vnto Iesu cryst in doynge hȳ this homage / we ben delyuered from the seruytude of synne ¶ Mayster wherfore ben they baptysed the whiche ben borne of them the ben baptysed / also the chyldren the whiche haue nothynge offended My chylde yf ony paast were corrupte with venym all the breed the whiche of it sholde be made sholde be venymous corrupte And for as moche as our forne faders were corrupte by synne they all theyr lygnee were banysshed out of paradys terrestre / vnto them were shytte the gate of paradys celestyall the whiche ne may be opened vnto the man / yf he ne be fyrst baptysed as wytnesseth the holy scrypture how be it that the fader the moder ben baptysed the suffyceth not vnto the chylde for to be baptysed / for whan a man hym baptyseth / nature comune ne baptyseth hym but all onely the persone pertyculer / Wherfore it is of necessyte that we ben al baptysed in pertyculer ¶ Mayster wherfore ne named god that all were baptysed to be saued My chylde it is not the defaute of god that all ne ben baptysed / for he hath gyuen vnto euery man woman lyberall arbytre free wyll that to do Also baptym sholde be made of free wyll wtout constraynt for yf god constreyned the man to be baptysed he had not his lyberall arbytre / and so all his baptym had no meryte ¶ Mayster wherfore espouseth not man now his cosynes as in the aūcyente lawe My chylde it is for to encreace loue betwene straungers / For those the whiche ben of blode loueth eche other ynoughe more than these other / Wherfore it behoueth for to putte loue and charyte where it is not / the other reason is suche For the chyldren had two primites togyders as to be sone and neuew wherfore for honeste it was ordeyned to make maryage bytwene estraungers / but in the olde lawe men espoused the women of lygnage it was for to multyplye to encrease the worlde ¶ Mayster wherfore was Ihesu cryste baptysed My chylde he was cyrconsyzed for to accomplysshe the olde lawe and baptysed for to begyn the new lawe for to she we his grete humylyte in gyuynge vs example that we all sholde be regenerate by baptym ¶ Mayster Wherfore is baptym in water My chylde for the water is contrary vnto fyre / wherfore for to quenche the sayd fyre of synne we ben baptysed in water And in lykewyse as the water wassheth all ordures fylthes Also the baptym wassheth all synnes / god theym establysshed in water for as moche as the water is comune ouer all the worlde to th ende that a man fynde the soner mater of the sayd sacramēt to th ende that none ne may excuse hym that he ne coude fynde wherof that he myght make hym to be baptysed or that he myght haue ¶ Mayster what worde ought a mā to speke in baptym My chylde a man ought to say thus I baptyse the in the name of the fader / of the sone of the holy goost amen In puttynge thre tymes of water vpon the heed of hym that a man baptyseth / so may they say in all languages / so that it be in good beleue in good intencōn other wordes the whiche ne ben of the necessyte of the sayd sacrament of baptym ¶ Mayster was it a thynge resonable that god the fader gaue so noble thynge as is the sone for to by agayne so caytyf a thynge as is the man My chylde in that vs sheweth god the fader the grete loue that he hath vnto creature humayne ¶ Mayster syth that god hath sente downe here alowe his sone by so grete charite for to redeme the humaynes wherfore dyde men to hym so moche of payne My chylde Iudas hym betrayed by couetyse Pylate hym condempned for drede to lese his offyce / the Iewes hym put to dethe by enuye ¶ Mayster wherfore deyed Ihesu cryste on the tree of the crosse / My chylde for as Adam synned by the tree of lyf / Also god hym wolde bye agayne / by the tree of the crosse and thou sholdest knowe that by the foure partyes of the crosse the whiche sheweth all the worlde / it is agayn shewed vnto vs that the deth of Ihesu cryste was suffycyent for to bye not onely nature humayne / but al so all the vnyuersal worlde yf it had be lost ¶ Mayster how longe abode Ihesu cryste in the erthe deed / My chylde he there abode .xl. houres And whan we say that he arose the thyrde day / that in thre dayes is not .xl. houres thou sholdest vnderstande that he dyed the fryday at the houre of noone / all the saterday he was deed in the holy sepulcre the whiche is the seconde day / and the sonday after he arose ryght erly / for as moche as the course of nature is renewed at mydnyght and the day / in takynge one partye of the day for all the day entyer ¶ Mayster why der yede the soule of Ihesu cryste whan he was deed My chylde he yede in to glorye towarde god the fader in yeldynge hym thankes and praysynges in demaundynge hym the holy soules the whiche he had redemed