Introduction
As the sun in the house of the lion has its maximum strength in attracting water, so Christ in his right time will ascent to his throne and attract everybody either to weeping (the damned) or to the exaltation of love (caritas) – as it is presented in the Gospel pericope.
A quaestio: can the astrologers, prophets and philosophers discover when the end of the world will be? Reference to the predictions of Pseudo-Methodius, Eusebius, Beda, with several hypotesis between 1460 and 1560, and stating that the sermon is written in 1440 [See note below!]. Yet, the Gospel states that it is impossible to know it, since we must be watchful and look at the signs, since at any time the death can be upon us: «ut omni hora in ianuis mors appareat nos preparemus et vigilemus», as it is said with a detailed reference to the servants in the parable of the doorkeeper (Mark 13.33-37) (4Y).
Division
-
First part
As the bell or trumpets announce to the people the proclamation of a death sentence, so there will be signs announcing the final judgment. These signs will concern: first, celestial bodies (brief presentation of the mutation in the sun, moon and stars); second, humans (mention of the Antichrist who «inauditis enim tormentis christianos sibi resistentes trucidabit»); third, natural elements – this part develops into the presentation of the fifteen signs before the final judgment, according to Jerome, who would have find them «in annalibus hebreorum». It follows the moral interpretation (moraliter), which is developed in an ecclesiastical perspective, according to the theory of the church as lighted up by the pope (sun) and the emperor (moon), while the stars represent the other Christians. Note the occurrence of the key terms of the debate: «Ad firmamentum igitur celi, hoc est universalis ecclesie, fecit deus duo luminaria, id est duas instituit dignitates, que sunt pontificalis auctoritas et regalis potestas» (5B). Connecting the situation with the opening of the seventh seal, the sermon introduces a subdivision:
Papalis potestas obscurata
Imperialis maiestas detestata
Mundialis honestas deturpata
1.1. State of corruption of the pope and the clergy: «Sic ut de presenti cernimus papalis auctoritas et totus status ecclesiasticus est intm obtenebratus in cordibus hominum quod nihil curatur» (5C), since without sanctity it looses its dignity. List of needed virtues of the clergy. Presentation of the ascetic virtues of the pagan priests (Jerome referring to Plato) to present an a fortiori reasoning concerning the Christian clergy.
1.2. The authority of the emperor and his emissaries («et quilibet eius substitutus») receive the power from God (as the moon from the sun) but to be respected it must serve to obey and to make people obey God and the Church. References to Romans 13 (Omnis potestas a domino deo est), Augustine and the Policraticus of John of Salisbury.
1.3. The falling of the stars symbolizes the Christians who have fallen from faith and love (caritas). This section – which probably had a more direct appeal to the intended audience – develops through two detailed similes. First, the carp that put its head into the mud to escape from the fishermen (i.e. from the prelates who call for conversion). The net touches only its tail, i.e. only in the moment of death h one listens due to fear of damnation. Rebuking a fictional question, the sermon underlines that one cannot reply to be not aware of it. This is explained with the second simile,which builds on the biblical image of the two streets and the topos of the man at the crossroads:
A king built two cities, one is reached after a difficult and demanding journey and who arrive there is welcomed with all kind of pleasure and delights, the other leads through many pleasures but arrives to a city where one is sentenced to torture and death. Two companions, a fool man (stultus) and a wise man, arrive at the crossroads, where a statue is posed that clearly outline the two itineraries and the two outcomes. Yet, out of friendship, the wise person is convinced by the fool man to take the easy street, full of delights. He will not be able to avoid the death sentence by saying that he went there only to stay with his friend, «et sic ambo suspensi sunt». The fool and the wise are the body and soul. While the simile circulated widely [see Gesta Romanorum 67, with list], this version gives a (peculiar?) role to preachers, who are symbolized by the statue at the crossroads, which accomplishes its duty also without giving the example: «Statua igitur in medio ostendit viam regni esse meliorem scilicet prelatus, superius, predicator qui licet de se sit immobilis, nec vadat viam quam ostendit, veritatem tamen ostendit» (5H).
