his fawcon first he will kytte it and thenne take oute the blood and wasshe it Soo must thou yeue thyn herte to our lord first kyt it wyth the knyff of contrycion thenne take out the blode of synne by confessyon And after wasshe it wyth satisfaccyoÌ„ and soo wyth the knyff of his passion but your hertes and not your clothis hauing in mynde that the blade of this â—nyf was made of the spere hed and naylys that his precious body and herte were thryllyd wyth all The haste was made of the holy tre of the crosse and the virell was made of the crwone of thorn that was aboute his hed -whet this knyf on his blyssed body that soo hard and cruelly was tormentid on the Crosse that there left noon hool ioynt wyth other make also the shethe of thy knyf of the whyt skynne of our lord Ihesu That was payntyd wyth reed blody woundys soo many that fro the toppe of the heed vnto the sole of the foot there was noon hoole plott lefte of hym vnscourgyd Thenne wyth the cordis that he was bounde with to the pyler Now bynde this knyff to the gurdell of thy herte And I doubte not be thy herte neuer soo harde thou this feythfully prynte in thy mynde hys passyon wyth thin harde herte Hit woll begyn to breke Thus mayst thou leâ—ne to suffre repreuys For our lord Ihesu whiche for the suffred thyse and many moo There ben syx thingys that shold stere the to grete sorowe for thy synnes The fyrst is that som tyme of the day or nyght as I said before Bethynke the how thow hast lyuyd And when thy synnes come to thy mynd haue an Inward sorowe that thou hast so greuously offendyd thy god ¶ The second that thou be ashamed of thy synne and ellys at the daye off dome they shall be shewyd to the and to all the world openly vnto thy gret shame and confusyon ¶ The thirde that thou haâ—e grete abhominacion of the fylthe of synne that thou hast thus doon bothe in the syght of god man Seneca sayth though I wyst that my syn shold be vnknowen bothe to god and man yet wold I abhorre and lothe the fylthe of my synne ¶ The fourth is that thou haue drede of the daye of dome and of the peynes of helle Of this daye spekyth saynt Peter thus vnnethe the right wyse maÌ„ that day shall be saued sayth he whereshall thenne the synfull apere As often as I behold that day sayth saint Iherom I quake in all my herte And whether I ete or drynke or ony other thyng doo euer me thynketh that the truÌ„pe of god sowâ—â—th in myn errs And byddeth me synfull wretche aryse and come to the dome ¶ The fyfte is that thou haue sorowe for the losse of heuen And the grete of fence doon to thy maker ¶ The syxte that thou haue a thâ—â—fold hope first of foryeuenes that thy â—ynnes be clene foryeuen the. hope also off grace to doo good werkis after and in hem alweye to encreace then hope of blisse wherwith thou maist afterward be rewarded for thy good werkys he prophete sayd before that I shold wesshe euery nyght my bedde wyth my teerys By this it semeth that contrycion after forgeuenes shold be contynuall To know this it is hard yet in thy wil thou mayst haue contynuell contrycioÌ„ euer in full purpoos to leue and loth thy synne and thus it is nedefull ¶ For and a confessour knewe suche oon that coÌ„meth so contynually being sory inwarde and outwarde Him nedyth neuir to gyue him but lytell penaÌ„ce For though he hadde doon grete and horrible synnes he myght so venge bewayll his synnes here that after his deth he shulde no paynes suffre in purgatorye ¶ yet this sorowe muste be mesurable with a trusty hope that thowe fall nat into heuynes of despayre It must also be generall and hole for all synnes yet more sharpe for oone thenne for a nother after that the gretenesse is And it must be doon for the offence doon to god nat only for drede of euirlasting peyne This maner of contricion brekyth the sâ—ares and the cheynes of the deuyll relisseth the bondes and obligationes of euirlastynge payne And delyuereth the from the seruage and horrible company of deuylles and maketh the child of god and heyre of the blysse of heuyn that to fore were the childe of the deuyll and a brennynge bronde of the pytt of hell Only contricion also auaylâ—th nat but there as confession and satisfactâ—on may be hadde For as we offende god in thre maner of wyse in herte speche and dede Soo it nedith that we do oure satisfaction in iii. maners and els the synnes is nat foryeuen Oonly contricion may auayl also whanne thou arte very contryte purposest afterwarde to absteyne the fro all maner of synne as soone as thou mayst and doost Also due satisfaccion after the dome of the church and this is the mooste sure way ¶ The secounde wasshynge is confession don of thy mouth right as thy soule is nowe wasshe made whyte with sokynge sorowe and salte fretyng teares of thyn eyn So by louly confession of thy mouthe thou must rubbe of the foull spottes of synne that are rustyd in thy soull Of this maner of weshyng