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
the synner that is to say Gyue that nature be susteyned and nat the synne norisshed Thou norysshest the synne that yeuest thy gode to iougelers and iapers and suche that loue to be ydell and suffrest the poure man to haue hungre and myscheyf suche maner of geuynge is forboden If pyte sayth saint Ambrose shall nat be swete to all Moche more plentouous muste it thenne be to the good and vertuous in lyuynge Thou shalt rather gyue to thy kynne or neyghboure in theyr nede they be vertuous then to other Thou shalt also yeue to olde men and wymen with chylde if they haue nede rather thenne to other And to theym that be fall in grete pouerte when such pouert falleth nat through ryot array or pompe of this world yet rather gyue thenne the pore be vnseruyd Opyn thyn hert to all theym that aske the for the loue of gode withoute difficultye and gyue it with charyte and with gode wyll Or elles thou makest nat due satisfactyon for thy synne Also with a glade chere and a meke spyryte Soo that thou do it for no vayn glorye Ne dâ—spyse natt the poure for he is a man as thou art And yeue it hastely and tary nat fro him that suffreth aÌ„guysshe sayth salamoÌ„ ¶ yeue it also with discrescion and if thou haue moche yeue moche if thou haue lytell yeue lytell gladly sayeth Thoby Thus bodily and goostly euery body may yeue almes ¶ Furthermore ayenst concupiscence of thy flesshe thou haste fastyng hard goynge and lyuynge and bytter wepynge knockyng on thy breest of knelynge and sharpe disciplyne with roddes of thyn owne hondes trauayll in pylgramage tribulaciones anguyssh sekenesse and suche other bodily diseases paciently suffred of the scourge of god All suche penaunce wylfully taken a discrete confessoure wyll put to the in parte of thy satisfaction and penaunce Fastynge is a wylfull abstinence fro mete and drynke wherby thy synne is wasshen and thy flessh made lowe for desire of euirlastynge blysse gostly fastyng is fro bodily syn and temporall ioye Saint Iherom sayth that it profyteth natt to feble thy body with fastynge whanne thy herte swelleth with pryde Somme faste for sekenesse or for they may nat ete somme for pouerte som for ypocrysye and somme to the worshyp of god and thou must modre thy fastynge that thy stomake be nat greuyd with to moche excesse for lytell mete mesurably tempreth and proufytteth both body and soul and disposeth the to goostly trauayll Ther be some that ete moo delicate metes and more whenne they faste thenne they doo at ii melys whanne they faste nat and in maner they breke their faste There is also prayer ayenst pryde two maner One is inwarde in thy soull withoute shewynge of voyce A nother also ordeyned for the thre parties of satisfaction ayenst pryde Prayer is a louynge desire of thy soull to god with speche of mouthe or gaderyng of wordes to aske good of god with vttering of thy voyce ¶ Of foure frutefull prayers saynte Poul speketh whenne he sayth I pray you first of all thynge that ther be obsecraciones orisones postulaciones yeldyng of thankynges Obsecraciones are whenne thou seest in thy soul the multitude of synne and lytell of thy merytes and seest the horryble peynes of hell which thou maist nat voyde by thyn owne vertue Ne darst nat for thyn owne vnworthynes make thy prayer thy selue but makest supplicacoÌ„ns by other menys as whenÌ„ thou sayst Sancta maria ora pro nobis Oure lorde by thy passion delyuer vs. Orison is whanne thou hast forsaken thy synne askest foryeuenes by open speche· Postulacion is whanne after thy penaunce doon thou haste a sad hope of foryeuenes if thou pray also any thynge ayenst thyn owne spede As poull that prayed that his temptacion myght be putte away then oure lord wyll nat graunte it the. Some thynges thou mayst pray with condicion And some thynges without condicion to haue grace and blys with oure lorde thou mayst aske without coÌ„dicion Saynt Bernard sayth that thou maist aske of our lord grace in all godenesse to please hym lyue in him see his blysse and to able thy self to vertues to do him worshyp and to be with him withouten ende ¶ yet afore this prayer thou must make redy thy soull in dyuerse wyse Firste thou must withdrawe thyn hert fro outwarde besynesse beynge in wyl to kepe thy thoughtes after thy first entent Thou muste considre also how vnworthy thou arte that prayest and howe worthy he is thou prayest vnto and howe greate thy synnes be that thou prayest for Thou muste also be clene in soull if thy prayer be shorte let it be doon with stedfaste hope for a shorte prayer with a sad hope feithfully doon is more acceptable to god then a longe prayer fayntly doon withoute hope yet to theym that been occupyed in dyuyne seruyce Longe prayer is spedefull To pray also with voys is more spedefull thanne to thynke or whysper Grisostum sayth thus thou that with loude voyce prayest and whysperyst thou suffryst noon other to praye aboute the And therfore thy synne and thy payn are encreased if it be do wyttyngly and thy self nat herd of god It must also be doon without interupcion nat to say nowe a verse or a Pater noster and bitwene iangle and tel a tale withoute greate nede ne to haste it to moche Thou must also make it comon to place tyme and persones Paull sayth I wyll that men pray in euery place yet in the church principally For oure lorde sayth my house shal be called the house of praier All tymes are tymes of prayer yet in holy church been seuen oures ordeyned for tyme of prayer whiche moste specialy longeth to religiouse men Oure lord afore his passion traueyled all nyght in prayer Oure lady and Ioseph also rose euery nyght at mydnyght and saide the psalmes of commendacion And the same dyd Dauid and his householde Though all may nat do thus yâ—t aâ—â—yse theym that be bouâ—de and haue noo lettynge It must also be made wâ—ith other aâ—d nat alwaye allone In that it is more acceptable to god more pleasaunt to aungelles and more confusion to the deuyll And the same that thou makest for a nother is bettre then that thou makest for thy selue ¶ And though oure lorde here nat anone thy prayer at thy wyll yet he heryth it and graunteth the happely that that is more spedefull A thynge that is longe desired at the last it coÌ„myth that is the more deynte ¶ It muste also be doon with deuocyon Deuocion as clerkes sayn is a tendernesse of herte wherby thou breakyst lightly into tearys Also a wyll of loue lyfte vp to god or to his heuynly creatures mâ—uynge the inwarde and outewarde to the seruyce of god Suche deuocion purgeth bothe body and soull ¶ And thus deuocion may be knowen by two pryncipall tokens One by gretenesse of the voyce outwarde as a grete fyre is knowen by the
wyll saye thus to theym Venite benedicti patris mei Come ye my faderis blissed children receyue ye the kyngdom of heuen that is ordeyned to you and soo reherse to theym the vii werkes of mercy whan I was hungry ye gaaf me mete Sitiui et dedistis michi bibere whan I was thursty ye gaue me drynke and whan I was herberles ye herbered and soo forth all the werkes off mercy For whan ye gaf ony thynge in my name it was to me Thenne shall our lorde rebuke the riche people that wold not doo for his loue nor forgyue noo trespasse for his sake And saye to theym ¶ Discedite a me maledicti in ignem eternum Goo ye cursed people in to euerlastinge peyne of helle For whan I was a hungred ye gaue me noo mete c. ThaÌ„ maye they be full sory and woo that euer our lorde Ihesu Criste shall thus rebuke theym For ther shall noman of lawe to plete nor for golde nor syluer nor other yeftes to helpe For than shall nother mayster nor lordeshyp helpe but all be sette besyde but right as a man hath done soo shall he haue And ther shall be dyuerse accusers bothe aboue hym and benethe hym and on euery syde aboue hym shall be our lord Ihesu Criste his domes man Iratus est furor domini in populo suo wythout mercy to theym that dede no mercy and so accuse theym of the â—â—st thought that euer was amys On the right syde his angell tellyâ—◠〈◊〉 where whan and how ofte he â—yde amys On that other syde fendes chalengynge hym theyres as by ryght for his wycked dedes Vnder hym â—elle redy if he be founde in synne that daye they shall be peyned and in peyn wythout ende That daye poure people shall â—â—â—te wyth cryste at the dome And done the ryche people for the grete wrongâ—s that they dyde to them and they myghte gete none amendes tyll the daye off dome Thenne they shall haue theyâ— wylle of the ryche people For whan the ryche done the pore wronge they can doo nomore But praye to god to quyte theym at the daye of dome And soo he wyll for god sayth thus Michi vindictâ—m et ego retribuam ¶ Put all to me â–ª and I yelde euery man after his deseruynge Therfore whyle ye ben here make ye amendes for your wyckednesse And maâ—e them youre frendes that shal be your domes men at the day of dome And truste nat to them that shall coÌ„me after you leste ye be begyled And drede the payne of hell that neuir shall haue ende ¶ Narracio ¶ Saint Bede tellith howe there was an husbond man in Englond that fyl seke and ley dede from the euyn tyll on the morowe Thenne he rose and departed his godes in foure parties all his owne parte he gaue to pore meÌ„ and wente and was a monke in an Abbey that was nigh the water syde into the whiche water he went euery nyghte wâ—â—â—n neuir so colde and stode therin longe and suffred grete penaunce And whan he was asked why he dyd so to suffre that grete penaunce he sayde to 〈◊〉 we a greter payn that he had seen â—nd he wolde eâ—e but barly brede drinke water all his lyf after and tolde ii religiouse men the peynes that he hadde seen And they were so grete that he coude nat tell them openly He sayd that an aungell ladde him into a place there that oon syde was so colde that noo tongue myght tell the peyne therof And the other was so hoote that no man myghte tell the peyne therof And soules were caste oute of that one into that other that was a grete payne to them And the aungell shewyd him the fyre that came oute of hell that was so hoote and so ferre as him thought he mighte se it he thought it brente him and in the leaâ—â—e therof he sawe soules boile vp and downe cryenge and waylinge for woâ— Also he herde fendes crye caste out hote â—ede and brymstone to make their peines greter and so they tormentyd the soules in peyne Nowe lorde for thy grete mercy haue mercy on vs and kepe vs fro tho peines and bryng vs to the blis of heuyn that neuir shall haue endyng Amen ¶ Dominica in septuagesima GOod men wymen this daye is called in holy churche the soÌ„day in septuagesme for cause that holy churche is modre of all cristen people she taketh good hede to the children as a good modre oweth to doo and forasmoche as she seeth him full sory sek in synne and many of them wounded to the dethe with the swerde of synne the whiche synne hath caughte all this yere to fore and namely this cristeâ—â—asse tyme that was ordeyned in holy churche for grete solempnyte For euery maÌ„ shulde be besy to serue god with al his power bicause that criste him self shewyd that daye swetnesse of loue to al cristen people For man he was that tyme and in the same flesshe and bloode as one of vs and layde in a cradyl more pourely than any of vs and was cristenyd in water as one of vs And also he came to a weddynge for to clense it from synne and to make vs holy and bretherne to him and heires to the kyngdome of heueyn ¶ For these causes all cristen people owen to be full gladde in their soules as in the tyme makinge solempnite and myrthe and making them bothe clene in body and soule from all maner of synnes And groÌ„dynge them in grete sadnesse of loue to god and to all cristen people doynge greate almes to theym that haue nede ¶ But nowe the more harme is for that high and solempne feste is torned into fylthe synne and grete sekenesse to the soule as pryde by diuerse wyse in clothynge and in many diuerse guyseâ— vsynge into grete couetyse and into lechery that suythe alwaye glotony in slewth in goddes seruyce as â—apes and vanyte syngynge rebaudrye spekynge For vanyte causeth moche slouthe for emonge suche people he is moost worthy that mooste of harlatry can speke Thus these solempne and hygh festys that were ordeyned to grete worshippe of god and of our lady and al the saintes in â—â—uyn now been torned into greate offence to god ¶ wherfore oure mâ—dre holy churche seynge her children in suche dispayre as a moodre full of compassion sory in heâ—â—â— her for theym This day leyeth downe alleluya and other songes of myrth and melody and taketh Tractus that been songes of mornynge Also for this holy sacrament of weddynge is moche defoyled by vanyte of synne Therfore it is leyd downe thesâ— daies and in aduente For many that been nowe wedded yeuyth theym all to luste and lykynge of the bodyes of flesshely luste of this worlde And thinketh full lytell of the dethe that is full greuouse that coÌ„meth so sone after but as it is redde by greate clerkes It is more spedefull to 〈◊〉 soule to 〈…〉 an house there as is a 〈◊〉 and
they myghte not deye in paradyse ne suffre no penaunce ther fore he dâ—of hem naked oute in to this worlde that is full wretched wepynge and waylynge full sore syghynge to goo gete her mete wyth 〈◊〉 laboure and trauaylle and deye at the last Than pâ—aid adam our lorde sore wepyng be shold not take grete vengeauÌ„ce vpon theym but haue merry on theym and pyâ—e for they were begyled by enuy and malyce of the fende and by Innocensie off theym self that they wyste not what they dyde Thenne had our lorde â—uâ—â—e on them for they were bothe naked he clothede theym in pâ—â—â—heâ— badde theym goo laboure and traueyle for theyr lyuynge ¶ And sayd to Eue In dolore paries filios In sorowe and woo thou shalt bere thy chyldren And toke adam instrumeÌ„tes to laboure wyth and lefte them there ¶ By this ye shall vnderstonde take ensample to laboure besely For and Adam and eue had laboured besely the fende had neuer ouercome them For the fende desyreth no more whan he wolde tempte a man but for to fynde hym ydle ¶ And therfore knowe ye well that it is a riche salue agaynste synne for to laboure besyly ¶ The thirde is to chastyse the body discretely Vnde paulus Castigo corpus meum et in seruitutem redigo I shall castyse my body and dresse it in seruyce of soule for mannys flessh is so wylde and so lusty to synne that it wylle not with noo waye leue his luste to serue god but yf it be chastysed with penaunce For it muste be chastysed soÌ„tyme wyth peyne Thus dyde Adam Eue in ensample that all other that shal come after hem shold do the same for many yeres before her dethe eyther off theym stode in water a nyghtes vp to the chyn one ferre from another to suffre penaunce tyll her flesshe was as grene as grasse for colde Thenne com the fende to eue also bryghte as an angell and said that god hath sente hym from heuen and bad her goo to Adam and say that god hadde sent hym from heuyn and badde her go to Adam and saye to hym that god badde hym leue his penaunce for his trespasse was forâ—yue and Eue dyde soo but Adam wyst well that it come from the fende and not from god He sayd to eue whaÌ„ god droue vs oute of paradyse for oure synne and had compassion on vs for we wepte sore on hym and prayed hym mekely of mercy he setted vs here to penaunce to our lyues ende and therfore goo agayn for the more penaunce that we doo the more shal be our mede And therfore goo agayn and do penaunce in goddis name yet the fende come ayen the second tyme and said to eue god of his grace hath take reward to your penaunce that ye suffre hath forgyue you ¶ Thenne went eue to adam and tolde hym soo Thenne said Adam I wote well that he that hath said so to the is our enmye for oure penaunce greueth more hym than vs. he wolde haue vs to leue of and soo to lese oure mede But doo we forth our penaunce to oure lyues ende For god taketh none hede to the begynnynge of a thing but to the endyng yet the fend came ayen the thirde tyme to Eue and said ¶ Goo thou to adam and saye to hym that he began foule and wel fouler wylle ende for fyrste he trespassed by innocencie and disceyte of the fende And nowe he synneth by good delyberacion and wyll Not doo as god byddeth hym wherfore youre trespas is worthy dampnacion ¶ Thenne was eue a ferde and tolde adam soo Thenne Adam siked sore and wepte and sayd to her vnauysed won in god made the of one of my rybbes for to helpe me and comforte me· And nowe by tycinge of the fende thou arte besy to combre me agayn ¶ But thinke howe oure firste synne stanke in the ¶ syght off god that all our ofspryng shall be enfect and haue repreef therof in to the worldis ende wherfore though we might doo also moche penaunce as all our ofspring myght doo· yet it were to lytill to quyte our lorde god for oure trespas But god of his special grace aloweth a good wylle Thenne went eue ayen to her penaunce as Adam bad and than said adam god wylle sende vs the oyle of mercy whaÌ„ tyme of mercy is And soo adam and eue dyde their penaunce to theyr lyues ende ¶ And whaÌ„ Adam had lyued ix hundred yeres And xxx and hadde xxx sones and xxx doughters they deyde and were bothe buried togydere adam and eue Thus ye may see well that adam and eue were full hoolyor they deyed and thoughte on deth full inwardly and laboured full besely chastysed her flesshe full resonably soo muste we doo that come of theym that wylle come to the ioye of paradyse in tokenyng here of this sondaye is called the sonday in septuagesme a noÌ„bre of lxx The whiche nombre begynneth this daye and endeth on ester euyn soo holy chirche is mornyng from this daye tyll ester euyn than she taketh coÌ„forte ayen in partye of one alleluya wyth a tracte for it is not yet in fulle myghte tyll saterday in ester weke the whiche is called Dominica in albis Than she leyeth doun the tracte and grayell and syngeth double alleluya techyng all crysten men to labour and do penaunce truly tyll the saterdaye that is to a mannys lyues ende that is tyll the soule goo to rest yet is not the soule in full rest tyll the sâ—terdaye in albis that is tyll the daye of 〈◊〉 whan the body and the soule shall come togyder and be clothed in albis that is in white seuen tymes whetter than the sonne and than they shalle synge double alleluya that is to say lord make vs saaf in euerlastyng blisse To the whiche brynge vs he that for vs al deyed on the rode tree Amen Dominica ¶ ly â—Ood men and wymmen thâ—s daye is called the sonday in seâ—agesme that is the nombre ofâ— lx the whiche nombre holy chirche techeth euery man and woman to thynke how short our lyf is now in our dayes for somtyme people â—uâ—â—dâ—y â—â—yeres and more And now iii. score oâ— iiii score is a longe lyffâ— But the grace off god and his mercy and goodnesse is so moche that yf we wyll doo our besynes and dyligence to serue god and plese hym he wyll gyue vs asmoche ioye and blysse in heyen as he gaf to adam and eue that lyued soo longe But he that wyll haue ioye and blysse muste doo thre thynges One is he muste â—â—te synne namely and suffre tribulaâ—ioÌ„ mekely And do almys dedes wylfully Than for our dayes ben shoâ—â— we muste the more trybulacion suffre mekely And wyth paciente herte an not grâ—â—chynge and disease cometh of speciall grace For it is remedye for synnes he◠¶ re in this worlde for penaunce oâ— elles for grete encreasing to his Ioye in a nother world wherfore
And whan a man is sory for his synnes and sayth thus with a soroful herte god heryth his prayer and foryeueth his trespaces soo that he be neuir in full purpose to synne more butt to amende him and be in parfyt loue and charite withoute any feynynge And but he haue charite withoute feynyng 〈…〉 sample ¶ Narracio ¶ There waâ— a man thâ—â— hadde 〈…〉 and hadde founde 〈◊〉 long to â—â—le and coste him moche good So on â— daye he called his v sones â—ifore hym â–ª and saide Children I haue fouÌ„de you longe to scole and haue spent moche gode vpon you and I se no grete ê“fyt therof wherfore but ye woll among you all assoyll me a question I woll doo no more coste on you ne fynde no lengre to scole And they askyd of their fadre what the question was and it shulde be assoyled And he sayd I am olde and feble and may nat lyue longe and therfore I wolde wyte of you what thiÌ„ge wolde bring a mannes soule sonest to heuyn And anoon the eldest sone answeryd and sayd Forsothe fadre prechynge and techynge wyll bryng a soule sonest to heuyn of any thynge well quod the fadre what saysâ— thou to the secounde sone And he answeryd and saide Feyth and true byleue bringeth a soule assoâ—e to heuyn what sayst thou to the question my thyrde sone And he saide good prayers almes dedes bringeth a soule sone to heuyn what sayst thou to the mater my fourth sone And he sayde pilgramage goynge and greate penaunce suffrynge bringeth a soule soner to heuyn than any of these what sayst thou my fyfte sone And he saide forsothe fadre ther is an other thiÌ„ge that bringeth a soule soner to heuyn than all these what is that sayd the fadre Forsoth fadre sayd he charyte For 〈…〉 nat to 〈◊〉 warde For though a man pray and do â—â—mes dedes goo on pylgramage haâ—e full feyth and beleue teche and preche faste and suffre penaunce neuir soo moche trye and wepe neuir so â—oâ—de â—e oute of charite god heryth him natt And herto accordeth saint poule in his epistyll and sayth thus Si linguis hominum loquar Though I were so eloqueÌ„t as any maÌ„ or any aungell Et si habuero propheciam omnem scienciam And though I hadde all the connynge in the world and knewe the prophecy and the preuyte of god Omnem fidem vt montes traÌ„sferam And though I hadde so moche feyth that I myght meue hylles Et si distribuereÌ„ in cibos pauperum And though I dealyd all my good to pore peple for goddes sake Corpus meum vt ardeam And my body to brenne in hote fyre Caritatem autem non habeam nichill michi prodest If I haue nat charite al this profyteth nat to heuyn wardes ¶ Wherfore it is nedefull and most necessary to euery soule that wyll be sauyd to haue charite But though a maÌ„ say that he loueth god and loueth nat his eyn cristen he is deceyued For he that loueth god loueth his nyghboure in gode entente Thus muste a man be full of charite that wyll be sauyd Caritas cooperit multitudineÌ„ peccatorum For charite couerith the multitude of 〈…〉 deyeth in 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 of charite shall be 〈…〉 And therfore of all 〈…〉 â—oost vertuous and moost â—â—â—ssarye to a mannyâ— soule yet we must â—aue a stable feyth withoute flaterynge and to byleue sadly aâ— holy churche techeth and to bileue faithfully in the fadre sone and holy goost the fadre full god the sone full god and the hooly goste full god And thies thre persones been but oon god that made al thinge of noghte This feyth was â—â—ste shewyd to the holy patriark Abraham in the vaâ—e of mambre Ther he sawe thre fayr meÌ„ coÌ„mynge towarde him but he worshyped but one yeuynge ensample to all cristen people to se in the spirite the fadre the sone and the holy goost thre persones and oon in godhede and worship them as one god Also ye must byleue the incarnacion of oure lorde iesu criste that oure lady conceyued in the hooly goost withoute wâ—â—me of her body in flesshe and blood as one of vs and very god and man and was dede and beried Tercia die resurrâ—â—n a mortius And on the thridde day he rose from dethe to lyue Ascendâ— ad â—eâ—os And â—â—yed vp to heuyn on holy thoursdaye Iude venturus est iudicare vâ—â—os â— morâ—â—os And shall coÌ„me ayen at the daye of dome and deme the quycke and the dede This is figured by Isaac the sone of Abraham that he gate on his wyf Sara through the holy goste whanne they were both passed age to bringe for the any frute For god saide to AbrahaÌ„ he shuld haue frute as grete 〈◊〉 multitude as were stâ—rres in the 〈◊〉 Thenne whan this child was borne he was called Isaac and whan he was fyue and twenty yere of age god said to Abraham in this wyse take thy sone Isaac go to suche an hyll as he shewyd to him and offre him in sacrifice that was to sle him as the maner was somtyme Thenne abraham had by heste of god to haue greate issue though he louyd his sone neuir somoch yet he toke him anon withoute gruchinge and went to the hyll and made his sone Isaac to bere woode to brenne hym selfe with And whan they came to the hyll toppe Abraham made an auster of wode and sette it on fyre and thenne he toke his sone Isaac and wold haue slayne him and offeryd to god TheÌ„ne anone spake an aungel to abraham and badde him leue of and take the shepe that stode therby and offer him in stede of thy sone Isaac ¶ By abraham ye may vnderstonde the fadre of heuyn and by Isaac his sone iesu criste that spared nat for no loue that he had to him But suffred the â—ewys to ley wode vpon his backe that was the croce that he shulde be doon on him selue and ladde him to the hyll of caluarye there dyd him vpon the altre of woode that was the croce that was made of foure diuerse maner of wode That was cedre cypresse olyue and palme and theron he dyed for all mankynde Thus may criste well be called Isaac that is to vnderstonde laughter for many a soul he broughte oute of hell laughing that went thidre sore wepynge Thenne lyke as this was a figure of cristes passion loÌ„ge or he was borne Right so this daye â—â—iste him self in the gospel sayd 〈◊〉 to his disciples that he shulde be betrayed Vnde Tradetur enim gentibus et illudetur et flagellabitur et conspuetur et postquam flagellauerunt eum die tercia resurge And howe he shuld be taken and beâ—en with scourges spytte vpon and after his scourgynge doon vpon the croce so sle him the thridde daye shall ryse ayen to lyf â—nd for they shulde haue the bettre byleue therto and to his wordes anoon to
