precyous blode for our redempcion ¶ The Epyphany / whan he was shewed and openly declared vnto the hoole worlde by the thre kynges to be very god and very man the sauyoure of the worlde ¶ The Presentacion / that is whan he was brought vnto the temple with oblacion or offrynge accordyng vnto the lawe and also the purificacion or churchynge of our Lady ¶ The flyght in to Egypte that was whaÌ„ kynge Herode dyd pursue our sauyour and wyllyng surely to slee hym dyde cause to slee all the Innocent chyldren within the coostes countrey of BethleeÌ„ ¶ The disputacion that was after his retourne and coÌ„mynge froÌ„e Egypte agayne whan he weÌ„t with his mother and Ioseph vnto Hierusalem there vnknowynge vnto them remayned and taryed / tyll that thre dayes after with great sekynge they founde hym in the teÌ„ple disputyng amoÌ„ge the doctours than was he .xii. yeres of age ¶ His humiliacion and meke behauyoure vnto his parentes / that was whaÌ„ he lefte that hyghe place and exercise of contemplacion and went with them and was obedient vnto them ¶ His educacioÌ„ or bryngynge vp that was whan he taried and dwelled at Nazareth with his blessed mother and with Ioseph her husbande euer occupied after theyr wyll and mynde vnto theyr conforthe and euer as he grewe encreased in age and statur so dyd he appere and shewe hym selfe in grace and vertue ¶ His Baptysme that was whan he was baptised of saynt IohnÌ„ baptiste in the flode of Iordane where the voyce of the father of heuen was herde and the holy ghoste in the kynde and lykenes of a doue was sene whiche dyd testifye and declare for trouth that Christe was god and man the Messie and sauyoure of the worlde ¶ Wyldernes that is that immediatly and forthwith after his sayde baptisme he was led by the spirite of god in to a wyldernes / not farre frome the sayd flode of Iordane to the ende and purpose to be attempted of the deuyll ¶ Faste that is that he in the wyldernes dyd faste frome all maner of fode meat or drynke by the space of .xl. dayes and fourty nyghtes contynually together ¶ TemptacioÌ„ / that is that immediatly and forthwith after that faste whan he beganne to waxe huÌ„gry the deuyll dyd tempte him vnto glotonye and vnto pryde / vnto couetyse ¶ Victory / that is that our sauioure dyd coÌ„founde the deuyll in all his temptacioÌ„s for our welth had ouer hym the vyctory maystry ¶ Election / that is the chosynge of his disciples and the appoyntyng and deuydyng of them in to dyuers degrees and ordres ¶ Preachyng that was whan he spake openly vnto the people / and that coÌ„munly in paraboles ¶ Teachynge / that was whan he taught his disciples apostles secretly by theÌ„ selfe suche misteries as apperteyned vnto theÌ„ to know and not vnto the coÌ„mune people ¶ Laboures that was whaÌ„ he wente aboute from towne to towne from cite to cite from countrey to countrey in hunger thurste colde and many a wery iourney ¶ Miracles whiche he dyd in many a sondry maner In tournyng water in wyne / in fedynge of many thousandes with a small porcion of vytayle In curynge helynge of all maner of syckenes diseases in shewynge to many theyr secrete inward thoughtes ¶ The Maundy / that was the laste souper that he made to ende and conclude the olde testamente / by the pascal lambe / and to ordeyne begynne the newe testament ¶ The ministery or seruyce / that was whan he wasshed the fete of his disciples arisynge therunto frome the soupper ¶ The Consecracion that was whan he retournyng agayne vnto the table dyd of bread wyne consecrate make his owne holy body and sacred blode and therewith dyd coÌ„mune and howsell his apostles / and gaue them power to consecrate make the same wherby they were all made preastes ¶ The sermone / that was whaÌ„ after all this he preached vnto his apostles a solempne maruelous swete sermoÌ„ makyng specially meÌ„cioÌ„ of loue vnite peace coÌ„corde ¶ Agony / that was whan he went a syde from the company with saynt Peter saynt IohnÌ„ and saynt Iames / yet went somwhat from them vnto prayer / wherin he swet water blode for agony / fere / care / and trouble of mynde / for the maner of that bytter passyon and moste cruell dethe that he sawe to come / and howe lytell it shulde be regarded and set by ¶ Betraynge / that was whan the traytoure Iudas that before had solde hym