The Lay Folks' Catechism, or the English and Latin versions of Archbishop Thoresby's Instruction for the People Together with a Wycliffite adaptation of the same, and the corresponding canons of the council of Lambeth. With introduction, notes, glossary, and index, by the late Thomas Frederick Simmons ... and Henry Edward Nolloth |
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 | The Lay Folks' Catechism, or the English and Latin versions of Archbishop Thoresby's Instruction for the People |  |
Hyt ys soþ. þat beleue is ground of alle vertues.
and þerfore eche cristyn man schulde be sad in beleue.
Ther be þre credys in þe chirche.
Crede of þe apostelys. and Crede of þe chyrche.
and Crede of attanasy. þat was a gret doctour.
But of þe fyrste Crede schulde cristyn men speke.
For yt is more comyn and more schortyr þan eny oþer.
Ne bysy we vs nat what þe apostyl made.
ne what party of þis holy Crede. and whan þe apostelys gaderyd yt.
For oure beleue techis vs þat god ordeynyd hyt al.
and bad þat men schuld cun hyt and teche yt to oþer
And ȝif prelatys faylyn in þis Crist seyde þat stonys schulde crye
and secler lordys schuld in defawte of prelatys
lerne and preche þe law of god in here modyr tonge.
Ne study we nat how many partyes ben in þis holy crede.
For soþ it is ; þat alle þese partyes ben contenyd in thre.
And herfore men seyn þrys ; þat þey trow in god./
Fyrst þey trow in þe Fadyr. for he ys [þe] fyrst persone.
Aftyr þey trow in Iesu crist. be dyuers artyclys.
and sytthe þey trow in þe holy gost.
And eche on of þese thre partyes contenys many partyclys (artycles).
But we schul wele wyte ; þat þese thre thyngys ben wel sotel and diuers.
Trow in god. and [trow] to god.
and trow god þat ys þe leste.
þat man levys in god ; þat cleuys to him be charite.
and þus eche man þat ys in hed synne. is owt of his beleue.
That man trowys to god. þat beleuyþ
þat he is trewe and ryȝtful in al þyng þat he seyþ.
And þus do vnkende men þat trow not in hym.
That man trowys god ; þat trowys þat he ys.
and so do deuelys þat trow not in hym.
The fyrst part of þis Crede ; conteynys þre artyculys.
Furst þat men schulde trow in þe fyrst person
þat ys þe fadyr of heuyn and power of god.
and so schulde men trowe þat he is al-myȝty.
So if he wyl auȝt be don ; he dos hit whan hym lykys.
and so þe thridde artycule stondys in þis.
þat he made of noȝt boþe heuyn and erthe.
and ȝit schul men trow þat al-myȝty ys comen to þre personys.
Al-myȝty ys þe fadyr. Al-myȝty ys þe sone.
And al-myȝty ys þe holy gost. ȝit schul not men trowe.
þat þese ben thre almyȝty goddys / but on god almyȝty./
The secunde part of þis Crede. be-gynnys at iesu crist.
and towchis xiiij. artyculis þat stondis in ordre.
Furst men schuld trow in goddys word. or his sone.
Aftyr men schuld trow. þat he becom man
stondynge his godhed þat he myȝt not lese.
The thridde tyme we schuld trow. þat þe fadyr of heuyn
has but on suche sone euyn with hym in kende.
and þis ys Iesus oure lord. be godhed and be manhed.
sythen he made vs of noȝt. and bowȝt vs fro synne.
The iiij articule of þis parte seys þat crist was conseyuyd of þe holy gost.
nat as oþer men gete childryn be kynde.
Sethyn þis person ys no man ; but þe holy gost./
þe whyche ys lyf [loue] be sum propyrte.
and most tokyn of lyf [loue] ; þat god wold schewe to man was.
þat he wold take oure kende. and be-come oure broþer./
and þerfore we beleue þat oure lord iesu ;
was conseyuyd of þe holy gost. with-owte mannys genderynge.
The fyfte tyme we schuld be-leue. þat oure lord iesu
was born of þe virgyn Marie. as of his owne modyr.
þat was euer virgine with-owte knowynge of man.
al-þow crist tok of hire / matere of hys body./
and seþyn sche norischyd hym withynne as oþer childyr ar norschid.
But he went owt of here body be myracle. as he was formyd.
