University of Virginia Library

The Crede.

Credo that plagues from vs shall not passe,
Til couetous mē in deū doth set their solasse:
Patrē they call God as they his childrē were,
But omnipotentem that they graunt not cleare,
Creatorē of all thinges for man they be cōfessors,
But cœli et terræ they would here be possessors.
Et in Iesum Christum their fayth is they cry oft,
But echone filium eius on yearth would set aloft,


Vnicum on auarice they so set their delite,
That dominum nostrū fro thē they banishe quite:
Qui conceptus est, of the flesh that they folowe so,
They regarde not the workes de spiritu sancto,
Natus was Christ onely for our sake,
And ex Maria virgine our nature did take.
Passus doth Christes mēbres almost as muche wo,
As Christ did him selfe sub pontio Pilato:
Crucifixus was Christ of the Iewes rigorous,
So do they for honger stryke many mortuus:
Et sepultus is charitie fro many men so lowe,
That dissēdit ad inferna, here he makes smal show
Tertia die, nay the third yere god graunt this,
We may say that charitie resurrexit a mortuis.
Ascendit vp is Christ to thende that we,
Ad cœlos might come by faithful charitie,
Sedet ad dexteram in the substaunce deuine,
Patris omnipotentis as faith doth define,
Inde certainly when thinke least we shall,
Venturus est in glorie with his angels all,
Iudicare vpon earth all people in all partes,
Vitros & mortuos both after their desertes.
Credo some thinkes that day wyl neuer be
In spiritum sanctum very few settes their felicitie.
Sanctam ecclesiam while we do dispise,
Catholicam charitie shal neuer arise.
Sanctorū we thoughte great scorne to be faught,
Communionem tyl they in vntruly brought,
Remissionem I pray God graunt vnto them all
Peccatorum wherein God suffereth them to fall,
Carnis they did, and doth take such carefulnes,
Resurrectionem frō sin they thinke nothing lesse,


Et vitam which Christ bought for them so dere,
They regarde not, eternā they hope to lyue here,
Amen, god forbid I shoulde say to this,
Yet I feare couetousnes wyll byde where it is.