vnto the Iewes / came with a company of harneysed men / with a false flaterynge â—ysâ—e shewed vnto them whiche was he ¶ Takynge / that was whan after that kysse the soudyers layde hande vpon hym and toke hym / all his disciples fledde and forsoke hym for the tyme. ¶ Bysshopes / that is whan the soudiers that toke hym / brought hym vnto the bysshopes Anne and Cayphas where he was examined and by false wytnes accused / and cruelly tormeÌ„ted all the nyght ¶ Pylate that is that on the morowe he was presented by the Iewes falsly accused vnto Pylate ¶ Herode / that is whan Pylate had examined hym and coulde not fynde hym in any thynge defauty than dyd he sende hym vnto Herode the kynge ¶ Pylate agayne that is whaÌ„ Herode had examined hym in many thynges / and he wolde answere hym vnto nothynge than he put vpoÌ„ hym a whyte foles cote / with derysion and mokery sente hym agayne vnto Pylate ¶ Examinacion that was whaÌ„ after many newe false accusacioÌ„s of the Iewes he ferther examined hym by longe processe ¶ Flagellacion that was whaÌ„ Pylate wyllynge to delyuer hym bycause he fouÌ„de hym in all thynges fautles and yet coulde not appease the crye and malyce of the Iewes dyd put hym naked and tyed him vnto a pyller and caused hym to be cruelly scourged so that no place of his body was vntorne or vnwounded ¶ Coronacion that was whan the Iewes wolde not yet be satisfyed and contente Pylate caused hym to be crowned with a crowne of sharpe thornes and with a rede in his hande in stede of a septre / clothed in purpure brought hym forth amonge them and sayde in mockage / Beholde your kynge ¶ Condempnacion / that was whan the Iewes wold in nowyse be otherwyse contente than with his deth Pylate set in a trone as iudge condempned him iudged hym vnto the deth of the crosse ¶ Fatigacion / that was whaÌ„ Pylate hade putt vpon hym his owne clothes agayne / and gyuen the sayde iugement thaÌ„ layde the heuy crosse vpoÌ„ his necke / vnder the whiche for very werynes and fayntenes he fell downe as not able to bere it any forther and thaÌ„ caused they another maÌ„ to bere it for hym vnto the place / that was the mounte of Caluary ¶ Crucifixion that was whan he came vnto the place they caused hym to
mater / thus you se whan where and howe that is whaÌ„ you were nat you had beyng where in your mothers wombe / howe by synfull concepcyon Of whome thaÌ„ had you al of our lorde god alone And by whome what meane Certenly by the meane of our lorde sauyour Iesu Chryste the seconde person in Trinite very essencyall god one / and the same selfe substaunce and nature with the father and the holy ghost Se well beholde and consydre who it is that hathe done for you howe excellent the person is And than for whom he dyd For you of whom he had no nede / nor you any thyng had or coulde or might do for him / but all he dyd for loue and of mere charyte / and that also for his enemye / and so beynge in depe prison neuer to be delyuerde but by hym alone Nowe consyder and pondre well who this persone is / and than loke vpoÌ„ your self make collacyon / coÌ„pare both together although there may in deed no coÌ„paryson be made yet se beholde howe great mighty a ê‘son he is / how lytle howe infyrme feble a ê‘son you be howe wyse how well lerned he is / howe lytle lernynge wysdome you haue how ryche he is howe poore you ben / howe excelleÌ„t noble he is how rustycall a vyllayne you be / howe goodly a ê‘son he is and howe vyle fylthy you be how kynde louyng he is howe churlysshe frowarde you be And to conclude he most hyghe god / and you a wretched worme of the earthe he all and you ryght nought After this collactoÌ„ perceyuyng what maner of ê‘sones bothe ben than pondre and wey what howe moche he dyd for you Fyrst he left in maner all heuyn for you and here toke vpon hym your nature / so made you a great estate / cosyn and of kynne vnto almighty god And yet dyd he serue here for you nat onely .vii. yeres as Iacob for Rachell but for a worse more lothsum than Lia all the dayes of his lyfe / and here begyn to remembre that lyfe of our sauyour After some suche auctours as we haue named in the other workes / or at the least vnder suche a shorte fourme as we haue set forth in the boke of housholders Thus his blessyd incarnacyon his ioyfull byrthe / his paynefull