by the meryte of his holy passyon / the whiche thynge god hym graunted Than opened the soule of Ihesu cryste the whiche was conioynte with the deite the gates of paradys the whiche had ben shytte by longe tyme vnto all humayne lygnage / the saterday about the houre of mydnyght he descended in to hel brake the gates yede to vesyte his good frendes That is to vnderstande the soules of the holy auncyent faders the whiche gretely hym desyred and them delyuered frome the pryson of the lymbe withall the holy soules the whiche haue meryted paradys by theyr holy werkes / and this fayre company mounted in to heuen and theym presented vnto god the fader the whiche them receyued benyngnely and them putteth in to the realme of paradyse in the places and syeges that the cursed aungelles loste by theyr pryde And he delyuered not the soules of the dampned as Iudas / of the cursed ryche man dyues of many other / but them lefte in hel / in payne and in tourment with all the deuylles without gyuynge them ony comforte where they ben yet and shall be for euer And on the sondaye before the sonne rysynge retourned the soule vnto the body of Ihesus that laye in the sepulcre / and rose frome deth vnto lyfe / ¶ Mayster / wherfore arose not he as soone as he was deed My chylde for a man had lytel presumed that he had ben deed / he wolde begyn to renewe the worlde on the sonday by his resurreccyon For at suche an houre all the worlde began to be ¶ Mayster where was he after his resurreccyon / fourty dayes be fore his ascencyon My chylde he was in
My chylde for the baptym is the homage that we owe vnto our lorde Ihesu cryste by the whiche all our synnes ben pardoned in suche wyse ordeyned he it as telleth the gospel that sayth thus QuicuÌ„que baptisatê° fuerit That is to say / who so shall be baptysed shall be saued / he that is not shall be dampned ¶ Mayster how many persones shall be saued My chylde there shall be as many saued as there fell of the cursed aungelles of paradys by theyr pryde / for the men the women ben made for to be in theyr place / for that cause is the ennemy so enuyous ayenst man ¶ Mayster frome whens came the fyrst ydolatres My chylde they were fyrst founde in abell the whiche is now called babylon the grete there shall the anthecryst be borne there was the toure with the gyauntes the whiche is of xl stages There regned the fyrst kynge of this worlde the whiche men called Neron the whiche caused to be made an ymage of Appolyn / commaunded all those of his realme that they sholde do hym sacrafyce worshyppe hym in lykewyse dyde they the whiche came after hym in suche wyse that whan some grete prynces were deed theyr successoures caused to make of ymages meruaylously ryche in the name of theyr pÌ„desessoures / made theyr subgettes to adoure theÌ„ / to do sacryfice were called ydolles in to whome the deuyll entred spake tolde theÌ„ many of abusyons so dyde they of grece vnto theyr kynge / they of rome vnto Romulus as men fyÌ„de by the wrytyÌ„ges auÌ„cyent cronycles ¶ Mayster wher for ne made god that maÌ„ ne sholde ete but one tyme iÌ„ a weke My chylde the honger is one of the passioÌ„s that we suffre by the syÌ„ne of adaÌ„ / so we haue eueri day honger and thyrste / colde / heet / many other passyons to th ende that we trauayle alway for to thyÌ„ke on oure nedes of oure neyghboures / to th ende that by our trauayle labour contynuall we haue the more of meryte / for yf the man had not of necessyte he sholde haue noo care to trauayle / but he sholde be euermore in slouthe / sholde not knowe what good were worthe / and also he sholde mysknowe his creatoure And how be it that the grete lordes and gentylmen and other ryche trauayleth not corporally / All be it they trauayle spyrytually euermore That is to vnderstande in theyr vnderstandynge and wyll in hauynge euermore desyre to gete / for he the moost hath more wolde haue of as muche is it the more grete / whan thou hauâ— confessed all thy synnes wherof thou remembred yâ— thou sholde crye god mercy with good herte in grete contrycyon dyspleasaunce / and in demaundynge of thy confessoure that whiche is the lyeutenaunt of god absolucyon penaunce / the whiche thou sholde accomplysshe entyerle vnto thy power in grete reuerence thou sholde kepe the frome synne as moche as the mayst / specyally durynge the tyme of thy penaunce ¶ Mayster vnto whome sholde a man confesse hyÌ„ My chylde vnto a preest dyscrete wyse the whiche knoweth what it is of synne / who hath it not / who that can dyscerne bytwene the synne mortal denyall / for who so confesseth hym vnto preest not knowynge Ignouraunt putteth his soule in grete te aduenture for ryght often the confessyon is nothynge worthe ¶ Mayster may a man confesse hym to ony other but vnto his curate My chylde yf thou be in a straunge countree thou mayst confesse the vnto hyÌ„ that thou wyll / And yf thou be in thy parysshe thou wyll not confesse the vnto thy curate the whiche is Ignouraunt / or that thy synne touche his persone / or that he shewe thy confessyon wherby there myght come ony sclaunder / or by many other reasons thou shold demaunde lycence / yf he wyll not gyue it the thou may take an other of thyn owne auctoryte But yf thou confesse the vnto them the whiche haue the power the puyssaunce of the bysshop / or of the 〈◊〉 as be many grete clerkes and grete prechoures / thou may do it without lysence of thy curate / soo that thou be confessed vnto thy curate one tyme in the yere / thou may confesse the elles where as often as thou wyll your lycence the dyscyple the mayster MAyster how fro wheÌ„s shall the Anthecryst come My chylde he shall be borne in babylon of a cursed man of a cursed woman the whiche shall be of the lygnage of Dam / of the wombe of his moder he shal be ful of the cursed speryte shall be nourysshed confermed in enchauntementes and shal be emperoure of all the worlde / shall put the people vnder hym in foure maners That is to vnderstonde the prynces other ryche / couetous by gyftes / for he shall haue by his enchauntementes all the tresoures hydde in the erthe The poore by grete drede rygoure of Iustyce / for he shall make them greuously to be martred The clergye by connynge wherof he shall be full / For he shall conne the vij artes al the other scryptures the deuout persones by tokens by myracles that shall be meruaylous For he shall make the fyre to dyscende that shall brenne his enmyes before hym / also he shall make the deed men to aryse / not truely / but the deuyll shall entre in to the bodyes of some daÌ„pned the deuylles shall bere them / anone make them to speke by his enchauÌ„tement to walke as yf they were a â—ue / shall reedyfye Ihrlm there he shall make moost hath in thynkynge / soo my chylde none ne may lyue wtout payne and trauayle / but euery maÌ„ hath moche to do in his ryght The mayster The dyscyple MAyster what be tokeneth the mysteryes and cermonies that meÌ„ make vnto the chyrche My chylde they shewe vs good example / we fygure the olde testament the newe our lorde Ihesu cryste is loued in the chyrche at the houres of matyÌ„s for at suche houre he was taken of the false Iewes ledde vnto the grete preestes of the lawe / as it is wryten in the houres of the crosse / at pryme / for at suche houre he was ledde brought before Pylate where he was falsely accused vylanously scourged at the thyrde / for at suche houre he was crowned with thorne clothed with purple by derysyon was cladde with a whyte robe in the house of Herode by grete mockerye / at the sexte / for at suche houre he was hanged nayled on the crosse at noone / for at suche houre he dyed on the tree of the crosse / at euensonge tyme / for at suche houre his precyous body was taken downe from the crosse anoynted with precyous oyntementes / at
coÌ„plyne / for at suche houre he was buryed / thou shalte vnderstonde that in the masse vnto vs is fygured the deth passyon of Ihesu cryst by the aulbe the whyte robe wher with he was cladde / by the chasuble the robe of purple men say the pystle on the ryght hande / for it is the token of the good lyfe the whiche ledeth vnto the ryght hande of paradys / men rede the gospell on the lyfte hande / for by the lyft hande vnto vs is sygnyfyed synne / for the gospell is the moost stroÌ„ge of mooste grete vertue / therfore it is put on the lyfte hande for to defende vs ayenst synne / for a maÌ„ sholde euermore put the moost strongest ayenst the partye from whens cometh the strokes / the ymages well hydden in shewynge the god the sayntes of paradys haue abhomynacyon of our synnes to speke well there ne is cermonye but that it shewe vnto vs some grete mystere ¶ Mayster how sholde a man coÌ„fesse hym My chylde thou sholde fyrst examyn thy conscyence in recordynge the places where thou haste ben how thou there hast lyued / for there ne is thyÌ„ge that better dooth to thyÌ„ke of synnes as to recorde the places where a man hath be / in so doynge thou sholde examyn thy conscyence Fyrst of thy fyue wyttes naturalles That is to knowe of thyn eyen / of eeres / of handes / of atouchynges / of the mouthe / of the nose of al thyn herte Secondely also of the vij mortal synnes / of theyr braunches the whiche ben .vij / that is to vnderstande / pryde / couetyse / enuye / yre / glotony lechery / slouth Thyrdely of the .xij. artycles of the fayth that ben conteyned in the crede Fourthly of the .x coÌ„maundementes of the lawe