crose vpon your mete and after mete an other and thank god highly that sent you that fode att your nede to your bodily sustenaunce Thus â—urste ye faste ayenst glotony Ayenst pryde that is but a vayne glory of the worlde ye muste putte away all suche thoughtes of pryde and highnesse in herte and be meâ—e and louly in herte and thynke howe a man is borne feble seke and full poure and how he goeth euery day a iournay toward his dethe while he lyueth in this world and atte last coÌ„meth dethe and castith him downe in his bedde and lyeth there sighinge and gronynge and chaungeth bothe hyde and hewe Thenne stynketh his breth and his lyppes wexen blacke his face pale and his eyen yelowe his tonge englymed and his nose blacke his teeth fallen away his flesshe wydereth and turneth to erthe And then at the last withe great sighinge yeueth vp the gooste and then lyeth ther as erth and put into the erthe Lito obliuisceris And so shal thou be sone forgoten ¶ Therfore take this sadly in mynd and I hope ye shall putt awaye pride Thenne ayenst couetyse ye muste haue abstinence that is for to say ye absteyn your self from worldely couetyse and vanyties And they that haue been hard in kepyng of goodes and euir hath gadred to aydre and faste hath kepte it But now shold ye be as redy to paye and contente that ye be in dette vnto bothe to god and to the worlde And also to restore ayen that ye haue taken wrongfully And yeue to pâ—re people mete and drynke and clothes and other thinges suche as is nedefull to theym And the fete that hathe goon all the yere besily to gete godes of the worlde nowe muste ye be also besy to go yeue the pore people to theym that haue nede as we haue in the gospell Daâ—e et dabitur vobis yeue and god wyll yeue you For the hondes that wyll nat gyue almes they be full vnworthy to be acceptable vnto god Also ye muste goo full besily vnto goddes seruyce in pilgramage goynge and to all maner gode dedes of almesse And he that hath be besy to gadre goodes now sholde he spare from his owne mouthe for to yeue the pore nedy that is goddes people for that pleasith god full moche gretly helpyth the soule Elâ—mosâ—a a morte liberat Almesse delyuerethe the soule from dethâ— Sicut aqua eâ—tinguit ignem ita elimosina extiÌ„guit peccatuÌ„ For right as water quenchyâ—â— fyâ—e Ryght so almes dede queÌ„chith synne wherfore the prophete sayth thus Date et dabitur vobis yeue ye and god wyll gyue to you Dimittite et dimittittum Forgyue and god wyll forgyue you· But nowe all is lytell enoughe to fede your bodies that no thinge ye maye gyue to pore bodies for goddes sake ¶ Narracio ¶ we rede there was a worthy knyght a riche man of godis and a mighty maÌ„ of his hâ—ndes but he cherisshed moche his body with delicate metes and deynties But at the laste he died and was buried in a tombe of stone Than had he a sone that was a worthy man and vsed euery daye in custome to say Deprofundis for his faders â—soull by his tombe So on a day he made a grete feste to all the worthy estates in the countrey aboute him whan they sholde washe and go to mete this man bithought him howe he hadde nat sayd DeprofuÌ„dis â–ª and prayed the people to abyde tyl he saide his deuociones and they sayd they wolde goo with him and dyd soo Thenne there fyll suche a luste in this mannys herte that he must nedes se his faders tomb oyned or els him thought he shulde dye and so made the peple to eyen the tombe Thenne anoon he was â—â—are of a grete blacke tode also blacke 〈◊〉 ony pytche with â—yn brennyng lyke â—yâ—e that had bâ—â—epyd his faders hert with her foure clawes and gnewe fast He saide O fadre moche good mete hathe goon in thy throte and now art straÌ„gled with a foule hell hounde and an horrible foule beste And anone he lete go close the tombe ayen and so yede to mete And whan he hadde seruyd all the people pryuely he went forth left childe and lordship and all his godes went to Ierusalem and lyued there emonge beggers with other pore people in grete pouerte all his lyf and so deyed whan god wolde and wente to euirlastinge ioye as I hope To the whiche ioye god bringe vs all Amen Dominica secuÌ„da quadrageste gOode men and wymen this is the secounde sondaye in clene lente wherfore lyke as ye haue made al this yere bifore you honest and well be seen in good array to your body Now shulde ye be assone besy to make you a clene soule wherfore this tyme of lente is ordeyned to clense youre canscience from al maner of ruste and fylth of siÌ„ne So that ye may on Esterdaye with clene conscience receyue the body of our lordeâ—esu criste wherfore saint Poule in the epistyll of this day sayth thus Hee est voluntas dei This is goddes wyll that ye shulde be besy holy to kepe your bodies in clenesse for to please god moche to pray to him to make his vessell clene ayenst the coÌ„mynge of oure lorde iesu criste Thanne shall ye vnderstonde that this vessell is mannys conscience and that is a good vessell that kepyth all good thinges that is put therin tyll the daye of dome For that daye euery mannys vessell that is to saye euery mannis coÌ„science shal be opened and the worlde shall se what hath been kepte therin be it bettre or worse fayre or foull Than he that bryngeth a clene vessell bifore the high iuge shal be well allowed Thenne howe a man shall kepe his vesell clene holy churche techith by ensaÌ„ple of a holy patriarke Iacob that is rede in songe all this weke ¶ Iacob had a fadre that was called Isaac and his modre Rebecca and she hadde two children at one byrthe and that was firste borne highte Esau and the other iacob But for the story is long we shall taâ—e at this tyme that is moste nedefull and leue that other Thenne hadde god gyue his patriarke Isaac such grace that what blessinge he gaue his blessed children they shulde haue it Than for Isaac was olde and blynde and nyghe his dethe he sayd to his sone Esau Aufer michi de venacione tua Goo and hunte and gete me some mete that I mighte ete of Vt benedicam tibi priusquam moriar et cetera That I may gyue the my blessinge or I deye But whan Esau was gone iacob the yongre by techynge of his modre gate his faders blessinge And his fadre sayd to him in this wyse Esto dominê° fratrum tuorum Be thou lorde of all thy brethern and so made him his eyre and blessed all the blessed him Thenne whanne esau was come home and wyst this he hatyd Iacob his brother
and thought to sle hym Thenne iacob by counseyll of his modre went oute of the contre vnto an vncle that he hadde that hight Laban and as he wente by the way in a countre of euyll people lyuynge he durst nat longe with theym abyde but leye all a nyghte in the feld by the waye and leyd a stone vndre his hede and slepte Viditque in sompnis scalam staÌ„tem super terram And in this slepe he thoughte he sawe a ledder that stoode of therth and â—aught vp to heuyn and god ioyned to the ledder Vnde Angelos quoque dei ascendeÌ„tes et descendentes And aungellys of god goyng vp and downe Thenne god spake to him and said I am god of Abraham and Isaac and I wyll gyue the this londe and be thy kepar in thy waye Then awoke Iacob and sayd in this wyse Vere dominus est in loco isto et ego nesciebam Forsothe god is in this place and I wyste nat and soo wente forthe to his vncle and was with him xx wynter and more his seruaunte and wedded his ii doughters that one hight rachell and the other Lya And whan he hadde be there so longe he desired to goo home ageyn into his owne countre And tooke with him his wyf and his children and all his catell and wente forthe Thenne came there to him a multitude of aungellys to helpe him Thenne whan Iacob came to a forde he made all his meyne to goo bifore with his cattell and hym selue abode bihinde in his prayers and as he prayed there caÌ„me an aungell to him in lyknesse of a man and wraâ—â—â—ed with him all the nyght tyll on the morne and toke him by the grete senowe of the thighe and made him to haâ—â—e euyâ— after Then sayd the aungell to Iacob what is thy name He sayd Iacob nay saide he thou shalt no lenger hight iacob but israell shal be thy name And blessyd him and lefte him there hastynge and thus he went home to his owâ— countrey with grete prosperyte ¶ This story is red in holy churche in this ensample to all good seruauntes that desire to gete the blissyng of the fadre of heuyn and to haue the herytage that is there He muste be iacob and after israell For iacob is to vnderstonde a wrasteler Israell a man that seeth god for he that wyll see god he muste wrastell here in erthe wyth the bad angel That is the fende â–ª wyth his own flesshe as thus whan he hath doone a gret horryble synne than the fende putteth to hym a grete shame in herte soo that he dare not telle it oute thenne he muste wrastele wyth the fende and the flesshe and ouercome hem And telle out his synne openly â–ª wyth all the circuÌ„staunce of his synne than wylle his flesshe be aferde and ashamed theroff but than he must wrastel wyth his fleshe strongly and make it to telle his since and to doâ— penaunce after the couÌ„seyll of his gostely fader takyng then 〈…〉 woman of fer countrey that came to crist as the gospell sayth Ecce mulier cananea a finibê° ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ egressa clamauit dicens ¶ How the woman of Canenâ—e came â— Criste to gete hele for her doughter 〈◊〉 was trobled wyth a fende said Ihesu fili dauid miserere mei ¶ Ihesu the sone of dauid haue mercy on me Thenne our lord answerd Non eÌ„ bonum sumere panem filiorum et dare canibus ¶ It is not good to take brede of children and gyue it to houndes Nam et catelli edent de mensa dominorum snorum ¶ Ies lord for why welpes eten of the cromes that fallen fro her lordes bord Thenne said our lord Mulier magna est fides tua fiat tibi sicut vis ¶ O woman thou hast a greate feyth wherfore as thou wylte thy doughter be saued and soo was her doughter hole This woman and her doughter betokeneth a man that his conscience traueyleth wyth a fende of dedely synne that may not bee holpen but he goo to god And there he shryue hym to the preeste sparynge for noo rebuke noor shame ne for drede but mekely suffre all that the confessour saith to hym And take his penaunce mekely wyth a contryte herte and doo it wyth good deuocion and soo he shall be delyuered of the fende that hathe traueyleth his conscience for a man that hath done an horryble synne and shall be saued he shall neuer haue rest in his conscience tyll he be shryuen therof For ryght as an hounde gnaweth on a bone that is harde right so his synne gnaweth his conscience Shewynge by experience howe houndes of helle shall gnawe his soule euer more wythoute rest that deyth wyttingly in dely synne that he myght haue be shryuen of â–ª and wolde not Ensample of a woman ¶ Narracio ¶ There was a woman that had don an horryble synne and wold fayn haue be shryuen ther of and durst not Thenne came our lord to her bodely said my doughter why shrâ—â—est the not of thy synne lord I maye not for shame theÌ„ne said our lord take metâ—â— honde put her hoÌ„de in to his syde euin to his hert said womaÌ„ what felest thou and she quaked for fere said lorde I fele 〈◊〉 herte Then sayd oure lord be thou noo more asshamed to shewe me thyn herte than I to let the fele myne Thenne this woman rose and with lyghte sawe her honde al blody and wolde haue wasshe it of but it wolde natte tyll on the morowe that she was shryuen and thenne was her honde clene as it was to fore and she was clene of all her synnes and thus she was made clene bothe of body and soule DnÌ„ica tercia quadragesime gOode men and wymen this is the thridde sonday in clene lent wherfore we rede in the gospell of this daye and saith thus Erat Iesus eiciens demonium How oure lorde caste oute a fende of a dombe man and whan the fend was loppen oute Locutus est mutus Thenne the dombe man spake By this dombe man ye shal vnderstond al tho that haue no myghte to shryue theym with their tongues to tell theire synne but tary as longe as they may for shame of the peple and it were nat for shame of the worlde in lenten nor out of leÌ„ten they wolde neuir came to shrifte that maketh that fende for he is in that man or woman whedyr it be that is so disposed Therfore ye that be behynde come and shryue you and mak you cleue and haue this doÌ„be man out of youre mynde and caste awaye the fende But there be many that be nat yet shreuyn what shall I doo there they woll say they can nat shryue theym they woâ—e nat wherof But I may saye to you of many an ydell worde and many â—n euyll thoughte and many a cursed dede many grete othes many an euyll worde that ye haue spoke I wote well ye can nat tell
a lyue or noo And that they mette by Ioseph and for to preue the trow the he made to bynde one of them that hyghte Symeon And sayd that he shuld abyde wyth hym tyll they had fette hym that was atte home And so he lete fylle her sackes wyth corne preuyly put her mony in to her sackis vnwetynge to hem And so whan they came home to her fader and putte out her corne they fonde her mony ¶ And they tolde her fader but thenne he was sory for Symeon his sone that was lefte behynde in pryson And more ouer that he muste nedys sende for Hym whiche he loneth moste and that was Beniamyn Ioseph hole brother For thyse other were but halfe brederne to Ioseph but whan Iacob fayled corne he must nedis sende for more And he sente forth Beniamyn And whan Ioseph sawe his brother Beniamyn he myghte not forbere wepyng And anone delyuered hym his brother symeon and sette hem all to mete and fylled her sackes wyth corne and pryuely put the cup that they dranke of in Beniamyns sacke and badde hem go her waye But anone after Ioseph sente after theym and sayde they were to â—lame whyle they had soo good chire 〈◊〉 bere awaye a cuppe that they draÌ„ke of Thenne they were heuy and sadde and sayde it was not soo and he raÌ„ â—aked hem by and by ¶ And thenne they founde it in BeÌ„iamyns sacke theÌ„ne came they ayen to Ioseph sore wepynge And whan Ioseph sawe hem all wepe and his owne broder Beniamyn made moost sorowe For it was founde wyth hym ¶ Thenne Ioseph bad hem all bee of good chere For I am Ioseph your broder And be noo thynge adred For god hath me sente heder for youre profyte and anone sente after his fader and soo dwelled all to gyder a grete whyle in the londe with moche prosperyte ¶ This story is red this weke in holy chirche For goddis children shold take ensample off olde faders to suffre tribulacion and persecucion mekely in parfyte charite for goddis sake As he suffred for vs. ¶ For who that grucheth ayenste trybulacion and persecucion that god sendeth must shryue hym and take his penaunce For there is some people wyll saye why dooth god thus by me what haue I trespassed agayn hym they be in great peryll for her penaunce For truly wordes may lette moche grace ¶ Narracio ¶ we fynde in myracles of wenefrede the virgyn that a man came to her on a nyghte vpon two crotches full off many maner syknes and so by the helpe of god and this holy virgyne ¶ This man was hole and soo wente where he wolde an hole daye in the abbey and thanked hyghly god and this holy virgyne of his hele ¶ Soo at nyghte he wente to his bedde in good hele And on the morowe his sykenes toke hym ayen sorer than it dyd before and soo leye cryynge that it was grete pyte to here Thenne came a monke to hym and asked hym what he had done that his syknes was come ayen and he sayd nothynge Thenne said the monke were thou shriuen sith thou were hole and he sayde nay I had noo nede For I stale nother oxe nor cowe nor dyd noo gryuous synne Thenne the monke thoughte thoughe a man doo noo dedely synne he maye doo so many venyall that they maye make a dedely synne for ryghte as a man may wyth many smale cornes charge a stronge horse soo maye he lade his soule wyth soo many smale sinnes that he maye falle in the pytte off helle Thenne anone this man wente to a preeste and shroue hym and soo was hole bothe in body and soule euer after by confessioÌ„ and preyers of this holy virgyne Amen ¶ Dominica iiii quadragesiÌ„e â—Ood men and wymmen this is the fourthe sonday in lenton the whiche holy chirche maketh mencion of an holy prophete that was called moyses the whiche was a fygure of our lorde Ihesu Criste many yeres or our Lorde was borne Thenne as we rede in holy chirche as Moyses was in the deserte of Synay God spake to hym and sayd ¶ Vidi afflictioneÌ„ populi mei qui est in egipto clamorem eius audiui c. ¶ Pharao the kynge of egypte oppresseth soo the peple of Israel wyth bondage and vnresonable werkes And they for woo cryde to me for socoure helpe wherfore goo thou thyder and brynge hem oute of her bondage and I shall be wyth the. thenne bryng hem and offre hem to me I wyll brynge hem in to a londe of plentuousnes off all goodis Soo whan he had taught Moyses how he sholde doo Moyses went thyder and gadered all tholde peple to gyder that knewe the prophecye how they shold be ladde oute of that londe and sayde to hem as god bad hym thenne were they full glade and wente wyth hym olde and yonge tyll they came to the rede see and god was euyr byfore hem in the daye in a pyler as a cloude to refresshe hem fro the hete of the sonne And in the nyghte in a pyler off fyre to lyghte hem fro harme of venym beestis But whan that pharao herde that moyses hadde forth this people he toke thre hondred Charâ—ottis of his owne and thre hondred of the londe and xl thousande horsmen and thre hondred thousande fote men and went after And whan Moyses sawe this peple come he prayed to god for helpe And god hym selfe bad hym smyte the see wyth his yerde Et percussit mari rubro And whan he had smytten the see â–ª he had way for hym and his people The see cloue in two partyes Soo that the water stode stylle on euery syde as an hyll and the grounde was dâ—eye sonde Thenne Moyses yede forthe and all the people after hym Thenne wende pharao to haue passed also and sewed after with all his ofte but whaÌ„ he had his oste wythin the see the water went to gyder drowned hym all his oste And whan moyses sawe that he his peple were peryshed thus he thanked god was there vii dayes after and euery day they yede to the see thankinge god of her passage makynge great melodye that our lord had done soo to them And yet in mynde herof all ester weke we make solempne procession to the fonte that is the rede see ¶ Thenne wente moyses forthe wyth his people in to deserte tylle he came to the hylle of Synay and there he lefte the peple benethe Stabat moyses super monteÌ„ ¶ And moyses stode vpon the hyll there as god was and there he was xl dayes and xl nyghtes wythoute mete and drynke ¶ Thenne god gaue hym two tables of stone in the whiche god wrote wyth his owne fyngres the ten commaundementes and toke theym Moyses ¶ And bad hym teche hem to his people And whan Moyses came downe to the peple his face was all bryghte as the sonne and two spites stondyng on his hede lyke two hornes soo that the people myght not speke wyth
hym for clerenes Abscondit moyses faciem suā ¶ Thenne moyses hyde his face wyth a kerchiff thenne in that one leef were wryten the thre cōmaundemētes that longen to god and those ben thyse ¶ The first thou shalt worshippe thy god and loue hym aboue all thinge For thou shall directe all maner thynge to goddis wyll byfore thyne owne And sue his and not thyn owne wylle ¶ The seconde cōmaundemente is this Thou shalt not take his name in veyne that is for to saye thou shall not bee called goddis childe as crysten man And s◠fende For thenne that name is to the but vayn ¶ Also thou shall not swere by god Nor by noo parte off his body not by noo thynge that he made but in forderynge of the trouthe And yet whan thou arte constreyned therto ¶ The thirde commaundemente is thou shall kepe thyne holy daye that is for to saye thou shall be erly vp and late downe to serue god on the holy daye as thou arte on the werkedaye to thyne owne werke as besy shall thou be on the hooly daye to serue god ¶ The fourthe commaundemente is thou shall worshippe thy fader and thi moder that brought the in to this worlde Also thy godfader and thy godmoder that made the a crysten man And thy fader vnder god that hath cure and charge of thy soule ¶ The fyfthe is thou shall sle no man nother wyth tonge nor wyth thy honde nor wyth euyll ensample The sixte thou shall stele no mannes godes The vii is thou shalt doo no lechery The viii is thou shall bere noo false wytnesse The nynthe thou shall nat coueyte thy nyghboures godes ne no thing that longeth to him that is his ayenst his wyll The tenthe thou shall nat desire thy neyghboures wyf ne coūseyll her in noo waye to do euyll that sholde be harme or vilonye to her husbonge Thies been the x cōmaundmentes the whiche euery cristen man woman is bonde to kepe Thus was moyses a figure and a token of criste Moyses camme bifore and yaue the lawe and Criste came after and gaaf grace and mercy ¶ For in that same maner as moyses fette the people oute off Egypte thrughe the rede see forth to the hylle of Sinay in the same wyse Crist whan he came by his prechynge and myracles doyng He fette the people out of dernesse of synne and of all euyl lyuyng thorugh the water of baptysme to the hylle of vertuous lyuyng ¶ And therfore he that wyll shryue hym clene And leue his fowle lyuing and kepe the commaundementis of god that he made couenaunte to kepe in his cristning thēne shal he be encreased hygher thā ony hyl in erth that is in heuen But he that wyll do thus he muste be fedde wyth fyue loues two fysshes ¶ we rede this daye in holy chirche in the gospell How Criste fedde fyue thousand people wyth fyue looues and two fysshes The fyrste loff of the fyue is contricion for synne The seconde is shryfte of mouth The thirde is satisfaction for the trespasse ¶ The fourth is not to tourne ayen to his synne For he that is ofte aferde shall doo well The fyfthe is perseueraunce in good lyuynge And the two fysshes ben good orysons and almesdedes For thyse be norysshed in waters that is wepynge teres in deuocion thyse two fysshes geten of god what they wylle ¶ Narracio ¶ It is wreten that somtyme was a man that was called pyers and was a ryche man But he was soo harde that there was noo begger that myght gete 〈◊〉 of hym Thenne on ◠tyme it happed so that many beggers satte to gyder in a place and spake off this Pyers how they myghte gete noo good of hym ¶ Thenne spake one off theym as a mayster and sayde what wylle ye ley wyth me that I shall not gete noo good of hym Soo they made a wager thenne wente this man forth and came to Pyers place and set hym doune in the porche at the halle dore there abode tyll pyers came and anone as he sawe Pyers he spake soo horryble to pyers that for grete angre as his seruauntes came by hym wyth a basket of brede he toke a loof And wyth all his myghte he caste it atte the beggers hede and smote hym on the brest and sayd stoppe thy mouth there wyth that the deuylle stoppe the. And anone the begger caught the loofe and ranne his waye to his felowes and shewed his loof And soo he gate his wager ¶ Thenne the next nyghte after it happed soo that this Pyers was shryuen and brought to his bedde ▪ and soo deyed And anone fendes came to take his soule But thenne was our lady redy and bad them brynge the sowle to her And soo they dyde thenne was there noo thynge to helpe the soule But only that lof that he cast to the begger thenne sayde the fendys he gaaf that ayenste his wylle therfore by ryght it sholde not helpe hym ¶ Thenne wente oure Lady to her sone prayenge hym to graunte the soule to goo to the body ayent to loke yf he ¶ wolde amende 〈◊〉 Thenne our lorde badde vere the soule ayen to the body And whan the soule was wyth the body anone he satte vp and gaaf a great syghynge and called to hym all his seruauntes and tolde hem at how hard a dome he was at And he had be dampned hadde not that lof be that he cast at the begger ¶ Therfore anone he made to selle his good and deled it to poure people fore goddis sake And whan he hadde done soo he made hym selfe an heremyte after was an holy man ¶ Here by ye maye well wyte how grete is almesdede and preyers that made a man so preuy wyth god and soo syker ayenst the dome ¶ For all that haue done almysdede for goddis sake shall bee saued yf they be oute of dedely synne ¶ we fynde that a vowtry that is for a man to take another mannys wyfe or a woman another mā than her husbonde it is a greuous sinne And that ye shall here by ensample ¶ Narracio There was somtyme a man that made charcoles in a wode and whan he had made a grete fyre he leye down therby all nyght and soo aboute mydnyght there came a woman rennynge afore a man on a blacke horse as faste as he myght ryde and hunted her abowte wyth a naked swerde all aboute the fyre And so at last this man slewe this woman and hew her all to peces and cast her in to the fyre and rode ayen wyth all his myght Soo whan this man sawe this done many nyghtes thenne he went to his lord and told hym all this mater Thenne was the lorde a bolde knyght and sai◠I will wyte what all this mente and 〈…〉 thyder the nyght after and fonde it as the man had tolde Thenne the knyght asked the spiryte why he dyde so thenne saide he was suche