circumsicyon his honorable epiphanye / his legall presentacyon / his sorowfull flyght into Egypt / his coÌ„fortable retourne and commynge agayne in to his couÌ„trey / his meruaylous and lerned disputyng with the doctours at .xii. yeres of age his lowly obedyence vnto his parentes his educacyon bryngynge vp vnto the age of nere .xxx. yeres his baptisme his fast in wyldernes / his temptacyon there of the wycked spiryte his victory The callynge eletcyon and chosynge of his apostles and discyples prechynge techynge labours and miracles / his manye wrongfull repreues rebukes / and infamyes of the iewes and theyr malicyous awaytes / his solempe soper / his most meke minystrye / seruyce in the wasshynge of the fete of his apostles The worthy consecracyon of his blessyd body blode in the whiche sacrament all his apostles were made preestes / had the same power his most swete sermon his tediouse agonye / whan he swette water and blode / his fals betrayenge by Iudas and his takynge his presentacyon vnto the bysshoppes Annas and Cayphas And the cruell dealyng of the â—ues the presentynge of hym by them vnto Pylate by hym vnto Herode by whom mocked and clothed in a whyte fooles cote / he was sende agayne vnto Pylate and by hym examyned and without cause founde put naked and scourged arayde with a purpure garment crowned with thornes with a rede in his haÌ„de as a sceptre al iÌ„ mockeage scorne brought forthe before the iewes by their crye request put agayne into his owne clothes condemned vnto deth his payne full beryng of the heuy crosse / his fatigacyon / and feyntynge vnder the same so that he fell vnto the grounde / his crucifixon naylyng vpon the crosse his pytefull hangyng vpon the same his deth with a lowde crye The woundynge of his hert after that deth his takyng downe buryall his gloryous resurrection apperynges / his meruaylous ascencyon into heuyn / where he toke for you possessyon of the plate that was prepared ordayned for you before the coÌ„stitucyon ordynauÌ„ce of the world Here you may remembre the coÌ„modytes of the place whiche in hit selfe is moste hyghly beauteous fayre goodly and pleasaunte aboue that can be thoughte vpon erthe and of all thynges that ben in this worlde is there plentye and aboundance without any nede or wante possessyon is there of the lande that neuer shall decaye / ryches that neuer shall be minisshed or made lesse And as vnto the coÌ„modites of the body goodes of nature there is youth euer florysshyng fresshe without age or any miseryes therof Beaute and fayrenes without any deformyte / or fadynge Myght and strength â–ª without debilyte or feblenes helth without syckenes or disease / all pleasure and neuer payne Euer myrth without any mornyng euer gladnes and neuer sadnes Euer ioy and neuer sorowe of all thynges coÌ„tentacion without any murmure or grudge Euer loue and neuer hate Euer charyte and neuer enuye mercye pitye and compassyon / without any crueltye or vnkyndnes Euer vnyte and peace and neuer varyaunce ne debate Euer trouth and fidelite without any falshed or deceyte Euer iustice equite and ryghte / and neuer oppression / ne wronge Euer due honoure / and reuerence neuer dysdayne ne dyspyte And to conclude there is al that is good / and neuer euyll And of all these thynges constant durans 1. Cor. ii without any mynysshynge mutabilyte or chaung And yet ben there mo coÌ„modytes thaÌ„ eare may here eye may se toÌ„ge may tell or any herte may thynke whiche almyghty god hath ordayned for them that loue hym And yet there is vnto all these coÌ„modytes lyfe immortall euerlastyng And yet forthermore you may coÌ„sydre in what company / and with whom you shall vse and inioye the sayd coÌ„modytes There shall you fynde your holy patrones / suche sayntes as you dayly haue serued / the pure company of virgynes / the coÌ„fessours and martyrs / the innocentes the apostles / the patryarches prophetes And the goodly bright company of angels / al redy to present you vnto our lady the blessyd gloryous virgyne Marye / and by her with them to be recommended coÌ„mitted vnto her dere sone our lorde / moste swete sauyour Iesu which wyl nat disdayne to receyue you most beningly gently so to repÌ„seÌ„t offre you vnto yepÌ„seÌ„ce of his most worthy father which by him is also your father Se now good deuout soule beholde loke wel inwardly ê‘ceyue where you
