The Relics of Rome, Part 78
Hereafter followeth a treatise of the articles of the generall greater curse: found among other old bokes at Cantorbury in the parishe church of S, Paule, In the yeare, &c, 1562.
GOod men and women, it is ordayned by the councell of al holy church, fyrst of oure holy father the pope of Rome, and his Cardinalls, and by all hys councel: and sithen of al Archbyshops and Byshops, and by all the Clergye of holye church, yt eueryevery man of holy churche, yt hath cure of mans soule, that is to say, persons, vicares, and paryshe priests, should shewe among hys parishoners foure tymes of the yeare, the articles that bene written in the generall sentence, that is to saye, the poyntes that longen to the greate curse. The one daye is the fyrst sondaye of Aduente. The second day is the fyrst Sonday in cleane lenton. The thirde daye is the sondaye next after Whitsontide. And the fourth day is the next sonday after the Assumption of our Ladye. And the poyntes muste openly bee taught and shewed to the people, or leude men, yt they maye knowe the greate mischiefe and disease thereof, yt no man or womā should be perished for defaulte of learning, ne hauehave matter to excuse hem by.What this word curs… signifyeth. Wherefore ye shoullen vnderstande at the beginning, yt thys worde Curse, is thus much to say, as departing fro god and al good workes.Two manner of curses. Of two manner of cursing holy church telleth. The one is cleped the lesse curse.The lesser curse. The other is cleped the more curse. That we clepen the lesse curse, is of this strength, yt eueryevery man and woman yt falleth therin: it departeth hym froe al the Sacraments yt beene in holy Churche,☜ yt they maye none of hem receaue, tyll they bee assoyled, for ryghte as a swearde departeth ye head or ye lyfe from ye body: right so as to saye ghostlich, Curse departeth mans soule fro god,The more curse. & fro al good workes. The more curse is much worse, & is of this strength, for to departe a man fro God, and fro all holy church, and also fro ye company of all Christen folke, neuer to be saued by ye passion of Christ ne to bee holpen by the Sacramentes that bene done in holy Churche, ne to hauehave parte with any Christen man.… Clerkes sayen, that a childe before that he is christened: it hath a wicked spirite dwelling within hym in hys soule: the whiche wicked spirite is halsed or coniured, or caste out of hym thorowe the prayer of the prieste before the churche dore, when it shall be christened. The which sacrament of baptisme is groū ded in holy writ, and is beginning of al other sacramentes, and was veriliche betokened in the passion of oure Lord Iesu Christ by water that ranne oute of hys side from hys harte, when al his bloud was agone & shed for our sakes. And so by sacrament of Christening he is ful made Christes childe, and he receaueth there parte of the passion of Christ, and part of all the Sacraments and prayers that beene done in holye churche. Also he receaueth parte of all good deedes, yt beene done among all Christen people. And if he holde mekely the couenaunt, yt he maketh there to god: he may be sure for to hauehave a dwelling place for euer in ye blysse of heauē. But what tyme yt he trespasseth so agaynst the law of God, yt he falleth into curse by sinne, or yt he is worthye to be cursed of holy church: then he is departed from God, and al good works, till he come to amendment. And he is than deliuered againe to ye fende of hel for to put him for his sinne into the payne of hell withouten ende, but he hym amend & therof be assoyled or he hence passe. And therefore there is nothing in al this world, yt a Christen mā or woman ought so griselich to dread, as for to fall into sinne, yt bringeth him into the sentence of curse: the which departeth him from God yt is his father, & from holy church that is his mother. Also as holy scripture or the lawe beareth witnesse, Cursing is cleped the sweard of holy church. For right as we seen, yt the stroke of the sweard it sleaeth and departeth the life fro the body: right so ye stroke of this ghostly sweard, Cursing, departeth and doth away our Lord God from man & woman, which is accursed: the which Lord God is life of her soules,Note. & withouten him all her workes bene dead euermore after, but thei hauehave special grace of God for to amende hem here, ere they passe oute of this world. For as many Clerkes preuen, at ye day of dumme, would our lady S. Marye, and S. Iohn Baptiste, & al saints yt bene in heauen knele down at once before ye blessed face of almightye God: they shoullen not in yt time thorowe the prayer of them all deliuer the soule of man or woman, yt dyeth in deadly sinne: For trulich it were expresselich agaynste the holy Gospell, where Christ sayth thus: that he shall trulich geue to eueryevery man and womā, their ryghte there, as he hath deserued here. And if the day of dumme shall bee so harde to all thoe yt dyen in any deadly sinne: by al reason ful myche harder shall it bee at ye tyme with all these, yt be founden openly cursed of God and of holye Churche. In thys perillous waye of dampnation beene all thylke men and women, that I shall speake of. And therefore I beseeche you, and charge you for the louelove of god almighty and for the saluation of your soules, that ye vnderstand wel al these points. And if any of you fele hym giltye in any of all, yt he amende hym by sorow of hearte, shrifte, and penaunce, and that betimes.