spekith the prophete Dauid sayenge thus Thu shalt sprynge me lord with ysope and I shall be clensed Thou shalt wasshe me and I shall be made clene and whyte as snowe Right thus loulye confession doon of thy mouthe to thyne owne curate purgeth and maketh more white thy soull thenne is any snowe in this world Se therfore what confession is Confession after doctoures sayng is A laufull declaracion of synne to fore doon and a thynge wherby a preuy goostly sore or sekenesse is openyd with hope of foryeueâ—â—sse ¶ Tre maner of Confessiones ther be Oone is inwarde in the soull For or thou madest it it was knowen to god The secounde tofore a iuge in hope of forgyuenesse of god And the thridde tofore goddes vycare wher as preuy synne is preuely opened Of these speketh scripture and sayth Tell out if any thyng thou haue to say or shew that thou may be instifyed The passion of oure lorde iesu is a grete remedy agaynst synne be it origynall or actuall The vertue wherof is expressyd in the sacrament of holy churche without whiche ther may no man be hole Therfore that Confession is nedefull preuyth scripture saynge thus He that is proude and woll nat obeye the precept of the preest he shall be dede we haue it also of oure lorde fader of heuyn that euery man and woman hauyng yeres of discrecion is bounde by his own persone to make confessyon onys a yere of all his synnes to his owne Curate That it is also nedefull reson preueth in this wyse and thou haddest trespassed to thy neyghboure it were nat ryghtfull that thou sholdest sett thyn oune peyne at thy
flame A nother by terys For righte as a fyre dryueth oute moysture fro wete wode Soo deuocion bringeth oute tearys of thyn eyn in prayer ¶ wele is him that hath suche plentye of tearys for he is disposed to grace But there be somme that haue greate plentye of tearys fro daye to daye in prayer deuoutly redynge or spekynge And yet wyll nat leue their synne ne trauayll to withstonde their temptacions ne knowe ne kepe the preceptes of oure lorde Suche teares be nat accepte for due sacrifyce bifore oure lorde If thou be full contryte sayth aldrede and trusteste in the mercy of god confessed and in wyll to do thy penaunce and nat in wyll to turne ageyn to thy synne Thenne saith he suche teares please god and wasshe awaye thy synnes and more turment the deuyll as sayth saynt Bernarde thenne all other kyndes of turmentes may doo Sithen deuocion muste be in euery prayer yet the tyme therof shulde be principally vsed in the tyme of the masse and for foure causes Oone is for the presence of oure lorde god that is there nat onlye by his godhode but also by his manhode that he tooke for the loue of mannys soull The secounde is for the multitude of aungelles that ther been euermore present to yelde worshyp to almyghty god The thrydde is for grete profyt and spede that the body and soull haue by vertue of the sacrament bothe to theym that been present and specially to theym that worthely receyue hym The fourthe is for the wonderfull worshyp that is there yeuen to man that throughe the vertue of wordes sayd of man the presence of oure lorde is hadde and the innumerable nombre of aungelles so many that no tonge can tell ne herte thynke Deuocion also sholde be vsed in tyme of seruyce that thou art bouÌ„d to saye But soÌ„me for vnconnyng say their seruyce the more hastely for theyr pryuy prayer that they haue deuocion to the deuocion is lytell or nought wâ—rth Se nowe therfore how thy soull may be refourmyd and broughte agayn to god Thy soule hath mynde reason wyll mynde for it sholde reste in god reason for thou shold knowe god and wyll for thou sholde loue god But by synne thy mynde is vnstable thy reson blynde and thy wyll croked and all is for thou forsakest thy god ¶ The reformacion therfore of thy mynde is to brynge agayn thy hert that was trauayled with veyn thoughtes by prayer redynge and often thynkynge of god As of his incarnacion passion innumerable benefetys and gracious yeftes Hauyng grete sorowe for thy greate vnkyndnesse that thou alway shewedyst him The reformacion of thy reason is to byleue sadly in the fayth of holy churche Oure lorde for oure greate comforte hath yeuen vs knowlege in scripture where we may fynde all that is necessary spedefull to oure soull he le nat to folowe therin oure naturall wyll But to submytte oure wytte to the rules of feyth after the vnderstondyng of holy doctoures And soo gostly to be clensed by the sacrament of penaunce The reformacion of thy wyll also is to withstoÌ„de vyces with a gode wyll truly and feythfully encreace and abyde in vertues For god without any curiosite of wyll that there be no double desyre ne none affeccion plesynge to the Butt suche as is accordynge with the wyll of god ¶ Thus than coÌ„sidred the worthynesse of thy soull the horroure of thy synne wherwith thy soul is thus wounded Take this salue of penaunce