The Relics of Rome, Part 77
The general sentence taken out of the Englyshe Festiuall.
GOod men and women I doe you to vnderstande,The generall sētence red foure tymes in the yeare. yt we that hauehave cure of your soules, bee commaunded of oure ordinaryes, and by the constitutions & lawes of holy church, to shewe to you foure tymes in the yeare, in eche quarter of ye yeare once, when the people is moste plenarye in the church, the articles of the sentence: So yt not for our default, no man, nor woman fal therein. And if any be therin fallen, he may through the helpe of God almightye, and al holy church, with shrifte and penaunce, makyng good for his sinne, vprise, and hym amende▪ What cursing is.Wherefore I doe you to vnderstande, yt cursing is such a vengeaunce takyng that it departeth a man from the blysse of heauen, from housel, shrifte, and all the Sacramentes of holye Churche, and betaketh hym to the deuill, and to the paynes of hell wythoute ende, but if he hauehave grace of hym to amende. But therefore see, yt no man, nor woman saye, that I curse them: For it longeth not to me, but to shewe the pointes and ye articles of the sentence of cursyng. For I doe you wel to wite: who so doth agaynste any of ye pointes, yt I shall shewe you: he is accursed in the deede doing of the Pope, Archebyshop, Byshop, and of al holy Church. And yt god almighty geue you grace, to kepe you out of cursing: listen and heare, and I shal thorowe ye helpe of God the father almighty, to you thē tell and shewe.
By the authoritye of God, ye Sonne and the holy Ghost,Enemies to holy church are fyrst accursed, as most greuous offendours▪ and hys glorious Mother and mayden oure Lady Saint Marye, and the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule, and all Apostles, Martyrs, Confessours, and virgines, and the halowes of God: I denounce and shewe for accursed all thoe that fraūches of holye Churche breake or distrouble, or beene agaynst the state of holy church, or thereto assente wyth deede or councell. And also all thoe that depriue holy Churche of any ryghte, or make of holy churche, any Laye fee, yt is halowed or sanctified. And all thoe yt withholde the rites of holy church yt is for to say, offringes, tithes, rents, or fredome of holye Churche let, or distrouble, or breake: that is to saye, if any man flee to the Churche or Churchyarde: Who so him out draweth, and al thoe yt therto procure or assente. And all thoe ye purchasen letters of any Lordes court, ye processe of righte maye not bee determined, nor ended. And all thoe yt the peace of ye land distrouble. And al thoe ye bloude drawe of man or woman in violence, or in vilonye, or make to bee drawen in Churche, or Churchyard, wherefore the Church, or Churchyarde is interdicted or suspended: and thoe yt be against right of our Lord the King: and al thoe that warre sustaine against the King wrongfullye. And all thoe yt be common robbers, rouers, or manslayers, but it bee themselfe defendyng And thoe that beene agaynst the great Charter of the Kyng that is confyrmed of the Courte of Rome. And all thoe ye false witnesse beare wronglye, namely in cause of Matrimonye, in what court so it be,☜ or out of court. And all that false witnesse bring forth in righte of Matrimonye for to destroye man or woman, or for to disherite any man of land or tenement, or any other cattell. And all false aduocates, that for mede put forth any false exceptions or quarels, through the which right of Matrimony, is fordone, or any other manner of right in steade of iudgement: and al thoe yt for mede, or fauour, or for any other encheson maliciously mā or womā bryng out of their good fame into wicked, or make them for to leese their worldly goods or honour: or them put wrongfully to their purgation, of the whiche was none before. And al thoe ye maliciously distrouble or letten the right presentement of holy Churche, there the very Patrone should present and all that therto procure with worde or deede, or with false enquest, or with other power. And all that maliciously despisen the maūdement of the kyng to take a cursed man fro the time, yt he hath lyen in cursyng. lx. dayes, & no remedie will seeke. And all those yt their liueraunce purchase agaynst the right of holy Churche. And that mede take for to distrouble peace, there louelove shuld be, or charitie: or strife maintaine with worde or dede: and till they hauehave yelded again their mede that they toke of them, they may neuer be assoiled. And al