The festyuall

¶In die Epyphanie.

[illustration]

GOod frendes this daye is cal¦led the .xii. daye / but it is the .xiii. daye of Crystis byrth the whiche daye holy chirche cal∣led it (Epyphania dn̄i) That is to saye / y^e shewynge of our lorde Ihū cryst very god and man for this daye he was shewed very god & man / by thre of frynges / by his crystenȳge / & also by tor¦nynge of y^e water in to wyne. The .xiii. daye of his byrth by offrynge of the thre kynges. And that same daye .xxx. wynter and .xiii. dayes af¦ter his byrth he was crystned in the water of flom Iordan. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that same daye .xii. moneth he torned water in to wy∣•••• at the weddynge at Cana galylee. But the fest maketh mouit mynde and mencyon of the thre kynges offrēge and therfore lete vs folowen the fourme of holy chirche and ye

shall here how it felle of her offrȳge to our lorde Ihesu cryst very god & man. Thyse thre kynges were of the lygnage y^t prophecyed how a sterre sholde shyue of Iacob / but they we¦re noo Iewes kynde / but they had herde by {pro}phecye of this wherfore they had grete desyre & lust to see it / and so often∣tymes whā they myght came togyder vpō certayne hyghe hylles thenne they wolde dyspute amonge theȳ of this ster∣re So it happed vpon Crystmasse nyght the same tyme as our lord was borne / they were togyder and were dysputyn¦ge of this sterre (Super montem) Vpon the hylle (Dūs e∣nim erat natus) Our lorde was born (Et apparuit illis) And appyered to thē in the sterre as a fayre childe / and vn∣der his heed a bryght crosse of golde / and sayd thus to them Go ye anone in all the hast y^e ye may in to y^e londe of Iury & take with you golde myrre and ensence / and offre thyse thre thynges to hym that ye shall fynde there now borne kyng of Iewes very god & man / and I shall be your gyde and lede you to the waye Thenne anone for grete hast they toke bestes that ben called dromedaryes / that ben of suche ky••¦de / they be soo swyfte y^t they wyll renne ferder in one daye / than ony other best wyll renne or goo in thre dayes. And so they came to Iherusalem / that was the chyef cyte of all Iu∣ry hopynge that they sholde here there some tydynges whe¦re that this childe was borne. But as soone as they torned in to y^e Cyte of Ihrlm▪ then they lost y^e syght of y^e sterre that ladde thē euer y^e waye tyll y^t they came thyder bryghter than y^e sōne. Then whan they came to y^e cyte of Iherusalē / they tode to kyng Herode / for he was there the same tyme and sayd to hym (Vbi est qui natus est rex iudeorum) Where is he that is borne kyng of Iewes (Vidimus enim stella•• eius in oriente) We sawe his sterre in the East (Venimus adorare eum) We become to worshyp hym. Thenne kyng Herode was troubled and all the Cyte with hym / but more

for flaterynge of hym thenne for ony loue that they hadde to hym / Thenne kyng Hetode asked his clerkis where that this childe sholde be born And they sayd / in Bethleem Iu¦de. Thenne kyng Herode asked the kynges pryuely of the sterre / and badde them go in Bethleem & worshyp the chyl¦de and come ayen by hym / and telle hym where he myght fynde the childe / that he myght go and worshyp hym. And thenne the thre kynges of Coleyne were passed frome kyn¦ge herode goȳge towarde Bethleem / anone y^e sterre appye∣red to theym and whan they sawe that the sterre was come ayen they were glad in theyr hertes. And as it is in many places paynted / the kyng that is it in the myddell for grete Ioye of the sterre / he loked bacwarde to his felowe behyn∣de hym / and with his fynger shewed hym the sterre / and y^t is the cause that the myddel kyng loked bacwarde. And th{us} the sterre brought theym to Bethleem. And whan the ster∣re came ouer that hous there as our lorde was in it stode stylle. And thenne the kynges lyghred downe and wente ••n to that hous and with all the reuerence that they coude ••••elynge downe and offred eche of theym thyse thre thyn∣ges (Aurum thus et myrram) Golde ensence and myrre / knowlechynge by the golde / that he was kyng of all kyn∣ges. And by the ensence / that he was very god. And by the myrre / that he was very man / and sholde be deed and lay∣de in graue without rottynge. For as golde is chyef of all metalles. Ensence is brente in holy chirche in the worshyp of god. Myrre is an oynement that kepeth the bodyes from rotrynge Thus whan the kynges had done theyr offrynge by techynge of the angell (Per aliam viam reuersi sunt in regionem suam) By an other waye they wente towarde theyr owne londes and left kyng Herode / and the sterre vanysshed awaye from them. Then as saynt Bernarde sa∣yeth Ioseph kepte of this golde as moche as hȳ neded to his