noÌ„ oraâ—eÌ„ pro illo nisi vt pro diabolo ¶ If I wyst for trouth that my fader were dampned in to helle I wolde neuer pray for hym but as for the deuyl of hell for there is noo prayer of holy chirche that helpeth a dampned man thenne after thyse orysons the crosse is broughte forth to the whiche all cristeÌ„ people shold worshyp this day in worship of hym that this daye deyed on the crosse And pray our lord to forgyue vs our trespace as Criste prayde to his fader of heuen to foryeue hem that dyde hym on the crosse ¶ Narracio ¶ There was a knight somtyme and that was a grete lorde and he hadde a worthy man vnto his sone And soo it happâ—â— that another knyght and his man fell atte debate and soo this knight â—lewe hym wherfore the fader off this man that was dede gadered a grete multytude of people and pursued that othere knyghte where someuer he wente to haue slayn hym nyghte and daye soo that he myght haue noo reste but euer he dyde flee for fere of his lyf ¶ Thenne it happed on a good friday this knyght sawe all cristen people go to the chirche And he bethoughte hym that Cryste deyed that daye on the crosse for all mankynde and put hym only on the mercy of almyghty god and wente to the chirche wyth other people to serue god and whan he was in the chirche anone this other knyghte hadde worde and come wyth moche peple in to the chirche and his swerde drawen in his honde for to sle hym and whan this other knighte sawe that and wiste well that had trespaced to hym fyll downe to the grouÌ„de wyth his armes sprad abrode as our lord Ihesu Crist spradde his armes on the crosse said ¶ For his loue that this daye spradde his armes on the Crosse and suffred passion and deyed for the and me and all mankynde haue thou mercy on me And forgyue me thy sones dethe ¶ Thenne this knyghte thought it hadde be to horrible a thinge to smyte hym ¶ whyle that he leye soo and cryed hym mercy soo meâ—ely and anone he put vp his swerde and said to him Now for his loue that this daye deyed on the crosse for the â—ne and all mankynde I foryeue the and to ve hym vp and kysâ—â— hym and anone wente to doo worship to the Crosse knelyng And whan this knighte wolde haue kyssed the fete of the crosse the ymage loseth his armes fro the crosse And beclpped the knighte aboute the necke and kyssed hym and spake thus that all the people herde I foryeue the as thou hast foryeuen for the loue off me ¶ And thus all cristen people sholde doo thenne they shold haue mercy and grace of god and blisse euerlastinge Amen ¶ In die paâ—he GOode frendis ye shall knowe well that this daye is called in many places goddis sondai ye knowe well that it is the maner in euery place of worship at this daye to do the fyre out of the alle and the blacke wynter brondis and all thing that is foule wyth smoke shall be doone awaye and there the fyre was shall bee gayly arayed wyth fayre floures and strewed wyth grene risshes all aboute shewyng a gret ensample to all crysteÌ„ people ¶ Lyke as they make clene her houses to the syghte of the peple in the same wyse ye shold clense your soules dâ—yng awaye the fowle brennyng sinne of lechery put all thyse awaye and cast out all thy smoke dust and strewe in your soules floures of feyth charite and thus make youre soules 〈◊〉 to receyue your lord god at the fest of ester Deponentes omneÌ„ maliciaâ— And put awaye all malyâ—e all sorowe for ryght as ye wyll suffâ—e no thinge in your house that stynketh and sauoureth euyll wherwyth ye may bee deceyued Ryght soo Cryst whan he cometh in to your hous of your soules and he fynde there ony stynke of wrathe enuy or ony other dedely synne â–ª hee wyll not abyde there But anone he goth his waye then cometh the fende in and bydeth there thenne may that soule be sory that is so forsakeÌ„ of god and betaken to the fend thus it is wâ—th those that ben in wrathe and enuy or in ony dedely synne and wylle not forgyue to hem that hath trespassed to hem for noo prayer he shall noo forgyuenesse haue for our lorde saith thus Dimittite et dinuttemiâ— Forgyue ye ye shall haue forgyuenesse And therfore euery Crysten man and woman shold serche well her conscience and make hem able to receyue her sauyor Ihesu crist very god maÌ„ ¶ Narracio ¶ There was somtyme an holy bysshop that prayed ofte besely to god that he myght haue grace to see and knowe whiche were worthy to receyue that holy sacramente and come to goddis borde thenne on a tyme as he shold housel the people He sawe some come wyth her faces as rede as blode and blode droppe oute of her mouthâ—â— And some her faces were as blacke as any pitâ—he and some were fayre and redde and lusty to be holde and some as brighte as ony snowe Thenne amonge all other he sawe two comyn wymmen came and their faces shone and bryght as the sonne than had the bysshop grete merueyll of that sight and pâ—eyed to god to gyue hym reuelacion to wyâ—e what all this betokened theÌ„ne ther came to hym an angel said those that haue blody faces and blode droppâ—th out of her mouthis be enuyous peple and wrathfull and wyl not ameÌ„de hem therof and euer they been bacbytyng and slaundrynge her neyghbours And ben euer redy to swere othes therfore her mouthes shall drop blacke blode tyll they come to amendement And those that hauen blacke faces as pytche ben lecherous and wyll not leue her synne and ben grete· synners in many degrees and wyll not amende hem They that haue theyr faces whyte as ony snowe those be they that haue doon greate synne and ben shryuen therof And ben sory for her synnes for the weping of her eyen had wasshed her soules and made hem clene soo they ben in clene lyfe and truly labour for her lyuynge ¶ And those two comyn wymmen that shyne so bryght passyng al other they were gret synners and were sore aferde whan they came to chirche and toke a greate repentaunce in her hertes that they made a vow to god preyeng hym hertely to take noo vengeaunce on hem And they wolde forsake her synne and neuer doo amysse more wherfore god of his grete gracâ— and 〈…〉 â—oâ—gâ—â—ue them her trespas and all her synnes and the sorowe of her hertes hath soo wasshen her soules that they shyne bryghter than all other and thenne the angell wenâ—â— his waye and the bisshop kneled downe and thanked god for his reuelacion and therfore take ensample by thyse two comen wymmen and be sory for your sinnes and repente you in your hertes and purpose neuyr to
lusty to preche and teche vertue and godenesse and enfourme the people to the helthe of their soules vnto theym that here it and bereth it awaye But many hadde leueyr to here a songe of Robyn hode or a tale of Rebawdrye wherfore goddes worde shall nat be prechyd to such And some he yeueth grace soo in vnderstondynge of diuerse langage as englysshe frensshe wal she Irisshe withoute greate trauayll in lernynge It is a greate yefte and a 〈◊〉 and a speciall grace of almighthy god that any man can vnderstoÌ„de or inspeking There ben v. lettres that make all the wordes of all the world and of all langages that ben vndre heuyn And withoute one of these lettrys noon may make no worde And those been these A. E I. O. and V. And also some he yeueth grace of counseyl for to doo after good counseyll And some he enspireth wâ—thin for they that he shewyth them and maketh to know to fore what wyll coÌ„me after and fal And giueth grace to deme the bettre fro the worse ¶ wherfore they doo so wysely and discretely that al the people be gladde to here them speke and to do after their counseyll And some he prucâ— grace also to doo after counseyl As our lorde Iesu cryste gaue him self counseylynge a man that wyll lyue a parfyte lyf to leue that he hath and go into religion and be there gouerned by his wardeyns counseyl and by his owne This counseyll coÌ„myth of god And some he gyuethe grace of sufferynge moche bodily sekenesse grete wâ—oâ—ges and moche disease both in body and in soule Losse of catell lorshippes mastershippes frendeshippes and all that ye suffreth with a meke herte thankynge almyghty god of his sond that coÌ„meth of the grace of the holy gooste Also he gyueth some grace of lerning in diuerse sciences Some to lerne oon crafte some another so by the whiche he may gete his lyuynge with trouthe So that a man wyll putt to his good â—yll â— and his diligence and truly to laboure and not to slombâ—e and slepe slewâ—â—ly and soo vnthrifthly but in dewe tyme to labour besely the holy ghost hathe gyuen euery man some knowynge to gete his lyuynge wyth trouth Also some he gyueth grace of pyte and fylleth ther hertis soo full of pite compassion of her euyn crysten that ben in desease and aduersyte â–ª that they gyue them of theyr goodes to helpe and socour theym at her nede and to comforte theym in all that they may for cristis sake And also mercyable that they forgyue all that they trespassed to hem in ony wyse Some he gyueth also to drede god â–ª in soo moche that they ben euer a ferde to dyspleyse almyghty god And euer thynke of grete vengeaunce that god will take for synne at the daye of dome Timor domini expellit peccatum ¶ The drede of god and the horryble paynes of helle putteth awaye synne And thus nyghte and daye Some be euer aferde to offende god And euer be besy to doo well in preuyte as in open syghte of people He that hath this gyfte he hath a specyall grace off the holy ghoste ¶ Hec sunt septem dona spiritus sancti ¶ Thyse ben the seuen gyftes that the holy ghoste departed amonge al mankynde and gyueth to some more than some But there may noo man excuse hym but that the holy ghoste assygneth to hym some what of thyse in tyme of his cristenyng where the bisshop 〈…〉 confirmacioÌ„ reherseth thyse w◠〈◊〉 of the sacrament I wyll telle you 〈◊〉 ensample to fere you the more to the sacrament of Cristenynge that is founden by the 〈◊〉 of saynt Iames. ¶ Narracio ¶ There was an holy bysshop that tourned Lowys the Kynge of Fraunce to cristen feyth And soo whan the kynge come to the cristening atte the halowynge of the fonte there was grete prese of people that the clerke that bare the bysshops crysmatory myght not brynge â—t to the bysshop ¶ And soo whan the fonte was halowed and come to the anoyntynge he myght not come to his Crysmatory Thenne the bysshop lyfte vp his eyen to good preyenge god deuoutly for helpe And anone ther wyth ther come a doue as white as ony milke that was the holy ghoste berynge in her bylle a vyoll wyth oyle and creme to the bysshop And whan he opened the vyoll there come oute therof soo swete sauour that all the people had wondre therof and were gretly comforted there by and that contynued tyll the seruyce was doone Here loo ye may wel see though the preest say the wordes the holy ghost worcheth the sacrament and dothe vertue of the wordes Nowe that the holy ghoste may descende and lyghten vs that we may come to receyue hym to oure saluacion Amen ¶ In die penticostes· gOod men wymen this 〈◊〉 is called â—â—sondaye â–ª 〈◊〉 the holy goost broughte wytte 〈◊〉 â—isdome in to cristes disciples And â—o by there prechynge after 〈◊〉 cristendome Thenne may ye vnderstonde that many hath wytt but nat wysedome For there been mony that hath wytte to preche we le but there be fewe that haue wysdome to doo well There be many wyse prechoures and techers but their lyuynge is no maner thynge after they re prechinge Also ther be many that labour to haue wytte and connynge but ther been fewe that trauayleth to coÌ„me to good lyuynge For who so hath wytte and connynge to gette godes with fayre subtell wordes be they neuir so fals he is wyse but wyt of holynesse is nat sette by For he that can gette goodes with knackes and mowes he is a wyse man but he that forsaketh the wytte of thys worlde is a foole But loke what holy scripture sayth Dominus recitauit nomeÌ„ pauperis quia ipsum approbauit et nomeÌ„ eius in libro vite scriptum fuit Oure lord hath resceyued the name of the pore man for he hath proued him in his pouert and toke his name in the boke of lyf Sed nomen diuitis tacuit qui a non approbauit But he lefte the riche man for he hath nat preuyd him But though a man be neuir so riche at the laste he shall be pore For though he bringe with him but his good dedys his badde he that lyueth well and techith well For a godâ—â—sample in lyuynge is good doctâ—â—ne This grace at this daye was gyuen to cristes disciples for they taughte wele and lyued wele for they gaue good enfourmacion in techynge of good ensaÌ„ple in lyuynge for their techinge And their lyuynge is spradde throughe oute all the worlde Thenne how they come to this grace ye shall here Post ascensionem domini After whan that oure lorde iesu cryste was styed vp to heuyn his dâ—sciples were in greate heuynesse and morning for they hadde loste their master that they loued full well and for hem had loste all their goods for his loue and forsake all their freÌ„dship And seruyd him full pore in hope
that sholde be gretly holpen by him And thus they were all heuy and greatly astonyed and sore aferde to be taken of the Iewys and caste into pryson and after to be putt to dethe This made theym sory yâ— that they durste nat goo among the people for to gete theym mete and drynk But yet as criste badde theâ—â— in his ascension they wente into the â—yte of Ierusalem and there they were in â— hall of stage and there they satte to gyddre praynge vnto god with hole herte and one spiryte of helpe and socour and soÌ„me comforte in their disese Thenne as they were thus praynge to gydder Sodenly there was a greate clowde made in the ayre lyke a blaste of thuÌ„dre â–ª and euyn therwith the hooly goost come emonge theym all Et apparuerunt illis dispertite lingue tanquaÌ„ ignis ¶ And lyghte come doune emong hem in lykenesse of tonges brennynge and not smertynge warmyng and not harmyng lyghtenyng and not flyterynge ¶ Et repleti sunt omnes spiritu sancto ¶ And fylled hem full of gostely wyt For as they were to fore but lewde meÌ„ of syghte and vnlettred and very ydeottes as of connyng and noo thynge cowde of clergy Suddenly they were the wyseste men in the world And anone they spake all maner langages vnder the sonne And there as before her hertes weren colde for drede and fere of dethe Thenne were they so comforted of the holy ghoste in brennyng loue That they wente and preched and taughte the worde of god Sparynge for noo drede but redy to take the dethe for Cristis sake Thenne at that tyme there were in Iherusalem people of all nacions and drewe in to the temple for grete fere of the blaste of thondre that was in the cyre And stodyed what it myghte be Thenne come the apostles in to the temple and preched And all maner of nacions vnderstode hem And they vnderstode all maner nacions and soo they preched the worde of god Thenne were the people astoned whaÌ„ they herde the posteles speke all manner of langage Thenne sayd some thyse haue dronken soo moche that they wote not what they doo saye Nother what they meane for they ben al dronken Thenne answerde Peter and said we be not dronk but this was the prophecye of Iohell the prophete ¶ How the holy ghoste shold be yeuen plentuously to the people soo that thei shold speke wyth all tonges that is to preche to all the worlde the lawes of Ihesu criste Thenne the people torned faste And soo wythin fewe yeres the feyth was in all the worlde Nowe it is to wyte why the holy ghoste more apered in to lykenesse of tongis rather than in other party of mannis body why he come to hem syttyng rather thenne stondyng ¶ As to the first this is the cause a tonge is the best membre of mannys body whan it is in good rule and well disposed But whan it is out of good rule it is the worste ¶ Venenum aspidum sub labiis eorum Bytter venym is vnder the tonge that speketh euyll sayth dauid in the psalter And as saynt Iames sayth A cursed tonge is fyred wyth the fyre of helle and may not be chastysed whyle the fyre brenneth it And also for tonges must speke wordes of fire that is sharpe and sperkelyng to saye trouth not spare in prechenge And techyng to repreue mysdedes for as holy men in olde tyme ouercome and droue awaye the fyre of lyghtenyng with holy wordes and good prayers wythe the brennynge loue to god ¶ Ryght for the fyre of the holy ghost shold dryue awaye and ouercome the fyre off helle that enuy hath and euyll lyuynge that reygneth now in the tongis of moche people and in hertes For the appostles and other prechers That cometh after them shold speke brennyng wordes that is neyther to sharpe nother for dâ—ede ne for loue to saye the trouth and to 〈◊〉 the people her defautes and to repreâ—e the synne that regneth in hem in many dyuerse wyse and soo to do and saye the worde of god and to repreue synne ¶ And but they wyll leue synne they shall wythout remedy be dampned in to the fyre of helle For though thou sholdest dey spar not to preche the wordes of god and telle the trouthe Item deus est misericors penitentibus peccata sua Also god is mercyfull to hem that be sory for her sinnes and wyl leue them Cum vero confessê° fueritet reliquerit ea misericordia consequatur For though a man haue done neuer so moche synne and he wyll shryue hym and forsake his synne mercy shall folowe hym And he shall haue foryeuenesse and soo come to the bryghte fyre euerlastynge blysse ¶ That is the precious loue of god that brenneth emonge the angelis and saintis in the kyngdome of heuen Also he comyth in lykenesse of tonges of fyre for it is the kynde of fire to make low that is hyghe And to wanne that is colde to make softe that is harde And make harde that is softe And also the holy ghoste maketh hertes that ben hyghe of pride and enuy he maketh them lowe and warme in loue and charyte And also harde hertes that haue be gaderynge and holdynge of worldly goodes The holy ghoste maketh them softe and lyberall to gyue dele almesâ—â— dedes for the loue of almyghty god And maketh them harde also in suffrynge of harde and streyte lyuyng in dooyng of grete penaunce for theyr synnes Thus the holy ghost is euer redy to make salue for to hele all maner of synnes That other skylle is why the holy gost come to the appostles rather syttyng than stondyng For sytâ—ynge betokeneth mekenesse in herte witâ—â—â—ste peas and vnyte The whiche ony maner of man must nedes haue that wyl receyue the holy ghoste ¶ For rygâ—â—â—s the drye wode wyll breÌ„ne clerely with oute â—â—â—ryng Soo shold euery crystâ—n man loue other wyth brennyng loue and charyte clerely wythoute 〈◊〉 of wrathe or enuye or ony maner off malyce eche wyth other And euery man shold be feyne of otheris wesâ—â—r And this maketh to haue a good â—onge But as sone aâ— the brondes ben â—aste a twynny by dyscencion off maâ— enuye Anone the fyre of the holy gosâ—e quencheth And thenne 〈◊〉 vp smoke of grete wrathe and enuy bytwene party and party And also grete greuaunce and heuynesse for the soule and causeth it to fayle grâ—â—â— that it maye haue noo consyderaâ—yon to reason Thenne anone the wyckid spyrytes ben redy and â—â—â—se vp smoke in the same mannis herte That is to saye grete wrathe and enuye and euyll wyll that it maye haue noo maner of rest But euer stodyâ—ng and thynkynge also how he may â—ueÌ„ge hym and doo vengeaunce vnto â—is ennemyes And soo is a man euer troubled and besy euer in cursed dedes and lykely to be dampned body soule in helle to euyrlastynge peyne but if he haue socour and helpe of the hooly goost
this present world Therfor he ordeyned this present feste to be halowed in the next thursdaye after the feste of the holy Trynyte for all crysten people that wyll be sauyd muste haue sad beleue in the holy sacrameÌ„t that is goddis owne body in fourme of brede made by the vertue of crystis wordes that the prest sayth by workyng of the holy ghoste ¶ Thenne for this holy pope thoughte to drawe people to more deuocion and better wyll to this holy sacrament and to doo seruyce this daye he graunteth to all that ben worthy that be they that be verey contryte and shreuen of her synnes be in the chirche at bothe euynsonges at matyns and at masse For eche a â— dayes of pardon and for eche hour off the day xl daies of pardoÌ„â— for euery day of the vtas a C. dayes of pardoÌ„ in remission of all her synnes for euermore enduryng thenne ye shall vnderstonde that Our lord Ihesu cryste on sherethursdaye at nyght whan he had souper and wyst well in the moroweâ— that he shold suffre his passion and dethe and passe oute of this worlde vnto his fadre in heuyn He ordeyned a perpetuall memory of his passion to abyde for euir with all cristen peple in erth He tooke brede and wine and made his owne flesshe and blode and gaue it to his disciples to ete and to drynke said Accipite et manducate hoc est corpus meum Take ye this and ete it for it is myn oune flesshe and blood And this he dyd for they sholde haue mynde of him so he yaue other prestys power to make his body of brede and wyne Thus euery preeste hath power to make the sacrament be he good or badde For the sacramente may no man amende nor payre but he that is a good man and a holy lyuer helpyth greatly them that he prayeth fore And he that doth the offyce of the preest worthely and trulye shal be gladde and ioyfull that euir he was borne Foâ—â—â—re lorde hath yeuyn a preest a 〈…〉 power here in erthe that he gaue neuir to aungell in heuen that is to make his owne body in fourme of breed Therfor ye shal haue worshippe more in heuyn thanne any tong can tell or herte thynke And he that is an euyll lyuer and knoweth him selfe in dedely synne and presumeth to mynistre that worthy sacrament and wyl nat amende him he may be sure of perpetuel dampnacion with fendys of hel in euirlastinge peyne Thenne shall ye vnderstonde that he graunteth this sacrament to be vsed for euirmore in holy churche For foure causes that be nedefull to all cristen people The firste is for mannys grete helpynge The secounde for cristes passion myndynge The thridde for greate loue shewynge And the fourthe for grete mede getting Nota quod propter nouem raciones prodest homini audire missaÌ„ secunduÌ„ augustinum Saint Austyn sayth it profytteth greatly all cristen peple to here masse and in especial for ix causes â— sayth thus Quia illo die qua audieret missaÌ„ necessaria cibaria coÌ„ceduÌ„tur For that day that he heryth a masse he shall nat fayll of noo bodily fode nor no necessary thynge that shall be longynge to nor no lett shall haue in his iournaye where that he trauayleth The secounde is all venyall synnes shall be forgyue him and ydel wordes The thridde is that if aman dye it shal stonde for his housell The fourth he shall nat that day lose his sighte The fyfte all ydell othes that day shall be foryeuyn The vi that daye he shal 〈◊〉 no soden dethe The vii aslonge as he heryth the masse he shall nat wâ—â— olde The viii all all his steppes towarde and from warde the churche hâ—â— goode aungyll reknyth to his saluacion The nynthe all the while that he beholdeth the holy sacramente all wycked spirites flee from him and haue no power ouir him be he neuir so grete a synner This helpe and socour we haue of the holy goost and of the sacrament here in erthe and at oure laste ende al cristen people woll sende after the pâ—â—este to coÌ„me to him with goddes body â–ª and to resceyue it knowynge wel that he beleuyth stedfastly that it is the same flesshe and bloode that criste toke of oure lady saint mary and was born of her body very god man and after suffred passion and deth on the crosse for mankynde and leyde in tombe and rose from deth to lyue and now syttethe on his faders right hond in heuyn and shall coÌ„me ayen at the daye of dome and deme the quycke and the dede euery man after his deseruynge So with this parfite beleue al cristen peple shal be armed and made stronge to wythstonde the fendes that wyll coÌ„me and assayle at the departynge bitwene the body and the soull for thenne fendes coÌ„me besily to bringe him out of the beleue Thenne shall the sacrament that a man hath rescâ—yued in his lyf make him mighty and stronge that he shall sette all the fendes at noughte and soo ouircoÌ„me thâ—ym A nother skyll that the sacramente is broughte to a man to aske mercy of criste and remission of his synnes hauynge full truste and byleue that criste is euir redy to forgyue al theym that wyl aske mercy with a meke herte as dauid sayth Cor contritum et humiliatum deus non despicies A contrite herte and a meke oure lorde shall neuir dispyse and that we may se by ensample whanne he hange vpon the crosse bitwene ii theuys that were men of cursed lyuynge And therfore they were ordeyned to be dede that one asked mercy with a meke hert and sayd in this wyse Domine duz veneris in regnuÌ„ tuum memento mei Lorde quod he whanne thou coÌ„myste to thy kyngdome haue mynde of me anoon at his firste asking he gaue him mercy more ouir he sayd to him thus Hodie mecum eris in paradiso This day thou shalte be with me in paradise And that other theef wolde aske no mercy in noo wyse for pryde he had in his herte and therfore he was dampned to hell Thus oure lorde Iesu cryste shedde his blood on the crosse in helthe of all mankynde So in the masse he shewyth his blood in grete socoure helpe and saluacion to all mankynde and the same flesshe and blood is shewed euery day in the masse for we sholde beleue stedfastly theron And he that beleuyth nat theron verily that it is so shall nat be sauyd at the day of dome ¶ Narracio ¶ Therfore I tell you this ensample that is in the lyf of Odo the Busshop of Caunterbury this busshop had wythe him clerkes that beleâ—yd nat parfytely in the sacrament of the auter and sayd they coude nat beleue that the bodye and blood of crist myght be mynistred in the masse Thenne was this busshop sory and prayed to god besily for her amendement And so on a day whanne he was at the
