THE AYENBITE OF INWYT.

(REMORSE OF CONSCIENCE.)

A TRANSLATION OF PARTS INTO MODERN ENGLISH.

BY A. J. WYATT, M.A., TUTOR OF UNIVERSITY CORRESPONDENCE COLLEGE.

London: W. B. CLIVE & CO. UNIV. CORR. COLLEGE PRESS WAREHOUSE, Booksellers Row, Strand, W.C.

AYENBITE OF INWYT. (REMORSE OF CONSCIENCE.)

THE PROLOGUE.

Almighty God gave ten behests in the law of the Jews, that Moses received in the hill of Sinai in two tables of stone, that were written with God’s finger. And (Moses) himself, after his burial, commanded in his story to each man that will be saved to keep and observe them. And whoso sinneth in any of the same behests, shall repent thereof, and be shriven, and pray for God’s mercy, if he will be saved.

This book is written for Englishmen, that they may know how they shall shrive themselves and make them clean in this life. This book is called by him who writes Ayenbite of Inwyt. First are the ten behests that all men shall observe.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT.

The first behest that God made and commanded is this: ‘Thou shalt not have many gods;’ that is to say, ‘Thou shalt neither have, nor worship, nor serve any God but Me. And thou shalt not put thy trust but in Me.’ For the same that puts his trust chiefly in a creature, sinneth deadly and acts against this behest. Such are they that worship the idols and make their god of a creature, whatsoever it be.

Against this behest sin those that love their goods too much, gold or silver, or other earthly things. Whosoever sin in these things set their heart and their hope so much 4 that they forget their Creator, and forsake Him who lends them all these goods. And therefore they should serve and thank, and love and worship Him above all things, as this first behest teaches thee.

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.

The second behest is as follows: ‘Thou shalt not take God’s name in vain;’ that is to say, ‘Thou shalt not swear for naught and without good reason,’ which our Lord Himself forbids us in His Gospel, that one should not swear, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by other creature. Yet from good cause one may swear without sin, as in judgment, where one demands oath of truth, or out of judgment from other good cause, and with purity and reason. In no other manner is it right to swear. And, therefore, whosoever swears without reason the name of our Lord, and for naught, if he wittingly swears false he forswears himself, and acts against this behest, and swears deadly, for he swears against conscience, that is to say (understand), when he forswears himself by thought and by long thinking. But he that swears true wittingly, and always for naught or for some bad reason, not wickedly, but lightly and without slander, swears venially. Nevertheless the habit is sinful, and may well turn to deadly sin unless he beware. But he that swears horribly by God or by His

saints, and breaks him in pieces, and says slanders about him that are not to be said, the same sins deadly. Nor can he have reason, that he may excuse himself. And he that accustoms himself to swear most, sins most.

THE THIRD COMMANDMENT.

The third behest is this: ‘Look that thou hallow the day of the sabbath (Saturday),’ that is to say, thou shalt not do on the day of the sabbath (Saturday) thy business, nor thy works, that thou mightest do on other days. But thou shalt rest thyself in order the better to prepare thyself to pray to and to serve thy Creator, who rested the seventh day from works that He had made in the six days before, in 5 which He made and ordained (ordered) the world. This behest he spiritually fulfils who keeps by his might the peace of his conscience, in order to serve God more holily. Then this word ‘Saturday,’ which the Jews call ‘sabbath,’ signifies (as much as) rest.

This behest can none keep spiritually, that is conscious (in conscience) of deadly sin. For such conscience cannot be at rest the while that she is in such a state. And instead of the sabbath, which was strictly kept in the old law, holy Church sets the Sunday to be kept in the new law, for our Lord arose from death to life on Sunday. And therefore one shall beware and keep free so holily, and be at rest, from works over and above the week; and more from works of sin; and give himself more to spiritual works and to God’s service, and think on his Creator, and pray to Him, and thank Him for His goodness. And whoso breaks the Sunday and the other high feasts that are ordained to be kept in holy Church, sins deadly, for he acts against the aforesaid behest of God and of holy Church, except it be for some business that holy Church allows. But he sins more that spends the Sunday and the feasts in sin, and in whoredom, and in other sins against God. These three behests direct us specially to God.

