University of Virginia Library

God almyȝty, þat al þyng weldes,
wyndës, watrys, wodes, & feldes,
As soþely as þou madest of noȝt
Alle créatures þat euer were wroȝt,
Forȝyue me, to day, Lorde, my synne,
Þat y þys wrþys sacrament mowe begynne,
And wurschypfully þar-of to speke,
Þat we þe beleuë neuer breke;
Ne for to tellë, yn þys long,
Þyng, þat falle-of, may any wrong,
But þat máy be, þe to queme,
And vs yn stedfaste beleue to ȝeme.

Goddës sone, of heuene a-boue,
He shewed vs alle, for gretë loue;
For whan hys passyun neyghed nye,
To hys dyscyplys þat were hym bye,
He ȝaue hys body hem to fede,—
More loue ne myȝt he shewe yn dede,—
Þat þey shuldë myndë haue
On hym, þat he myȝt hem saue;
Ȝyt aftyrward he lete hym slo
with ful vyle deþ, and pynyng wo;
For vs, and hem, ded he þys,
To bryngë vs echone to blys,
Ne more loue ne myȝt he do,
Ne neuer man, myȝt so do;
For vs he ded hyt, þys ys certeyn,
Þat we shuld loue hym weyl aȝen;
Þogh we vs self ȝaf an hundryd syþe,
O poynt of loue ne myȝt we kyþe
vn-to þe loue þat he haþ vs doun,
For hyt ys oure saluacyun;
And of vs, askeþ he ryȝt noȝt
But þat may weyl y-nogh be wroȝt,
No þyng but loue-longyng,
To loue hym weyl ouer alle þyng,
And for hys loue to leuë synne;
hys loue, hys blys, þan mow we wynne;
For þou mayst neuer haue hym to þe,
But, þou wylt fyrst synnë fle;
Alle þyng he loueþ, but synne he hates;

[_]

steynyst

Ȝyf þou hym louest, with synne þou wlates.
Ȝyf þou loue one, þe behoueþ nedes
Forsake þat þyng þat he þe forbedes;
Elles, hyt ys tolde no loue,
And namëly to God a-boue.

And þou mayst nat loue hym with no greyth,
But þou haue of hym gode feyþe,
Þat ys to seye, to beleue hyt weyl,
Alle þat ys wryte of hym euerydeyl.
Stedfast beleue, of loue hyt comes;
And of beleuë, loue men nomes:
So ys þe toon with þe touþer;
with stedfast beleue, loue ys þe broþer.

To whom ogh þan oure loue be went,
But to þe beleue of þys sacrament?
Þys, oght to beleue, euery crysten man,
And lerne þe beleue of one þat kan,
‘Þat þe bred þat sacred ys
At þe auter, ys Goddys flessh:’
Boþe flesshe and blodë þer ys leyd,
Þurgh þe wurdes þat þe prest haþ seyd,
Þat lyȝte with-ynne þe vyrgyne Marye,
And on þe rode for vs wulde deye,
And fro deþ to lyue he ros,
God and man, yn myȝt and los.

For who so beleueþ nat clere
yn þe sacrament of þe autere,
He shal neuer þe blys a-byde,
For no þyng þat may betyde.

Yn þe oldë lawë, þus ys wryte,
Boþe Iewes and crysten weyl hyt wete,
“God seyd, and hyt was wroȝt;
he commaunded alle þyng of noȝt.”
Þese wurdës are verry and clere;
Dauyd hem seyth yn þe sautere;
Syn he made alle þat noȝt er was,
lesse maystry were hyt þan yn kas,
For to chaunge þe lekënes
Yn-to an ouþer þyng þat es;
þe lykënes of bred and wyne,
Yn flesshe and blode to turne hyt ynne;
Yn flessh and blode þe brede be broȝt,
Syn he madë alle of noȝt.

Ȝyf þou se hyt nat with bodly syȝt,
Þy soule with-ynne shal beleue hyt ryȝt;
And ȝyf þou felë no sauour,
But ryghtely wyne, and brede of flour,
Þat ys þe wysdom of Goddys ordynaunce
For to saue vs alle fro þys chaunce;
For ȝyf hyt fyl, as flesshe to take,
wlate we shulde, and hyt forsake;
And for he wulde nat men hyt forsoke,
But þat alle men hyt vndyrtoke,
Þarfore hys wysdom, hys ownë rede,
Sauerþ hyt yn wyne and brede;
Hyt semeþ bredë, as be syȝt,
And as brede, sauer haþ ryȝt;
Noþyr þe syȝt, noþer þe felyng,
Haþ þer-of any certeyn þyng;
what shal þan, þe most saue,
But stedfast beleue þat þou shalt haue?
Stedfast beleue of euery deyl,
Þat shal þan, saue þe weyl.
And some haue sey hyt bodyly,
To whom he shewed hys mercy;
Lo here a tale for of ȝow sum,
Þat y fonde yn ‘vitas patrum.’