Iohan saâ—â— a Temple of iewes and was full of mawmetry And thenne he prayed â—â— god to dystroye it anone therwyth it felle doune to the ground al to powder wherfore Aristodimus the byshop of the temple was soo wrothe that he put Iohan in to pryson Thenne sayd iohan yet wylt thou that I shall make the byleue in Ihesu crist Thenne said Aristodimus I wyl make venim and make two men to drynke it before the. And whan thou seest hem dede drynke thou ther of wythout harme than wyll I byleue on thy god thenne sayd iohan goo and doo as thou sayst Thenne ordeyned the bysshop poyson and set two men oute of pryson that were damned to drynke of the poyson and anone they were dede thenne said iohan yf thou gyf me venim to drinke I shall calle to my god And thenne iohan toke the poyson and blessed it dranke ther of And he was neuer the worse but rather semed the better the fayrrer For as he was clene from sinne so was he clene from al greuaunce of the poysouÌ„ yet sayd the bysshop he wolde not byleue vnto the tyme he see thyse two men arered from deth to lif that were dede Thenne Iohan caste of his cote said Vade et mitte hanc tunicaÌ„ super corpora defunctorum Goo and laye this cote vpon the dede bodyes and say thus The appostle of Ihesu criste sente me to you and bad that ye sholde aryse vp in goddis name And anone they rose to lyfe ayen Thenne the bysshop wyth many other tourned and byleue in ihesu criste and iohan cristened theym And after the bysshop was a full holy man Thus Iohan had grace to kepe hym clene bothe in body and in soule And thus he was a marter to fore god In wythstoÌ„dyng of synne And also he was the keper of the moder of god For our lord Ihesu sawe the grete clennes that was in Iohan before all other whan Our Lord shold deye he sayd to iohan Ecce mater tua See thy moder and betoke iohan the kepynge of his moder And oure Lord sayd to his moder Ecce filius tuus ¶ See thy sone And soo by toke eyther other And whan oure lorde was dede and layd in his tombe Iohan toke oure lady home wyth hym in to his hous and kepte her tyll our lord IsuÌ„ cryste was rysen from deth to lif ayen And whanne oure lorde was styed vp into heuyn he kepte oure lady in the same chambre while she lyued Thus he had geace of keping of goddes modre Also he hadde grace of knowynge of cristes preuyte For this was firste whanne oure lorde satte at his souper on sherethursday for grete loue that Iohn hadde vnto oure lorde iesu crist he leyde his hede to cristes breste And in the same wyse as a man leyeth his bodye downe to a well and dryngeth his body full of water Right so Iohn drank his soule full of gostly wisedome atte cristes brest and at the same tyme our lorde shewyd him all his preuyte bifore all other And for he was olde wolde nat leue to preche the worde of god The emperoure exiled Iohn him selfe alone into the yle of Patchemose And there god shewyd him the apocalipes of the worlde and of the daye of dome And as he sawe it he wrote it in greate infourmacion of holy churche But after whanne the Emperoure was dede Iohn was called agayn to the cyte of Ephesee for there he was busshop and he come thider And ther was a wedow that hight Drusiana was dede layd on a bere Then Iohn sawe moche people wepe for her and thenne he sayd Drusiana aryse vp and make me some mete and anone she rose and wente forth as she hadde rysen fro slepe ¶ Narracio ¶ It happed on a tyme â–ª there were ii yongemen by prechinge of Iohn they solde all the gode that they hadde and wente forth with Iohn For they were riche men Thenne on a day as they come to the cyte of pargame they that were their seruauntes a lytell to fore were well arrayed and were riche men they were pore men Thenne by temptacion of the fende they forthoughte all their purpose and were soâ—ye that they hadde loste their goodes So anoon by reuelacion of god Iohn knewe her purpose and their hertes And saide he saw that the fend tempted you and maketh you to forthynke all youre purpose â–ª that ye were in to serue god But goo ye to the wode and bring either of you a burden of smale yerdes and so they dyâ— â–ª Thenne through the prayer of Iâ—â—n god turnyd the yerdes into golde And thenne saide Iohn to theym thus Now take ye this golde and be as riche as ye were to fore and knowe well that ye haue loste the kingdome of heuyn Then happed it that there was a man dede the same tyme his modre saw Iohn and anon fyl downe on her knees and prayed him that he wolde reyse her sone to lyf as he dyd the wedowe Druciana Then prayed Iohn to god and this dede man rose agayn to lyue Thenne saide he to him I bydde the tel thies two men what thou haste seeâ— what ioye was ordeyned for theym â–ª howe they haue loste it And thenne the man tolde of the ioye of paradise and of the peynes of purgatory and of hell howe stronge and howe horrible they were And howe gloryous the place was ordeyned for theym And ¶ howe sory their goode angelles were for they had lost the glorious blysse of heuen and how moche ioye the fendes made of the tournynge of them And thenne the same men were sory cryed to Iohan. and prayed hym to pray to god for hem and wept sore Iohan sawe hem wepe he praid to god for hem And gaue hem penauÌ„ce And whan he had done soo anone the golde tourned in to yerdis ayen after they were holy men ¶ Narracio ¶ Another holy reuelacion Iohan had shewed by the preuyte of god It happed on a day he saw a child that was â—â—ke to haue be a man wherfore IohaÌ„ broughte hym to a bisshop bad hym kepe the child teche hym For in tyme â—â—â—yng he shall be a man soo this â—â—sshop kepte hym And whan he come 〈◊〉 mannis state he gaue hym al to foâ—â— felle in company of theues And in a while after he was a maister thef and the leder of them Thenne by reuelacion of god Iohan knewe all this wel ynough come to the bysshop asketh hym where this child was and the bysshop tolde hym than IohaÌ„ blamed hym said that he had mysgouerned the child thenne Iohan was olde myght not wel goo he toke an horse and rode theâ—e as the theues were and whan the theef sawe Iohan. Anone he fled a waye thenne Iohan rode after hym· and cryed and said Quid fugis o fili mi My sone why fleest
ben cristen peple be well ware lest ye be disceyued by any false sorcery as by taking couÌ„ seyll of a man a fore a nother In byenge or sellinge or lenynge In the whyche haue some diuerse opyniones And if they be well shreuyn they be worthy for to haue grete penauÌ„ce for their mysbeleue for that coÌ„meth of the fende and nat of god This day is called the circumcision of oure lorde For as holy churche tellith this day he was circumcised and bledde his blode for our sake For whanne the flesshe was cutt he bledde faste and was full sore for he was but yong and tendre and but viii daies olde and therfore he bled the more Thenne ye shall vnderstond that he bledde v tymes for vs. Quinque enim vicibus sanguinem suum ê“ nobis effudit The first tyme that he shedde his blode was as this daye whanne he was circumcised A nother was for fere of his passion For right as a child wepyth for fere whanne he seeth the rodde hathe noo harme Soo the flesshe of our lord swete bloode for drede of astroÌ„ger passion that was coÌ„mynge The thryd tyme was in his flagellacion whanne he was beten with scourges â–ª soo that all his body ranne on rede blode The iiii tyme was whanne he was nayled hoÌ„de and fote on the crose The v. tyme was whanne that longius perryd his herte with a spere the water the blode come oute of his woundes and then they tooke vp the crosse with the bodye and lyfte it vp on hye and sodenly they lete the crosse fall downe in the morter se that all the senouse veynes and io 〈…〉 tes brake and blode and water come oute of euery wounde this he suffred for vs Thenne sithe criste was circumcised and shedde his bloode for vs that was withoute synne and circumcision is for synne remedye help why wold he be circumcysed that dyd no synne Sanctus augustinud dicit ê“pteer quatuor causas Saint Austyn sayth it was for foure causes The firste was for to make a sethe with the iewys For elles they wold and might haue saide that he had natt been of their lawe wherfore they wold nat resceyue him nor consente to his techinge this was to desceyue the fende For right as the fend disceyued Adam and eue so all mankynde was daÌ„pned so it fel to crist to desceyue the fend where through all mankynde mighte be sauyd Than whan the fende sawe that he was circuÌ„cised as an other childe child for yf he had knowe hym verely that he had come to haue boughte man kynde he wold neuer haue tysed the iewes to haue put hym to deth And this was the cause that our lady was wedded to Ioseph for to dysceyue the fende for the fende sholde wene that Ioseph had ben his fader and not conceyued of the holy goost The third cause why he was circumcysed that was in confermynge of the olde lawe in greate comforte to the olde faders that were of the olde testament For and yf he had be cristened and not circumcysed it had be a grete discomforte to al that were before thâ—â—carnaciouÌ„ of our lord Ihesu criste The fourth cause of his circumcysion was for our lorde wyste well that there wolde come heretykes after that wold haue sayd that Criste â—ad a body of the erthly fantasye and not of flesshe and blode as one of vs haue for a body of thayre may not blede And therfore to put awaye all suche errours Crist was circuncysed bled in his cuttynge of his flesshe the whiche flesshe was cut from his membre And an angell after broghte it to kyng Charles for the most precious relyke in the world And for the gretteste worshyp that he coude doo therto broughte it to rome to a chirche that is called Sancta sanctorum For thyse iiii causes Crist was cercuÌ„cysed This daye also it is called the vtas of the natiuyte that is the viii daye of our lordis birthe in grete tokenynge to all vs that be goddis seruauntes to thinke on thise viii dayes that foloweÌ„ the byrth The first day is to thynk inwardely on the sede that we were conceyued of that is fowle and abomynable in it self â–ª that a man or a woman be they neuer soo fayre that and they sawe the mater they wold be ashamed of hem self to thynke that euer he were conceyued of that sowle thynge The second daye is to thinke how greuous he peyneth his moder in his byrth in so moche that it is a grete miracle of god that she may haue her lyf The thirde day is to thynke how feble and how wretched he is borne for all the bestes of kynde some what they caÌ„ helpe them self saue oonly mankynde he nother maye ne can helpe hym self f in noo degree but deye anone But he had not helpe and socour of other The iiii day is to bâ—thynk howe moche parell and drede he lyueth here fore in euery place deth folowth hymand is euer redy to fall on him what tyme ne where noo man knoweth But oonly god hym self Incertus eÌ„ locê° in quo mors te expectat ¶ It is incerteyn the place there as deth abydeth the. ¶ The v daye is for to thynke howe horryble deth is whan he cometh for in shorte space tyme he maketh a man to stynke that all the best frendes that he hath ben auysed to put hym in erth And hyde hym there ¶ The vi daye is to thynke how rew full is the departyng of the body and the soule that may not be departed tyl the herte in the body breke for drede off the syghtes that the saule shal see that for greate fere the herte breketh O mors quam amara est memoria tua O thou deth howe byttre is it to thynke vpon whan thou arte coÌ„mynge to any man The vii is to thynke howe dredefull is the dome that he shall go to anoon and howe streight his iugemente shall be Thenne he that wyll thinke on these vii daies besily on the viii day I hope he shal be circumcised that is he shal be cutt away fro the lust of his flesshe and of synne and soo do depart from this worldis likynge And thus coÌ„meth the viii daye that is the vtas of cryste that is the ioye of blisse that neuir shal haue ende To the whiche god brynge vs all In die Epiphanie GOode frendes this daye is called the xii daye but it is xiii daye of cristes byrth the whiche day holy church calleth it Epiphania domini that is to saye the shewyng of our lord Iesu criste very god and man For this daye he was shewyd very god man by thre offringes by his cristnyng and also by tornynge of the water into wyne The xiii day of his birthe by offringe of the thre kinges that same daye xxx wynter and xiii daies after hys byrthe He was cristned in the water of flome Iordane And that same
daye xii monthe he turned water into wyne at the weddinge at Chane galilee But the feste maketh mooste mynde mencion of the iii. kinges offryng and therfore lete vs folowe the fourme of holy churche and ye shall here howe it fyll of their offringe to oure lorde iesu criste very god and man Thus iii. kynges wer of the lignage that prophecyed howe a sterre sholde shyne of Iacob But they were no iewes kynd but they hadde herde by prophecy of this wherfore they hadde greate desire luste to see it And so often tymes whaÌ„ne they might coÌ„me to giddre vpon certeyne high hylles thenne they wolde dispute emonge theym of this sterre Soo it hapned vpon cristemasse nighte the same tyme as oure lorde was borne they were to gyddre and were disputyng of this sterre Super montem Vpon the hyll Dominus enim erat natus Oure lorde was borne Eâ— apperuit illis And apperyd to theym in the sterre as a faire childe and vnder his hede a brâ—kâ—â—â— â–ª crosse of golde and saide thus to them Goo ye anoon in all the haste that ye maye into the londe of Iury and take with you gold myrre and ensence and offre these thre thinges to him that ye shal fynde there now borne kinge of iewes very god man And I shal be youre gyde and lede you to the way Then anoon for grete haste they toke bestâ—â— that ben called Dromedaries that ben of suche kynde they be so swyfte that they wyll tenne further in one day thaÌ„ne any other beest wyll tenne or go in thre daies And so they caÌ„me to Ierusalem that was the cheif cyte of all Iury hopynge that they shulde here there some tydinges where that this child was borne But as sone as they turnyd into the cyte of Ierusalem thenne they loste the sighte of the sterre that lad theâ—◠¶ euyr the waye tyll that they come thyder bryghter than the sonne theÌ„ne wheÌ„ they com to the cyte of iherusâ—leÌ„ they rode to kyng Herode for he was there the same tyme sayd to heÌ„ Vbi eÌ„ qui natus eÌ„ rex iudeoruÌ„ ¶ where is he that is borne that is kynge of iewes Vidimus enim stellam eius in oriente we sawe his sterre in the Este Venimus adorare eum we be come to worshyp hym Thenne kynge herode was troubled and all the cyte wyth hym but more for flaterynge of him thenne for ony loue that they had to hym Thenne kynge Herode asked his clerkis where this child sholde be borne and they sayd in bethelem â—nde thenne kyng herode asked the kingis preuely of the sterre and bad hem goo in Bethelem and worship the childe â–ª and come ayen by hym telle hym where he myghte fynde the chylde that he myght goo worshyp hym Thenne whan the kyngis were passed towardes Bethelem anone the sterre apered to them And whan thei sawe the sterre was come ayen they were glad in their hertes and as it is in many place painted the kynge that is in the myddel for gret ioye of the sterre he loked bacwarde to his felowe behynde hym and wyth his fynger shewed him the sterre that is the cause that the middel king loked bacward ¶ And thus the sterre broughte them to bethelem and whan the sterre come ouer the hous there as Our Lord was in it stode styll Thenne the kynges lighted downe and wente in to the hous and wyth al the reuerence that they coude knelynge â— downe offird eche of theÌ„ thise iii. thinges Aurum thus et mirram Golde cence and myâ—â—e knowlechyng by the golde that he was kynge of all kynges And by the 〈◊〉 that he was very god and by the myrre that he waâ— very man and shold be dede and layd in graue wythout rotynge For gold is cheef of al mettallis Encence is breÌ„te in holy chirche in worship to god Myrre is an oynemeÌ„te that kepeth the bodyes from rotynge Thus whan the kyngis had done theyr offrynge by techinge of the angell Per aliam viam reuersi sunt iÌ„ regionem suam By another waye they wente toward theyr owne londis And lefte kynge he rode and the sterre vanysshed awaye fro them ¶ Thenne as syant Bernard sayth Ioseph kept of this golde as moche as hym neded to his tribute that he shold paye to the emperour And also more to kepe our lady wyth whyle she laye in chylde bed And the remenaunt he deled to poure people suche as had grete nede therto The cence he brente to put awaye the stenche of the stable there as she laye in and wyth the myrre Oure lady anoynted her chyld to kepe hym from wormes and dysease But what befel of the kyngis after I fynde no thyng in certeyn but some peple haue an oppynyon how the saynt thomas of Inde cristened theym whan he come in to that cuntrey of Inde ¶ And thenne as the sterre lyghtened theym to crystis birth Soo the holy ¶ goost lyghtened them in theyr soule and â—aught them the parfyghte waye of the byleue And also of parfyghte and gracious lyuinge In soo moche that they lefte all theyr kingedom and wente forth on pylgrâ—mages that is to saye to Iherusalâ—m to many other places And soo they come forthe to Myllayne and there they deyed all thre And soo after that they were translated to Coleyne and there they ben yet now haue ye herde bi thyse thre kynges How Oure Lorde Ihesu Criste was this daye shewed verey god and man wherfore lyke as they offred wyth deuocyon So shold ye doo your offrynges whan ye come to holy chirche knelynge downe wyth all reuerence that ye canne or may not on your one knee as to a temporal lorde but on bothe your knees And doo worshyp hym wyth good prayers Thenne offre ye precious golde For there is noo golde soo precyous as is the good prayer deuoute And thenne hold vp your hondes to hym wyth all the reuerence that ye can and wyth a deuoute herte praye to hym and shewe hym all the loue of your hertes And thenne offre ye to hym ensence For there is noo ensence sauour that is so swete brennyng in the fyre as doth good prayers that is deuoutely said· wyth a brennyng loue in clene charyte And if thou doo thus thenne thou offrest knelyng on thy knees Make a crosse on therthe and kysse it and thynke well thou art but etthe theÌ„ne muste ye offre myrre For right as myrre kepeth a body from rotyng soo the mynde of deth kepeth a mannis soule from dedely synne in this wyse do ye your offâ—nâ—â—e And thenne shall ye haue as moche mede as had thyse thre kynges Also he was shewed bothe god and man atte his cristenyng For he come to the water of flom Iordan he wente in to the water and halowed it for right as he was circumcised to conferme the new lawe and for noo nede that he hadde therto For he was clene wythout
it and sett it bifore her in hell and our lady charged and coÌ„maunded that there shulde no fende come there nygh Butt lett it stonde brennynge for euirmore to comforte all that been in hell Thenne saide the fendeâ— they hadde leuyr leâ—e the soule than do so Thenne bad oure lady take the soule and bere it to the body ayen so they dyd And whan she was aliue she bethought her on her strayte dome there as she was at and wente and shroue her to a preest and lyued longe after and she amendyd her lyue and was euir after a gode womaÌ„ and a holy Amen De sancto mathia apostolo gOde frendes suche a daye ye shall haue saint Mathies day that is goddes appostyll whiche hathe noon euyn in certeyn But as clerkes say all cristen people owe to faste the euyn though it be nat sette vigell in the Calendre ye shall vnderstonde whan oure lorde was in erth he chose xii appostels to here and to see al that he dyd here in erthe For iewes were so hard to him and ayenst him that they wolde byleue no thing that he dyd And also for they shulde bere witnesse after his asceÌ„sion of that he dyd in erthe For the Iewes wolde bileue no maner thyng but that myght be preuyd by wytnes TheÌ„ was iudas scariot one of the xii that crist hadde chosen to him Iudas hadde a lytell tofore slayne his owne fader and laye by his modre and then come to criste to be his disciple But he was euir wont tofore to stele and coude nat leue it he was wery anon of crist of his holy lyuynge for grete couetyse of money he solde his lord vnto the Iewes for xxx plates whan he hadde soo done and sawe that criste was take and demyd to dethe anoon he fel in to dispaire and wente and henge hym self with a rope for the throte that spake the wordes of treason and gyle the same throte was strangled For he that dyd so soule by his lordes lyf wold haue saide many an euyl worde after his lordes dethe by him that dyd so foull by his lyf And for the fende might nat drawe oute his soule by his mouth for he hadde late kyssed the mouthe of cryste Therfore the fende brake his wombe and shedde oute his guttes and then they tooke his soule and bare it to hell But oure lorde is so rightful and gracious that he wyll euery goode dede rewarde and euery synne punysshe and that ye shall here by this ensample ¶ Narracio ¶ we fynde that saint Brandan as he sailed in the see he sawe this Iudas syt vpon a stone and a clothe hangyng bifore him that laye in the water and oft bete him in the face Then BraÌ„dan we nyd it hadde be some holy man that had suffred that for grete penaunce and asked in the name of god what he was Then aunsweryd he and sayd I am Iudas goddes traytoure that haf this place of goddes grete grace and curteysye for it refressheth me of the grete hete that I suffre within me and for noo merite that euir I dyd deserue For me thynketh that I am in paradise whyle that I am here Thenne saide brendan why haste thou that stone vnder the. why dothe that bete the in the face TheÌ„ sayde he I layde this stone in a highe waye ther as the coÌ„men peple shold go they were efyd therby that is the caus e that I am eased therby nowe This clothe was nat myn owne that dothe me this refresshing now but it had be my oâ—ne it sholde haue refresshed more for I gaue it to a pore man Then said brandaÌ„ how long hast thou this refresshing then said he euery saturday fro euynsoÌ„ge tyl euynsong on the morow that euynsong be done fro cristmas day tyl xii day fro Ester day tyl wytsondaye in thassuÌ„pcion of our lady caÌ„delmas daye Then braÌ„dan thaÌ„ked god that he is so merciful anon he bad sayl foâ—â—â—e faste that they were gone for they shulde here tydinges sone after euyn therwâ—the come out of an hyll many feÌ„des casted many breÌ„nyng glemes of fire in to the see after them that the se bret on euery side but god kept them so that they had no harm Then for this Iudas was one of the xii appostels the noÌ„bâ—e of theÌ„ must be fulfilled then was criste â—â—yed vp to heuyn the xi appostels were to gider with many other peple in a place Then said petyr Nowe al gode man â— brethern it is wel know to you that iudas was one of the xii bicause the noÌ„bre may nat be iÌ„parfite it is nede to chose one of thies ii men that hath be with our lorde Iesu criste fro the tyme that he was baptised vnto his ascension to bere witnes with vs of his doing Then they set thies ii men Ioseph barsabas mathy cast lot on them saide praynge oure lord O lord thou knowest the hertes of all men shewe to vs whiche thou chosest of thies ii the lot fyll on mathy so he was in nombre with thother xi Then mathy wâ—t into myrre to preche the worde of god and for he hadde the grace of the holy goost he dyd myracles turnyd moch peple to the feith of criste Then was the fende sory appered to the busshop of the iewes lawe in likenesse of a yonge child with long here 's hore bad him take mathy do him to the dethe or els he wyl turne all the peple to the cristen faith Then the busshop wexed nygh wode for wrake sent forth peple to seke mathy whaÌ„ they had him they bonde his hondes behinde him caste a rope aboute his necke lad him to pryson ther bond him faste with chyâ—nes of iron Then the nyghte after oure lorde iesu criste come to 〈◊〉 with a grete lighte losed his boÌ„â—â— whan he had well coÌ„forâ—yd him â—pned the prison dore bad him preâ—â—e the faithe spare for no man TheÌ„ 〈◊〉 as he prechyd were some that withâ—â—te him â–ª letted other that wolde haue â—yd to the faith then said mathy to 〈◊〉 I tel you bifore he shal fal downe to helâ—yâ— so anoon in sight of al men therâ—â— â—opned he sanke downe into hell body soul was neuir seen more of hym Then was the peple fore agast of that sight turned to the feith a gret nombre of them Then whan the bisshop herde therof they toke him and bonde him set men to throwe stones at him And whan he was nygh dede he bad cristen peple to bere the stones that he was stonyd with into the graue wyth him in witnes of his martirdome helde vp his hondes to god saide O lord I beseche the take my spiryte and gaue vp the goost ¶ Raynolde of chestre in his cronycles tellith another miracle lyke this and sayth
