<County: Yorkshire West Riding>
<Code: L0116>
<MS reference: York, Borthwick Institute, R.I.11, fols 295r-297v>
<Text: Lay Folk's Catechism>


<fol. 295v><line 54> the flesh yernes bot gladly to the god in clenness of life The ferth biddes
<fol. 296r>vs do worship to fadir and to modir~ noght anely to fleshli fadir & modir that getes fosters vs
for the in this world Bot til our~ gastely fadirs that has hede of vs And teches vs howe to lif
til hele of our~ saules . And til our~ gastely modir that is hali+kirk To be buxom thar-to &
saue the right of it . For it is modir til all that cristenly lyfes And als-swa til ilk man
that worshipfull is for to do worship aftir that it is The fift biddes vs that
we sla na+mann . That is at say bodili ne gastely nouthir . For als mony we sla in that
at we mai . als we sklaundir or bacbite or falsly defames . Or fendes for to confound
tham that that noght serues . Or withdrawes lyuelade fra tham that nede haues Jf we be
of haueyng for to help tham The sext comandement forbid vs to syn Or for to
foly fleshli with any woman Outhir sib or fremmed wedded or vnwedded Or any
fleshly knawyng or deid haf with any othir than the sacrament of matremoyne escuse
&the lawe & the lare of hali+kirk teches The seuent comandement biddes vs noght
stele Jn whilk is forboden robbyng & reuyng Al wrangwis takyng or withhaldyng
or hidinges or helynges of othir men godes . Ogayne thair~ wit & thair~ will that has right
to tham The aughtand biddes vs we sal bere No fals wittnes ogayne our~ euen cristen
Jn whilk is forboden al maner of lesyng . Fals conspiracie & forsweryng wharethurgh
our~ euen cristen mai lese thair~ catell Faith<?> fauour~ or fame or any thyng elles whethir
it be in gasteli or bodili godes The neynd is that we noght yerne our~ neghtebur~
house jn whilk is forboden al wrangwise couatise Of land or of lithe or of ought elles
that mai noght be lifted ne raised fro the ground . Als thing that is stedefast &
that noght be stirred The tend & the last is that we yerne noght The wife of our
neghtebur~ ne of our~ euen cristen Ne his maiden ne his knaue his ox nor his asse jn
whilk is forbeden vs to yerne or to take Onything that may be stirred of othir men
godes Als robes or richesse or othir catell That we haue no gode title ne no ne no right
to For what thing so we gete or tas on othir wise . We may noght be assoiled of the
trespas Bot if we make assethe in that at we may To tham that we harmed withhal
dand thair~ godes . And in cas that we haue thurgh fals athes als in assises or othir en
questes . wittandly & wilfulli gert our~ euen cristen . lese thair~ patremoyne or thair~ heri
tage Or falsly be desesed of land or of lithe . Or fals diuorce be made or ony man damp
ned Of al we do that we may vnto the party yit may we noght be assoiled of our~
fals athe Bot of our~ bisshop or him that has his power~ For swilk cas is riuely reser
ued of him-seluen This ten comandemente3 that j haue nowe rekend Or vmbilon
ked in twa of the godspell . <lat></lat> . The+tane is that we loue god ouer al thinges
The+tothir that we loue our~ euen cristen als we do our~-seluen . For god augh vs to loue
halye with hert . with al our~ might with al our~ thought with word & with deid
Oure euen cristen alswa augh vs to loue vn-to that ilk gode that we loue vs seluen
that is that thai welefare in bodi & in saule . And cum to that ilk blisse that we
think to who so dos this twa fulfilles all the othir~ The third thing of
the sex that j first touched
js the seuen sacrement3 that hali+kirk gifes Thurgh
prelates and othir prestes that has the power . Of whilk seuen the first fyue ilka
cristen man . Augh lawfully to take aftir his eld is . And twa her in thair~ will
that resayues tham The first sacrement of seuen is our~ baptisme That we
take the first tyme that we becum cristen . jn whilk bathe the first syn that we
er born with . And alkyn othir syn is wasshen oway That we er filed with ar
we take it . And the trouth of hali+kirk is taken thare-in with-outen whilk na
synful+man saule may be saued And to this sacrement falles foure thinges jf it
sal rightly be taken als . hali+kirk techis . Ane is right saying & shap of the wordes
that him augh for to sai that gyffes this sacrement That er thise j bapti3e
the in the name of the fadir and the sonn & the hali+gast

