Diues [et] pauper

Caplm .xvi.

DIues. Why worshyp we god and praye to hym more in the eest than in to the weste / southe / and northe. ¶Pauper. Eest and Weste Southe and Northe / and ouer all it is lewfull and medefull to worshyp god as hym y^t is ouer all lor¦de of all thynge. But for to drawe crysten people to one maner doyng / & to flee dyfformyte. Therfor holy chir¦che hath ordeyned y^t men sholde in chir¦che & other places yf it may be well¦done / worshyp god praye hym & pray¦se hym in the Eest / as the lawe she∣weth well. Distinct xi. ecclesiastica{rum}. And that for dyuerse causes. Fyrst for Cryste deyed vpon the crosse in to the weste / & therfor in our prayer we shol¦de tourne vs in to the eest to see how Cryste for vs henge vpon y^• tree / & for

to haue an eye to his passyon / & wor∣shyp hym that deyed for vs all vpon the tree. Also to lette the people to sue the Iewes in maner of worshyppyng For atte goddes ordenaūce they wor∣shyped westwarde in token that theyr lawe & theyr maner worshyppynge in theyr cerymonyes sholde soone pas¦se and go downe & make an ende as the daye endeth & passeth awaye in to the weste. And also in token that for ony worshypp or praysynge or for prayer that they dyde / yet they sholde go downe to helle / tyll the newe lawe came whan Cryste deyed for vs alle. And for the same reason Cryst deyed westwarde / and in his deyeng sayd. Consūmatum est. That is to saye. It is ended. For in his deth the olde tes∣tamente ended & wente downe as the sonne / and the daye gooth downe in the weste. And therfore we crysten peo¦ple worshyp in to the eest / by techyng of the holy ghoost / in token that our lawe shall sprynge and sprede as the daye comynge as the sonne ryseth & spryngeth out of the cest / and as all the sterres ben moost bryghtest in the eest / and whan they go in to the weste all they begynne to waxe dymme & derke / so was the olde lawe full dym me and full derke. But the newe la∣we is open bryght and clere. Also we worshyp Cryste moost in the eest / for he was moost despysed in the Eest / whan he on a good frydaye henge on the crosse tourned in to y^• weste / whan the Iewes stode byfore hym & passed byfore hym with many scornes & de∣spytouse wordes / with mowes / & ma∣ny a Iape they sayd. Vach q^• destruis templum dei. Tprut for the that de∣stroyed goddes Temple. And for he was moost despysed in the eest of the Iewes and hethen people. Therfore crysten people worshyppe hym moost agayne in to the eest. And for he was moost despysed for vs on y^• good fry∣daye / therfore we worshyp hȳ moost on the good frydaye. And in this ma¦ner as moche as we may / we tourne all his despyte in to worshyp of hym Also we worshyp god in y^• eest in tokē y^t righ as the sonne ryseth vp in y^• eest so we byleue that Cryst rose vp from deth to lyfe / and in that we worshyp hym as hym that rose from deth to lyfe / & shall lyue without ende. Also in token that we longe to come ayen to the blysse of paradyse y^t we loste in the eest / & praye god y^t we may with his mercy come ayen therto ¶Diues These reasons ben good. But why were than the .xxv. men blamed of god / for they worshyped eestwarde at the rysyng of the sonne / as we fynde Ezechiel .viij. ¶Pauper. Not for y^t they worshypped god eestwarde. For Danyell & many other worshypped god eestwarde / west / south / & north / as he is worthy for to be worshyped ouer all. A solis ortu vs{que} ad occasum lau¦dabile nomē dn̄i. From the sonne vp rysyng vnto y^e goyng downe goddes name is praysable & worshyfull. But they were blamed for they worshyp∣ped the sonne in his rysyng / & dyde dy¦uyne worshyppe therto in despyte of goddes Temple & of goddes lawe as many fooles yet do now a dayes wor¦shyppynge

the sonne in his rysynge / & y^• newe mone in his fyrst shewyng ¶Diues. They worshyp hym y^t ma∣de the sonne & the mone. ¶Pauper. Yf they do so they do well / but I dre∣de they do not all so. And as sayth a grete clerke Leo the pope in a sermon for asmoche as it hath a lykenesse of ydolatrye & custome of hethen people men sholde absteyne theym therfro. For the people is ful moche enclyned to folye & to ydolatrye.