trybute that he sholde paye to the Emperour / and also mo∣re to kepe our lady with whyle she lay in childe bedde / and the remenaunt he deled to poore people suche as had grete nede therto. The encence he brente to put awaye the sten∣che of the stable there as she laye in And with the myrre our lady anoynted her childe to kepe hym from wormes and dysease. But what befel of the kynges after I fynde no thynge in certayne. But some people haue an opynyon how that saynt Thomas of Ynde crystened theym whan he came in to that countree of ynde. And thenne as the ster∣re lyghtned theym to Crystys byrth. so the holy ghost lyght¦ned theym in theyr soules / and taught theym the parfyght waye of the byleue. and also of parfyght and gracyous ly∣uynge. In so moche that they lefte all theyr kyngdome and wente forth on pylgremage. that is to saye to Iherusalem and to many other places. And so they came forth to Myl∣layne / and there they deyed all thre. And so after they were translated to Coleyne / and there they be yet. Now so haue ye herde by thyse thre kynges how our lorde Ihesu cryst was this daye shewed very god and man / wherfore lyke they offred with deuocyon. so sholde ye do your offrynges whan ye come to holy chirche / knelynge downe with all the reuerence that ye can or may not on your one knee as to a temporall lorde / but on bothe your knees and doo worshyp hym with good prayers. Thenne offre ye precyous golde / for there is no golde soo precyous as is the good deuote pra¦er / and thenne holde vp your hondes to hym with all the re¦uerence that ye can / and with a deuoute herte praye to hym and shewe hym all the loue of your hertes. And thenne ye offre to hym ensence. For there is no ensence sauoureth so swete and gyueth so encensyall an odoure brennynge in the (feyre as

dooth good prayers that is sayde with a brennynge loue in clene charyte. And yf thou do thus thenne thou offrest kne∣lynge on thy knees / make a crosse on the erthe and kysse it / and thynke well that thou arte but erthe. Thenne must ye offre myrre. For ryght as myrre kepeth a body from rotyn¦ge / so the mynde of dethe kepeth a mannes soule from deed¦ly synne. In this wyse do ye your offrynge / and then̄e shall ye haue as moche mede as hadde thyse thre kynges. Also he was shewed bothe god and man at his crystenynge. For he came to the water of Flome Iordane he went to the water and halowed it. For ryght as he was cyrcumcysed to confer¦me y^e newe lawe / for no nede that he had therto / for he was clene without synne / but for to make the sacrament y^t shold wasshe theym / toke crystenyng in his name fro all synnes. Thenne was Iohan baptyste redy and moche people with hym that came to the crystnynge. Thenne sayd Iohan too our lorde all quakynge & tremblynge / blyssed lorde thou art goddes lambe without synne / thou hast no nede to be cryst∣ned of me / but I that am a man goten and borne in synne / hath nede to come and be crystned of the in remyssyon of al synnes. Thenne sayd our lorde Ihesu. Iohan suffre at this tyme. For thus we must fulfyll al ryghtwysnes. And Iohn̄ crystned our lorde Ihesu cryst. And as it is credyble / our la¦dy was crystned after with other dyscyples of Cryst / all the people that were comen thyder. Then whan all were cryst¦ned / our lorde went out of the water / and as he wente oure of the brynke of the water & all the people with hym. Aper¦ti sunt celi). Heuen opened and a grete lyght beclypped hȳ in syght of all the people. The holy goost came downe in ly∣kenes of a whyte douue / and lyghte vpon oure lordes heed. And the fader of heuen spake and sayd thus in herynge of all the people. Hic est filius meus dilect{us} in quo michi bene complacui). This is my well beloued sone the whiche plea∣seth

me. This was to teche all crysten people the fayth of y^e beleue of holy chyrche. For all crysten people be bounde too beleue stedfastly in the fader & the sone / and the holy goost. In baptismo xp̄i tota trinitas se manifestauit. scilicʐ pater in voce: filius in carne. spūssanctus in colūba et totum celū apertum est). In crystes baptysme all the hole trynyte was shewed. For the fader spake in voyce whan he sayd. Hic est filius me{us} dilectus). This is my well beloued sone / & was there bodely whan Iohan baptyst sayd. Ecce agnus dei). And the holy goost was seen. Sicut columba). As a whyte douue. These ben thre persones in one godheed / for the fa∣der spake aboue / & the sone was there bodely / and the holy goost in lykenes of a douue. Ye shall beleue that these thre persones be but one god in trynyte / this beleue ye shall kno¦we on the water brȳke / that is in your crystnynge at y^e fon¦te. Wherfore he that beleueth thus / and dooth werkes of be¦leue shall be saued. Qui crediderit et baptisat{us} fuerit salu{us} erit). He that beleueth and is baptysed shall be saued & folo¦weth the werkes of beleue. Qui vero nō crediderit condēp nabitur). And he that belyueth not and dooth not the wer∣kes of beleue shall be dampned. The werkes of beleue ben mekenes and charyte / for without these two no man may be saued. And he that hath these two is wryten in the gene∣logy of our lorde Ihesu cryst. the whiche is redde in Cryst∣mas / that begynneth aboue with Abraham / and so cometh downewardes to Ioseph and to oure lady / in shewynge y^t he that is moost mekest in herte is moost next our lorde Ie¦su cryst. And suche he auaūceth in euerlastynge blysse. And therfore the genelogy this nyght begynneth at Ihesu cryst and gooth vpwardes to Abraham and soo to god. Also he shewed verey god in trynyte whan he tourned water in to wyne at the weddynge. It happened so y^t the people lacked wyne whyles they were at the meete. Thenne badde oure

lorde that they sholde take .vi. stones or pottes y^t were emp∣ty & bad fyll them with water / & they dyde soo. Thenne our lorde blyssed them & badde that they sholde bere them to hȳ y^t began the table / & lete hym begyn / & then he began / and sayd that it was the best wyne that euer he dranke. Thus our lorde shewed hymselfe bothe god and man / god y^t he tor¦ned water in to wyne / & man that he ete and dranke w^t thē This myracle he shewed at the weddynge / in tokenynge y^t he blysseth all weddynges that be done after the lawe of ho¦ly chyrche. And therfore kepe your wedlocke / and be in full faythe and beleue of holy chyrche as holy chyrche techeth / & so ye shall come to endles blysse. Amen.