A07146:1263
The relics of Rome containing all such matters of religion, as have in times…The reliques of Rome contayning all such matters of religion, as haue in times…
The relics of Rome containing all such matters of religion, as have in times past been brought into the Church by the Pope and his adherents: faithfully gathered out of the most faithful writers of chronicles and histories, and now newly both diligently corrected & greatly augmented, to the singular profit of the readers, by Thomas Becon. 1563.The reliques of Rome contayning all such matters of religion, as haue in times past bene brought into the Church by the Pope and his adherentes: faithfully gathered out of the moste faithful writers of chronicles and histories, and nowe newly both diligently corrected & greatly augmented, to the singuler profit of the readers, by Thomas Becon. 1563.
London: printed by John Day, 1563London: printed by Iohn Day, 1563
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Good men and women, it is ordained by the council of all holy church, first of our holy father the pope of Rome, and his Cardinals, and by all his council: and sithen of all Archbishops and Bishops, and by all the Clergy of holy church, that every man of holy church, that hath cure of mans soul, that is to say, persons, vicars, and parish priests, should show among his parishioners four times of the year, the articles that been written in the general sentence, that is to say, the points that longen to the great curse. The one day is the first sunday of Advent. ⟨p. 244⟩The second day is the first Sunday in clean lenten. The third day is the sunday next after Whitsuntide. And the fourth day is the next sunday after the Assumption of our Lady. And the points must openly be taught and showed to the people, or lewd men, that they may know the great mischief and disease thereof, that no man or woman should be perished for default of learning, nor have matter to excuse hem by.1 Wherefore ye shoullen understand at the beginning, that this word Curse, is thus much to say, as departing fro god and all good works.2 Of two manner of cursing holy church telleth. The one is cleped the less curse.3 The other is cleped the more curse. That we clepen the less curse, is of this strength, that every man and woman that falleth therein: it departeth him fro all the Sacraments that been in holy Church,4 that they may none of hem receive, till they be assoiled, for right as a sword departeth the head or the life from the body: right so as to say ghostly, Curse departeth mans soul fro god,5 & fro all good works. The more curse is much worse, & ⟨image 273⟩is of this strength, for to depart a man fro God, and fro all holy church, and also fro the company of all Christen folk, never to be saved by the passion of Christ nor to be holpen by the Sacraments that been done in holy Church, nor to have part with any Christen man. Clerks say, that a child before that he is christened: it hath a wicked spirit dwelling within him in his soul: the which wicked spirit is halsed or conjured, or caste out of him through the prayer of the priest before the church door, when it shall be christened.