to gyue to theym that had nede Then blessed Laurence folowed his master and saide Sancte pater noli me derelinquere Holy fader forsake nat me for I haue dealyd all the tresoure that thou tookest to me wherfore go nat thou to thy passion assone but let me goo with the as we haue seruyd god to gydder So lete vs suffre deth to gyddre Then said the pope I wyll goo to fore and thow shall come after and suffre more penaÌ„ce then I may For I am olde and thou arte yonge and mayste suffre more thaÌ„ I. and therfore make the redy for ther is grete turment ordeyned for the TheÌ„ were there some that herde LaureÌ„ce speke of treasoure Thenne the Emperouâ— sente after Laurence and sayd Ostende michi thesauros eccleÌ„ Shewe me the tresoure of the churche or els thou shalte be putt to suche a torment that thou shal be fayne to deliuer it Thenne how pope Sixtê° and saint Laurence come to this treasour ye shal here ¶ we rede that there was a hooly man that hight origines that coÌ„uerted Philyp the Emperoure Thenne the Realme of Fraunce was rebell ayenste the emperoure of Rome Thenne the emperoure sent a knight of his into Fraunce with moche people to ouircome fraunce This knyght was called decyus and in shorte tyme he made frauÌ„ce subgettes to the Emperoure as they were bifore Then whanne this emperoure phylip herde that Decyus hadde doon so well to grete worshyp to Decius and to thanke him for his iourney The emperoure toke with him a fewe men and rode oute of Rome ayenst decius to welcome hym home Thenne decius sawe that the Emperoure dyd him so greate worship he thoughte it hadde be for drede and nat for loue thought to be emperoure him selue And so in the nyght nexte after as the Emperoure lay in his bedde slepynge Decius slew him and toke all his people to Rome with him Thenne whanne the Romaynes the senatoures herde therof what for drede and what for loue they made Decius Emperoure Thenne whanne Philippes sone herde tel that his fader was dede in this wyse he was aferde that decius wolde haue slayne him and tooke all his faders tresoure to holy churche and bare it to pope Sixtus and to Laurence praynge hem if so were that Decius slewe him they shold dele this treasoure to holy churche and â—o pore people that hadde nede Thenne decius made to slee philyps sone for fere left he wolde auenge his faders deth whanne he hadde come to mannys state And this was the tresoure that pope Sixtus and Laurence hadde and for this tresoure they put LaureÌ„ce into prison Then was there a man that hyght Lucellê° in prison that by grete weping had loste his sighte then Laurence made him to se agayn and cristned hym wherfore many blynde men wymen come to Laurence and hadde ther sight Thenne the Emperoure sent to LaureÌ„ce to deliuer the treasoure Then he praied him of thre daies respyte and theÌ„ne he wolde shewe him the treasoure Soo thies thre daies Laurence was lete out of prison and went and gadred all the pore people to gyder that he coude fynd blynde lame or croked and the thridde daye he broughte them bifore the Emperoure to his palys and saide Lo here is euirlastinge tresoure this wyll neuir fayll for it wyll endure for euer in heuyn Soo shewyd Laurence ayenste couetise largenesse for he delyd for goddes sake all that he hadde and myghte haue spent it invanyte and he had wolde Also in turmeÌ„t of his passion he shewyd loue and swetnesse Thenne themperoure coÌ„maunded to brynge forthe all maner of turmentry scourges nayles stones salte pyche brymstone breÌ„nyng coles yron shaftes barres of yron gredirens and coÌ„manded al shold be spent vpon Laurence but if he wold shewe the treasoure forsake his god And to doo sacrifice to mawmentes Thenne saide Laurence thou vnblessed man these metes and drynkes haue I euir desired For right as swete metes and drynkes please thy bodye So these turmentes please my soule and maken me stronge and myghty to suffre passyon for my lordes sake Thenne was themperour â—â—â—th and commaunded to bete hym wyth scourges full of knottis and leue not tyll the blode ranne downe on euery syde and thenne they layd cheynes off yron brennynge to his sydes that brenned the flesshe fro the bones and euer laurence thanked god hertely Thenne was decius wode for woo said though thou wyth thy wytche crafte scornest my tourmentis yet thou sholdest not scorne me And thenne he commauÌ„ded ayen to bete hym wyth whippes and knottes of lede tyll the bones were bare Thenne laurence helde vp his hede and prayed to god thenne came a voyce fro heuen and sayd thou muste suffre moo tourmentis and passion for loue of me This decius herde it hym self and thou shal come in to grete ioye and blysse Thenne sayde decius to the people ye may here all how the fendes come and comforte hym goo and bete hym ayen wyth scourges Thenne was there a knyghte of the emperours that hyght Romanus that sawe an angell wyth a shete of sylke come and wype laurence sydes Thenne he forsoke the emperour become the dysciple of saynt LaureÌ„ce And laurence anone crystened hym Thenne decius made to smyte of Romanus hede thenne deciê° dyd make a grete fyre and set a gred-yren theron to rost laurence and thrested hym downe wyth fyre forkes TheÌ„ne laurence loked vpon themperour sayd thou wretche that syde that is â—osted ynough ete therof whyle that other syde rosteth I drede not thy tormentes and caste his eyen vp to god and sayd Lorde Ihesu criste take my spyrite and so he yelde vp the goâ—â— Thenne the tourmentours wente her waye and lefte the body lyeng there Thenne come cristen people and toke the body and beryed it wyth grete lamentacion Thus Laurence shewed mekenesse ayenst malyce and largenes ayenst couetyse ayenst passyon loue swetenesse for the gret loue that he had to god â–ª made hym sett noughte by all his tourmentis that were doo to his body ¶ Saynt gregory telleth how there was a preste that hyghte staculus and was besy to amende a chirche of saint Laurence that was dystroyed wyth loÌ„bardes but he wanted brede to his werke men and made moche sorowe therfore· and he prayed to god and to saint Laurence besely of helpe And thenne he loked in to an ouen and foude it ful of new white brede But he wente it wold haue serued hem for a weke it fonde hem ynough all the tyme that his werke was a makyng ¶ We fynd that there was an emperour that wâ—â— a cursed man of lyuyng And whan he was dede there come a legion of feÌ„des to fetche hym and as they come by an holy hermites celle they made a grete noyse thermyte had grete merueyll therof and opened a wyndowe spake to one of hem that come behynde
and asked in the name of god what they were And he sayd fendes that were sente to the emperour that was dede to luke yf they myght haue hym for her rewarde thenne the armyte coÌ„maunded them to come agayn by him to knowe howe they sped and he dyd so and said whaÌ„ his sinnes were layed in the balaunce and was nye ouercome Thenne come the brennyng deken laurence layed a grete pot on the balaunce it drewe vp altogyder this pot was a gret chalyce that theÌ„perour made to worship saint laureâ—nce Thus ye may lerne to suffre a yenst enuyous people also what mede is in largnesse to gyue them that haue nede and what ioye and meryte it is to suffre trybulacion and persecucion disease paciently lerne of the holy marter saint laurence and lete vs take him for a myrrour and praye to hym that he wyll be medyatour to god for vs that we may come to euerlastyng blysse ¶ De assumpcione beate Marie virginis GOod frendes suche a daye ye shall haue the Assumpcion of our lady and it is called soo for the daye her sone toke her vp in to heuen body and soule and crowned her quene of heuen for thaungelis of heueÌ„ come to fett her vp Angellis syngyng come wyth procession ayenst her wyth roses and lylyes of paradyse in token that she is rose lylye and floure of all wymmen and they dyd homage to her for all angellis and sayntes in heuen made ioy and melodye in worship and honour of her and so holy chirche maketh mynde of her assumpcion And yet the gospell of that daye maketh no mencion but of two susters that was Martha and Mary mawdalene and sayde thus Inâ—rauit ihesus in quoddâ—â— castellum et mulier quedaÌ„ c. ¶ Ihesus entred in to a castell and a woman that was called Martha toke hym in to her house And she had a suster that was called mary that sat atte Cristis feete and herde hym speke Thenne was martha besy to serue cryste and she said to hym Sire byd my suster aryse and helpe me thenne answered Criste Maria meliorem partem elegit que non auferetur ab ea ¶ Mary hath chose the better parte the whiche shall not be tak awaye from her Thyse ben the wordes of the gospell of that daye And here be no wordes of our lady as be semyng But he that redeth what saint ancelme sayth there he may see that the gospell perteyneth all to our lady and to the lyuyng of her For she was the castel that Ihesus entred in to for ryght as a castel hathe dyuerse properteis that longen to a castell that it shold be myghty and stroÌ„g ryght soo was our lady before alle other wymmen For there as wymmen be freyle and feble and easy to ouercome our lady was stronge as a castell and ayenstode the cawtelis of the fendes engynis and put theym besyde at all tymes For ryght as a castell hath first a depe dyke right so had our lady a depe mekenesse in strength off the castell in so moche she passed other in vertu of mekenesse wherfore god chose her to be moder to his sonne before all other wiÌ„men and therto cryste bereth wytnesse thus ¶ Quia respexit humilitatem ancille sue For god behelde the mekenesse of his hondmayden all generacion shal blisse me This dyke yf it be full of water it is the more strenger to the castel this water is compassion that a man shold haue for his sinnes and for other peoples disease This water had our lady On this dyke lieth a drawe brygge that shall be drawe vp ayenst crunyes and lete downe ayenst frendes By this brygge ye shall vnderstonde discrete obedience for right as a man shal not lete downe the brigge to his enmy though he byd hym soo man shall not lete the fende come to his soule though he tempte hym But anone as he is bodeÌ„ ony thinge that is helpe and socour to his saule thenne shall he lete doune the brygge of obedience and the sooner the better this dyde our lady whan thangell gabryell tolde her of her concepcion of her sonne she lete not downe the brygge anone tyll she knewe wheder he was a frende or an enmye and said she shold conceyue and be a mayde and kepte the vowe of chastite that she had made to fore and as she herde yt. she lete downe the brygge of obedience and sayd Ecce ancilla domini Lo here goddis owne hand mayden be it done to me after thy worde this castell is treble walled ¶ The first walle betokeneth wedlocke for first she was wyf to Ioseph or elles the iewes wolde haue stoned her as for a lechour yff she had conceyued wythout wedlocke and so the ferther wall betokeneth pacience and thynner virginyte that is maydenhede but that is lytyll worth but it be strengthed wyth the wall of paâ—ience and lytyll helpe is for maydenhede it is lytyll worth that can noo thynge suffre of persecucion not dysese but euer pleynyng and grutchynge and to be a claterer a iangeler a curser and a waryer and a scolde of her tonge thyse defende not maydenhede but rather cast it downe for maydenhede shode be of fewe wordes and that she speketh shold be honest and worship bothe to her owne persone and to all them that ben in her presence For it is an olde englishe a mayden shold be seen and not herde this vertu had our lady For saint Bernard sayth rede all the gospel ouer and thou shalt not fynde that our lady in all her lyf spake but iiii tymes The first to gabryell the ii to Elizabeth the iii. to her own sonne in the temple and the iiii at the weddyng in the caue of galyle Thus must the walle of pacience defende the walle of maydenhede This walle of maydenhede it be wel kepte it is passynge all other As bede saith wedlocke is â—ye â–ª there as it is wel kepte but yet wedow hode is hygher but virgynyte passâ—th al hath worshyp in heuen passing al other This wal kepte our lady for she was clene both by fre wyl by vowe she had a degre passyng al other maidens that euer were or euer shall bee for she was both mayde and moder And in this castell is a gate that betokeneth feyth for ryght as it is impossible for a man to goo thurgh a walle of stele ryght soo it is inpossyble to a maÌ„ to pleyse god wythout feyth Thus feith had our lady passyng ol other ¶ For as it semeth impossible for a woman to conceyue wythout â—arnal concupyscence of maÌ„ for it was neuer seen byfore But by techyng of an angell she byleued And soo came cryst and entred by the gate of byleue in to the castell that is in to the body of our lady This gate had a tour aboue which betokeneth charyte For that is aboue all thyng and that vertu had our lady well
fight for hem all and bothe the endes of the brydge shulde be drawen vp And whiche of theym that hadde the victory sholde haue bothe the kyngdomes Thenne was eraclius so full in feyth of the crosse trustyd in the prayer of the people that he ouircome his enmy Thenne cosdres people by strengith of the holy gooste turned to the feyth by free wyll of hem selue And whanne they were all criste nyd then went Eraclius with both the ostes to the olde kynge cosdre as he satt in his trone and saide to him thus For by cause thou haste doo worshyp to the holy crosse thou shal chose if thou wil be crystned and haue thy kyngdome ayen for a lytell trybute in reste and peas or els to be dede and he forsoke to be cristned Thenne anoon Eraclius smote of his hede and made a crye that his treasoure sholde be dealyd emong his men and precious stones and other Iewelles sholde be kepte to restore the churches that were distroyed and bare the crosse to Ierusalem And whan he came to the mounte of olyuete toward the cyte of Ierusalem rydynge on a traped horse he wolde haue ryden into the cyte of Ierusalem but sodenly the gates fell to gydder was a playn wal Thenne he was gretely astonyed and marueyled gretly of that vengeaunce and made a grete mone Thenne come an aungell and stode vpon the gates sayde Quando rex noster whan the kynge of heuyn come this way thrugh this gates towarde his passion he rode on no trapped horse nor in no clothe of golde but mekely on a symple â—sâ—e gyuynge ensample of mekenesse to al peple Thenne the aungell went his way then the kinge with all the deuocion that he coude or myghte doo anoon dyd of his clothes to his sherte and went bare foot and bare legged Then the gate opnyd he wente in to the cyte so to the temple and offred the crosse ayen as it was to fore Thenne for the grete ioye that the people hadde of that crosse and for the grete miracles that god shewed it was more worshypped after thanne it was to fore and the worshyp of the croce that was cast downe after was lyft vp ¶ wherfore this day is called they altacion of the crosse For as saint Austyn sayth the crosse was firste of grete spyte and vilany nowe it is of so grete worshyp that emperoures kynges worshippe it ¶ Narracio ¶ we rede in legenda aurea that a iew come to a churche and for defaute that no man was in the churche he went to the rode and for greate enuye that he had to criste he cutte the rodes throte and anone the bloode stert out on his clothes and so his clothes were all rede blood and thenne he hyd the rode in a pâ—â—uye place And as he wente home a cristen man met him and saide to him Thou haste slayn some man where hast thou done him and he sayd nay and the cristen man saide thy clothes been all blody of him Thenne this iew kneled downe and saide Forsoth the god that these cristen people byleue vpon is of greate vertue tolde him howe he had done and cryed mercy with al his hert and soo he was cristenyd a holy maÌ„ after and so went to euirlastynge ioy and blysse to the whiche god bring vs all Amen De quatuor temporum gOde frendes this weke ye shal haue ymbre daies that is wednesday fridaye and saturday the whiche Câ—lâ—xt the pope ordeyned iiii tymes in the yere to al that be of couenable age to faste For certayn causes as ye shall here Oure olde faders fastyd foure tymes in the yere ayenste foure hye and solempne festes if we wol shewe vs gode children we must fast folowe the same rule that they vsed therfore we faste iiii tymes First in marche The seconde at wytsontyde The thridde bitwene heruest and seed tyme and the iiii bifore cristmasse Marche is a tyme that it dryeth vp the moistre that is in the erthe wherfore we faste that tyme to drye the erthe of oure body of the humoures that be nedefull to the body and to the soule for that tyme the humoures of lechery temteth a man moost of any tyme of the. yere Also we fast at wytsontide for to gete grace of the the holy goste that we may be in loue and charite to god and to all the worlde Caritas cooperit multitudinem pecâ—atorum Charite couereth the multitude of synnes Also we fast for to haue mekenesse in our hertes and to putte awaye all pryde that reyneth within vs Also we faste bitwene heruest sedetyme for to haue grace to gader frutes of gode werâ—is into the house of oure conscience and so by ensample of gode lyuynge emong the people that we be comen with both ryche and pore Also we faste in wynter for to slee all stynkynge wedes of synne and of foule erthe of flesshely lustes that make good aungelles and good people to withdrawe theym fro vs. For right as the nettyll brenneth roses and other floures that growe nye him In the same wyse a vicious man or woman stereth setteth on fyre theym that be in their company And for these causes we fast foure tymes in the yere and euery tyme thre daies that betoken thre speciall vertues that helpe a man to grace that is fastynge deuoute prayenge and almessededys doyng And by opunion of moche people these dayes be called ymbre daies bycause that oure elder faders wold on these daies ete no brede but cakes made vndre asshes so by the etyng of that they reduced into their mynde that they were but asshes and so sholde turne ayen wyst natt how sone by that they turned away from all delyciouse metes and drynkes toke non hede but that they had easy sustenaunce This caused theym to thynke on deth that wyll cause a maÌ„ to desire no more than he nedeth and absteyne him selue fro all maner of bodily lustes And to encrese in vertues by the whiche we may come to euirlastynge blysse Amen De sancto Matheo gOode frendes suche a daye ye shall haue saint Mathewes daye whiche was cristes appostyl and ye shall faste the euyn come to god and holy church in the worshyp of god and saint mathewe He is gretely comeÌ„ded in holy churche for certeyne holy vertues that he hadde He was obedieÌ„t to criste at the firste calling the gospell he preched without faynynge he suffred passion withoute any denyenge Firste he was obedient to criste at the firste callynge for he satte at a certeyn place besy to gete good and crist come that waye and loked on him and bad him come and goo with him Thenne he caste soo greate loue to criste that he lefte all his godes that he hadde sued criste forth full symple and ful pore Also he fedde criste gladly for on a daye he prayed criste to ete with hym and made
