he hadde fyve breþeren, and he wolde þat þei weren warnid to amenden hem of her lyf; not for charite þat men dampned in helle have to lyvyng men or ellis to dampned men; for as seintis in hevene wanten envye, so dampned men failen in charite; but he dredde him of his peyne þat he shulde have by dampnyng of hise breþren; for he assentide to hem in þer wickide lyf. But Abraham seide to him þat þei have Moyses and prophetis in þer bokes þat þei writen, heere þei hem spedely, and kepe þei Goddis commandementis; and þis riche dampned man seide to Abraham, Nay, Fadir Abraham, but if ony of dede men wende to hem and warne hem, þei shal do penaunce, and flee þer dampnacioun. But Abraham seide aȝen, þat ȝif þei heeren not Moyses and prophetis þat spaken by God, þei shall not trowe to dede men; for þer wordes ben of lasse evydence, and it falliþ not to God to make a newe lawe and newe miraclis for ech man þat shal be dampned, as Crist wolde not come doun of þe crosse to conferme the fals Jewis.
In [The language of this concluding paragraph shows that these homi|lies were written rather with a view to publication than to delivery from the pulpit.] þis Gospel may preestis telle of fals pride of riche men, and of lustful lyf of myȝty men of þis worlde, and of longe peynes of helle, and joyful blis in hevene, and þus lengþe þer sermoun as þe tyme axiþ. And marke we how þis gospel telliþ þat þis riche man was not dampned for extorsioun or wrong þat he dide to his neiȝbore, but for he failide in werkes of mercy; and þus shulde we warne boþ o man and oþer how sum men shal be dampnyd more felly for raveyne, and sum shal be dampnyd more softly, for misusinge of Goddis goodis.
ÞE SECUNDE SONDAI GOSPEL AFTER TRYNYTE.
[SERMON II.]
Homo quidam fecit coenam magnam.—LUC. xiiii. [16.]
ÞIS gospel moveþ men bi witt of a parable to desire spedely to come to hevene. We shal undirstonde þat eche worde of