with these thre plasters Contricion coÌ„fession and satisfaccion And bynde them sadly to thy sore with the bondes of hope and drede hope to haue foryeuenes of thy synne hope of grace to lyue well after And hope of glorye withoute ende to reigne perpetually in heuyns blysse Drede also of the peynes of hell if thou dispayre of his mercy For to hym it is propre to haue mercy and to spare Soo that for euery synne as saith saint Austyn ther is an absolucion be it neuir so greate For what myght be greter or worse thenne to sle our lord Iesu Crist right as the iewes dyd yet there were somme of theim after that beleuyd â— now be sauyd Petyr and mary mawdleyn and many other also after they hadde synned they were with the salue of coÌ„tricion maâ—â— hole and nowe be in blys Therfore be thy synnes neuir so many ne so grete dispeyre the nat but say alwey with Dauid Haue mercy on me lord after thy greate mercy Do away lorde my wyckydnesse Man hathe synned saith saint Austyn And crist hath redemyd And so at oure lorde as saith the prophete is mercy and plentuous redempcion And he shall redeme israell from all his wyckednesse Israell is asmoche to saye as he that seeth god He seeth god thenne that lâ—thyth 〈◊〉 synne And by contricoÌ„n and by confession and penaunce doyng is conuerted to him ¶ That ye may thenne thus be conuerted and â—o penance for youre synnes graunte he you and me that dâ—ed for vs on the rode tre Amen ¶ The generall sentence gOde men and wymen I doo you to vnderstonde that we that haue cure of youre soules be commanded of oure ordynaries and by the constituciones and the lawe of holy churche to shewe to you foure tymes by the yere in eche a quarter of the yere onys whan the people is mooste plenary â—â— holy church the articles of the sentence of cursynge So that nought for oure defaut no man ne woman fal therin And if any be therin fallen he may be through the helpe of god almyghtye and all holy churche with shryfte and penaunce makyng good for his syn vp ryse and him amende wherfore I do you to vnderstonde that cursyng is suche a vengeaunce takynge that it departeth a man fro the blysse of heuyn fro housell shryfte and all the sacramentes of holy church betâ—keth him to the deuyll and to the peynes of hell withoute ende but if he haue grace of him to amende But therfore see that no man nor woman say that I curse hem for it longith nat to me but to shew the poyntes and the articles of the sentence of cursynge For I do you well to wy◠¶ who so doth agaynst any of 〈◊〉 poyntes that I shall you shewe he is accursed in the dede doynge of the daye archebusshoppe and busshop and of aâ—â— holy churche And that god almyghtye gyue you grace for to kepe you oute of cursynge Lysten and here and I shall throughe the help of god fader almyghty to you thenne tell and shewe By the auctoryte of god the sonne and the holy goste and his gloryous modre and mayden oure lady saint Mary and the blessed appostelles Petyr and Poule and all the apposteles marters confessoures virgynes and all the halowes of god I â—â—nounce and shewe for accursed al tho that fraunchyse of holy church breke or distrouble or are ayenst the peas or the state of holy chirch or therto asseÌ„t with
suffred mekely and threspaced neuir for we sholde mekely suffre that moche haue trespaced He was also crucified for we shold chastise our fleshe by penaunce in withstondyng syn he was beried in token that we shold hyde oure gode dedys fro preysynge vaynglorye of the world to haue miÌ„de that erthe is oure heritage by kynde of oure bodily flesshe The v. is Descendit ad inferna tercia die resurrexit a mortuis I byleue that he went downe to hell the thridde day arose from deth to lyue Cryste thus bodily deed laye in the sepulcre withoute the soule tyll the iii. daye that he arose the godhode nat partyd fro the body He wente downe to hell deliuered the holy soules that wer there through vertue of the godhode the thridde day arose fro deth to lyfe in tokenynge that the light of his deth hathe distroyed oure double deth and that we shall aryse fro goostly deth by iii. maner of mediâ—â—â—es contricion confession and satisfaction The vi is Ascendiâ— ad erlos seder ad dexteram dei patris omnipoteÌ„tis I byleue that he styed vp into heuyn and sett him there on his faders righte honde Thus Criste appering to his disciples after his resurrection 〈◊〉 wythe theym in tokenynge that he was very man as he was to fore And so to stye into heuyn and highed mankynd aboue all aungelles openyng heuyn gate to shewe man the way and to pray for mankynde The seuynth is In de ventuâ—us est iudicare viuos et mortuos I beleue that he is to come to deme the quycke and the dede This criste iesu very god and man shall come to the dome and deme all mankynde quycke dede good and euyll after theyr dedes There shall some coÌ„me to the dome nat be demyd as hethen men For they