Second part
Description of the final judgment (cf. Matthew 25). The body of the saved resurrects in a perfect condition at the age of 33 (Christ), while those of the damned will be deformed. The book of the deeds of each person will be will be brought («O quam magnum cartularium tunc portabunt heretici, usurarii et alii malefacotres...»; 5I); at the right there will be sins that accuse and on the left the devils asking for just punishment of sinners. The moral interpretation (moraliter) focuses on (coscientia) by exhorting the listeners to do often the exam of conscience and to correct it, other it will accuse them publicly of their sins. There are three type of defect of the conscience:
Coscientiam dilatatam
Coscientiam infirmatam
Coscientiam cauteriatam
The first is a too loose conscience, which is as a net with to large holes, which does not filter small things. The second is the too scrupulous by considering as sin things that are not, with the risk of perplexity and even desperation. The last one focus on small details and does not care important things, like the Pharisees did, and it is compared to the spider’s net, which imprison only a fly but not major things. Final direct appeal, first person plural: «Istas cosciencias debemus rectificare, examinare, et purgare antquam veniamus ad iuditium, ubi nos accusabunt» (5K). Definition of the coscientia, with a list of titles that the good conscience deserves and its comparison with the mirror.
Third part
It focuses on the retribution and, after the description of Matthew 25, it underlines (moraliter) the benefit to contemplate hell in order to avoid it. The description of Hell is taken from Hugh of Saint Victor and it serves to introduce a series of clarification on the nature of hell and of its punishments (its fire). It clarifies that the souls can momentarily exit Purgatory and Hell only for a divine command, while the saved soul are free to move but do not do so unless this is a divine wish. Discussing about the suffrage for the souls, it is discussed the vision of Brandanus, who saw Judas resting from the torments on Sunday. The sermon clarify that this would not be due to suffrage, which cannot have effects on damned people, but out of a decision of God, who might decide to mitigate in some form the punishments, perhaps to repay something good done during the life («forte propter aliqua bona facta in vita»; 5S).
...fifteen signs before the final judgment, according to
Jerome
, who would have find them «in annalibus hebreorum»....
... Presentation of the ascetic virtues of the pagan priests (
Jerome
referring to Plato ) to present an _a fortiori_ reasoning...
20/1/22
T21/4 Wednesday after Oculi
Roberto Caracciolo
Introduction -
Divisio (see above)
1) First part: "slander" is speaking about others secretly, with indignation, hatred, resentment and envy (definitions taken from Alexander of Hales and Hugh of Saint Victor). Seven types of slander:
1. «Occultation», i.e. don’t talk about the good of others because of envy;
2. «Negation», i.e. denying the virtue of others. Slanderers are worse than thieves because they steal an intangible and irrecoverable good, that is, the reputation.
3. «Depravity», i.e. corrupting the good done by others.
4. «Poisoning» or «veneration» (cf. General Notes), i.e. first speaking well of a person, to gain trust, and then badly.
5. «Publication, i.e. speaking badly about someone in public, without respecting the precept of charity (Si peccaverit… solum, cf. thema of sermon T21/3 Tuesday after Oculi);
6. «Augmentation», i.e. magnifying the defects of others.
7. «Invention», i.e. finding falsehoods to shame others.
The slanderer deserves a painful death (quotes frome Psalmi and Anselm). Quaestio: is slander always a deadly sin? No, it is such only when done with malicious intent. Circumdederunt me canes multi; concilium malignantium obsedit me (quote from Psalmi 21, 17; slanderers = rabid dogs, cf. infra).
2) Second part: slanderers = rabid dogs. Nine properties of the rabid dog/slanderer:
1. mouth always open;
2. hidden tongue, because poisonous;
3. bloody mouth;
4. poisoned teeth (just as the rabid dog has a worm under its tongue that bites it and causes it to become rabid [reference to Pliny the Elder], so the slanderer has the worm of hatred and envy under his tongue;
5. secret biting;
6. low voice (= absence of barking in the dog);
7. constantly moving;
8. treacherous biting;
9. avoiding family members (regarding this thing the dog is better than human being, because the slanderer speaks badly of everyone without distinction).
