that throughe theyr clamours sacrilegius boldnes they maye defend them selues from the Moone the whiche by Gods commaundement and ordinaūce at certayne and appoynted tymes doth waxe darke or fromany other sorcerye or wytchecrafte And yf ye see or perceaue any that offer vp theyr vowes vnto trees or vnto any foūtaynes or that hange aboute them or any of theyrs any diabolicall philaters or caracters herbes or the ioyse of anye herbe or that as I haue sayde do seeke vppon sothsayers diuiners or inchaunters correcte them sharpelye and say vnto them that al that so doe do lose the sacrament of baptysme And inasmuche as we haue harde say that Sathan hath so deceyued both men and womē that they wyll not worke vpon the thursdaye I protest both before God and his holy aungels that excepte they which obserue those thinges amende and redeme such sacrilege with longe and sharp pennaunce that they shall be dampned for euer Nor I doubte not but y t suche wretches the which as in the honoure of Jupiter wyll not worke vpon the thursdayes wyl not be ashamed at al nor yet fear to worke and labour vpon the sunday And there fore take hede that ye earnestly do chasten as many as ye knowe that doe so And yf they wyll not amende suffer them nother to speake nor to eate nor yet once to dryncke in your cōpany And yf they be belongynge vnto you or of your familie skorge theim that they at the leaste which remember not theyr soules health maye feare the punyshmēt of their bodies I my deare brethren remembring your manifolde perilles and daungers do thus tenderly warne and admonishe you yf ye then wyllyngelye do herken vnto me ye shall come to perpetuall ioye and lyfe euer lastyng the which he vouchsafe to graunt you that with the father and the holy goste doth liue eternally Sobeit ¶ Of a Christen name and that a Christian shulde often tymes thynke whye he is named a Christen man and why he beareth the crosse of Christ in his forehead Ser. ii I Do reioyce mi moost derelye beloued brethren and do thanke God that I haue deserued to fynd you in good helth And truly my brethrē a father doth ryghteously not without a great cause reioyce as ofte as he doth fynd hys chyldren healthfull in body and deuout in the feare of God And inasmuche as the goodnes of God hath graunted me double gladnes aswell of youres as of myne owne health I must now open and declare vnto you the thynge whiche pertayneth and is for the vtilitie helth of your soules It is very necessary dere brethren that w t all our intention and mynde we should studye to enquyre and vnderstande whye and wherefore we be Christians and why we beare the crosse of Chryste in oure foreheaddes Ye muste vnderstande and perceaue good brethren that we are not made Christians to be carefull for thys lyfe For as sayth y e apostle yf we in this lyfe onelye doe beleue and trust in god then are we of all other the moste wretched and miserable For he that doeth thynke onelye vppon this lyfe is compared and likened vnto a beast For what other thynge doe beastes care for but onelye to eate to drincke to slepe and to lyue voluptuouslye And euen suche are all they that thynke moore vppon theyr bodyes then vppon theyre soules that loue glottouye and lecherye more then iustyce or chastitie Therefore my dearelye beloued ye muste vnderstand and know that we are made christians to thynke continually vppon the eternall world reward that is to come and to labor more for the soule then for y e bodye Our fleshe shal continue but for a fewe yeares in this worlde but oure soules yf we lyue and do well shall inherite heauen w tout ende But yf we do euyll workes that God forbyd and labor more for bodelye pleasure then for the helth or saluation of oure soules I feare me that when good men shall be receyued with the aungelles vnto eternall lyfe that we that god forbyd shalbe caste headling into helfyer Good brethren it is not ynoughe that we haue receyued a christen name excepte that therwith we do good christēmēs workes To hym it is ryght profitable to be called a christiane that loueth chastitie that exchueth ebriete that abhorreth pride and that as very poison doth reiect enui He is a righte good Christen man that stealeth not that beareth no false witnes that lyeth not that vseth no periury that committeth no adultery that doth frequente the churche that doeth not taste of his fruytes vntyll he fyrst haue offered part of thē vnto God that doth pay his tythes yearelye to be destributed amonge the nedy that doth loue his curate and honoureth preistes that loueth euery man as hym selfe and hateth no man Uerelye he is not onely a christen man that doth feare and exchewe as the swearde of Satan deceit full weyghtes double measures but christ him self doth also dwell in hym He is a good christiane that cōming to the churche doth exhibite and offereth vp his offering and that after