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 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 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.