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A Stanzaic Life of Christ

Compiled from Higden's Polychronicon and the Legenda Aurea

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Primo considerandum est A quo missus est; Secundo, quot modis missus est; iijo, quo tempore missus est; iiijo, quociens missus est; vjo, in quo missus est; vijo, ad quos missus est; octauo, propter quid missus est. Primo A quo missus est.

As to the furst, knowe [s]hun ȝe,
from whom the Holy Gost was sent,
from the fader, as rede we,
and from the son also he went,
And him-self proferde he thoo,
als our doctours han vs kent,
so was he sent from all tho
to his discipuls to-ȝeder. lent.
That he fro the fader come
Sayn witnes, as ȝe schun se,
and sais, ‘the fader of rightwis dome
will send his gost to his men-ȝe.’

Iohannis xvio: Cum Autem venerit ille spiritus veritatis, docebit omnem veritatem.

then tretes a doctour opon this
and sais, ‘the holy trinite
And godhede þat vnchangeable is,
in substance non but one is he,

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‘and in this werk forsoth i-wis
may not be twynnet, leue ȝe me,
in wille, in might, & eke in blisse,
all bien one ther persones three.
‘the trinite thurgh his mercy
Deuyset this werk thurgh his might,
mon-kind of bale for to bye,
this as ȝe schun se in sight;
‘that the fader alweldyng
Schuld suffre mercy to be wroght;
The son shewde hit at his comyng,
when that he on rode was broght;
‘Also the Holy Gost in confermyng
of that be-for so don and thoght
Schuld make our hertes hote brennyng
qven that bote to vs wer broȝt.’