those that hold houses, māners, gronges of parsons, vicares, or any other man of holye Churche against their wil, or their attornies wil. And al thoe that any manner good moueable or vnmoueable awaye beare wt strength, or wrongfully away draw, or waste: of the whiche cursing they may not be assoiled, til they hauehave made satisfaction, to whom the wronge is done. And al thoe that any manner of goods with violēce or malice beare out of holy Churche, stede or Abbeye, or house of Religion, whiche that therein is layde or done for warrandise or succoure, or for to be kepte. And all thoe that therto procure or assent and all thoe that them maintayne or sustayne: and all thoe that hauehave layde hande on priest or clarke with malice, but it be himselfe defendynge. And all thoe, that Sarrazens Coūce… or helpe against Christendome. And all thoe that their children wrongfully father wittingly, or their children wittē any other mā with malice. And al thoe yt wearry or slea their generations, or their children destroye with drinkes, or with any other crafte. And al thoe, that false money, clippe or sheere them to aduauntage, to disceaue any man with. And all thoe that false the Popes Bull, or counterfaite the Kings seale. And al thoe, that bye or sel with false measures, or false waights, that is to saye, to bye with one, & sell wt an other. And all thoe, that false the kings standard, themselfe witing. And all thoe, that any testament distrouble, or therto procure with worde, or with deede, wherefore the deades will is not fulfilled. And all thoe that forsweare them vponupon the holydome willyng or witing for mede, or for hate for to doe any man or womā to lose their worldly goods or honor. And all robbers, or rouers openly or priuily by daye or by night: or any mans good steale, wherefore they were worthye to hauehave iudgemēt. And all thoe, yt withhold any mās good, that hauehave bene spered & axed for thrice in holy church, themself weting. And all those that distrouble the peace of holy Churche, or of the land: and all fellons, and thoe that them maintaine. And all false conspiratoures, & al false forswearers in assises, or in any other court. And al those yt any false plaints put forth against the fraunchise of holy Church, or of the king, or of the realme. And all those that offringes, that bene offred in holy Churche, or in any other sted within the prouince of Caūterbury, witholden & put away in any other place agaynst the wil of the parson, or vicare, or theyr attourney, in the parishe, yt it is offered in. And al those that their goodes awaye geue for dread of death, in fraude of holye Churche or to forbeare their debts paying: & al those that such giftes take or therto helpe, or Councel, And all those that let or hinder prelates, or Ordinaries for to hold consistory Session, or chapiters, for to enquire of sinnes, & of excesse, in good amendemente of mans soule. And all witches,☞ and all that on them beleue: & al heretikes, that beleue not in the Sacrament of the altare, that it is gods owne body in flesh and bloud in forme of bread: and al other Sacraments that touchen health of mans soule. And all iuglars, vsurars, that is to say, yt if any man or woman lend their cattell vntounto man or woman for any auauntage to take by couenaūt more thā their own, and if there be any such found in town or citie, the citie or the towne should be enterdited by the old law, and nouther done their Masse, nor Sacrament vsed, til he were out thereof. And al thoe, yt withhold tithes or withdraw theyr tithes witingly, or maliciouslye to the harme of holy Church, or tithes letten to be geuen of the goods, which yt bene commaunded to be geuen by the lawe of holy Church, yt is to say of al fruites of yardes, cornes, herbes that waxe, fruites of trees, of all manner beastes yt be newing: of wolle, lambe: & these in time of yeare: of swannes, gees, dowes, duckes: of bees, hony, waxe: of hay also as often as it neweth: of flaxe & hemp: of windmils, and of all manner mils: of all manner of marchaundise of chaffaryng men, and of men of craft. And all those that maliciously or wittingly any other withhold, the which ought to be giuen to holy church, and thoe, that therto procure in word or in dede.
Modus fulminandi sententiam.
PRaelatus Alba indutus cum ceteris sacerdotibus in ecclesia existentibus, cruce erecta, candelis accensis, stans in pulpito, pronuncient verba quae sequūtur.
Whiche is thus in Englishe.
The manner of thundring the sentēce.