The vj tyme we schul trowe þat. aftyr. xxxij. ȝer ;
he suffrid hard passioun vndir pounce pilate.
for to by man-kynd and mayntene trewthe.
and so he was don on þe cros. and aftyr ded and beryyd.
sethen his sowle went to helle and tok owt þe sowlys
þat he ordeynyd to saue ; be-fore þis world was made.
and sethyn vp-on þe thrydde day his sowle com to his body
and qwykyd hyt as be-forn. And ros owt of þe sepulcre.
and sethyn whan he hadde efte tyme. schewyd to his disciplis his resurreccioun.
he steyȝ vp to heuyn as þey saw opunly.
and þer he syttys now in best sete þat may acorde to man.
an þat ys callyd þe ryȝt syde of god þe fadyr.
and at þe laste he schal come doun here to man.
and jugge sum to blysse. and oþer to helle
for euer-more to be þere withoutyn dwellynge here.
The thrydde part of þis Crede be-gynnys at þe holy gost.
in wham we schul trow sethyn þat he ys god.
And .vj. artyculis ben knyt to þis part of þe Crede.
Furst we schul trow. þat þer ys general chirche
of angelys and seyntys in heuyn. and of alle þat schul be sauyd.
and þis aftyr þe day of dom. schal be with-outen synne.
with here spowse in endles ioye. and iche on haue Ioye of oþer.
And noman here in erthe ; ys parte of þis chirche.
but if he come to heuyn be his holy lyuynge.
and þus men lakkys knowynge. wheþer þey ben partyes of holy chirche.
For þey schuld nat boste of heynes in here prelacy ;
But þey mot leue aftyr crist ; ȝyf þey schul be sauyd.
For þus techis oure be-leue. how-euer antecrist werke./
And so þis chirche. has þre statys be processe of tyme.
Fyrst he wandrys here in erthe. and sethen he slepys in purgatory.
and aftyr he restys in blysse of crist þat ys here spowse.
And so as sum men thynke. þese popys ne þese prelatys
ar nat part of holy chirche ; but of synagoge [of sathanas]
sythen þey mot leue aftyr crist. ȝif þey schul be sauyd./
þus techis our be-leue. how-euyr antecrist grucchis.
And schul we trowe so. þat eche parte of þis chyrche ;
commovys (commonys) and helpys othir. boþe here and in heuyn.
But in heuyn ; þey schul yn reste haue ioye of here blysse.
And so schul we trow þat eche part of þys chirche ;
schal haue ful remissioun of synne þat yt has don
[and so arise] in body and in sowle [at þe day of doom].
with glorye in ham bothe ; and so euyr lyue in blysse.
and þerfore eche cristyn man schulde be sad in beleue.
Ther be þre credys in þe chirche.
Crede of þe apostelys. and Crede of þe chyrche.
and Crede of attanasy. þat was a gret doctour.
But of þe fyrste Crede schulde cristyn men speke.
For yt is more comyn and more schortyr þan eny oþer.
Ne bysy we vs nat what þe apostyl made.
ne what party of þis holy Crede. and whan þe apostelys gaderyd yt.
For oure beleue techis vs þat god ordeynyd hyt al.
and bad þat men schuld cun hyt and teche yt to oþer
And ȝif prelatys faylyn in þis Crist seyde þat stonys schulde crye
15
lerne and preche þe law of god in here modyr tonge.
Ne study we nat how many partyes ben in þis holy crede.
For soþ it is ; þat alle þese partyes ben contenyd in thre.
And herfore men seyn þrys ; þat þey trow in god./
Fyrst þey trow in þe Fadyr. for he ys [þe] fyrst persone.
Aftyr þey trow in Iesu crist. be dyuers artyclys.
and sytthe þey trow in þe holy gost.
And eche on of þese thre partyes contenys many partyclys (artycles).
But we schul wele wyte ; þat þese thre thyngys ben wel sotel and diuers.
Trow in god. and [trow] to god.
and trow god þat ys þe leste.
þat man levys in god ; þat cleuys to him be charite.
and þus eche man þat ys in hed synne. is owt of his beleue.
That man trowys to god. þat beleuyþ
þat he is trewe and ryȝtful in al þyng þat he seyþ.
And þus do vnkende men þat trow not in hym.
That man trowys god ; þat trowys þat he ys.
and so do deuelys þat trow not in hym.
The fyrst part of þis Crede ; conteynys þre artyculys.
Furst þat men schulde trow in þe fyrst person
þat ys þe fadyr of heuyn and power of god.
and so schulde men trowe þat he is al-myȝty.
