A Whitsunday Sermon of Friar Brackley

NUMBER XCVIII.

^* An ancient Whitsunday Sermon, preached by Frier Brackley
(whose Hand it is) at the Friers Minors Church, in Norwich.

FRENDS this holy tyme as owr mod’ holy chirch maketh
     mension the holy gost came from hevyn and lighted in
the disciples of Crist inflamyng them w^t co’nyng and strenghyng
them w^t g’ce and be cause the doctrine and p’chyng of them
shuld go thurghought all the werd furst thei wer to be enformed
and taught co’ny’g and to be strenth w^t awdacide and g’ce and
than to be endewed and yovyn all man’ of langags y^t thei myght
p’chyn to all man’ of nac’ones So that tho nac’ones y^t thei
p’ched to myght und’stond them and ev’y nac’ones his owyn
tonge and so thees Appostilles aff’ that thei wern enspired w^t
the holy gost wher So ev’ thei p’ched wer y’ nev’ so many nac’o’es
p’sent ich nac’on thought y^t thei spokyn in ther owyn langage
etn. ill’d loq^obant’ varijs līguis ap’li Frends iij thyngs be ne-
cessary in p’chy’g to hym y^t shall p’chyn thurgh y^e werd as the
Appostell dede y^t is to sey co’nyng boldnesse and langags if thei
had had co’nyg and no’ audacite but have fered to have p’ched
it shuld litill a p’fited as we have examplles dayly at Cambrige
ex’ de cli’co q^s studuit sermonem &c.? And if thei have bothyn
co’nyng and audacite and have no’ eloquensye ner copio^snesse of
langage so y^t he p’che y^t his Audiens is most excercised in y^t thei
may und’stand hym ell’ it p’fiteth not y’for thes holy Appostill
be for thei shuld p’chyn furst y^ei wer to be c’f’med and strenghed
o^r lord strenghed them be und’ nemyng enf myg and helpyng
culpando ut i’ ev’ngel’ recu’bentibz &c. he strenghed them w^t
his help and g’ce whan he brethed i’ them seyng Accipite sp’m
sc’m & q^or’ rēns’it’s p’cc’a rem^ttn’t’ eis & q^or’ retnts retenta sūt
&c. he strenghed them Also be his doctrine whan he seid petite
& accipietis si q’d petierit’s pre’z in noi’e meo dab^t vob how
y^t ye shuld p’yn to god and askyn j taught you on estern day
y’for ye shall p’y to god be good werkyng right full leby’ing
and in good deds p’sev’yng Frends ye owe for to Ask of god
y^t yo’ joy may ben a full joy and p’fight we may nev’ have a
full joy in this werd wher as ev’ among folwyth hevynesse A
man joyth sūtyme in gold and sylv’ and in gret substaunce of
erdly gods in bewte of women but y^is joy is not p’fyght but y^is
ioy is not stabill but it is mutabill as a shadow for he y^t y^is ioyth
in the bewte of his wyffe it may fortune to morwyn he shall
folwyn her to chirch up on a bere but if ye wull knowyn what
is a full and a wery joy truly forgevenesse of synne and ev’lestyng
blisse wher as is nev’ sikenesse hung’ ner thurst ner no man’ of
disseas but all welth joy and p’sp’ite &c. Ther be iij ma’ of
joys y’ on void a noy’ half full y’ thred is a full joy the furst is
plente of werdly gods y^e ij^de is gostly g’ce the iij^de is ev’lestyng
blisse The furst joy y^t is affluens of temp’all gods is called a
veyn joy for if a man wer set at a bord w^t delicate mets and
drynks and he sey a Cawdron boylly’g a forn hym w^t pykke and
bronstan in the which he shuld be throwyn naked As sone as he
had dyned for he shuld joy mych in his delic’ose mets it shuld be
but a veyn joy right so doth y^e joy of a covetouse man if he sey
what peyn his sowle shuld suffre in helle for y^e myskepyn and
getyn of his good he shuld not joy in his treso’ ut in libro deca-
logor’ quida’ ho’ dives &c. Semiplenu’ gaudiu’ est qu’ q’s in
p’senti gaudz & tu’c cogitans de futur’s dolet ut i’ q^od’m libro
greco quida’ rex grecie &c. her ye may se but half a ioy how
shuld ioy in this werd if he remembred hym of the peynes of
the tod’ werd No’ gl’ie’t’ fortes in fortitudi’e sua nec sapiens in
sapi’a sua nec dives i’ divitijs suis de q’bz di^r. q’ c’fidu’t in multi-
tudi’e divicijar’ suar’ q’i oves i’ inferno positi su’t. Qui gl’iat’
in d’no gl’ieti’

y^rfor lete us joy in hope of ev^rleft[SYM]g joy and blis
Gaudete q’ noīa vra sc’pta sūt in celo ut gaudiū vrū fit plenū
a full joy is in hevyn

