¶The fyrst artycle.

Saynt Peter.CRedo in deū partrē oīpotētē: creatorē celi & terre. I byleue vpon god y ^e father almyghty / maker of heuē and of erth. This terme in deum / is dyuersly englysshed / some done saye / into god / some / inwardly in god / some / perfitly in god. But y ^e moost cōmune vse [Page] of the countree of the vnlerned people / is to saye. I byleue vpon god & vpon his feyth / but all doth meane in effecte / y ^t the ꝑson hath ꝑfyte feyth & byleue zin god / & vnto god.

¶The secunde artycle.

Et in Iesum Christū filium eiꝰ vnicū dn̄m nostrum. Saynt Andrewe And I also byleue ꝑfytly vpon our lorde Iesu Chryst his onely begoten sone / that is to saye / y ^e onely begotē sone of the sayd father

¶The thyrde artycle.

Qui cōceptꝰ est de spū sancto / natꝰ ex maria virgine. Saynt Iohn̄ And also I byleue perfitly y ^t our sayd lorde Iesu was cōceyued of the holy ghost / and borne of our ladi saynt Mary / she remaynynge & abydynge euer a vyrgyn.

¶The fourthe artycle.

Passus sub poncio Pilato / crucifixꝰ / mortuꝰ & sepultꝰ And also I perfitly byleue / y ^e our sayd lorde Iesu dyd suffre his passyon / & was crucyfyed / deed / & buryed / vnder the power & iudgment of a man called by ꝓpre name Poncius / & by his secunde or surname Pylate. Saynt Iames the more

¶The fyfth artycle.

Descendit ad inferna: tertia die resurrexit a mortuis. Saynt Thomas of Ynde. And I byleue perfytly also / that our sayd lorde Iesu after his sayd passyon & deth / descēded & went downe vnto y ^e lowe places of hel / & brought forth frō thēs our fyrst father Adam / & all that were there with hym / & that vpon the thyrde day after his deth / he dyd aryse from deth / & al y ^e bondes therof vnto lyfe euerlastyng.

¶The syxth artycle.

Ascēdit ad celos / sedet ad dextrā dei patris oīpotētis. Saynt Iames the lesse. And also I byleue ꝑfytely / y ^t our sayd lorde Iesu dyd ascende & stye vp vnto y ^e hyghest heuēs / & there dothe syt vpon the ryght hande of god the father omnipotēt and almyghty.

¶The seuenth artycle.

[Page] Saynt Philyp.Inde venturus est iudicare viuos et mortuos. And I also perfytly byleue / that he wyll come thens agayne into this worlde / to iudge all persones / quycke & deed.

¶The .viij. artycle.

Saynt Bartholomewe.Credo in spiritū sanctū. I byleue perfytly also vpon the holy ghost / the spiryte of the father & of the sone / & with them bothe the same selfe god.

¶The .ix. artycle.

Saynt Ma­thewe.Sanctā ecclesiam catholicam. I also byleue that the chirche of Chryst is & was / & euermore shalbe holy & feythfull / & therfore I do gyue feyth & credence vnto the same / and vnto the terminacions therof.

¶The .x. artycle.

Saynt Symon.Sanctorū cōmunionē / remissionē peccatorū. I byleue also the cōmunion of sayntes / that is to say / I byleue that all the werkes & good dedes of al good & holy persones / ben and shalbe cōmune / so that euery feythfull chrystyan hath & shall haue parte with other. And al­so I byleue the remyssyon of synnes / that is to saye / that all maner of synnes may and shalbe forgyuen / yf forgyuenes be duely desyred and axed.

¶The .xj. artycle.

Saīt Iude / called also saynt Taddeꝰ.Carnis resurrectionē. I also byleue the resurreccyon of our flesshe / that is to say / I byleue that al maner of persones shall aryse at the day of dome in soule & body with the same flesshe / blode & bones y ^t they were borne with & dyed with.

¶The .xij. artycle.