So if he wyl auȝt be don ; he dos hit whan hym lykys.
and so þe thridde artycule stondys in þis.
þat he made of noȝt boþe heuyn and erthe.
and ȝit schul men trow þat al-myȝty ys comen to þre personys.
Al-myȝty ys þe fadyr. Al-myȝty ys þe sone.
16
þat þese ben thre almyȝty goddys / but on god almyȝty./
The secunde part of þis Crede. be-gynnys at iesu crist.
and towchis xiiij. artyculis þat stondis in ordre.
Furst men schuld trow in goddys word. or his sone.
Aftyr men schuld trow. þat he becom man
stondynge his godhed þat he myȝt not lese.
The thridde tyme we schuld trow. þat þe fadyr of heuyn
has but on suche sone euyn with hym in kende.
and þis ys Iesus oure lord. be godhed and be manhed.
sythen he made vs of noȝt. and bowȝt vs fro synne.
The iiij articule of þis parte seys þat crist was conseyuyd of þe holy gost.
nat as oþer men gete childryn be kynde.
Sethyn þis person ys no man ; but þe holy gost./
þe whyche ys lyf [loue] be sum propyrte.
and most tokyn of lyf [loue] ; þat god wold schewe to man was.
þat he wold take oure kende. and be-come oure broþer./
and þerfore we beleue þat oure lord iesu ;
was conseyuyd of þe holy gost. with-owte mannys genderynge.
The fyfte tyme we schuld be-leue. þat oure lord iesu
was born of þe virgyn Marie. as of his owne modyr.
þat was euer virgine with-owte knowynge of man.
al-þow crist tok of hire / matere of hys body./
and seþyn sche norischyd hym withynne as oþer childyr ar norschid.
But he went owt of here body be myracle. as he was formyd.
17
he suffrid hard passioun vndir pounce pilate.
for to by man-kynd and mayntene trewthe.
and so he was don on þe cros. and aftyr ded and beryyd.
sethen his sowle went to helle and tok owt þe sowlys
þat he ordeynyd to saue ; be-fore þis world was made.
and sethyn vp-on þe thrydde day his sowle com to his body
and qwykyd hyt as be-forn. And ros owt of þe sepulcre.
and sethyn whan he hadde efte tyme. schewyd to his disciplis his resurreccioun.
he steyȝ vp to heuyn as þey saw opunly.
and þer he syttys now in best sete þat may acorde to man.
an þat ys callyd þe ryȝt syde of god þe fadyr.
and at þe laste he schal come doun here to man.
and jugge sum to blysse. and oþer to helle
for euer-more to be þere withoutyn dwellynge here.
The thrydde part of þis Crede be-gynnys at þe holy gost.
in wham we schul trow sethyn þat he ys god.
And .vj. artyculis ben knyt to þis part of þe Crede.
Furst we schul trow. þat þer ys general chirche
of angelys and seyntys in heuyn. and of alle þat schul be sauyd.
and þis aftyr þe day of dom. schal be with-outen synne.
with here spowse in endles ioye. and iche on haue Ioye of oþer.
And noman here in erthe ; ys parte of þis chirche.
but if he come to heuyn be his holy lyuynge.
18
For þey schuld nat boste of heynes in here prelacy ;
But þey mot leue aftyr crist ; ȝyf þey schul be sauyd.
For þus techis oure be-leue. how-euer antecrist werke./
And so þis chirche. has þre statys be processe of tyme.
Fyrst he wandrys here in erthe. and sethen he slepys in purgatory.
and aftyr he restys in blysse of crist þat ys here spowse.
And so as sum men thynke. þese popys ne þese prelatys
ar nat part of holy chirche ; but of synagoge [of sathanas]
sythen þey mot leue aftyr crist. ȝif þey schul be sauyd./
þus techis our be-leue. how-euyr antecrist grucchis.
And schul we trowe so. þat eche parte of þis chyrche ;
commovys (commonys) and helpys othir. boþe here and in heuyn.
But in heuyn ; þey schul yn reste haue ioye of here blysse.
And so schul we trow þat eche part of þys chirche ;
schal haue ful remissioun of synne þat yt has don
[and so arise] in body and in sowle [at þe day of doom].
with glorye in ham bothe ; and so euyr lyue in blysse.
Amen.
| The Lay Folks' Catechism, or the English and Latin versions of Archbishop Thoresby's Instruction for the People | |