you maye in youthe teche theÌ„ what ye wyll / and that shall they lengest kepe remembre We shuld therfore aboue all thynges take hede and care in what company our chylderen bene nourysshed and brought vp For educacion and doctrine that is to saye bryngynge vp and lernynge done make the maners with good and vertuous persones saythe the prophete you shal be good and vertuous Psalmo xvii And with the euyll persones you shall be also euyll Let our chylder therfore vse and kepe good company The pye the iay and other byrdes done speake what they moste here by eare The plouer by syght wyll folowe the gesture and behauyour of the fowler And the ape by exercise wyll worke and do as she is taught / and so wyll the dogge by violence contrary to naturall disposicion lerne to daunce The chylder therfore that by reason don far excede other creatures wyll bere awaye what they here spoken they shulde therefore be vsed vnto suche company where they shulde here none euyll / but where they maye here godly and Christian wordes They wyll also haue in theyr gestures and behauyoure suche maners as they se beholde in other persones And as they bene taught / so wyll they do / and in many thynges they maye be compelled vnto a contynuall custome / whiche dothe alter and chaunge naturall disposicion Vnto some craftes or occupacions a certayne age is requyred in chylder / but vertu and vyce maye be lerned in euery age We must se therfore that in any wyse you vse no company but good and vertuous And as soone as they can speke we must also teche our chylder to serue god and saye the Pater noster Aue. and Crede as I sayd before And nat only our chylder but also se and proue that all our seruauÌ„tes what age so euer they be of caÌ„ say the same And therfore don we vse dayly the in euery mele / dyner or soupper / one persone shulde with lowde voyce say thus The fyrst peticion PAter noster qui es in celis sanctificetÌ„ nomen tuum ✿ Good lorde god our holy father the arte in heueÌ„ let thy name he sanctified that is to meane / I beseche the graunte vs grace to blesse to honoure to laude and prayse thy holy name The seconde ¶ Adueniat regnum tuum ✿ Good lord god our father that art in heuen / let thy kyngdome come that is I beseche the lorde that all the people of the worlde may come vnto the grace of baptisme and so be the faythfull subiectes of thy realme and kyngdome of Christianite The thyrde ¶ Fiat voluntas tua sicut in celo et in terra ✿ Good lorde god our father that arte in heuen lett thy wyll be wrought in erth as it is wrought in heuen that is to meane I beseche the lorde that all thy christian people here in erth maye perfourme thy wyll and kepe thy coÌ„maundementes after theyr estate and condicion as thy holy angels and sayntes done in heuen after theyr state and degre The fourthe ¶ Panem nostrum cotidianuÌ„ da nobis hodie ✿ Good lorde god our holy father that arte in heuen gyue and graunte vnto vs this day our dayly brede that is to meane I beseche the good lord graunte vnto vs contynually the spirituall fode grace and effecte of thy holy sacramentes Or thus Graunte vnto vs the contynuall grace and effecte of thy holy sacramentes / whiche is the dayly fode of our soules spirituall suerty of our saluacion The fyfthe ¶ Et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris ✿ Good lord god our holy father that arte in heuen forgyue vs our dettes as we done forgyue our detters that is to meane I beseche the good lord forgyue and pardon me and all Christians all maner of offences and trespaces done agaynste the and thy lawes / lykewyse as we done forgyue all maner of persones all maner of greues and trespaces done agaynste vs. The .vi. ¶ Et ne nos inducas in teÌ„tationem ✿ Good lord god our holy father that arte in heuen / lede vs nat in to temptacion / that is to meane I beseche the good lord suffre me not ne any Christian to be lede or brought by any temptation / vnto the full consente of any synne The .vii. ¶ Sed libera nos a malo ✿ But good lorde god our holy father that arte in heueÌ„ delyuer me all christians from euyll that is to meane I beseche the good lorde / that not onely thou kepe me and all thy people from all synne and offence of thy goodnes / but also that thou wylte delyuer and make vs quyte of all synnes paste / and conserue and kepe vs continually in the state of grace AmeÌ„ So be it that is to meane / good lorde we beseche the that all these thynges maye come to passe in full effecte / accordynge to our peticion and desyre This prayer of the Pater noster / is the most excellent prayer bycause the our sauyour made it hym selfe / and taught it to his disciples ¶ The Aue Maria is the most plesaunte prayer and of most honoure vnto our blessed lady bycause one parte therof is the salutacion of the angell Gabriell wherby immediatly after her consente she conceyued the sone of god in her wombe And the other parte was spokeÌ„ vnto her by saynt Elizabeth inspired and moued thervnto by the spirite of god the holy ghost And therfore do we set forth the Aue maria after suche maner as we dyd the Pater noster AVe Maria gratia plena dominê° tecum benedicta tu in mulieribus et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus AmeÌ„ ⧠Hayle Mari full of grace god is with the. Blessed be thou amoÌ„g women and blessed be the fruyte of thy wombe Iesus Christe god and man Amen So mote it be ¶ That fyrst worde Aue whiche I do Englyshe after the commune maner hayle is a worde of salutacion as we say in commune coÌ„gresses or metynges together God spede you god saue you god blesse you Good morowe / good eueÌ„ god spede god be at your game god be at your werke god sende you with suche other after the maner of the countrey where it is spoken And the last worde Amen it is a worde of consente or desyre that the mater spokeÌ„ before shuld vnderstande what euery worde meaneth ¶ Nowe doth folowe the Crede ¶ The fyrste article CRedo in deuÌ„ patrem omnipotentem Saynte Peter creatorem celi et terre ✿ I byleue vpoÌ„ god the father almyghty maker of heuen of erth This terme In deum / is diuersly Englysshed some done saye / in to god some inwardly in god / some perfytly in god But the mooste commune vse of the countrey of the vnlerned people / is to saye I byleue vpon god and vpon his fayth / but all dothe meane in effecte
comforde the myndes of thy people Replenyshe and fulfyll with thy moste hyghe grace those hartes and soules that thou thy selfe haste create and made The secoÌ„de verse ¶ Qui paracletus diceris donuÌ„ dei altissimi fons viuus ignis charitas et spiritualis vnctio âšœ Come thou holy spirite That arte called and named the essenciall comforde and comforter of all Christians The gyft and rewarde of mooste hygh god The quykke and lyuely founteyn / and well of lyfe The mystike fyre that is the charite diuine And the spiritual vnction and medicine of all synners The .iii. verse ¶ Tu septiformis munere dex tre dei tu digitus Tu rite promisso patris / sermone ditaÌ„s guttura That is âšœ Come holy spirite that vnto vs by thy gracious .vii. gyftes art seuenfold bouÌ„tuous beneficiall for thou good lord art the fynger of the ryght hand of god âšœ Shewynge vnto vs the ryght way of all prosperite saluacioÌ„ and goodnes makynge our speche ryche and pleÌ„tuous orderly to speke thy holy worde by the vertue of our sauyoure Iesu the essenciall word / or speche of the father of heuen promysed vnto vs. The .iiii verse ¶ Accende lumen sensibê° Infunde amoreÌ„ cordibê° Infirmanti corporis virtute firmans ê‘petim That is âšœ Good lord holy ghost we beseche the acceÌ„de kyndle gyue lyght vnto our senses vnto our wyttes our felynge ê‘ceyuyng vndstandyng Infunde good lord ministre shede and powre downe thy loue vnto our hartes And by vertue and ghostly strength make thou firme constant and stable perpetually and contynually the infirme feble and frayle disposicions of our bodye The .v. verse ¶ HosteÌ„ repellas longius pa cemque dones protinus ductore sic te preuio vitemus omne noxium That is âšœ Come good lorde holy ghost And put froÌ„ vs ferre away our ghostly enemye forthwith gyue vs contynuall peace That so by the our lodesman gyde we maye eschue auoyde all that shuld vnto vs be noyouse or synfull The .vi. verse ¶ Per te sciamus da patrem noscamus atque filium te vtriu que spiritum credamê° omni tempore That is âšœ Come good lorde holy ghoste and graunt vs that by the / and thy meane we may know the father of heuen / and also in lykewyse we maye knowe his essenciall sone and that we maye at all tymes bylyue that thou art the holy spirite of them both and the same selfe god The .vii. verse ¶ Sit laus patri cuÌ„ filio / sancto simul paracleto / nobisque mutat filius charisma sancti spiritus That is âšœ Laude and prayse be vnto the father with the sone and with theÌ„ both vnto the holy ghost