An-othir is that
it be done anely in water For nan+othir licour~ is leuefull thar~fore / The third
is that he that gyffes this sacrement . Be in wit & in will forto gyf it And
the ferthe is that he that takes it . Be nouthir of lered ne of lawed bapti3ed
before . For if the prest be in were of him that sal take it . whethir he be bapti3ed
<fol. 296v>or he be noght Than sal he sai the wordes opon this wise jf thou be noght bapti3ed j bapti3e
the . jn the name of the fadir and the sonn & the hali+gast / The secund sacrement is confermyng
that the bisshop gifes to tham that er bapti3ed That giffes thurgh his power to tham that
tas it The grace and the giftesof the hali+gast To make tham mare stalworth than thai
ware bifore To stand ogaynes the fend & dedely syn That nane has power to do bot bisshop
allane That has the state & the stede of cristes apostels / The third sacrement is cald pe
naunce That is sothefast forthinking we haue of our~ syn with-outen will or thoght to
turne ogayne to it And this behoues haue thre thinges if it be stedefast . Ane is sorow
of our hert that we haue synned Anothir is open shrift of our~ mouth how we haf
synned . And the third is rightwise amendes makyng for that we hafe synned This thre
with gode will to forsake our~ syn Clenses vs & wasshes vs of alkyn synned The
ferthe
is the sacrement of the auter~ Cristes owen bodi in lickeness of brede . Als hale als
he toke it of that blissed maiden whilk ilk man & woman that of eld is augh for to
resceyue anes in the yhere That is at sai at paskes als hali+kirk vses . when thai er clen
sed of syn thurgh penaunce Of payns of doyng oute of hali+kirk bot if thai forbere
it be skilwise cause That augh to be knawen to tham that sal gif it For he that
takes it worthili takes his saluacioun And who so vnworthili takes his dampnacionn
The fift sacrement is the last . enoyntyng . With oile that is halowed & handeled
of prest To tham that he wate er of skilwise elde . And that he seis sikirly in peril of dede
Jn lightenes & Alegeaunce of thair~ sekenesse . Jf god wil that thai turne ogayne vntil hele
And als in forgyuenesse of venyale synnes And in lessyng of payne if thai passe hethen
The sext sacrement of hali+kirk is ordir~ That giffes power to tham that rightwisely tas
it For to serue in hali+kirk aftir thair~ state is . And to tham that takes the ordir~ of prest
For to serue & for to ministr~ . Sacrement3 of hali+kirk that to tham falles aftir~ the state
that thai haue & thair~ degre askes The seuent sacrement is matirmoyne That
is a lawefull festenyng betwix man & woman At thair~ bother~ assent for to lyue
samen . Withouten ony lousyng to thair~ life lastes . Jn remedi of syn & getyng of grace
If it be taken in gode assent and clennesse of lif The ferthe thing of the
sex to knawe god almighten
That vs behoues fulfill in al that we mai js the seuen
dedis of merci vntil our~ euen cristen That god sal reherce vs opon the dai of dome &
wit how we haf done tham here in this lyfe . Als saint Matheu mas mynde in his
godspell . <lat></lat> . Of whilk the first is to fede tham that er hungry That othir~
for to gif tham drynk that er thirsty The third for to clethe tham that er clatheless
The ferthe is to herber tham that er houselesse The fifte for to visite tham that
ligges in sekeness The sext is to help tham that in prison er~ The seuent to bery
dede+men that has mister Thise er the seuen bodili dedis of merci That ilk
man augh to do that is mighty <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Thare er~ of merci alsso seuen gasteli dedis That vs Augh to do to tham that
has nede til vs Ane is to consaile & wisse tham that er will Anothir is to with
drawe tham that will wirk ill The third is to solace tham that er sorowfull
The ferthe is to pray for tham that er sinfull The fift to be tholemode when
men misdos vs The sext gladly to forgyf when men has greued The seuent when men
askes vs for to her~ tham ; Jf we can mare than thai for to lere tham <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Thise til
our~ neghtebours er ful nedefull And to tham that dos tham wondir~ medefull For he
sal fynd merci that mercifull is And man with-outen merci of merci sal misse
The fift thing of the sex to knawe god almighten . Js the seuen vertues that
hali writ techis . Of whilk seuen the thre first that er~ heued thewes Teches vs how
