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Page  [unnumbered]Therfore brethren, cast not downe your hartes, be not sory for your chaunce, haue no enuye at the ryche folkes, whiche seme to haue thinges as they would haue, deuise no reuengement against them, but pacientely suffer them vnto the commyng of the lorde.

Now is the tyme of sowinge, than shalbe the time of reaping. The rewardes of youre godlynes doo not yet appeare, but yet they are in sauetie to be deliue∣red in theyr tyme. Beholde, he that is a tyllour of grounde, what labour taketh he, to his owne coste, and all in hope that the grounde shal in his tyme yelde the thinge that it receyued with aduauntage. And yet the profite of the groundes is not in euery place certayne. If it be not fauourable wether, and seasonable rayne in tyme to moysten the grounde that is tilled, and at the latter ende to kepe the corne whan it waxeth bigge, from the heate, the husbande loseth hys labour. And where he taketh longe labours here, vpon good hope of frute in tyme, & requireth not that it shoulde by and by appeare vp whiche he hathe so∣wed: how muche more is it reason, that you should paciently suffre the displea∣sures of thys lyfe for the frute of Immortalyties sake, namely seinge your re∣warde is in sauetie, so that you in the meane while make a good sedenes? And therfore after the example of the husbande, confirme you and plucke vp your stomackes strongly vpon good and sure hope, beinge nether desirous of re∣uengement, nether wearye of well doinge. The lorde will comme, bothe to take vengeaunce vpon the wicked, and to rewarde you with immortalytie for your temporall affliccyons. Nether is that daye longe to, it shall come soner than it is loked for. Therfore my brethren, let no man thynke hym selfe the more vn∣fortunate, in that he is •••moiled with many sorowes, nether let any manne en∣•y hī that lyueth more at hartes ease. For nether is he, that suffreth the greater griefe, forsaken of God, but is exercised vnto greater rewardes: nether is thys manne therfore the more beloued of God, because he lyueth in more quietnes: but he wyll haue some, whose godlynes should ease other mennes miseries. Let not therfore that vngodly mourning ••e token of malice and infydelitie) be a∣monge you that you be not condemned. For suche kynde of sorowfull mour∣nynges are the fore tokens of a mynde that wryeth downe vnto desperacyon: let the shortenes of the tyme comforte you. Beholde the iudge standeth at the doore, the rewardes are in a readynes for euery one accordinge to the desertes of hys lyfe paste. In the meane tyme garnyshe youre myndes with the exam∣ples of holy fathers: if these thinges sholde haue happened to none but you, there had ben matter perchaunce for you to maruaile at. The prophetes suffred more greuous matters, which opened the true sayinges of God vnto y^e wicked. And like as the wicked riche men at that tyme▪ could not abyde the prophetes sayinges, euen so they canne not abyde the Gospelles doctrine nowe, because it is contrary and repugnaunt agaynste theyr studyes. Yet no manne beway∣leth the prophetes chaunce, no manne thynketh them vnhappye, in that they suffred emprisonmentes and fetters, nor in that they were slayne with sondrye kyndes of tormentes: but we iudge them happye, in that they were slayne for righteousnes sake. You haue hearde tell of the noble example of pacience of Iob. What a sorte of sorowes suffred he, by the cruel assaultes of Satan? you haue marked hys wrestlyng, and you haue marked hym also getting the victo∣rie through the lordes helpe: by whose goodnes for euery thynge that was ta∣ken from hym by the malyce of Satan, he receyued agayne twise as muche. Page  xl The lorde forsoke not his stowte champion, but in laying vpon hym so many sorowes, he wolde haue his pacience recorded and seene: yea and that mercyfull lorde, and of his owne nature ready vnto clemencye, turneth vnto vs an other mannes malyce into the heape and vauntage of felycitie. Let youre mynde bee pure and playne, and let youre harte and youre mouthe gooe bothe together. Let no man with feyned wordes deceaue his neighbour, but especyally my bre∣thren, sweare not: lest by lytell and litell you accustume your selues to forsweare you. Amonge Iewes and heathens for fidelyties sake there is an othe put be∣twene. But amonge Christians, whiche ought nether to distrust any manne, ne∣ther be in will to deceaue, it is a vayne thyng to sweare. Who so euer is accus∣tumed to sweare, is cousyn garmayne to the perill of forswearyng. Be you a∣frayed not onely to sweare by God in humayne affaires and in lyght matters, but also absteyne from al kynde of swearing, that you sweare nether by heauen, nether by earthe or any other thynge that the commune people esteme for holy and religious. Who so euer dare be bolde to lye without swearinge, he dare do the same also when he sweareth, if he luste. To be brief, he that is a good manne will beleue a manne without swearyng, and he that naught is, will not truste a manne though he sweare. But amonge you that are furnyshed with Gospellike playnesse, there is nether place of dystrustinge, ne to ymagin deceate. But let youre playne communicacion bee regarded for no lesse true and stedfaste, than any maner of othe of the Iewes or Paganes, how holy so euer it bee. As often as you confirme any thynge, confirme it with all youre harte: and performe in dede the thinge that you speake. As ofte as you denye any thinge, denye it with youre whole hearte: nether let any thynge elles bee in youre hearte, than youre mouthe speaketh: that there be no counterfaictynge in you, seing you are dis∣ciples of the trueth. And if there bee any manne sore afflicted amonge you, let hym not flee to the remedies of thys worlde, to rynges, to inchauntmentes, to baynes, and other easementes of sorowe, but let hym turne hym to prayer and lyfte vp hys mynde to God with most assured faithfull trust, and he shall f••de present relea•se of his mournyng. Agayne if a manne be well content in prospe∣ritie, let him not enhaunce him selfe folishely nor behaue hym selfe madlye, but let him praise the liberall goodnesse of God in holy songes of thankes geuing. Nowe if any manne be punnyshed with syckenes, let hym not flee to the reme∣dies of witchecrafte: let hym not spende a great sight of money vpon phisici∣ons, whose curing is many tymes of suche sorte, that it were better pacientlye to departe out of the world: but let hym call vnto him the elders of the christian congregacion. Let them make theyr prayers to God for the dyseased, and an∣noynte him with oyle, not hauyng any prayers of wytchecrafte, as the heathen are wont to doe, but callyng vpon the name of oure lorde Iesu Christe, then the which there is no kinde of enchauntmente, more effectuall. And let the prayers be done in a trusty faithe, and God shall heare and preserue the diseased. And there shall not only healthe of bodye bee restored vnto hym, if it be expedient for the diseased, but also if he bee endaungered with synnes (as diseases of bodye spryng for the moste parte of the sorowes of the mynde) they shalbe forgeuen hym at the elders supplicacions, so that the faith of them be commendable that doe praye and of hym for whome they dooe praye.