And we beseche and pray that the sone accordynge vnto his promyse wolde vouchsafe to sende vnto vs the grace of the holy ghost AmeÌ„ The versicle âšœ Emitte spiritum tuuÌ„ et creaabuntur That is âšœ Sende downe good lord thy spirite and all thy people shall be newly framed refreshed The answere ¶ Et reneuabis faciem terre That is âšœ And so good lord shalt thou renewe and comforde the face countenaunce and behauyoure of every faythfull persone The prayer ¶ The collect oration or prayer DEus cui omne cor patet et omnis voluÌ„tas loquitur / et quem nulluÌ„ latet secretuÌ„ purifica per infusionem sancti spiritus cogitationes cordis nrÌ„i vt te perfecte diligere et digne laudare mereamur Per Christum dominum nostrum Amen âšœ That is to meane Good lord god vnto whome euery harte is open and knowen / euery wyll doth specke and shewe what is thought and vnto whom no secrete or couÌ„sell is hyd or vnknowen we beseche the / purifie and clense by the infusion of thy holy spirite all the cogitacions and thoughtes of our hart that so we maye deserue perfectly to loue the and duely and worthely to laude and prayse the and this we done axe and desyre / by the meane and in the name of Chrste our lord mayster Amen ¶ An other collect oracioÌ„ or prayer to be sayd forthwith vnder one ende ACtiones nostras quesumê° domine aspiraÌ„do preueni et adiuuando prosequere vt cuncta nostra operatio et a te semper incipiat / et per te cepta finiatur Per Christum dominuÌ„ nostrum Amen That is to meane âšœ We beseche the good lorde that the grace of thy holy spirite may go before all our werkes and the helpe and coÌ„forte of the same grace maye also folowe and performe the same so that all our operacion workyng may of the alway begynne and so begon may by the be finished / performed / by the good lord I meane Christ our mayster Amen Or if you haue but small or shorte tyme you maye saye these two verses with the sayd versycle / collectes or without at your pleasure ¶ The fyrst verse REx Christe clementissime / tu corda nostra posside vt tibi laudes debitas reddamus oiÌ„ tempore That is âšœ Good lord and sauyour Christe / most gentell and curteyse kynge we byseche the take receyue our hartes into thy possession gouernaunce So that we maye in euery tyme or at all tymes render and yelde vnto the due laudes and prayse ¶ The seconde verse ¶ Sit laus patri cum filio c. as you haue before both in latin Englyshe These thynges thus spede then go forthe with youre interpryse mater of meditacion For saynte Augustyne saythe that meditacion dothe ingender / Augusti de spiritu et anima cap. l. and brynge forthe science or knoweledge science dothe bryng forthe compunction and compunction bryngeth forthe deuocion / deuocion dothe make prayer perfecte All these thaÌ„ by ordre be very necessary good / and conueniente for this purpose Fyrst than bygyn with meditacion This terme meditacion is as muche to say or to meane as a bysy muche vsed cogitacion or thought when the mynd is applyed and doth labour curiously / wysely / diligently / groundly to serche out bryng to lyght those thynges that be obscure darke hard to perceyue or vnderstond so to bryng vnto knowledge or remembrauÌ„ce suche thynges as ben hyd out of knowledge or out of mynd If we than wyll opteyne haue grace worthely to accede approyche vnto this holy mystery of communion lett vs fyrste exercise our hartes and myndes in good and fruytfull meditacion For the holy spirite of god saythe scrypture doth auoyde fle frome fayned and peynted holynes and dothe withdrawe hym selfe frome those cogitacioÌ„s thoughtes that ben without vnderstoÌ„dynge good reason auctoryte ¶ The ghostly chylde Syr wherwith or iÌ„ what maner of meditacions wolde you we shuld exercise our myndes specially agayn or byfore suche tyme of houselynge ¶ The ghostly father I thynke that vnto them that haue short tyme
nowe wholy fully to recouÌ„te and reherce is vnto me for theyr multitude iÌ„possyble Wherfore with moost humble and lowly hart moost harty and desyrous wyll of perfecte contricion I vtterly forsake theÌ„ all And althoughe nothynge of my deseruynge yet good lorde for the honour of thy precious blode the merytes of thy bytter passion and most cruell most paynfull most shamefull deth I instaÌ„tly requyre aske craue moost mekely lowly beseche thy gracious benignity goodnes of mercy forgiuenes And that from hensforthe I maye haue thy grace lorde in whole fayth stronge hope perfecte charite / to fle auoyd and forsake all synne And in all my thoughtes wordes dedes / maners / contenauÌ„ces / behauiours / to ordre my selfe in vertue vnto the pleasure honoure of thy grace the welthe and saluacioÌ„ of my soule and vnto the edificacioÌ„ of all Christians And herunto I beseche our lady saynt Mary thy holy mother euer virgin / all the blessed company of heuen / and all faythfull persones to praye for me Amen ¶ All these partes of the masse yf you may conueniently shulde be herde standynge That is to saye / the office the kyrie Gloria in excelsis and specially the gospell with due reuerence at this worde Iesus The preface also the Pater noster sancte IohnÌ„s Gospell ¶ At the fyrst collectes pystle Myne owne good lorde and moost swete sauyour Iesu I beseche thy goodnes to put away ferre frome me all iniquities and wyckednes / and of thy mercyfull louynge kyndenes kendle in my hart the flamynge fyre of thy ferueÌ„t loue Be not swete lord displeased with me ne kepe in mynd or remembrauÌ„ce the multitude of myne offences For I do not presume good lord to make prayer peticion here before thy godly presence of any goodnes / ryghtwysenes or any deseruyng of my selfe but onely of full hope and trust of thy myseracion mercyfull pytye Take frome me swete lorde this harde and stony hart / and gyue me lord for it a newe hart full of compunction and due contricion And gyue me a stomacke kynde louyng that maye dredfully loue the and louyngly drede the that maye delyte take pleasure in the lorde alone / and wylfully folowe the. And at the laste may ouertake and catche the / fast holde the fully possede the. And fynally in eterne blysse to se the / and fully to inioye the. Amen ¶ After the pystle MOost swete sauyoure and louynge lord Iesu / I beseche thy benignity for the anguysshe of thy holy harte in all thy labours / passioÌ„s / and paynes for me susteyned and suffred And for the effusion and shedyng of thy moost holy sacred blode and for the vertue of thy moost innocent precyouse dethe For the mystery also of this holy sacrament thy blessyd body and moost holy sacred bloode / in the immolacion / offerynge / and sacrifice wherof I moste vyle synner am present moost vnworthy wretche do approche And fynally I beseche the lord for thyne owne selfe haue pytye and mercye vpon me that am I knowe well the moost myserable wretche moost synfull caytyfe vpon erth Purify thou good lorde than / and clense my harte soule froÌ„ all vnlaufull affections So that in this tyme all tymes I maye duely and worthely do the seruice Graunte me good lorde very contricion of all my synnes / the grace also of true coÌ„punction / the fountayn of fruitfull teares / pure deuocion clere clene conscience / the coÌ„tinuall memory and mynd of thy bytter passion precyous dethe And of thy moost coÌ„fortable loue perpetuall feruor and desyre Amen ¶ After the gospell O Moost benigne mercyfull louer of maÌ„kynde my swete lord Iesu / I beseche thy grace for the dolorous painfull smertyng of all thy woundes grauÌ„t me the grace of pacience in all aduersyty and to dispise sett at naught the loue of this world and all the goodes and pleasurs therof and to be coÌ„tent with a necessary and meane liuinge And to kepe firmely and constantly by due perseueraunce vnto my laste ende this state and degree that thou haste put me in And to folowe alway by due obedience thy forther callynges dayly to increase profyte in vertue / and euer to haue contynually the feruent desyre of myne owne cuntrey heuenly home Graunt me forther good lord in all the coÌ„uersacion of my lyfe to haue and kepe due discipline good maner / christian behauyoure vnto the auoydyng euer of thy displeasure of the sclaunder occasion / offence of my neyghbour And so to haue groundely in my hart and soule very and vnfayned mekenes / true faythfull kyndenes and meritorious pacience vnto the pleasure and honour of thy grace / the welth of my soule and vnto the edificacion of all persones Amen ¶ In the tyme of the eleuacioÌ„ THe great clerck holy saynt Thomas of Aquine dothe set forth this prayer folowyng as very conuenient to be sayd in this tyme of the eleuacion âšœ Tu rex glorie Christe Tu patris sempiternus es filius And so forth as you haue at matyns The englyshe wherof we haue here sett forth with the latyne / for the increase of your deuocion âšœ Tu rex glorie