Et in hoc app^ret q^d magnū gaudiū est ī celo qū ibi ē gaudiū. q^d
occ’ls nō vid^t ñ auris audi^t & in cor hoīs nō ascend^t q’ De³ pp^ravit
dilegentibz & id’ fr’es variis līguis loquens ut gaudiū v’rūm sit
plenū v. h’eatis gaudiū sempīt^r.

            6 ½ by 12.

           Paper Mark
          Wheels, &c.
          Pl. XXII. N^o 10.

     We have in this Sermon of Dr. Brackley, a curious specimen of pulpit eloquence and
divinity in the reign of Henry VI. commemorating the descent of the Holy Ghost upon
the Apostles, &c. under the visible appearance of fiery tongues.

     We are next informed of the three requisites for a Preacher of the Gospel, and of
the divine assistance which the Apostles received, to enable them to preach with effect.

     He then sets before his audience the vanity of earthly joys and the immensity of
heavenly ones, both by precept and example.

 His texts are chosen with propriety, and his examples, as adduced, have their effect.

     There are in two or three places a few quotations which, from the smallness of the
hand, and the badness of the writing, I have been obliged to give up as illegible.

     As the exact year in which this sermon was preached cannot be ascertained, I have
placed it to follow the last Letter, written by the Author of it.

     ^* This is written on the back of the paper containing the Original Sermon.

NUMBER XCVIII.

^* An ancient Whitsunday Sermon, preached by Friar Brackley
(whose Hand it is) at the Friers Minors Church in Norwich.

FRIENDS this Holy time as our mother holy church maketh
     mention the Holy Ghost came from Heaven, and
lighted in the Disciples of Christ, inflaming them with cunning
and strengthening them with grace. And because the doctrine
and preaching of them should go throughout all the werd (world);
first they were to be informed and taught cunning (skill or know-
ledge,) and to be strengthened with audacity (confidence) and grace,
and then to be endowed (with) and given all manner of lan-
guages, that they might preach to all manner of nations, so that
those nations, that they preached to, might understand them,
and every nation his own tongue. And so these Apostles after
that they were inspired with the Holy Ghost, wheresoever they
preached, were there never so many nations present, each nation
thought that they spoke in their own language, etenim illud
loquebantur variis linguis Apostoli.

     Friends, three things be necessary in preaching to him that
shall preach through the world as the Apostles did, that is to say,
cunning, boldness, and languages; if they had had cunning and
none audacity, but have feared to have preached, it should little
a (have) profited, as we have examples daily at Cambridge, ex-
empli gratia, de Clerico quis studuit sermonem, &c. And if they
have both cunning and audacity, and have none eloquency, nor
copiousness of language, so that he preach that (which) his Au-
dience is most exercised in, that they understand him, else it
profiteth not.

     Therefore these holy Apostles before they should preach,
first they were to be confirmed and strengthened. Our Lord
strengthened them by under nemyng, informing, and helping
(culpando q?) ut in Evangelium recumbentibus, &c.

     He strengthened them with his help and grace when he
breathed in them, saying “Accipite spiritum sanctum, & quorum
remiseritis peccata, remittuntur eis, & quorum retinueritis re-
tenta sunt, &c.” (John xxix. v. 22, 23.) he strengthened them
also by his doctrine, when he said “Petite & accipietis; si quid
petieritis patrem in nomine meo, dabit vobis.” (John xvi. v. 23,
24.) How that ye should pray to God and ask, I taught you
on Easter-day; therefore ye shall pray God by good working,
right full labouring, and in good deeds persevering.

