Instructions for Parish Priests :: :: University of Virginia Library

And þagh þou ȝeue no name to hem,
Ny nempne hem no maner name,
I telle hyt for no blame,
Hyt may be don al by thoght
Whenne hyt ys to chyrche I-broght,
And þaȝ, me say, as þey done vse
Sory laten in here wyse, (As þus)

I folowe þe in nomina patria & filia spirit sanctia. Amen.

Of these wordes take þow non hede,
Þe folghþe ys gode wythoute drede
So þat here entent & here wyt
Were forto folowe hyt;
Ay whyle þey holde þe fyrste sylabul
Þe folghþe ys gode wythouten fabul (As þus)

Pa of patris. fi of filij. spi of spiritus sancti. Amen.

Þenne do þe seruyse neuer þe later,
Alle saue þe halowynge of þe water;
Creme & crysme and alle þynge elles
Do to þe chylde as þe bok telles;
And ȝef þe chylde haue nome by-fore,
Lete hyt stonde in goddes ore,
And ȝef hyt haue not, lete name hyt þare,
Ȝef hyt schule in greyþe fare.
But what and on in hys bordes
Caste on water and say þe wordes,
Is þe chylde I-folowed or no?
By god I say nay for hem bo.
But ȝef hyt were hys fulle entent

To ȝeue þe chylde þat sacrament,
Þenne mote hyt stonde wyþoute nay, (As þus)
And he þerfore rewe hyt may.
But ȝef cas falle thus,
Þat he þe wordes sayde a-mys,

Or þus In nomine filij & patris & spiritus sancti. Amen.

Or any oþer wey but þey set hem on rowe, As þe fader & þe sone & þe holy gost, In nomine patris & filij & spiritus sancti. Amen.

Ȝef hyt be oþer weyes I-went,
Alle þe folghþe ys clene I-schent;
Þenne most þou, to make hyt trewe,
Say þe serues alle a-newe,
Blesse þe water & halowe þe font,
Ryght as hyt in bok stont;
Þenne be þe war in alle þynge,
Whenne þou comest to þe plungynge,
Þenne þou moste say ryȝt þus,
Or elles þou dost alle a-mys,

Si tu es baptiȝatus, ego te non rebaptiȝo. Sed si non es baptiȝatus, ego te baptiȝo. In nomine patris & filij & spiritus sancti. amen.

Þat oþer serues say þow myȝt
On þy bok alle forth ryght;
Þow moste do þe same manere
Ȝef a chylde I-fownde were,
And no mon cowþe telle þere
Wheþer hyt were folowed or hyt nere;
Þenne do to hyt in alle degre,
As here before þou myȝt se.
But what & þou so dronken be
Þat þy tonge wole not serue þe,
Þenne folowe þow not by no way
But þou mowe the wordes say.
Luytel I-noghe for soþe hyt ys,
Thaghe thow be bothe war & wys,

The sacrament for to do,
Thaghe þou be neuer so abul þer to;
How schulde þenne a droken mon
Do þat þe sobere vnneþe con?
And ȝef þow wole þy worschype saue,
Oyle & creme þow moste nede haue,
Alway redy for ferde of drede,
To take þer-to when þou hast nede,
And for to eschewe þe byschopus scheme,
Vche ȝere ones chawnge þy creme,
And þat as sone as thow may,
A-non after schere þursday,
Thow moste chawnge þyn oyle also,
Þat þey mowe be newed bo,
Ȝet wole I make relacyone
To þe of confyrmacyone
Þat in lewde mennes menynge
Is I-called þe byspynge;
But for þow hast þer of luytel to done,
Þer-fore I lete hyt passe ouer sone,
For hyt ys þe bisschopes ofyce,
I wot þe charge ys alle hyse,
But ȝet I wole seche ȝerne
Sumwhat þer of to make þe lerne.
Þat sacrament mote nede be done,
Of a bysschope nede as ston,
Þer nys no mon of lower degre,
Þat may þat do but onlyche he.
He confermeth & maketh sad.
Þat at þe preste be-forn hath mad,
Wherfore þe nome þat ys þenne I-spoke
Moste stonde ferme as hyt were loke,
But ofte syþes þou hast I-sen
Whenne þe chyldre confermed ben

Bondes a-bowte here neckes be lafte,
Þat from hem schule not be rafte,
Tyl at chyrche þe eghþe day,
Þe preste hym self take hem a-way.
Þenne schale he wyth hys owne hondes
Brenne þat ylke same bondes,
And wassche þe chylde ouer þe font
Þere he was anoynted in þe front.
And þagh a chylde confermet nere,
So þat he folowed by fore were,
To dyspuyte þer of hyt ys no nede,
He schale be saf wythowte drede.