doth folowe the Crede ¶ The fyrste article CRedo in deuÌ„ patrem omnipotentem Saynte Peter creatorem celi et terre ✿ I byleue vpoÌ„ god the father almyghty maker of heuen of erth This terme In deum / is diuersly Englysshed some done saye / in to god some inwardly in god / some perfytly in god But the mooste commune vse of the countrey of the vnlerned people / is to saye I byleue vpon god and vpon his fayth / but all dothe meane in effecte / that the persone hath perfyte faythe and byleue in god / and vnto god ¶ The seconde article Saynte Andrew ¶ Et in Iesum Christum filiuÌ„ eius vnicum dominum nostrum ✿ And I also byleue perfytely vpon our lorde Iesu Christe his onely begoteÌ„ sone that is to say the only begoten sone of the sayd father ¶ The thyrde article Saynte Iohan. ¶ Qui coÌ„ceptus est de spuÌ„ sctoÌ„ natê° ex maria virgine ✿ And also I byleue perfytly the our sayd lorde Iesu was conceyued of the holy ghost borne of our lady saynt Mary she remaynyng abydyng euer euer a virgine ¶ The fourth article ¶ Passus sub pontio Pilato / crucifixus mortuus et sepultus Saynte Iames the more ✿ And also I perfytly byleue that our sayde lorde Iesu dyd suffre his passion was crucified deed and buried vnder the power and iugement of a man called by propre name Poncius / and by his seconde or surename Pylate ¶ The fyfth artycle ¶ Descendit ad inferna Saynte thomas of Iude. tertia die resurrexit a mortuis ✿ And I byleue perfytely also / that our sayd lorde Iesu after his sayde passyon and dethe / descended and wente downe vnto the lowe places of hell / and brought forthe froÌ„ thense our fyrste father Adam and all that were there with hym / and that vpoÌ„ the thyrde day after his deth he dyde aryse from deth / and all the bondes therof vnto lyfe euerlastynge ¶ The syxth artycle Saynte Iames / the lesse ¶ Ascendit ad celos sedet ad dexteram dei patris oiÌ„potentis ✿ And also I byleue perfytly that our sayd lorde Iesu dyd ascende and stye vp vnto the hyghest heuens and ther doth syt vpon the ryght hande of god the father oiÌ„potent and almyghty ¶ The seuenth article Saynte Philipe ¶ Iude veÌ„turus est iudicare viuos et mortuos And I also ê‘fytely byleue that he wyll come these agayne in to this worlde to iuge all persones quycke and deed ¶ The .viii. article Saynte Bartelmewe ¶ Credo in spiritum sanctum ✿ I byleue perfytly also vpoÌ„ the holy ghost the spirite of the father and of the sone with them both the same selfe god ¶ The .ix. article Saynte Mathewe ¶ Sanctam ecclesiam catholicaÌ„ ✿ I also byleue that the churche of Christe is and was / and euermore shal be holy faythfull / therefore I do gyue fayth and credeÌ„ce vnto the same and vnto the determinacions therof ¶ The .x. article ¶ Sanctorum communionem Saynte Symon remissioneÌ„ peccatorum ✿ I byleue also the communioÌ„ of sayntes that is to say / I byleue that all the workes and good dedes of all good holy persones / ben and shal be coÌ„mune so that euery faythfull Christian hath shall haue part with other And also I byleue the remisson of synnes that is to say / that all maner of synnes may and shal be forgyuen / if forgyuenes be duely desyred and axed ¶ The .xi. article ¶ Carnis resurrectionem Saynte Iude called also saint Tadeus ✿ I also byleue the resurrection of our flesshe / that is to saye / I byleue that all maner of persones shall aryse at the daye of dome in soule body with the same flesshe blode and bones that they were borne with and dyed with ¶ The .xii. article Saynte Mathie ¶ Et vitam eternam Amen ✿ And I also byleue euerlastyng lyfe that is to say that after the generall resurrection all maner et persones / as well good as euyll dampned or saued / shall coÌ„tynue in lyfe euerlastynge eyther in ioye or payne neuer departe therfroÌ„ This worde Amen is declared before in the ende of the Pater noster ¶ This maner of the Pater noster Aue and Crede I wold haue vsed rede vpoÌ„ the boke at euery mele / or at the leeste ones a day with a lowde voyce as I sayde that all the persones presente may here it And yet forther I wolde aduyse counseyle all other housholders to se as I do knowe / and proue / that euery persone in theyr house / all that ben vnder theyr gouernaunce and charge can say the