his possibilitie and substaunce doth geue a peny or a morsell of bread to some poore man that receiueth the pore into his house that wassheth the pore mens fete that doth not only make no debate but reduceth such as are at discorde and stryfe to vnitie and concorde that doth shew reuerence and the loue of vnfayned charitie vnto his frendes elders that doth lyue chast and admoninisheth his chyldren and his neighboures with word and dede in sobriete and chastite He is a good Christen man that as ofte as the holye and solemne feastes drawe nere doth certayne dayes before abstayne and keepe chastitie with his wyfe that the more conueniently with a more sincere and sure conscience a chaste body and a clean hart he may come vnto the Lordes borde and table And he lykewyse that can the lordes praier and his crede by rote that faythfully doth teache his chyldren the same Now good brethren ye haue herde who be good christians and therefore let vs with Gods ayde and helpe do the beste we can or may that this christen name be not wrongfully and vaynelye in vs and that Christes sacramentes suffer no iniury in vs but in hearte let vs continually thinke vppon good Christen workes and in dede fulfyll them For I praye you what maner a Christian cal ye him y t scarcely commeth once to the churche and yet when he cometh doth not stande vp to praye for his sinnes and misdedes but to prate bable to cause stryfe and debate or elles to drynke if he may fynd a conuenient place tyll he vomit agayne after that he hath well droncken ryseth vp like a madde man to leape and daunce and to synge luxurious and fylthye songes of loue Suche a one doeth not feare nother to steale nor yet to commit adulterye to geue false wytnes to curse nor yet to
such double benediction Herken therfore vnto me thou vndeuoute man Thou knoweste well that all that thou doste receaue is Gods and wilte thou then not lende the maker and geuer of all thynges part of his owne The Lord hath no neade he doeth aske no rewarde but honour vnlye nor he doth not require y t thou â—eue him any thinge that is thine He vouchesafe to aske the tithes of all thinges and dost thou o thou couetous man saye him naye What wouldeste thou do yf he had kept nine partes vnto him selfe and had left the only the tenth part the whiche thinge verely is so chaunsed nowe when that thy corne for lacke of rayne is thinne naughtes thy vines beaten with hayle destroyed with froste and colde O thou couetous man what dost thou reken vpon nine partes are taken from thee because thou woldest not paye the tenthe It is cleare that thou neuer payest it and yet God dothe demaunde it and require it This is gods moost righteous custome and vse y t if thou do not paye him his tenthe thou shalt be reuoked and reduced to the tenthe For it is written The Lord sayth I saweit and ye thought to begile me but youre treasure youre houses shalbe spoyled thou shalte geue the wicked souldier that thou wouldest not geue the priest Returne vnto me sayth the Lord om nipotente y t I maye open the cloudes for you sprede my benediction vpon you I wil not destroye y e frutes of your possessions nor youre wines shal not widder nor consume awaye al nations shal saye that ye are blessed God is alwayes ready to do well but the malitiousnes of man will not suffer him For man taketh that god shuld geue him al thinge and yet he offreth not those thinges vnto him the whiche he semeth to possesse But what God shulde saye man whome I created and made is mine the earthe y t thou dost inhabite is mine the seede that thou dost sowe is mine the beastes whiche thou doest wery are mine y e dewes the rayne are mine and the heate of the same is mine Considering then that al the elementes wherby maÌ„ doth liue are mine thou that dost only bestowe thy labour dost deserue the tenthe only But inasmuch as y e lord omnipotent doth mekely nourysh vs and fede vs he hathe geuen a righte greate rewarde to y e laborer For he reseruing only vnto him selfe y e tenthe hath geuen vs y e rest O thou vnkind deceauer vnfaythful man I speake vnto the w t the wordes of god Behold see the yeare is gone paste geue the lord that doth send raine his reward O man redeme thy selfe whileste thou hast thy redeÌ„ption in thy haÌ„d whilest thou art aliue whilest thou mayst Redeme thy selfe y e couetous death do not so preuent thee y t thou leaue doth life and rewarde Thou dost coÌ„mitte that thing vnto thy wife but in vayne y t whiche perchaunce wil haue another husband Nor thou womaÌ„ dost leaue it but in vayne vnto thy husband for he coueteth to haue another wyfe Nor thou dost coÌ„mitte y e care of thy soule but in vayn vnto thy kinsfolke for there shal no manne faithfully redeme nor ayde the after thou be departed because that thou beyng in prosperitie woldest not redeme nor helpe thy selfe Cast now o thou couetous manne this