Preparation to deathe A booke as deuout as eloquent, compiled by Erasmus Roterodame. — De praeparatione ad mortem. English

Preparation to deathe A booke as deuout as eloquent, compiled by Erasmus Roterodame. — De praeparatione ad mortem. English

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Title page

THE PREFACE. DESIDERIVS ERASMVS OF ROTERODAME, to the ryght noble lorde Thomas, Erle of wylteshyre, and of Drmanie, sendeth gretynge.

A BOKE OF ERASMVS OF Aotcrodame, how euery man ought for to prepare hym selfe, to dye.

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A BOKE OF ERASMVS OF Aotcrodame, how euery man ought for to prepare hym selfe, to dye.

OF ALL DRADFVLL thinges, death is moste dradfull, sayth a certayn Philosopher, of greate Aristotle fame, but which had not herde that heuenly Philosopher, whyche hath taught vs, not onely with wordes, but also with euydente examples, that a man perysheth not by death of body, but is drawen in sondre, and that the soule is ledde forth as it were out of a prison most paynful, in to blessed reste: and the body also shall lyue agayne, to be partaker of the glorye. He had not herde this principle of the spirite: Blessed be the deade, whiche dye in the lorde. He had not herde Paule lametynge Apoc. 14. and syghynge: I couet to be dissolued, and be with Christ. And, Christ to me is lyfe, and deathe is lucre. But it is nothinge to be Phil. 1. merueyled at, if they, whiche beleue, that the hole man perysheth by death, nor haue not this hope, whyche onely the fayth in Christe worketh in vs, eyther bewayle the deathe of other, or feare and abhorre their owne. This is rather to be merueyled, that [Page] there be so many such as I am, which, whā they haue lerned and do professe al Christis philosophie, yet so feare death, as thoughe eyther they do beleue, that nothing of man remayneth after the brethe expired, or as thoughe they mystruste the promyses of Christ: or els as thoughe they vtterly despayre of them selues. The first propretie of these thre is, of beastly personnes, suche as Sardanapalus was. The seconde is of infidelles, which haue no truste in Christ, and the thirde is of theym that be ignoraunt of goddes mercye. In this behalfe they seme lyke to hethen persons, that be ignorant of god. For he is ignoraunt of god, that knoweth not hym to be of infynite mercy. This without question, that the commun sorte of men do thus feare at the namynge of death, cōmeth partly of the vnstedfastnes of faith, partely of the loue of worldly thinges. He knoweth of no tremblyng, which in ful trust sayth with the spostle: Whether we lyue, we Rom. 14. lyue to the lorde, or whether we dye, we dye to the lorde. Wherfore whether we lyue, or whether we dye, we be the lordes. But that the lorde ones hath receyued into his protection, can not peryshe. Out of this fountayne springeth the voyce of the prophete, wytnessynge his vnfearful mynde, If I shuld walke in the myddes of the shadowe of deth, [...] 22. [Page] I wyll not feare euyls, bycause thou arte with me. For the faith full lorde neuer forsaketh them; which yelde them holly to his grace, but kepeth them as the moste tender parte of his eye. For he is lorde both of lyfe and death, to whome nothinge is deade, but all thinges lyue, which cleaue to hym by faith. Of the weakenes of faythe is gendred the loue of temporall commodities. For if with our hole herte we beleued the thinges that god hath promysed vs by his sonne Jesus, all the delectations of this worlde shoulde sone be lyttell regarded, and death whiche setteth vs euer vnto them with a paynefulle (but yet a short) passage, shuld be les feared. The wyse man cryeth: O death, how bitter is thy memorye? But what addeth he? To Eccle. 41. a manne hauynge peace in his substaunce. He sayth not, hauynge ryches, For many good men haue possessed rychesse: but to him that hath his quietnes in them. That that is spo ken of ryches, the same is to be vnderstond of honours, pleasurs, wyfe, childern, kynsfolke, frēdes, of beautie, youth, good helth, brefely of all kynde of commodities, which death plucketh frome both good and euyll. The more ferventely we loue a thynge, the more paynefully we be plucked frome it. If thou be in loue with anye thynge, thou Horace shalte leye it downe agaynste thy wyll, sayth [Page] & certayne wyse pagane. Now, he is in loue with these temporall thynges, who so euer resteth in them, as in propre and perpetuall goodes, where as these are but borowed & transytory, to be layde downe not onely paciently, but also thankfully, so oft as he demaundeth them agayne, which gaue them. For in these worldly goodes a manne to set his rest, this is to enioye theym, whiche he ought to vse, and that also by the waye, and as it were in his passage: as the apostle aduertyseth the Corinthes, It remayneth bretherne, 2. Cor. 4. that they that haue wyues, shulde be as not hauynge, and they that wepe, as not wepynge, and they that ioye, as not ioyenge, and they that bye, as not possessynge, and they that vse this worlde, as thoughe they vsed it not. For the fashion of this worlde passeth awaye. We be wayfarynge men in this worlde, not inhabytantes, we be as straungers in Innes (or to speke it better) in bouthes or tentes, we lyue not in our countrey. This holle lyfe is nothinge elles but a rennynge to deathe, and that very shorte, but death is the gate of euerlastynge lyfe.

¶ Amongest the Iewes bycause contractes [...] 25. and purchases were expyred and ended by a certayn daye, by the order of their lawes, how moch shorter the space of tyme was, so moche was the price of thinges the [Page] lyghter. Than howe moche more ought al these transitorie thinges be of lytel regard, that are in daunger of so manye chaunces, whiche though no casualtie plucked away, yet death plucketh away all from all men? Adde herevnto, that they, whiche renne at a game, se howe moche space they haue left behynd them, and howe moch remaineth to the marke: And in tymes past they that loked for the Iubilie, knewe howe longe they might enioy that that they had bought. But there is no mortall man, whiche certainely knoweth, that he shall lyue vntyll the nexte day. We renne, but hauynge deathe in oure fete, yea carieng it aboute on all our body. We haue receiued our life frely of the lord, but condicionally, that we surrender it at euery moment, whan he demandeth it. Howe though it chanceth vs to liue vntil extreme age, whiche to how fewe it chaunceth, euery man knoweth, O lorde god, what is the hole lyfe of man, but a very short rennynge place, wherin wyl we wyl we not, we renne contynuallye, slepe we, wake we, be we in welth or in wo? The contynuall course of the worlde carieth vs away lyke a boystous flode, although we seme to our selues, or to other, to stand styl. Than if prices of world ly thynges be estemed by the shortenes of tyme, howe moche more vyle oughte tho [Page] thynges to be, whiche haue not so moch as one howre certayne? Nowe the thynges that we lyttelle regarde, we lyttelle force though they be plucked awaye from vs, as they why che be not at home, but in strange countreys, if any cōmoditie appereth vnto them in the way, or in theyr ynnes, they cast not their mynd greatly therto, bicause they must leue forth with the thing that delyteth them, and if any incōmodite chaunce them, they beare it easely, thinkyng thus, Here I dine, my supp is ordeined in an other place. The thinges that be sene (sayth Paule) be tē porall, 2. Corl. 4 and tho that be not sene, be eternall. And this is a greate parte of the Christen philosophie, whiche prepareth vs to dethe, that by the contemplation of thinges eternall and heuenly, we maye lerne the despisynge of temporall and erthly.

Plato iuged the hole philosophy, none other thynge but a meditation of deathe. He Plato. callyd a meditation a preparation, & as who shuld say, an exercyse to death, none otherwyse thā a yong warriour, that shal in time commynge fyght with his ennemy, exercyseth hym selfe at a tylte. Whiche is a ryghte holsome saying, if that whiche is spoken of the philsopher philosophically, be taken of christen men christēly. For not the contemplation of mathematicall formes, abstracte [Page] from the mattiers, nor yet the imagination of Idee, whiche Plato deuysed, causeth vs to dye wel, but if with the eies of feithe, we consider in our mindes the goodes passyng al mans wyt, whiche god hath promised by his son Jesus to them that trust vnto hym, & the euils which he hath thretnid to infidels & disobedient. Thone shal feare vs from sinning, the other shal prouoke vs to do wel. I grant an eternall veritie in certayn humayn lerninges, but suche as procureth to no man the true felicitie. But here the promiser is euerlastinge, euerlastyng is he, by whom he promiseth, euerlasting be the thinges ꝓmysed, euerlastinge felicitie they brynge to the beleuers, & euerlasting infelicitie to the despisers. This meditation of deth is the meditation of the true life. And it causeth not only, that the philosopher promiseth, which is that the soule shulde depart from the bodye with lesse heuynesse, but also that with cherefulnes of hart, it shuld lepe merily, as it were out of a darke and painful prison, into blessed libertie, & into that light so louely, which is void of any nyght or darknes: For the body, whiche is corruptible, accombreth Sap̄. 9. the soule, and the erthely habitation, depresseth the mynd, reuoluing many thynges. And therfore crieth the ꝓphete, Lede out of prison my soule, that it may cōfesse thy name Lorde. Psal. 141.

[Page] The summe of mans felicitie is to contemplate and prayse his maker, redemer, & gouernour. To this end is man created. This felicitie of man is oftentymes disturbed by the weakenes of this body, which we cary aboute, subiecte to so many necessities, to so many euyls, to so many peryls. In like wyse also saynt Paule, accombred with the carnall habytation, pytyfully syghynge crieth. O I vnhappy man, who shall delyuer me frō Rome. 7. this body of deth? For he saw them in high blysse, whiche dwelled in the house of the lorde, pray synge hym worlde without ende. Of this affection be men of the ryght holynes, of whome though the bodyes kepe in erth, yet their treasure, harte, and conuersation is in heuens. But few men haue this perfection and strongenes of mynde: It is not gyuen to al men to say with Paul, Christ to me is lyfe, and to dye is a lucre. And, I couet to be dissolued, and be with Christe. We beinge our selues weake, prepare this consolation to them that be weake, vnto whom yet thexamples of the perfyte lyuers be, as who saith, prickes and prouocations, to obteyne the strength of the spirite. Wherfore this meditation of dethe is through out all the lyfe to be exercysed, and euer amonge the sparke of feyth is to be styred vp, that it may encreace and gather strēgth, to whom [Page] charytie annexed, shall drawe vnto it hope, whiche neuer maketh his maister ashamed. But we haue none of these oure selfes, but they be the gyftes of god, with contynuall prayers and vowes to be vowed for: if they lacke, and if we haue them, to be augmentid that they may encreace. The stronger that feyth accompanied with Hope and Charitie is, the lesse is the tremblynge. For that most part of vs thus abhoire from the men tion of death, it commeth commonly of the vnstedfastnes of fayth. But on the promises of god ought man to haue moste certain trust. For he is onely he, whiche of nature true, can not deny hym selfe. To whom the noble psalmograph syngeth, Euerlastingely lorde thy worde abydeth. In heuen & worlde In aeternia dn̄e pmanet. &c. without ende is thy trouth. which also in the Euangel pronounceth of hym selfe, Heuen and erthe shall passe, but my wordes shal not Coelum & terra trā sibunt. &c passe. What hath he promysed? He hathe promysed vyctorye of deathe, vyctorye of fleshe, of the worlde, and of the dyuell: He hath promysed remission of synnes, he hath promysed an hundrede tymes as moche in this worlde, & euerlastyng lyfe in the next. But in what wyse hathe he promysed? By our owne ryghtwysenes? No truely, but by grace of faythe, whiche is vpon Christ Iesus. And to the entent we shulde be the surer, [Page] he hath annulled & cancelled that fyrst [...] handwrityng, whiche Adam vnhappily had described vnto vs, naylynge it to the crosse: and hath giuen vs his handwriting of grace whiche he hath scaled with his owne blod, and hath confirmed it with innumerable testimonies of prophetes, apostels, martyrs, and virgins, whiche with their blode alsoo haue subscribed. And the vnyuersal church of Christen men, and holy fathers also haue subscribed. He hath more ouer added the erneste penye of the spirite, that our truste shulde wauer in no part. And the goodnesse of god not cōtented with these, hath vouchesafed to shewe vnto all men an euidente and notable example in his onely begotten sonne. For that he hath ouercome, vndoutedly he ouercame for his membres sakes, on whome he holly bestoweth hym selfe. For what were we sely wormes of our selues? Christe is our Justyce, Christe is our vyctorie, Christe is our hope and surenes, Christe is our tryumphe and crowne. He was borne a chylde, but (which Esai omitted not) to vs he was borne, to vs he was gyuen. In lykewyse for vs he taughte, for vs he healyd diseases, caste forth dyuelles, for vs he hungred and thyrsted, for vs he was blasphemed, for vs the time of deth approching, he was striken with heuynes and [Page] werynes of lyfe, for vs he swette bloud, for vs he was bound and beate, for vs he dyed and reuiued, fynally for vs he sytteth on the ryght hande of the father. Whyles he toke vpon hym all euyls due vnto vs, he delyuered them vnto vs, that we shulde ouercome theym. Nowe that he hathe broken theyr strengthes, & hath added the strongenes of spirite, according to the measure of our afflictions. He hath shewed vs the way howe to ouercome, he hath added a desire of figh ting, to the fyghters he ministreth help. So he ouercometh in vs, if so be that we tary in hym. We tarie by faithe and charitie. If ye aske where this chyrograph or handwrytynge that assureth vs, remaineth: I answer in the canonicall scriptures, in whiche we rede the wordis of god, not of mē. To these no lesse credence is to be youen, than if god had spoken theym vnto the, with his owne mouth, yea I dare boldli say somwhat more largely. For if god had spoken vnto the by some created lykenes, perchaunce, accordinge to thexample of certayne good men, thou woldest haue doubted, whether there were any disceite in the thynge. But al this doubte the perpetuall consent of the catholyke churche, hath cleane take away frome vs. Than in this handwriting to studye all our lyfe, is the best preparation to dethe. [Page] As thapostle sayth, that by pacience and cō solation [...] of scriptures we maye haue hope. Agayne; if a man demaundeth, how and whan Christe ouercame these, I answere, he ouercame the flesshe, and shewed vs the maner of ouercomynge, where as he fearynge and abhorrynge deathe, accordynge to the nature, which he toke vppon hym, sayth to the father, But yet not as I wyll, but as thou wylte. And in an nother place he wytnesseth of hym selfe, sayenge, I came not to do my wyll, but his that sent me. Nothynge is soo horrible to mans nature, that by the helpe of Christe is not ouercome, if we commytte and submytte vs hole to goddis wyl: and in our moste greuous stormes of tribulations haue all tymes in mynde the sayenge of the good father and kyng Dauyd, It is the lord, [...] let him do that semeth best in his eyes. These wordes be not magicall, but they be stronger than all enchantementes, whiche who so euer pronounceth with his hart, and cō tinueth with this trust, he can not despayre, thoughe the hole route of euyls with al the diuels in hel shuld inuade him. Almyghty is he, that fyghteth for vs, and which speketh in the Psalme, with hym I am in tribulation; I wyll plucke hym oute, and I wyll gloryfyē hym. Whan thou herest, with hym, doo not prayse thyn owne strength, but haue an eye [Page] to the power of the helper. Whan thou herest, I wyll plucke hym out, be not desperate of mynde, thoughe thou be somwhat longe in tribulations. He wyll do withoute doute, that he promysed: and he knoweth whan it is expedient that thou shouldest be lyghted of thy euyls. Whan thou herest, I wyll glorify hym, be thou assured, that as thou were felowe with Christe of the Crosse, so thou shalt be felowe with hym also of glory. But remēbre what went before, He cryed to me. It is thy part to crye & to crye to the lorde, not to the succours of this worlde, not to thy strengthes and good dedes, but to the lorde, which onely maye delyuer the frome these euyls. Nothinge is frayler than man, and yet no man can expresse, with how many and how outragious euyls and fearefull myschefes he is besicged. For to omyt thū ders, erthquakes, see rages, grounde openynges, warres, robberies, wytchecraftes, who can recken vp all fourmes of diseses? And amongest these how many be there, so horrible, and so paynefulle, that a man shall quake for feare, to here them but named: of the which sort be the fallynge syckenes, the palsey, the flayinge of the bladder, the frā sye. I wyll not speake of the often inuasiōs of Pestilences, which dayly springe not only newe and newe, but also worse and worse [Page] against all the remedyes of the Phisitiens: so that it is most truly spoken of the Poet. ¶ Mille modis leti miseros mors vna fatigat.