3) Third part: six remedies to avoid the sin of slander:
1. «affliction in the face of the enemy», i.e. make the slanderer understand that you don't like listening to slander;
2. «distancing» (Si non erit auditor, non erit detractor, quote from Jerome);
3. «discreet reproach»;
4. «humiliation»;
5. «memory»;
6. «compassion».
... (_Si non erit auditor, non erit detractor_, quote from
Introduction
While God prefers to use mercy rather than punishment with human beings, human beings often become angry for trivial reasons.
Divisio (see above)
1) First part: physiology of wrath: ira est accensio sanguinis circa cor ex vaporatione collere, vel felis (quote from John of Damascus). Three types of wrath:
1. “Natural” wrath (i.e. wrath due to personal temperament; not a sin, because it is like other natural defects such as hunger, thirst, sleep);
2. Wrath in judgment (i.e. «zeal for justice», not a sin);
3. «Ira… fundata ne l’appetitto sensitivo»; not a sin if regulated by reason and good judgment (exemplum: Jesus get angry with the merchants and the money changers in the Temple; «getting angry for truth and justice is an act of magnificence», reference to Aristotle); a mortal sin if not regulated by reason.
2) Second part: six causes of wrath (reference to Seneca's De ira):
1. Human nature (i.e. personal temperament; the disposition to anger depends on the amount of bile in the body);
2. Wine (because it slightly warms the blood; legend of Noah who waters the vine with the blood of a lion, a pig and a monkey;
3. Excessive delicacy in education (like «mules and horses: when they have been in the stable for two or three months, fed with fodder and spelt, they kick at their owner, bite and don’t let themselves be tamed»);
4. Desire for power (exemplum from Valerius Maximus);
5. Excessive commitments;
6. Infirmity.
3) Third part: wrath causes three serious harms to human beings:
1. Deprivation of reason and good judgment («The law sees the wrathful, but the wrathful doesn’t see the law» = Lex videt iratum, iratus legem non videt, quote from Publilius Syrus [not mentioned]; Ira impedit animum ne possit cernere verum, quote from Cato?); exemplum: Theodosius and Ambrose (Saint) in Milan;
2. Hatred of self, others and God;
3. Desperation and shorter life.
Conclusion
Mention of the death of Hercules who, desperate and enraged due to his illness, threw himself into the fire (reference to Jerome’s Chronicon). Exhortation to avoid wrath, because beati mites, quia ipsi possidebunt terram… beati pacifici, quoniam filii Dei vocabantur (quote from Matthew 5, 4; 5, 9).
... illness, threw himself into the fire (reference to
Jerome
’s _Chronicon_). Exhortation to avoid wrath, because...
20/1/40
T24 Palm Sunday
Roberto Caracciolo
Introduction
Triple interpretation of the name “Jesus” (reference to Jerome):
1. “Saviour”, because he saves and cleanses the human being from sins (reference to Matthew 1, 21);
2. “Salvation”, because he frees the human being from his enemies (reference to Luke 1, 71);
3. “Saving”, because he gives grace to the soul (reference to Psalms 50, 13);
4. “Saviour” (cf. supra), becuase he gives glory (reference to Genesis 49, 18).
Divisio (see above)
1) First part: the name of Jesus must be honoured since it was pre-nominated by God (quotes from Isaiah 45, 3 and 4; Psalms 71, 17); «When God formed the heavens, when he founded the earth, when he shaped Adam, he still imposed this name on his son: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!».
2) Second part: before the incarnation of Jesus, his name was foreshadowed and prophesied for a long time not only to the Jewish people, but also to the pagans (exemplum: the prophecy of the Erythraean Sibyl in the form of an acrostic, whose initial letters would form the name “Jesus” [reference to Augustine, De civitate Dei 18, 22].
3) Third part: the Angel was the first to announce the name of Jesus (quotes from Luke 1, 30-31 and Matthew 1, 20-21).