Saynt Mathye.Et vitā eternā. Amen. And also I byleue euerlastyng lyfe / that is to say / that (after y ^e generall resurreccion) all maner of ꝑsones / as well good as euyll / dampned or saued / shall contynue in lyfe euerlastynge / eyther in ioye or peyne / & neuer departe therfrom. This worde [Page] Amē. is declared before in the ende of y ^e Pater noster. ¶This maner of y ^e Pater noster / Aue and Crede / I wolde haue vsed & redde vpon the boke at euery mele / or at the leest ones a daye w ^t lowde voyce (as I sayd) that all y ^e ꝑsones present may here it. And yet forther I wolde aduyse & coūseyle you / to se / knowe & proue / that euery persone in your hous / & all that ben vnder your gouernaūce & charge (can say y ^e same / & therfore you must take the labour to here them your selfe / and where nede is / to teche them. For many that ben aged and can not saye / wyll be abasshed to lerne it openly / & yet yf they here it dayly redde after the maner shewed before / they shal by vse and custome lerne it very wel. And some other ꝑsones there ben / that can say ryght well / bothe vpon the boke & without / but yet amonge them some ben dullardes & slouthful / & some negligēt and careles / & so done they not saye it / but in tyme for­gete it / as in maner they had neuer lerned it. I praye you therfore (good deuoute christians) take the peyne to here them your selfe / at the leest ones a weke / & let none escape you / olde nor yonge. It shall (byleue me) be vnto you a great dyscharge of conscyence / and not without meryte & great rewarde. And charge them straytly vnder peyne of punysshment / that they say it euery daye thre tymes at y ^e leest / that is to saye / in the mornynge / at none or mydday / & at nyght. Thā must you teche them to knowe by ordre the preceptes or cō ­maūdementes of god / the names of the .vij princypal synnes / & of theyr .v. wyttes / as thus. Fyrst. The cōmaūdementes of god ben .x. in nōbre. The fyrst / that we shal haue no straūge ne others goddes / but one alone / & hȳ to loue / honour & drede aboue all thynges. The secūde [Page] we maye not take y ^e name of god in vayne / & therfore we may not vse to swere. Secunde Thyrde. The thyrde / we must kepe our holy day w ^t close mȳde vnto god / & reuerēde deuo­cion / & therfore we may do no bodily or worldly loboures for lucre therin. Fourth. The fourth / we must w ^t reuerēde & due lowly maner do honour vnto our parentes / y ^t is to say vnto our fathers & mothers / & we shal haue (by y ^e ꝓmyse of god) lōge lyfe therfore. Fyfth. The .v. we shal not slee or kyll any ꝑsone / neyther in dede / nor yet in wyll / or mynde / nor yet may we hate any ꝑson in herte. i. Io. iii. c. For who so euer so doth / is an homicide & māsteer. The .vj We may do no lechery. Syxth. vij. viij. ix. x. The .vij. we may do no thefte. The .viij. we may here no false wytnes / ne make any ly or lesyng. The .ix. we may not coueyt or desyre any wedded or maryed ꝑson. And y ^e .x. we may not coueyt ne desyre any other mānes goodes. These ben y ^e .x. cō ­maūdemētes / gyuē & cōmaūded by almyghty god / & they ben diuided in two partes / as two tables or bo­kes. Exod. xx. The fyrst apperteyneth & belōgeth vnto almyghty god hȳselfe. And in y ^t parte ben cōteyned y ^e thre fyrst cōmaūdemētes / & all those thre cōmaūdemētes ben cō teyned in this one cōmaūdement of the gospell. Loue god aboue all thynges. And in the secunde parte or se­cunde table / ben the other .vij. cōteyned / whiche done apperteyn & belonge vnto the neyghbour. And yet all those .vij. ben agayne conteyned in this one commaū ­dement of Chryst. Loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe. ¶Yet may you go forther w ^t them / sumwhat to teche them what they meane. A declaracyō of the sayd pre­ceptes. The fyrst For whan you say y ^t we may haue no mo goddes but one alone / y ^t is to meane / that we shulde loue nothynge so well as god. Whā so euer than a person doth set his herte & mȳde vpon any cre­ature [Page] / more thā vpon god / so that he wolde rather dysplease god & breke his lawes & ordynaūces / thā for to leue & forbere the affeccion or pleasure of the creature / thā hath he a straūge god / an other god / for thā y ^t thȳg is his god / for the whiche he dothe forsake god / and dothe contrary vnto his wyll & ordynaunce. And here (good and deuoute christians) be well ware / & warne all youres of these supersticyous wytchcraftes and charmes that ben moche vsed / & done deceyue many persones / that (for the vnlawfull loue vnto the helt he of theyr bodies / or of theyr chylder / or beestes / or other goodes lost or stolen) wyll go seke wysemen or wyse­womē (for so they done call y ^e deuyls proctours y ^t done vse suche wytchcraftes & charmes) thē done they seke I say / and put them selfe subiecte vnto the false god the deuyll and his cerimonyes / to gette helthe vnlawfully by the meanes of that wytchcraftes forbodē by the chirche / vnder peyne of cursynge. And yet the symple people done suppose and wene they do nothynge offende therin. For I haue herde them saye full often my selfe. Syr we meane well / & we doue byleue well / & we thynke it a good & charitable dede to hele a seke persone / or a seke beest / and trouthe they saye / but yet it is neyther good ne charytable to heele them by vn­lawful meane. And surely y ^t meane is vnlawful. For good reason wyll admyt / that no sore ne sekenes may be heeled / but eyther by nature / or by medicyne / or by myracle. yf a fynger be cutte / or small surfet taken / nature in a whyle wyll hele the persone. But in all gre­uous dyseases / medycyne is the commune meane of helthe / but sure ben they y ^t suche charmes or wytche­craftes ben no medicynes. For thā shuld they heele as [Page] well by one ꝑsone as by an other. And no mā byleueth they ben miracles / ergo they must nedeli be y ^e deuyls crafte / y ^t to deceyue y ^e symple ꝑsones / doth hurt some / & techeth y ^t waye vnlawfull to brynge them into his daunger. For you wyll graūte y ^t he were a foole / that for y ^e helth of his hors legge / wold lose one of his owne hādes / or one of his owne eyes / & yet is he more foole in dede, that for any creature wold lose his soule. But yet some haue said to me. Syr / how may this charme be euyll or amys / whan all thynges ben good / as by exemple. The charmer is a good mā or a good womā & taketh here a pece of whyte breed / & sayth ouer that breed nothynge / but onely y ^e Pat nr̄. & maketh a crosse vpon y ^e breed / whiche thynges ben all good / thā doth he nothynge els but ley y ^e pece of breed vnto y ^e tothe y ^t aketh / or vnto any other sore / turnynge y ^e crosse vnto y ^e sore or dysease / & so is y ^e persone heled. How may this be euyll now say they? I saye agayne it is euyll and dāpnable / bycause y ^e feyth & byleue of y ^e hole mater re­steth in y ^e applicacion of y ^e crosse / whiche hathe no na­turall operacion / but is a cerimonye vnlawful. For although thynges here ben good / yet done they nothȳg auayle w ^tout y ^t cerimony / & so is all a charme & vnlawfull & nought / whiche maye euydently be knowen for nought & vnlawfull / bycause y ^e chirche doth cōdēpne & forbede all suche / whiche thynge surely the lerned chirche of god / gyded euer by the holy ghost wolde neuer haue done / yf it were good and lawfull. And ther­fore in any wyse / let none of your folkes vse any such. The se­cunde. ¶Now for y ^e secunde precepte / whiche is / y ^t no ꝑson shulde take y ^e name of god in vayne / warne your fol­kes & toke good hede vnto thē that they be no cōmune [Page] swerers. For it were lesse ieopardy for you to haue in your hous a thefe or a steler / a lecher or vnclene lyuer / than an vsuall swerer. For a great othe accustomed / doth prouoke the sodeyn vengeaunce of god. The scrypture saythe. De domo iurantis / non receded plaga. Eccl. xxiii B. The customable swerer / shall euer be full of iniquyte & synne / and the plage of y ^e vengeaunce of god shall cō tynually hange ouer that house. Let not thy mouthe be vsed vnto swerynge (sayth the scrypture) For y ^e cu­stomable swerer shall neuer be clene purged of synne. Ibidem. Wherfore I dare well saye that swerynge is one of y ^e greate causes of all these sodeyne plages amonge mē & beestes / as pestylence / pockes / swetynges / and mo­reyns / with suche other. And I byleue verely none of you wolde be glad to kepe in his hous a lepre / or any ꝑsone infected with any of the foresayd plages. And yet is a swerer more peryllous than any of them. For his othe may slee or infecte your chylde in the cradle / or stryke your beestes in y ^e feeldes / destroy your corne and graynes / & cause pryuely many myscheues. And yet many ꝑsones done thynke and byleue / that yf they swere trouth / they do no synne / but they ben sureli deceyued / as by case. yf a person wolde prynte & coyne money of good syluer or good golde / kepyng also y ^e due weyght and fasshon / that thynge wolde nothynge excuse the persone vnto the kynge or his lawes / though also he proued the money were good and lawfull mo­ney. For the kynges lawe is / y ^t no persone shall prynt or coyne any money but suche as be assigned by hym / and that also in the place appoynted thervnto. So in lyke maner / y ^e lawe of god is y ^t no persone shall swere any othe / excepte it be at the appoyntment or cōmaū ­dement [Page] of suche a persone that hath iust power to re­quyre & to take an othe / & that also must be done in due place / y ^t is to saye / before a lawfull iudge. And so may the person lawfully swere / so euer that the swerer do thynke & byleue in true & vnfeyned conscyence / y ^t his othe is true. And els / y ^t is to say / without circūstaūces and suche other causes expressed in y ^e lawe no persone maye swere / though it be neuer so true y ^t he swereth. yf than to swere true be synne / and doth prouoke the hyghe displeasure of god / bycause it is contrary vnto his cōmaūdement / to swere falfe must nedes be more synne / & more prouoke his vengeaūc. e Example shall I shewe here of bothe / that is to say / how god is pro­uoked by vsuall swerynge / & how by forswerynge & false othes / this story y ^t foloweth I herde at Stondon a lytell vyllage .xxv. myles from London / not ferre from the hygh waye vnto Cambrydge / where for a tyme I dyd abyde / in auoydyng the great plage that bothe in London and Cambrydge dyd than quyckly & sharply reygne / where also this story was open in y ^e knowlege of all the coūtree there aboute / as done but small tyme before. A gētylman that was called may­ster Baryngton / whose wyfe was afterwarde maryed in Cambrydge vnto a gentylmā called mayster Caryngton / so that there was but one lettre chaunged in her name / y ^t is to say C for B. And of her also I herde the same story / all though (as she sayde) she was not present. This sayde gentylman Baryngton was a great swerer / & dyd customably vse great othes / spe­cyally by the blode of our lorde / or (as more commun­ly they swere) by goddes blode. And vpon a sondaye or els a feestfull holy daye he went forth on huntynge [Page] or hawkynge / & nothynge spedynge after his mynde he came vnto an alehouse at a through fare called Pulcryche .v. myles from ware in the hygh way to Cambrydge / the one syde of the whiche through fare was in y ^e sayd parysshe of Stondon / where this gentylmā was / & called for drynke / & anone he began to swere after this vnhappy custome sayeng. By goddes blode this daye is vnhappy. And in a whyle after in swe­rynge so / he bledde at the nose / & therwith more vexed he began to rayle and rayne god (as they say) in swe­ryng goddes passyon / goddes woūdes / goddes flesshe goddes nayles / and euer his holy and blessed blode / tyll at y ^e last he fell ferther to blede at the eares / at the eyes / at his wrestes / & all the ioyntes of his handes & of all his body / at his nauyll and foundement / and at other places of his body / in meruaylous great quan­tyte & stremes of blode / and shotynge out his tonge in a meruaylous horryble / vgsome & ferefull maner / as blacke as pytche / so that no persone durste come nere hȳ / but stode aferre of / & cast holy water towarde hȳ / & so he cōtynued euer swerynge / blasphemynge and bledynge / tyll he expired and was deed. And on y ^e morowe after they layd hym in a carte / & caryed hym vnto the sayd chirche of Stondon / and euer y ^e body bled tyll he was buryed in the waye as they came in very great habundaunce. This was a playne token that god was moche displeased with that sweryng / & dyd openly punysshe the same / in example vnto all vsuall swerers. It may also be a good monicion & warnyng for suche persones that done mysvse the holy daye in hawkynge / huntynge / and