Of þe seuene Sacramens.
Off [r. On] þe seuene sacramens ȝit mote we trowe,
Þat I schal rikene al be Rowe.
Line 588
Þe ffurste, hit is cristendom,
Þat cryst receyued in þe fflom;
Hit makeþ vs clene of þat synne
Þat we be boren vchone Inne,
Line 592
And openeþ to vs heuene-ȝate,
Elles may no mon come in þer-ate.
But þorw gret temptacion
Þat grace miȝte be struied soon:
Line 596
Þerfore is Confirmacion—
Þat non may but Bisschop don;
Þe holigost hit stableþ riȝt
In þe, aȝeyn þe fend to fiht.
Line 600
But after þeose we sungen al day:
Þerfore penaunce hit doþ a-way
Dedly synne and venial, [orig. veniel]
Þat is to seye gret synne and smal;
Line 604
Þreo parties hit haþ, verrey penaunce,
Þerof þe synful mai ha fyaunce:
ffor-þinke þe synne wilfulliche,
And schriue þe þenne verreiliche,
Line 608
And make a-mendes to þi miht—
Of al þi synnes þen art þow quiht. [= quit]
But leste in penaunce mon schulde fayle,
Him neodeþ cumfort in þat trauayle:
Line 612
Hosul þerfore, in Bredes heuȝ
Godes bodi, we tan, of gret vertu;
Vre gostli strengþe hit holdeþ Inne,
Þat we ne falle liȝtli aȝeyn to synne.
Line 616
But in a wel-ruled halle,
Þat ben þer-Inne þei serue not alle,
Out of array for þenne hit were—
In holichirche þe same manere:
Line 620
Ordre of presthod is maad þerfore,
Vs to serue lasse and more
Of Sacramens and vre rihtynges—
Presthod haþ power of alle þeos þynges;
Line 624