Onely death with his cruell dart,

By thousand meanes make man to smart.

¶ How is it possible, that we so weake both of bodies & of myndes, can be able to match & be good ynoughe for so many outragious stormes? vtterly we were vndone, though the burden of synne were away, yf the hand of the lorde helped not oure imbecillytye. Nowe remayneth an other myschefe, that is to wytte the worlde, whiche bringeth to good and godly persones, no small batayle. I call the worlde, the olde man, with his actes and concupiscences. Howe be it vnder the name of worlde, ye maye, not vnconuenientely vnderstonde menne gyuen to this worlde, which neuer haue ceassed, nor neuer shal ceasse, with their vttermost power, to warre against Christ and his disciples.

But vnto this batayl Christ armeth vs, sayeng, Be bolde, I haue vanquyshed the world. But howe farre strange he was frome the Ioan. 19. concupiscence of worldly thynges, he declareth, whan he sayth, The sonne of manne hath not where to reste his heed. For therin Luc. 9. euerye manne resteth his heed, wherin his mynde is in quyete, and as it were slepeth. And how violent and croked this world is, [Page] they knowe, whiche ernestely go about to lyue vertuously in Christ Jesu. He toke vpon him our concupiscēce, but none otherwyse thanne he toke synne, suffrynge for vs punyshement, whiche was due for our affections and actes. But all engyns and ordynaunces that this worlde had, it threwe vppon our lorde, as shame, sclander, awaytes, myght, tourmentes, deathes. What dydde not this worlde, to the entente it myght vtterly quenche the name of Christe? And so he lyueth and flouryssheth bothe in heauen and in erth. Our lorde hath ouercome, not that we shulde nowe slepe, but that we shuld not despayre. He hathe delyuered vnto vs our enemye, not vtterly dead, but broken & vanquyshable, to thentent that we by oure fyghtynge maye haue a crowne of glorye prepared for vs. If thou askest, howe this worlde maye be vanquysshed, John̄ the inwarde disciple of Christe teacheth. This is, quod he, the victorie which ouercometh the Ioan. 5. worlde, your Fayth. Fyght than faythfully, castyng all thy trust in the lorde: nor doubt not, but throughe his fauour and ayde thou shalt be a conquerour.

¶ Now resteth synne, wherein vnhappily we were borne, and after baptyme more vnhappely fallen into agayn, an heuy burdein, and suche a burdeyne as causeth alsoo the [Page] soule to synke downe to the bottome of hel. This burdeyne whiche was to vs importable, our lorde vouche safed to take vpō him, as Esay prophecied, The correction of our peace vppon hym, and by his wounde we be Cap. 53. healed. Also Thapostle, God made hym, which dyd no synne, to be a synne forvs, that 2. Cor. 5. we might be made the iustice of god through hym. Synne is thouely thynge that gendreth hatredes betwixt god and man, as Esay testifieth. But the mercyful father, whā Psal. 59. no sacrifyce coulde be founde sufficient and stronge ynoughe to wasshe of the synnes of mankynde, sent his sonne, a lambe without blemyshe or spot, with this most pure oblation of sacrifyce, reconcylynge the worlde vnto him. A man wyl here say: If by Christ synne is taken awaye, how is it than, that al the lyfe of manne is thus replenysshed with synne? For nowe I speke of good men to. He toke not clerely away syn, but he brake the strengthes of it, not that there shuld be no synne in vs, but that it shulde not reygne in vs, as it reygneth in them, whiche haue not fyxed the ancore of their hope, in the lorde Jesu, but serue and folowe their sensuall appetites. And therfore Paule aduertyseth vs to beware, that synne reygne not in our mortall body. There is left vnto vs a mattier, wherin to fyghte, but yet armours [Page] & weapons be ministred vnto vs, with whyche we beynge defensed maye ouercome. So we be made the iustice of God, not by our owne workes, but through the grace of god. By whom? By hym, whom he made a synne for vs, and of synne cōdemned synne.

¶ Yet remayneth Satanas, the parēt both of synne and of deth, & prince of these darknesses, whose power and malicious craftes neuer ceassynge, the children of lyght fere, cryenge with a tremblynge herte to the father, Ne nos inducas &c. Leade vs not into temptation, but delyuer vs frome that euyll myght. This is that temptour and accusor of brethern, which after the sayeng of saynt Peter, renneth about as a rorynge lyon, sekynge 1. Pet. 5. whom he may deuour. But the lorde hathe not onely ouercome, but alsoo hathe taught vs to ouercome the assaultes of this euyll also. He oftetymes assayled our lorde, for that may be gatherid of Lukes wordis, which sayth, And he departed from hym for a tyme, but he departed alwayes vanquysshed. How vanquysshed? With the bucklar of scriptures repelled, with the swerde of goddes worde stryken throughe. Wherfore so ofte as he maketh suggestion, and attēpteth vs to the thynge, which is merely contrary and repugnant to the wyll diuine, expressed in the sacre and holy volumes: cast [Page] a foyne at hym with the swerde of goddes worde, and accordynge to the ensample of, kynge Dauyd, with fyue most clere and radyant stones, gathered out of the ryuer of scriptures, fel ye knaue down to the groūde. But before we ioyne handes with this gyaunt Solyath, let vs first caste frome vs the armours of Saul, which is the cote armour of pride, that is the truste of worldly wysedome, the confydence of our strength and merytes, whiche lade vs rather than arme vs, let the staffe of faith be sufficient for vs, whiche comforteth & steyeth vs in this our peregrination, and the fyue wordes, which Paule speaketh in the churche. If he be to busy, and call vpon the to importunely, byd hym auaunt Satanas, and stande abacke. It [...] is more right to obey god, callynge to euerlastynge felycitie, rather than the, entysing to eternall destruction. Here dothe faythe playe the chiefe and principall parte. And therfore saith Peter, Whom resyst ye strong in fayth. Gyue credence to scriptures, and [...] 5. repose thy holle trust in Christ, and victory is at hande. But there is a kynde of dyuels, which is not cast forthe, but by prayer & fastyng sayth Christ. To here thou hast other two weapons. It is probable, and a thynge lykely, that Satanas, where as he so ofte had assauted our lord in vayne, in the crosse [Page] assayed and moued al his craftis, subtilties, and engens, whan he sawe hym approching to his deth. For this is the last conflict and batayle, by the profe and chaunce wherof, eyther eternall triumphe is hoped and loked for, or a perpetuall shame is awayted. For he sayth, The prince of this world came Ioan. 14. vnto me, and in me he founde nothinge. Nor it is no doubt, but that which he entreprised vpon the lorde, he dare entreprise also vpon the membres of the lorde. But in lykewyse as he was vanquyshed of hym, so throughe hym he shall be vanquyshed in vs. For whā he assayleth them, in whom Christ by fayth and charitie doth inhabite and dwel, he maketh batayle with Christ hym self, in whom so longe as we perseuer and abyde, he shall take a fowler fall, and be more shamefullye vanquysshed of vs, than he was ouercome of our lorde hym selfe. All thynges can I do, Omnia possum in co qui me confortat. quod the Apostle, in hym, which enstrenghteth me. Satanas, with whom our conflict is, is called the prince of this worlde, not that he hath any auctorite or iurisdiction ouer any parte of the creature, but bycause in a maner he raigneth in those, which be lo uers of this worlde. But he whiche protecteth and defendeth vs, is lorde of heuen & of erth, which with his onely becke can do more than all the swarmes and rabyll of dyuels, [Page] with all their instrumentis & lymmes. Onely he coulde entre the howse of that [...] stronge one, and bynde hym hand and fote, and bereue hym of his vessels.

¶ What temtations do yet remayne? Deth death I saye, at whose mention all thynges waxe heuy. This neyther with force can be shyfted of, neyther with fleynge eschued, neyther with craft and subtyl meanes dalyed awaye. The firste affection of nature is, that euery thinge shuld defende it self. But death against this affection of nature, thretneth destructiō, which so moch is the more detestable and to be abhorred, that it diuydeth. ii. which be most conioyned and knyt togyther. For there is no strayter copulation or knot, than is of the body and soule. This horrour and fere also, our lord of his moste tender mercye, hath mitigate and asswaged vnto vs. First in that he for our sakes, dysdayned not the horrour and tremblynge of death: and death it selfe, yea and that sclanderous and shameful, and also bitter, to take vppon hym. Nor he wolde not, that any of his sayntes, & of the holy men, were they neuer so excellynge in vertuous lyuynge shulde be free, and be enfraunchysed against deathe, not Abraham the faythfull, not Moyses famylyarly beloued, not Dauyd a manne accordynge to his harte, [Page] not any of the prophetes, not John Baptist, of whom remaineth so noble a testimonie of our lord hym selfe, not his mother sin gularly beloued, not so moch as that one of his disciples, whom before all the reste, he loued entierly. Euen from the fyrst man, vntyll the consūmation and ende of the world, it was ordeined and by fatall destenye prefixed, euery man ones to dye. And therfore the grekes call dethe in theyr langage moros, whiche cometh of the verbe miro, that is to say, to allotte, bycause it is allotted, distributed, and appoynted to all men alyke and indifferently, to kinges, bishops, dukes, erles, barons, knyghtes, esquiers, gentylle men, yomen, and beggars. What impacience is it than, a man not to fynde in his harte to suffre that euylle, whiche is common to suche, so greatte, and soo many? Doste thou flee, with all the holye men to submytte thy selfe, and surrender that thynge, whyche wyll thou or wyll thou not, must be rendred and repayed to nature? He that of nature was immortall, for the became mortall. And dost thou, which art borne to dye, and haste deserued deth so oft, require besydes all other men to be had immortal? Wherfore recount thou here with thy selfe, howe many, and what felawes of this sort and condition thou hast: and so doinge thou shalt beare [Page] more euenly and with a more quyete mynd, thin allotte and state. Otherwise if thou do, vndoutedly thou shalt seme no lesse proude and presumptuous, in disdainyng that thou shalte dye, than if a man wold dysdayn, that he is borne, or that he is created a man, and not an aungelle. This is the fyrst asswagement of dethe, whiche in my conceite, is not smalle. And it shall be made stronger, yf we iustely accompte with our selues, what maner thynges tho be, whyche we haue lefte here behynde vs. For many feare deth, only hauing regard to the commodities, whiche they leaue here behynde. Than come in mynde, the swete sight of the sonne, the moste goodly ordynance of the fyrmament, the pleasant hewe of the springynge world, playes, feastes, wyfe, chyldren, house, gardeynes. But thou must open the other eie, wherwith thou mayst beholde, how moche more of euils and incōmodities thou leauest behynd, than of plesures and commodities: and in very those, whiche appere good and cōmodious, howe moche calamitie and bitternes is migled therwith. Reuolue in mind all the degrees of lyfe, consider howe foule the conceyuing is, howe perillous the bearyng, howe myserable the delyueryng and byrthe, in how many dangers of hurtes the infancie is, in howe great ieopardie of iniurie [Page] and wronge is chyldhode, howe spotted with vicious lyuyng is youth, with how many cares distracte is the mannes age, in what myserie and wretchidnes is olde age, and this thinge seriously reuolued in memo rie, I stande in doubt, whether a man canne fynde any one person so happily borne, that if god wolde graunt vnto hym to begynne and come vp agayne, by the same steppes, euen from his conception, through oute all the hole proces & cours of his former lyfe vntyll age, to enioye lyke pleasures, and to suffre like displeasures, wold take this proferre, annexed to suche condition. What notable blyndnes is it than, so greattely to be troubled, whan that thynge is to be surrendred, which if it were lauful for vs to begin a new, we wold refuse? I omit now the euils in which this life is so wrapped, that certain hethē men iuged nothing to be yeuē to man of the goddis, to speake after their maner, more liberally & bountifully, than that they haue addid vnto him a power & liberte to be reue him self of his life, so ost as shalbe sene vnto him: And that noble poete douted not to pronoūce, no liuing thing more wretched than man. Than if thautoritie of the hethen prophet be light, Ecclesiastes that godly & Ecclesiast. holy person feared nat to write, that Better is the day of deathe, than of the byrthe.