Fyrst and formest we denouncen accursed all that holy Churche falsely depriuen of any ryghte or profyt, that it falleth to hauehave eyther by law written, or elles by good custome, whiche that hath bene holden and vsed of old time. And in thys poynte fallen three manner of folke. Fyrst all thoe yt stelen any Churchegoodes, in what place so that they bee done to kepe, or ells that stelen vnhalowed thyng oute of holye place, or thynges that beene halowed oute of place vnhalowed. And all thoe yt wittingly breaken or destroyen anye poynt of freedome that longeth to holy Churche. And thys is not alonely vnderstande of the fredomes yt longen generally to all holy Churche, but also of other speciall freedomes, which yt some church hath more thā an other, temporal or spiritual whether so it be. The thyrd poynte is, yt al thoe bene accursed, that purchasen writtes or letters of any leude courte for to let the processe of the lawe of holy churche of causes yt longen skilfully vntounto Christē courte, the which shoulde not be demed by none other lawe. All thoe also that breaken or distroublen the fraunches and the fredome of holy church. And al yt bene agaynst the peace and ye ryghte state of holy church, or therto assenten with worde, dede, or counsayle. And al yt maliciouslye biriuen holy churche of her right, or maken holy churche Layfee, yt is halowed and blessed. And all thoe that letten Archebyshop or Byshop, or any other yt hath iurisdiction and power by the lawe of holy Church that they may not visite her sugettes, or dare not vse her lawe for to amende the soules of hem yt they hauehave to kepe. And all thoe that falsely fleen awaye from one place to an other, that holye church may not chastyse them, ne rule thē as she shuld. Also god & holy church accursen al thoe, yt laye hand in malice on priest or clerke, on man or woman learned or leude wtin church or churchyarde, or man or woman of Religion, but it be hemself defendaunt, so yt they may not els saue hemself: or els that it be in certaine pointes, that the lawe geueth licence: and all that therto procuren or mainteinen such dedes by coū sayle or strength. Also all yilke bene accursed that drawen out any mā or woman in violence out of holy Church to hauehave succour and helpe, or els out of any holy place that is halowed, but and it be in certaine poyntes, as the lawe geueth leaue, or letten them to hauehave sustenaunce the while they bene there. And also all thoe, that for malice or wrath of person, vicare, or priest, or of any other, or for wrongfull couetise of himselfe withholden rightfull tythes & offerings, rentes, or mortuaries frō her owne parishe Churche, and by waye of couetyse falselyche agayne takynge to God the worsse, and to himself the better, or els turne him into an other vse, than him oweth, or done him in other place after their owne will, so yt they be not done to the same place that they shoulde be: or let by worde or by deede any man or woman for to do her good will and her deuotion to god and to holy church. For all Christen mē & womē ben hard bound vpō pain of deadly sin, not onlich by the ordinaūce of mā, but both in the olde lawe, and also in the newe lawe, for to paye truliche to God and holy church, the tithe part of al maner encrease that they winnē trulich by the grace of god, both with her trauel, and also with her craftes, what so they be truliche gotten. Also the tith part of al manner fishes, and foules, & beasts both wild & tame And al maner of frutes that growen out of the earth. Also all that wittingly or wilfully tithen falsly, that is to say, that geuē not to god and to holy church the tēth part of eueryevery winning lefully wonnen in merchaundise, or in any other craftes. withdrawen onelyonly the expense and the costage that nedefully must be made about the thing, wherof the winning is getten, not tithing the winning of one marchaundise with the losse of another And al tho, that of the fruits of ye erth, or of beast, or any thing that neweth in the yeare, geuē not ye tith wholy withouten any costage. Al those that falsly tythen, taken to God the worse, and holden the better to her owne profyte agaynste the ordinaunce of Boniface sometyme the Archebyshop of Cantorburye: by the whiche ordinaunce thorowe oute the prouince of Cantorburye should be one manner axing of tythes in thys manner wise. Of all manner of frutes, of earbis of gardins wt outen any manner of coste abating: of haye where euer it groweth, in greate medes or in smal, as ofte as it neweth. Of newing, of all manner of beastial, of calfe, or of lambe fro seuen vpwarde in the tenthe: and fro six downewarde for euerich of hem an halfe penye, but if the person or vicarye will abyde till another yeare, and tell thilke that leuen, and take the other beaste