Christe That is to meane I beleue / confesse / and knowledge that thou good lord Iesu christe my sauyour / beynge here vnder the fourme of brede wyne art the kynge of glory / very god âšœ Tu patris sempiternus es filiê° And that thou good lorde Iesu art the essenciall / eterne and euerlastyng sonne of the father of heuen celestiall âšœ Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem noÌ„ horruisti virginis vterum I beleue that thou good lord disposynge / and by determinacioÌ„ concludyng to take the nature of maÌ„ / and so to redeme and delyuer hym frome the bondage of synne dydeste not abhorre ne disdayne the flesshly wombe of the virgyn âšœ Tu deuicto mortis aculeo aperuisti credentibus regna celorum I beleue that thou good lorde the siynge darte of deth vaynquysshed and ouercomen dydest open vnto all thy faythfull people the realme and kyngdome of heuen âšœ Tu ad dexteram dei sedes in gloria patris I beleue that thou good lord that art here ê‘sent in this holy sacrameÌ„t doste syt remayne and rest in the glory of thy father vpoÌ„ the ryght hande of god or thus syttest and doste remayne rest in glory vpoÌ„ the ryght hande of god thy father âšœ Iudex crederis esse veÌ„turus I byleue that all faythfull peopell done beleue that thou shalt come agayne to iudge all the worlde âšœ Te ergo quesumus tuis famulis subueni quos precioso sanguine redemisti Therfore good lord we beseche the / helpe and socoure thy seruantes whom thou hast redemed and bought with thy precious blode âšœ Eterna fac cum sanctis tuis gloria munerari We beseche the also good
seuenth day of cessacion reste and pausacion THe .vii. consyderacion was of the werk of fruicioÌ„ that is to say / a ioyfull vse at ful pleasur / holly reioysyng and inioyeng our lorde And in the .vii. day wheÌ„ our lord had made all thynges perfect he ceased and rested and wrought no more but sanctified halowed that day And so after our glorificacion we shal no more merite but rest in our lord and sanctifie hym / laude / prayse / and loue hym / and in hym as is sayd haue all ioy / pleasure i. Cor. ii aboue that any eye maye se any eare may heare any mouth maye speake or any harte maye thynke ¶ Of the .viii. consyderacion / and of the .viii. day of eternite THe .viii. and last coÌ„syderaon was of perseueracion duraunce or suerty of these ioyes And the day of eternite is the day of all perfection wherin the ende and begynnynge be ioyned For that day was before all creatures / without beginnyng and that day shall contynue after all dayes wtout endyng Amen ¶ Thus haue we after our poore vnderstandyng performed this deuout request and yet was not the person coÌ„tent / but that nedely we shuld ioyne vnto these two eyghtes the thyrde .viii. of the .viii. beatitudes of the gospell sayng vnto me the reders be not bound but at theyr pleasure they maye as is sayd take what they wyll ¶ Of the .viii. beatitudes or blessed states of perfection Math. v OVr lorde and sauyour Iesu dyd set forthe in the gospell viii perfections or .viii. states or fourmes of perfection whiche he taught and betoke vnto his disciples by theym vnto vs. And vnto euery perfectioÌ„ or state he assigned appoynted a propre reward as you shall perceyue by ordre ¶ Of the fyrst beatitude THe fyrste beatitude that is the fyrste state of perfectioÌ„ of lyuynge is in latyne thus âšœ Beati pauperes spiritu The Englysshe wherof is The poore in spirite or of spirite bene blessed That is to meane that all suche persones as for the loue of god do lytle set by worldly ryches as to haue any loue or trust vnto theÌ„ but onely as may be necessary for theyr state and degree ben blessed This beatitude or state of perfectioÌ„ may be referred vnto the fyrst consyderacion of the benefyte of creacioÌ„ wherin the myghty power of God was consydered whiche thynge well coÌ„sydered / euery person may lyghtely and sone perceyue he hath no thynge of hym selfe ne any thynge that he maye call properly his owne but that all thynges as in very propertie done apperteyne vnto god and ben here but only lent vnto man wherof to gyue accounte and so may he be reasonably moued to gyue freely vnto god that is his owne and to retayne no thynge in propertie but all to be coÌ„mune in tyme of nede vnto the neyghbour accordynge vnto the wyll and coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of god and this is called pouertie of spirite In them also that haue ryches as lordes and not seruauÌ„tes therof and this is the fyrst and moost lowe degree or state of perfection / whiche notwitstondynge doth conteyne many degrees In the hygest degree wherof done religiouse persones lyue yf they kepe theyr promyse and vowe duely The rewarde of this beatitude / doth folowe Quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum For the realme and kyngdome of heuens dothe apperteyne and bylonge vnto theÌ„ They that is such persons pore in spirite for god haue here now the property and possession as it may be had in this lyfe of the heuyns after this lyfe they be sure therof For as I sayd there ben two heuens One aboue where God and his sayntes bene And an other bynethe that is the firmament and all thynges conteyned theryn The pore in spirite shall haue the possession of bothe For in this lyfe he hath all that is nedefull prouyded by our lorde a speciall grace to be content with his ordinauÌ„ce and after this myserable lyfe he shall haue the full property and possessioÌ„ of the very laude of euerlastyng lyfe Amen ¶ Of the seconde beatitude THe seconde beatitude and state of perfect lyfe / is âšœ Beati mites Blessed ben the mylde That is to meane / the such ê‘sones as be myld / soft sober curteyse geÌ„tyll restfull pacieÌ„t that in good can vaynquysh euyll Ro. xii d for the tyme can wyll gyue place vnto rebuks checks wylde rughe cruell behauioure ben in this state degre of perfection / whiche degree may be referred vnto the seconde coÌ„syderacion whiche was of the werke of gouernaunce the standeth in the consyderacioÌ„ of the wysedom and knowledge of god / whiche deply coÌ„sydered may lyghtely bryng downe the hyghe proude mynde of any persone so that he shall euidently perceyue that in coÌ„paracion vnto that wysedom he is but a very fole hathe neyther wysedom ne lernyng And so shall he begyn to bere a lowe sayle to be mylde and to chuse rather to be gouerned ruled than to rule or gouerne for that appertaynethe chiefely vnto myldenes The rewarde wherof dothe folowe QuoniaÌ„ ipsi possidebunt terraÌ„ That is for they shall possede or haue possession of the erth This terme the erth is takeÌ„ dyuersly One waye for the element that bereth bryngeth forth trees fruytes and graynes In an other maner it is takeÌ„ for the body of man whereof was sayd vnto Adam Gene. iii. erthe thou arte and to erth shalt thou go In a thyrde waye it is takeÌ„ for heuyn the land of life Psalm xxvi and of all these erthes shall the myld haue possessioÌ„ For the mylde persone desyreth no more of this worlde but the sufficient susttentacioÌ„ of the body and so doth he order his body by that sufficiently that he is lorde of all the passions and mocioÌ„s thereof and dothe constrayne the flesshe to serue the spirite the body to be duely subiect / subdued and in all obedient vnto the soule And finally he shall haue full and whole possession of the land that flowed mylke and hony Exo. iii. b that is the lande of lyfe euerlastynge Amen ¶ Of the thyrde beatytude THe thyrde beatitude or state of perfecte lyuynge / is âšœ Beati qui lugent Those persones that done mourne ben blessed This terme mournynge dothe betoken a sorowfull behauyour in coÌ„tenaunce in wordes in araye and suche other lyke behauyoures As in sadde and sorowfull lokes chere and countenaunce in wepynge waylynge / cryenge / complaynynge / wryngynge of handes / tearynge of heares or of clothes chauÌ„ge of araye / as you may se in funerales or buryalles Somtyme caused for the losse of goodes Somtyme of honours / dignities / degrees And somtyme for the losse or dethe of frendes And somtyme althoughe moste seldome for the offence of god ieopardy of soules And also for the feruent desyre of heuyn And this degree or state doth excede both the tother For as it is