[Page] Thus moche haue we spoken of euylles, nowe of goodes and plesures, recount with thy selfe, howe many cares and thoughtes, ryches do brynge, from whiche nowe thou canst nat be plucked away: how moch more gall than hony the wyfe bringeth, for whose loue thou fearest nowe deathe: howe moch busynes and care of mynd bredeth the bryn gyng vp of thy chyldren? how moch grefe and disworship do their maners cause? Adde to all these, the mynde of man alwayes decaying & drawyng downeward to wors and wors. For though not in al, yet surely in the moste part of men, the sayeng of Austyn is true. Qui maior est etate, maior est iniquitate. He that is greatter in aege, is greatter in [...]yn wyckednesse.

Fynally sette on thy right hande the pleasures and commodities of this lyfe: and on thy lefte hande the incommodities, and cō syder the shortenesse of the hole tyme that we lyue here. Infancy is not felt, chyldhod slyppeth away er we be ware, youth is takē vp with sondry cares, age crepeth vpon vs er we perceyue it. what is the hole summe of this lyfe, but a minute to that eternitie, wherto we be assumpte, if we lyue wel: and plucked down, if otherwyse? Of these thin ges an ernest contemplation is no light remedy ayenst the horrour of deathe.

[Page] An other is (whiche is stronger also thā this) that the lorde dieng for the, hath caused, that dethe, whiche heretofore was the passage to hell, is nowe the yate to heuen: and whiche in tymes paste, was the begynnynge of euerlastyng punishmentes, is now the entrynge to euerlastinge ioyes: so that now to them that trust in Christ, deth is not onely no damage, but also a great auayl and lucre. And to the ende that no parte of man shulde be myssed, he hym selfe arrysyng agayn with holy men a great multitude, hath made vs to haue a moste assured hope, that the tyme shall come, whan our bodyes shall reuyue in the laste day, and than glorifyed, shal take again euery one his gest the soule to be from thensforth a solas, and no lengar a burdeyne. But of deth forthwith we shal haue a place to speake more at large.

Nowe to accomplyshe the matter that we be in hand with, one euyl is yet left to speke of, more terrible and more horrible than all these gathered togither into one heape, I meane helle, from whens (they say) no man can returne, whiche swaloweth vp all togither, nor neuer yeldeth ageyne, that it hath ones deuoured. This is the puddell & dungeon of desperation, and (as the Apocalips speaketh) the seconde deth. Let euery man thynke with hymselfe, what maner of lyfe [Page] that is, where is of all euyls the greattest, that is to say immortalitie, where a greatte parte of punyshement, is the felawshyp of diuels and wicked men, where is fyer neuer to be quenched, to which ours, if it be comparyd, is very yce. Adde, that fyer is there the leste portion of sorowes, whiche sorowes neuertheles be so greate, that of mans wyt they can not be compassed, no more thā can the ioy & felicitie of them that be good. In euils be they neuer so greuous, neuer so longe, yet some comforte and asswagemente bryngeth hope, as it were a certayne lyttell starre shyning afarre of, in moste thicke and profounde darkenes, but hell with extreme euyls hath extreme desperation annexed thereto. wherfore the horrour of this passeth all horrour: which yet our most mercifull redemer, to thentent he might mitigate and make lesse paynful vnto vs, vouchsafed to take it vppon him selfe. That in the gardeyn he was so dismayed, and so taken with extreme peynfulnes of harte, that he swette blod, was the infirmitie of our nature. And that he, nayled to the Crosse, cryethe, My god, my god, why haste thou forsaken me? [...] 27. [...] 21. Farre from my helthe, be the wordes of my synnes, semeth to fele in his minde the horrour and feare of tourment and peyne perpetuall. For what remayneth to theym that [Page] be destitute and forsakē of god, but extreme desperation? Nor it ought not to seme wonderfull, that he toke vpon him this most heuy affection, whiche also toke vpon him the synnes of all menne: so that either of these two euyls inuyncyble to our strengthes, by his mercy he made vincible. Nor these thin ges doo not mynyshe the dygnytie of oure redemer, but declare his vnspeakable charytie towardes Mankynde. Under the fygure of hym speaketh Dauyd in the Psalmes, The sorowes of deathe haue compassed me aboute, and the flouddes of wyckednesses Psal. 17. haue troubled my mynde, and the snares of deathe haue preuented me. We deserued hel, he an innocent toke the feare vpon hym for vs, to thentent that if like affection shulde inuade our myndes, eyther by reson of the prcuitie in our owne conscyence of our wyckednes and manifolde synnes, or by reason of the weakenes of our nature, we shuld not cast away our selues nor to be fals harted: but fixyng our eies on Christ, may, yea in despairing haue good hope. Though the flesshe despayre, thoughe reasone despayre, yet lette faythe euen frome Helle crye to the lorde, Lyke as Jonas, whatte tyme he was vtterlye in despayre, cryed oute of the Whaales bealye, and was herde. For that alsoo shewethe the psalme, [Page] where as it foloweth by and by, In my tribulation [...] &c. I called on the lorde, and to my god I cryed, and he herde me out of his holy temple. The temple of god is the churche or cōgregation of good mē, this is the tower of faythe, Syon the citie of our strengthe. Hyther he that wil crie euen from the depe pytte of hel (the sparke of fayth yet quick) he is herde. Therfore whan al the powers of man be drowned downe vnto hell, yet let fayth crie with most blyssed Job, Although [...] he kylleth me, I wyl trust in hym. For this is with the fayth mayster Abraham, agaynste hope to truste in hope. These than so great euyls, the goodnes of our lorde, hathe not onely mitigated and brosed, so that thoughe they vexe and feare vs, yet quench vs they can not: but also the extreme damages, he hath turned into excedyng and great lucre. For what doth synne hurt them, the whiche do cleaue vnto Christ? what? but where that synne abounded, now aboundeth also grace, and that he loueth more, to whom more is forgiuen. What auaileth Satanas vncessingly vexing the mēbres of Christ Jesu? What? but that he dothe increace theyr rewardes, and maketh their crownes more glorious? Yea more ouer, the very cuyls, whiche accordyng to the state of our mortalite be cō mune as well to the good as to the badde, [Page] the goodnes of our lord hath turned them, eyther into our lucre, or into our medycine (howe be it this is alsoo a lucre) he turneth them into our lucre and auantage, whan we beyng clere from synne, beare them pacient lye, gyuynge thankes to the lorde for all. And into our medicine he turneth them, yf any thinge remayneth in vs to be pourged, eyther by cuttynge, or vsture, or by bytter potions. Of the whiche sorte be, syckenes, pouertie, age, lacke of father, lacke of children, and other innumerable, with whiche the hole lyfe of man is rounde about beset. These, if they draw vs to murmur, grudge, desperation, or blasphemye, be the instrumentes of Satanas, and for remedyes be made poysons. But yf for this onely thinge they be suffered, bycause they can not be eschewed, for whiche consyderation, manye that knewe not Christ, constantely suffered tormentes and death: they be the afflictions of nature. But yf we take theym as it were of the hande of a louynge father, obediently and with geuynge thankes, recomptyng with our selues, howe moche more sharper punyshmentes we haue deserued, and how fell and cruell peynes Christ beynge an innocent, suffred for vs synners, now they be none afflictions, but holsome remedyes, or increasementes of heuenlye rewardes. On [Page] the tone behalfe, thankes are to be youen to the moste tender and gentyll father, which [...] chastiseth euery childe, that he receyucth in fauour, other wyles with shorte and softe remedies healyng our sores, that he myght spare vs in the worlde to come. On the tother behalfe, the bountyfulnes of oure captayne is to be magnified and praysed, which ministreth vnto his sowldyours a matter of vertue or manhode, to the intent he myght crowne them more royally. On eyther syde is great lucre, oneles perchaunce it semeth a small lucre, whan a man is sycke of a capitall and mortall syckenesse, drynketh bytter potions, and with a lyght and shorte payne dothe bothe escape the peryll of death, and enioyeth a perpetuall swetenes of helth: or whan the sowldiour for the conflycte of one lytell howre, attayneth great ryches for all his lyfe, and hyghe honours. And by this meanes also, our lorde most mercyfull, draweth all thinges vnto hym, yf onely we lyft vp our eyes to that sygne, whiche is set vp on heyght. He attracteth and draweth vnto hym all our euyls, and tourneth theym into our profyt and his glory, of whiche he maketh vs partakers, that be graste in him by fayth. I praye you, what wynne they, whiche in their aduersitie tournyng their eyes from Christ, grudge and murmur agaynste [Page] god? Surely that grefe, which of necessitie is to be borne, they double, naye ten tymes fold so moch they make it vnto them selfes, and the medicine by euyll takynge therof, they tourne into pestiferous & mortall poyson for them selfes. This vndoutedly is the hyghe and effectuall philosophye, and the meditation of deathe, in whiche yf a manne whan he is hole and sounde, be dylygentlye exercysed, death shall not oppresse hym vnprepared.

Of these that haue bene spoken, maye be gathered. iiii. sundry sortis of deathe, a spirituall, iiii. kyndes of deathe. a naturall, a transformatorie, and an eternall. The death naturall, is a seuerance of the sowle, from the body. The spiritual, is a seueraunce of god, frome the mynde. For lyke as the sowle is lyfe to the body, so is god lyfe to the sowle. This deathe spirituall hath engendred the naturall death (as moche as to the necessitie atteyned) as is the religious opinion of the olde diuines. Of both these two deathes is gendred the deathe eternall, or yf ye wyll so call it, the deathe of helle, whan the deathe spirituall, and the deathe naturall come togither. For after the deathe of the bodye, there is no place of repentaunce.

There remayneth a death, by whiche we The deth transformatorye. be transformed frome the ymage and forme [Page] of the old Adam, into the ymage of the new Adam, which is Christ our lorde. This is a separation of the fleshe frome the spirite. Nor here is no small wrastlynge, nor so moche as any hope of victory, if the spirite of Christ helped not the weaknes of our flesh. But the grace of hym, in vs hath slayne the olde man, so that nowe we be led not with our spirite, but with the spirite of god: nor we our selues lyue not, but Christ lyueth in vs. This moste happye deathe, whether it hath chaunced to any man fully, in this lyfe, I can not saye. Neuerthelesse the goodnes of our lorde vouche safeth to supplye of his owne, that that our imbecillytie can not do. This deathe is to be coueted, and with all our deuoyr practysed and meditate through out all our lyfe. Lyke as saynt Paule wryteth to the Corynthians: Alwayes bearyng 2. Corl. 4 the mortification of Iesu Christe in our body, that also the lyfe of Iesu myght be manifested in oure bodyes. To the same he exhorteth the Colossenses: Mortyfye your membres, Col. 3. which be vpon erthe. He byddeth not pluck out the eyes, or choppe of the handes, or cut awaye oure preuey membres, but what membres? It foloweth: Fornication, vnclennes, lust, euyll concupiscence, and couetyse. The common sorte of men mourne for thē, the which dye, but blessed Paule to the Colossia [Page] ns reioyseth this deathe. Ye be (sayth he) deade: and your lyfe is hyd with Christe in god. This deathe is mother of the spirituall lyfe, lykewyse as synne is the father of the spirituall deathe, and also of the deathe infernall.

