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[Of Confirmation.]
The secunde sacrament, y vndyrstonde,
Ys graunted of þe bysshop honde;
Men kalle hyt ‘confyrmacyon,’
A sykernesse neuer more vndon
wyþ no lawe, ne with no skylle,
But ȝyf ȝe self algatë wylle;
As ȝyf þou boghtest house and land
with charter at þy neghburs hande,
Þou mayst holde hyt for euer-more,
So bapteme þe saueþ ones þore;
And ȝyf hyt be graunted of þe kyng,
Þat þou hast boght, þan ys syker þyng;
Syker ys, þat yn rolle ys leyde,
For þan may hyt neuer be wyþseyde;
þe rollyng fordoþe croppe and rote,
And ryȝt of þo þat wulde þe mote;
Rollyng, and þe grete assyse,
Aftyr hem may no lawë ryse.
Ys graunted of þe bysshop honde;
Men kalle hyt ‘confyrmacyon,’
A sykernesse neuer more vndon
wyþ no lawe, ne with no skylle,
But ȝyf ȝe self algatë wylle;
As ȝyf þou boghtest house and land
with charter at þy neghburs hande,
Þou mayst holde hyt for euer-more,
So bapteme þe saueþ ones þore;
And ȝyf hyt be graunted of þe kyng,
Þat þou hast boght, þan ys syker þyng;
Syker ys, þat yn rolle ys leyde,
For þan may hyt neuer be wyþseyde;
þe rollyng fordoþe croppe and rote,
And ryȝt of þo þat wulde þe mote;
Rollyng, and þe grete assyse,
Aftyr hem may no lawë ryse.
Þus fareþ hyt of confyrmacyun
Aftyr tyme þat bapteme ys doun;
Confyrmacyun ys more ne lesse,
But aftyr crystenyng, gode sykernesse;
Þys bapteme ys charter of ryȝt
Þat fordoþë Adams plyȝt,
And, þat ys of grete pouste,
Þat fro þe fende hyt byeþ þe fre,
And defendeþ þe þyn erytage,
Þat þou mayst holde hyt yn alle þyn age,
And saue þy statë euery deyl,
Ȝyf þou kepe þy charter weyl;
Ouer þys, ȝyf hyt be þy lordes wylle
Þat he þy charter wyl fulfyle,
Þan art þou stalworth þurgh hys powere,
And þy charter made more clere.
Aftyr tyme þat bapteme ys doun;
Confyrmacyun ys more ne lesse,
But aftyr crystenyng, gode sykernesse;
Þys bapteme ys charter of ryȝt
Þat fordoþë Adams plyȝt,
And, þat ys of grete pouste,
Þat fro þe fende hyt byeþ þe fre,
And defendeþ þe þyn erytage,
Þat þou mayst holde hyt yn alle þyn age,
And saue þy statë euery deyl,
Ȝyf þou kepe þy charter weyl;
Ouer þys, ȝyf hyt be þy lordes wylle
Þat he þy charter wyl fulfyle,
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And þy charter made more clere.
Þe bysshope ys as lorde or kyng
To conferme þy crystenyng;
He confermeþ þat we haue take
whan we haue Satan forsake,
Oure crystendom, þat hyt be sekyr
To fende vs aȝens þe fendës bekyr,
Þan ys oure charter quyte and clere,
Confermyng with þe bysshopes powere.
To conferme þy crystenyng;
He confermeþ þat we haue take
whan we haue Satan forsake,
Oure crystendom, þat hyt be sekyr
To fende vs aȝens þe fendës bekyr,
Þan ys oure charter quyte and clere,
Confermyng with þe bysshopes powere.
And ȝe shul alle weyl vndyrstande,
whan chyldryn are blessed of þe bysshopys hande,
Þat blessyng ys contermacyoun
Aȝens þe fendes temptacyun,
And makeþ vs stalwurþe yn batayle
whan þe fende wyl vs asayle;
Þan are we made Goddes champyons,
Aȝens þe fendës, Goddys felons;
þan haue we receyued fully myȝt
Aȝens þe fendë for to fyȝt;
And ȝyf we be yn beleue stedfaste,
we haue powere, dowun hym to kaste.
whan chyldryn are blessed of þe bysshopys hande,
Þat blessyng ys contermacyoun
Aȝens þe fendes temptacyun,
And makeþ vs stalwurþe yn batayle
whan þe fende wyl vs asayle;
Þan are we made Goddes champyons,
Aȝens þe fendës, Goddys felons;
þan haue we receyued fully myȝt
Aȝens þe fendë for to fyȝt;
And ȝyf we be yn beleue stedfaste,
we haue powere, dowun hym to kaste.