thou shalt by that exercise obteyne moost ghostly pacience and meritoryous profyt ¶ Labour Iob. v. b Iudith v. ii Duo xiiii d Eccle. xxxiii d LAbour here muste by our lyfe For maÌ„ sayth scripture is born to labour the byrde to flye By labour payne penaunce by many tribulacions haue all faythfull persons passed this lyfe And by them onely / we muste entre the kyngedome of heuen and contrary ydlenes / ease and pleasure in honour and delycacy dothe teache a man moch myscheffe and euyll and bryngeth him at the last vnto the pyt of perdycyon ¶ Mercy MOche is the mercy of our lorde / shewed vnto maÌ„ in many sondry wyse / among all other specially vnto them that haue the spiryte of pouerte / that is to saye / a determynate wyll and mynde to be pore for the loue of god And be voyde as well of all honours and hyghe rowme and degree as of ryches worldely goodes / for pouerte bryngeth a persone vnto me kenes / and the other bryngethe hym by intycement and suggestioÌ„ of the enemy to clymbe on hyght / to the intent and ende that he may fall farre and be sore hurte Take and accounte pouerte therfore as a greate gyfte of the mercy of god who so euer duly doth gyue thaÌ„kes for the lytle gyftes shall mercyfully deserue to haue great gyftes ¶ Noyance NEuer shulde a very christiane noye or hurt / ne yet despyse any persone / but rather sythe by the gospell we be bouÌ„de to loue our enemyes Luc. vi â— we muste be sory for the noyaunce / hurt and trouble of any person / coÌ„fort them in all we may / or els shall we be accounted as dysdeyners of other persones / extollynge or exaltynge and preferrynge our selfe ¶ Oblacyon OFfre thy hart wholly vnto our lord For that oblacyon is vnto hym acceptable and pleasaunte âšœ Da mihi cor tuuÌ„ sufficit mihi Gyue vnto me saythe he thyne harte / that suffyseth / contenteth and is ynoughe for me Spende therfore thy tyme with hym in his seruice / and iudge and thynke nothynge more precyous then tyme / wherin we maye here meryte deserue to be where our tresure is / our hart shuld be that is in blysse Offre theÌ„ thy selfe for his sake vnto all persones / gentle / kynde and curteys And asmoche as maye be conuenient coÌ„penable / referrynge euer applyenge all that is good vnto our lord / and in all thynges folowe couÌ„seyle with delyberacioÌ„ ¶ Pleasure POndre and weye in euery thynge the pleasure of our lord / that is to meane / that in euery werke or dede we shulde fyrste consydre / and weye in conscience whether that dede shulde please hym or no / and than neuer for fauour ne fere to do contrary vnto the conscience And yf any doubte be in conscience we must then leue the werks for the tyme and resorte haue recourse other vnto holy scrypture / or els vnto the determinacyoÌ„ of the church / or at the leste vnto sure / wyse and lerned counseyle specially of our prelate or curate And neuer shulde we truste syngulerly vnto our selfe / ne leyne vnto our owne wyttes / we shulde accustome our selfe to seme dumbe rather than to speake to be more gladde to lerne then to teache to be reformed then to reforme / to byde secrete as an vnknowen persone rather than to shewe our selfe and appere outwarde after our owne propre estymacyon and of deceyueable opynyon ¶ Quyetude QVyetude rest of mynd is a great forderer of all maner of vertues we shulde therfore study to queÌ„ch all yre to represse all hasty passioÌ„s as well iÌ„ wordes signes tokens countenauÌ„ce behauyoure as in outwarde dedes And neuer shuld we take vpon vs to iudge or to be busy or to medle with other folkes maters specially that nothynge done apperteyne or byloÌ„g vnto vs. For the coÌ„mune ê“uerbe is Ecclesi vi a In lytyll medlyng is moch rest So thaÌ„ we shuld neuer gyue occasion of vnreste but rather study by ientle wordes to appese euery occasioÌ„ gyueÌ„ for a swete and ientle worde saythe the wyse man slaketh yre and multiplyeth and makethe frendes / yet shulde we not vtterly flye and avoyde occasyon of vnreste gyuen vnto vs / as rebuke persecucyon and suche other troubles but rather shulde we ordre our selfe vnto pacience for so without synne to folowe the commune maner and to auoyde all syngularite shall we best edify and buylde loue and charite come vnto perfectioÌ„ and of all thynges vnto quyetude of mynde auayleth moch the clennes of coÌ„science For if we do wel our duety in due tyme our coÌ„science shal be the more lyght our hart careles mery and we so quyete in mynde ¶ Rekenynge REturning oftymes and hauyng recourse vnto the inward parties of our hart we shuld at the lest ones in the day recount and make rekenyng with our lord and coÌ„sydre how we spend the tyme that by the temptacion of the enemy / and by our owne fraylte and neglygency specially in leauynge open our dores wyndowes that is to saye our senses and wyttes we royle not about ne wander or walke amonge the vayne pleasures and varyaunt desyres of the worlde And that we suffre not suche ghestes to entre by our sayde wyndowes dores into the chambre of our mynde that shuld noye vs by ryght loth without vyolence and extreme laboure to departe To byde therefor with our lorde in the secrecye of sylence and in precyse contynence of our sayde wyttes is a great surety and redynes for our sayd dayly rekenynge and accompte The Enlysshe prouerbe saythe Ofte rekenynge holdeth longe fellowsheppe ¶ Sobryete SObryete or sobrenes is proprely a due temperaunce in meate and drynke and oftymes it is taken for a moderacion a due meane discrecyoÌ„ in all other thynges therfore it is necessary for all christians specyally religyous persoÌ„es that must by theyr ordynauÌ„ce euer take in fedyng rather som what to lytle thaÌ„ any thynge to moche also to be moderate in aray prouydent ware and wyse in wordes honest in maners and all behauyoure sadde and charytable in conseyle Strong in aduersyte dredefull in prosperyte meke lowly pacyent in contuinely rebukes vpbraydes in sorowe deiectyon despectes cherefull and tractable And in all workes sobre dyscrete and moderate ¶ Tymorouse Tymorate / or as communely is sayde tymorouse is as moch to say as dredefull ferefull to offend Iob the symple dredefull persone / Iob. ix b. and of hygh perfectyon was not withstandynge in all his werkes dredefull How moche more than shuld it become or byseme vs that ben frayle persones to be dredefull / and euer in fere to offend our lord in the lest neglygeÌ„cy / offence or defaut / and neuer to presume vpoÌ„ any good dede ne yet to despeyre for any euyll or synfull dede Prouer. xix c
Eccle. i b Eccle. i. b Prouer. xv The begynnynge of all wysdome is the drede of god and in al our lyfe after the wyse man shuld we be dredefull For he that dredeth god sayth he shal at his ende haue good passage For the drede of god causethe vs to fle and auoyde synne / and moche helpeth forthereth that euery good dede may be done with due circumstaunce / so be meritoryous The dredeful persone wyll suffre take peyne to please our lorde / and so shall the thynge that seamed very harde in the begynnyng wax in processe of tyme lyght / easy and pleasaūt for all peyne and trouble taken and vsed for the kyngdome of heuen / is of great cōforte and gladnes ¶ Vauntage VTilyte profyte or vauntage is to sell or to chaūge a thyng of small pryce for a thynge of great pryce Or contrary to bye for lytell that is moche worth The state of perfectyon in this lyfe is moche worthe / but heuen is more worth Math. xix ◠Our lorde sauyour therfore coūseyled / aduysed a person to forsake sel all his wordly goodes to come here vnto the lyfe of perfection And after he shulde also haue for them the treasure of heuen And yf a man haue no goodes to sell yet may he bye heuē for a cup of cold water Mathei x. d An happy bargayn maketh he that for loue alone doth bye our lord and sauyour Iesu that by his crosse bytter passyon deth bought all the worlde Here you maye se moche gaynes greate auauntage Who wyll now forsake this bargayne surely none that is wyse happy or gracious than gyue thy selfe man wholly for hym that gaue hym selfe wholly for the. ¶ Xp̄e Christe Xp̄e is a worde of the Greke tonge and wryten communely in Latyn with the Greke letters as thus Xp̄s Christ For this letter X with them is with vs Ch and this letter P with them is with vs R the other letters ben with vs and them in lyke both in forme and sownde Christe in our tonge is as moche to saye as a person oynted And bycause we in our baptisme be oynted we bē of Christe / called Christianes / so that we shuld of ryghte dedycate our lyfe wholy vnto Christe / he shulde be our very lyfe and our loue Christ shuld be our lesson our lernyng Christe also our medytacyon and communycacyō Christe alone our lucre / gaynes profyte and auauntage Christe our treasore / ryches / and our whole desyre Christe all our hope and truste For yf we put our trust or any thynge desyre but Christ we shall sure be deceyued / labour in vayne and neuer fynde rest Let christe therfore vnto euery christiāe be all fynally his meryte / rest reward ¶ ymnes Y Is a letter of the Greke tōge and neuer wrytē in Latyn / but yet it is wrytē in the Englyshe tonge and therfore done we wryte ymnes after the Englysshe maner An ympne or ympnes is as moche to say as songe or songes / laude or prayse suche songes specyally as the churche doth vse in metres to laude prayse god / and so done the angelles and holy sayntes in heuen It becomethe therfore euery christyane to laude prayse our lord to be diligent