4) Fourth part: the apostles «preached, shouted and taught the name of Jesus» throughout the world; especially Paul, “in love with Jesus” («El [scil. Paul] me è uno vase di electione, adciò ch’el porti el mio nome inanci ad gli Regi et gente et figlioli de Ysrahel» [quote from Acts 9, 15]).
5) Fifth part: appeal to “sinners, thieves and dishonest scoundrels” to invoke the name of Jesus, which is the refuge of the penitent (« If a wicked man, a thief, a gambler, a murderer, who has never done any good, at the end of his life had no time to confess [...] but invoked the name of Jesus, then all his past and present sins would be forgiven as if the Pope and the cardinals had confessed him», because «“Whoever invokes the name of God, i.e. “Jesus”, will be saved [quote from Joel 2, 32]»). Invitation to have the name of Jesus often in one's heart and mind so that, in case of unforeseen dangers, one is accustomed to invoke this name («this is enough for the fulfilment of your salvation»).
... Triple interpretation of the name “Jesus” (reference to
Jerome
): 1. “Saviour”, because he saves and cleanses the...
20/1/13
T20/2 Monday after Reminiscere
Roberto Caracciolo
Introduction Bonaventure's quaestio: are the goods done by human beings while in sin vain or meritorious? «No good is without merit in front of God» (reference to Augustine); three reasons:
1. «Divine equity»: it would not be right if God inflicted the same punishment on one sinner who has also done something good and on another who has never done any good.
2. “Honor your father and your mother” (quote from Exodus 20, 12): God has addressed this precept to all human beings, good and bad, so even a sinner will be worthy if he observes it.
3. «reason of goodness»: if one who does a good work for vainglory nevertheless receives a reward (reference to Matthew 6, 2), then a sinner who does a good work for God also deserves a reward: in fact, it is better to do good for God and not for vainglory.
Divisio (see above)
1) First part: God multiplies the temporal goods of sinners who also do good works (exemplum taken from Exodus 1, 15-21: God's reward for the Jewish midwives Shiphrah and Puah [names not mentioned] who saved the Hebrew boys). God, in fact, rewards even one good done among a hundred mortal sins (reference to Jerome); exemplum taken from Luke 16, 19-31: parable of the rich man and Lazarus (the rich man, though a sinner, is rewarded for his good deeds, but only in life; for the interpretation of the parable, reference is made to Gregory the Great, Homeliae in Evangelia).
2) Second part: reference to Decretum Gratiani. Exemplum taken from Acts 10 (conversion of Cornelius (centurion)).
3) Third part: the devil's power is enormous (“There is no power on earth equal to that of Satan”, reference to Job 41, 25 [but the source refers to Leviathan’s power]), but doing good deeds enables the human being - even the sinner - to free himself from the devil's grasp; exemplum: short story about a sinner who escapes from the devil's hands by simply reciting three Ave Maria and three Pater noster every day.
4) Fourth part: “participation in all goods” means that if you do a good work for the benefit of someone or something, then you will become a sharer in every good (temporal or eternal, depending on your condition) concerning that person or thing; for example, if you give alms to a Church, then you will benefit from all the prayers made by the clerics of that Church (references to Book of Sirach 29, 15 and Psalmi 118, 63).
5) Fifth part: a sinner who does good works receives less punishment than one who does not.
6) Sixth part: one must persevere in doing good, because sooner or later one will obtain divine mercy (reference to Luke 11, 9).
... good done among a hundred mortal sins (reference to
Jerome
); _exemplum_ taken from Luke 16, 19-31: parable of...
3/6/64
T27 In vigilia paschatis (Saturday before Easter)
Vicent Ferrer
Introduction
In the introduction of the sermon, Ferrer states that he wants to clarify, after talking about the burial of Christ's body (cf. sermon T26 Good Friday), where Christ's soul went and what it did before the resurrection. In this way, the preacher can introduce and describe the quatuor loca inferni where Christ's soul descended to visit the souls there: according to the doctrina fidei christiane, in fact, for as long as Christ's body was in the tomb, his soul descended into hell (“Sicut fuit Jonas in ventre ceti tribus diebus et tribus noctibus, sic erit filius hominis in corde terre tribus diebus et tribus noctibus” [Matthew 12, 40] = Jonah as a figuration of Christ). Although Christ's body and soul were separated in those days, nevertheless his divinity was never separated from either body or soul (Ferrer explains this concept through two similarities: the divinity of Christ is not divided by the separation of body and soul, just as an apple that, cut in two, retains its smell in both parts, or a crystal that, cut in two, continues to reflect the light of the sun in both parts).