Katheryne sawe that and blyssed her and wente in to the temple and rebuked themperour boldly and sayd that he dyde soule amysse for to doo that worship to feÌ„des leue the worship of god in heuen that made all thing of nought sent man lyfe wytte hele and preued 〈◊〉 grete reason how cryst was â—oth 〈◊〉 and man And how he bou◠〈…〉 kynde wyth his passion on the crossâ— wyth his deth And taughte how euery man shold honour god and leue false mawmentes Thenne was the Emperour wroth And bad take her to warde tyll he myght be at leyfer Soo in the meane tyme he sente after the grettest maysters and the wyseste clerkes that were in many countreys ferre aboute hym And whan they were comen he bad them goo and dyspute wyth Katheryne and ouercome her they shold haue ryght well for theyr labour Thenne were they wroth to come soo ferre to dyspute wyth a woman And sayd the left scoler in the scole hadde be ynough to ouercome her But whan Katheryne had dysputed wyth theym wyth the helpe of the holy gost she conuerted them euerychone to the feyth off our lord Ihesu criste In so moche that they were redy to suffre deth for cristis sake Thenne anone maxencius commaunded to make a grete fyre brenâ—e them in the fyre But by the helpe of the holy goost the fyre brenned noo partye of theyr bodyes nother the leest clothe of them and yet laye fayre dede as they had be a slepe Thenne the emperour made do Katherine to be naked and to bete her wyth sharpe scourges that she was all blody ful of wouÌ„des And theÌ„ne he put her in to pryson seuen dayes wythout ony maner mete or drynke Thenne had the quene grete lust to speke wyth Katheryne and toke a knyghte wyth her that hyghte porphyriâ—s and wente to katheryne and then they sawe an angell sette a crowne of shynnynge golde on the quenes hede and another on porphiryus hede and bad hem be stedfaste For wythin thre dayes they shold come to heuen by suffrynge of marterdom Thenne sente themperour after Katheryne and wente to haue fouÌ„de her nygh dede but all that tyme god sente her mete from heuen And whan the emperour sawe her a lyue he was wode for wroth and made her to be set betwene ii wheles and tourned one vpward and another downewarde full of hokes swerde poyntes for all to rase Katheryne theÌ„ come an angell as it had be a wynde and all to brake them and slewe four thousand of the tyrauntes Thenne sawe the quene that miracle and come before the kynge her husbonde and rebuked hym that he sawe the myghte of god soo openly and wolde not byleue theron Thenne bad the kynge lede forth the quene and cut of her pappes from the body wyth hokes and thenne to smyte of her hede Thenne for porphpryus beryed her and lxxx of her knyghtes were martered with her and porphyrius be heded also Thenne spake the Emperour to Katheryne and sayde that he wold wedde her and she wold forsake cryst and byleue in his goddis and she sayd she sette noughte by hym nor by his goddis And whan he sawe that he made to smyte of her hede Thenne anone in stede of blode come oute fayr mylke And thenne came an angell and bare the soule in to heuen And thenne angellis come and bare the body in to the ayre and soo to the mounte of Synay and there beryed it wyth worshyp And there god werketh many fayr myracles to this day At the fote of the mounte there is an abbey of monkes that lyuen in grete abstynence and this abbey is strong and hye walled and barred abowte wyth yren for wylde bestes And in that abbey lyeth saynt Katheryne in a fayr tombe of albester for her bones were fetched thyder for the more worshyp aboue the chirche is the busshe ther god stode in whan he spake to moyses and wrote the lawe in two tables of stone and the busshe is as grene and fayre as it was the same day Also in that abbey is a grete merueyle and is this euery monke hathe a lampe wyth oyle brâ—nnyng and whan he shal deye they shall knowe by his lampe For as he draweth to deth soo derketh his lampe And whan the abbot deyeth his brederen shal synge a masse of the holy gost and bery hym solempny whan masse is done they shal fynde a bylle wreten on the auter who shall be abbot so they chose her abbot Also on saynt Katherins nyghte al the birdes in the countree comen thyder and eche off theÌ„ brynge a branche of olyue in her byllys to the place and as pylgrimes sainthe monkes make oyle of the brauÌ„ches to her lampes for al the yere ¶ we fynde rede of a man that serued Katherine and fasted her euen brede water on a tyme he come in felyshyp of recheles people by comforte of theÌ„ he lefte his faste ete wyth hem and so in the nyghte after he sawe a grete coÌ„pany of maydens comyng by hym amonge them there was one passynge all other and eche of hem had a crowne but one had a passynge fair crown that was saint Katheryne So whaÌ„ she come by this man she hyd her face from hym and wold not loke on hym thenne he asked one of them what they were and she sayde we ben virgyns the pryncipall that thou seest is saynte Katheryne that hyd her face from the. by cause thou hast left thy deuoucion fro her euyn of fastynge Thenne this man repented him sore that he had doo this dede and tourned ayen to his deuoucion fasted and after was a holy man and therfore lete vs worship this holy virgin that she may praye for vs all Amen ¶ De dedicacione ecclesie â—Ood freÌ„des suche a daye ye shall haue your dedycacyon daye that is your chirche holy daye ye shal come to chirche and here your deuyne seruyce in the worshyp of god And for iii causes the whiche the chirche is halowed for that is for the chirche clensynge for deuoute praynge for the dede bodyes berynge the first is for the chirche clensyng the chirche is ordeyned for all the people that come thider shold be in parfyte charyte there mete wyth god for god is euer there present and whan all the peple comeÌ„ so to gyder at this assignement it pleyseth god to here hem her good wordes in that place But whan the fende seth ony man besy therto he is full sory seketh all the wayes that he can or maye to let hym from the chirche for they shold not come to the presence of god Thenne whan holy faders knewe the malice of the fende they ordeyned the chirche to be halowed And soo by good preyers the fende is â—reuen oute But yf any cursed lyuer brynge hym in ayen that is oute of charyte or in dedely synne is wyth
neither to lese myn owne soule ne youres I purpose by his leue homly thus to shewe it and rede it to you in the boke For to your lerning it is as goode as withoute And thus dyd Esdras moyses and Baruke in the olde lawe and so dyd criste alsoo in the newe lawe â–ª And right as I am thus bounde to tell and to teche it you so be ye bound to lerne it and to conne it and soo to teche it to other folke the whiche be vndre you to youre power And howe ye shall coÌ„me to this knowlege of god these thâ—nges folowynge shall shewe you ¶ This is the firste peticion of the Pater noster The firste is the Pater noster the whiche oure lorde made and taughte his disciples which conteyneth seuyn shorte peticiones The firste is Fader oure that arte in heuynes halowed be thy name By this ye be behold to loue eche other as sustre and brother And also to yelde him worshyp dâ—ede for the gret worthynes riches and farrnesse that he hath here yeuyn lente to you For more worthynesse may nat be than to be called the sone of god ne ryches greter thanne to be ayr of the blys of heuyn ne more fayrnesse thenne to be lyke to suche a fader for we be all â–ª bretherne and susterne of one fader modre that is god and holy churche In tokenynge that noon of vs sholde scorne other as the proude dothe the pore 〈…〉 ¶ He is also in heuyn nat withstondynge that he is in euery place but yet mooste propyrly he is in heuyn Therfore halowe we so his naname in vs here that we defoule natt his holynesse by synne But that by the yefte of wysdome we may so here be clensed fro all fylthe of synne and so fulfylled of his loue that all other louys contrarye to his wyll be byttre to vs. ¶ The secounde is thy gyngdome come to vs 〈◊〉 is to saye that he and his holynes soo reyne and gouerne all oure lyf here that we may after reigne with him in blys that euyr shall laste and by very charite thou shalt distroye the foâ— synne of enuye ¶ The thridde is thy wyl be doon in erth as it is in heuyn tho that grudge in sekenesse losse of godes or other diseases ayenste god do agaynste this peticion and greatly displease god Therfore praye we that as all aungelles and holy soules please god in heuyn soo must we here in erth noo thynge askynge ayenste his wyll And thus by loue thou shalt distroye the foule synne of wrathe ¶ The fourthe is Oure euery dayes brede gyue vs to daye that is to say oure full sustenaunce of body soule Thus prayed the wise man that sayd Lorde neyther richesse ne pouerte gyue me But that that is necessary to my lyuelode By this is couetyse distroyed and the gyft of compassion and pyte brought in ¶ The fyft is and forgyue us our trespasses as we forgyue theym that trespasse agaynste vs This is ayenste the that beryst grete rancor and malyce agaynste thy neyghboure Or art to gredy of thy dettes to the pore and wylte nat forgyue him a lytell dette or trespasse there as god forgyueth the many greuous offences for the whiche ne were his grete mercy thou sholdeste be dampned To this therfore is knyt the spyrite of connâ—nge â–ª that shewith that what thou arte and what parell thou stondest in and what oure lord suffred for the. ¶ The syxte is And lede vs nat in teÌ„ptacion It is nat to praye here that noo temptacion assayll vs in that the deuyll hath lycence to tempte man as he dyd â–ª Cryste and his appostels and vs aldaye dothe soo that his power may nâ—t be putte awaye withoute the helpe and merâ—y of god Therfore holy fader by the helpe and grace of the spyrite of pyte kepe oure hertes in temptacyon that we consent nat ne be ouircome with synne ¶ The vii is But delyuer vs from all euyll of synne amen And this is the laste peticion to the whiche is yeuen the spyrite of drede that maketh a maÌ„ to withdrawe him from all euyll of synne for the begynnynge of wysdom is to drede god and his right wysnes These seuyn peticiones thus wythe a clene herte asked remeueth and putteth awaye the seuyn dedely synnnes and endueth thy soule with many holy vertues ¶ Aue maria Furthermore as for the salutacion of oure lady pope Vrban and pope Iohn to al beynge in clene lyf that in the ende of the Aue maria say these wordes Iesus amen as ofte as they say it they haue graunted of pardon lxxx and foure daies And so as often as thou sayste oure ladies sauter soo ofte thou haste of pardon xxxiiii yere xxx wekes ¶ These be the xii articles of the faythe The firste is Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem creatorem celi terre et cetera ¶ The seconde thynge that thou shold knowe god by be the articles of the feythe By the whiche grace and mercy be purchased of god and eche vertuous dede strengthed what this fayth is thies articles suynge shall shewe you ¶ The firste is I byleue in god fader almyghty maker of heuyn and of erth To byleue to god is one and to byleue in god is another The deuyl beleueth to god that is to saye that he and his wordes ben true yet many one faileth herin For and they dyd byleue that the wordes of god were true that is to say that for their gode dedys they shold haue euirlastinge lyf and for their euyll dedys the peynes of hell they wold eyther for drede or for loue amende theim To byleue in god saith saint austyn is to cleue to god by loue fulfyllynge his wyll this is very byleue Thus and if thou synne ayenste god it is for lacke of byleue yet in that he is of power to plenysshe the. If thou wylt nat leue it The secounde is Et in iesum cristum filium eiê° vnicum dominum nostrum I byleue in iesu criste his only sone oure lorde Vnderstonde here that iesu cryste the sone is in heuyn with the fader withoute begynnynge and that the fader dothe nothyng withoute the sonne ne the sonne withoute the fader And thus both they be almyghty The thrid article is Qui conceptus eÌ„ de spiritu scoÌ„natus ex maria vigrine I byleue that he was conceyued of the holy gooste and borne of the virgyne mary Here Criste the seconde persone of the holy trynite tooke flesshe blode of oure lady by the â—oly goost with oute medlynge of man She beynge a mayde after as she was to fore For as she conceyued him with oute synne bodily payne She childed him very god and man The fourthe is Passus sub poncio pilato crucifixus mortuus et sepultus I byleue that he suffred payne vndre pounce pylate doon on the crosse dede and buried Here Criste the sonne of god
coÌ„myst to the churche beholde goddes body vndre forme of brede in the auter And thanke him that he vouchesauf euery day to come fro the holy heuyn aboue for the helth of thy soule Loke thou on the crosse therby haue mynde in the passion that he theron suffred for the. thenne the ymages of the holy saintes nat beleuynge on them but that by the sight of hem thou may haue mynde of theym that been in heuyn anâ— soo to folowe their lyfe asmoche as thou mayst If thou thus worshyppe loue and serue god thenne shall all thynge worshyp loue serue the and so thou shalt fulfyll the firste and mooste coÌ„maundement ¶ The secounde is that thou take nat in vayn the holy names of god Thou takest the name of god in vayn whanne thou turnest agayn to thy syn after thy baptym Thou takeste it in veyne also whanne thou sweryst and foâ—sweryst the and reckeste nat how Afore all thynge sayth saint Iame swere ye nat left ye fall vndre the come of god It is only reseruyd to god saith saint Iohn that thou swere by hym and his trouthe and his rightwysnesse Therfore or thou swere see that thou be compellyd by dome and that it be right nat for enuye loue ne drede but only for rightwysnes in declaring of trouthe And if any man of these fayl it is periury Beware therfore ye that vse questes or consistorye and here what perell ye stonde in that wyttyngly be forswore on the booke The booke betokeneth all holy scripture and the suffrage of the churche the whiche there thou forsakest when thou forsweryst the All the goode werkes that euir thou dydeste the whiche thou forsakest whanne thou withdrawest it Thou forsakest also god almyghty oure lady saynt mary and all the saintes of heuyn and the merytes of the holy sacramentes and hooly betakest thy selue to the deuyll of hell but if thou amende the or thou go hen◠¶ If they then shall thus be punysshed for swerynge how shall they be that blaspheme and dismembre him swerynge by his herte nayles woundes and suche other Some whanne they be repreuyd herof say it is gode to haue god in miÌ„de and with suche leudnes they kepe styll their othes And if thy seruaunte dyd agaynst thy byddynge sayng that he dyd it to haue the in mynde woldest thou nat be wrathe with him Moche more must god thenne with the whanne thou dooste agaynste his byddynge And some saye I may well swere for I swere soothe This is a false excusacion For and if thou sholdest alwaye swere whanne thou sayst sothe Thenne wolde nat criste haue forbeden sweryng But in moche swerynge is ofte forsweryng Therfore he sayth that he that mooche sweryth shall be replete with wyckydnesse and sorowe ne vengeaunce shall nat departe from his house Some say also that no man wyll beleue theym but if they swere This is a subtell excusacion For therby a false man may swere aswell as a true maÌ„ and so sholde he be aswell beleuyd as the true man For the falser that he is the more he swereth and forswerythe and so begyleth Therfore if thou wilt be beleuyd without swerynge be true of thy worde and left it be ye ye nay nay In token that thou sayst with thy mouthe thou sholdest say it with thyn herte and nat say one and â—ynâ—e a nother ¶ The thridde is haue in mynde to halowe thyn holydaies that is to saye Sondayes and other that ben comaunded Almyghty god in vi daies made heuyn erthe and see and all that in theym is And the vii day he restyd Therfore he blessyd it and made it holy But in stede therof we cristen men halowe the sonday whiche was the firste daye of the worlde wherin god made light and that day god gaue to moyses the lawe That day he arose from dethe to lyue That day the holy gooste gaue wysdome to the appostellys to preche the trouthe of cristes lawe And that daye as clerkes say shall also be domes daye ¶ Therfore shall euery man in that day besy him to here goddes seruyce lerne his lawe and fle synne and fleshely lustes tauernes and suche chafferynges that lettith theym to rest in our lorde ¶ yet many there be that such daies be more besy in wordely werkes and synnes thanne al the weke after and neuir woll reste for no techynge ne louene drede of god These be mooste lyke to theym in hell that neuyr reste but euyr laboure in peyne They breke also their holy day they spende theyr tyme in ydelnes and in vayne playes ydell spekynge bacbytynge of their euyn crysten why sayth oure lorde haue mynde to halowe thyn holy day But for thou sholdest putte oute of thyne herte all worldly thoughtes and occupye it with heuynly desires As to thynke what god hathe doon for the 〈◊〉 he made the of noughte and lyke to hym in soull Howe he 〈◊〉 soâ—ed the oute of the pytte of hell withe hys owne precious blood Howe also of his goodnesse he kepyth the nyght and daye in thy right wyttes and fro all bodily myscheuys that many one aldaye falleth in And howe agaynste all this thou yeuest him a drynke of gall of byttre synne and brekest his coÌ„maundementes bothe in word thought and dede ¶ Thus to haue mynde in all this He asked reste of body and soull â–ª on the holy day and thus reste signifyeth the reste in blys that we shall haue after this if we reste in hym On the holye day here goddes seuyre and fle synne ¶ The iiii commaundmnet is worshippe thy fader and moder Thre maner of faders there be that thou muste worshyp The firste is thy fader of heuyn that made the of noughte and norissheth thy body with erthly fode Conforteth thy soull with heuynly desyre Defendeth it fro the deuyll and maketh it heyr of the blys of uyn Thus may noon doo but he oure fader oure lorde and oure god The seconde fader is he that gate the and thy modre that bare the. to whome thou shall be subget and seruysable For they be the secounde cause of thy beynge in this present lyf Thenne thou shalt also worshyp them and yeue theym of thy godes freely if they haue nede and if thou haue more thenne they Comforte counseyl and teche theym after thy connynge folowen vsurye when thou lenest money to hem that haue nede for a certein wynnyg al the tymes ende And for the loone outher thou takyst seruyce presentis or yeftis ¶ Another whan thou lenest it for the half wynnyng he to paye the hooll that thou lenest it to though all be lost ¶ Another whan thou byest a thynge for moche lesse thenne it is worth ¶ Another whan thou sellest thy chaffare the derer for the lone ¶ Another whan thou hast a thyng to fore the tyme. as corn or it be rype ¶ Another whan thou takest the beeste of a poure man wyth this condicion that yf it deye
â–ª it shall deye to the poure maÌ„ and not to the. ¶ Soo sayth paryfyens therfore vse leeffull chaffare and wyn wythoute subtylte or sleyght not as moche as thou mayst But that that is resonable to thy sustenaunce after thyn estat is dewe This desyred this wyse man of our lord when he said neyther ryches neyther pouerte lord yeue me but oonly lord that is necessarye to my lyuelod ¶ The viii thou shalt not bere fals wytnesse In this is forboden all maner of lefynges conspyracy and forsweryng wherby that thy neyghbour leseth his catel frenshyp or good all suche ben called the children of the deuyll For they put out trouthe and brynge ynne falsehed Put oute cryste and brynge ynne the deuyll lesynge stondyth not oonly in fals wordes But also in fals werkys and yf thou be a crysten man lyue ther after or ellis thou lyest There be thre maner of lesynges one is when thou lyest wyth full purpose to hurt thy neyghbour And thenne it is dedely synne Another is whan thou lyest to further thy neyghbour in a trouthe and thenne it is not soo moche euyll ¶ The third is when thou lyest for the dysporte of them that be aboute the. not wyllyng to hyndre ony persone ¶ Thyse two be venyall but thou haue them in custume therforr beware of all maner lesynge and neyther for loue ne hate ne for mede bere noo fals wytnes The ix is thou shalt not desyre thy neybours wyf In the seuenth commaundement god forbedeth the dede of lechery and theyr desyre In tokyn that they be both dedely synne yet somme wene but they doo the dede it is noo synne Cryste therfore wyllyng all suche to be clene wythin and wythout bothe in body and in soule sayth this All that sewe a woman to the couetyse of theyr lust they do lechery wyth her in theyr herte And thus by shrewd thoughtis man is ofte tyme departyd from god ¶ yet sayth saynt Byrgit in her vysions But yf ylle thoughtis were somtyme to man He shold wene hym self f rather angell thenne man And soo all euyll thynge cometh off hym self and none of god ¶ Therfore that man sholde vnderstonde the infirmyte that he hath off hym self and the strenthe that he hath off god it is necessarye sayth she that he be suffred somtyme of the greate mercy of god to bee temptyd wyth euyll thoughtes To the whiche yf he consente not they be but a purgacion to his soule and a kepar of his vertâ—â—s Therfore whan shrewd thoughtis come to the wythstonde the first suggestyon and lete thy sowle alweye soo laboure that he consente not to delyte in theym And thenne haue in mynde the bytter paynis that Crist for the suffred And the endeles blysse of the ioyes of heuen that thou muste lese yf thou consente to theym and the bytter paynis of helle also that thou shalt haue yf thou deye in theym and yf thou thus doo thenne shalt thou haue in mynde thy laste ende and neuer doo synne ¶ The x. commaundement and the laste is thou shalt not desyre thy neghbours thynge hous lande oxe asse neyther noo thynge that is his For suche desyres of couetyse as scripture maketh mencion Balaam Nacor Anani Gyesy Achab Iesebel and many other fyll to grete myschyeff bothe off body and of sowle Therfore be ye well war al 's of all suche fals desyre And take noo mannis good ayenste his wyll lest it falle to you as it dyd to them And thynke also that wythout satysfaccion or hauyng wyll to amende the therof The pope ne none by hym may dispence wyth the. and yet thou stondyst acursyd of all holy chirche in the greate sentence foure tymes in the yere what shall all suche false desyre theÌ„ profyte the. when the curse of god shal thus abyde on the. there is noo man that bredith the curse of god nowe ¶ But whan cryst at the dome shall saye that scrypture makyth mencion of Goo ye cursed in the euerlastynge fyre of hell Thenne shall they bothe drede it and fele it For this word goo ye cursed shall be more peynfull as doctours sayn thenne the paynis off a thousand hellys though they were all gadred in to one All thyse ten bâ—hestis ben brought in two of the gospell that is loue god aboue all thyng And thy neyghbour as thy self f Fyrst thou shalt loue god wyth all thy herte that noo thyng be nerer thy herte then god In all thy soule that thou suffre noo synne abyde wythin thy soule for the loue of god And wyth all thy mâ—â—de that thou spare not for myschyâ—ff to please god Thy neyghbour also as thy self f in good and not euyl as moche as thy self in helthe in seekenes in welthe and in woo ¶ Thus for loue thou shalt kepe goddis commaundementis and not oonly for drede of peyn Thise commaundementis sholde eâ—â—e man telle and teche his childre And thus bad our Lorde to moyses thyse wordes said he â–ª the whiche I take here this daye shall be in thy herte Thou shalt telle them to thy sonnys â–ª thynke on hem slepyng wakyng syttyng goyng Thou shalt bynde theym as a sygne to thy hand and wryte theym on the doorys lynterâ—â—s of thy hous And shalt rewle all thy thoughtis wordes and dedes preuy and apert in eche place by thyse commaundementis off god Foryete not thyse wordes sayth he ne fall they not from thy herte all the dayes of thy lyf Thus gouerne ye your meyny sayth saint Austyn For as we thus speke to you here in the chirche soo shold ye to yours at home that ye may gyue tre we rekenyng to god of theym that be subgettis to you and telle theim sayth he the loue and the swetenesse of heuenly thynges and the grete bytternes of helle for ye shall answere for them at the streyâ— daye of dome and counseyll them all that they be not neglyent in no wyse to lerne thyse commaundemeÌ„tis for drede of this sentence that folowyth yf thou wolt not here the voys of thy lord god seyth he That thou kepe his commaundementis all thyse curses shull come to the and take the thou shalt be cursed in cytee in felde cursed shall be thy relyques the fruyte of thy body thy fruyte of thy loÌ„de The drouys of thyn oxyn and the flockes of thy sheep thou shalt be cursed in the goyng ynne and goyng out Thou shalt be smyte wyth hunger seekenesse and pestylence wyth adders wyth fyre wyth hete wyth colde and wyth corrupte ayer ¶ All thyse shall pursewe the. and thou shalt perysshe And yf thou wolt here the voyce of oure Lord that thou lerne and kepe his commaundementis He shall make the hygher thenne all that dwelleth in erthe And all thyse blyssynges shall come to the and take the Thou shalt be bsissed in cytee and in felde in the frute of thy body and fruyte of thy lande in