in his seruyce And to consydre what differēce is betwene the seruyce of god / the seruyce of the flesshe / the world and the deuyll Who so doth synne is the bonde seruaūt of synne and so felowe vnto the deuyll / and in the same state for the tyme with hym Io. viii d And those that bē all worldly ben seruauntes vnto the worlde that is vnto auaryce whiche saynt Paule called the bondage thrall seruyce of ydolles Col. iii. a And the carnall persones ben thralles bond sernauntes vnto the flesshe so done they seruyce vnto deth for the flesshe is but wormes meate the corrupcion of the bodye / yet more stynkynge / and lothsom than of any brute beaste It is foode of infyrmyte / the lyfe of synne / the lodgynge place of fendes It is the enemy of the spirite / deformyth the soule / desteyneth blotteth christiāe disciplyne and all good maner behauyour hyndreth holdeth backe all maner of vertue And the flesshe is vnreasonable / so that by no meanes wyl it be corrected and vaynquesshed or ouercom but only by violence / cōsydre nowe what it is to do seruyce vnto suche a sorte And cōtrary the seruyce of god is the helthe of the body / the quietude and rest of the mynde / the conforte of conscience The prudence and wysdom of the spirite The promoter of vertue The beaute of the soule / and the lyfe of heuenly blysse a dulce swete and pleasaunte ympne ympne to serue god with / is with a louynge hart to laude prayse hym in euery tribulacyon ¶ Zachye ZAche cometh of the Ebrewe tonge and is by interpretacyon as moche to say as a persone Innocent / pure / clene and iuste or ryghtwyse And after some auctours a persone iustifyed and makynge hast / Zache was the propre name of a persone / that by the testymonye of the gospell for the great desyre he had to se our sauyour dyd clymbe in to a tree because he was of stature very lytle and that with great hast and gladnes descended and came downe at his commaundement to receyue hym into his house / where by our sauiour he was iustifyed and rendred apt vnto the way of saluacion This name Zache than dothe well frame and agre vnto euery faythfull christiane / that by his professyon shuld be Innocent / pure and clene / glad by fayth to se and knowe our lorde And redy with hast and diligēce to descende come downe frome the hyght of secular science and of all worldly state And to receyue hym in to the house of his soule by true kepynge of his worde commaundement / for vnto suche persons he promised to come with the father of heuē with thē to make his mansyō and dwellinge place And after therby to brynge thē to his owne celestiall paleyse / into the glory of eterne euerlastynge blysse Amen ¶ The conclusion LEt euery faythfull persone wryte this Alphabete A. B C. or crosrowe in the boke of his harte as in the boke of lyfe And euery daye / by day loke there vpon and vse the maners / effecte conteyned in the same For here ben but fewe wordes / and short lessons but in misterye they ben great and the very way and werkes of perfectiō / wherwith euery persō may outwardely be adorned and garnysshed with christiāe disciplyne / and good godly behauiour And inwardly moche / in the herte / in the mynde be quieted rested / cōueyed and browght or led vnto the grounde and begynnynge of all good perfectiō that is / that a persone shulde distruste
/ or els Benedicite after the coÌ„mune beuer The places of scyleÌ„ce ben the church and cloustre / the fraytour and the dortour / yf you be sclaundred / and do take occasyon at the defaute or offence of any ê‘son / then loke well vpon your selfe / whether you be in the same defaut soÌ„tyme your selfe / and than haue compassyon vpon your brother or syster If there be none suche defaut in you / thynke verely and beleue there may be / than do as in lyke you wolde be done vnto And thus as in a glas you may se and beholde your selfe Grudge nat ne complayne vpon any person for any maner cause / except you se and perceyue by large coniecture that you may profyte edyfy therby Nother deny nor afferme your mynde or oppynyon styfly or extremely but that your affyrmacyon denegatioÌ„ or doubt be euer powdered with salt / that is to say / wysdome / discrecyon and pacyence Vse nat in any wyse to mocke / checke or scorne / ne yet to laugh or smyle but ryght seldome And that alway to shewe reuereÌ„ce or louynge maner / lyght countenauÌ„ce or loude behauyour becommeth nat a sad person Let your coÌ„municacyon be shorte with fewe ê‘sones / alway of vertue lernyng / or good and chrystyane edyfycacyon / and euer with suche warenes that no persone in thynges doubtfull maye take any auctoryte of your wordes or sentence Lette all your pastyme be spended in bodely laboures / good and profytable or els godly in study / or that passeth all in holy and deuoute prayer So that the hert mynde be occupyed with the same you speke And whaÌ„ so euer that you praye for any certayne persons / remembre theyr degree state and condicyon For a forme ordre of your prayer / this may be good and a redy waye To folowe the ordre of the .vi. grammatycall cases The nominatyue / the genityue / the datyue / the accusatyue / the vocatyue and ablatyue The nominatyue that is fyrste to praye for your felfe / that you may haue ghostlye strengthe and constancye / that you nat fall in to any deedly offence by fraylte And the ii that you may haue right knowledge of god by fayth and of your selfe by due consyderacyon of your estate and condycyon / and of the lawes of god / for your condyte contynuaunce And thyrdly that you may haue grace and good wyl accordynge vnto the same strenthe knowledge / that hauyng vnto god a reuereÌ„de drede you neuer offeÌ„de hym iÌ„ thought / word nor dede but that ye may euer loue him for him selfe and all his creatures in due ordre for hym and in hym The seconde is the genityue case Then must you pray for your genitours / your progenitours and parentes / that is to saye / your fathers your mothers spirytuall and carnall as your ghostly fathers / or spirytuall soueraynes / your godfaders / your godmothers / youre naturall father and mother / your graundfathers and graundmothers / your brothers and systers / and all your kynne In the thyrde place is the datyue case There must you praye for your benefactours / good doers of whome you haue receyued any maner of gyftes spirytuall or temporall vnto the welth of your soule body In the fourth place is the accusatyue case where you shulde pray for your enemyes / such ê‘sons as by any meanes haue noyed / hurt or greued you / eyther ghostly or bodely / that is to saye / in your soule or maners by any suggestioÌ„ / intysynge / euyll counseyll or euyll example In your fame or good name / by detraccyon / bacbytynge or sclauÌ„deryng / or yet by familyer companye For a person comunely is reputed and supposed to be of suche condicyon / as they ben with whome he hath conuersacyon and companye And for them that haue hurt your body eyther by strokes or by any other occasion haue hyndred the state helthe therof And lykewyse of your goodes or possessyoÌ„s For all these maner of enemyes must you pray / that our lord god wolde forgyue them as you do / and as you forgyuen wolde be and that they may come to ryght charyte and peace The .v. case is called the vocatyue that is to saye the callyng case / where you conuenyently may call / crye and praye vnto our lorde for all maner of ê‘sones that ben out of the state of grace Eyther by infydelyte as turkes sarasyns and suche other / or els by erroure as all maner of heretykes / or els by any deedlye synne or offence to god Pray for al these maner of persones that they may come to the ryght waye of theyr saluacyon In the .vi. last place is the ablatyue case / where you must pray for all them that be taken out of this life / and that dyed or passed the same lyfe in charyte / and that nowe haue nede of prayer In the which you may kepe a forme of the same ordre that is before / that is to saye In stede of the nominatyue where you prayed for youre selfe you may nowe praye for all those that do byde in payne for any defaulte or offence done by your example or occasyon And for the genytyue in the seconde place / for your parentes and all youre kynne departed this lyfe And in the .iii. place for the datiue / pray for your benefactours passed And for the accusatyue in the iiii place / you may praye for them that lye in payne for any occasyon or any example that they gaue vnto you And in the .v. place / for the vocatyue Praye for all them that haue greatest paynes and leaste helpe here by the suffrage of prayers And for the ablatyue in the .vi. and last place Pray you for all soules in general And that you may be the more apte to pray / call thre thynges to your remeÌ„brauÌ„ce / that is to say what you haue ben / what you be and what you shal be Fyrst by reason of your body you were conceyued of the most fylthy abomynable mater of man / shamefull to be spoken / ferre more vyle then the sluch or slyme of the erth / after borne a synfull soule / purged onely by grace And nowe as vnto the bodye you ben a mucke hepe or donghyll more vyle then any vpon erthe / yf you remembre what doth yssue dayly come forth out of the meates ben yssewes of your body / your soule is daylye in some synne or at the least ful lyke to be What you shal be as vnto your body ye may se in experyeÌ„ce / wormes meate and erth agayne And what shall become of youre soule / no man in this worlde can assure you To remembre than the ioyes of heuen and paynes of hell / and that bothe be infynyte endles / and without rebate / but both euer encreasynge and neuer seasynge / neuer haue ease nor reste / but euer contynue and euerlastyng To remembre
