Certaine sermons of Sainte Augustines translated out of Latyn, into Englishe, by Thomas Paynell.

* 1.1¶Why the feastes of sain¦tes, are celebrated, & with what priueleges the Sondaye aboue all other is ho∣nored 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Ser. (Book 1)

YE muste vn∣derstand and knowe, my dereli belouid brethren, that for this cause our holye fathers appointed, and commaūded all christen men vpon the solempe festes of Sayntes, and specyallye vpon the Sonnedayes, to be at reste, and voyde, from all earthly besynesses: to thintēt they myght be the redier, and more prompte to serue and

honour God, hauing no im∣pedimēt or let to withdrawe them frō the same, and that for that tyme, they shoulde leue and auoide al earthly so∣licitude and care, that y^t more easely they might intēd to do the wyl of god. And therfore our Lorde saythe by his pro∣phete, be at rest, and beholde for I am the lorde. But they which are let tid with diuers cares and businesses, do dys∣pyse thys sentence, nor wyll not gyue them selues to god∣lye contemplacyon: and I feare me that at domes day, whē they shall knocke at our Lordes dore, and desyre it to be openyd vnto them, he shal answere, Uerely I saye vnto * 1.2 you, I knowe you not, anoid from me ye workers of Ini∣quitie.

And they that nowe neglecte to seke for god▪ shall then be refus••d. And therfore my brethren let it not be mo∣lestyus nor greue you, vpon the sondayes, and the naty∣uities of Saintes, to honour God. For the Apostyles and men Apostolicall dyd there∣fore apoynte the Sondaye to be religiouslye obseruyd, * 1.3 because our redemer as vp∣on that daye, dyd ryse from deathe to lyfe, the whiche is therefore called the Sonday or the daye of our lorde, that absteining as vpon that day from earthelye workes, and worldelye inticementes, we may onely serue and honour God, geuyng vnto this daye for the hope of oureresurrec∣tion, the whiche we haue in it, all honoure and reuerence

for as our lorde Jesus Chryst and Sauioure hath rysyn from death▪ soo we doo hope that at the latter day we shal ryse. It aperyth lyke wyse in holy scrypture, that thys day is solempne. For it is the fyrst day of the worlde. For vpon this day the elementes of the * 1.4 world were formid & made, and in it the Aungells were ••••••atyd, and the selfe same * 1.5 day▪ Chryst rose from deathe, and in it the holye spiryte of God, dyscended from hea∣uen * 1.6 vpon the dyscypies, and euen vpon thys day, manna was geuyn from heauen in wildernes, with these docu∣ments & such other tokens, y^t Sonday is verye excellente and noble, and therefore the holy doctours of the churche

haue decrede, that all the glo¦ry of the Jewes sabote, shuld be translate into the Sōday that we in veritie and truth, may celebrate that they cele∣bratyd in figure: for then shal be our true rest, when the re∣surrection shalbe fully endyd and our remuneration and rewarde bothe in bodye and soule made perfytte. Let vs therefore obserue the Son∣daye my brethren, and sancti¦fye it, as it was commaun∣ded to our elders of y^e sabbot day, the geuer and maker of the lawe sayinge vnto them. From the euyntyde vntyll y^• * 1.7 nyxte euyn, ye shall celebrate your Sabbotes. Let vs ther∣fore take hede, that our reste be not in vayne, but that we from Saterday at euyn vn∣tyll

Sonday at euyn, beyng sequestrated frō all rusticail and other busynesses, geue our selues oneli to the seruice and honour of God, for so do¦inge we do iustly sanctify the Sabbot day of our lorde, sa∣yng. He shall doo no maner * 1.8 of worke vpon the Sabbote daye. Therfore let euery mā yf it be possyble come vnto Euynsonge, and Mattyns, and praye there in the assem∣ble and congregation of the church vnto god for hys sin∣nes, And yf he cannot so do, lette him praye at home, not neglectynge to pay his vow vnto GOD, and to render the taske or pensy••n of hys seruice. Lette no man vpon the Sondaye seperate hym¦selfe from the holy celebrati∣on

of masses, nor no man all other commyng to the chur∣che, shall tarye ydle at home: nor occupye him selfe in hun∣tinge, nor giue him selfe to de ue••••she occupatiōs and wor∣kes, wandringe aboute the teldes and wods: laughing and halowing, neuer sorow∣ing nor praying from the bo∣tome of his harte vnto God, yea and yet further, the whi∣the thinge is most detestable. Some there be that coming do not entre into the church, they ge•••• not them selues to prayer, they tary not in silēce the holy celebratiō of masses, but when the holy lessous ar a readyng within, they with oute are pleadyng theyr ma∣ters, or study to defend them selfes, with diuers false accu∣sations

