Introduction It connects vices with the theme of the section of idolatry via a moral interpretation of the beast of Apocalypse 13-14, on the basis of Alexander of Hales: adoring the beast with seven heads means to commit the seven capital sins both mentally and factually. There is in fact a triple form of idolatry, that of infidels (Jews and Muslims); that of heretics; that of bad Christians (i.e. sinners). Worshiped by God “Bestia itaque est diabolus, imago vero illius est peccatum. Septem autem capita eius sunt septem mortalia peccata, que tunc adoratur cum peccatur” (f. v3r).

Introduction As poison is worse than a sword and a false friend worse than a false coin, so it was the falsity and simulation of the Pharisees who asked Jesus for a sign. This leads to two brief quaestiones: whether and how it is licit to praise other people; why the Pharisees sinned mortally by calling Jesus "master" – although he was it. The latter include a discussion on how action and intention need to be joined, since both need to follow the law of God. Division - First part Main theme is ingratitude, first presented by commenting the Gospel episode (postillatio) and then moraliter by considering the Christians who – having received more benefits than the Jews – must thank God (reference to moral teaching of Seneca and, on a spiritual level, in particular to the special gift of the eucharist). Three possible mistakes: “De huius modi beneficiis et donis acceptis: Quidam de deo non cogitant. Quidam deum de beneficiis non honorant. Quidam dei beneficia exasperant” (6V). 1.1. To forget the benefits that God gave connectes with the sensuality of the flesh (voluptas carni) – reference to Plato and the opposition between soul and body. 1.2. Ungrateful people who do not give thanks to God are like a pork, which eats acorns without looking at the tree, i.e. without raising its eyes. An exemplum from the Vitas patrum: in a vision an old monk sees part of his fellow monks eating white bread and honey, while the others eating shit (stercus). The first are those who «in timore et gratiarum actione sedent at mensam», while the other are those who «murmurant, detrahunt et male locuntur in mensa, nec gratias dicunt» (6X). 1.3. Ungrateful is also to ask continuously God for more, without realizing that in the Passion everything has already been given to us. Seneca’s exemplum (De beneficiis) of the condemnation of a soldier ungrateful with the one who saved him from shipwreck. Allegorical application to the Christians, saved from death (the shipwrek), welcomed at home (the church), nourished with the eucharist: they promise a lot and then maintain very little («multa promittimus et pauca solvimus»; 6Y [note the use of the first person plural]), so Christ – the saviour - will expose our fault in front of God the father, who will impress the marks (stigmata) of eternal damnation on them. Second part  Interpretation of the parable of the return of the unclean spirit (parable): in the allegory (allegorice), the devil has left the gentile, who welcomed Christ with faith, and now inhabits the Jews («ideo recendente dyabolo a gentilibus ad iudeos est reversus, in quibus nunc per infidelitatem et obstinationem dicitur inhabitare»; 6Z). On a moral level (moraliter), the parable concerns the recidivist who returns to sin and the danger of his/her condition, since «per talem recidivationem sit: Homo debilior ad resurgendum. Dyabolus fortior ad invadendum. Deus difficilior ad indulgendum». 2.1. By repeating a sin, a person gets less sensible to its relevance and more tied to it do to the habit. Image of the fish or bird in the net. 2.2. Moral interpretation of the parable. The devil is expelled by penance, yet it might come back – it has no power but it can knock at the door of the heart both using fantasies in the memory («movendo fantasmata malorum in memoria reservata incendendo per desiderium amoris»; 6Z) or using the seven vices (seven capital sins). A quaestio about how can be interpret the return of previous sins, if they were forgiven. Indeed, it is the new sin of ungratefulness for their forgiveness that is added to the new sins. Hence, one has to confess it without repeating the confession of all the previous sins (unclear reference: «ut dicit Lodovicus in summa sua») [note the pastoral outcome of this interpretation]. 