Certes, þo men moche mysdo,
Þat a-byde long, are þey go þar-to;
And wommen, gretly ouer alle þyng,
þat wyl nat here chyldryn bryng
To receyue þe sacrament
At þe bysshopes confyrment;
For some wete weyl, þat chyldryn kepe,
Þat many are drecched yn here slepe;
Þe fende hem sheweþ grete affray,
To some on nyȝt, and some a day,
How þat he, may hem greue,
To make ouþer men mysbeleue;
Some men hyt here, & some men hyt sees,
Yn many stedys, vanytes,
More before þe sacrament
Þan aftyr, whan he ys shent;
Hys powere ys þan moche fordoun
Þurgh þys confyrmacyun;
For þat oght we, to beleuë ryȝt,
þat þys sacrament haþ þat myȝt.
Þat a-byde long, are þey go þar-to;
And wommen, gretly ouer alle þyng,
þat wyl nat here chyldryn bryng
To receyue þe sacrament
At þe bysshopes confyrment;
For some wete weyl, þat chyldryn kepe,
Þat many are drecched yn here slepe;
Þe fende hem sheweþ grete affray,
To some on nyȝt, and some a day,
How þat he, may hem greue,
To make ouþer men mysbeleue;
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Yn many stedys, vanytes,
More before þe sacrament
Þan aftyr, whan he ys shent;
Hys powere ys þan moche fordoun
Þurgh þys confyrmacyun;
For þat oght we, to beleuë ryȝt,
þat þys sacrament haþ þat myȝt.
Anoþer poynt, here-to longeþ,
Þat lewed men nat vndyrstandyþ:
“Þou man or womman, be nat so wylde
To holde to þe bysshope þyn owne chylde;
For ȝyf þou do, art commare
To hym þat hyt, gat or bare;
Ȝyf a frende man holde hyt þore,
To wedde þat chylde, he may neuer more;
þys longeþ to þys sacrament;
Þarefor ȝyueþ gode entent.”
Þat lewed men nat vndyrstandyþ:
“Þou man or womman, be nat so wylde
To holde to þe bysshope þyn owne chylde;
For ȝyf þou do, art commare
To hym þat hyt, gat or bare;
Ȝyf a frende man holde hyt þore,
To wedde þat chylde, he may neuer more;
þys longeþ to þys sacrament;
Þarefor ȝyueþ gode entent.”
yn þys skyllë, as y kan,
hyt ys grete perel to an vncouþe man,
A maydë chyldë for to holde
Byfore þe bysshope, as y er tolde,
But ȝyf he askë fyrst byfore,
what hyt ys, and where was bore;
Elles perauenture yn hys lyue
he myȝt haue þat chylde to wyue;
Or ȝyf she ȝyue here to folye,
he myȝt, yn kas, lygge here by;
Þys kas ys nat often seen,
But hyt may fallë, or haþ ben;
Þarfore, noþer mo ne lesse,
But ‘wyys ys, þat ware ys.’
hyt ys grete perel to an vncouþe man,
A maydë chyldë for to holde
Byfore þe bysshope, as y er tolde,
But ȝyf he askë fyrst byfore,
what hyt ys, and where was bore;
Elles perauenture yn hys lyue
he myȝt haue þat chylde to wyue;
Or ȝyf she ȝyue here to folye,
he myȝt, yn kas, lygge here by;
Þys kas ys nat often seen,
But hyt may fallë, or haþ ben;
Þarfore, noþer mo ne lesse,
But ‘wyys ys, þat ware ys.’
Now of þys confyrmacyun
wyl we leue oure sermoun;
God ȝyue vs gracë, for hys myȝt,
yn þe beleue to ferme vs ryȝt,
Þat þe holy goste with vs wone,
Þat cumþ of þe fadyr and of þe sone.
wyl we leue oure sermoun;
God ȝyue vs gracë, for hys myȝt,
yn þe beleue to ferme vs ryȝt,
Þat þe holy goste with vs wone,
Þat cumþ of þe fadyr and of þe sone.
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