suche other fruytles occupacyons or pastymes. Another example of the same [Page] vsual sweryng was shewed vnto me by a bachyler of diuinite called mayster George werke / a felowe than wher I was also felowe / of y ^e quenes college in Cambrydge / & after he was vycar of Harowe on the hyll / whiche thynge he sayd vpon his conscyence. He sawe hymselfe in a marchauntes hous in London / whiche was his specyall frende / & sent for hȳ to gyue coūseyle vnto the same persone / a yongman y ^t was prentyse / or els seruaūt vnto y ^e same marchaūt / whiche yongman dyd vse to swere for his cōmune othe / by the bones of god or by goddes bones. And it came to passe y ^t he was taken with a great merueylous sekenes / so y ^t no phy­syke ne medicyne coude helpe ne ease hym / but that he lay styll in bedde so longe / that the flesshe & the skyn of his armes & fyngers / & of his legges / thyes / shȳnes / fete & toes / dyd diuyde in sondre / as though they had ben slyt w ^t a knyfe / so that y ^e bare bones myght openly be sene & feled. And so in y ^e same maner (after he had w ^t great cōtricion & open cōfessyon of that swerynge) re­ceyued the sacramentes of y ^e chirche / he departed this lyfe vnto our lorde. Here ben now two notable exēples of vsuall swerynge. The thyrde shall I shewe you of for sweryng / or false swerȳg / whiche was shewed vnto me of an honest preest of my familier acqueyntaūce that was vicar of Haly well / where saȳt Wenefredes well is / besyde y ^e abbey of Basing werke in flynt shyre in y ^e borders of wales .xiiij. myles from Westchester / whiche thȳg he sayd on his cōscyēce he dyd se hȳselfe & was ther present w ^t great multitude of other people thousandes. A certeyn mā was called to be sworne in a great mater bytwene two ꝑtyes / whiche sayd par­tyes dyd put the mater holy vnto y ^e determinacyon of [Page] his othe / & mette bothe at a certeyn place where was a crucifixe a holy rode that dyd many myracles / wher vpon he shulde swere / & so dyd in y ^e syght & herynge of a great multytude of people gadred on bothe partyes. And his othe gyuen / he layde bothe his handes vpon the fete of the rode / and sware false & cōtrary vnto his cōscience / and so was dampnably for sworne / whiche thynge god wolde haue knowen. For whan he wolde haue taken his handes awaye to departe / bothe the handes cleued & stycked fast vnto the sete of y ^e rode / as though they had ben glued or fastened w ^t nayles ther­vnto. And than he wolde w ^t violence haue pulled them of / & than with sterynge & hasty mouynge to & fro / the steppe whervpon he stode / slypped & voyded frō hym. And thā hanged he styll by his hādes / & so remayned hangynge styll contynually the space of thre dayes / & meruaylous moche people came thyder to se and loke vpon hym / of y ^e whiche many ben yet lyuynge. So at the last after thre dayes whan he had with great con­tricion openly cōfessed his defaute / & receyued y ^e sacramētes of y ^e chirche / whā y ^e people supposed & thought veryly he shulde there haue expired & dyed / he was sodeynly losed & deliuered / & lyued many yeres after a good & holy lyfe / vnto y ^e glory of god & great exemple of them that ben swerers. li. ijij. ca. xviij. Saynt Gregory in his dia­loges dothe shewe of a chylde / that (as he had herde of other persones) dyd swere great othes / & had pleasure therin / & sodenly whan he was swerynge in his fa­thers lap vpon his knee / the deuyll came & openly ra­uysshed & by vyolence toke hym from his father / & ca­ryed hym awaye / that he was neuer sene after. Here may you perceyue the great peryll & ieopardy of swe­rynge. [Page] For the loue of our lorde therfore good deuoute christians / take good hede therto / as well in yourselfe as ī your folkes. And yet shuld you haue no lesse garde or awayte vnto lyenge / or makȳge of lyes or lesynges For the lye or lesynge is very mother vnto bothe y ^e de­fautes shewed last before / that is to say / vnto periury or for swerynge / & vnto false wytnes. For eueryche of these doughters / is worse than the mother. Menda­cium. For y ^e lyer careth lytell to bere false wytnes / and euery lyer is cō munly a swerer / for els the lye shulde not be coloured / dubbed & peynted sufficiētly to seme treue / & specyally in a defaute wherof y ^e lyer wolde fayne be excused for drede of punysshmēt or rebuke / or whā a mater shuldꝭ (by that lye) come to passe / & be brought aboute vnto effecte / for profyte / auaūtage / flatery or pleasure. For whan the lyer dothe coueyte most subtylly to deceyue and wolde fayne and gladly be byleued / than dothe y ^e lyer moost lyberally lasshe out othes / & spareth for no cost (as they saye) but whan suche a ꝑson doth swere moost / than wyll a wyse ꝑsone byleue hym leest. And by this doth appere / that the cōmune & besy swerers ben suspecte to be lyers. For y ^e lyer is combred so in cō ­scyence / that he supposeth & thynketh he can not be byleued without he swere many othes / & great othes. Beware therfore of lyers / for cōmune lyers bē cōmunly theues or pykers / & vnclene lyuers. And (to saye y ^e trouth) y ^e lyer is apte & dysposed vnto all maner of vyces / bycause that all lyers ben the chylder of y ^e deuyll. For the deuyll was the fyrst lyer / & euer doth cōtynue a lyer. Iohan. viij. f. And (as the gospell sayth) he is the father of all lyers. Now ponder & wey (good deuoute christiās) I praye you / yf you were requyred wheder you wolde [Page] be cōtent to kepe in your cōpany a thefe or pyker / a persone that shulde enforce & labour to corrupte your wy­ues or your doughters / or yet suche a persone y ^t were seruaunt or chylde vnto your deedly foo or enemy / I thynke you wyll saye nay / you wolde kepe none suche Than say I beware of the lyer / for all cōmune lyers ben the deuyls chylder / & done folowe theyr father the deuyll / whose properte & natural disposicion is to lye. I can well graunte that you forgyue and pardon thē that done stele / pyke / or do lechery for ones or twyse / & labour & loke for theyr recouery & amendment / but in no wyse can I graunt that you pardon the lyers / but euen forthwith / as you wolde cure y ^e sodeyn pestylēce so correcte and punysshe the lye. Wherfore I haue set out here a prety lesson / whiche I pray you teche your chylder / & euery chylde that cometh into your cōpany you shall (I trust) do moche good therby.

