Yea, Everyman, hie you that ye ready were: There is no emperor, king, duke, ne baron, That of God hath commission, As hath the least priest in the world being; For of the blessed sacraments pure and benign He beareth the keys, and thereof hath cure For man's redemption, it is ever sure, Which God for our soul's medicine Gave us out of his heart with great pain, Here in this transitory life for thee and me: The blessed sacraments seven there be, Baptism, confirmation, with priesthood good, And the sacrament of God's precious flesh and blood, Marriage, the holy extreme unction, and penance; These seven be good to have in remembrance, Gracious sacraments of high divinity.
Fain would I receive that holy body, And meekly to my ghostly father I will go.
Everyman, that is the best that ye can do; God will you to salvation bring, For good priesthood exceedeth all other thing; To us holy scripture they do teach, And converteth man fro sin heaven to reach; God hath to them more power given Than to any angel that is in heaven: With five words he may consecrate God's body in flesh and blood to take, And handleth his Maker between his hands,[102] The priest bindeth and unbindeth all bands Both in earth and in heaven; He[103] ministers all the sacraments seven: Though we kiss thy feet, thou wert worthy: Thou art the surgeon that cureth sin deadly, No remedy may we find under God, But all only priesthood. Everyman, God gave priest[s] that dignity, And setteth them in His stead among us to be; Thus be they above angels in degree.
If priests be good, it is so surely, But when Jesu heng on the cross with great smart, There he gave us out of his blessed heart The same sacrament in great torment. He sold them not to us, that Lord omnipotent; Therefore Saint Peter the Apostle doth say, That Jesus' curse hath all they, Which God their Saviour do buy or sell, Or they for any money do take or tell, Sinful priests giveth the sinners example bad, Their children sitteth by other men's fires, I have heard, And some haunteth women's company, With unclean life, as lusts of lechery; These be with sin made blind.
I trust to God, no such may we find: Therefore let us priesthood honour, And follow their doctrine for our soul's succour; We be their sheep, and they [our] shepherds be, By whom we all be kept in surety. Peace! for yonder I see Everyman come, Which hath made true satisfaction.