     Friends, ye ought for to ask of God that your joy may be a
full joy and perfect; we may never have a full joy in this world,
whereas ever among followeth heaviness. A man joyeth some-
times in gold and silver, and in great substance of earthly goods,
in beauty of women, but this joy is not perfect, but this joy is
not stable, but it is mutable as a shadow; for he that thus joyeth
in the beauty of his wife, it may fortune to-morrow he shall
follow her to church upon a bier; but if ye will know what is
a full and a very joy, truly forgiveness of sin, and everlasting
bliss, whereas is never sickness, hunger, nor thirst, nor no man-
ner of disease, but all wealth, joy, and prosperity, &c. There be
three manner of joys, the one void, another half full, the third is
a full joy; the first is plenty of worldly goods; the second is
ghostly grace; the third is everlasting bliss. The first joy, that
is affluence of temporal goods, is called a vain joy, for if a man
were set at a board with delicate meats and drinks, and he saw
a cauldron boiling afore him with pykke (pitch) and brimstone,
in the which he should be thrown naked, as soon as he had dined;
for (if) he should joy much in his delicose (delicious) meats, it
should be but a vain joy.

     Right so doth the joy of a covetous man, if he see what pain
his soul shall suffer in hell, for the miskeeping and getting of
his goods, he should not joy in his treasure, ut in libro Decalogo-
rum “Quidam homo dives, &c.”

     Semiplenum gaudium est quando quis in presenti gaudet &
tune cogitans de futuris dolet; ut in quodam libro Græco, &c.
“Quidam Rex Græciæ, &c.” here ye may see but half a joy; who
should joy in this world, if he remembered him of the pains of
the other world? “Non glorietur fortis in fortitudine suâ, nec
sapiens in sapientiâ suâ, nec dives in divitiis suis;” (Jer. ix. 23.)
de quibus dicitur, qui confidunt in multitudine divitiarum suarum,
quasi oves in inferno positi sunt, (Psalm xlviii. xlix. 6, 14.)
“Qui gloriantur, in Domino glorientur.” (Jer. ix. 24.)
therefore let us joy in hope of everlasting joy and bliss.

     Gaudete quia nomina vestra scripta sunt in cælo, ut gaudium
vestrum sit plenum. (Luc. x. 20.)

     A full joy is in heaven.

     Et in hoc apparet, quod magnum gaudium est in cælo, quo-
niam ibi est gaudium quod “oculos non vidit, nec auris audivit,
et in cor hominis non ascendit, quæ Deus preparavit diligentibus,”
(1 Cor. ii. 9.) et ideo Fratres, variis linguis loquens, (precor) ut
gaudium vestrum sit plenum, vel, habeatis gaudium sempiternum.

           6 ? by 12.

           Paper Mark
          Wheels, &c.
          Pl. XXII. N^o 10.

 We have in this Sermon of Dr. Brackley, a curious specimen of pulpit eloquence and
divinity in the reign of Henry VI. commemorating the descent of the Holy Ghost upon
the Apostles, &c. under the visible appearance of fiery tongues.

     We are next informed of the three requisites for a Preacher of the Gospel, and of
the divine assistance which the Apostles received, to enable them to preach with effect.

     He then sets before his audience the vanity of earthly joys and the immensity of
heavenly ones, both by precept and example.

 His texts are chosen with propriety, and his examples, as adduced, have their effect.

     There are in two or three places a few quotations which, from the smallness of the
hand, and the badness of the writing, I have been obliged to give up as illegible.

     As the exact year in which this sermon was preached cannot be ascertained, I have
placed it to follow the last Letter, written by the Author of it.

     ^* This is written on the back of the paper containing the Original Sermon.

436

A WHITSUNDAY SERMON OF FRIAR BRACKLEY¹

FRENDS, this holy tyme, as owr moder Holy Chirch
     maketh mension, the Holy Gost came from hevyn,
     and lighted in the disciples of Crist, inflamyng them
with connyng, and strenghyng them with grace. And be
cause the doctrine and prechyng of them shuld go thurgh-
ought all the werd, furst thei wer to be enfourmed and taught
connyng, and to be strenth with awdacide and grace, and
than to be endewed and yovyn all manner of langags that
thei myght prechyn to all maner of naciones, so that tho
naciones that thei preched to myght understond them, and
every naciones his owyn tonge; and so thees Appostilles, after
that thei wern enspired with the Holy Gost, wher so ever thei
preached, were ther never so many naciones present, ich nacion
thought that thei spokyn in ther owyn langage—etenim illud
loquebantur variis linguis Apostoli.

     Frends, iij. thyngs be necessary in prechyng to hym that
shall prechyn thurgh the werd as the Appostell dede—that is
to sey, connyng, boldnesse, and langags. If thei had had
connyng and none audacite, but have fered to have preched,
it shuld litill a profited, as we have examplles dayly at Cam-
brige, exempli [gratia]² de Clerico quis studuit sermonem,

&c. And if thei have bothyn connyng and audacite, and
have none eloquensye ner copiousnesse of langage, so that he
preche that his audiens is most excercised in, that thei may
understand hym, elles it profiteth not.