whan they se the rodde or whyppe Deth therfore is nat to be feared / nor dredde for any peyne that is therin Many done dye departe this lyfe nat onely as we sayd without peyne / but also with desyre and pleasure Which thyng we haue before Probacyon by reason proued by auctoryte / and good reason / wyll conclude the same For yf peyne be in dethe / that peyne muste nedely be / other in the body or in the soule But in the body at the poynte of dethe is no peyne For than ben all the senses and wyttes of the body wherby he shulde feale peyne or pleasure / gone and departed the bodye than in suche case as for fealynge peyne as whan it is full dede And as vnto the soule / deth is nat peynefull but rather pleasant and ioyfull / as a person that long had ben in prison / and then were sodenly loused and put at lyberte De bono mortis For as saynt Ambrose sayth The soule is in prison / whyle it is in the body therfore is it glad to be delyuered by deth And to saye trothe whan the poynt of deth approcheth and draweth nere bothe the partes in maner ben glad to deê‘te in souÌ„dre / that is to saye Marowse they cal in the couÌ„trâ— .ii. housbaÌ„d men that done tyll their laÌ„de together the soule from the body / the body from the soule / as by example of .ii. marowes or .ii. suche persones that muste nede labour bothe to gether vnto such an effecte / purpose / as can nat come to pas and be fulfylled by one of them alone / then at nyght or when theyr purpose is ended they ben gladde wher the tone is nat able theruÌ„to alone with out helpe to depart vnto theyr owne propre whomes logynges and places So is it of the soule and the body / that here as .ii. marowse or mates done labour to gether as in an exyle or straunge countrey for as saynt Paule sayth non habemê° hic ciuitatem manentem / we haue nat here sayth he any cytie or dwellynge place / and whan that labour of them bothe to gether hathe fulfylled the course of nature vnto the periode / poynt assygned of god / than done they gladly depart eueryche towarde his propre whome / that is the bodye vnto the erthe from whens it came Gene. iii. d. And the soule vnto heuyn / except it be letted with any synne which may neuer entre into heuen Thus haue we proued vnto you bothe hy auctoryte and by reason / that in deth is no peyne and so that no feare shulde be taken of any or for any suche peyne yet shall I go forther and proue the same by experyence Probacyon by experyence For lady experyence hath shewed oftymes / vnto many persones that in dethe is no peyne For some persones haue ben in traunce / that for the tyme haue had a large experyence of dethe / whan the body was so desolate of the soule / that the body felt nothynge ne any thynge perceyued by any of the senses or wyttes / and yet hath the soule in the same tyme sene / perceyued the state of heuen hell or any other place ii Cor. xii a. Saynt Paule was so in suche rapte / that he coulde nat tell him selfe whether the soule was in his bodye or nat And that was a large and nere experyence of dethe / but yet nother he ne any of those so takyn in trauÌ„ce or rapt / haue made any mencyon of any peyne in theyr rapte ergo there is no peyne in deth Swonynge also or talmynge / is in maner a dethe / syth the body for that tyme is destytute / and voyde of all the wyttes and some in suche swones talmes done expyre dye and departe this lyfe yet those that done suruyue / recouer lyue agayne / done euydently shewe what peyne they had or suffred / that so departed in theyr swone or talme / but they confesse / and say playnly they felte no maner of payne / but rather a greate ease of all peynes ergo in dethe is no peyne Some ê‘sones also haue expyred and dyed slepynge which I doubt nat shulde haue ben waked yf a pynne or a nedell had ben thraste or put through theyr eares or yf fyre had brent theyr fynger / ergo no peyne in deth Let vs yet go vnto a forther experyence of deth Io. xi d. Lazare brother to Magdalene and Martha as the Gospell sheweh was dede .iiii. dayes and yet reysed by our sauyour many haue ben reysed by myracle I knewe and spake with one suche my selfe But nothynge haue I herde / or redde of any peyne that any of them suffre in dethe / ergo no peyne in deth and so doth saynt Ambrose plainly / affyrm in a boke that he wrote of the goodnes and profyte of dethe Amb. de bonomor tis .ii. li. de Cain et Abel cap. x. The feare sayth he that the frayle persones haue of dethe / is rather by the opinyon that they conceyue of deth / then for the selfe deth Bycause they haue sene or herd tell of many great paynes syckenesses and passyons that many done suffre before theyr dethe / and that causeth theyr frayle flesshe to abhorre De bono mortis cap. viii and to lothe deth / bycause of those peynes and greues And specyally suche persones as haue a loue inordynate vnto the vayne pleasures of this present lyfe And those also that iÌ„ a whole body haue a sycke soule / foyled conscyence moste done they feare dethe that halte and ben faynte in the faythe And no meruayle thoughe suche maner of persons do feare In tusvbi sup drede deth For as the lerned Cicero sayth yf theyr lyfe had nothynge coÌ„myttes ne done / that were to be feared they shulde of dethe haue no drede wyse men done feare synne whiche is the acte / and dede of quycke and nat of dede persones We shulde sayth saynt Ambrose feare drede our life / the actes and dedes wherof De bono mortis de supra done appertayne and belonge vnto our selfe / and ben iÌ„ our owne power and at our owne will / nat feare dethe that is nother in our wyll ne power For whether we wyll or nat that is / wyll we nyll we expire / and dye / nedely we must De remedis fortuit coruÌ„ Cice. vbi supra Than as we sayd before as the wyse maÌ„ Seneke saythe / it is great foly to feare and drede that thynge / that by no meane maye be escaped ne auoyded And who so euer wyll remayne in suche feare or drede Cicero vbi sup shal neuer lyue in quietude and rest of mynde Wyse men sayeth Cicero / done nat feare dethe / but rather done they contemne dispyse dethe / set nought therby / which thynge doutbles doth moch auayle
almyghty god and than vse by cōtynuall custome to make a crosse with your thōbe vpon your foreheed or front in sayng of these wordes In nomine patris and than an other crosse vpon your mouthe with these wordes Et filii And the thyrde crosse vpon your breste / saynge Et spūs sancti Amen And if your deuotion be therto ye maye agayne make one hole crosse from your heed vnto your fete from the lefte shulder to the ryght sayng all together In no mine patris filii et spūs sancti Amen That is to meane I do blesse and marke my selfe with thē cognisaunce badge of Christe in the name of the father and in the name of the sone and in the name of the holy ghost that is to saye the holy Trinite .iii. persons and one God Than saye or thynke after this forme Good lorde god my maker redemer here nowe in thy presence I do for this tyme for all the tyme of my hole lyfe byqueth and betake or rather do frely gyue my selfe soule and body with all my harte and mynde vnto the good lorde and vnto thy handes to be thy bonde seruaunte for euer accordynge vnto the promyse made in my baptysme at the font stone And here nowe I do ratyfye and newly confyrme the same and do fully consente in harte mynde therto neuer here after by the helpe of thy grace to contrary the same but to cōtynue in thy lawes good lorde vnto the ende of my lyfe But where thou knowest good lorde the I am a frayle persone infyrme feble weyke of my selfe prone redy ī thought Genesis ▪ viii worde and dede vnto euyll from the begynnynge of my lyfe hytherto I beseche the good lorde god and father of all puysaunce power of all myght strēght that thou wilt defende me from all myne enemyes and gyue me spirituall strenght and power that I may / in the / vaynquysshe and ouercome fle auoyde all suche fraylte lyght maners or disposicions as shuld be cōtrary to thy wyll and