flockys of thy sheep and drouys off thy bestys in thy bernys and in thy celers in thy goyng in â–ª in thy goyng oute and in all thy werkis of thy handys Soo that euery man shall see that the name of god is callyd vpon the. and they shull drede the. I shall gyue rayne in tyme sayth he the erthe shall brynge forth his sede And trees shall bee replete wyth fruyte thou shalt haue peas in thy cuntree and thou shalt slepe And noo man shall fere the. All thyse blyssynges shull take the. yf thou lerne and kepe his commaundementis Therfore haue mynde in the preceptys of god and in his byddynges bee ye moost besy For yf thou kepe them they shull kepe the and brynge the to blysse that neuer shall haue ende which he vs graunte that wyth his blode bought vs Ihesus Cryste Amen ¶ De septem sacramentis THe fourth thynge that thou sholdest knowe god by is the seuen sacramentis of holi chirche whiche be mynystred to the people of persones and prestis that haue power therto of the whiche fyue the first that is baptesme confirmacion shryft howsyll and anoyntyng Are euery man and woman hold to doo in pein of cursyng incerteyn tyme as the lawe yeueth The other two may no man take as ordre and wedlocke but att his own wyll Thyse sacrameÌ„tis toke their begynniÌ„g off the gracious wellâ— of the syde off our lord Ihesu criste in his passyon For ryght as out of adamys syde while he slepte was takyn out a rybbe that eue was made of ryght soo atte the deth of oure lord there ranne oute of his syde bothe blood and water by the vertu of whiche passion the sacramentis of holy chirche toke fyrst theyr strentgh and theyr begynnyng ¶ The fyrst sacrament is baptime in whiche oryginall synne that we be born in all other synnes that we be defowled wyth they be wasshen a waye thorow the passyon of crist and therwyth is be taken vs the feyth and byleue of holy chirche wythout whiche there may no man be saned Therfore it is coÌ„maunded that euery crysten woman that felyth her quyck wyth child to kepe her fro heuyng and shouyng greate traueyle and fallyng and all other mischeuys that sholde myschyeue the chyldys lyff and so be lost body and soule And that eche woman byfor her traueyle of chyld come to chirche and take shryft and housyl for peryll of dethe that myght falle in the byrthe Also the mydwyf tho that be about the chyld yf it be in parel of dethe sholde cristen it on this wyse I crysten the in the name of the fader and the sonne and the holy gooste And thenne sprynge the childe wyth water that thou foryete not thyse wordes I crysten the. and yf it be crystened in the maner at home It shall not be crystened eftsone at chirche For that were a grete peryll as to nayle god eftsones on the rood And yf it lyue after this crystenynge at home brynge it to the chirche and there it shall haue all the hooll seruyse that it lackyth In tyme of peryll of dethe fader and moder maye Crysten theyr own children wythout harmyng of theyr spousehode Godfaders and godmoders ben borowys to fore god for theyr godchildren And therfore they ben bounde to teche hem to loue ryghtwysnes charyte and chastyte to kepe theym from dedely sinne and specyally to teche theym the coÌ„maundementis and belyue A man and his wyff shold not fonge at ones to a child atte the fonte stone ¶ Ne they that fongith it there shall not fonge it atte the confermynge but at nede ¶ Fader ne moder notyse ne none other shold suffre noo yonge chylde by theym a bedde whyles they slepe ne presse theym to faste in cradell ne suffre theym lye slepyng ne wakynge wyth oute a keper ¶ There is goostely kynrede thorowe fongyng of chyldre atte the fountfâ—on on ix wyse ¶ One is betwyne the childe and the godfaders Another betwyxt the chyldren of the godfaders another bâ—wyxt the chyld and the wyff of the godfaders flesshely knowen tofore Another betwyxt the godfader and the fader of hym that is cristened ¶ Another betwyxt 〈…〉 hym pardone 〈…〉 â—re ¶ And wyth this accordâ—th saint gregore where he saith thus â—e saith thou makest neuer satysfacâ—ion for thy synne But yf thou fere of thy synne euery body woll desyre pardon but fewe or none woll do that they shold haue pardon for but through trust and colour of that pardon They doo many a cursed synne and doo sinne vpon trust therof other ony good dede it is a grete synne of pryde For be thou neuer soo full of good vertues vnkyndnes to thy god maye dystroye all tho vertues More vnkyndnes thou mayst not shewe Thenne for to displease god wylfully Therfore fle suche vnkyndenesse And thynke that the more acceptable thou arte to god thorow thy good lyuyng the more culpable thou shalt be yf thou retorne ayen to synne It is aslyder hoope saith saynte Austyn whan a man synneth vpon trust to be saued He that soo dothe he neyther dredeth ne loueth god Soo that it is more proffytable to holde thy self f feble and lowe Thenne to be holde strong and for feblenes falle and be lost Therfore take hede what goodnes god puteth in the. and thanke hym and praye hym of contynaunce And doo noo synnne vpon truste off pardon or of ony other good dedys ¶ The fourth is the holy sacramente of the auter The whiche is cristis own body his flesshe and blode in fourme of brede The same that was born off the virgyn marye and doon on the rode This is made thorow vertu of goddis worde of preestis that haue power whiche 〈◊〉 neyther aungell ne aâ—chaungell hâ—dde But oonly man 〈◊〉 mynde of hym self this sacramente is euery man and woman bounde by the lawe oncâ— a yere as aâ—â—e eâ—ter yâ— he be fourtene yere of age And haue discrecion to receyue it when they be wyth shryfte and penaunce made clene of theyr synnes And ellys to be put out of the chirche and of cristen beryellys But yf it be for sykenesse or for some other resonable cause whiche cause he must certyfye his curate of For he that vnworthely receyueth this sacrament he receiueth his dampnacioÌ„ Also as often as ony man seeth that body at masse or borne aboute to the seke he shall deuoutly knele doun and saye his pater noster or sum other gode prayer in worshyp of his souereyn lorde Also ye shall vnderstonde that the drinke that ye receyue in the chalyce after your howsell is noo sacrament But wyne or water to brynge the sacrament the lyghtlyer in to thy body But in fourme of brede it is hole goddis body in flesshe and in blode Therfore thou shalt take it in as holy as thou mayste left ony parte abyde in thy teeth For in the left parte is hole goddis body that daye thou
herest thy masse god graunteth the nedefull and lawfull thynges that day ydell othis and forgetyn synnes be forgeuen That daye thou shalt not lese thyn eye syght ne deye in sodeyn deth ne the tyme of the masse thou shalt not wexe agyd Euery steppe thyderward and homward an aungell shal rekene Lewd men and women to despute of this sacrament a Ì„t vtterly forâ—â—dden For it is ynough to theym to beleue as holy churche techeth â—m The fyft sacrameÌ„tis anoynting of seke men the which is oyl halowed of a busshop and minystred by prestes to theym that been of laufull age in grete peryll of deth in lightnesse and abatyng of their sekenesse if god wyll that they lyue And in forgeuynge of they re venyall synnes and relesyng of theyr peyne if they shall dye So that this sacrameÌ„t may be yeuen as oft as nedyth to euery man and womaÌ„ that be in point of dethe ¶ The syxte is holy ordres which noo man may take but at their owne wyl This yeueth power to them that taketh it to serue in holy churche after their estate is As to him that taketh the ordre of preesthode for to make the sacrameÌ„t of cristes flesshe and his blode and for to mynistre other sacrameÌ„tes to the people These muste haue their crowne shauen their hede tonsured and theire clothes honestly shapen as falleth to her estate and namely in holy churche They muste also in the quere synge rede with clenes of conscience and grete deuocion of soull nat ouyrhyppyng ne momblynge ne musynge of vanytees nat medlynge with lewde ne shrewyd tydynges ne inhonest coÌ„munycacion ne coÌ„mynge to late to goddes seruyce ne goynge oute bifore the ende withoute a resonable cause nat gronynge ne slumbrynge ne sparyng her voyce but shewynge oute the voice of the holy gooste with sowne and hooll speche And thus sayth saint Bernard They muste also dispose theym self if they may to synge masse therto they be bounde For saint Bernarde sayth in the persone of oure lord to euery maÌ„ thus Haue I nat made the and yeue the power to make me to make my sonne incarnat tofore the fader of saluacion of the worlde if thou haf power to synge and syngest nat saith he Thou benymmest the aungelles of heuyn their ioye thou benymmyst mankynde trauelynge in erthe their helpe and grace and thou benymest the soules that are in grete peynes in purgatorye their reste and their forgyuenes These be heuy wordes and lytell thoughte on with many of vs Saint Austyn sayth how worshypful is the dignyte of preesthode sayth he betwyxte whose handes the sonne of god as in his moders wombe was iÌ„carnate hou blessed be the prâ—ests sayth he if that they prestly lyue How heuynly a mynistre is that sayth he that by the wyckynge of the fader and the sonne and the holy gooste the same god that is in heuyn the same and self is in youre handes â–ª in the sacramente Therfore sayth once lord bee ye holy for I am holy ¶ A rightfull lyf to you is necessary saith saint Austyn Therfore ye muste soo lyue soo that your lyf accord with youre name soo that if your ordre be holy let your conuersacion be the same And if men say well of you sayth he see that your werkes bere wytnesse to the same And this is for vs prestes ¶ The seuynthe sacrament is wedlocke before the whiche the banyâ— must be asked thryes in holy churche This is a lauful knytiyng to gydder of maÌ„ and woman in fourme of holy church by assent of theym bothe for to be to gyddre in the lawe of god and neuyr to be departed whyles their lyf lastith in remission of syn and getyng of grace whanne it is taken to a true entent For though there be no trouthe plighte ne flesshâ—y dede doon if they be of ful age accorde in herte to gydder to fore god they be wyf and husbonde al preuy couenauntes in trouthe plightynge and forward makyng without assent of frendes or knowlege are forboden Al that suche make or been therat ben in grete peryll of soull Also it is forboden that no wedded man ne womaÌ„ one withoute that others assente make vowe of chastite pylgremage ne fastynge For if the wyf avowe the husbonde at the firste weâ—yng may fordo it but if he consent and suffre it wetyngly after the firste knowyng The maÌ„ synneth nat for the wyfe hath no power of her owne body but the husbond And if the man absteyne him fro hys wyf by suche wyfe withoute the wyll of his wyf she gyue him noo leue he is cause of her synne And the wyf is in the same case if she doo the same to her husbonde Septem opera misericordie ¶ The fyft thynge that thou shal knowe god by are the seuyn dedye of mercy whiche euery man is bounde by the byddynge of god to fulfyll and to do to his power That is to saye Fede the hungry â–ª yeue drynk to the thristy cloth the nakyd herborowe the houseles vysite the seke deliuer the prisoners and burye the pore whanne they be dede These been nedefull to vs plesyng to god and helpynge to body soull of all theym that doon them Therfore sayth Criste yeue and it shal be yeuyn to you Almes sayth Austyn is an holy thynge For it euerlasyth the that thou haste Lessith thy synnes It multiplyeth thy yeres and nobleth thy mynde It lengtyth thy termes and clenseth al. thynge It deliuereth the fro dethe And ioyneth the to aungelles and departeth the from deuylles And is a wall inexpugnable aboute thy soull Therfore gyue almes and all thynges shall be clene to you Thre thynges he muste considre that shall gyue almes First who asketh it what he asketh wherfore Firste I say that god asketh it for he loueth so moche pore men that what ye do to them in his name he holdeth it doon to him selfe He asketh his and nat oures Dauid sayth al thynges be thyn lorde and that we haue take of thyn handes we haue gyue the He asketh vs nat for to gyue it him but for to leue it him wherfore he woll yelde an hundreth folde and the blys of heuyn Therfore sayth sainte Gregore pore men shall nat be despyced but prayed as faders And he that yeueth the pore shall nat be pore sayth Salamon And he that stoppeth his ere fro the crye of the poure shall crye and nat be herde Therfore to all that aske these he that asketh vnrightfully yeue it not that he asketh but that that bâ—ttâ—â— iâ— And that is correction Ierom sayth gyue the pore to susteyne their ryches There may no maÌ„ excuse him of almes gyuynge For an halpeny of the pore sum tyme more pleaseth god thanne an huÌ„dreth shyliÌ„ges of the rich If thou may nat gyue him that gyue him wordes of comforte And what thou yeuyst gyue it gladly For the gladde gyuer god louyth ¶ Ther be also seuyn other gostly dedys of mercy The firste is teche
the vncōnynge that he sauoure rightfully A nother is gyue counceyl to hym that asketh it that he werke and do truly The thridde chastice him that trespassith that is to saye repreue or bete or do other due correction The fourthe comforte the sory as with gyftes wordes of comforte or suche other Thr v. forgyue theym that trespase to the For if thou forgeue hem nat god wyll nat forgyue the the rancor the offence thou muste nedes forgyue The accion and the amendes be at thy owne wyll The vi that thou suffre mekely whanne men trespasse to the that they be nat the more prompte to synne but that they be the more feruent to do penaunce gode werkes and be more redy to suffre disease than to doo it If any man chyde the. blame the. repreue the or do the wronge kepe sylence sette bifore a sharpe worde the chyld of sufferaunce and thynke that oure lord Iesu was bobbyd and buffetyd spy◠vpon and scorned and euirmore he helde his peas Therfore what disease fall to the beleue it cōmyth the for thy synne and so thou shalt suffre it the lightlyer if thou take hede wherfore it cometh The seuynth is pray that is to saye for thyn ennemye and all tho that ben synfull And if thou mayst help theim with noon of these seuyn a fore praye to god to helpe theym Criste sayth loue your ennemyes and doo well to theym that hate you And pray for theim that do you persecucion that ye may be the children of heuyn And thus may ye fulfyll the dedys of mercy bothe bodily and gostly Sequntur septem virtutes ¶ The sixth thynge that thou sholdest knowe god by be the seuyn principal vertues that euery man and woman ▪ shulde vse The firste is faythe whiche is grounde and begynnyng of our saluacion And it stondeth in thre thynges In the vnite of the godhede in thre persones In the manhode of Crist and in the sacramentes of the churche This vertue is nedefull to all cristen folke For it is the begynnyng of all good werkes So that feyth withoute good werkes Ne gode werkes withoute true faith may no man please god almighty The secounde is hope this is a truste by the mercy of god to be sauyd ¶ And it stōdeth in the grace of god and good werkes Nat only to hope in oure good dedys but in hem bothe to gyddre For we shall nat hope so lytell that is called wanhope that we shull hope to haue blysse if we wel done nat so moche truste in the mercy of god for to hope to be sauyd withoute good dedes The thrid is charite that is the ende and perfection of all the commādementes of god And vnderstonde in this that thou loue god aboue al thing And thy neyghboure as thy selue So that that one may nat be louyd withoute that other And thus sayth saynte Iohn That he that loueth god he louyth his brother he that loueth natt his brother which he may se how shold he loue god whiche he may nat see The fourthe vertue is rightwisnesse This is nat elles but a payng of duitye to eche thynge that it duely longith to as to god preysynge and than kynge for the godes of kynde fortune and grace that he hath yeuen the lent the. and therof to gyue him his parte And many other benefettes as in preseruynge the fro many myscheuys vengeaunce that thou haddest fall in and alday seest many one fall in and sholdest happely thy self haue fall in hadde nat his gracious kepynge haue been To thy neyghboure also thou muste yelde loue and charite that is to saye that thou doo right and reson to him in all thyng as thou woldest he dyd to the. if thou wolde he sholde be true to the and pay his dettes and begyle the nat with subteltyes and sleyghte◠in byenge and sellynge do the same thy selue to him If thou woldest also he were nat proude enuyous wrathfull couetous glotonous slouthfull ne lycherous be thou the same And thus in all other tynges as thou woldest thy neyghboure do to the do thou to him And thenne thou kepyst rightwysnesse to thy self Also thou muste nedes haue besynesse to lerne and fulfylle the cōmaundmētes of god and to withstonde synne shrewyd lyuynge ¶ The fyfte vertue is wysdome This vertue departeth good from euyll techyth vs to be ware of sleyghtes of the worlde of the flesshe and of the deuyll And to dyspys◠all that we may and of ii good to chese the better But saint Austyn sayth as many one dothe that thou muste despyse the worlde and hate thy flesshe for me where be the louers of the worlde that lytell whyle a goo were here with vs. There is nothynge lefte of theym butt powder and wormes take hede what they be nowe And what they were thā they were men as thou art sayth he they ete they dranke they laughed and ledde their lyf in erthe in myrth and io lyte and in a poynte they descended in to hell what prouffyteth theym nowe their vaynglory their shorte ioye pompe of the worlde luste of the flessh fals riches greate menye and euyll couetyse where is their laughter their playe their pryde their booste after all this luste howe greate payne and sorowe All that fyll to theym may fal to the sayth he For thou art a man of erth as they were and of the erthe thou lyuest And to the erthe thou shalt turne ayen These been the wordes of that holy doctoure saint Austyn This remēbrance shall make you wyse and hardy to dispise your ennemyes the world the flesshe and the deuyll Saint ysoder sayth that there is no thing bettre thanne wysedome ne noo thing thynge swetter ne lustier thenne knowlege no thynge werse thanne lewdnes Therfore knowe thou what thou shal flee and whyther thou shalt goo loue wysdome and it shall be shewyd to the and it shal come to the. Be besy ther aboute and it shall lerne the ¶ The syxte vertue is strengith This maketh a man myghtye and hardy to withstonde many grete myscheues for the loue of god For it standeth in suffrynge paciently aduersite and mekely to take prosperyte to suffre euynly bothe well and woo that oure herte be nat to high for no welfare ne to moche vndre for no euyll fare butt to be stronge agaynst oure foon both of body and soull that no temptacion make vs fall ne fayll in our fayth ayēst god almyghty ¶ The seuenth vertue is measure whiche is a meane bitwene to moche and to lytell and it stondyth in taking sufficiently that nedeth and refusyng vtterly that is to moche or to lytell Septem peccata mortalia ¶ The seuynthe thynge and the laste that thou shuldest knowe god by is the seuyn dedely synnes that all men shuld refuse for eche of hem is an euyn way to hell Therfore saythe the wyse man as fro the face of the adder fōde
to fle synne For as the venym of the addre sleeth mannys body so the venym of the synne sleeth mannys soule The firste synne is pryde whiche is a lykyng or an highnes of mannes herte of his hye estate or noblesse that he hathe by fortune kynde or by grace Or that he can passynge a nother or hath more thanne a nother Of this coÌ„myth many shrewed spices as boste bacbyting despyte of thy neyghboure vnbuxumnesse and ypocrysye â–ª proud beryng displesyng scornynge and inobedience hygh herte goode arraye pryde of greate kynne and of vaynglorye boldenes of synne boostyng of good dedes and auauntynge of euyll dedys indignacyon Shameleshede presumpcion and sturdynesse that is worst of all other so sayth saint Austyn that none is worse ne more dampnable synne thenne is the synne of pryde In this been they gylty that lyst nat to be repreuyd of her synnes ne to here of their defautes But anoon with a grete sturdynes as a galled horse that is touched on the sore wyncheth and wryeth And sekeâ— howe they mighte mayntene suche lewdenesse of synne Thus dyd 〈◊〉 kyng Dauyd whanne Nathan the prophete of god came to him and told him his synne and the vengeaunce that he shulde haue therfore he shewyd noo sturdynesse to the prophete ne rebuked him ne chydde him but mekely sayd Oure lorde I haue synned as whoo sayth I am sory for my synne I wyl ameÌ„de it And therfore god toke away moche of the vengeaunce that he shold haue hadde for his synne Right thus sholde ye that here be repreuyd â–ª of your sines mekely coÌ„me to your curate as to the minystre of god that occupyeth his stede for the tyme. and say Sir I knowlege my defaute and wote well that I dyd amysse my wyll is to amende it And so putt away sturdynesse and the vengeaunce that thou deseruyst therfore This synne of pryde sayth saint Gregore is rote of all euyl For right as ne were the rote of a tree hyd in the erthe there sholde no braunche sprynge oute therof Right so ne were pryde firste rotyd in thyne herte there sholde no braunche of synne brek oute therof For thus was Lucifer that was the fayrest aungell in heuyn made the foulest deuyll in hell Also Chore Datan and Abyron and other felaushyp they rose agaynst moises and aron of grete pryde and therfore the erthe opnyd swalowed hem all quycke downe into hell Also the peple of Nynyue for the grete boldnes of pryde that they hadde to turne ayen to their synne there were an hundred score thousand people as the byble reâ—eâ—â—yth destroyed by bodily enemyes Therfore euery man beware of this syn and wysely loke in the myrrour of mekenesse for that techyth hym what he was is and shal be First considre that thou were made of foul stynkynge slyme and fylth of the synne of lecherye borne of thy modre with grete sorowe and payne norisshed with grete laboure and angre and kepte with grete drede And nowe thou arte but a lak of foule dunge that no swetnesse ne frute coÌ„myth of Of trees leuys cometh floures and frute of the Lyce nyttes fleen Of herbes also coÌ„methe swete smelles of the aboue benethe and all other parties but stynkynge fylthe and after thyn ende thou shall be but wormes mete and turne agayn to erthe tyll the day of dome that thy body and soule shall ryse agayne to gyddre That day saythe malachy shall brenne as hote as a furneys fyre And all proude men shall be as stoble whiche shal be there so breÌ„t that there shall nother be rote ne râ—nd Therfore saith Isodre by mekenes make thy selue leest and lowest of all other Stretche nat forth thy wynges of pryde by boost and enhansyng thy self For the lesse thou settyst by thy selue sayth he the more god settyth by the Be shamefaste in chere and dismayde to loke proudely for shame of the syn walke with alowe chere a meke mode and sadde vysage In high worshyppe haue grete mekenesse and the higher that thou arte the meker thou sholdest make thy self And thynke howe oure souerayne lorde iesu mekyd him self to the deth for thy sake Thus is mekenesse an vtter remedy agaynste pryde and a sauatyf salue for all maner myscheuys of synne for it maketh the to haue mynde of thy shorte abydynge here of the strayte dome that thou shalte come to after for thy mekenes that thou sholdest haue hadde here The seconde synne is enuye this is whan thou arte sory of thy neighboures welfare and ioyest of his euyll fare Of this wycked synne coÌ„myth many braunches One is hateryd that is whanne thou arte lothe to speke or here spoken any thynge whiche that myght turne thy neyghboure to good A nother is fals demynge of his dedes The thridde is bacbytynge and that is to speke euyll behynde him which thou mayst nat ne wylte nat anome a fore him or though thou spekest nat euyll thy self thou hast lykynge to here euyl spekynge of him and soo thou synnest dedely For nat onely he that speketh euyll but also he that woll gladly here euyl spoken are in defaute of synne So that if there were no herer ther were no bacbytynge ne bacbyter Therfore sayth Isodre Be nat glad of the fall or euyll fare of thy neyghboure lest god turne his wrathe fro hym to the And so thou sholdest fall in the same or worse but be glade to sorow for him that is deseased euirmore morne for his mischeyf as thou wold thyn owne Loue peace outwarde inward peace with all men make peas there hate is Flee chydynge be ware and do awaye the occasion of stryfe and lyue alwaye in peas Let nothynge passe thy lyppes that may defoul the crys of the herers For a vayn worde is take of a vayne conscieÌ„ce and suche as the word is suche is the soull Therfore besy the nat to speke that lyketh but that that nedyth take hede what thou spekest and what thou spekyst nat bothe in spekynge and nat spekynge be right well ware for thou mayst nat call agayn that thou haste saide put fro thy tung the synne of bacbytynge and defoull nat thy mouthe with a nother mannes synne but that thou bacbytest in a nother drede in thy self whanne thou blamest a nother Thynke on thyne owne synne and loke nat on other mennys For thou shalt neuyr bacbyte if thou wylt beholde thy selue Therfore here ne lysten to noo suche tytulers For they be lyke gyltye the herer and the bakbyter Desyre nat to wyt the parteynethe nat to the Ask neuir what any maÌ„ dothe speketh or sayth leue ye. perteynethe nat to the and by as greate besynesse amende thyn owne synne by asmoche as thou beholdest other mennys For noman knoweth whether he be worthy hate or mede that is for to say payne or ioye For there is many that semeth to vs right good and yet agaynst god happely are right nought And many one