But in these kyndes of deathe, the moste parte of men behaue theym selfes preposterouslye, and cleane contrarye to that they shoulde doo. At the mention of the bodyly deth, how tremble we for fere? They of old tyme hated Cypresse, for no other cau se, but that it was wonte to be had in buryals, and also the herbe smallage, bycause graues were hanged about with it: And at this day there be many, which at the sauour of frank insence stoppe their noses, and vse fell curses and execrations, for bycause (as I suppose) at buryals fumigations be made of it. But the spirituall deathe is more horrible, than syxe hundred deathes of the body: and to this wylfully and with great courage we runne, gloryenge and bostynge, whanne we haue done wyckedly, & reioysynge in thinges moste vngodly. We be dismayd, and besyde our selues, whan we be in ieoperdye, that the sowle shuld departe from our wretched body, which shulde lyue moche more happyly out of this prison: but how moche more iustly ought we to be dismayde, whan [Page] we be in peryll, lest god the lyfe eternal, wil forsake our sowle? The howse wherin any hath dyed, is called cōtagious, pestiferous, and funestall, and we stoppe our noses whā we passe by it: But the wyse man iudgeth it farre better to go to the hous of mourning, Eccle. 7. than to the house of feastynge. In mourninges we be naturally heuye and sadde. But this heuynes, bycause it is after a godly fashyon, worketh in vs a stedfast helthe & saluation. Whyles it warneth vs of the laste tyme, and of the thinges ensuyng the same, and calleth vs backe to repentance, nor suffreth vs not to synne eternallye. They be happyly present at a mournynge, whiche so bewayle an other mans bodyly deathe, that they begynne to be moone them selfes, whiche be stryken with a more greuous death: whether than is better to deuoure a bytter potiō, that by the peyne of one howre, thou mayst gayne perpetuall helth of thy bodye, or elles in a feaste to drinke pestiferous and venomous swete wynes, whiche with their shorte pleasure maye brynge to the drynker sodeyne deathe? But of these thynges many men are so clere careles, that in baudy cornars they singe and make mery as dronk as myse: Some make their auaunt, and reioyce, whyche by fraude and disceyte haue citeyned to ryches: & some triumphe, whiche [Page] with wycked craftes, be rysen to honours and promotions. Do not the commū people call the wallowynge in stynkyng lustes and delicious fare, a lyfe? But tho that thus lyue, be twyse deed. First bycause they be voyde and destitute of the spirite of god. Secondly bycause that euen nowe all redy they be the children of damnatiō and of the euerlastynge fyre. For lyke as the lyfe of good men, deed in the fleshe, is hyd in god, and shall appere and shewe it self, togither with Christ: so in these whiche haue gyuen them selfes to the flesshe, the death eternall is hyd, and shal appere in the last iugement. Onely hope dothe seuer the synner in this lyfe from hell. For as longe as the breth is in man, so longe he hathe hope of pardon & forgyuenes. How be it we had nede to take right good hede, lest our hope whiche cometh not of faith and charitie, deceyue vs. Thus some man flattereth hym selfe: I am yong, I wil take the pleasure of this world: whan I come to aage, thanne wyll I fall to goodnes. But O thou hard hart, who hath promysed yt to come to age? Another saith: whyle I am in the flowers of my age, I wil folowe my luste and pleasure, whanne I am maryed, than I wyll begynne to be thryfty. But O thou flatterer of thy self, how knowest thou, whether thou shalt lyue vntyll to [Page] morowe? There is perchance some manne that thinketh thus: I will at laste make my selfe a fryer, or a monke, and than I wyl bewayle my lyfe euyll spente, In the meane whyle I wyl vse the pleasure of this world. Admyt that lyfe be graunted the, who hath promysed the, that thou shalte haue this mynde and wyll, to forsake pleasures & imbrace repentance? Can euery man that wyl, gyue to hym selfe this mynde? Onely the grace of Christe is cause that a man can repent, and come agayne to his herte. But he frely and at his owne lybertie gyueth it to whome he wylleth, and whan he wylleth. Certes, as touchyng the synner, he is now all redy in hel. Is it not a prodigious blyndnesse, that a man beynge in so horrible state, wyll prefyxe hym selfe a daye, whan to recent hym of his lyuinge? the which man yf he shulde fall into a pyt, or be cast in prison, wolde thynke all the hast of them that shuld alucke hym out, to slowe. Out of the pytte he wolde forthwith crye for mans helpe, & whan he is set in so great euyls, wyll he not [...] continent desyre goddes helpe, whiche onely rayseth the deed? Who so euer than in this lyfe will diligently practise the traniformatorye death, and vehemently abhorre the deathe spirituall, and the deathe infernall, shall lesse feare the deathe of the body [Page] whan it approcheth, which dothe not seuer vs from god, but hathe ioyned vs nerer to god, and maketh an ende for euermore of al afflictions, with the whiche this lyfe is on euery syde vexed, and setteth vs ouer to euerlastynge reste. Thou wylte saye, It setteth ouer to reste, but the sowles of good men. Trouth it is. For the dethe of sinners is moste euyll. Than while thou lyuest, and Mors pee catorū pes sima. art in thy floures, do thy deuoire, that thou mayst be of the ryght wyse men. For rightwyse is also he, whiche with his harte acknowlegeth and damneth his own vnryght wisenes, and fearynge the perpetuall fyre, fleeth to the saynctuarie of the mercye of god, & to holsom remedies of penance. But they, which in al their lyfe, euen as though they were immortall, folowe their sensualle lustes, beinge vtterlye deaffe, and wylle not here the voyces of god so ofte & so louingly prouoking to repentance: what meruayle is it, though they be troubled, whā extreme necessitie calleth vppon them? Than haue they ynough to do with their sicknes, whiche suffereth them to do nothyng els: with the phisitions, with their heires, with them to whom they bequethe, and with wayters for prays, with creditours & dettours, with wyfe and chyldren, with stuardes and seruantes, with frendes and foes, with durges [Page] and buryal, with confessions, dispensations, and censures, with restitutions and making amendis, with sondry doutes of conscience, fynally with the articles of the feythe. Farther, with the world, whom bicause he hath loued ouer moche, he leaueth with euylle wyll: more ouer with the selfe death of the body, whervnto he is vnprepared, fynallye with the diuell, which than layith about him with all his engins and falsities: with helle, which than obiecteth and layth before hym the most vgly and bradfull furies. But to so great a rout of busynes, that momēt of time suffyseth not, but al diligence must be taken, that to that extreme and most greuous conflyct a man come most lyght and voyde of all busynes. Som man wyl aske, by what menes this may be. Let vs here Ecclesiastes, yeuyng goode ounsaill: Remembre (sayth he) thy maker in the dayes of thy youthe before the time of thy afflictiō cometh. Let vs here also Ecclesiasticus: Before the dome gette rightwisenes vnto the, before syckenes, seke phisike, and before dome examin thy self, and in the syght of god thou shalte fynde mercy. Before sycknes humble thy selfe, and in tyme of infirmitie shewe thy conuersation. This is ooutles a right holsom counsell, yea though the day of deathe were knowen vnto vs. Howe moche more the thing is to be done, [Page] syth euery day to euery man is to be compted the laste. Whyle we liue and be in helth, let vs discusse, as moche as we may, and ryd our manyfolde busynesse, and er syckenesse doth fyxe vs to the bedde, let vs dispose for our householde. The fyrste duetie is to remembre our maker, that by pure confession and repeutance we may come ayen into his fauour. Lette vs examyne our conscience, cutting of, what so euer we fynde there hated of god, that whan syckenes dryueth vs to the barre to here our iugement, we may fynde mercy. Who that in prosperitie lyft vp theyr styffe and stubburne neckes ayenst god, do we not se howe they cast doune and humble them selfes, if any stronge & sharpe disease threteneth them to dye? But howe moche more plesant and thankful were it to god, if of our own motion we dyd that thing betymes, whervnto siknes compelleth whā it is late? Let vs prostrate our selfes with the publicane, and with the synfulle woman mencioned in the gospelles, in the syght of god, with teares, almes dedes, praiers, & other good workes, pacifieng goddis wrath and in tyme of syknes such shalbe our deth, as was our lyfe. Some do abhorre from ma kynge their testament, as though in it were some euyll lucke of deth. But the making of thy testament good felawe causeth not the [Page] to dye the sooner, but safelyer. In this behalfe heppyer is the condition of them that be called relygious persones, bycause they be free and voyde of all cares touching testamentes. But they, whych haue children or brethrē, or els any other heires, let them prouyde, that there growe noo contention betwixte bretherne and alies in the partition of the goodes. They that haue no heyres, lette them prouyde, that they leaue nar to theym that come after, matter and occasyon of suite and riottous rapine. Brefely, soo lette theym, whan they be in helthe, order, dispose, and dispatche these mattiers, that they haue no nede in theyr syckenes to busy and vexe them selues with suche maner vnseasonable cares. More ouer if any man be wrapped in any perplex and doutefull cases, as of matrimonie, of censures of the churche, of vowes, of restitutions, or reconciliations, let hym rydde hym selfe of such, whan he is hole and sound, nor let him not reserue any intanglynges vntyll his last bay. They do well, whiche whan they lye byenge, commaunde theyr executoures to make for them restitution of their euyl gotten goodes: but they do farre more wysely, whyche whan they be in helthe, doo that thynge them selues, whyche oftentymes is commytted to thexecutours in vain. Agein [Page] they do well, whiche at the poynt of death, forgyue all men theyr offences, and praye lykewise, that they may be forgiuen, if they haue offended any person: but it is far more thankfull to god, and more sure to the quietnes of cōscience, if they do the same whā they be in helth, not for feare of dethe, but for the loue of Christe. They do wel, whiche bequethe parte of theyr goodes, to the reliefe of the poore: but it were a sacrifice moche more thankfuller to god, if after the rate of thy substance, woldest thy selfe releue thy poore neyghbours. For it cometh not alway to the nedy, whiche the deed assigned vnto them: and if it cometh, it is now an others and not thyn, which is b [...]owid. What, there be many diseases of that sorte, that they gyue no space of disposynge: nor I wyll not nowe recyte the sodeyn and vnthought on chances, which albeit they oppresse not al persones, yet all muste loke for them, bycause they may happe to all. Lyke as it chaunced to the folyshe man in the gospell, whiche promysed hym selfe longe and swete lyfe: It was sayde vnto hym, This nyght thy soule shall be fette fro the. Al pray that they may escape sodayn and vnprouyded deathe. For euery where these wordes a man may here, From sodayn and vnprouided A subitanea & im [...] deathe, delyuer vs lorde, What is it, that [Page] these do pray for? Is euery sodeyn deathe detestable? No certes: For The ryghtwise man, with what so euer deathe he be preuented, is in rest. For it can nat be an euyll deth, beit neuer so sodeyne, before whome went good lyfe. Why rather praye we not thus? Frome an euyll lyfe delyuer vs lorde. But why be we not ashamed to call an vnprouyded deth, whiche dayly thrusteth it selfe into all our senses? from our chyldhod, what other thynge here we, than gronynges of them that dye? What other thyng se we, thā corses caried out? than pompes of mourners, than grauestones, tombes, and titles of deed men? That yf we be lyttelle moued [...] with the deathes of straungers, howe ofte dothe deth plucke vs by the eare more nere, by the funeralles of alyans and kynssolke, whiche touch vs by nygh necessitude of nature: and of our frendes, whom enterchaungeable loue hath glewed vnto vs more straytly, than the bondes of nature do ioyne any kynsfolke. And if this also be to littell, howe ofte hath it monished our own selues of oure owne frayltie? For who is there of vs, that hathe not sommetyme be brought into the daunger of death, eyther by tempest, or robberie, or battayl, or ruine, or pestilence, or sycknes? What way so euer thou turnest the, deathe lyeth in await. The [Page] house is a sure refuge to euery manne: but howe many be oppressed sodeinly with fallinges of houses? The erth is of the. iiii. ele mentes most massy and sure, and yet dothe it not otherwhyles synke and swallowe vp hole cities? The verye ayre, wherwith we brethe and lyue, oftentymes is deathe, lyke wyse as meate and drynk is. Finally hunger and thyrst, do they not dayly manace dethe, if thou takest not a remedy? Farther, so oft as man is named, he is monyshed of dethe? For mortall creatures and men be of al one sygnification. What other thynge than doo they, whiche praye to escape from deathe vnprouyded, but accuse their owne improuydence? For to vnprepared persons euery deathe is vnprouyded, yea to hym that is an hundred yeres olde. Callest thou that vnprouyded, whiche thrustyng and shoting it selfe vpon all thy senses, doste nat see?

Soo vnprouyded was the floudde to the wycked persones, whych scorned Noe the beadyll and summoner of Justyce, whyle Luc. 17. he prepared his Arke, eatynge, drynkyng, ioynynge maryages, as though that thyng shoulde not comme to passe, whyche God dydde threatten.

Soo vnprouyded felle the distruction to the Sodomytes, whyche mockyd Loth, what tyme he departed frome theyr Cytie. [Page] The same shulde haue chaunced to the Niniuites, had they not repented at the preachyng of Ionas. Who so euer knoweth that god is angry with hym, at euery moment let hym loke for vengeance, nay let him eschue it rather by exaumple of the Niniuites and of Dauyd. Full terrible and dradfulle is the yre of the lorde, but yf we caste downe our selues with all humilitie to repentaunce, in his yre he wyll remembre mercy. The Niniuites at the preachynge of the straunger Ionas, were conuerted to penance. But we being deafe at so many preachynges of our lorde, desire and praye to be deliuered from vnprouyded deathe. By so many examples and parables of Noe, of Loth, and of them, whome the falle of the towre in Siloa, oppressed vnwares, he crieth vppon oure forgetfull slouthfulnes, that we shulde be redy at euerye houre. He addeth the similytude of the nyght thefe, of the faythful steward, of the. x. virgyns, and soo ofte he crieth on vs: Watche, for ye knowe not the daye, nor [...] the houre, and cometh there than any dethe to vs vnprouyded? Yea there cometh, but to the retcheles & vnprouyded persones, or (to speake the thinge better) to the deaffe, blynde, and vnsensyble, whiche neyther do here our lorde crienge vpon vs, neither see the thyng, that offreth it selfe to theyr cies, [Page] neyther fele that which on euery syde prieketh them. They passe not on that our lord semith to speke of the last day of the world. For the laste daye of eche mans lyfe, is his laste day of the worlde. At the ende of the worlde the vnyuersall and general iugemēt shall be openly solemnysed, but the whyles the sowles of eche oone, so soone as they leaue the body, receyue their iugement, all though it be vnknowen to vs. And eyther day our lorde wold haue to be vnknowen to vs a lyke. In this behalfe also declarynge his most tender loue toward vs. For where as we nowe see the vnsufferable vyolence, oppression, and extortion of ryche and wicked persons, what wolde they doo, if they knewe that they shuld liue any long while? On the other syde, the weake in faith, as be the moste parte of men, yf they knewe certaynly, that they shulde lyue tyl they be old, wolde differre vntyl that tyme, the study of a more exact lyfe. Agayn, if they were certayne, that but a fewe days of their lyfe remayned: they wold lyue full of pensiuenes and sadnesse, and shuld become more slache to many profitable busynesses of the cōmon welthe. Nowe the prouidence of the diuine maiestie, hath so tempered the matter, that vnto all men deathe is so certaine, that eche one knoweth no lesse certaynely, that they [Page] shall dye, than they knowe that they were borne: and that neyther the hyghest nor the lowest persons can flatter them selfes with fayne hope. Agayn, the daye of death is so uncertayn, that the lorde wolde not haue it knowe to his bestbeloued. By meanes wher of it cometh to passe, that the wicked do lesse hurt the good men, and the good men so absteyn frō euyl workes, as though they shuld dye the daye folowing, & so do and exercyse good dedes, as though they shuld lyue lōg. What then meane these men, which renne to pronosticatours, which diuine by the inspection of a mans hande, of the sterres, of the mans nature, of his byrth, of the bealy, and babylonicall numbres, and wytchecraftes, to thentent they maye knowe the space of their tyme? The Ecclesiastes crieth, A man knoweth not his ende, but as the fysshes [...] be taken with the hoke, and the byrdes be caught with the snare, so be men taken in an euyll tyme, whan it cometh vppon them sodeynly: and wil we know our ende of them, whiche knowe not their owne ende? Shall men lerne that thinge of vayn people, maugre Christis heed, that Christe the eternall veritie wold not haue knowen, bycause it is not expedient that it were knowē? whether bothe the example of wycked Saul, please Christē men? For what dyd the wytch help [Page] or profyt hym, but that he shuld twyse dye?