2.3. God is less ready to forgive those who repeatedly despised his mercy. Discussion whether the repetition of a sin makes it worst, with a detailed reference to the position of Bonaventure, who depicted four stages of sin: interior consent; action; habit; final absence of repentance. The last stage is final and cannot be forgiven, while the other three are connected with the three episodes of resurrections in the Gospel, which symbolically happen in three different places: at home, on the door of the city, in the tomb. Third part Jesus praises the grace given to those who perform good deeds. Explanation of the scene of the Gospel, when the Virgin Mary and the relatives of Jesus call him outside. It was an insidious request, since he would abandon his pastoral engagement showing human feelings. On a moral level, it teaches that one must choose by considering the utility and dignity of things, and this is true also at a spiritual level. «Ideo quilibet debet ea [spiritualia] preeligere et preponere et hoc quo ad tria, scilicet: Temporis prioritatem. Intentionis principalitatem. Ordinis dignitatem» (7E).  3.1. One must choose virtue while s/he is young, without waiting the old age – simile  of the wax, flexible only when is hot. And exemplum of the miller who had a donkey, which he did not force when it was young, and that later on refused to work and kicked the miller, killing him. The donkey symbolizes the body: if it is not dominated when one is young, it would condemn him/her to the eternal death. 3.2. Centrality of the intention - and quaestio on how to interpret the command: «Omnia in gloriam dei facite» (1 Corinthians 10 ). The solution seems to be not that each act needs to be directly connected to the glory of God, but that it becomes an habit, as the direct exhortation sates: «Ad hoc enim debemus tendere et hoc desiderare, quod ad talem statum perveniamus quod omnes actiones nostras et affectiones principlai intentione ad deum referamus» (6I). 3.3. The necessity to put spiritual before worldly things is exemplified by saint Luis of Toulouse, quoting John XXII’s the bull of canonization («unde in bulla eius translatione scribit Iohnnis Papa XXII: Ludovicus ut sol refulgens in virtute ...»; 6K).

Introduction Ferrer builds a link with the topics of the previous Sunday: that on fasting, on prayer: “intentio est universalis ecclesie fideles homines ad orationem provocare”. Since each person lives a perennial conflict between flesh and spirit, the Church knows about this controversy and that the soul is right, so it first aims to restrain flesh with fasting and then to exalt the soul with prayer. While in the first Sunday the example of Jesus provoked to fasting, that of the woman of Canaan provokes now to prayer. Division The three key point are linked with the thema yet Ferrer immediately overturn that option (as if it were too intellectual...) and just follow the narrative of the pericope: “Sed de his intricationibus non curo! Sed ego volo ista tria trahere ex evangelio et non ex themate” (f. s1r). First part The sermon expands on the biblical narrative, with interesting development of the woman’s invocation (almost a model of prayer). Two analytical points (one theoretical, the other moral) 1) Why Jesus was called son of David? David expelled the devils from Saul by playing the chitara, not for the power of music but since it was figura of the cross of Christ, made with dried wood (reference to previous sermon 3/6/16: “ut pridie dixi in primo sermone cuius thema: Ecce sanus factus etc’) – symbolism developed: “Et ista cithara significant crucem et funicular significant membra Christi que fuerunt attracta in cruce et nervi cum clavis. Et clavelle ille significant clavos…” (f. s1r). The cithara produce high notes, so Christ on the cross did – reference to Jesus’ seven last words and their meaning.  2) A moral teaching: the woman’s daughter was tormented in several ways by demons, who are connected with the seven capital sins [once again]. Detailed exhortation not to recur to divination (sortilegos), with specific references to those who had lost something and to women who want to have kids. Second part   Jesus refused three times, yet the woman insisted. Also this time, the sermon details two points, one theoretical and the other moral. 1) Christ redeemed everybody with his Passion, yet not each one is saved since s/he did not want to do fasting: “quia nolunt ieiunare” [note the insistence on it, and also the exaggeration]. This is explained with a detailed simile of a rich man who went to among Saracens to redeem Christians slaves (“redimendum christianos captivos omnes qui essent penes sarracenorum in Barbaria cum magnis pencuniis”); if some of them did not want to leave after being set free, it is not his fault. In the same way the Passion “solvendo in ara crucis” frees everybody and invites all to embark on the ship that symbolize the Church (“nunciatur dicendo: ponatis vos in navigio ecclesie”). Yet, on this salvific ship the Jews did not want to embark as well as Tartars and Saracens who believe in the heaven promised by Muhammad: “Nam venerunt nuncii domini et dixerunt iudeis: venite ad navem domini. Qui dixerunt: nolumus. Similiter dicatur de tartaris et saracenis, qui dicunt quod noster propheta promittit nobis in alio mundo rivum melis et lactis” (f. s2r). 