the whiche our lorde gaue vnto Moyses Fyfthly of the .vij werkes of mercy yf thou accoÌ„plysshe them whan thou mayst well doo it Sextely of the .vij. sacramentes of the holy chyrche yf thou ne hast had in them perfyte beleue / And seueÌ„thly of the .vij. cardynall vertues / yf thou hath had them in the kepte as thou arte bounde to do that done thou sholde go to confesse the with grete humylyte and contrycyon dyspleasaunt of thy synnes / in hauynge ferme purpose to coÌ„mytte them noo more / for otherwyse thou repentest the not And whan thou shalte be before thy confessoure in grete humylyte confesse vnto hym all thy syÌ„nes entyerly / and clerely that he vnderstande it in tellynge hym all the fourme maner how wherfore thou hast commytted theym / also thou sholde tell the tyme the place yf thou remembre it for yf thou synne the holy dayes / thou syÌ„nest more greuously than on the werkynge dayes yf thou synne in place halowed thou synnest more than in an other place / in confessynge the thou sholde holde the ordre of confessyon in tellynge by ordre thy synnes as thou hast them recorded before to th ende that thou forgete not / and so thou sholde tell all vnto thy confessoure / for yf thou leue one vnto thy wyttynge for shame or otherwyse thy confessyon is none / for it is not entyere / Ne also thou ne sholde departe thy confessyon in tellynge the one halfe vnto one confessoure / and the other halfe vnto an other confessoure / For also it is not entyer and hole / aad it is nothynge worthe / but thou sholdest coÌ„fesse and shryue the entyerly vnto one confessoure of all that / that thou mayst remeÌ„bre / How be it yf after thy confessyon thou remembrest some thynge thou mayst well confesse the vnto an other / but yet thou shalt do better to retorne vnto the fyrst yf thou mayst Also my chylde thou sholde confesse the cyrcumstaunces of thy syÌ„nes in tellynge that the whiche hath moeued the vnto synne / the fourme the maner that thou hast holden in coÌ„myttynge thy synne / the yll the whiche cometh vnto an other vnto thy selfe Also thou sholdest confesse the of yll examples that thou haste gyuen vnto an other by thy synne and also thou shalte confesse the of wyll consentynge that thou hast had / of the payne that thou haste taken for to coÌ„mytte it / for who so consenteth to synne all onely yf it be mortall / he synneth mortally as wytnesseth the holy gospell the mayster the dyscyple Also my chylde thou sholde tel the dignite proximyte of the persone with whome thou hast commyttes the synne as yf the were a vyrgyn / or a relygyous woman / or maryed or thy kynnes woman / or a comyÌ„ woman without namynge her otherwyse For in thy confessyon thou sholdest not confesse the of the syÌ„ne of an other ne dyffame her / but thou sholde all onely tell her estate for to declare the gretenes of thy synne / for of asmoche as the persone is dygne in whome the synne is commytted the begynnynge of the worlde with al the deuyls And 〈◊〉 is done oure lorde Ihesu cryste all his holy aungelles archauÌ„gels shall mounte with the good in to the glory eternall af paradys And the cursed so shal descende in to hell with all the deuylles from whens they shall neuer come ne departe / but shall be euermore in payne / doloure / heuynes in the fyre of hell perdurably ¶ Mayster whiche ben those that shall be dampned My chylde that shall be the Iewes / mysbeleuers the cursed crystyens that shall deye in mortal syÌ„ne without repentaunce And men shall se clerely at the daye of Iugement the conscyence the one of the other / wherby euery man shall gyue Iugement of hyÌ„selfe in this maner shall be knowen all the good dedes the yll For a man dyde neuer ony ylle ne syÌ„ne be it neuer so secrete / but that than it shall be clerely seen shewed openly before god before all the worlde ¶ Mayster what ben the Ioyes of paradys My chylde they ben so ryght grete that a man ne can tell them For the saued shall se god face to face shal knowe all thynges as the aungelles The bodyes of the saued shall be clere and shynynge as the sonne / they shall be incontynent where they wyl be as the thought the whiche incontynent is borne thyder where it lyketh They shall haue no shame to be all naked the one afore the other for they shall be all cleÌ„sed fro syÌ„ne shall be so coÌ„fermed in the grace in the loue of our lorde that they may neuer syÌ„ne more ne haue ony euyl thouÈt / they shal ne haue hoÌ„ger ne thyrst / for they ne ne shal be more subgectes to the influeÌ„ces of the planettes meanely that also maketh the degestyoÌ„ vnto the body humayne but shall be there aboue incorruptybles and fedde of the grace of god / they canne not cease to yelde graces praysynges vn to