And than I praye you fulfyll & perfourme theyr peti­cyon & request / & thynke it not cruelly / but mercyfully done. Prou. xiii. d. For the wyse man sayth / who spareth the rodde hateth the chylde. And in another place. Eccli. vii. c. Yf thou haue chylder (sayth he) correcte them be tyme / & holde them [Page] vnder whyle they ben yōge / your dayly practyse doth shewe vnto you / y ^t yf you powder your flesshe whyle it is newe and swete / it wyl contynue good meet / but yf it smell before it be powdred / all the salte you haue shall neuer make it seasonable. Powder your chylder therfore be tyme / and than you loue them / & shal haue cōforte of them. I dyd appoynt the correccyon before vnto the mother or maystres / for cōmunely they done take the labour of that mynysterye and seruyce. Not withstandynge there may be sayd father or mayster / and the staffe or fote of y ^e ryme be all one. But who so euer do the correccyon / whether it be in lasshes / or in wordes / let it be done with the charite of our lord / and with a mylde & soft spirite / that euer it be done for the reformacion of the persone / rather than for the reuen­gynge of the defaute / and therfore shulde you neuer do any maner of correccion whyle you ben vexed / chafed / troubled / wroth / or angry for any cause / but rather for that tyme deferre the correccyon / and an other tyme by good deliberacyon take the persones on parte / or yf the trespace be openly knowen / than do it openly / that all the lokers thervpon may be warned therby / and gyue them a good lesson before the correccyon / and tell them you do the correccyon agaynst your mynde / compelled thervnto by cōscyence / and requyre them to put you no more vnto suche labour & peyne. For yf thou do (say you) you must suffre parte of the peyne with me / and therfore you shall now haue experience and profe what peyne it is vnto vs bothe. And than pay truly / and afterwarde forth with forgyue them clerely & gentylly / so that they do no more so. And in doynge thus correccyon / you may edify & refourme the persones / & [Page] also meryte & haue thanke of our lorde. Where yf con­trary you chyde / brawle / curse / & w ^t vngoodly wordes rebuke / or stryke with hastynes to reuēge your owne cause or appetyte / you shall rendre the persones more stubburne & styffe herted / & engēdre in them an hate­red towarde you. And also not onely lose your meryte / but also deserue peyne and the punysshment of god / where y ^e other correccion done by sobrenes / shall cause the persones to haue you in a reuerēde drede / & also to loue you / and here afterwarde to blesse you / and pray for you. I praye you therfore / wynne & deserue bothe theyr blessynge and prayer / & also the blessynge and rewarde of our lorde. But bycause that cōmunly all persones done vse to swere some othe / in affyrmȳge or denyenge / that is / in sayenge ye / as grauntynge / or nay as denyenge / whiche bē seldon sayd nakedly by them selfe without some addicion / therfore I wolde haue you in auoydynge of al vayne ones / to teche your chylder to make theyr addicions vnder this fourme. Ye fa­ther / nay father: ye mother / nay mother: ye brother / nay brother: ye syster / nay syster: ye syr / nay syr: ye dame / nay dame: or vnto y ^e states / mayster / maystres and so forth of all suche cōmune termes / as grauntfa­ther / grauntmother: godfather / godmother: vncle / aunt / cosyn / & suche lyke / w ^tout any other addicion / or any of these fōde othes / as by cocke & pye / by my hode of grene / & suche other. Math. v. For Chryst sayth in the gospel vnto his disciples. Swere not you at all (sayth he) in any wyse / that is to meane / vnlawfull / or in vayne. And the prophete sayth. Psal. lxij Ladabūtur oēs qui iurāt in eo: quia obstructū est os loquentium iniqua. That is / those ꝑsones that done lawfully swere in god / shalbe [Page] praysed and haue rewarde therfore / and the mouth of euyll spekers shalbe stopped / & they put to shame & re­buke. All this haue we spoken for the kepynge of the secunde precepte or cōmaūdement. The .iii. precepte. Now for y ^e thyrde commaundement. I praye you gyue good exemple in your owne selfe / and than teche all youres how they shulde kepe duely y ^e holy day / y ^t is to saye (in asmoche as conuenyently may be) to be voyde of all maner of worldly & bodyly labours. I sayd in asmoche as conuenyētly may be. For people must haue meet & drȳke / the houses must be appareyled / beestes must be cured & loked vnto. And veri vnfeyned necessite or nede doth excuse in cōscyēce. The holy daye is ordeyned of god & the chirche / onely for y ^e seruyce of god. The due place of that seruyce is the chirche / vnto all them that may cōuenyently come thervnto. And vnto them that may not / euery honest place of good & lawfull occupacyon is theyr chyrche. For god is there present where he is duely & deuoutly serued. Take y ^e peyne therfore whā you may to go forth your selfe / & call your folkes to fo­lowe. And whan you ben at the chirche / do nothynge els but that you came for / and loke oft tymes vpon thē that ben vnder your charge / that all they be occupy­ed / lyke (at the leest) vnto deuoute chrystyans. For y ^e chirche (as our sauyour saythe) is a place of prayer / not of claterynge & talkynge. Math. xxj. And charge them also to kepe theyr syght in the chirche cloce vpon theyr bokes or bedes. And whyle they ben yōge / let them vse euer to knele / stande / or syt / and neuer to walke in y ^e chirche And let them here y ^e masse quyetly & deuoutly / moche parte knelynge. But at the gospell / at the preface / & at the Pat noster. teche them to stande / & to make curtsy [Page] at this worde Iesus as the preest dothe. Thus in the forenoone let the tyme be spente all in y ^e seruyce of god And than in the after noone / must you appoynt them theyr pastyme with great diligence and strayt com­maundement. Fyrst that in no wyse they vse suche vanytees as cōmunly ben vsed / that is to saye / berebay­ting & bulbaytyng / foteball / tenesplayeng / bowlyng / nor these vnlawfull games of cardynge / dycynge / closshynge / with suche other vnthryfty pastymes / or ra­ther losetymes. Wherin (for a suerte) y ^e holy day may rather be broken / than yf they wente to the plough or carte vpon eester day / so it were not done by cōtempte or despysynge of y ^e cōmaundement of the lawe / ne for vnreasonable couetyse & loue of worldly goodes. For synne dothe alway more defoule & breke the holy day than doth any bodyly werke or occupacyon. Therfore let them beware of the tauerne and alehous / for drede of dronkennes / or of glotony / and of suspecte places / or wanton company / for fere of vnclennes / or lechery whiche thynges ben vnto youth moost peryllous / & of great daunger & ieopardy of corrupcyon. Assygne you therfore and appoynt you them y ^e maner of theyr dys­portes / honest euer & lawfull for a reasonable recrea­cyon / and (as moche as conuenyently may be) let the sexes be departed in all theyr dysportes / that is to say the kyndes / men by them selfe / & the women by them