Divisio1) First part: concerning the first place of hell, i.e. the “prison of the damned” (carcer damnatorum), where the Christ’s soul manifested its divinity “per rigorosam increpationem, non secundum essentiam sed secundum effectum” (reference to Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae III, q. 55 art. 2). Christ’s soul descended to this place for two reasons:
1. “Ad ligandum Luciferum” (to exemplify this reason, Ferrer uses the story of Tobias and the angel Raphael following Beda's interpretation);
2. “Propter rigorosam increpationem”, i.e. to rebuke the souls of the damned (including those of the “magnos philosophos, Platonem, Aristotelem et alios” [reference to Jerome]).
2) Second part: concerning the second place of hell, i.e. the Limbo of the Infants (limbus puerorum), “ubi sunt omnes pueri qui decesserunt cum solo peccato originali”.
Christ’s soul descended to these souls per gloriosam consolationem, telling them to give thanks to God for their condition which, unlike that of the damned, provides exemption from the sensory punishments of hell.
3) Third part: concerning the third place of Hell, i.e. the “place of purgation” (locus purgandorum), “ubi est ignis [that will last until the Judgement Day], sed non sunt ibi demones, qui nullus ibi intrat qui non sit in gratia dei”.
Christ’s soul descended to this place per copiosam liberationem.
Quaestio posed by the Doctors of the Church (reference to Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae III, q. 52 art. 8): did Christ free all the souls that were in purgatory when he descended into it? According to Ferrer, this question can be answered in two ways, namely:
1. “per rigorem iusticie”: in this sense, we must understand that Christ only freed souls who have completed the time of penance (this is the Thomas Aquinas’ interpretation);
2. “per dulcedinem misericordie”: in this sense, we must understand that Christ freed all souls in purgatory (two similarities: Christ as a newly crowned king who, entering the city, frees the prisoners; Christ as a newly elected pope who grants large indulgences and numerous graces).
4) Fourth part: concerning the fourth place of Hell, i.e. the “bosom of Abraham” (sinus Abrae), where the souls of the holy fathers were, without suffering any pain, from the beginning of the world until Christ's resurrection: then, when Christ's soul descended to this place, they saw his divinity and received glory and paradise (reference to Augustine).
... philosophos, Platonem, Aristotelem et alios_” [reference to
Jerome
]). 2) Second part: concerning the second place of...
21/1/15
T19/4 Wednesday after Invocavit
Anonymous
Introduction -
Divisio
First part: utilities of penance:
1) The first utility of penance is the recovery of grace, often even greater than that lost by sin (references to Job, Joel, Luke and Cyprian).
2) The second utility is that penance repairs and comforts nature (references to Book of Judith and John the Bishop[?]).
3) The third utility is that penance restores glory (references to Matthew, Revelation and Augustine).
4) The fourth utility is that penance loosens punishment (references to Jeremy, Psalms and Ambrose (Saint)).
Second part: things that made penance praiseworthy:
1) Firstly, penance must be humble and divout (concerning humility, references to Job, John and Bernard of Clairvaux; concerning tearfulness and devotion, references to Book of Judith and Augustine).
2) Secondly, penance must be general and intact, i.e. one must not repent of one sin, but of all (references to Ezekiel); one must also repent isto tempore, because God wants to reserve salvation and consolation for the repentant (reference to Isidore of Seville [the quotation, however, seems to be spurious]).
3) Thirdly, penance must be discreet, i.e. commensurate with the extent of the sin (references to Matthew, Jerome and Gregory the Great).