     Therfor thes holy Appostill[es], be for thei shuld prechyn,
furst thei wer to be confirmed and strenghed. Our Lord
strenghed them be under nemyng,¹ enformyng, and helpyng,
culpando ut in Evangelium recumbentibus, &c. He strenghed
them with his help and grace whan he brethed in them, seyng
’Accipite Spiritum Sanctum; et quorum remiseritis peccata,
remittuntur eis, et quorum retinueritis retenta sunt,’² &c. He
strenghed them also be his doctrine whan he seid ‘Petite et
accipietis; si quid petieritis Patrem in nomine meo, dabit
vobis.’³ How that ye shuld prayn to God and askyn, I taught
you on Estern day. Therfor ye shall pray to God be good
werkyng, right full lebyring, and in good deds perseveryng.

     Frends, ye owe for to ask of God that your joy may ben a
full joy and perfight; we may never have a full joy in this
werd, wher as ever among folwyth hevynesse. A man joyth
sumtyme in gold and sylver, and in gret substaunce of erdly
gods, in bewte of women, but this joy is not perfyght—but
this joy is not stabill, but it is mutabill as a shadow; for he
that this joyth in the bewte of his wyffe, it may fortune to
morwyn he shall folwyn her to chirch up on a bere. But if
ye wull knowyn what is a full and a wery joy, truly forgeve-
nesse of synne and everlestyng blisse, wher as is never sike-
nesse, hunger, ner thurst, ner no maner of disseas, but all welth,
joy, and prosperite, &c. Ther be iij. maner of joys, the on
void, a nother half full, the thred is a full joy. The furst is
plente of werdly gods, the seconde is Gostly grace, the threde
is everlestyng blisse. The furst joy, that is affluens of tem-
porall gods, is called a veyn joy, for if a man wer set at a bord
with delicate mets and drynks, and he sey a cawdron boyllyng
a forn hym with pykke and bronston, in the which he shuld
be throwyn naked as sone as he had dyned; for he shuld joy
mych in his deliciose mets, it shuld be but a veyn joy.

     Right so doth the joy of a covetouse man, if he sey what

peyn his sowle shuld suffre in helle for the myskepyn and
getyn of his good, he shuld not joy in his tresore, ut in Libro
Decalogorum, ‘Quidam homo dives,’ &c.

     Semiplenum gaudium est quando quis in præsenti gaudet
et tunc cogitans de futuris dolet, ut in quodam libro Græco,
’Quidam Rex Græciæ,’ &c. Her ye may se but half a joy;
how [who] shuld joy in this werd, if he remembred hym of the
peynes of the toder werd? ‘Non glorietur fortis in fortitu-
dine sua, nec sapiens in sapientia sua, nec dives in divitiis
suis.’¹ De quibus dicitur, qui confidunt in multitudine diviti-
arum suarum, quasi oves in inferno positi sunt.² ‘Qui glori-
atur, in Domino glorietur.’³ Therfor lete us joy in hope of
everlestyng joy and blis. ‘Gaudete quia nomina vestra scripta
sunt in cælo,’⁴ ut gaudium vestrum sit plenum. A full joy
is in hevyn. Et in hoc apparet quod magnum gaudium est in
cælo, quoniam ibi est gaudium quod ‘oculus non vidit, nec
auris audivit, et in cor hominis non ascendit, quæ Deus præ-
paravit diligentibus,’⁵ et ideo, fratres, variis linguis loquens
[precor] ut gaudium vestrum sit plenum, vel habeatis gaudium
sempiternum.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 392.] The original MS. of this sermon was endorsed, of
course in a much later hand than the document, ‘An ancient Whitsunday sermon
preached by Frier Brackley (whose hand it is) in the Friers Minors Church, in
Norwich.’ Of this and the remaining papers of Henry VI.’s time the dates are very
uncertain.                                      ² Omitted in Fenn’s literal transcript.

     ¹ i.e. reproving.       ² John xx. 22, 23.           ³ John xvi. 23, 24

¹ Jer. ix. 23.                                           ² Psalm xlviii. (xlix.) 6, 14.

     ³ 1 Cor. i. 31.                                         ⁴ Luke x. 20.

     ⁵ 1 Cor. ii. 9.