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.

The fourth behest is this: ‘Honour thy father and thy mother, for thou shalt live the longer on the earth.’ This behest admonishes us that we beware that we anger not father nor mother wittingly. And whoso despises his father and his mother wittingly, or slanders them, or angers with evil, sins deadly, and breaks this behest.

In this same behest is understood the honour that we shall bear to our spiritual fathers, that is, to them that have the care of teaching us and of chastising us, such as are the rulers of holy Church, and those that have the care of our souls and of our bodies. And whoso will not bow to them that have the care of him, when they teach the good that one is bound to do, sins deadly; and the disobedience may be such that it is deadly sin.

THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.

The fifth behest is this: ‘Thou shalt slay no man.’ This behest forbids that one shall slay another for revenge, or for his goods, or for other wicked reason, for that is deadly sin. Nevertheless to slay evildoers, in order to do and keep right, and for other good reason, (it) is good right by the law to him that shall do it and is bound thereto.

In this behest is forbidden sin of hate, and of wrath, and of great ire. For, as saith the Scripture, he that hateth his brother, he is a man-slayer as to his will, and sins deadly; and he (also) that bears long wrath against others; for such wrath, long held and befolded in the heart, is in wrath and in hate, which is deadly sin and against this behest. And yet sins he more that does or purchases shame or harm to others wrongfully, or is in counsel and in help to cause others to be harmed in order to avenge himself. Nevertheless wrath or contempt, that goes lightly without great will and willingness to harm others, is not deadly sin.

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT.

The sixth behest is this: ‘Thou shalt do no whoredom;’ that is to say, thou shalt not desire carnal fellowship with other men’s wives.

In this behest is forbidden us all sin of the flesh, that one calls generally lechery. That is one of the seven deadly sins, though there are some branches that are not deadly sin, as are many motions of the flesh, all of which one cannot flee. And those one shall bring to naught and withdraw from as much as one can, not nourish nor pursue them, either by too much meat or drink, or by evil thoughts too long holden, or by evil handlings. For in such things one may have harm of soul. In this behest is forbidden all sins against nature, in whatever manner they are done, either in his own body or in others.

THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.

The seventh behest is this: ‘Thou shalt do no theft.’ This behest forbids us to take and withhold other men’s thing, whatever it be, from wicked cause, against the will of him that owns it.

In this behest is forbidden robbery, theft, stealing, and usury, and unfair dealing with others, in order to have for his own. And he that acts against this behest is bound to give up what he has wrongly of other men’s, if he knows to whom. And if he knows not, he is bound to give it for God’s love, or to act by the advice of holy Church. And he that wrongly withholds other men’s thing for a sinful reason sins deadly, unless he give it up, where he owes, if he knows it and can do it, or unless he acts by the advice of holy Church.

THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT.

The eighth behest is this: ‘Thou shalt say no false witness against thy fellow-Christian.’

In this behest it is forbidden us that we should lie or forswear ourselves, either in judgment or out of judgment, in order to cause thy fellow-Christian harm; and that one should bring none as a witness in order to impair his (one’s fellow-Christian’s) fame, or his grace that he hath, for that is deadly sin. Against this behest those act that slander good men behind them willingly and wrongfully, which one calls the sin of detraction; and those also that praise the wicked and the deeds of their wickedness and of their follies, known, or seen, or heard. That is sin of flattery or of deceit, when one says it before them; or falsehood or leasings, when he that one speaks of is not present. For all those are false witnesses.

THE NINTH COMMANDMENT.

The ninth behest is this: ‘Thou shalt not desire thy neighbour’s wife, nor desire her in thy heart.’ That is to say, thou shalt not consent to do sin with thy body.

This behest forbids to desire with will of heart to have carnal fellowship with all women out of marriage; and the sinful tokens that are made outwardly in order to lead to sin, as are sinful words of such a kind, or gifts, or sinful handling. And the difference between this behest and the sixth aforesaid is, that the sixth behest forbids the deed without, but this forbids the consent within. For the consent to have carnal fellowship with a woman (women), who is not his own for a wife, is deadly sin by the judgment of God’s Word, which says: ‘Whoever sees a woman and desires her in his heart, he hath sinned with her in his heart,’ that is to say, in open desire and in thought.

