the fader of heuen bare to all mankynde sente his angell to a yonge mayde. and of her clene blood of virgynyte god and man was Ioyned togyder. Than go to an other awter or place that sheweth the Natyuyte of Cryst / and how that he lyeth in grete pouerte in haye & betwix two bestes & had no comforte but this yonge mayde his moder to be fedde of her brest. And soo for to go to other places within your chirche for your deuocōn & remembraūce of his passyon. And specyally one / twyes / or thryes of the daye that ye seke hym in your mynde deuoutely at the moūt of Caluarye. That is that ye shall knele befor the crucyfixe where his ymage is made remembrynge how he god & man that neuer had offended but tooke mannes nature here for the grete loue & redempcyon therof & put vnto so paynfull and shamefull deth in the myddes of the worlde his mod (er) beynge present / his hondes & his feet nayled vnto the tree. [Page] his herte stryken thrugh / and yet in all this payne his charyte was so moche that he prayed vnto his fader of heuen to forgyue all them yt so vyolently & so wrongfully put hym to deth / and desyred of his fader that all mankynde sholde be forgyuen of theyr trespaces / for the offence of our fyrst formed fader Adam & the gates of heuen to be opened to all them that wolde byleue in hym. And in lyke wyse to remembre some deuoute place of his Resurreccyon & blessyd Ascensyon / & how he shall come to make an ende of this present worlde & deme it. (Per ignē) And calle you & all mankynde to accompte of theyr demeaūce concernynge his fayth. & of you how ye haue kepte your spousage & promyse made vnto hym. And yf ye syster wel & Iustely & truly obserue your name that ye shall be called by after your husbonde / as Nazarena / that is to saye (virgulti) fayre braūches full of fruytes of vertue in your Relygyon & floures of virgynyte & keper of cōmaūdementes of your spouse / despysynge pleasures & pompe of the worlde / leuynge it vnto the folysshe maydens of the worlde / & anoynte your soule by holy lyuynge / & so be (Sancta) as Cryst is (Sanctus) & consecrate your soule to almyghty god / sayenge vnto hym wt the holy mayde & martyr saynt Agnes and saynt Awdry (Nichil in terris desidero preter te) I desyre nothynge in this present lyf but the Iesu to be my keper & [Page] defender / & to haue the pryncypally in my mynde & thought / and than doubte ye no thynge systers / but it shall be sayd vnto you & euerychone of you. (Unguentū effusū nomen tuū ideo adolescentile dilexerunt te nimis) The angels of heuen beynge thyse fayr yonge maydens & gentylwȳmen. For ye bere the name of Nazareth that is theyr maker & lorde wyll make Infenyte myrthe & defende & kepe your persone & not departe from tyll they synge this songe moost blessyd that may be sayd vnto you (Ueni sponsa xp̄i accipe coronā quā tibi p̄parauit ineternū) That is to saye come mayde Nezarene Crystis spouse to present & receyue for thy rewarde the specyall crowne of glory called (Auriola) that I wyll not gyue nor rewarde with / but my specyall louers martyrs virgyns & prechers / & that ye may so do here yt ye may receyue this noble crowne I beseche almyghty god for his grete mercy Amen.