that thou owest to doo by dewte and by goddis lawe wylfully wythholdest theym For not only he that wrongfuly geteth But also he that wronfully wythholdeth are in dedely synne oute of this synne also spryngyth many shrewd braunches As mawmetrye AmbycioÌ„ Nygardshyp treson vsury symonye Raueyn theft sacrylege suche other Thyse synnes be so cursyd as I said to fore that in all thyng it contraryeth the wyll and the commaundement of god ¶ The fyrst commaundement it contraryeth when thou wythdrawest fro god ony thyng that thou sholdest worship hym wyth The second also when for a lytyl winnyng thou takest his name in veyn ¶ The thirde when by wordly besines of getyng of mony thou brekeste thyn holy dare ¶ The fourth when for couetyse thou wythdrawyst fro fader and moder bodely and goostely theyr sustenaunce or lyuelood ¶ The v. when thou sleest a man to haue his good ¶ The vi when thou doyst lechery more for good theÌ„ne for trew matremony The vii when for couetyse thou stelyste thy neyghbours good ¶ The viii when in questis and consistories thou forswerest the. and be rest fals wytnes ¶ The ix and the x. whan thou desyrest falsely thy neyghbours wyff or ony of his good Thus fals couetyse contraryeth al the commaundementis and wyll of god Therfore fle it and thynke that for all suche fals getyn goodes but thou make restytucion and amende the here or thou go hens Thou shalt be hangyd in hel with out ende mammona whiche is the deuyll of couetyse he yeueth foure commaundedementis to his seruauntis One is that thou kepe well thyn own another that thou yeue not Ne doo no almes the thirde that thou leue not to the poure for drede of lesing the fourth is that thou wythdrawe the. and thy meyne fro mete and drynke to spare thy good Of thyse four shrewd commaundementis eche man beware and fle suche couetyse and desyre of good as salamon dyd foâ— he desyred neyther ryches ne pouerte but that is nedefull to his lyuelood and accordyng to his estate and thynke though thou haue neuer soo moche thou shall leue it here for nakyd thou camest in to this world And ayen nakyd saue a ragge thou shalt goo out therof And thus al the care that thou hast here is but for an olde shete at thy goyng hens ¶ The fyfte synne is glotonye the whiche is an vnskylfull lykyng or loue that a man hath in taste or takyng of mete or drâ—nke to erly or tolate but yf sykenes or other grete nede excuse it Out of this synne spryngeth foure braunchis One is when thou etyst or drynkest to gredely In this fall tho that on the fastyng dayes wyll not abyde the houre of noon and sytte the lenger at mete and ete more at that tyme. then another tyme And ofte tyme queÌ„che theyr hunger wyth brede spyces or ouer moche drynke for drede of hunger And thus they breke vygylls ymber dayes frydayes lenten and suche other Another is when thou castis the to lyue in delytes passyng thyn estate And hast noo Ioye but when thou mayst speke of suche welfare thynkynge all best besette that thou spen ¶ dyst theron thou mayst well vse suche deynty metis and drinkys and not synne sayth saint Gregore For the syn is nether in mete ne drynke but it be appetyte and talent of the. that delytist soo moche therin The thyrd is surfete and that is when thou pomperist thy body wyth so moche mete and drink that thou mayst not brouke it but lesyst thy syght speche wytte iangelyng and bostyng wenyng to saye well and all is ayenst reason In this falle they that make ryot in rere sopers and destroye vyteyle that many a poure man myght be releuyd by The fourth is curyosite that is whaÌ„ thou canst nat holde the payed wyth easy fare but gadriste many curyous metys more to encreace thyn appetyte thenne to quenche thyn hungre In this falle they that waste goodes in etyng and drynkyng and greate festys makyng Ayenst all thyse cursyd brauÌ„chis thou must kepe abstynence in metis and drynkys For no thyng more dryueth awaye sekenes ne destroyeth lust of flesshe thenne doth mesurable takyng of mete and drynke Fyue maner of folke ben excused fro fastynge wymmen wyth chyld laborers pylgrymis childre olde folke and seke Alle thyse synne not to ete twys on the daye that is mesurable to susteyne nature and not theyr appetyte Ther is dyuerse abstynence also in dyuers personys The seke absteyneth hym for he may not ete and for medycyne The nedy where he hath not wherof the couetous for he wold not spende The gloton to ete the more after the ypocryte to be holde holy and the vertuous man to deserue mede abstenneth hym bothe for excesse of mete and lust of synne Thys shold eche man kepe to his power This same techeth saint Poule whan he saith I praye you as straungers pylgrymis that ye absteyne you from flesshely desyres that fyght ayenste the sowle And also destroye the body Thyse myscheues comyn of glotonye It ingendryth sorys bâ—yâ—gyth in sekenes· destroyeth vertues dulleth the wytte â–ª it hastyth the to deth and that that worse is for it maketh the lyke a beste for the fuller thy body is the eâ—â—tyer is thy sowle of vertu Therfore vse abstynence saith saint Austâ—n and thyse vertues shal folowe abstynenâ—â— sauyth thy mynde it sharpeth thy wytte it clensyth thy sowle dressyth thy â—yght maketh holy thy fame swagyâ—â— thy synne makyth strong thy blood norysheth thy mary destroyeth lechery renewyth thy bloode and leâ—gâ—â—yth thyn age ¶ The syxte synne is slowth And that is a greuaunce or anâ—ye of goostly dedys out of this spryngeth many shrewd braunches ¶ Oâ—â— is to drawe longe and tary the good dedes that thou sholdest doo the whiche myght tourne to the helthe of thy sowle of many other ¶ Another is a dulnesse or heuynesse of herte that letteth the to loue god And maketh the. that thou haste noo lykyng in goddys seruyce For though thou praye thyn herte is not theron The thyrd is ydelnesse the whiche is to moche vsed and that lettyth vs to begynne ony good werkys and lyghtly makyth vs to leue when we begynne where we were made of kynde to traueyle the synne of flowth holdith vs in ydelnesse and â—asâ— ayenste kynde Therfore and thou wolt be sauyd thou must flee ydelnesse for it is enemye of crysten sowlis stepmoder to goodnes and all vertues and the key of all vyces Alwaye doo somme good werkis sayth saynt Ierome that the deuyll fynde the occupyed for he is not lyghtly taken wyth temptacion that besyeth hym about good labour And Salamon sayth that he is most fooll that foloweth ydelnes for in heuyn he shall not be receyued For it is ordeyned oonly for them that haue besyed them here in vertu In erthely paradyse they shall neuer be for they were not in mannys laboure here ne in purgatory they
shall not be scourgyd wyth men But in hell wyth deuyls wher neuer they shall haue rest therfore be besy here in vertu and alwaye thynk that noo thyng makyth a man soo heuy ne soo soone to Inclyne to synne as ydelnes The seuenth synne is lecherye And that is a flesshely synne that cometh of lust and lykyng off the flesshe Out of this spryngeth many braunchis One is fornycacion that is dedely synne doon flesshely betwene syngell man and syngell woman ayenst the lawe of god and the techyng of holy chirche Therfore holy chirche forbedyth that noo man childe ne woman childe that passe vii yere of age lye to gyder in bedde for drede of fornicacion ne syster ne brother for drede off Incest Another is called aduoultrys and that is spouse brethe whether it be doo bodely or goostely it is gretter synne and more myscheuous thenne that other For therin thou dost sacrylege that is to saye thou brekest the sacramente of wedlok wherof ther cometh ofte vnryghtfull heyris and fals maryagis This synne dowblyth ofte tyme when it is done by man maryed and womaÌ„ maryed For one of thyse four myscheuys folowe them that customably vse this synne One is pouerte another is lesyng of some membre The thirde is perpetuall pryson And the fourthe sodeyn deth And this fayleth not hardely and it be custumably vsyd â—as I sayd afore another is incest and that is wyth thy kynne or thyn affynyte Another is when thou mysuseste thyn own wyf dost ayenst kynde or ordre of maryage for â—s thou mayst slee thy self with thin own swerde Soo thou mayst wyth thyn own wyf For this synne was oname Iacobys cosin smyten to deth And seuen husboundis of sara also ¶ This sacrament and all other sholde be doon and vsed honestely wyth grete reuerence Another is when a maÌ„ synneth wyth the kynne of his wyf the contrarye this is right perylous For he may not after wedde noon off her kynne And yf he do the maryage is nought and that worse is He maye knowe his wyff noo more afterward in forme of wedlocke wythout dedely synne But he be requyred of her Another there is that is fowlest most stynkyng of all whiche is the synne ayenst kynde That the deuyll techyth bothe man and woman The dyuersytes of this synne be soo abhomynable that they may not be nempnyd But oonely in shryfte of them that ben fallen therin for the greate and the more horryble thy synne is the more auaylyth the shryfte soo that the shame off the tellyng is a grete parte of thy penaunce· This synne was soo displeysynge to god That he made to reyne brymstone and fyre that dystroyed fyue cytes of Sodom and gomer The deuyll hym self f that causyth this synne hath shame of the deed Thyse and many other flesshely synnes whyche ben dedely And euerychewers thenne other comyn oute of this foule synne of lechery the whiche been well knowen to them that lyuen in lustis of theyr flesshe Therfore fle the occasions saith saint poule that is to say syght of wymmen kyssyng touchyng And suche other Thuswyse scapyd Ioseph the synne of hys lady when he lefte his paule or mantell wyth hur ranne awaye Thynke also on th ende and how nygh it is of the streyt doom also that thou shalt come to off the horyble peynes and turmentis that are in helle for suche synne and presume not of thy self For dauyd salamoÌ„ and sampson were ouer come wyth the synne ¶ Also here ne speke ony lecherous wordes but loue holy scripture For that drawyth a man moch therfro vse also prayer fasting good and lawfull occupacions and wythdrawe the fro superfluytees and excesse of hote metys and drynkes ¶ For yf thou lyue after thy flesshe thou shalt be deed sayth scrypture that is to saye dampned vnto euerlastyng payn of helle Therfore shette the yates of thy body and thy sowle from alle thyse myscheues of synne that is to saye thy fyue wyttes bodely and goostely that they consente not wyth hym Fyrst thyn eyen from shrewd lewd thynges bacbytyng and euyll wordes and counseylles Thy mouth from vnlawfull tasâ—â— off glotenye lewd kyssynges and râ—â—aw dry wordes ¶ Thy handys fro lewd touchyng of thy self and of other And from 〈◊〉 and vnlaufull takyng of other mennys goodes agenst theyr wyll Thy feet also from the pathis of synne and all other wretched wayes that thou myght drawe to Thyse bee thy bodely wyttys Thenne take thy ghoostely wyttes as mynde vnderstondyng wylle reason and immagynacion that is to saye haue minde of the kyndenesse of god and of thy last ende And thou shalt neuer synne vnderstonde also Crystis loore his techynges and lete euer thy wylle be redy to worshyp god in thought word dede wythout ony werynes lete â—â—asoÌ„ also rewle all thy dedys ynward and outward by crystis lore his techyng wythout ony blyndenesse And alwey haue ymagynacioÌ„ of vertues lyuyng of nedeful werkis of dredeful dedis of ioye and blisse that is ordeynyd in heuen to theym that leue theyr synne and shall be sauyd And of the horryble paynys and sorowys that they shull suffre endelesly whiche for theyr synnys shall be dampned in to the doungeon of helle In whiche be specyally ix maner of horryble and hydous paineys that ix maner of people shul be tourmentyd wyth as clerkys sayn The fyrst is fyre that euer brennyth neuer gyueth lyght In whiche though all the water in the see were caste in it shold not quenche it· For as our fyre passyth a fyre payntid soo doth that ourys In this fyre shall they euer brenne that here alwey burnyd in the fyre of fals couetyse the second is soo passyng colde that yf a greate hylle of fyre were cast therin It shold turne to yse wyth this shall they be tormentyd there that be cold in loue by malyce and enuye of the fende The thyrde payn is wormis and horrible serpentes and dragons that neuer shall deye but lyue in fyre as fysshes in water wyth thyse they shall be gnawen there that here gnawyn them self f wyth the venemous hate of theyr euyn crysten ¶ The fourth is abhomynable stynke wherin they shall be lappyd there that here delyten them in to foull stynke of the synne of lechery ¶ The v. shall be betynge of myghty fendys as it were wyth hamers on yron wherwyth they shull be peyned bete wythout ceassyng that wold not here be chastysed by the techyng of goddis wordis ¶ The syxte payn is derkene the whâ—che is so thicke that as it were it myght be felte wyth hond In thyse horryble derkenes shulle they be bounde ther. That lyueth in erth in derkenes of this forsayd synne And wold not â—ome to crist that is very lyght by holy lyuyng leuing of synne whyles they myght ¶ The seuenth pain is open shendship or shaâ—e for synne whyche shall be knowen and not hyd in peinfull repreef
of synfull folke and specyally to theym that wold not knowlege theyr synne here to god in dewe maner Ne were not ashamed of hym This shall be a full hard tormente The eyghte is The horryble syght off deuyllys roryng and cryeng wyth fereful and sorowful voyse wherwyth thus shall they be peyned there That here took no hed of holy ensamplys good dedys ne of techyng ne prechyng of goddis wordes and byddynges The ix is fyrye bondis wherwyth theiÌ„ shulll be bounde there hond and fote and other menbrys that here spendyn theyr menbris and lymmys in the deuyllis seruyce after the luste lykyng of theyr body Thyse ix paynes shall thyse synfull suffre there that here forsoke and lefte vnwysely the felysshyp of the ix ordres of Aungellis by theyr synfull lyuyng but they amende hem or they go hens Therfore be sory for thy synne and amend the whyles thou art here that thou mayst escape all thyse horryble paynis And reygne wyth our lord Ihesu Crist in his hygh blysse of heuen where is euer myrthe after traueyle fredom after bondage helthe after long sekenes lyf after deth perfyt loue wythout drede and euer daye wythout nyght therfore thou shalt haue seuen Ioyes in thy body and seuen in thy soule In thy body fayrnes swetenes strength fredom lust helth and Inmorâ—alite And in thy soule wysdom frendshyp accorde power worshyp surete And ioye wythout ende to the whiche he vs brynge â–ª that for vs dyed on the rood Ihesus goddis sonne ¶ On sunday that last was I Informyd you in homely wyse of the worthynes of mannis sowle what it is when it is out of synne what synne is And how it defowlyth thy sowle Of the sacrament of penaunce also how it is a salue sanatyf for all maner sores of synne when it is discretely vsyd Now by the loue of god I shall declare you the thre partyes of penaunce Contrycion confessioÌ„ and satysfaccyon how by the fulfyllyng of them your sowlys that thus haue ben woundyd wyth synne mowe be reformyd and brought ayen to grace ¶ Fyrst as for contrycion It is sayd but your hertes and not your clothys For confession also shewyth out your hertys afore the prest by open speche of mouth And for satysfaccion Doo ye worthy frutys of penaunce ¶ Thus by thyse thre thynges this holy sacrament of penaunce is preuyd For contrycion also it is sayd in the sawter I haue traueylyd in my sorowys I shall make moyste my bedde euery nyght· wyth my tearys As who saith I haue traueylyd to make satisfaccion for my synnes wyth sorowe of myn herte hauyng in mynde howe longe I haue lyued how I haue spente my tyme. what goodnes I haue lest vn doo â–ª how moche euyll I haue doo and how by my synne I haue lost the felyship of heuen and Ioyned me to the felawshyp of the fend that I am soo here in the vale of tearys full off wretchydnes And my byrthe brought forth vnto mannys synnes and sorowes and shal come to the dredefull dome and gyue a rekenyng for the left and the mooste synne that euer I dyd in worde in dede or thoughâ— not knowyng whether I shall be worthy hate or mede that I wold also be in blysse whiche I may not come to wythout greate torment sorowe ¶ This consyderyng thyn â—arys and werkis thou shalt wel knowe that thou art cause of thyn own sorowe and so for shame thou shalt falle to contricioÌ„ And wynne the grace of god it is a ryght hard herte saith saint bernard that neyther the benefettis of god may grynde ne the paynes of helle may fere Ne the ioyes of heuen may susteyne ne the temporall tormentis ne sorowe maye chastise many one there is that can not be contryte in that they know not what contricion is Therfore ye shal vnderstonde that contrycion is a sorowe off thy soule formyd by grace whiche comyth of forthynkyng of synne drede of the hygh doom wyth a stedfast purpoos to be confessyd to do satisfacion after the precepte of the chirch 〈◊〉 is also a conuersion of thyn herte from euyll to good from the deuyll to god and from vyces to vertu There be many that haue contrycyon but not perfyte as when the herte is touchyd wyth the handys of god By inspyracion to make the perfyte sorowfull for thy synne yet for hardnes off thyn herte hapely thou yeldeste the not fully But somwhat art lesse in as moche as thou begynnest to turne This is called attricion ¶ But when wylle and desyre off synne in euery parte is fully forsaken wyth full sorowe of herte Thenne it is contrycion And soo verry contrycion is the serche of siÌ„ne â—rigeen saith also that very contricion is to abhorre gay arraye and to desyre the hygher wepyng And fle laughter to spek few And to werke ryghtfully and euer to haue drede sorowe in thyn herte for thy synne for the more that thou louest a thyng the more is the sorowe whan thou lesyst it Aboue all creatures is god to be beloued Thenne it is more sorowe of his losse thenne of all other creatures when thou doost dedely synne theÌ„ lefest thou thy god therfor by gret coÌ„tricioÌ„ thou must gete him ageyn For loke how moch thou hast of grace as saith saynt Gregore so moche thou must haue of sorowe for thy synne The sowlis that are in blesse they mowe noo contricion haue By cause their Ioyes be plentuous They that be in helle sorowen but that sorowe is not formyd wyth grace The sowlis in purgatory haue sorowe formyd wyth grace yet it is not merytory in as moche as it shold haue be had here Thus in this 〈◊〉 mercy oonly helpyth 〈◊〉 â—fter not it is blamefully â—erd 〈◊〉 saynt Ieroâ—â— that can wepe â—he 〈◊〉 of his frende o◠〈◊〉 of tâ—mporall losse and can not wepe and bee sory for synne Thy contrycyon therfore must be sharp in that that thou hast offended thyn heuenly fader that bodely and gostely fedeth the in many wyse and yet must thou be sharpe in that that thou hast offended thy lord Ihesu goddis sonne of heuen that wyth his precious bloode and by his mercy delyueryd the fro the bondys of synne cruelte of fendes and bytternes of the peynes of helle And though our lord saye to the. Not euery man that sayth lord lord shall entre the kyngdom of heuen yet leue hym not but haue hym to the tauerne of contrycion and saye to hym as dauyd dyd The meke and the contryte herte lord thou shalt not despyse And thenne he shall yeue the grace here Ioye when thou goest hens ¶ The fawcon whan he hath take his praye he desyreth noo more therof but the hert And ther wyth he is content so our lord wheÌ„ he had rauÌ„sond vs oute of helle he desyred noo more but a meke and a contryte herte of vs Therfore as the fawconer or he woll yeue the herte vnto
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
dede or counseill And also al tho that pryue holy churche of any righte 〈◊〉 make of holy churche any laye fee 〈◊〉 is halowed or sanctifyed And al tho that withold the rightes of any churche that is to saye Offrynges tythes reÌ„tes or fredome of holy churche lâ—te or distrouble or breke that is to saye If any man flee to churche or churchyerd who soo him oute draweth and al tho that procure or assent And all tho that purchace lettres of any lordes Courte wherfore lettynge is maade in cristen courte that processe of right may natt be determyned or endyd And all tho â–ª that the peas of the londe destrouble And all tho that blood drawe of man or of womaÌ„ in vyolence or in vylony make to be drawen in chirch or in churcheyerde wherfore the churche or the churcheyerd is enterdited or suspeÌ„â—â—â— And all tho that been ayenst the ryght of oure lorde the kynge and alsoâ— thein that susteyne warre ageynst the kynge wrongfully And all tho that are comune robbers and reâ—eâ—s or mansleers but if it be hem self defendynge tho that be ayenst the greate charâ—â—e of the kyng that is coÌ„fermyd of the court of Rome And al tho that fals wytnes bere wrongely namely in cause of matrymonye in what courte so it be or oute of courte And all tho that any false wytnes brynge forthe in right of matrymony for to destrouble man or woman or for to disherite any man of laÌ„de or tenement or any other catel And all false aduocates that for mede put forth any fals excepciones or querels through the whiche the right of matrymonye is fordoon or any other maner of right in stede of iugement And all tho that for mede or fauour or for any other encheson malicyously man or woman brynge oute of their good fame into wycked or make theym for to lese their worldly godes or honoure or putte theym wrongfully to their purgacioÌ„ of the which was 〈◊〉 â—ame bifore And all tho that maliciously distroble or lett the right presentment of any churche ther the very patrone sholde presente and all that therto procoure with word or dede or with false enqueste or with other power And all tho that maliciously despysen the maundmeÌ„t of the kynge to take a cursed man fro the tyme that he hath leyn in cursyng xl daies no remedye wyll seke And all tho that capcions distrouble wyth false iugement or false enqueste And all tho that their lyueraunce purchaâ—e ayenst the right of holy church all tho that meâ—e take for to distroble peas therâ— loue sholde be or charite Or stryf mayntene with worde or dede tyll they haue yelden agayn the mede that they toke of theym they may neuyr be assoyled And all tho that hold houses maners graunges of persones vycares or of any other man of hooly churche ayenst their wyll or their attourneys wyll And all tho that any maner godes meuable or vnmeuable awaye bere with strength or wrongefully awaye drawe or wasten of the whiche â—synge they may nat be assoiled tyll they haue made satisfaccion to whom the wronge is doone And all tho that anâ— maner of godes with violence or maâ—â—â—e bere oute of holy churche stedde or â—bbey or house of religyon whiche that therin is leyde or doon for warandise or socour or for to kepe and all that therto procour or 〈◊〉 and all tho that theym mayntene or susteyne And al tho that haue leyde hond on preest or clerke with malyce butt it be him selue defendynge And all tho that 〈◊〉 counceyll or helpe ayenst cristendome And all that her children wrongfully fader wyttyngly or ther children wyten on any other man with malice And all tho that werye or sle their generaciones or their children distroye with drynkes or with any other crafte And all tho that false money make and therto assent And all tho that good money clyppe or shere them to auantage to disceyue any maÌ„ with al tho that false the popes bulles or 〈◊〉 the kynges seaâ—â— And all tho that bye or sell with fals mesures or false weyghtes that is to say to bye with one and sell with a nother And all tho that false the kynges standarde them self wyttynge And all tho that any testament distrouble or therto procoure with word or with dede wherfore the dedys wyll is nat fulfilled And all tho that forswere hem self vpon the holydome wyllynge and wetyngly for mede or for hate for to to doo any man or woman to lese ther worldly godes and honoure And all rubbers and reuers openly or preuely by daye or by nyghte or any mannys goodes stele wherfore they were worthy to haue iugement And all tho that witholde any mannys goode that hath been spyred thryse in hooly churche theym selue wyttyng And all tho that distrouble the peas of holy churche or of the londe And all the kinges felones and all tho that them mayntene And all false conspiratoures and all false forswerers in assyâ—es or any other courte And all tho that any fals pleyntes putte forth ageynst the fraunchise of holychurche or of the kinge of the royalme And all tho that offrynges that are offred in holy churche or in churcheyerde or in chapel or in oratory or in any other stede with in the prouynce of Caunterbury with holden or putte away in any other place ayenst the wyll of the parson or vycary or their attourney in the parysshe that it is offeryd in And all tho that their goodes awaye yeue for drede of deth in fraud of holy churche or to forbarre their dettes payâ—â—ge And all tho that suche gyftes take or therto helpe or counceyll And al tho that let prelates or ordynaries for to holde consistory session or chapiters for to enâ—â—ere of synnes and of exces in gode amendement of mannys soul And all wyches and all that on theim leue and all heretykes that leue nat in the sacrament of the auter that is goddes owne body in flesshe and blood in fourme of brede and other sacramentes that toucheth help of mannys soul And all iogelers vsurers that is to say If any man or woman leue their catell to man or woman for any auauntâ—ge to take by couenante more or lesse 〈◊〉 their owne and if their be any suche in towne or cyte the Cyte or the. towne shold be enterdyte by the olde lawe and neither done therin masse ne â—aâ—rament vsyd tyll that he were out therof And all that witholde tythes or withdrawe their tythes wyttynglye oâ— maliciously to the harme of holy â—â—che or tythes let to be gyuen of 〈◊〉 goodes whiche be coÌ„maunded or ordeyned to be gyuen by the lawe of holy churche that is to saye of al frutes of yerdes cornes herbes that wax frutes of trees of all maner bestes that are newynge Of woll lambe and chese in tyme of yere Of swannes gees douys duckes of bees hony wax Of hay olso often as