Tho persons also be not euyll, which desyre of god some certayne kynde of deathe, and praye that they may lye sycke certayne monethes, to thende they may bestowe, at the leest waye, that tyme vpon repentance and confession. More holy is the request of them, which desyre that deth, wherby they maye least trouble their frendes. For this cometh of charite. But it is of a more stedfast and sure faith, to committe vnto god as well the kynde of the death, as the space of the syckenes. He knoweth what is mooste expedient for vs, and wyll gyue, that is best for vs. The formes of deathe be innumerable, and am onge them some be horrible, eyther in that they kyll sodeynly, which thing hapneth to some men euen in the feastinge, or in that they haue sharpe and longe tormentes, as is the palsey, and the yschiacc, or in that they haue an abhominable syght, as they which choked vp with tough flcum, waxe blacke: or in that they take awaye the vse of the tōgue, and the holenes of mynde, as the apoplexis, the phrensy, and certayne feuers, and other peculiar formes, whiche make men to tumble, and breake their neckes, or to leape into a welle, or strāgle their throtes with some corde, or thrust thē selfis into the guttes, with some knyfe or sworde. [Page] For there be diseases, whiche do corrupte the inwarde weselles of the mynd, whyche persones be commonly called in the latyne tongue demoniaci, that is to saye, possessed with dyuels. But neyther by these thinges a man is not to be iuged, syth that Chrysosto thus doth moste louyngly comfort a certain monke, whiche was possessed with a dyuell. Howe be it tho kyndes of deth, which haue a manyfest colour of wyckednes, is a good christen mans parte to desyre to escape, and to abhorre it. Contrary wise, somme we see haue so gentyll a deathe, that they seme to sleepe, and not to dye. But what facion of death so euer chaunceth, no man is therby to be estemed. No, not so moch as of them, whiche by the lawes are for their myscheious dedes, put to execution, though they chaunce to haue a shamefull dethe, we maye not iudge temerousely. For it may be, that he, whiche for treason, is hanged, drawen, and quartered, passeth into the company of aungelles, where as an nother, the whiche dyeng in a gray friers cote, and relygiously buried, departeth downe vnto hell. It is the lorde, whiche iugeth of these thynges. By sundry wyses god: exerciseth and purgeth his seruantes: but (as I sayd) no euyl deth is that to be thought, which good life spente before. Otherwhyles, they that dye [Page] moste easily, go to euerlastyng punyshmentes: and contrary wise, they that be myserably tourmented, flee into reste. Somme wysshe to haue fulle confession before they dye, laste anneylynge, and the receyuynge of their maker, not with an vnlyke mynd as it appereth) that in olde tyme some prolonged the tyme to be christened, tyll their last day, and the baptyste, whiche shulde baptyse them, was not callyd for, vntyl that the phisytion confessed lyttell helpe in his scyence. Why wyshe we but ones that thynge to chaunche, whyche dayly ought and may be done of vs? For it is beste counsayl, that euery man before er he betake him to slepe, dilygentely examyne his conscience: and if he fynde any cryme committed that day, let hym knocke his breste, and callynge for the assistence of god, purpose certainly to lyue a better lyfe. Nor there is no cause why any man shulde here say, I am letted with sundry busynes, I haue no leyser. To a thyng so necessarie the fourth part of an hour suffyseth. It is not longe to say, I haue synned, Haue mercy. And this is sufficient, soo it be spoken with the harte. No man commytting hym selfe to slepe, is sure to awake. Howe great danger is it than, in that state to slepe, in whiche if deathe oppresse vs, whyche is brother germaine to slepe, we shall peryshe [Page] for euermore? So great peryll maye be eschued with one shorte thoughte. This is dayly to be done to god: but to the prieste, vicare of god. iii. or. iiii. tymes or ofter in the yere with pure confession to purge the conscience, shulde brynge moche tranquilitie, and it shall cause that the person, whan he dyeth, shal not be troubled with the scrupulosytie of confession.

Furthermore bycause in the article of deth, the contemplation of our lordes death, & of the communion of the hole churche, which is the body of Christ, is a principal comfort, it were well done, in both to be dylygently exercysed in the lyfe, to thentent, the doing ofte repeted, may tourne into custome, custome into cours, and cours into nature. This shalbe if that we, our conscience being clene purged from all affection of synnyng, ofte receyue the mysticall bread, and drinke of the mystycall cuppe: syth that this sacramente commendeth and declareth vnto vs, two thinges, the one is, the most dere loue of the heed towarde his membres: and the other is, the moste strayte felawshyp of the membres betwyxt them selfes. What so euer goodnes is in the body, procedeth from the heed Christe: and what so euer goodnes is in the body, is commun vnto all the mēbres. Lyke as in the bodye of a lyuynge thynge [Page] thoughe there be dyuers membres, ordeyned to dyuers offices, yet the lyfe yssuinge frome the heed, is spred abrode through al the membres, with suche an inseparable felawshyp, that lyke as saynt Paule teacheth, yf one membre be greued, that grefe rūneth vnto all: and if one membre ioyeth, the glory is of all in cōmune. Doutlesse this is that is sayd in the Symbole of thapostels, Sanctam ecclesiam sanctorum communionē, The holy church, the communion of sayntes. For no streyghter is the grace of Christe in the mystical body, than is nature in the body of a lyuynge thinge. They do deuoutly, which whā deth draweth nere, do send to the monasterye of the Cartusians, or friers obseruantes to praye for the sycke persone, but it is a stronger comforte, if the sycke mā thinketh, that the hole church is busy & thought full for him, a membre therof. Whan I saye the churche, how blessed and howe myghty a cōpany do I meane, which includeth prophetes, apostels, so many swarmes of martyrs and virgyns, so many soules beloued of god. This hole company and felawshyp for eche membre of Christ beynge in ieopardy, prayeth contynually, and with merites and prayers helpeth the sycke person. Nor it is no matter to the, though that thou seest not the church with thy eies: neither thou seest [Page] thy soule, by whose benefite al the membres of the body lyue and be moued. The church can not be pore, which is ioyned to so ryche an heed, in which dwelleth al fulnesse of diuinitie corporally, nor the membre can not be destitute, whyche is susteyned of so many thousandes of sayntes. The tender loue and bountyfulnes of the heed towarde vs, principally wytnesseth the crosse taken for to redeme vs. The memorie and power of these thynges we do renewe vnto vs, as oft as with feith and due reuerence we do eate the fleshe of the lorde, and drynke the blud.

And also we be admonyshed, that al be one body, whiche do eate the same breadde, and drynke of the same cuppe. Let no man than be false harted, althoughe that the membre be weake and diseased, consyderynge that it hath an heed, whiche is omnipotent: nor let hym not thynke to be destitute and forsaken, whiche is releued, kepte, and susteyned with the demerites and prayers of the hole churche. Wherfore who soo euer, that in his lyfe is diligently exercised, in the con templation of these thynges, at his deathe, they shall brynge vnto him more comforte. For than euen of theyr owne accorde, they shall renne into his memorie, as thinges famyliar vnto the mynd and soule. Wherfore, after my mynde and iudgement, they deuised [Page] a ryght good and godly thinge, whiche parted the hystorie of our lordes deathe in to certayne houres, as we call them: to the intent that chylderne myght be accustomed to reherse and say euery day a portion of it, with ycuynge of thankes. But they, which ordeyned in the steede of it the seruyce of our lady, though that they inuented a thing not vngodly, yet if a man myghte confesse the trouthe, they tourned wyne into water.

By these skylles and meanes it shal come to passe very well, that sodeyne and vnprouyded deth shal not oppresse vs. The swete chylderne muste be forsaken, the dere wife, the wel beloued frēdes, the approwed landes, the sumptuous buyldynges, the ample goodes. But the sowldiour of Christ hath studied to neglecte all these thinges, whose soule doth watche as it were in the garnyson of the body, and waytyng euery houre for the Trumpette of his captayn, wherby he is commanded to begynne the battaylle, alwayes redy to these wordes, Dispose thy Esai. 38. householde, for thou shalt dye, and not lyue. He hath his body not for an hous, but for a pauilyon, nor he hurdeth not there his tresure, but that whiche suffyseth for his daily sustynance, he beareth in his belte, always wakynge in the watches, always hauynge armours about hym, agaynst the sodayn inuasions [Page] of his ennemies, no hardnes he refuseth, so he maye please his capitayne, to whome he is sworne. A warfare, saythe Iob, Cap. 7. is the lyfe of man vppon erthe. The mynder of this warfare is exhorted by the wise man Syrach. Sonne, that comeste to the seruyce Cap. [...]of god, stande in ryghtwisenes and in drede, and prepare thy sowle to temptation. The seruyce of god is a profession of a chrysten warfare. To stande, is the propretie of a sowldiour in the felde, prepared and bente to the battayle. Stande in rightwisenes, not in pride, whiche vanteth it selfe ayenst god, but in ryghtwysenesse. They slepe and lye downe, whyche be the sowldiours of this worlde. But the souldiour of Christe standeth bent to euery good worke. The beste worke is, wel to dye in the lorde. For good lyuynge gyueth a great imboldyng agaynst the dyuell. Feyth hathe not lerned to gyue place to the enmy, hope can not be discomfyted, charitie ministreth fode to the stander. But syth good lyfe causeth boldenesse, why is added in drede? If thou be rightewyse, what dost thou feare? If thou be not, howe doest thou stande? This drede is not that father of desperation, of whiche speaketh Salomon. Feare casteth down the slouth full person, and charitie casteth out feare, but Cap. [...] the most good keper of innocencie. The feare [Page] of the sonnes is holye, remainynge withoute ende. Who that standeth, sayth the apostle, lette hym se that he falleth nat. And ageyne, Thou by feyth doest stande, doo not looke to hygh, but feare. There is an holye drede of the lorde, which prycketh to good warkes, and dryueth away the man from euylle: and there is a naughty feare of the seruant, whiche entyseth hym to slouthefulnesse, I feared, Matt. 24. ꝙ he, and went and dyd hyde thy talente in the erthe. But feare, the felawe of Justyce, causeth ys, distrustynge oure owne powers, more coragiously to work through the ayde of the spyrite, and more circumspectly to kepe the gyftes of god. Besyde this, euery rightwisenes of men, be it neuer so perfecte, trembleth so ofte as it is called to the barre of goddis Justyce, in whose syght neyther the sterres be cleane, and in aungels is founde iniquitie. Why than shuld not we, whyche be weake, and dwellynge in erthen tentes, feare this Judgemente, sythe Job the allowed manne of god sayth: I feared all my workes, knowynge, that thou Iob. 4. &. 25. spareste not the offendour. If I be wasshed as with the waters of snowe, and my handes shyne as mooste cleane, yet with fylthynesse thou shalte beraye me. And Paule, a sowldyoure more exercysed thanne Job, 1. Cor. 4 saythe, I am preuy to my selfe of noo euyll, [Page] but not in that I am iustifyed. It folowethe, And prepare thy soule to tentation. Sondry be the formes of tentations, by whiche god trieth his men of warre, but the most greuous tentation of all is deathe. For than in good ernest, we must fight hande to hande, nor there is no skypping away, but on both sydes with all our myghte and power, the maystrie must be tried. So that to this bickerynge mans mynde must alway be preparyd. For what shall an vnexperte souldiour do here, whiche neuer fought with his ennemy, nor neuer assayd his strength, gyles, craftes, awaytes, nor yet his owne valiantnes? It is a great parte of victorie, to make warre with a knowen ennemy. So the most doughty sowdiour, or rather captayn saynt Paule, That we be not enuyronned, ꝙ he, of Satanas. For we be not ignorant of his wyly thoughtes. What meruayle is it, if he know 2. Cor. 2. his wyles, whiche hath so oft coupled with hym, exercysed in all kynd of peryls? Than is the fyre putte to, whiche declareth what euery mans work was, and vpon what foū dation it was layde. And here we se otherwhiles chaunce, whiche chauncethe in the warfare of the world. They that in the tentes seemed cowardes, and trembled at the herynge of the trumpe, in the very battaile be founde moste hardy: on the other syde. [Page] they, whiche before ieoperdy semed verye fierse, in the very poynt seme moste fearefull. So there be some, whiche whan they be hole, bost their quietnes and vncarefulnes of conscience, and that they be redy pre pared to deathe, yea and couete to flee out of this wretched world, trustyng on a feith (I wote not what) that Christe hathe promysed vs lyfe, and for our synnes hath suffred, sayeng, that it forceth not, what oure workes be, whether good or euylle. But I feare leste many, whiche whyle they be in helthe, boste this quietnes and suretie, doo greatly tremble, whan extreme peryll toucheth them, and that day is at hande, whan the matter is shewed not with wordes, but with the trouth. They hepe vp, how great iniquite is it to dout of the promises of god: but none do more tremble than they, which doubte not of the promyses of god. For he that beleueth not, that helle is prepared for them whiche lyue wickedly, but that dethe bringeth an ende of all euyls, with an extinguyshment of the hole man, doth lesse feare ceathe. Faythe than ingendreth in wycked men, the drede of god, whiche is the beginnynge of wysedome. The feare of god, that Iob. 28. is the wysedome, and to departe from euyll, is the vnderstandynge. Also Esaias. Of thy feare lorde we haue conceyued, and as who Cap. 29. [Page] saythe, we haue trauayled with chylde, and haue brought forth the spirite of helthe. In Luke the thirde chapter, the people afeared at the preachynge of John Baptiste, whyche exhorted to repentaunce, sayenge, Nowe the axe is sette to the roote of the tree, sayde: What shall we do? But onelesse they had beleued John, they wold not haue said, What shall we do? Lykewise in the actes of the Apostelles, the multitude feared with the preachynge of Peter, conceyuynge a dreade by their beleuynge, with a prycked conscence, sayth to Peter, & the other apostels: What shall we doo, O bretherne? they wold not haue said so, if their feith ne were, pryckyng their conscience with the feare of helle. This tremblynge in a man also that lyueth welle, is not gendred of a mystruste towarde the promyses and cōminations of god, or of the not beleuyng in the artycles of the fayth, or of doubtynge of the power of the sacramentes, which they haue of the deathe of Christe: but it ryseth of inwarde knowlege of our wekenes, whiche is gretter than may be fully vnderstande of vs. Of singular or particular thinges we be not cō streyned to be sure, howe be it we maye dispaire of no person. As, for ensaumple, it is necessary to beleue, that who so euer receiueth with faythe the sacrament of baptime, [Page] receyueth free remission of all synnes, but it is not necessarie to beleue, that this mā baptised is free from all synnes. For it maye be, that in this manne there is a peculyar thyng, whiche letteth the general power of the sacramente. Likewise it is of the sacramente of penaunce. It is a wyckednesse to doubte, whether he be assoyled of his synnes, whiche hath rightly taken this sacrament: Yet it is no poynt of heresie to doute, whether this man or that man is assoyled, bycause of peculiar impedimentes, we haue no knowlege. I except a syngular and euydente reuelation, or irrefutable, authoritie, whan there is no expresse authoritie of scriptures, or of the agrement of the church to the contrary. This doutynge is not an infydelitie, but a religious modestie, with his hole hart submitting him self to the wyl and iugement of god, yea though he wyl damne the man. For he shall not therfore be damned, but by this very submission he shall deserue absolution, if to the religious trēblyng be ioyned a truste that cometh of the mercye of Christe. The same is to be thought of the sacrament of the Aultar. We be boūd generally to beleue, that the prieste, duelye doinge his offyce, dothe consecrate the bodye and bloud of our lorde, but it is no vngodlynes to doubte, whether this manne or [Page] that man dyd consecrate. For this is not to doubte of the sacrament, but of the peculiar circumstances, lettyng the vertue or reson of the sacrament. Lykewise we beleue of necessitie, that men by faith and charitie towarde our lorde Iesu, obteyn euerlasting helthe: yet it is lefull to dout, whether this man or that be in the same state. Howe be it neyther of other men we ought rasihely to iuge, and in our selues hope oughte to encrease, togyther with the increase of loue and feyth. The same must we thynke of the promyses and manaces of scriptures. For the matter of doutynge ryseth not of god, which can not ly, but of vs. It is not vnknowen to man, howe excedyng good thinges god hath promysed, but to them that feare and loue hym. But who of vs is there, whiche hath shewed feare as dewe to suche a lorde, and loue, due and worthy for suche a parent? Wherfore they doubt not, whether god be true in his promises, but whether we be worthy of his promyses. Faythe, hope, charitiie, drede, be gyftes of the spirite.