pleasure that accordynge vnto this wyll of the spirite whiche thy goodnes hath now frely gyuē vnto me I may destroye the wyll of the flesshe so contynue vnto the ende of my lyfe And yet good lorde where thou knowest also that I am but rude and vnlerned wtout wytte wysdome and due knowlege of the and thy lawes all ignoraūt and as an ydiote or foole in all good and spirituall vnderstandyng I byseche the good lorde god that art the essentiall sone of god the father and vnto whome is appropriate all wytte wisdome all science / connynge and knowlege and all ryght perceyuynge vnderstandynge / that thou wylte graunte me the due knowlege of thy selfe by ryght true fayth and the knowlege of all thy benefytes gyftes done to me and all mankynde / grace dewly to thanke the for them And also due knowlege of myne owne selfe of the state and condiciō of my lyfe and cōuersaciō and specially of my wretchednes with due contricion for all my synnes And knowlege also of thy lawes wyll pleasure / so that by no maner of ygnoraunce or mysvnderstandyng I do at any tyme in werke or dede / or in worde or thought any thynge contrary vnto the same And thyrdly good lorde where thou knoweste also that I am ofte tymes obstinate of mynde froward euyll wylled / stubburne of stomake vnkynde of harte / dull / neglygent and slouthfull in all maner of goodnes I beseche the good lord god holy ghost / that arte the spirite and wyll of the father / of the sone and with thē the same selfe essenciall god vnto whome is appropriate and specially appoynted / all boūte / all goodnes / all grace and good wyll that thou woldest voyche saffe to gyue me the grace of good wyll so that I neuer do / saye / ne thynke that shulde be contrary to thy wyll And hauynge vnto the euer a reuerēde drede I may loue the for thy selfe all other in the lorde and for the / so that accordynge vnto the spirituall strength and knowlege that thou hast gyuen me I may apply my wyll hooly vnto thy wyll / so that I haue no wyll propre vnto my selfe but the my wyll be all thy wyll bothe as moche as maye be possyble one wyll And so I maye here in this life ordre my loue and come vnto suche perfection of feruent charyte that by the grace I may attayne vnto the fruiciō of euerlastynge charyte in thy ioyfull presence Amē And good lorde god father of heuē I beseche the take receyue me thus vnto thy grace and haue mercy and pyte vpō me and all thy people And thou lorde God blyssed sone of god the father and sauyour and redemer of the worlde / haue pytie and mercy vpon me and vpō all Christen people And louyng lorde god holy ghost and blessed spirite of god / haue mercy pyte vpō me and alī the worlde Holy and blessed Trinite one selfe same essenciall god / haue pyte mercy vpon me and all myne / vpon all thy creatures Amen And than ones agayne blesse the with In nomine patris as before and thā go forth vnto your busynes where ye wyll Let this be for your mornynge exercise And though you that haue greate thynges to do wolde thynke this prayer and mornynge exercise ouer longe because of your busynes I acerteyne you if it ones were by vse goten redy and incorporate and prynted in the harte and mynde it wolde sone be sayd or thought / and the persone shulde I byleue haue grace to spede the better in other thynges and nothyng forthynke of the spēdynge of the tyme but rather accounte it for greate gaynes in so moche that we purpose to set forth in the ende a lōger exercise for them that haue longer tyme to spēde but nowe we shall go forth herin After the sayd morowe exercise I truste you wyll be well occupied vpon your appoynted course of occupacion For that was our counseyle in the begynnynge that ye shulde appoynte your selfe by a cōtynuall course vnto some certayne occupacion that may be profytable euer to auoyde ydlenes the mother and nourse of all synne and euyll And euer beware of suche occupacions as ben called communly pastymes that is to saye all maner of vnlawfull games / suche disportes as done drawe people rather to vyce thā to vertue whiche more properly maye be called lose tymes than pastymes Math. xii c For syth / by the affyrmaciō of our sauyoure we shall make accoumpte of euery ydle worde / it muste nedes followe that we shall make a more strayte rekenynge of euery ydle or euyll werke Let therfore your sayd appoynted occupacion be alwaye good vertuouse and profytable Syth thā ye must nedes make a rekenynge of euery werke worde and thought for none of these cā be hyd or kept
/ and they put to shame and rebuke All this haue we spokeÌ„ for the kepynge of the seconde precepte or coÌ„maundement The thyrde pÌ„cepte ¶ Nowe for the thyrde commaundement I praye you gyue good example in your owne selfe and thaÌ„ teche all yours howe they shulde kepe duely the holy day that is to say in asmoche as conuenientely maye be to be voyde of all maner of worldly bodyly laboures I sayde in asmoche as coÌ„ueniently may be For people must haue meat drynke / the houses muste be appareyled / beastes muste be cured and loked vnto And very vnfayned necessite or nede dothe excuse in coÌ„science The holy daye is ordeyned of god and the churche onely for the seruice of god The due place of the seruyce is the churche vnto all theÌ„ that may conueniently come thervnto And to them that may not / euery honest place of good lawfull occupacion is theyr churche For God is there presente where he is duely and deuoutly serued Take the payn therfore whaÌ„ you may to go forth your selfe / and cal your folkes to followe And whaÌ„ you ben at the churche do nothyng els but that you came for and loke oft tymes vpon them that bene vnder youre charge that all they be occupyed lyke at the leest vnto deuoute christians Mathei xxi For the churche as our sauyour saythe is a place of prayer not of claterynge and talkyng And charge them also to kepe theyr syght in the churche cloce vpoÌ„ theyr bokes or bedes And whyle they ben yong / let them vse euer to knele / stande or syte / neuer to walke in the churche And let them here the masse quyckly deuotly / moche parte knelynge But at the gospell / at the preface / and at the Pater noster teche theÌ„ to stande and to make curtesy at this worde Iesus as the preste dothe Thus in the fore noone let the tyme be spente all in the seruys of god And than in the after noone muste you appoynte them theyr pastyme with great diligence and strayte commaundement Fyrste that in no wyse they vse such vanities as communely ben vsed that is to say / berebaytynge and bulbaytynge foteball tenesplaynge / bowlyng nor these vnlawfull games of cardynge dycynge closshynge / with suche other vnthryfty pastymes or rather losetimes wherin for a suerty the holy day maye rather be brokeÌ„ than if they weÌ„t to the ploughe or carte vpoÌ„ Ester day so it were not done by coÌ„tempte or dispisynge of the commaundement of the lawe ne for vnreasonable couetyse loue of worldly goodes For synne dothe alwaye more defoule and breke the holy daye than doth any bodely werke or occupacion Therfore let them beware of the tauerne alehouse / for drede of dronkennes or of glotony of suspecte places / or wantoÌ„ company for fere of vncleÌ„nes / or lechery / whiche thynges bene vnto youth moste peryllous / of great daunger ieopardy of corrupcion Assigne you therfore and appoynte you them the maner of theyr disportes honeste euer and lawfull for a resonable recreacioÌ„ / and asmoche as conuenieÌ„tly may be lett the sexes be departed in all theyr disportes that is to saye the kyndes meÌ„ by them selfe / and the women by them selfe And also appointe the tyme or space that they be not for any disportes from the seruyce of god Appoynte theÌ„ also the place that you may call or sende for them whan case requyreth For if ther be a sermone any tyme of the daye let them be ther presente all that bene not occupyed in nedefull and lawfull busynes / all other layde a parte let them euer kepe the preachynges rather thaÌ„ the masse if by case they maye not here both To bye and sell or bargayne vpon the holy daye / is vnlaufull excepte it be for very nede Charyte vnto the poore and nedy neyghboures doth lawfully excuse bodely or worldly labours vpon the holy day Loke well you neyther do ne saye wylfully and by deliberacioÌ„ vpon the holy daye any thynge that you knowe in coÌ„science shulde be contrary vnto the honoure of god and thaÌ„ done you iustely kepe your holy daye A very good sure pastyme vpon the holy daye is to rede or to here this boke or suche other good englyshe bokes and gather therunto as many persones as you can For I tell you there shulde be no tyme loste ne mysspente vpon the holy daye Lett this poore lesson nowe coÌ„tente you for these thre coÌ„maundementes of the fyrst table whiche as I sayd done apperteyne belonge vnto almyghty God hym selfe A nother shorte lesson shall