to haue vs vnto god almighten And the four~ techis vs swa for to lyf Bathe onentes our~
self and our~ euen cristen That it be bathe likand to god & to man The first vertu is
trouthe whar~-thurgh we trow Anely in a god that made al thinges . With al the othir
articles J touched before And this is nedefull til al that cristen liffes For trouth is begyn
nyng of al gode werkes For nouthir is trouth worth with-outen gode werkes Ne na
<fol. 297r>werk withouten trouth mai pai god almighten The tothir gode+thewe & vertu is hope That
is a siker aludyng of gastely gode Thurgh goddes godenesse & our~ godedis For to cum to that
blisse that neuermore blinnes Noght anely in traist of goddes godeness Ne al anely in traist
of our~ gode+dedis . Bot in traist of tham when thai er bathe samen For nouthir sal we fall
so ferr~ ne til wanhope That we ne sal traist to haue blis if we wele do Ne we no sal noght
come so ferre in-til ouer-hope That we sal traist so mikel of goddes godeness That we
sal hope to haue blisse with-outen gode dedis The third vertu or thew is charite The
whilk is a dere loue that vs augh to haue vn-to god almighten & til our~ euen cristen vn-to
god almighten al for him-seluen . And til al our~ euen cristen for god almighten For the tane
may noght be loued with-outen the tothir . For als that saint Johan sais in his epistell . <lat></lat>
That comandement he sais we haue of god almighten That wha so euer loues god loues
his euen cristen . For he that loues noght his brothir wham he may se how suld he loue god
almighten that he seis noght The ferthe vertu or thewe is rightwisenesse That is to
yheld to al men that we augh tham For to do til ilk+man that vs augh to do . For to worship
tham that er worthi For to help the pouer that er nedy . For to do gile ne wrang vn-to na man
Bot for to do that skil is vnto ilk+man The fift vertu or thew is sleght or sleghness
Prudencia . That wisses vs to be war with wathes of the world For it kennes vs to
knawe the gode+fra the yuel . & als-so to sundir the tane fra the tothir . & for to leue that is
yuel & take to the gode . & of twa gode thinges to chese the better The sext vertu is strenth
or stalworthnesse . Noght anely of bodi bot of hert & of will Euenly to sofir the wele &
the wa welthe or wandreth whethir so be-tides And that our~ hert be noght to hegh for
no welefare Ne ouer mikel vndir for nane yuelfare Bot stiffely for to stand ogaynes oure
faes . whethir thai be bodili or thai be gastely So that na foule fandyng make vs to fall
Or be fals in our~ faithe ogayne god almighten The seuent vertu & the last is methe or
methefulnesse . <lat>temperancia</lat> . That hedis vs fra outrage & haldes vs in euen lettes folely
kynges & lustes of the flesch And yhemes vs fro yernynges of worldely godes And ke
pes vs in clennesse of bodi & of saule For methe is mesur~ & meth of al that we do jf we
lyfes skilwisely als the lawe techis The sext thing and the last of thas J first
touched Js the seuen heued synnes or dedely synnes That ilk+man augh for to knawe
to fle and forhoue For man mai noght fle tham bot he knawe tham Pride enuy wrath
and glotony Couatis & slauth and licheri . And forthi er thai cald seuen heued synnes . For
that al othir comes of tham . And forthi er thai cald dedeli synnes . For thai gastely sla
ilk mannes saule That er hauked<?> in al or in Any of tham wharefore the wise man bid
des in his boke . <lat></lat> . Als fra the face of the neddir fand to fle syn For als the
venyme of the neddr~ slaes mannes bodi . Swa the venyme of syn slaes mannes saule
The first of this seuen synnes is pride That is a likand heghnesse of a mannes hert
Of office or hegh+state or othir nobillay That he outhir has of kynd or of grace Or that
he hopes that he has mare than a-nothir And of this syn comes mani sere spices . Bost
and auantyng & vnbuxumnesse Despite & ypocrisie & vnshamefulnesse And othir that
er oftsithe sene o-mang proude+men The secund dedeli syn is hatten enuy That is a
sorowe & a site of the welefare . And ioy of the yuelfare of our~ euen cristen Of whilk
syn many spices springes & spredes . Ane is hatered to speke or here ought be spoken That
may sonne vn-to gode to tham that we hate . A-nothir is fals juggeyng or dome of thair~
dedis And ay turne vntil yuel that thai do to gode The third is bacbityng to sai behynd