burden of auaritiousnes froÌ„ thy shoulders despise this most cruel mistres that doth thus hardlye yoke thee nor will not suffer thee to accepte and take the yoke of Christe vpon thee For as the yoke of auarice is wonte to thruste and to leade men to the paynes of hell so the yoke of Christ is woÌ„t to lift men vp to bring theÌ„ to y e ioyes of heaueÌ„ Tithes are required of dutie he that denieth to paye theÌ„ doth inuade occupie other mens goodes And loke how many poore men die and perish there for huÌ„ger where he y t will not paye his tithes doth dwel he before the seate of the eternall iudge shall appeare gyltye of all theyr deathes for asmuche as he kepte that to hys owne vse store whiche God had prepared for y e pore Therfore who so coueceth to obtayne a re or the forgeuenes of his synnes let him paye his tithes geue of the other nine partes his charitie to the poore beware y t whatsoeuer remayneth aboue a meane a reasonable liuing be not hurded vp to luxurious volup tuous vses but y t it by doinge of good charitable dedes be layd vp in the celestial treasure For whatsoeuer God doth geue vs more then neadeth he geueth it not specially vnto vs but willeth vs to distribute to geue the same vnto other for if we geue it not we inuade occupie other mens goodes ¶ Of sorcery witchecrafte Ser. xi IT is not vnknowen vnto you good brethren that I haue oftentimes prayed you and with al fatherly sollicitude admonished you y t in no maner of wise ye should obserue kepe these sacrilegius customer of paganes But yet as farforth as I do heare my admonition hathe profited some of you but very slenderly litle But yet if I should not shewe you these thinges at y e day of iudgemeÌ„t I shuld geue but a slender an heauy rekening bothe for my selfe you But I excuse cleare my selfe before God when y t oftentimes I do admonish warne you that ye shuld not seke vpoÌ„ these diuiners calkers nor questen w t theÌ„ of any cause or of anye disease Ye shal medle w t no inchauÌ„ters for whosoeuer doth that euil loseth his christianite becometh a pagane and without he succur ayde him selfe with almose dedes and with hard longe penaunce he shalbe lost for euer In like maner looke that ye take no hede to witche craft And wheÌ„ ye be in your iorneye regard not the syngynge and chatterynge of byrdes nor presume not vpon theyr songes to denunce or shewe any deuillishe inchauntment or sorcery Ye shall not obserue nor marke vpon what daye ye go for the of your house nor when ye shall returne home agayne For as scripture doth saye God made al the dayes The first day is made the second and the thirde likewise the fourth the fift the sixte the Sabboth And god made all thinges verye good Take hede also that ye obserue not those sacrilegius folishe nesinges But as oft as ye must nedes goo anye where blesse your selfe in y e name of Christ Jesus saying your crede or els the lordes prayer w t good belefe take your iorney being well assured y t god shall helpe prospere you And when y t ye shall beginne god willing to contemne despise al these forsayd sorceries and sacrilegius fashions with such other wycked thynges as Satan hathe deceaued you withall then shal he take it greuously perceauing y t ye departe
commit periury But whether they be men or women that exercise and doe suche vngodly workes thei nether receaue the name of a Christian nor yet the sacramente of baptysme to theyr ayde and consolation but to theyr iudgement and damnatiō And without they repente theym and doe penaunce they shall peryshe for euer Now good brethren I haue opened vnto you who be good and who be euyl Christians And therfore folow those that ye se and perceaue to be good chasten chyde and correcte those ye know to be nought y t through your owne vtilite and theyr amendemente ye may haue and optayne doble rewarde For they that are good chaste sober hūble and gentle wyll by the grace of God continue in theyr good and godly workes and the myslyuers quickelye or euer they departe from hense amend them selues for yf they die without repentaūce they shall not come to ioye but to perpetuall and euerlastynge death from the whiche God vouchesafe to delyuer vs. So be it ¶ Of the mistery frute and manner of fastynge in Lent iii. Ser. WE oughte to esteme suppose y e whole tyme of oure lyfe to be a place to exercise vertue in and with al vertue to stryue to come to the celestiall rewarde But that must and oughte most specially to be done and fulfilled in this holy tyme and dayes of Lent the whiche dayes beyng halowed with abstinēce and fastyng do adde so much to the vertue of y e soule how muche they diminishe of the voluptuous pleasure of the body This is alawfull number of fasting dayes the whiche are celebrated in holy examples Moyses when he shoulde receaue the lawe of God did fast forty dayes and forty nightes without other meate or dryncke by