we set forth for the commaundementes of the seconde table The .iiii. precepte And fyrste the due reuerende honoure to be done of the chyldren vnto the parentes that is to saye / vnto theyr fathers and mothers Teche your chyldren therfore to aske blessynge euery nyghte knelynge before they go to reste vnder this fourme âšœ Father I beseche you of blessynge for charite or thus Mother I beseche you of charite gyue me your blessynge Than let the father or mother hold vp both the handes and ioynyng them bothe to gether loke vp reuerently deuoutly vnto the heuen and say thus Our lorde god blesse you chylde therwith make a crosse with the ryght hande ouer the chylde / sayng In nomine patris et filii spuÌ„s sancti Amen And if any chylde be styffe harted / stubburne and frowarde and wyl not thus aske blessynge if it be within age let it surely be whysked with a good rodde and be coÌ„pelled thervnto by force And if the persones be of forther age paste suche correction yet wyll be obstynate let theÌ„ haue suche sharpe greuous punysshement as conuenyently maye be deuysed as to fyt at dyner alone and by theÌ„ selfe at a stole in the mydle of the hal / with onely browne breade water and euery persone by ordre / to rebuke them as they wold rebuke a thefe or a traytour Deute xxi d. For in the olde lawe suche chyldreÌ„ were brought before the hole townshype that is to saye the people of the cyte or of that towne there were they stoned vnto deth And certeynly I wold not aduyse ne counseyle any parentes to kepe suche a chylde in theyr house without great affliction and punysshement And therefore I thynke it were moche conuenieÌ„te for ther pareÌ„tes oft tymes to shewe vnto theyr chyldreÌ„ what commodyties and profytes and what perylles ieopardies done folowe the honoure and dishonoure of the pareÌ„tes accordyng vnto holy scripture Some wherof I haue here set forth as is coÌ„teyned in the boke of the wyse man called Ecclesiasticê° Ecclesi iii. â— in the thyrde chapitre Those persones saythe he that bene the chyldren of Christe / ben also the chyldren of his church all suche as thoughe it were by naturall disposicion ben gyuen applyed of that godly disposicion vnto obedience and loue All you therfore that ben
coÌ„fession ¶ Not wtstaÌ„dyng I thynke it necessary to shew here yet howe as I lerned of my gostly father that taught me all this lesson you shuld teche your folkes to be ordered vnto the confessyon of these thynges For I haue knoweÌ„ many come vnto coÌ„fessyoÌ„ that could not tell howe to do or what to say there I shall therfore set forth here a short forme and maner therof For ther ben many formes of coÌ„fessions in print set out at lengh Fyrst good deuout christiaÌ„s I beseche your gyue no credeÌ„ce vnto the false heretykes that done depraue set nought by confessyon nor by this holy sacrament of penaunce For I a certayne you those persones what so euer they be that after theyr baptyme and christendome haue done any deedly synne cane neuer be in the state of saluacion wtout the fayth wyll of confession Gene. iii. For almyghty god in euery lawe dyde requyre confession and prouoke euery trespasser thervnto as of our fyrst parentes AdaÌ„ Eue in paradyse whiche confessyoÌ„ if they had mekely made they we shuld haue suffred the lesse payne Leuit. iiii v. In the olde lawe speciall oblacions and sacrifyce was appoynted opeÌ„ly by the prestes to be done for suche synnes amonge the people that were preuy vnknowen vnto all other persones excepte onely the selfe trespassers wherby it must nedes be trouth that they were confessed therof vnto the prestes WhaÌ„ any persone also was suspecte of lepry the iugement and determynacion therof remayned by the ordynauÌ„ce of the lawe vnto the preste Whiche thyng was a playne figure of the sacramente of penaunce and confessyon Math. v And our sauyoure sayde he came not to breke the lawe but rather to accomplyshe and fulfyll the lawe And so he dyd confyrme and ratifye that lawe whaÌ„ he sent the lepres that he cured and heled vnto the prestes Math. viii Luc. xvii And iÌ„ euery cure he dyd vpon the syke persones he expressed mystycally coÌ„fessyon in that he caused them to shew theyr disease before they were cured And saynt Peter his apostle after his ascension dyd requyre confessyon of a man called Ananye Acto v. of his wyfe called Saphirye as appereth in holy scripture of a deedly synne whiche he by the reuelation of god knewe they had done / and bycause they wolde not make confession therof they were bothe strykeÌ„ to deth with the vengeauÌ„ce of god Our mother holy churche therfore hath by the inspiracioÌ„ of the holy ghost ordeyned that euery persone that coÌ„mytte or do any deedly synne iÌ„ werke worde or by full deliberate coÌ„sente in thougt must nedely if they wyll be saued be coÌ„fessed therof vnto a preste Sythe than all christeÌ„ people haue receyued and vsed the same so many hondred yeres take you that vse custome for sufficient auctoryte to folow the same and to put all maner of contrary opinion clene out of mynde and in no wyse to here speke or talke therof Nowe vnto our mater Fyrste teche your folkes to come reuerently vnto the ghostly father with meke sobre countenaunce behauyour For it is no laughynge game Than knele down at the place appoynted there make a crosse vpoÌ„ the foreheed or froÌ„te with In nomine patris as before is shewed and thaÌ„ forth with say thus Benedicite And whan the preest hath answered than say if the persone be lerned Confiteor deo beate Marie omnibê° sanctis et vobis peccaui nimis cogitatione locutione et opere mea culpa that is to saye for the vnlerned I confesse knowlege my selfe gylty vnto our lorde god the blessed lady saynt Marie vnto all the holy coÌ„pany of heueÌ„ / and vnto you my ghostly father that I haue offended my lord god many tymes in my lyfe and specially syth the laste tyme of my confessyon in thought worde and dede in many and dyuers wayes mo thaÌ„ I can shewe specially in the seuen pryncipall synnes Pryde enuy wrath couetyse glotony slouth and lechery And by them I haue broken his commaundementes ¶ Pryde ¶ For by the synÌ„e of pryde I haue ben presumptuous disobedient vnto god haue not loued hiÌ„ aboue all thynges but many tymes set more by myne owne frayle appetyte and sensuall desyre For where I shuld haue desyred euer the laude and prayse of our lorde / and with all mekenes of hart accused my selfe / I haue coÌ„trary bosted my selfe or desyred and bene glade of myne owne prayse bene loth to be dispraysed And whan I haue ben chalenged reproued rebuked or corrected or yet charitably ben monysshed and warned of and for my defautes I haue rebelled there agaynst and not mekely receyued it but rather ben redy to defende or to excuse my selfe and somtyme with a lye or a false othe And for lacke of reuerende drede and loue of our lorde I haue by presumpcion of pryde taken his holy name in vayne and vnlawfuly sworne by god by our lady or the holy sayntes by my faythe or trouthe with suche other And for very pryde and presumption and for lacke also of loue drede I haue mysvsed the holydaye in thynges of pleasure or profyte vnto my selfe and not in his seruyce vnto his honoure I haue also of hyghe proude harte or mynde bene disobedieÌ„t and not done due honoure and reuerence vnto my fathers and mothers spirituall carnall ghostly bodyly nor vnto myne elders and betters but haue ben many tymes full obstynate and frowarde vnto them I crye God mercy Thus by this foule synne of pryde I haue brokeÌ„ foure of the principall coÌ„maundementes of our lorde and many other wayes haue I also offended therin I beseche his grace of mercy and forgyuenes ¶ Enuye ¶ I haue also offeÌ„ded my lord god in the synne of enuye for I haue not loued my neyghbour as my selfe nor ben so charitable so kynde so louynge and fauorable vnto all persones as I wold they shuld haue ben to me but rather I haue by suspicion thought iuged sayd or herde of other persones otherwyse than I wolde they shulde of me nor ben so glade of theyr welthe ne so sory for theyr hurte as I wold haue ben of myne owne I crye god mercy ¶ Wrathe ¶ In wrath also I haue offended for lacke of due pacience and for lyght slyght or small occasion haue leyghtly soone ben styred moued wroth angry whaÌ„ any thynge hath ben done or sayd coÌ„trary vnto my mynd And therwith haue ben redy to reuenge the same with froward and veÌ„geable countenaunce and behauyoure / with hyghe hasty and vngoodly wordes brawlyng chydyng scoldyng reuylynge rebukynge raylynge vpbraydyng thretyng cursyng bannyng sweryng And if it came thervnto in stryuyng fyghtyng or at the lest in wyll as god forbede iÌ„ kyllyng or sleyng Thus by these two great synnes of enuy wrath I haue brokeÌ„ the .v. the viii coÌ„maundement of our lorde in them both I beseche his grace of mercy and