that followeth. Of wulle yt is woxen: of fellis fro purification of our Lady. Of milke al the while yt it dureth, as wel in winter as in sōmer, but if they will do gree therefore to the person or to the vicary for the profyte of holy Church. Of fyshing, of fouling, of veneson, of been, of all other good ryghtfully wonnen, y• newen by ye yere. Of profyt of milles, & weris of fyshing no cost abate, but to ye very value shall the tithe be payde. Of lesewys, communis, seuerelis, shall the tithe trulich be paide, after the number of the beescis or the dayes, as it is most profite to holy Churche. All werckmen & chapmen that wynnen on her crafts & on her marchaundise shulen trulyche paye her tythe to God, and to holye Churche. Also Carpēters and smithes, weyuers, and al other craftysmen, and all other hyred men and wimmen shulen tythen of ye they getten, but if they wulle geue any certaine therfore to holy Churche at the persons or vicaries wil. Also of foules, of calues, of pigges, of gees, of hennes, of flax, of hempe, of corne, and of all yt neweth by the yeare. Also of shriding of trees, and of al mā ner of vnderwoode woxing or hewed. Also men of holy church mowen curse by name hem that wolen not paye her tythes, as it is written in many places of the lawe of holy Churche.
Also all thoe bene accursed by al holy Churche, that breaken or disturben the peace & the vnitie first of the kyng, and afterward of the realme, by power or by counsaile, by worde, or by deede, or els by any other manner to caste, or imagine his death, or any other traitorie to him, or to the realme. And al tho, that falsly withholden his heritage, or any other right, that hym oweth lawfully to hauehave. Also all thoe that geuen mede, or els taken any manner gyftes for to let or distrouble the pees, for to procure and make strife and debate among Christen people, where louelove and charitie shoulde be in anye degree eyther more or lesse.
Also all thoe that falsen or counterfeyten the Popes Bulles, or his sealis, or anye other seal autentike. And all ye wittingly vsen suche false letters purchased or coūterfeted. And al thoe yt falsen & counterfeten the kings seal, or the kings mony, or clippen it, or maken it lesse, or therto assēt bicause of winning Also all ye falsen the kings standard, or vsen any false weights, or false yardes or elnes, or any false measures, yt is to say, to bye with one & sel with an other for to deceaue the cōmō people. And al false conspirators, & beginners of false quarelis, & helpers therto. And al ye falslishe forsweren thē vponupon the holydom, and yet knowen well that it is false, when they begin to sweare, namelishe in questes, or in assisies, or in any other false causes. And all thilke that hiren such men, or maken to be hired, or procuren, or mainteinen thereto, or teachen hem thereto by worde or by dede, for to make a man lese hys good. And all that letten true cause or lawfull matrimonye, or heritage, or any testamente, to be discussed and ordayned. And all thoe, that for hate or for winning maken men lesen her cattell maliciously before any domesman in willing of vengeaunce. And all that purchasen writtes to outlawe anye man vnwittingly in another shire than he wonith in, all that pursuen such writs, or procuren therto, or geuen counseile, consent, helpe, or fauoure, or ells hauehave firme or stable suche writtes in her name purchased. In selfe doing or cō senting, they fallen into the greate curse. Also all false aduocates, that allegen any false exceptions or quarells in cause of matrimonye: and al yt letten rightly Matrimony. And al thilke procuratours or aduocates, or other men of lawe of holy church, ye which in plee of Matrimony, or any other cause maken exception or delayes wittingly, wt aduisement, for to destroye, let or tary a true cause, yt it may not be holpe, discussed, & ended after the right processe and course of lawe. And all that maken priuilich wedolck in church or in chappel withouten banes axing lawfullich and solempnlich agaenst forbidding of holy church. And all thoe, that for winning of frendship, or for kindred, or for louelove, entermedle with such prety wedlocke. And all thoe, that for wrathe, or hate, or mede, or any other encheson falsely doe slaunderen, or diffamen any man or womā, so yt they bene brought oute of her good fame into wicked name: or make hem to lose her worldly goodes, wherefore they han nede to purge hem by yt law. And al thoe, yt stelen, or distreine, or falselich withholdē charteries or testamentes yt longen to other men, wherfore they lesen her heritage, or any righte, yt they shoulden hauehave by lawe. And all thoe, that letten or distroublen a testamente or the laste will of man or woman lawfully made, althoughe they bee dead, of the things yt