[We give some extracts from this epistle, partly as a matter of
curiosity, and partly to show the credulity of our ancestors, and the
means by which they were awed into what was to them a new religious
observance.]
"I, the Lord, who commanded you that ye should observe the Dominical
day, and ye have not kept it, and ye have not repented of your sins,
as I said by my gospel, heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word
shall not pass away; I have caused repentance unto life to be
preached unto you, and ye have not believed; I sent pagans against
you, who shed your blood, yet ye believed not; and because ye kept
not the Dominical day, for a few days ye had famine; but I soon gave
you plenty, and afterwards ye did worse; I will again, that none from
the ninth hour of the Sabbath until the rising of the sun on Monday,
do work any thing unless what is good, which if any do, let him amend
by repentance; and if ye be not obedient to this command, amen, I say
unto you, and I swear unto you by my seat, and throne, and cherubim,
who keep my holy seat, because I will not change any thing by another
epistle; but I will open the heavens, and for rain I will rain upon
you stones, and logs of wood, and hot water by night, and none may be
able to prevent, but that I may destroy all wicked men. This I say
unto you, ye shall die the death, because of the Dominical holy day
and other festivals of my saints which ye have not kept. I will send
unto you beasts having the heads of lions, the hair of women, and
tails of camels; and they shall be so hunger-starved that they shall
devour your flesh, and ye shall desire to flee to the sepulchres of
the dead, and hide you for fear of the beasts; and I will take away
the light of the sun from your eyes; and I will send upon you
darkness, that without seeing ye may kill one another; and I will
take away my face from you, and will not show you mercy; for I will
burn the bodies and hearts of all who keep not the Dominical holy
day. Hear my voice, lest ye perish in the land because of the
Dominical holy day. Now know ye, that ye are safe by the prayers of
my most holy mother Mary, and of my holy angels who daily pray for
you. I gave you the law from Mount Sinai, which ye have not kept. For
you I was born into the world, and my festivals ye have not known;
the Dominical day of my resurrection ye have not kept; I swear to you
by my right hand, unless ye keep the Dominical day and the festivals
of my saints, I will send pagans to kill you."
Provided with this new command from heaven, "_Eustachius_ preached in
various parts of England against the desecration of the Dominical day,
and other festivals; and gave the people absolution upon condition
that they hereafter reverence the Dominical day, and the festivals of
the saints." And the people vowed to God, that thereafter they would
neither buy nor sell any thing but food on Sunday.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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