THE TENTH COMMANDMENT.

The tenth behest is this: ‘Thou shalt not desire a thing that is thy neighbour’s.’ This behest forbids the will to have other men’s thing(s) for a wicked reason.

In this behest is forbidden envy of other men’s goods, or of other men’s grace. For the same envy comes of sinful covetousness to have the goods or the very grace that he sees in others. And the same covetousness, when the consent and the thoughts [are] thereto, is deadly sin, and against this behest. Nevertheless light covetousness to have other men’s things for a good reason is no sin. And if there is any evil desire, without will and without consent to harm others, it is no sin; and if there is sin, it is light sin.

These are the ten behests, whereof the three first direct us well to God; the other seven direct us to our neighbour. These ten behests are incumbent on each one that hath reason and age, to know and to do. For whoever acts thereagainst wittingly, sins deadly.

THE TWELVE ARTICLES OF THE CHRISTIAN BELIEF.

These are the twelve articles of the Christian belief, that each Christian man shall believe steadfastly, for otherwise he cannot be saved when he hath wit and reason. And 9 thereof are twelve according to the numbers of the twelve apostles, who appointed them to be observed and to be kept by all those that will be saved. The first, then, belongs to the Father, the next seven (seventh) to the Son, the last four (fourth) to the Holy Ghost; for that is the beginning of the belief, ‘believe in the Holy Trinity;’ that is, in the Father, and in the Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God and three persons. All these articles are contained in the creed, that the twelve apostles made, whereof each ordained his own.

The first article is this: ‘I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and of earth.’ This article St. Peter ordained.

The second article belongs to the Son, as to His Godhead; that is to say, that He is God, and is this: ‘I believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, the Son of God the Father, and (He) is one with the Father in all things that appertain to the Godhead, but, with regard to the person, who is other than the person of the Father.’ This article St. John the Evangelist ordained.

The third article and the fifth, that follows after, belong to the Son as to His manhood; that is to say, as He is mortal man. Then in the third article is contained, that He was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the maid Mary. By which it is to be understood that He was conceived in the maid Mary by the deed and by the virtue of the Holy Ghost, and not at all by deed of man. And the maid Mary remained ever maid and whole before and after. This article St. James, St. John’s brother, ordained.

The fourth article belongs to His passion; that is to say, that He suffered death under Pontius Pilate, who was a pagan, and judge at that time in Jerusalem, by the Romans. Under that judge was Jesus Christ condemned wrongfully at the command of three wicked Jews, and crucified, and dead, and placed in a tomb. This article St. Andrew ordained.

The fifth article is as follows: that He went into hell after His death, in order to lead out thence and to deliver the souls of the holy fathers, and of all those that, from the beginning of the world, died in true and good belief, and 10 in hope that they should be saved by Him, because of the sin of the first man. It behoved that all should go into hell and abide there, the good in sure hope that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, should come to deliver them, according as He had promised by His prophets. And for that reason would He after His death go into hell, that is to say, on that side where the saints were, not on that side where were the lost, who were dead in their sin and in their unbelief. And those He led not out, for they are lost for evermore. This article St. Philip ordained.

The sixth article is of His resurrection, to wit, that the third day after His death, in order to fulfil the Scriptures, He arose from death to life, and showed Himself to His disciples, and proved His resurrection to them in many ways for forty days. This article St. Thomas ordained.

The seventh article is, that the fortieth day after His resurrection, when He had eaten with His disciples, He ascended before them quite openly into heaven, who is above every creature that is in heaven, unto the right hand of God the Father, where He made Him [sit]. This article St. Bartholomew ordained.

The eighth article is, that He shall come at the day of judgment to judge the dead and the living, the good and the bad, and render to each according as he hath deserved in this world. These are the articles that belong to the Son. This article St. Matthew, the evangelist, ordained.