2) The moral teaching concerns learning to pray in the morning and in the evening. This is presented by means of an exemplum of a Lombard man (“Quidam lombardus...”) who decided to go to Jerusalem: during the pilgrimage, he prays everyday to ask that his journey goes well; yet, once he is almost back home, he forgets to pray and his house burn down with his wife and son inside it. Third part Why did Jesus make the woman wait and did not listen to her immediately? Two points: 1) Waiting makes the woman grow and elevate so that she obtains more at the end, so the behavior of Jesus was ruled by love. Explained with the exemplum (labeled as parable) of a soldier (miles) who asks his king for an apple: the king gives him first a castle, then a horse, then a robe, and only at the end an apple... 2) This was done to give an example of humility for us

Introduction General rule of theology: all punishments come from God, but not guilt; the punishments inflicted by God are for a higher purpose, namely our salvation (“pro nostra utilitate ad sanandum et curandum animas nostras”). God doesn’t enjoy giving punishments, just as the doctor doesn’t enjoy giving bitter medicine, but both act for our good. The case of the Passion of Christ is then dealt with (cf. infra), a punishment inflicted by God through the fault of Judas, the Jews and Pilate.
Divisio
1) First part: concerning the Passion of Christ as medicina curativa. According to the doctrine of Augustine, neither before nor after the Passion of Christ was anyone ever healed of their sins, except as a result of the Passion of Christ itself (those who preceded that event were healed “ex fide passionis Christi fienda”). A figuration of the salvation of mankind through the Passion of Christ can be found in the episode of the serpens aeneus, “copper snake” (Numbers 21), which, according to Ferrer, is a figure of Christ (“sicut serpens eneus habebat formam serpentis et nullum habebat venenum, sic Christus est homo verus sed non habuit venenum peccati”) and would demonstrate that “Iudei ante passionem per mille et quingentos annos iam adorabant crucem”; this is followed by a review of the seven capital sins, each of which - except envy - is associated with a snake/demon (pride = serpens Leviathan; greed = serpens Mammona; lust = serpens Asmodeus; gluttony = serpens Beelphegor; wrath = serpens Baalberith; sloth = serpens Astaroth), from whose poisonous bite one can be saved by contemplating Christ on the cross. 2) Second part: concerning the Passion of Christ as medicina confortativa, i.e. a medicine that can also be given by doctors to healthy people to strengthen them: thus the passion of Christ can also be useful to the iustae, bonae et perfectae personae to strengthen them against temptations. A figuration of the Passion of Christ as medicina confortativa can be found in Exodus 15, 23-26 (episode of the bitter waters of Marah [= “tribulationes huius mundi, miserie, infirmitates, temptationes etc.”], made sweet by the lignum [= the lignum crucis, i.e. the remembrance of the passion of Christ] thrown in by Moses on God’s indication). The Passion of Christ is as much a cure for the seven capital sins (see above) as it’s a reinforcement for the seven virtues (Ferrer then reviews the seven virtues [3 theological + 4 cardinal virtues] and explains how each of them can be strengthened by the Passion of Christ). 3) Third part: concerning the Passion of Christ as medicina preservativa, i.e. a prophylactic medicine against the many infirmitates peccatorum resulting from the tempatationes dyaboli et occasiones mundi as much as from the inclinationes carnis. A figuration of the Passion of Christ as medicina preservativa can be found in the story of the prophet Jonah sent into the sea (reference to Jonah 1, 12): the sea, in fact, symbolises the mundus and Jonah is a figure of Christ who, sent into the world, preserves us from sin (“Jonas interpretatur columba, et significat Christum habentem simplicitatem columbinam qui mittitur in mare amarum”). So the human being, thinking how many and how great things Jesus suffered in this mare amarum, i.e. with his Passion, can abstain from sin.