Who thā knoweth, whether the feyth & cha ritie, whiche he hath, be of this sort of giftes, which make vs the beloued of god, and whether they suffyse to euerlasting helthe? Lykewyse god by his sonne hath promised forgiuenes of all synnes, but ones by baptyme, [Page] yf it be duely taken. Who is there of vs, which hath not by many wayes spotted the whyte garment, which was frely gyuen vs in baptyme? There is prepared a remedy of penaunce, but to theym, whiche with their hole hert be conuerted to the lorde. Here let euery man examyn hym self, whether with his hole hart he be conuerted to the lord, whether he hath an hert truly cō trite and humbled, and yf he hath, whether it be after a sufficient maner. The baptyste cryeth: Do ye fruytes worthy repentaunce. Who dare take vppon hym, that he hath in due forme hatyd and detested his synnes? God thretneth wrathe and hell to the breakers of his preceptis: and how oft casting awaye the fere of hym, breake we theym? Whom shalt thou fynde, which feareth not more the displesure of a prince or iuge mortall, than of the lyuynge god? Further, how ofte chaunceth it, that manne loueth more a man than god, suffring for his mortal frend, that whiche he wolde refuse to suffre for Christes sake? certes I am this opiniō, that I thynke the fayth of good men, alwaye to be ioyned togither with a deuout and religious tremblynge. I excepte a fewe, whom god wolde haue to be counted perelesse, to be as examples, to styre all men, but which, few can folowe. They more certeynly hope [Page] for mercy of our lorde, which drede his in [...] Wherfore who that thus saye, beleue that thou shalte be saued, and thou shalte be saued, do commyt double synne. For if they lacke of anye maner saythe, the sayenge is [...] and yf they speke of the lyuing fayth, it is folyshly sayde, beleue, as who shoulde saye, it were in any mans power to beleue whan he will, where as I stande in doubte, whether we be certayn, yf the gyft of fayth be in vs. Adde herevnto, that man not only to other men, but also to hym selfe is ofte rymes vnknowen, where as nothinge, be it neuer so hyd, can disceyue the eyes of god. The herte of man is vnserchable of vs, but no corner of the herte is hydde from hym, which fourmed and made the herte. To vs oftentymes that appereth holy and good, which is wicked in the eyes of god: & pure, which is vnpure. So it happeth, that man thinketh hym cleane from synne, whan vnknowynge he hath a wounded conscience. Why shulde not this thinge chance vnto vs. [...] that noble kynge in his Psalme sayth? Delicta quis intelligit, ab occultis meis mun [...] Psal. [...] me domine. Who vnderstandeth his offences? from my hyd synnes make me cleane, O lorde. Wherfore the moste surest sauegarde and saynctuary is, with a religious feare to [...] frome the iustice of god to his mercy, & [Page] with the Psalmografe to saye, Ne intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo, quia non iustificabitur Psal. 142. in conspectu tuo omnis viuens. Entre not lorde into iugement with thy seruaunt, for no lyuynge creature shalbe iustifyed in thy sight. No man than can stande vpright in this iugement, yf our merites be examyned accordyng to the strayte rule of god, onles mercy be present in the iugement. And therfore there wente before, in the same Psalme, In thy trouthe here my petition, in thy iustyce. In ueritate tua exaudi me. Whosoeuer coueteth his petitiō to be hard, leueth cōtention: and who coueteth his petition to be harde in the trouth of god, hath a distrust to his owne trouth, knowyng that onely god is true, and euery man a lyar: and he that requyrethe his petition to be harde in the iustyce of god, mystrusteth his owne iustyce. The trouthe and the ryghtwysnes of god, is Christe, the minister of the euangelicall grace. For by Moyses was gyuen the law, which hath disclosed our vnrightwysnesse, but grace is made by Christ Iesu, which hath imparted and communicate vnto vs his ryghtwysenes. We so ofte make a lye vnto god, as we breake and transgresse his lawes, to whyche we be sworne atte the fountstone of regeneration: and so ofte we be vniuste, as we acknowlege not our duetie to our maker and redemer, naye rather, [Page] we vtterly renounce hym, so ofte as we go backe from our couenauntes: but although we beynge falsely forsworne denye and renounce hym, yet he constantly is faythfull, he can not denye hym selfe, allways true in his promyses, To thentent he myght be iustifyed Psal. [...] Vt [...] in [...] &c. in his wordes, and vanquyshe whan he is iudged. The father heareth our petition in his trouth, in which by his sonne he hath vnto vs promysed forgyuenes of synnes: and he heareth not in our, but in his iustice or rightwysenes, for by his sonne he iustifieth euery one that beleueth, purifyeng our hartes with faith: Blessed be they then, whiche serue the lorde in dreade, and reioyce vnto Psal. 2. hym with tremblynge. Why shoulde not men, which be in subiection of synne, feare hym, whom the armyes of aungelles feare? It is good to feare afore iugement, that in the iugement we may fynde mercy. Of humayne histories we lerne, with howe great gladnes, and reioysynge of hert saynt Andrewe [...] Andrew. wēt vnto the execution of the crosse: But contraryly we fynde, that many, whiche were supposed very holy menne, at the tyme of their deth, were sore troubled with great feare, dredynge the iugement of god, and damnynge their hole lyfe before ledde. For it is shewed of one, vnto whome tremblynge at the tyme of his deathe, whan his [Page] brethern, which were about hym sayd: what meaneth it, that thou art thus aferde, sythe thou hast lyued all thy lyfe so holyly: he answerde thus, O brethern, moch dyuers be the iugementes of men, and the iugemēt of god. Lyke wordes it is sayde, that Benet, Bernarde, and Austyn had. Wherfore one and the same fayth, bothe causeth fere, and ouercometh fere: it causeth, shewyng how great he is, whom we offende in many thinges: it ouercometh, shewing vnto vs Christ, whose charitie purgeth our synnes, & grace supplyeth that our imperfectnes lacketh. But as it is not alwayes a signe of a valiant courage or faithefulnes, not to fere deathe (for sometyme it is token of a brutyshe retchelesnes and lacke of reason, sometyme of an outragious and gyantyshe felnes: at the approchinge of death to waxe fearefull) is not alway a signe of distruste or of an euyll conscience. Otherwhyles it is a mere naturall affection, accordynge to the varietie of bodyes, which in some is more moderat, and in other more vehement. Thus feared Ezechias deathe, a man whiche with perfit harte walked before god, but he fered, not grutchynge and murmurynge against god, but with teares, prayenge it from hym, and his prayer was harde. I knew certayn women, which at the onely mention of deathe [Page] wolde begyn to tremble, & yet the self same women, whan their death approched, were most stronge and most cōstant. For that fere and quyuering came not of an yll consciēce, but of a peculiar weakenes of the womankynde, or of nature. The affectiōs of nature if they be ouercome by vertu, doo encrease the victorye, they do not signify a mystrust. So a man shall se some wyttes standynge in their owne conceyt, which do easyly satisfie them selfes in any maner of thinge. There be agayn wyttes of base courage, in nothing contentinge them selfes, although they do a thinge well: to whome if thou reherse all maner comfortes, yet they fele a remorse & a gnawynge in their mynde, drawyng them to mystruste, & hereby they coniecture, that they be not yet allowed of god, bicause they neuer fele a quietnes of conscience. But yf we wyll distinct nature from vertu, neyther they do greately truste vnto their quietnes, which please thē selfes in any maner thing, neyther they cast away vtterly their hope, whiche haue a mynde euer suspectynge the worst. This is a vyce of a peculiar nature, & not of the will, whiche vice a man muste not regard, if he can not conquere it: and take that for a thinge most ratified & sure, which the spirite inwardly speaketh, thoughe the fleshe be neuer so moch against it. I suppose [Page] that this is also natural, that men whātheir last day draweth nere, be so in maner transmuted, that they allowe none of all those thinges, whiche they dyd in their lyfe, not bycause they be naughte & vngodly, but bycause they be humayne and going from the perfection. How be it agaynst these affections of nature we must fight with the strēgth of the spirite, all be it by theym we aught to iuge, neyther other men, nor yet our selfes.