same and therfore they muste take the laboure to here them theym selfe and wher nede is to teche them For many that ben aged and can not say wyll be abasshed to lerne it openly and yet if they here it dayly redde after the maner shewed before they shall by vse and custome lerne it very well And some other persones there bene that can saye ryght well / both vpon the boke and without but yet amonge them some bene dullaâ—des and slouthfull and some negligente and careles / and so done they not saye it but in tyme forgete it / as in maner they hade neuer lerned it I pray you therfore good deuoute housholders do as I do take the payne to here them your selfe at the leestâ— ones a weke let none escape you / olde nor yong It shall byleue me be vnto you a great discharge of conscience and not without merite greate rewarde And charge them straytly vnder payne of punysshement / that they say it euery day thre tymes at the leest / that is to saye / in the mornynge / at none or myddaye / at nyght Than must you teche them to knowe by ordre the preceptes or coÌ„maundementes of god the names of the .vii. priÌ„cipall synnes of theyr .v. wyttes as thus The coÌ„maundementes of god ben .x. in noÌ„bre The fyrst that we shall haue no straunge ne other godes but one alone and hym to loue honoure drede aboue all thynges The seconde we may not take the name of god in vayne therfore we may not vse to swere The thyrde we must kepe our holy day with close mynde vnto god reuerende deuocion and therfore we may do no bodely or worldly labours for lucre therin The fourth we muste with reuerende and due lowly maner do honoure vnto our parentes that is to say vnto our fathers and mothers and we shall haue by the promyse of god longe lyfe therfore The .v. we shall not slee or kyll any persone neyther in dede nor yet in wyll or mynde nor yet may we hate any persone in harte For who so euer so doth i. Ioh. iii. is an homicide and maÌ„sleer The .vi. we maye do no lechery The .vii. we may
so may the persone lawfully swere so euer that the swerer do thynke and byleue in true and vnfeyned conscience that his othe is true And els that is to saye without these circumstauÌ„ces and suche other causes expressed in the lawe no persone may swere though it be neuer so true that he swereth If than to swere true is synne and dothe prouoke the hyghe displeasure of god by cause it is coÌ„trary vnto his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to swere false must nedes be more synne more ê“uoke his vengaunce Example shall I shew here of both that is to say howe god is prouoked by vsuall swerynge how by forswerynge false othes This story that foloweth I herde at StondoÌ„ a lytell vylage .xxv. myles froÌ„ LondoÌ„ not farre from the hyghe way vnto CaÌ„brydge / where for a tyme I dyd abyde in auoydynge that greate piage that both in London Cambrydge dyde than quyckely sharply reyne where also this story was open in the knowlege of all the couÌ„trey there aboute as don but smal tyme before A gentylman that was called mayster Baryngton whose wyfe was afterwarde maried in CaÌ„brydge vnto a gentylman called maister Caryngton so that there was but one lettre chauÌ„ged in her name that is to say C. for B. And of her also I herde the same story althogh as she sayd she was not present This sayd geÌ„tylmaÌ„ BaryngtoÌ„ was a great swerer dyd customably vse greate othes specially by the blode of our lord or as more coÌ„munely they swere by godes blode And vpoÌ„ a soÌ„day or els a feestfull holy day he wente forth on huÌ„tyng or hawkynge nothynge spedyng after his mynde he came vnto an alehous at a throughfare called Pulcriche .v. myles frome ware in the hyghe way to CaÌ„brydge the one syde of the whiche thorough fare was in the sayd parisshe of StoÌ„doÌ„ where this gentylman was called for drynk anone he began to swere after his vnhappy custome saynge By godes blode this day is vnhappye And in a whyle after in sweryng so he bledde at the nose therwith more vexed he begane to rayle rayne god as they say in swerynge godes passyoÌ„ godes woundes godes flesshe godes nayles and euer his holy and blessed blode tyll at the laste he fell ferther to blede at the eares at the eyes at his wrestes and all the ioyntes of his handes and of all his body at his nauyll and