Pierce the Ploughmans Crede [electronic edition]

About this Item

Title
Pierce the Ploughmans Crede [electronic edition]
Editor
Rev. Walter W. Skeat, M.A.
Publication
Early English Text Society
1867
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Oxford Text Archive number: A*-1047-A

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Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/PPlCreed
Cite this Item
"Pierce the Ploughmans Crede [electronic edition]." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/PPlCreed. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 1, 2025.

Pages

CREDO.

LEUE þou on oure Louerd God � þat all þe werlde wrouȝte, Line 795 Holy heuen opon hey � hollyche he fourmede, Line 796 And is almiȝti him-self � ouer all his werkes, Line 797 And wrouȝt as his will was � þe we[r]lde and þe heuen ; Line 798 And on gentyl Jesu Crist � engendred of him-seluen, Line 799 His own onlyche sonne � Lord ouer all y-knowen, Line 800 [Þat] was clenly conseued � clerlye, in trewþe, Line 801 Of þe hey Holy Gost � þis is þe holy beleue ; Line 802 And of þe mayden Marye � man was he born, Line 803 Wiþ-outen synnfull sede � þis is fully þe beleue ; Line 804 Wiþ þorn y--crouned, crucified � & on þe crois dyede, Line 805 And syþen his blessed body � was in a ston byried, Line 806 And descended a-doune � to þe derk helle, Line 807 And fet oute our formfaderes � & hy full feyn weren ; Line 808 Þe þridde daye rediliche � him-self ros fram deeþ, Line 809 And on a ston þere he stod � he steiȝ vp to heuene, Line 810 And on his fader riȝt hand � redeliche he sitteþ, Line 811 Þat al-miȝti god � ouer all oþer whyȝtes ; Line 812 And is hereafter to komen � Crist, all him-seluen, Line 813 To demen þe quyke and þe dede � wiþ-outen any doute ; Line 814 And in þe heiȝe holly gost � holly y beleue, Line 815 And generall holy chirche also � hold þis in þy mynde ; Line 816 [The communion of sayntes � for soth I to the sayn ; Line 817 And for our great sinnes � forgiuenes for to getten, Line 818 And only by Christ � clenlich to be clensed ; Line 819 Our bodies again to risen � right as we been here, Line 820 And the liif euerlasting � leue ich to habben ; Amen.] Line 821 And in þe [sacrement] also � þat soþfast God on is, Line 822 (Fullich his fleche & his blod) � þat for vs deþe þolede.-- Line 823 And þouȝ þis flaterynge freres � wyln for her pride, Line 824 Disputen of þis deyte � as dotardes schulden, Line 825 Þe more þe matere is moved � þe [masedere hy] worþen. Line 826 Lat þe losels alone � & leue þou þe trewþe, Line 827 For Crist seyde it is so � so mot it nede worþe ; Line 828 Þerfore studye þou nouȝt þeron � ne stere þi wittes, Line 829 It is his blissed body � so bad he vs beleuen. Line 830 Þise maystres of dyvinitie � many, als y trowe, Line 831 Folwen nouȝt fully þe feiþ � as fele of þe lewede. Line 832 Whouȝ may mannes wijt � þoruȝ werk [of] him-selue, Line 833 Knowen Cristes pryuitie � þat all kynde passeþ ? Line 834 It mot ben a man � of also mek an herte, Line 835 Þat myȝte wiþ his good lijf � þat Holly Gost fongen ; Line 836 And þanne nedeþ him nouȝt � neuer for to studyen ; Line 837 He miȝte no maistre [ben] kald � (for Crist þat defended), Line 838 Ne puten [no] pylion � on his pild pate ; Line 839 But prechen in parfite lijf � & no pride vsen. Line 840 But all þat euer I haue seyd � soþ it me semeþ, Line 841 And all þat euer I haue writen � is soþ, as I trowe, Line 842 And for amending of þise men is most þat I write ; Line 843 God wold hy wolden ben war � & werchen þe better ! Line 844 But, for y am a lewed man � paraunter y miȝte Line 845 Passen par auenture � & in som poynt erren, Line 846 GOD AMEND ALL FALSE FRIARS ! Line 847 Y will nouȝt þis matere � maistrely auowen ; Line 848 But ȝif ich haue myssaid � mercy ich aske, Line 849 & praie all maner men � þis matere amende, Line 850 Iche a word by him-self � & all, ȝif it nedeþ. Line 851 God of his grete myȝte � & his good grace Line 852 Saue all freres � þat faiþfully lybben, Line 853 And alle þo þat ben fals � fayre hem amende, Line 854 And ȝyue hem wijt & good will � swiche dedes to werche Line 855 Þat þei maie wynnen þe lif � þat euer schal lesten ! Line 856
AMEN.
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