such abstinence and fastyng he was prepared and ordeyned to receaue the wyll and the commaundementes of God Helias after he had fasted fortye dayes was translated and caried out of the world in a charet of fire to the hiest place of heauē Our lord and sauiour through fastinge of xl dayes did triumphe and ouercame the temptations of the deuil and as victorious came to y e predication and declaration of the gospell And we in like maner oughte to faste and to obsrrue these dayes ▪ the whiche we do reade to be consecrated and halowed by suche examples Let vs therefore consecrate and honour these dayes with al alacrite ioyfulnes of heart and minde prefer them aboue al wordly bankets and bodely debate For in these dayes we are most kindled and inflamed to fulfil the wil and the cōmaun dements of god for through abstinence the pleasure of the body is much swaged and debated Truly the pure minde doth then make most haste to God and to do and fulfil hys commaundementes when it is not mistempered wyth surfettynge nor wyth the sacietie of meates and drynkes Where of oure Sauioure in hys Gospell dothe saye Take hede to youre selues leste youre heartes be ouercomme with surfets with dronckennes and with worldelye cares and cogitations leste that sodayne daye come on you vnwares for it shall come as a snare vpon y ◠vniuersall worlde and no mā shall scape it Also this great vtilitie and profyt is in these hungery and fastinge dayes for through suche abstinence and abstayninge from lawful thynges we are monished muche exhorted to abstayne frō that which is vnlawfull We abstayne from fleshe the whiche vpon other dayes we may vse lawfully We abstain from wyne the whiche we maye vse moderatelye Let vs therfore which do exchue and auoyde the thynge that is lawfull flye and aboue all thynges auoyde synne that can neuer be well and lawfullye vsed And if we intende purpose to fast from meat let vs aboue all thinges fast and abstayne frō synne For what doth it auayle vs to abstayn or to voyd the body of meat if we replenish the soule with vyce and synne What doeth it profytte the to be pale and wanne with fastynge if thou be blowen and pufte vp with hatred and enuy What doth it auayle vs to abstaine from wyne yf we be droncken and full of the poysen of anger What auauntageth it the to abstayne from flesh ordeyned to be eaten yf thou backbyte and speake malitiously of thy neyghbour What doth it auayle vs to abstayne frome those thynges whiche are at sometimes lawefull if we do those thinges which are neuer lawfull Therfore let vs as I haue sayd fast and abstayne from meat but muche more frō vice that we maye be replenished with the abundance of good holy conuersation and in time to come deserue merite through gods grace and fauor to be satisfied with the reward of good workes For they as we do read in the gospel are blessed that hūger and thirst iustice for they shalbe satisfied In trueth we oughte to choose thys cōpensation that is to geue to distribute such meates as we do abstayne fro to the poore neadye For it is written Blessed be they that are content to suffer that in another place they may be refreshed For that gyft is acceptable vnto God when the neadye is fed and refreshed when the bare is clothed when anger is not perfourmed nor finished whē y e time of anger is not kept and whē euil is not done for euil Our fastinges are then thankeful and acceptable vnto God when we do refreshe and cōfort those that faste for verye nede necessite for then we shal heare this sentence Uerely I say vnto you inasmuche as ye haue done it vnto one of y e least of these ye haue done it to me O the great be nignitie and goodnes of god the which to represse and asswage the couetousnesse of man saith y t whatsoeuer is geuen to the least poore man that is is geuen vnto himselfe The goodnes of God graunte you my brethren that ye may so serue please hym with your abstinence almes dedes good workes that he the whiche doth lyue eternallye maye brynge you to the eternall and true lyfe So be it ¶ Of fastynge in Lent and almes dedes iiii Ser. I Praye you in lyke maner I admonyshe you my derely beloued brethren y e none of you do presume to dyne in this lawfull and moste holye tyme of Lent except it be vpon the sundaye or that paraduenture ye be in suche care and weakenesse that your in firm tie and sicknes doth not suffer you to fast For why to fast vppon other dayes is other a remedye or elles a rewarde but not to abstaine in dent is synne He that at any other tyme doeth faste shall haue pardon and remission but he that doth not fast and abstayne in Lente shall fele payne And yet let hym that through feblenes cannot fast prepare somewhat as secretlye as maye be for hym selfe and other if there be any modiseased than hym selfe that they maye eate it together But he shall inuite nor call none such to his repast dinner