were their owne, and yt thei myghte rightfulliche make a testament of, and skilfulliche biqueth: and all that letten the fulfilling of any rightful testament and all that withholden the goodes, so that the deades will skilfully may not be perfourmed. And all thoe, yt beene sworne and charged by executorye, and fulfyllen not the deades will, as her charge axeth. And all yt letten ye kings writte, clepyd a Significauit, yt is to maken hem that beene accursed after fortye dayes to do hem to prison, and thoe that procuren her deliueraūce vnrightfulliche, before they be buxum to holy churche. Also leude men that entermedle with offeryngs in churches or chappels agenst the wil and the leue of him yt it longeth to. And all secular iustices or iudges yt bene in offices, and han the lawe to kepe, when they be proued and required to doe her office in helping of the people yt han suffered wronges and harme, but if they do rightfulnesse and truth by her cōming, be they learned mē or leude: els they ben accursed. And al thoe, yt ben wedded together against the lawe of God and of holy churche in degrees that bene forbidden, as in consanguinitie, or in affinity, or gossibred. And all that bene professed in any religion, and broken out of her order, and become wedded men or women. Also priestes yt beene within holy orders, & forsaken her order, and be comen wedded, and al yt procuren, helpen, or assenten therto. And al that knowen in matrimonye, when it shall be made, anye great defaulte or letting, but if they by some way doe holy church to know it. And when any churche or chappell is suspended or interdited by lawe, they bene accursed openly that constreynen any priest for to sing therin, or by ringing of bells, or by any other waye maken hem to heare masse, that beene openliche accursed by name. And also when any man of holy church by commission doeth oute of holy Churche, or curseth any man or woman, and nameth hym by name on holy church behalfe, that he goe oute of the Churche while masse & gods seruice is in doing: but if he do his bidding, he is accursed. And also al yt maynteynen hem, or bidden hem, holde them stil in the church: and none of them may be assoyled but by ye court of Rome. And al yt her goods geuen in drede of death in fraude of holy church, or to forbarre her dettes: and al thoe also y• such giftes taken, or coū celen, or helpen thereto, bene accursed. Also al thoe yt letten Prelates or Ordinaries, or Chapiter, for to enquire of synne there nede is for helpe or health of mans soule. And al thoe, yt against ye lawe of holy church byen or sellen any benefice of holy church, And all yt byen or sellen holy orders, or falsely stelen … thoe bene accursed, yt maken any …ate or plee in ye patronage, wherethorowe the very patrone is let of hys ryght. And al yt breken any point of the Kings great Charter, or els any point of the Charter of the forest, in whiche bene writtē the fredomes of this land, ye diuerse Kings han graunted both to learned & to leude. In the great Charter bene contayned .xxxv. poyntes: and ye Charter of the forest comprehendeth xv. points, vt in tractatu vocato, Pars oculi in prima parte, et in tract, vocat, Regimen animarum, in prima sui parte plenius continetur. Also al men and women, yt which in perill of death bene assoyled, or in any other perils, of hym yt hath not power by lawe oute of peril of death to assoyle hem assone as they be recouered, but they take absolution of hym that hath power to assoyle hem: they turnē agayn, & bene in the same curse as thei wer before, & worse for… vnbuxumnesse. Al yt bene open lechouris, open aduouteris, cōmon wemen, & all thoe yt wittingly and quietly defend them, yt they be not punished by the law after monishing vponupon paine of cursing, yt no man let them house to hire, ne receaue hem into her house, after the time that they be knowen. Also al that comynen with hem that bene accursed in eating, drinking, in receauing, in helping, in fauouring, but only in hope to bring hem to amendment. And all Okereris, and vsureris, that is to say, if man or woman lende good or cattell to her neighbour for to take aduaūtage for her lending: and thoe yt it maintaine, & assenten to such geuing or taking or filling ye derer therfore. And if there wer such one in a city, ye citye should be interdited, and no masse, ne sacramente done therein, till he were out of the citie. And all thoe ye maken, when vsurye is taken, that it bee not restored agayne. And al that beleuen on witchecraftes, or vsen it. And all that wilfully sleen hemselfe, or ells any man, woman, or childe: and all witches, and all yt on witchecrafte beleuen, maynteinen, or vsen, Also al that heresye maynteinen or sustaynen, and all heretikes that beleuen not in the sacrament of the alter, the