selfe. And also appoynt the tyme or space / that they be not (for any dysportes) from y ^e seruyce of god. Appoȳt them also y ^e place / that you may call or sende for them whan case requyreth. For yf there be a sermon any tyme of the day / let them be there present all y ^t ben not occupyed in nedeful & lawful busynes / all other layde [Page] on parte / let them euer kepe the prechynges / rather than the masse / yf (by case) they may not here bothe. To bye and sell or bargayne vpon the holy daye / is vnlawfull / excepte it be for very nede. Charyte vnto the poore and nedy neyghbours / doth lawfully excuse bodyly or worldly laboures vpon y ^e holy daye. Loke wel you neyther do ne saye wylfully and by delyberacyon vpon the holy daye any thynge that you knowe in cō science / shulde be cōtrary vnto the honour of god / and thā done you iustly kepe your holy daye. A very good sure pastyme vpon the holy daye / is to rede / or to here this boke / or suche other good englysshe bookes / and gader thervnto as many persones as you can. For I tell you there shulde be no tyme lost / ne mysspent vpon the holy daye. Let this poore lesson now content you for these thre commaundementes of the fyrste table / whiche (as I sayd) done apperteyne and belonge vn­to almyghty god hymselfe. Another shorte lesson shall we set forth / for the commaundementes of the secūde table. The .iiij. precepte. And fyrst the due reuerēde honour to be done of the chylder vnto y ^e parētes / that is to saye / vnto theyr fathers and mothers. Teche your chylder therfore to axe blessynge euery nyght / knelynge before they go to rest / vnder this fourme. Father I beseche you of bles­synge for charite / or thus. Mother I beseche you of charite gyue me your blessynge. Thā let the father or mother holde vp bothe the handes / & ioynynge them bothe togyder / loke vp reuerently & deuoutly vnto the heuen / & saye thus. Our lorde god blesse you chylde / & therwith make a crosse with the ryght hande ouer y ^e chylde / sayenge. In noīe pr̄is et filij et spūs sctī. Amē. And yf any chylde be styffe herted / stubburne / and frowarde [Page] / & wyll not thus axe blessynge / yf it be within age / let it surely be whysked with a good rodde / & be compelled thervnto by force. And yf the persones be of forther age / and past suche correccyon / and yet wyl be obstynate / let them haue suche sharpe & greuous pu­nysshment as conuenyently may be deuysed / as to syt at dyner alone & by them selfe at a stole in y ^e myddle of the hall / with onely browne breed & water / and euery persone by ordre / to rebuke them as they wold rebuke a these or a traytour. Deuter. xxj. d. For in y ^e olde lawe suche chylder were brought before y ^e hole townshyp / that is to saye the people of y ^e cyte / or of that towne / and there were they stoned vnto dethe. And certeynly I wolde not aduyse ne coūseyle any parentes / to kepe suche a chylde in theyr hous / w ^tout great afflyccyon & punysshment. And therfore I thynke it were moche cōuenient for y ^e parētes / oft tymes to shewe vnto theyr chylder what cōmodytees & profites / & what perylles & ieopardyes done folowe the honour & dyshonour of the parētes / accordynge vnto holy scrypture. Eccliasti­ci. iiij. A. Some wherof I haue here set forth as is cōteyned in y ^e boke of the wyse mā called Ecclesiasticus / in y ^e thyrde chapytre. Those persones (sayth he) that ben y ^e chylder of Chryst / ben also the chylder of this chirche / and al suche (as though it were by naturall dysposicyon) ben gyuē and applyed of that godly disposicyon vnto obedyence and loue. All you therfore that ben louȳge chylder / be euer obedient vnto the iudgment & dyscrecion of your parētes. And so be you obedient in all your werkes / that you therby may be y ^e chylder of saluacion / y ^t is to say / y ^t your obe­dience be done w ^t y ^e very loue of your hert / vnsayned & w ^tout dissimulacyō. For god hath ordeyned y ^t y ^e father [Page] shall haue due honour amonge his chylder / & the mo­ther in lyke maner with lowly obedyence. Those persones that done loue god / wyl praye vnto hym for the forgyuenes of theyr sȳnes / & afterward wyll beware conteyne & kepe them selfe frō them. And ī that dayly prayer they shall gracyously be herde. And lyke as a persone (for the surete of his lyuynge here) doth horde vp & gather tresour / so done they ordeyn for the suerte of theyr saluacyon / that duely done honour theyr pa­rentes. This worde parentes doth signifye bothe the father and mother. Who so euer dothe duely honour his parentes / shall haue ioye / pleasure / and conforte amonge his owne chylder. And who so euer is duely obedyent vnto the father / dothe therby refresshe and moche cōforte the mother. And these ꝑsones that done due honour vnto theyr parentes / shall haue longe lyfe and in the day of theyr prayer they shal gracyously be herde of our lorde / & haue theyr peticyon. Those per­sones that haue a reuerende drede vnto our lorde god / haue in lyke maner a reuerende drede vnto theyr pa­rentes / & done duely honour them / and wyll do them suche seruyce / and in lyke maner as a bonde seruaunt shulde do vnto his lorde & mayster / as well in werke as worde / with all pacyence and gentylnes. Do ther­fore vnto your parentes honoure & reuerēce / that the blessyng of god may therby lyght vpon you / and that blessynge shall remayne & endure vnto your last ende. The blessynge of the parentes dothe fyrme and make stable the possessyons and the kynred of the chylder. And cōtrary / the cursse of the parētes doth eradicate and rote walt & vtterly destroye bothe. Chylde / neuer take thou pleasure ne pryde in the rebuke & dysprayse [Page] of thy parētes. For that rebuke is not thy glory / boost nor prayse / but rather thy cōfusyon / shame & rebuke. For the glory and prayse of euery persone / standeth in the honour of the parentes. And a great shame & re­buke is it vnto the chylder / whan the parentes ben without honour & reuerence. Good chylder / take good pacyence with the age of your parentes / & neuer dis­please ne greue them in al your lyfe. Ane they fayle in wytte or vnderstandynge / & therafter speke or do any thynge contrary vnto your reason or wytte / take you pacyence with them / & let the mater passe. And in no wyse do not you despyse them / bycause of our owne strength or better abilite. For the pite and compassion that you haue vnto your parentes / shall neuer be for­goten before god. For you shall haue good and profyte of theyr offence and synne. And in y ^e iustyce and ryght you do vnto them / shal you be edifyed / and encreace in vertue. And in y ^e tyme of your trybulacyon / that good dede shalbe remembred. For as y ^e yce in the frost dothe melte by the clere sonne beames / so shall your synnes (by your duety done vnto your parentes) be wasted & clene losed & forgyuen. That persone is of euyll name and fame / that doth forsake the parētes in theyr nede And those chylder bē accursed of god / that done anger vexe and trouble theyr parētes. Chylde of what state or degre so euer thou be / do euer