THe Prelate hauyng on hys Albe with the other Priestes, that are in the Churche, the Crosse beyng lyft vp, and the candels lyght, standing in the pulpit, let them pronoun…e the wordes that folowe.
EX authoritate dei, patris omnipotentis, & beatae Mariae Virginis, & omnium sanctorum, excommunicamus, anathematizamus, & diabolo commendamus omnes supradictos malefactores, Excommunicati sint, anathematizati. & diabolo commendati. Maledicti sunt in villis, in campis, in vijs, in semitis, in domibus, extra domos & in omnibus alijs locis, stando, iacendo, surgendo, ambulando, currendo, vigilando, dormiendo, comedendo, bibendo, & aliud opus faciendo, & illos a luminibus & omnibus bonis ecclesie sequestramus, & diabolo damnamus: & in paenis inferni animas eorum extinguamus, sicut extinguitur ista candela: nisi resipiscant, & ad satisfactionem veniant.
That is to saye. By the authoritye of God ye father almyghtie, and of the blessed Uirgyne Marye, and of all Sainctes, we excommunicate, we cursse, and committe to the Deuyll, all the aforesayde malefectoures and euyl doers. Excommunicate mought they be, curssed and giuen ouer to the Deuill. Cursed be they in Townes, in Fieldes, in Wayes, in Pathes, in Houses, out of Houses, and in all other places, Standyng, Lighyng, Rysyng, Walkyng, Runnyng, Watchyng, Sleaping, Eatyng, Drinkyng, and whatsoeuer thynge they doe besydes. We sequester them from the thresholdes and all the goodes of the Churche and we giuegive them ouer to the Deuill. And let vsus quenche their soules in the paynes of hell, as this candle is now quenched and put out, except they amende, and come vntounto satisfaction.
Finita sententia extinguat lumen ad terror…, pulsatis cāpanis. That is to say.
When the sentēce is ended, let him put out the candle to make the people the more afraide, and ring the belles.
In an olde written boke I find thus written. The Articles of the generall sentēce must be read foure times in the yeare openly in the Churche before all the people,In Popish Churches all thynges are in Latib besydes surfyng. yea and that in the mother tong: that is to say, the first sonday of Aduent, and the first sonday of Lent, & Trinitie sondaye, and on the sondaye, whiche is within the Octaues of the Assumption of the blessed virgine Mary. And when the Priest hath read the Articles of ye general sentence, let hym with all hast put out the candle, which he holdeth in his hand, and with great violence cast it away from him, saying: Auctoritate dei patris omnipotentis, ☞& filij, & Spiritus sancti, & sanctae Mariae Matris domini nostri Iesu Christi, & sanctorū Apostolorum Petri & Pauli, & omnium Sanctorum, & sanctorum Canonum, & nostri Ministerij, excommunicamus, anathematizamus, & a Sacramentis sanctae ecclesiae, & a cōmunione corporis & sanguinis domini nostri Iesu Christi sequestramus omnes illos, vel illas, qui praenominati sunt. Et sicut extinguitur haec lucerna hominum: ita extinguatur lumen eorum in secula seculorum, nisi ad emendationem & satisfactionem venerint. Fiat, fiat. Amen.
That is to saye.
By the authoritie of God the father almightye, and the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost, and of S. Marye the Mo- of our Lorde Iesu Christ, and of ye holy Apostles Peter and Paule, and of al Saintes, and of the holy Canons, and of our ministerie, we excommunicate, we curse, and we sequester from the sacramentes of holy church, and frō ye cō munion of the bodye and bloud of oure Lorde Iesu Christ, al those men or women, that are to fore named. And as thys candle, which mē vse, is quenched and put oute, so let their light be quenched and put oute worldes withoute ende, excepte they amende, and make satisfaction. So be it. So be it. AMEN.
The priest must take hede, sayth the olde written boke, that he reade not on the foresayde sondayes the generall sentence at masse time after ye Gospel, as certain vndiscrete priests do, by this meanes interrupting the masse:A Caueat, but he shal read it either immediatly after the aspersion or sprinckling of ye holy water, or els after the procession.