synne withoute lawe And therfore withoute lawe they muste perysshe Somme also shal be demyd and damned as false cristen men that beleue in Iesu criste withoute loue gode werkes There shall subgettes accuse their euyll curates that wolde nat repreue theym of their synnes ne teche them the commaundmentes of god Also chyldreÌ„ vnchastised shal there repreue ther faders and moders that wold nat chastice theym of their wantonesse There shall the pore accuse the riche that wolde nat helpe theym in their myschief AmeÌ„de all this therfore whyles thou art here and haue mynde how sodenly his veÌ„geaunce falleth and as how he findeth the he shall deme the The viii is Credo in spiritum sanctum I byleue in the holy gooste the thrydde persone of the trinyte The holy gooste also withoute begynnynge or endyng and euyn in wytte myght and godenes with the fader and the sonne and al iii be oon god almyghty The lx is Sanctam ecclesiam catholicaÌ„ sanctorum communionem I byleue in holy chirche and in comunyon of sayntes holy churche throghe oute the worlde is holy and one to all cristen men that in in the sacramentes of the church dele and coÌ„moneth to giddre Therfore it is forboden that in the churche ne in the churche yerde be neyther rumoure ne stryf daunsyng drynkynges ne non inhonest myrthes ne occasion of synne shold nat be yeue ther where as forgeuenesse sholde be asked Holy churche is parted in thre One is in this worlde of theym that sholde be sauyd by the mercy of god â–ª and thys is euyr fightynge agaynste these thre ennemyes the worlde the flesshe the deuyll And a nother is in purgatorye of soules that abide there the grete mercy of god The thridde is criste of heueÌ„ hede of all other with his saintes whyche is free fro all maner descensiones These thre shall be one after the daye of dome ioynynge with Iesu their hede in the blysse that neuyr shall haue ende Comonynge sayntes whan eche of these thre parties helpen other They in heuyn helpen the other two with prayer And they in erth helpen them in purgatory with theyr praier and almes And these two helpe hem in heuyn whan their ioye and blysse is encreased And thus eche coÌ„muneth with other The x. is Remissionem peccatorum I byleue forgyuenesse of synnes they that amende their lyf here and doo very penaunce wyllyng to leue their sinnes and ende in charite shall haf forgyuenesse of all their synnes For criste by his deth and passion of his fader gate vs forgyuenes he him selue by his godhede also forgyueth all originall and actuell synne of oure baptym The xi article Carnis resurrectionem I byleue rysynge of bodye All mankynde at the daye of dome shall ryse from dethe to lyf in body and soule to gydder and after that neuyr be departed And thenne they that haue endyd in dedely synne shuld goo in body and soule to the euirlastynge peyne of hell without mercy And they that haue well lyued and endyd in charite and oute of dedely synne shall weÌ„de in body soule to gyddre to blys for euirmore Of thys blysse speketh sainte Mathewe in the laste artycle The xii is Et vitam eternam Amen I byleue in euirlastynge lyf ¶ Thies been the articles of the feythe the whiche but euery man truly sadly byleue may nat be sauyd For withoute feyth it is impossible to plese god Decem precepta domini ¶ The thridde thynge that thou sholde knowe god by be his x. commaundementes whiche he wrote in the ii tables of stoon and tooke theym to moyses to teche his people promysynge to hem that wolde kepe theym his blessynge welthe and welfare And to them that wolde nat his curse grete sorowe and myscheif ¶ A man asked of Criste what he myght do to haue euirlastynge lyf And he aunsweryd and sayde if thou wyll entre euirlastynge lyf kepe the coÌ„maundementes This preuyth if thou kepe his coÌ„maundmentes thou fulfyllest the lawe of god shalte haue euirlastinge lyf ¶ The firste is he coÌ„maundeth that thou haue no god but hâ—m Ne that thou worshyp serue ne yeue thy truste to none other creature ymage ne thynge grauen but only to him In this is forboden â–ª mawmetry false enchauntemeÌ„tes wychecraftes false charmes and dremys â–ª and mysbeleuys that any man or woman hopyth helpe in withoute almyghtye god In this ye synne dedely that for sekenesse or losse of godes put your fayth or byleue that ye sholde haue in youre lorde god by the deuylles mynystres false wytches the whiche bryng many a soull to the deuyll For they byleue more in the wyches wordes thaÌ„ in the wordes of scripture that the preest techyth theym Al suche â–ª haue goddes curse at the leest iiii tymes a yere in the greate sentence And euery day in oure pryme As for ymages ¶ Also ye shall vndyrstonde that as clerkes see in her bokes how they shold lyue and doo soo sholde lewde men lerne by ymages whome they sholde worshyp and folowe in lyuyng to do goddes worshyp to ymages euery man is forboden ¶ Therfore firste whenne thou