thy duty with myld­nes / mekenes / and lowlynes / and than shalte thou be well byloued / and praysed aboue other persones. And the more hyghe estate thou come vnto / the more meke and lowly be thou in all thynges / and than shalt thou in the presence of god haue great meryte / & encrease in grace. For god dothe loke vpon them that done rendre [Page] and gyue due thankes / for the fauour & goodnes done vnto them before. Ad ver­bū ferme trāslata. All this now is y ^e very text & lettre of y ^e holy scrypture in y ^e place before rehersed. Where you may se and perceyue many great cōmodytes and graces that done come vnto them that duely done ho­nour theyr parētes. And many great ieopardyes and peryls / and also the curse of god / that doth lyght vpon them that wyll not do theyr duety of honour and reuerence vnto theyr parentes. Let therfore your chylder vse and accustom thē selfe / dayly to axe theyr fathers and mothers blessynges. For this dare I say / that all though in case / the father or mother were an abhomynable sȳner / or excōmunicate / accursed / or an heretike and though y ^e chylde were so also. ex grego. li. dialog. iij. ca. vij. Yet myght y ^t crosse of the blessynge of that father or mother saue y ^t chylde from sodeyn myschefe / that els myght haue come vn­to that chylde. And y ^t crosse maye also do flee or chace away euyl spyrytes / that els shulde haue had power vpon that chylde. The blessyng of euery good persone is good / and not without great vertue / accordyng vnto the power and degree of the persones / and therfore teche them also to axe blessynge of euery bysshop / ab­bot / & euery preest / and of theyr godfathers & godmo­thers / with other deuoute persones. The fyft precepte. And let this sus­fyse for this fourth cōmaundement. ¶Yet go forther vnto the fyfth cōmaūdement / whiche is / to kyll or slee no persone. Teche them there / that it is not ynough y ^e they put no ꝑsone to deth by stroke of hande or wepen / but also that they hurte no ꝑsone in name or fame by detraccyon / backbytynge or sclaundrynge / or by euyll exemple of lyuynge / nor yet that they curse or ban / or wysshe euyl vnto any persone / or yet hate any persone [Page] in hert. j. Iohis iij. c. For (as scripture sayth) who so euer doth here in herte or mynde any hatered / malyce / euyll wyll / or stomacke agaynst any chrystian / is an homicide / that is a mansleer or a manqueller. Many persones wyll say they ben in charite / and haue no hatered vnto any persone / and yet wyll they not speke one vnto another and as it is a sygne and token that preuy hatered is in the herte / and that they do not loue theyr neyghbour as them selfe / in the true and vnfayned charyte of our lorde. j. Iohā. iiij. d. And sure it is / that who so euer doth not hooly & fully loue his neyghbour / whome he may se & beholde with his bodyly syght / he can neuer loue god / whome he can not se / nor so beholde. This is than the cōmaū ­dement of god / that who so euer dothe loue god / must also loue his neyghbour. The .vj. precepte. ¶The .vj. cōmaūdement is that no lechery be done / whiche is not ment onely for the vnlawfull dede / but also for all maner of prouoca­cyon ther vnto / as wanton and lyght behauyours / in kyssynge / clepynge / & vnclene touchynge / a lyght loke or cast of the syght / with a desyre and consent of herte vnto the dede / dothe breke this cōmaūdement. Moche more thā doth rybauldy breke it / and suche maner as before is sayd. The olde prouerbe sayth. Who so wyll none euyll do / shulde do nothynge that longeth therto. The ghostli enemy doth deceyue many persones by y ^e pretēce and colour of matrimony / in pryuate & secrete contractes. Contra­ctes. For many men whan they can not obteyn theyr vnclene desyre of the woman / wyll promyse mariage / & thervpon make a contracte / promyse / & gyue fayth & trouth eche vnto other / sayenge. Here I take the margery vnto my wyfe / & therto plyght the my trouth. And she agayne vnto hym in lyke maner. And [Page] after that done / they suppose they may lawfully vse theyr vnclene behauyour / and somtyme the acte and dede doth folowe / vnto the great offence of god & theyr owne soules. It is a great ieopardy therfore to make any suche contractes / specyally amonge them selfe se­cretely alone / without recordes / whiche must be two at the leest. For many tymes / after the vnlawful pleasure is past / discorde dothe fall bytwene the partyes / eyther bycause that (as the cōmune prouerbe saythe) hote loue is soone colde / or els by the meanes of theyr frendes / or by some couetyse to haue a better mariage they or one of them done denye the cōtracte / and so vnlawfully doone mary otherwyse / & lyue in aduoutry all theyr lyfe tyme. And bycause the chirche can not openly knowe that thynge that was spoken and done in priuyte / they bē thought and supposed so to lyue as lawfully in mariage / where in dede before god they done lyue as noughty packes in dampnable aduoutri and vnlawfull lechery / & all theyr chylder bastardes before god / all though they seme otherwyse vnto the worlde. Warne therfore your folkes there be no suche blȳde bargaynes in your hous or gouernaūce. ¶The vij. cōmaūdemēt is / do no thefte. The .vij. precepte. Herein correcte your yonge persones be tyme. For y ^e chylde that begynneth to pyke at a pyn or a poynt / wyll after pyke a peny or a poūde. And so go forth from an apple vnto an oxe / & from a peer to a purse / or an hors / and so from y ^e small thynges vnto the great. Whan you take any chylde therfore with the maner / be it neuer so lytel a thynge / paye truly at the first tyme / & the secūde tyme / prycke the pȳnes or the poyntes vpon the cappe or shulder in open syght / and let all the house wonder vpon them / & [Page] crye all / here is the these / this is y ^e thefe / sese y ^e thefe. And yf they mende not therby / let them be so brought through the open stretes with shame ynough / & cruel punysshment. For better is it that the chylde wepe in youth / and suffre shame and rebuke / than hereafter the father / mother and frēdes shulde wepe for sorowe and shame at his hangynge and shamfull dethe. And let euery ꝑsone beware of thefte. For all other synnes with contricyon / confessyon and penaūce / may be for­gyuen clerely / but thefte and all goodes valawfully goten / can neuer be forgyuen vnto the tyme that resti­tucyon be made / that is to saye / vnto the tyme those goodes / or the valure of them be restored / yf the per­sones (in any wyse) may be able thervnto. Let euery persone than ponder well and wey / what vauntage it is to stele or pyke / sythe (besyde the peyne certeynly to be fuffred in hell or purgatory) the same goodes (in valure) must be restored agayne. Small goodes tru­ly goten / done growe and encreae vnto the great con­forte of the persones. And cōtrary / euyl goten goodes lyghtly come (as they saye) and lyghtly go / all waste vnto nought / with the dyscōforte of the partyes / and greate combraunce of conscyence. Se than that all goodes be well goten amonge you. The .viij precepte. The .ix. precepte. ¶Of the .viij. cō ­maundement you haue before some remembraunce in the lessons of swerynge and lyenge. ¶The .ix. com­maundement is / that no person shall desyre in mynde nor wysshe / that the wedded make of any other per­sone were lawfully theyr wedded make. The .x. precepte. ¶And the .x. cōmaundement is in lyke maner of the goodes. For so shulde the partyes haue incōmodite / losse / displeasure or discōforte. The dedes of these two cōmaūdemētes [Page] were forboden of god in the .vj. and .vij. commaunde­mentes / here now ben the wylles & desyres forboden. That thynge than that no man maye lawfully wyll / may no man do lawfully. Let them therfore beware that do not onely wyll and desyre in mynde / but also done secretely / pryuely / & craftely labour to take theyr neyghbours fermes / or his house (as they saye) ouer his heed / or to entyce and get away theyr seruaūtes / or any other goodes profytable for the partyes. For though suche thynges may seme vnto the worlde lawfull / surely they be not without the greate offence of god / as contrary vnto his commaundementes. And thus an ende of the .x. cōmaundementes. ¶Yet must you haue a lesson to teche your folkes to beware of the seuen pryncypall synnes / whiche ben cōmunly called the .vij. deedly synnes / but in dede they done call them wronge / for they ben not alway deedly synnes. Of y ^e .vij. prīcypall synnes. Therfore they shulde be called capitall or princypal synnes / and not deedly synnes. These ben theyr names by or­dre / after our diuisyon. Pryde. Enuy. Wrathe. Coue­tyse. Glotony. Slouthe. and lechery. Thus done we ordre them / accordyng vnto our thre ghostly enemies / the deuyll / the worlde / and the flesshe. For pryde / enuy and wrathe / done apperteyn and belonge vnto the de­uyll / as chefe mouer of them. And couetyse dothe ap­perteyne vnto the worlde / as chefe mouer therof. And glotony / slouth & lechery / done belōge vnto the flesshe as theyr chefe mouer / whiche thre we done put vnder this ordre / bycause that glotony is a great occasyon of slouth. For (as the prouerbe saythe) Whan the bely is full / the bones wolde haue rest. The full fedde glo­ton is apte vnto no good werke or labour / but rather [Page] al disposed vnto sluggysshnes & slouth. And those two betwene them done [...]yre & ꝓuoke most vnto lechery. The .v. wyttes ¶Teche them also to knowe the names of the fyue wyttes / and to put the fyrst fynger of the ryght hāde vnto y ^e instrumentes of y ^e same wyttes / that is to say vnto the eare / the eye / the nose / the mouth and thā to ioyne & clap both the handes togyder / sayenge thus. Herynge / seynge / smellynge / tastynge / & touchynge. The .vij. werkes of mercy. ¶It shalbe also well done to teche them the .vij. werkes of mercy / whiche you shuld (after your power) set such in werke as you teche them in voyce. That is / to fede the hūgry. To gyue drynke vnto the thursty. To clothe the naked. Herborowe or lodge the wayfarynge folkes / or them that haue nede of lodgynge. Visite the sycke Redeme y ^e prysoner. And bury the deed. Here is now an ende hereof. A fourme of confessyon. Notwithstandynge I thynke it necessary to shewe here yet / how you shuld teche your folke to be ordered vnto y ^e cōfessyon of these thynges For I haue knowen many come vnto confession / that coude not tell how to do / or what to saye there. I shall therfore set forth here a short fourme & maner therof. For there ben many fourmes of cōfessions in prynt set out at lēgth. Fyrst good deuoute christians I beseche you gyue no credence vnto these false heretykes / that done depraue & set nought by cōfession / nor by this holy sacramēt of penaūce For I acerteyn you those per­sones whatsoeuer they be / that (after theyr baptisme and chrystendom) haue done any deedly synne / can neuer be in the state of saluacyon without the feyth and wyll of cōfession. Genes. iij For almyghty god in euery lawe dyd requyre cōfessyon / and prouoke euery trespacer ther­vnto / as of our fyrst parentes Adam and Eue in paradyse [Page] / which cōfession yf they had mekely made / they and all we sholde haue suffred the lesse peyne. Leuiti. iiij. et. v. In the olde lawe speciall oblacions & sacryfyce was appoyn­ted openly by the preestes to be done for suche synnes amonge the people that were preuy & vnknowen vn­to al other persones / excepte onely the selfe trespacers Wherby it must nedes be trouthe / that they were confessed therof vnto the preestes. Whā any persone also was suspecte of lepry / the iudgment and determyna­cyon therof remayned (by the ordinaunce of the lawe) vnto the preest. Whiche thynge was a playne fygure of the sacrament of penaunce and confessyon. Math. v. And our sauyour sayd / he come not to breke y ^e lawe / but rather to accomplysshe & fulfyll the lawe. Mat. viij Luc. xvij And so he dyd con­fyrme and ratifye that lawe / whan he sent the lepres that he cured & heeled vnto the preestes. And in euery cure he dyd vpon y ^e sycke persones / he expressed mystecally confession / in that he caused them to shewe theyr dysease before they were cured. Act. v. And saynt Peter his vycar after his ascencyon / dyd requyre confession of a mā called Ananye / & of his wyfe called Saphirye (as appereth in holy scrypture) of a deedly synne / whiche he (by the reuelacyon of god) knewe they had done / & bycause they wolde not make confessyon therof / they were bothe stryken to deth with the vēgeaūce of god. Our mother holy chirche therfore hath (by the inspi­racion of y ^e holy ghost (ordeyned that euery persone y ^e doth cōmyt or do any deedly sȳne in werke / worde / or by full deliberate consent in thought / must nedely (yf they wyll be saued) be confessed therof vnto a preest. Syth than all christen people haue receyued and vsed the same so many hondred yeres / take you that vse [Page] and custome for sufficyent auctorite to folowe y ^e same and to put all maner of contrary opynyon clene out of mynde / and in no wyse to here speke or talke therof. Now vnto our mater. Fyrst teche your folkes to come reuerently vnto the ghostly father with meke & sobre countenaūce and behauyour (For it is no laughynge game) Than knele downe at y ^e place appoynted / and there make a crosse vpon the foreheed or fronte / with Innomine patris (as before is shewed) and thē forth with say thus. Benedicite. And whan the preest hath answered / than saye (yf the person be lerned) Confi­teor deo / beate marie / omnibus sanctis / et vobis: pec­caui nimis / cogitatione / locutione / & opere mea culpa. That is to say for the vnlerned / I cōfesse & knowlege my selfe gylty vnto our lord god / y ^e blessed lady saynt Marye / vnto all the holy company of heuē / and vnto you my ghostly father / that I haue offended my lorde god many tymes in my lyfe / and specyally syth y ^e last tyme of my confessyon / in thought / worde / and dede / in many and dyuers wayes / moo than I can shewe / specially in the .vij. prȳcyyall synnes. Pryde / enuye & wrath / couetyse / glotony / slouth and lechery. And by them I haue broken his cōmaundementes.