ABSTRACT

Good men and woymen, þes þre dayes suyng Monday, Tuysday, 87 a and Wanysday 3e schull fast and come to chyrch: || husbond, 16 wyfe, and seruant; for all we byn synners, and nedyþe þe mercy of God. Wherfor ry3t as a man may not 3 excuse hym of synne, ry3t soo holy chyrche ordeyneþe þat no man schall excuse hym of þes processyons þat may godly be þer. Then he 20 þat wythdrawyth hym from holy chyrche þes dayes, he synnyþe greusely befor God and hys sayntys. Furst he synnes yn pryde; for he ys vnbuxom to holy chyrche not doyng hor comaundement. He synnyþe also yn slouþe þat wot hymself yn synne, þat 24 woll not com to þe chyrche, forto pray to God and hys sayntys for socour and remission. He synneþe also gretly forto absent hym from Godys seruyce yn dew tyme. Wherfor ry3t as he wythdrawyth hym wylfully from þe 4 company of Godys pepull þat 28 ben gedered, forto Serue God yn holy tyme, ry3t soo God departyþe hom from þe company of Heuen and of suffrages þat ben done 5 yn holy chyrche, tyll þay com to amendement. Wherfor yche man and woman enfors hym forto com to þe chyrche þes 32 150dayes, and pray deuotly to þe holy sayntys of Heuen þat þay now helpe vs in our nede, as þay wolden sum tyme haue ben holpen, whill þay wer lyuyng here in erþe at hor nede. Then for we 4 synnen in þre wayes, þat ys: yn þo3t, in worde, and yn dede, we schull fast þes þre dayes and do oþyr penaunce wyth; for wyth prayers and fastyng þe power of þe fende ys put away. God for-3euyth man hys gylt, and all þe angelys of Heuen ben made glad 8 and ioyfull. Þus schull 3e fyrst pray to God for remission of your synnes, and syþen to be holpen and socourt in dyuers myscheues and perelles þat fallyþe namely yn þis tyme of þe 3ere mor þen any othyr tyme; for now þondyrs ben oft herd.