tham That we wil noght auow ne say befor+tham . whare noght anely he that spekes
the yuel bot he that heres it be spoken is for to blame For war thar~ no herer thar~ wer~
no bacbiter The third dedely syn or heued syn is wrath That is a wikyd stirryng
or bolnyng of hert whare-thurgh a man wilnesse for to take wrake Or wickedly to venge
him vpon his euen cristen And of this syn comes striuyng and flityng with mony fals &
mony foule wordes Sklaundir~ for to fordo a mannes gode fame Feghtyng & felony & oft
mannes slaughter and many ma than now is nede to be neuened The ferthe dedeli
syn is glotony That is ane vnskilwise likyng or loue Jn tast or in takyng of mete
& of drynk And this trespas dos men opon sere wise . Ane is ouer areli or ouer late
<fol. 297v>or ouer oft-sithes for to ete or to drynk bot if nede ger it A-nothir is for to lyue ouer delicately
The third is for to ete or drynke ouer mikel The ferthe is ouer hastily to ete or to drynk The
fift is to compas opon what wise . we may gete deliciouse metes & drynkes For to fill
the likyngs and lustes of the flesh . Othir than we may godely lede our~ lyue with <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> The fift dedely syn is to couatise That is a wrang
wise wylnyng or yernyng To hafe anykyns gode that vs augh noght & this is princi
paly done opon twyn wise . Ane is wrangwisely to gete any-thing That our~ likyng
or our~ loue lightes opon . Als be sacrilege or be symonie Stalthe falshede or oker or
othir gilery . whilk this worldis men is wont for to vse That castes thaire connand
nesse so vnto couatise That thai ne reck whethir it be bi right or bi wrang Bot at that
mai gete that at thaire hert yhernes Anothir is wrangwisely to hald that is geten .
That is when we will noght do to god almighten . Ne til hali+kirk ne til our~ euen cristen
That vs augh for to do be dett & bi lawe Bot anely haldes that we haue for ese of
vs-seluen whare noght anely he that wrangwisely getes bot he that wrangwisely
haldes falles in the syn The sext dedely syn is slauthe or slawnes that is ane
hertly anger or anoye til vs of any gastely gode that we sal do And of this syn comes
sum sere speces . Ane is latsumnesse or lite to draw opon lenthe any gode dede that we
sal do That may turne vs til help or hele of our~ saules . Anothir is a dulnesse or
heuynesse of hert That lettes vs for to luf our~ lord god almighten . Or any likyng
to haue in his seruice The third is ydelship that ouer mikel is haunted that makes
men lathe to begyn any gode+dedis & lightely dos vs to leue when ought is begun
nen .And thar~ ar~ we er kyndely borne for to swink . Als the foughel is kyndely born
for to fleghe <lat></lat> . Jt haldes vs euer-mare in ese ogaynes our~ kynd For idel
nesse is enmy to cristen man saule stepmodir & stameryng ogayne gode thewes
& witter wissyng & wai til alkyns vices . The seuent dedely syn is licheri .
That is a foule likyng or lust of the flesch . And of this syn comes many sere
spices . Ane is fornicacion a fleshly syn Be-twyx ane aynlepi man & ane aynlepi
woman That forthi that is is ogaynes the lawe & the leue & the lare that hali
kirk halden Jt is dedely syn to tham that dos it Anothir is auoutry that is
spousebrek . whethir it be bodili or it be gastely That greuouser & gretter is
than that othir The third is incest that is when a man synnes fleshly with
any of his sib frend . Or any othir that is if his affinite Gastely or bodili whe
thir so it be Othir spices many ma sprynges of this syn That ouer mikel er
knawen and kend in the werld . with tham that ledis thair~ lifes als thaire
flesh yhernes ¶ This er the sex thinges that J haue spoken of That the
lawe of hali+kirk lies mast in That ye er al halden to knawe & to kun . Jf
ye sal knawe god almighten and cum vn-to blisse : And for to gif yhou better
will for to kun tham Our~ fadir the ercebisshop grauntes of his grace Fourti
daies of perdoun til al that kunnes tham Or dos thair~ gode diligence for to
kun tham & ratifies als-so that othir men gifes so mikel couaites he the
hele of yhour~ saules For if we kunnandly knaw this ilk sex thinges Thurgh
thaim sal ye kun knawe god almighten . wham als saint john sais in his
godspel Conandly for to knawe swilk als he is jt is endeles life & lastand
blisse To whilk blisse he bryng vs & c~ . amen .