But let vs returne to our former purpose, which was, to shew by what meanes weake soules (as the most parte be) maye be comforted, whom death maketh all dismayd and fearefull, in whose lyfe was moche forgetfulnes, moche neglygence, moche ceassing, and brefely many mo euyl dedes than good dedes: and if there be any good dedes, they be spotted with moche rustynesse, so that to vtter them into the syght of god, were nothinge elles but to angre god. Eyther the mynde is not redy at all vnto deathe, or els it is but lyghtly instructed. In the very artycle of deathe, whatte shall we doo to this man? No manne is to be despayred, so longe as the breth is in hym. The last battayle is atte hande. The space is shorte, he nedethe spedye counsell. What I saye shall we counselle this manne, whyche is thus troubled not withoute greate cause? Fyrste yf he [Page] haue heyres, that shall succede hym, it were best to commyt all the care touching the testament to them. First, this is a lytell compendiousnes. If not, let hym as brefely as he can dispatche this mater by a nuncupatory testamēt, or yf there be any better way. This done let hym auoyde out of his syght all bablers of worldely goodes, in whyche thinge manye men offende aboue measure, which bringe forth doubtes vnto the sycke man, that lyeth a dyenge, of the testament, and of externe thinges: Somtyme also they compell hym to subscribe his name, and that refusynge and vnwillyngly, detestinge their importunitie, by whom he can not be suffred to dye. Than whiche frendes, nothinge is more vnfrendly. Than, yf the maner of the sycknes suffreth, let hym study to heale his sowle before the body, by short confession, but pure and voyde of disceyte, and let hym take of the priest with a full fayth, and with hygh reuerence the remedy of penance, let hym crie for the mercy of god, euen frō the bottom of his hart, and take a purpose of amendment of lyfe, if it chanceth hym to recouer. Thā if haply the prest be not at hand or cā not be gottē, let him not forthwith (as som superstitious people be wont to do) despayr in him self, & tremble: but let him with his hart confesse him self to god, of his synnes [Page] & vnryghtfulnes, whych of his mercy, wyll take the good wyll of the man in stede of the very dede, and that whyche lackethe to the external signes of the sacramētes, he wyll vouchesafe to supplye of his owne, by his peculyar grace. By hym doubtlesse all sacramentes be of great vertue and operation, whiche be in maner signacles of the diuine goodnes and benefycence towarde vs, but the selfe same god, so ofte as necessitie requireth, doth tender the saluation of man without signes, only so that negligence and contempt of the sacramentes be away, and feythe, and a gladde wylle be presente. These thynges for this cause be spoken, for that oftentymes we se some persones soore troubled in their myndes, if they thynk that they shall departe without confession to the prieste, without receyuing of the sacrament of the aultar, and the laste anneylynge. Yea and such maner of sayinges we here spoken of very many, he dyed lyke a christen man, he was foure tymes confessed before deth, and receyued all the rites of the churche. On the other syde, we take vp our hande, and blesse vs, if we here that any man dyed without them. This surely is a christē mans part, to wyshe, that he maye lacke none of the sacramentes. For they be great solacies and comfortes of the mynd, and helpynges [Page] ges of oure beleue, and it belongeth to the synceritie and purenes of a Christen man, to accomplyshe (yf he maye) all iustice: But it apperteyneth more to a Christen manne to wyshe for faith and charitie, without which the other do nothinge auayle. But by these outwarde thynges we ought not to iuge any person, onles we certaynely knowe that they were omitted & not done, by contempt, or which is as yll, by negligence. Surely I doubte not, but that many neyther assoyled of the prest, nor their maker receyued, nor aneyled, nor yet buryed, after the rytes of the churche, haue gone to euerlastynge ioye and blys, where as some other, after all the ceremonies of the church solemnely done, and also buried in the churche next to the hyghe aulter, be caried downe to helle. Let them be in stede of an example, whiche sodeynly do peryshe by tempeste of the see, or by punyshment of lawes, or els by some sodeyne syckenes. Wherfore vnto such persons must be added a confidence and truste, to thentent that they maye certenly beleue, that they be no lesse assoyled, than yf they were confessed to the preste, nor that they receyue no lesse spiritual grace, thā yf they had receyued the body of Christ, & the laste anneylyng. Only let them haue (as I haue sayd before) an ardent and brennynge faith, [Page] and a prompt wyl and desire. That if a prest may be gotten, & the violence of the sicknes wil not suffre a ful and an hole cōfession that shuld require many wordes: with an inward submission of hert let hym confesse hym self to be all togither a synner, and desyre of the prest absolution with a meke hert, and with a full confidence let him thynke hym self assoyled. Soo ofte as necessitie excludeth vs frome the thinges that we couet, god of his goodnes accepteth the desyre of the mynd. Wherfore they, which in this state of thinges doo trouble and vexe the man with generall confession, or with often rehersall of his confessyon, with paynfull dyscussynge of the circumstaunces, with the repetinge of euery offence commytted, whether they do a godly thinge I canne not tell, surely in my iugement they do a thinge out of season. Than suffyseth one, & that shorte, but a syncere and pure confession of the principall crymes, whiche cometh to a mans mynde, or if that can not be, a brennynge affection & desyre of confession. More ouer, yf any mā hath done hym any offence, let hym forgiue the vengeaunce therof with his holle hart. If he be vnworthye of forgyuenesse, yet Christe is worthye, for whose sake thou oughtest laye downe the affection of auengynge. Let hym not thenne here recompte [Page] howe greatly he hath ben hurt of this man or of that man, but howe many offences he hym selfe requyreth to be forgiuen and pardoned of god. If he hath offended any man lette hym go about as moche as he may to be reconciled vnto hym. If the other wyll not be at one, and forgyue, lette hym praye god to sende hym a better mynde. He hym selfe in as moche as he hath done all that in hym lyeth, is excused before god. If good workes be required, there is no wark more able to purchase the mercy of god, than for Jesus Christis sake, (and accordyng to the example of hym, whiche hangynge on the crosse, prayed for theym, by whome he was putte to deathe, and of whom he was with spiteful scornes vpbraided) hartily and frely to forgyue what so euer men haue synned agaynst vs. And I canne not say, whether there be any warke more harde and vneasy to be done: and therfore principally it is to be desyred of god. But yet to this helpeth the very selfe syckenes, whyche breakethe the very wylde fyersenes of the humayne spyrite, and maketh it more supple and easy to forgyue.

Here it is the partes of them that be with the sycke person, to dryue from him the cō mune affection, whereby many thynke, that deathe is made to come the sooner by confession, [Page] houselynge, and anneylynge: And lette theym persuade the sycke man rather (as the thyng is in dede) that by these meanes there is more hope to recouer helthe, eyther bycause, that a sycke mynd doubleth the soore, or bycause that not seldome the sycknes of the body, cometh of the minde, or finally bycause that god sooner wyl here the requestes and prayers for hym that is reconciled, than for an vnrecōciled person. Furthermore it is their partes to gette for the sycke man suche a priest as hath a lernid tongue, that he may with his communycation of wordes, susteyne and comforte the wery sycke man, and whiche so can moderate his wordes, that neyther by ouer moch flatterie he deceyueth the sycke personne, nor by vnseasonable austeritie and sharpnes he cast hym not into desperation, Nor breke Esai. 42. not the broken staffe, nor quench not the smo kynge flaxe. For in eyther behalf many men offende. Nor let them not rashely lette into the sycke man, all maner of pristes, but these onely, by whose speche he may be releued. Those persons let them dryne out of sight, the whose syght maye renewe the affection of synnynge vnto the syck man, as his compaignyons, or of foule pleasures, or of dycynge, or his mortall ennemyes.

The phisitians helpe, let hym neyther despise [Page] vtterly, nor haue to moche confidence therin. Lette his chiefe hoope be fyxed in god, whiche as he onely dyd fyrst putte the soule in the body, so he onely taketh it out, whan he wyll. Otherwhyles yet the phisitian is to be sent for, leste we seme to tempt god, namely in sodayne diseases, that kylle out of hande, whiche, of the phisytians be callyd Morbi acuti. Lette the multitude of phisitians be put out, not onely for that, that likewise as it is sayde by a prouerbe of the grekes, That the multitude of rulers & gouernours distroyed the countrey of Caria, soo many tymes the multitude of phisitions kyll many sycke men, but also that theyr offycious and busy cure, whyle that one counsayleth one thynge, and an nother an other thynge, and eche desyreth at the perylle of an nother to be compted very wise, and by that meanes medicines be heaped vpon me dyeines, it commeth than to passe, that the sycke manne hath noo leysure iustelye and fully to regarde the mattiers concernynge his sowle helthe. Doubtlesse, whan perylle commeth ouerfaste vppon, the moste valyant and strongest comfortes must be giuen, at whiche tyme, many do flatter hym, that is in the departyng, ye and many flatter them selues with vulgar remedies of none effect, as whan one counsayleth hym, to cōmande [Page] his executours to bury hym in the coote of suche or suche friers or monkes, or to make an auowe to god, that if he recouer, he wyl be professed in the order of the monkes of Charterhowse. Why is not the sycke man rather monyshed to absteyne frome suche maner of vowes, durynge the tyme of his sycknes, and that it is sufficient, if he pourpose to chaunge his lyfe into better: and as touchynge the fourme of lyuynge, let hym delyberate with hym selfe, whan he is hole and free from perturbations and feare. For Eccl. 5. a foolysshe promyse, displeaseth god. And that is foolyshe, whiche feare extorteth of a distourbed mynde. An other saythe, Dye without drede, I within the space of a yere wyll go to Hierusalem for the: or, I wylle crepe on my bare knees to saynt James: or I wyll go into saynt Patrikes purgatorye, whiche is in Ireland. I knewe a woman of noble byrthe and of high prudence, whiche by testamente deuysed to a prieste a good somme of money, to synge masse dayly, durīg the space of a yere at Rome, as though the masses at Rome were of more holynes than the masses of Englande. And yet that money had ben better bestowed, if she had bound that priest neuer to go to Rome. For I know the person very well, whom I iuge rather to do sacrifice to Uenus than to god. [Page] Other some exhort him to bye all the good dedes of some house of religion, or of some order. I deny not, but there is gret comfort in the communion of holy men: but yet neuerthelesse, whether god wyll allowe and ratifie suche contractes, I doubt. After my sentence it is a more redy remedy ageinste desperation, to putte before the eies of the sycke perfone, the communion or parte takynge of the holle church, which spredeth very farre, conteynyng all the good menne from the begynnynge of the worlde, which haue pleased god: In whiche company be also the aungelles. This hole felawshyppe and fraternite, with theyr vowes and prayers dothe helpe the paciente, lokynge for a glorious victorie. Why than shulde he caste away his buckelar, whiche hath soo manye companies succouryng hym? If the prayer of one religious house, causeth the man to hope, in this numbre be al houses. I speake not this, to thentent, that it auayleth not to require the prayers of certayn men, or that the prayers of few be not profitable, namely yf they come of a christen and; free charitie, but that to styre and pluck vp the hope of the sycke man, the contemplation of the vniuersall churche is of greatter strength. For by this way his hart shall be more confirmed. But the moste puisant solace of all, [Page] is neuer to remoue the eyes of faith frome Christ, whiche gyueth him selfe holly vnto vs, whome we haue a suter for vs vnto god, which neuer cesseth crienge, Come to me al Mat. 11. ye that labour and be burdened, and I wil ease you. In the hollownes of this rock, let him hyde hym, into this persones woundes, let the sycke man crepe, and he shalbe sure frō Satanas. Wherher to so euer that wyly serpent plucketh away his mynde, let hym alwayes haue his eyes to that brasen serpent fixed on a hyghe pole, to the contemplatiō of whiche, Paule calleth backe agayne the Galatees, whiche for none other cause began to wauer, than that they turned their eies from the crucifixe. The venemous bytynges of the fleynge spirites shal not noye hym, yf fayth with vnmouynge eres beholdeth that signe of euerlastyng helth. Christ hangynge on the crosse is a signe of triūph, a signe of victorie, a signe of euerlastynge glorye. For oure sakes he fought, for oure sakes he ouercame, for our sakes he wanne the triumphe, only so that we haue the eyes of our fayth intentyue and wakynge herevpon. In humayne warres it is no lytel help to victorie (which thinge Alcibiades prayseth in Socrates) neuer to wynke. But in this conflyct, which we haue with our spirituall ennemy, the hole hope of the victorye [Page] is in the eyes. But there is moche diuersifie in the two batayles. For in the mundane warres it muste be marked on euerye syde with intentife eyes, what the ennemy doth: but in this battayle we muste be blynde and deafe at the assautes of the deuyll, and only haue our eyes fyxed to the sygne of grace, & our eares lyfte vp to the voyce of our redemer. Satanas casteth tho thynges into our myndes, which hepe vp the ire of god: But Christ hanginge on the crosse, she weth tokens of mercy. The dyuel barketh ayenst vs such thinges as wold brynge man downe to desperation, Christe speapeth the thinge that plucketh man vp to hope. For fayth as it hath eyes, so also it hath eares. The holy goste requireth of the soule both these two senses, whiche saythe in the. xliiii. Psalme, Audi filia, & vide, & incline aurē tuam. Harken daughter, and see, and incline thyne eare. Harken that thy spouse byddeth and commaundeth, and see what he pramyseth. And if that it shall seme inconuenient, & a thinge not lykely, that so great a felicitie is prepared for them, whyche set their truste in our lorde Iesu, inclyne thyn eare, that the thinges which passe mans wytte and reason, for this self consyderation thou mayst well beleue, bycause it is the lorde, which hath promysed it, whose mercy is no lesse incomprehensyble, [Page] than is almightines. Of these eares maketh mention the. lxxxiiii. Psalme. I Audiam quid in me loquatur dominus. wil heare what the lorde speketh in me. Harken not, what in the, speketh the flesh, what the dyuel, what mās reason: for they speake nothing but desperatiō, but heare what the lorde speaketh in the. For he speketh peace vnto his communaltie. The churche is the communaltie of the lorde, a nation peculiar, and the people of acquisitiō: be thou of this people, and thou shalt heare the lorde speakinge thinges of peace. It foloweth, And Et super sanctos suos. vpon his sayntes, Here agayne mans infirmitie falleth downe crienge, I am a damned persone, Alas, I am all laden with synnes, what felawshyp haue I with sayntes or holy men? But he sayth not, Vpon the holy mē of the lawe or of Moyses, but vpon his holy Sanctos suos. ones. His holy ones be they, whom he hath sanctified by his sonne. If thy mynde be not quieted, harken what foloweth, And vpon them that be conuerted to their hart. Do not Et in eos qui conuertuntur ad cor. weye the greatnes of thy crimes, onely repent, and thou shalt heare the lorde speking within the, peace. A worde of peace was that which was spokē to that notorious sinfull woman, Thy faithe hath saued the, go in Luc. 7. peace. Saye with Dauid, but saye with thy harte. Peccaui domino, I haue trespassed the lorde. With those two wordes thou shalte 2. Reg. 2. [Page] turne the prepared and redy vengeance into mercy. Such eares had he, which saith, Sacrifice for my sinne thou hast not required, but eares thou hast made persite vnto me. Of the eyes speaketh the. xii. psalme, Illuminate myne eyes, leaste at anye tyme I sloumbre in deathe, least my ennemy shulde saye, I haue greuayled led against him. Thou seest here, that victorye is in the eyes, rather thanne in the handes. Deathe obscureth the eyes of the body, but there shall be no cause why oure ennemy shall glory and triumphe vppon vs, so lōge as faith sheweth lyght in the mynd, neuer mouynge the eyes from Christ, that was crucyfyed. Yea this hole Psalme goth about nothinge elles, but by the contemplation of the diuine mercy to resuscyte & rayse vp agayne, man that is in agony and in danger of desperation. And therfore it foloweth, They that trouble me, 'shall ioye, yf I be moued: that is to say, if I wauer in faith. Thou hearest a great peryll, but take a souerayne remedye, But I haue trusted in thy mercy. But howe cometh the hope of mercy? My harte shall reioyse in thy saluatory, I shall synge in prayse of the lorde, whiche hath done me good. The saluatorie or Sa [...]y of god, is Christ, nor there is none other name, in which we ought to be saued: as it is sayd in the fourth chapter of the actes. [Page] So great vertue hath the contemplation of Christ, which was crucified for vs, that desperation is tourned into hope, & hope into gladnes. And he which before nyghe to desperation sayd: They which trouble me, shal reioyse, yf I be moued, now sayth, My hart shall reioyse in thy saluatorye. Thou haste hard victory, now here the triumphe. I wil synge to the lorde, which hath gyuen good thinges vnto me. Who hathe not his owne good dedes to synge, let him syng the good dedes, whiche god graunteth frely by his sonne. If we haue truste in oure owne good dedes, our aduersary wil therof reioyse, but yf in the lorde Iesu we fyxe the shote ancre of hope, our ennemye will shrynke, lyke as the apostel reioysing, saith in the. viii. chapter to the Romans, If god be for vs, who is againste vs? He also whiche spared not his Si Deus pro nobis quis contra nos. owne sonne, but for vs all delyuered hym to the Jewes, howe will he not also with hym gyue all thinges vnto vs? who shall make any complaint or accusation against the elect of god? God is he that iustifyeth, who is he that condempneth? By this polycie & meanes it is so brought aboute, that sodeynely thinges shall be tourned and tossed vp sette downe, and by the helpe of Christe he shall beare awaye the victory, whiche semed desperate, and the ennemy beynge discomfyted [Page] and repelled, shall shrinke away, which began right now to triūphe. This vndoubtedly is the victory of faith, of whych saynt John̄ speaketh in the. v. Epistle, All that is engendred of god, ouercometh the worlde, and this is the victory, which ouer cometh the worlde, our fayth. But who is he, the whiche vanquysheth the world, but he that beleueth, that Iesus is the sonne of god, whō the father wolde that he shoulde be a sacrifyce for the synnes of all mankynde? In this degre so longe as the souldyour of Christe standeth, howe moche so euer that our ennemy the dyuell leapeth aboute, how moch so euer he inuadeth vs, we can not be ouercome. But in this supreme and last battayle the ennemye to his vttermoste powers attempteth to brynge the sycke man into desperation, which is amonge all crymes most greuous. And therfore than in especiall, resystence must be made on the contrary syde, with all laboure and meanes, soo that the sycke personne be moued, taught, and perswaded, to all suche thynges that maye induce and brynge him to hope, and confirme his mynde.