whiche is Christes owne bodye, hys fleshe and bloud in forme of bread: and in other Sacramentes of holye Churche yt touchen health of soule. And all thoe women that distroyen her owne children, or any other womans children wyth drinkes, or with any other witchcraft, eyther wercke vnleefull. And all ye fadren her children wrongfulliche on any man for malice or couetesie. And all yt her children wilfulliche sleen or castē awaye, or leyen at churches or Church doores, or at hospitalls, or in fieldes, or in high wayes, or leauen her children christened or vnchristened and goen away from hem, and forsaken hem. And all thor, that offeringes that bene offered in holy Church, or in chappels, or in oratories, or in any other stead within a paryshe, with holden or putten away into other places agaynst the will of ye person, vicarye, or curate, but if thei be priuileged. Also Iohn Stratford sometime Archbyshop of Cantorburye, hauing regarde to muche harme of mans soule,☜Wakings. and default of deuotion thorowe vilanye and synne yt weren vsed & done about dead bodyes ligging vp, & yet is vsed about in many places, or the body be borne to church: there yt sometyme weren vsed and ordained about a corse for holy prayers for the soule: now it is forbidden by constitution vpō paine of ye great curse, that no mā vndirsong or take any folke into his house, where the dead bodies bene watched, to make any māner plaies, but pray for ye soule. And al yt there ought ells done, or thither comen, than to bidde for the soule thei mowen drede of ye same curse. And al ye vsen simonye, or geuen, or vndersongen in way of simonie. Al sacrilegiers, yt is to say, al ye wrongfulliche doen away any thing halowed, or geuen to holy church ligging to be kept, where … it be: or that any thing wt violence beare out of holy church & al yt this procuren or assentē. Also al thoe, y• doen in holy church, or in holy place any foule sinne, wherfore it hath nede to be newly halowed or reconciled. Also all thoe yt withholden any mans good vniustly wetingly, that hath bene axed openly in holy church three times. And al that in violence lien hand or drawen bloud on father or mother: and yt is to vnderstand both of bodilich & ghostlich, but it be himself defendāt. And al yt helpē the Sarazens against Christē mē in warre of armes, or in any other thing. Also al thoe that letters purchasē in any lords courte, that no processe of right may be determined, ne iudged in holy churche courte. Also al thoe ye bloud drawen of any man or woman in violence, or in any other vilonye in churche or in the churchyarde, where thorowe ye churche or churchyarde is interdited, polluted, or suspended. And all robbers & rouers by day or by night, that any mās good stelen, for the whiche goodes a mā or woman were worthye to heare iudgement. And al those that out of houses of holy church, graunges, personages, or vicaries, or any maneries of mens of holy church agaynst her will or her kepers wil any māner of goodes with violence beren out of holy place, church, or abbey, or any house of religiō, which weren lefte there for sikernesse or succour for to kepe, & all that therto assenten. Also al thoe that withholdē a wydow her right, or her dowry after her husbandes death, or taken her good wrongfully. All that procuren or geuē leue or commaundement any other to flea, or to maime, or to beate, or by any other waye a greue any Ordinarye or iudge of ye lawe in body or in goods. Al these aforesayd, bene accursed with the greater curse. Et cetera. Many other pointes also longen vntounto this greate sentence: but I trowe to God, it be no neede to rehearse here no mo.
Et sic finitur.
BUt thorowe authoritie of oure Lord God almightye, & our Lady S. Marye, and all Saintes of heauen, of all Aungells, or Archeaungells, Patriarches and Prophetes, Euangelists, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessours and Virgines, also by ye power of all holy church, yt oure Lord Iesu Christ gaue to S. Peter: We denounce all thoe accursed yt we hauehave thus reckned to you: And all thoe ye mayntayne hem in her sinnes, or geuen hem thereto eyther helpe or councell, so that thei bee departed from God and all holye churche, and that they hauehave no parte of the passion of our Lord Iesu Christ, ne of no Sacramentes that beene in holye Church, ne no parte of the prayers among Christen folke, but ye they bee accursed of God and of holy church fro the sole of theyr foote vntounto the crowne of her heade, sleapyng and wakyng, sitting and standing, and in all her wordes, and in all her workes: and but if they hauehave grace of GOD for to amende hem here in this life, for to dwel in the payne of hel for euer withouten ende. Fiat. Fiat. Do to the boke. Quenche the candle. Ring the bell. AMEN. AMEN.