The ninth article and the three last belong to the Holy Ghost, and is this: ‘I believe in the Holy Ghost.’ This article requires that one believe that the Holy Ghost is the gift and love of the Father and of the Son, from whom comes all the good of grace, and that He is one God, and one with the Father and the Son, except the person, which is other than the person of the Father and of the Son. This article St. James, St. Simon’s and St. Jude’s brother, ordained.

The tenth article is this: ‘I believe (in) the holy Catholic Church and the communion of saints;’ that is to say, the fellowship of all the saints, and of all the good men that are, and shall be unto the end of the world, and were since the beginning, together in the faith of Jesus 11 Christ. And in this article are understood the seven sacraments that are in holy Church, to wit, christening, confirming, the sacrament of the altar, orders, marriage, the holy shrift, and the last anointing. This article St. Simon ordained.

The eleventh is, to believe the forgiveness of sins, that God gives by the virtue of His holy sacraments that are in holy Church. This article St. Jude ordained.

The twelfth article is, to believe the general resurrection of the body, and the life without end, that is the bliss of Paradise, which God shall give to them that have deserved it by good faith and by good works. This article gives (us) to understand its contrary, that is, the torment without end that God hath prepared for the lost. This article shall be understood in such a manner, that each, be he good, be he bad, shall be at the day of judgment raised from death to life in his own body, wherein he shall have [lived], and receive his reward in body and in soul, according as he has deserved in this life. And therefore shall the good at that day in body and in soul be in life without end, and the wicked lost evermore in body and in soul. This article St. Matthew ordained.

OF THE REVELATION THAT ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST SAW.

My lord, St. John, in the book of his visions, which is called the Apocalypse, so says that he saw a beast that came out of the sea wonderfully adorned and exceedingly dreadful. For the body of the beast was as a leopard, the feet were of a bear, the throat of a lion, and it had seven heads and ten horns, and upon the ten horns ten crowns; and St. John saw that the same evil beast had power of himself to fight with the saints, and to overcome and to overmaster them. This same beast, so wonderful and so counterfeited and dreadful, betokens the devil, who came out of the sea of hell, which is full of all sorrow and of all bitterness. The body of the beast, as St. John says, was so like the leopard because, as the leopard hath divers colours, so hath the devil divers modes of watching and of 12 dispute, in order to beguile and to tempt folk. The feet were like the feet of a bear, for as the bear, which hath its strength in its feet and in its arms, holds strongly and binds what it hath under its feet, what it embraces, just so does the devil them that he hath embraced and overthrown by

sin. The throat was of a lion, because of his great cruelty, that will devour all.

THE TOKENS OF THE HEADS OF THE BEASTS.

The seven heads of the beast of hell are the seven capital sins by which the devil draws to himself also all the world. For scarcely it befalls that one falls not into the throat of some of the seven heads, and therefore St. John says well that it had power against the saints. For on earth is no man so holy that he can perfectly escape all the kinds of sin that come of these seven heads without special privilege of grace, as it was in the maid Mary, or in some others by special grace, which they had of God. The ten horns of the beast betoken the offences against the ten behests of our Lord, which the devil obtains, as much as he can, by the seven aforesaid sins. The ten crowns above betoken the victory that it (he) hath over all the sinful, because he causes them to sin against the ten behests.

THE FIRST HEAD OF THE BEAST.

The first head of the beast of hell is pride; the second is envy; the third, wrath; the fourth, sloth, which one calls in book-lore, indolence; the fifth, itching—in book-lore, avarice, or covetousness; the sixth, gluttony; the seventh, lechery, or luxury. Of these seven heads comes every kind of sin, and therefore they are called capital sins, because they are the head of all evil and of all sins, and the beginning of all evil, be they deadly, be they venial. Then each of the same seven divides into many divisions, and first we will talk of the sin of pride, because that was the first sin and the beginning of all evil. For pride first broke fellowship and order, when Lightbearer (Lucifer) the angel, because of his great beauty and his great wit, would 13 be above the other angels, and would make himself equal to God, who had made him so fair and so good, and therefore he fell from heaven and became a devil, both he and all his fellowship. All the proud, who fellowship and order of men destroy and break, are like him, when they will be

above others, and be more famed and praised than any other that are more worthy.

THE MIGHT OF PRIDE.