Introduction Penance as the most needed things (“precipue necessarium”) for the remission of sin and to enter the heavenly kingdom (f. o5r). It is the raft (tabula) to which one has to hold on firmly, after the shipwreck of the perfect ship (the baptism), since only the Virgin Mary was able to cross the perilous see of the world with it. Indeed, the dangers of the sea are so many that everybody sink and need to hold on to the raft of the penance. Double shipwreck: general (all us) in the original sin, for which there are two rafts (baptism and penance); personal in the sin after the baptism, for which only penance represent a salvific raft.  - Divisio thematis (see above)  - First point: Fasting (link with 40 days of Lent) to follow Christ’s example. It requires patience for those who are not used to it. One need to resist its symptoms (stomach cramps, headache) and not to fly away as some soldier earing the crossbows’ whistles at the beginning of the battle. it requires also patience for the others, in particular for those who prepare the food (the wife), since impatience makes lose the merits of fasting: “si sit coctum nimis vel minus bene paratum sustine patienter, et non proiicias scutellam uxori ad caput, ut faciunt aliqui miseri qui perdunt totum meritum ieiunii” (f. o5v). Three questions: a) Christ fasted only one for 40 days; why must a Christian fast during Lent all the years? Christ’s fasting was absolute and, in the reminder of his life, he ate as the Christians during Lent (“solum semel in die comedere, non carnes, nisi de agno pascali ut legem adimpleret”). Our Lent takes the number of days from Christ’s fasting in the desert, and yet it follows his everyday style of fasting.  b) Eight categories are exempted from Lenten fasting: 1) women who are pregnant; 2) women breastfeeding; 3) sick people; 4) beggars “qui non possunt habere vel vix caules cum oleo”; 5) who travels by foot; 6) workers who have a hard work (“laboratores ut fossores, fabri”) and needs to feed their family with it – yet not “sutores et sartores notarii et similes qui sedendo faciunt opera sua non excusantur”; 7) pueri, i.e. young people until 21 (until their third septenarium), since they need food to grow – Ferrer suggests a gradual progression: 7/8 years old can fast on the Good Friday; 11/12 years old at least one a week); 8) old people, depending on their condition – an eighty years old in good shape must fast.  c) Is it possible to exchange the fasting with alms giving or another penitential work? Without permission no, since it would go against obedience to the Church precepts. Yes with the prelates’ consent (and the doctor’s opinion).   - Second point: Prayer = anoint the head. The head is Christ, the prayer – as an ointment – softens him towards sinners. Quotation of Bernard of Clairvaux: “Oratio deum ungit, lachrima pungit”. Reference to the parable of the unforgiving debtor (Matthew 18:21-35), since “we are all debtors”. on the way to anoint Christ, reference to Mary Magdalen. - Third point: One needs to wash the face of the soul, which is the conscience, by means of the sacramental confession. Reference to Naaman story (“et nota breviter historiam…”). Leprosy has seven characteristics linked with the seven capital sins (scheme: SALIGIA), hence Naaman had to wash himself seven times in the Jordan (2 King 5) – it means that one is purified by the judgment of the confession. - Final exhortation: “Modo scitis in quibuis operibus debetis hoc tempus sanctum expendere”