4) Fourthly, penance must be done with good intention, i.e. not for ostentation and worldly glory, as the Pharisee did (reference to Luke 18), but following the example of Manasseh, who repented coram deo patruum suorum et non coram mundo (reference to 2Chronicles 33).
... with the extent of the sin (references to Matthew ,
Jerome
and Gregory the Great ). 4) Fourthly, penance must...
5/1/33
T20/5 Thursday after Reminiscere
Osvât Laskai (Osvaldus de Lasko)
Introduction
Echoing the prophet (thema), the issue is why God allows a people so evil and unfaithful like the Turks to prosper and oppress the Christians: “Ex quo gentem infidelem, impiam et prevaricatricem thurcorum permittit prosperari et christianum populum opprimere?” (f. r5r). Several quotations from Job and Jeremiah. The duration of this oppression surprises the people, who don’t understand its causes; it causes also grumbling about God’s injustice.
“Quare licet thurci impii conculcaverunt tuos fideles, devorant, lacerant, et tandiu affligunt? Sunt iam fere anni 870 ab initio secte usque nunc, nec tamen apparet signum consumationis ipsius, de quo nedum multi mirantur tante durationis causam non invenientes, verumetiam plerique murmurant de dei providentia et quissimaiusticia” (f. r5r). It's not clear to what the 870 years exactely refer (if it is the Egira, it would refer to 1492 (it would be puzzling); yet later in the sermon, the origin of the Turks is indicated as 666, so it cannot be a reference to it).
Divisio (see above)
Persecution is just since it is a punishment: “Ista christianorum atrox persecutio mahumetica iuste nobis est inflicta propter nostram punitiuonem, quod probemus tripliciter” (f. r5r); the evidences are: a) prophecies, b) reasons, c) revelations.
1.1. Prophecies. In the Bible the prophets announced the persecution of the synagogue – ad fortiori, there are prophecies of the persecutions of the Church. The first and key reference (here and below) is the Pseudo-Methodius. There is first a long series of quotations, which contain vivid and dramatic description of the Muslim violence on Christians. The quotations already contain two key concepts: this is a punishment (castigatio) for the way Christians sinned against the divine law; the persecution will reveal the true faithful (fideles). Attention to geographic description, a sort of geopolitics of history (as in other sermons); see f. r5v.
The cause was a triple separation: from Christ, heresy; from the apostolic seat, disobedience; from Roman empire, rebellion (the reference here is to the Greeks). Interesting reference to the discourse of the Venice orator, Bernardo Giustiniani in front of the pope, as a way to chart (again) the Turkish expansion (in which, stand out the lost of two empires, those of Constantinople and Trebizond). Cyril’s letter [?], interpreted by Joachim of Fiore’s commentary to the Lamentations: the buck that eats the flash of the sheep symbolizes Muhammad that eats alive the Christians (the flash of Christ, the sheep) who join his sect (secta): “et dentibus suis carnis crudas agnorum dilacerabit, quia parvuli et adulti utriusque sexus relicta fide Chirsti sectam Mahumeti assument” (f. r6r).
Reference also to the prophecies of Hildegard of Bingen (with the date 1143) and of Birgitta of Sweden.
1.2. Reasons: justice and sins. With a pessimistic note: while at the time of the martyrs the persecution strengthened the faith, now it decreases it: “In presenti autem afflictione fides non tantum augmentatur, quantum diminuitur, ac maxima blasphemia deo et sanctis eius infertur” (f. b6v). The persecution is due to the crimes of the Christians, mainly three major sins (crimina): “Unde causam huiuscemodi persecutionis ex scripturis inveniemus tria horrenda crimina in ecclesia dei multiplicata sunt”: sodomy (peccatum contra naturam), with references to Letter to Romans and to previous castigations of sodomites: the deluge, the destruction of Sodom, and their death during Christmas night (source Jerome: “et ut dicit Hieronimus: in nocte nativitatis, anteque Christus nasceretur, in hoc peccato laborantes sunt extincti”; f. r7r); ignoble taking of the holy communion, which is labeled as “crimen maximum”, with reference to Thomas Aquinas, since it is “as if one kills Christ”; disobedience, in particular applied to schismatics.