foundemente of other places of his body in meruelouse great quaÌ„tite and stâ—emes of blode shotynge cut his tonge in a meruelous horrible vgsâ—â—e and ferefull maner as blacke as pitche so that no persone durst come nere hym but stede a farre of cast holy water towarde hym / and so he conteynued euer swerynge / blasphemynge and bledynge / iyll he expyred and was deed And the more we after they layd hym in a carte / and caried hym to the sayde churche of Stondon and euer the body blede tyll he was buried in the waye as they came in very greate haboundauÌ„ce This was a playn tokeÌ„ that god was moche displeased with that swerynge and dyde openly punysshe the same / in exaÌ„ple to all vsuall swerers It maye also be a good monicion and warnynge for suche ê‘sones that done mysevse the holy day in hawkyng huntynge suche other fruytles occupacions or pastymes A nother example of the same vsuall sweryng was shewed vnto me by a bacheler of diuinite called mayster George wercke / a fellowe thaÌ„ where I was also fellowe of the quenes colege in Cambrydge and after he was vycare of Harowe on the hyll whiche thynge he sayd vpon his conscience He sawe him selfe in a marchauntes house in London whiche was his speciall frende and sente for hym to gyue counseyle vnto the same persone a yonge man that was prentyse or els seruaunte vnto the same marchaunte / whiche yongman dyd vse to swere for his commune othe / by the bones of god or by godes bones And it came to passe that he was taken with a greate meruelous sekenes so that no Physyke ne medicine myght helpe ne ease hym but that he lay styl in bedde so longe that the flesshe and the skynne of his armes and fyngers and of his legges thyes shynnes / fete toes / dyd deuyde in sondre / as though they had ben slytte with a knyfe so that the bare bones myght openly be sene and feled And so in the same maner / after he had with greate contricion and open coÌ„fession of that swerynge receyued the sacramentes of the churche / he departed this lyfe vnto our lorde Here bene nowe two notable exaÌ„ples of vsuall swerynge The thyrde shall I shewe you of forswerynge or false sweryng whiche was shewed vnto me of an honest preest of my familier acqueyntaunce that was vycare of Halywell where saynte Wenefredes well is besyde the abbey of Basyng werke in Flynt shyre in the borders of Wales .xiiii. myles from Westchester whiche thynge he sayde on his conscience he dyde se hym selfe and was ther present with greate multitude of other people thousandes A certeyne man was called to be sworne in a greate mater bytwene two parties whiche sayd parties dyd put the mater hooly vnto the determination of his othe and met bothe at a certeyne place where was a crucifixe a holy rode that dyd many myracles whervpon he shulde swere and so dyd in the syght and herynge of a great multitude of people gathred on bothe partyes And his othe gyuen he layd both his haÌ„des vpon the fete of the rode / and sware false contrary vnto his conscience and so was dampnably forsworne whiche thynge god wold haue knowen For whaÌ„ he wolde haue taken his handes away to departe both the handes cleued and stycked faste vnto the fete of the rode as though they had beÌ„ glued or fastened with nayles therevnto And than he wolde with violence haue pulled them of than with sterynge and hasty mouyng to and fro the steppe whervpoÌ„ he stode slypped and voyded frome hym And than hanged he styll by his handes so remayned hangynge styll contynually the space of thre dayes maruelous moche people came thyther to se and loke vpoÌ„ hym of the whiche many ben yet lyuyge So at the laste after thre dayes whaÌ„ he had with great contricion openly coÌ„fessed his defaute / receyued the sacramentes of the churche whan the people supposed thought verely he shulde there haue expired died he was sodeynly losed and delyuered / and lyued many yeres after a good holy lyfe / vnto the glory of God and great example of them that bene swerers Lib. iiii cap xviii âšœ Saynt Gregory in his dialoges doth shewe of a chylde that as he had herd of other persones dyd swere great othes had pleasure therin and sodeynly whan he was swerynge in his fathers lap vpon his kne / the deuyll came openly rauysshed and by violence toke hym from his father / and caried him away