or els they giue them selfes to dyce, or to other vn∣profitable pastimes & sports. Some times truelye (which is worse) they are so kyndlyd and chafyd with excessiue an¦ger, that they braule most bit terlye, and runne vpon eche other with swords & gleues, and oftē times commit mur∣der. And this principallye is done by those, the which be∣yng full of enuy, and hatred, the Deuyll beyng their gide, go vnto the Churche, not to helpe thē selues, but to hurte other. And yf such mē be mur¦dered there, or preuentyd by soden deth, whether go they else but with hym into eter∣nal torment, whose fotesteps they ensude and folowed. O

my brethren doo not these thinges, do not deceaue your selues, gyue no place to the Deuyl, in youre assebles, but rather prepare & make your selues, a dwellynge place for Chryste, Therefore gyue not your selfs without to fables, but within the Churche to psalmodi and prayers, braul not one with a nother in the churche but be quiet. There are many, and specially wo∣men, the which do so chatter, and in such wyse do braule in the churche that they nether here the diuine lessons them sefes, neyther suffer other to heare them. Shuld there be such meting with such an or∣der in gods house? or is it de∣cent or comelye so to assyste and stand in the sight of god,

and of his holy angells? And yet I wyl further complaine me with you, y^• which thinge is generallye to be seruid and morenyd. For why there are certayne, and specyallye the greate estates of thys world, the whyche commynge vnto the churche, are not deuoute and readye to laude & prayse God, but to constrayne the preste to abreuiat hys masse, and to synge as it shal please them: nor it is not lewefull for hym thrughe theyr gloto∣nye and couitusnes to folowe the ecclesiasticall fashyon & maner: soo that one lytle mo¦ment of the daye, shoulde be deputed and suffyse to the seruice of God, and the reste of the daye and the nyght to

theyr voluptuousnes plesurs. Do not these things my wel belouid brethren nor consent not to those that soo doo. For they peryshe not onelye that doo these thinges, but they al¦so that consente vnto the do∣ers of the same. Therfore be∣ware before all thing, that ye nether pleade nor iudge no maters vpon the festiual and holye dayes: but at other tymes and with iustice. And that ye through receuing and takynge of gyftes, subuerte not iust indgement, for accor¦dyng to y^• sentence and mynd * 1.9 of our lord, with what iudg∣ment ye iudge other, ye shal∣be iudged. Let no man drink hym selfe dronken, for a dron∣kerd is most like vnto a mad man. drynke so among men,

that ye blurre not youre na∣mes oute of heauen. There are many (the which thing is very euyl) that not onely ine∣briate and mystemper them selues, but also compell and adiure other, to drynke more then is expediente, where of there ariseth very oftē amōg them braulyng and murder. Do ye not waye my brethrē, whose wyll and mynde these men doo ensue and folowe? Drunkerds, saith the apostle * 1.10 and murderers shall not pos∣sesse the kingdome of GOD. I beseche you miwelbeloued fathers, mothers, brethren & systers, in the name of oure Lorde Jesus Chryst, and by hys kyngdome and iudgmēt that is to come, that ye wyth drawe youre selues from all

mē that walke & liue inordi¦nately, and that ye walke worthely in the vocation ye are called vnto, nor that ye neglecte not youre honoure, nor lytle esteme your redemp¦tion which is in Jesu Christ. Year called the sōnes of god because the verye sonne of god deliuered you, giue your stodye and dyligence wyth good manersto please so gret a parent, that he deliuer you not as most wicked seruants to perpetuall payne: but lede and conducte you as most de rest chyldren vnto the super∣nall cuntrye, to be the heires of Jesu christ his sonne, with whome he lyueth and & reig¦neth god in the vnitie of the holy goste, worlde withoute ••n••e.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈◊〉〈◊〉, 252▪
• * 1.2

  Luce, 13
• * 1.3

  Mat. 28
• * 1.4

  〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪
• * 1.5

  Mat, 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.6

  〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.7

  Leui, 23
• * 1.8

  Exo, 20▪
• * 1.9

  Mat. 7,
• * 1.10

  1, Cori, 9