1.3. Sure revelations. Interpretation of Apocalypse 16, the seven bowels (phialae) full of the wrath of God, which represents seven persecutions to the Church. The fifth are the Turks, since the throne of the beast is Constantinople – with a reference to “quodam tractatu disputato in capitulo generali fratrum predicatorum” (f. r7r). The sermon mentions also the vision of a Carthusian in the convent of Raromot (!) in Carniola: in an ecstasy he was brought in front of tribunal of Christ, who asks him why the Church prays so much while instead it has abandoned him. At the announcement of the tribulations that will soon hit the Church, the monk asks two things, which remains without reply: whether also Rome will be conquered by the Turks, and if the faithful will succumb in the spiritual battle: “Demum post modicum resumptis viribus frater de duobus petiit informari a Christo, scilicet: An Rhomana civitas esset a Thurcis capienda; et an in futuro bello, quod in spiritu cognoverat committendum, ipsi fideles succumberentur. Ad que respondit Christus quod non expediret hoc ipsum scire” (f. r7v)
Invective against vices, as a way to mention again the main sins.
The end of the Turks’ persecution is close [yet, not so close after all] and the sermon deals with two aspects: why it was so long; when it will end.
2.1. The domination was so long due to two reasons: first, as the Postilla of Peter of Burgos points out, they are not idolaters as previous persecutors, so God is less pressured to intervene. It started in the year 666 (symbolism of Revelations), yet “in ista secta mahumetica pessima est infidelitas sine idolatria”; second, they do not directly only to apostate the faith: “nec directe cogunt ad apostatandum a fide” – they just ask to pay a fee, and to pay it does not diminish the dignity of the Church: “Unde vivere abicere et sub iugo servitutis non minuit veritatem ecclesiastice dignitatis” (f. r8r) [a sort of realistic position]; third, they do not recognice the divinity of Christ, yet they appreciate his human qualities – so again God is less compelled to intervene.
2.2. When will it end? Ample quotation of the Pseudo-Methodius, from which it is derived the number of 56 years, yet without being sure where their start has to be put: “Nescimus tamen unde debent incipi, si a captione Costantinopolitane vel a dominio perfecto grecie” – counting from the fall of Constantinople it would be until 1509, yet it is mentioned – as other possible starting point – the Turkish conquest of Albania (i.e. 1478). Reference to an Islamic prophecy of their own defeat, mentioned by Scotus saying that it was found in a Muslim book in Damietta, which prophesizes that a Christian king will conquer and destroy Mecca and disperse the bons of Muhammad - this will fulfil the promise of the announced of the Gospel in all the word (Matthew 28) and will be end history [cfr. link with the prophecy of the last emperor]. The sermon mentions also the revelations of Hildegard of Bingen, Brigitta of Sweden and Catherine of Siena who praised preaching to convert the people. Further reference is to Nicholas of Lyra, who refers to the Liber Iudicum ordinariorum a Jewish book of prophesy, connected with the announcement of the raising son of the widow of Zarephath, which states that the world will last 6000 years: 2000 under vanity, 2000 under law, 2000 under the Messiah. Since the period under the Messiah is of 2000 years, and during it the Gospel will be announced to everyone, the end of the Muslim domination should be close [yet, it remains quite an ample margin!]. How it will happen? Again a reference to Pseudo-Methodius: when all seems lost, it will rise “rex christianorum et romanorum”...
3. There are two reasons why their domination cannot last [sic!]: Muslim usurped the power, conquering it only by means of their weapons; their origin is mean – this is true for Muhammad but even more for the Turks - here there is a long insertion on their history, taken from the Chronicon by Antoninus of Florence – remote link with the history of Troy, their entrance in Persia as people of herders, gradual affirmation, arriving until the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 under Muhammed II.
Final invocation to God, asking his intervention soon – with a last mention of the prophecy of Pseudo-Methodius about the role of the king of Huns, i.e. now Hungary.
...Sodom , and their death during Christmas night (source
Jerome
: “et ut dicit Hieronimus: in nocte nativitatis, anteque...