CUL/Add 5338
NAME
Additional 5338.
DESCRIPTION
Paper; i + 102 + i; 214 x 145; fifteenth century (first half).
CONTENTS
ff. [1r]–67r: Set of Wycliffite-derived sermons on the Sunday gospels after Trinity, beginning very imperfectly with large portions of ff. 2–27 being missing (f. 1 is absent and ff. 2–8 are mere fragments, with the first heading, for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity, visible on f. 9r), and ending with the Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity; ff. 67v–102v: Set of twelve sermons on the Sunday Gospels from the First Sunday in Advent to the Fifth Sunday after the Octave of Epiphany.
PARALLEL TRADITIONS
For the Wycliffite-derived sermons, which also occur in Cam/StJo/G.22, ff. 1r–78v, and Dub/Trinity/241, see Dub/Trinity/241. The set of Sunday Gospel sermons are also found in Lond/Lamb/392, ff. 148r–218v. The Lambeth copy begins imperfectly owing to missing folios one third of the way through the sermon for the Third Sunday in Advent and finishes with Easter Day, making an original total of twenty-three sermons. See Lond/Lamb/392.
COMMENTS
The sermons on ff. 67v–102v are localised in Cambridgeshire in LALME:I, 66.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Evans 1986:I, 35–47.
Sermon Description: CUL/Add 5338/001
OCCASION
First Sunday in Advent.
HEADING/TITLE
Aduentus domini primo.
THEME
Ecce rex tuus uenit [Mt 21:5].
LENGTH
67v–70r.
INCIPIT
This goospel telli3th žat wan Ihesus was comyn into Ierusalem a3en the tyme žat he schuld suffre deth for mankynde, and hadde [comyn] to Bethfage, to že Mownte of Oliuete, then he sente hys to dissiplis seyng, 'Wende 3e into the castel žat is a3ens 3ow', žat was to Ierusalem, a wallyd town, žat was a3ens holy cherche. And also smartly he seyde, '3e schull fynde an asse bowndyn, and a foole with here. Vnbynde 3e hym, and bryng 3e hym to me. And 3yf ony sey ow3t to 3ow, sey žat že lord hath don of hem, and also he schal leuyn hym.'
EXPLICIT
For the he was bore and pore becom for the; hungyr and thurst he suffrede for the, and with scowrgis was betyn. He was for že wowndyd, crucyfyid and deede. He grawnte vs grace to be redy a3ens hys dredful comyng to mete with hym as hys spowse, al clothyd in virtuys, and with hym for to entere into blys of heuene. Amen.
SUMMARY
[The gospel of Mt 21:1–9, Christ's entry into Jerusalem, is given in English, followed by the repetition of the theme.] The words of the theme are sufficient for preaching without any 'frere fablys or tales'. First one must know who this king is and what his name is. He is Christ and his name is Jesus, which means 'saviour of the world'. All earthly kings are inferior to him. [68r] Christ is called 'legifer', ('the lawgiver'), because he gave a new law, the law of the gospel, which has many enemies nowadays. Antichrist and his clerks prefer to rule the Church with another more lucrative law. This law may be compared to a bramble bush, which allows 'venimows wormys' to slide through but catches sheep. God's law will judge everyone; it is undefiled, precious and glorious, and teaches people to be humble, to love their enemies, to avoid unlawful sights, and to do no evil to others. [68v]
Christ is called a king because he rules humankind. There are five conditions which every good king should have and all Christians should be kings of themselves and possess them: righteousness, wisdom, power, mildness, and humility; Christ possessed them all. (1) Christ is righteousness, as the prophets prove; he leaves nothing unpunished. Thus one ought to be righteous and punish oneself here in order to avoid eternal punishment. [69r] (2) Christ was wise, reconciling humankind with the father. Nobody shall beguile him at the day of judgement. (3) Christ was mighty and strong; nobody can withstand his power. Thus one ought to fear him and, because of this fear, to avoid sin. [69v] (4) This king was and is mild in the way he calls the sinful to penance, in hearing the cry of those doing penance, and in his sweet answer. (5) Christ was also humble in conversation. The lesson he teaches is good and ought to be learnt. [70r]
The gospel says that Christ's coming is to be announced to the daughters of Sion, that is every faithful soul. For each soul he was born, he suffered and died.
BIBLICAL CITATIONS
Mt 21:1–9 (L); Lc 1:31; Apc 19:16; Is 33:22; Ps 18:8; Mt 18:3; Mt 5:28; Mt 7:12 et al.; Ps 22:1; Sir 35:15; Ps 7:12; Ps 10:8; Act 10:34; Is 11:4; Ier 23:5; Ecl 12:14; Sap 12:15; Sap 5:16; Ps 146:5; Col 2:3; III Rg 3:12; Ecl 9:15; Is 7:15; Prv 3:13; Ex 15:3; Is 9:6; Est 3:9; Iob 9:4; Mt 10:28; Lc 24:19; I Mcc 3:58; Iob 36:5; Ioel 2:13; Dn 13:42; Ps 68:34; Io 18:4-5; Prv 15:1; Ps 36:11; Mt 11:29; Ct 3:11; Zach 9:9.
PROPER NAMES
David; Solomon; Mordecai (Est); St Matthew; St Mary Magdalene; Judas Iscariot.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Evans 1986:I, 134–41; II, 2–25.