To this thinge shall helpe the ymage of the crucifixe layde right agaynst his eyes, which may euer among renewe the infirme mynde of the sycke. And also the pictures [Page] of tho sayntes, in whome oure lorde wolde haue a memorial or monument of his bountie and mercy to be notorised & publysshed: as of Marye Magdaleyne, of Peter, wepinge after he had denyed our lorde, and of suche lyke. After this the rchersall of places of holy scriptures, which do set forthe vnto vs the immense mercye of god, & charitie towarde mankynde, but namely tho thinges, which our lorde Jesus for the saluation of the worlde vouchesafed bothe to bo and to suffre. There be innumerable such places, which maye brynge great & stronge comforte to a feble and wauerynge mynde. For in this article of deathe the deuyll heapeth vp to mannes mynde all that euer may extynguyshe or put forth the sparke of faith and of hope. He maketh suggestion, how great the maieste and iustice of god is, whiche so often hathe bene neglected & defowled. He amply fyeth the softnes and bountifulnes of hym, that so oft hath bene neglected and reiected, detortynge and wrasting that selfe thinge for a profe of desperation, which ought to nouryshe hope of forgyuenesse. He putteth in mynde so manye yeres euyll spent, so many occasiōs omytted, whiche exhorted to well doynge, & yf any thing were ryghtely done, he depraueth it, and sclaunderously constreweth it to the worst. [Page] He tempteth also and assayeth the faythe of the man, to thentent he myght doubt of the authoritie of scriptures, & of the artycles, which that the church hath taught vs, prō ptyng into our myndes, the reasons of philosophërs, and of heretykes, and perplexe and doubtfull questions, of the creation and redemption of the worlde, of the immortalytie of soules, of the resurrectiō of bodyes, of Christe, whether he was trewe god and man, of the sacramētes of the church, what strength they haue, of the prescience & predestination of god, wrastyng and wrything all thinges to distruste and desperation, deprauinge also the testimonies of scriptures to the same purpose, whiche thinge he presumed to do also vpon our lorde, the author of scriptures. Besyde this, these thinges do helpe our aduersary in this behalfe, as it were by occasion, that is to wyt, the peynfulnesse of the syckenes, the drede of death, the horrour of hell, and the naturall weaknesse of the mynde, and heuynesse of harte, which the greuous sicknes causeth. Wherfore to this inclination the ennemy is redye in his assawtes, workinge all craft, and layenge all his ordynaunces and engyns, to throwe and dryue to the ground, the weake and wauerynge personne. But in lyke wyse as with synnes a man ought not to struggle, [Page] but from consyderation of theym to tourne awaye his mynde to the grace of Christ, so with the deuyll we shoulde not dispute, but whan he suggesteth and casteth into mans mynde wycked and vngodly thynges, he must say to hym, Abi retro Satana, So backe Satanas. It is not lefull for me to doubte of tho thinges, which the churche, instructed by the holy goste, hath taught, and it is also sufficient to beleue tho thinges, which I can not attayne with my wytte. They tell a certayne thinge, not out of holy scripture, but neuerthelesse to the mattier that we go now about it is sufficientely accommodate & mete, of two, whome the dyuell at tyme of their deth tempted of their beleue: the one was lerned in Philosophie, the other was nothinge but a Christen man, rude and vnlerned: he assayled the fyrst, how he beleued whether that Christ was god and mā, whether that he was born of a virgin, and whether he beleued the generall resurrection. And began with reasons of Philosophie to demonstrate, that it was impossible to ioyne tho thinges in one, betwixt whiche there is no agreance, as betwyxt fynite and infynite, create and increate. Furthermore that it is against nature, that a virgyn shulde brynge forth a childe without carnal knowledge of man, nor that (accordynge to Aristotell the [Page] Prynce of the Philosophers) there can be no returne frome priuation to the habyte.

What nedeth mo wordes? The man wauered, and was conuicte, and the dyuell departed a victour. The other rude man, whā the dyuel asked him how he beleued of this and of that thynge, he aunswered him with a cōpendious way, As the church beleueth. Agayne whan he obiected, howe dothe the churche beleue? Marye quod he, as I beleue. How dost thou beleue? As the church beleueth. How beleueth the church? As I beleue. Frome this rude & vnprepared man so disputations, but with symple fayth stable and stedfast: the gostly ennemy departed vanquyshed. This aunswere is good ynoughe, to confounde and dryue awaye the subtyll and craftye ennemy the dyuell. But chiefly it is good in obscure and doubtefull causes and matters. As yf the ennemy wyll suggest, or some other captious felaw, how maye it be, that in thre persones there shuld be one god, and one essencie in numbre? and also by whatte meanes they be distincte the one from the other? Let him make answere thus, Euen as the churche beleueth. How can all one bodye be in dyuers places, all at one tyme? And how in the Sacramente of the aulter maye the trewe body of a man be conteyned in so lytell a space? Let him answere, [Page] as the church beleueth. Agayn what maner of fyre is in hell, & how can a bodyly thing be an agent in an vnbodyly substance? let him answere, as the church beleueth. Or yf any thinge is to be answered, let him answere with fewe wordes, eyther out of the Crede, (which dayly ought to be rehersed vnto the sicke man) or out of holy scripture, or els by the spirite of faith. If Satan heapeth vp the greatnes of his synnes, let him turne hym to god and say, Auerte faciem tuā a peccatis meis. Turne thy face lorde frome my sinnes, & loke vpon the face of thy sonne Christ Jesus. Dyuell. The noumbre of thy A disputaty on betwyxte the Dyuell and the sycke man. synnes do passe the grauell of the see. Man. But yet the mercye of god is more plentuous. Dyuell. How doest thou trust to haue a rewarde of rightwysenes, which art all vnrightwyse? Mā. My rightwysnes is Christ. Dyuell. Shalt thou whiche art all beclad in wyckednesse, go with Peter and Paule, to euer lastynge blysse? Man. No, but with the thefe, to whome it was sayde on the crosse: This daye thou shalt be with me in Paradyse. Dyuell. How hast thou this trust, which hast Luc. 23. done nothinge that is good? Man. Bycause I haue a good lorde, an intreatable iudge, and a gracious aduocate. Dyuell. Thou shalt be haled downe to hell. Man. My heed is in heuen. Dyuell. Thou shalt be damned. [Page] Man. Thou art a barratour, and a fals harlot, no iudge, a damned fende, no damnour. Dyuell. Many legions of dyuels wayte for thy soule. Man. I shoulde despaire, yf I had not a protectour, which hath ouercom your tyranny. Dyuell. God is not iuste, if for thy euyll dedes he gyueth the euerlasting lyfe. Man. Nay, he is iuste that kepeth his promises: and I, longe sythen, haue appeled frome his iustice vnto his mercye. Dyuell. Thou flattereste thy selfe with vayne hope. Man. He that is verite can not lye, it is thy properte to be false of promyses. Dyuelle. Thou seest what thou leauest behynde, but what thou shalt haue thou seest not. Manne. The thinges that be sene, be temporall, and the thinges that be not sene, be euerlasting, and he seeth, and more than seeth, whiche surely and stedfastly beleueth. Dyuel. Thou departest hence laden with euyll dedes and naked of good dedes. Man. I will praye to the lorde, that he wyll dyscharge me of my euyls, and clothe me in his good thinges. Dyuell. But god heareth not synners. Man. But he heareth penitentes, and for synners he dyed. Dyuell. Thy repentance is to late. Man. It was not to late vnto the thefe. Dyuell. The thefes faithe was stedfaste, thyne wauereth. Man. I wyll praye to the lorde, that he will encrease my faith. Dyuel. Thou [Page] doeste falsely perswade thy selfe, that thou haste a mercyfull lorde, which with so many euyls vexeth and punyssheth the. Man. He healeth as a louynge phisition. Dyuell. Why than wolde he that thy deathe shoulde be so bytter? Man. It is the lorde, he can not wil, but that thinge which is good. Why shulde I, an vnprofytable seruaunt, refuse to suffre the thinge, that the lorde of glory hath suffred? Dyuell. It is a wretched thing to dye. Mā. Blessed be they, which dye in the lord. Dyuell. But the deathe of synners is euyll. Man. He ceasseth to be a synner, which with hope of mercy acknowlegeth hym self for a synner. Dyuell. Thou leauest this worlde. Man. Frome heuy exyle I departe into my natiue countreye. Dyuell. Thou leauest behynde the many great commodities & good thinges. Man. But many mo euyll thinges. Dyuell. Thou leauest thy rychesse. Manne. They be other mens that I leaue, I beare myne with me. Dyuel. What dost thou bere, syth thou hast no goodnes in the? Mā. That is trewly myne, which the lorde hath frely gyuen me. Dyuell. Thou forsakest wyfe and childerne. Man. They be the lordes, I cō myt them vnto hym. Dyuell. It is an harde thinge to be plucked away from the derely beloued. Man. Within short space they shall folow me. Dyuell. From thy swete frendes [Page] thou arte sundered. Manne. I go to sweter frendes.

In as moche as the moste wyly and subtill ennemy, whome he can not drawe to desperatiō, entyseth and solliciteth them to a trust and confidence in them selfes: to thentent that whō he can not thrust down heedlong, he maye brimge vp on a heyght, and so confounde them: therfore against this no smal daungier, the sycke man must be armed, defended, and protected. Lykewyse also as againste the daungier of desperation, it is a right sure & stronge defence, the more that the dyuell depresseth man by the conscience of his synnes, the more to lyfte vp him selfe with the hope of goddis mercy & mysticall societie with Christ: so againste the ieoperdy of arrogancy, it shalbe a present and redy remedy, to abiect and humiliate hym self with consyderation of his owne weakenes. For who so euer in Christ is strong & haute, and in hym selfe humble and abiect, can neither be throwen downe of Satanas, nor yet confounded. Suche a certayne thinge we rede in the olde cronycles of saynt Antony the monke, whome the dyuell assauted by a [...] thousand meanes, and yet he coulde neuer ouercome hym. On a certayne tyme, whan that he had wrought and done all the polycies and subtylnesse that he coulde deuyse, [Page] and all in vayne, he confessed hym self to be conuict and vanquysshed, sayenge thus: I labour all in vayne, for yf I deiecte the, and shewe the thy vnworthynesse, thou doest auaunce and lyft vp thy selfe: and yf I extoll the, thou humblest and depressest thy selfe. Wherfore accordinge to the exaumple of saynt Antony, if the dyuell saye, Thou arte worthy to syt amonge the hyghe seraphical sayntes in heauen, than let the sycke manne make answere, My worthynes is nothing, but that I acknowlege my vnworthynesse. Dyuell. Moche hast thou prayed, thou hast fasted moche, thou hast led a streyght and a sharp lyfe, thou hast delt moche to the pore people. Man. All that thou sheweste of me, the dampned Pharisces do the same. If any maner of good worke hath come from me, it is the lordes and not myne. Dyuell. But thou art pure frō those vices, which raigne in hym or in him. Man. I haue then cause to gyue thankes to the lorde, & not to loue my selfe. For oules the lordes mercy had protected me, and yf that lyke tētation had fallen vpon me, I shulde haue committed the same, or els more greuous.

¶ With suche praty answers the sycke man must be armed, short and redy againste the croked suggestions of the dyuell. Ensaumples of holy men muste be called to mynde, [Page] but specially of suche, in whome a notable mercy of the lorde hathe bene declared, as in Dauyd, whiche augmented the synne of adultery with manslaughter, and with two wordes he escaped vengeance: in the Nyniuites, in Achab, in the prodygall sonne, in the publicane, whose rightwysenes the lord preferred before the pharisaic all holynes: in Mary Magdaleyne, to whom the lorde sayde, thy synnes be forgyuen the: in the auoutrous woman, to whom it was sayd, Go and synne no more: in Peter, whiche thrise denyed our lorde: in Paule, which dyd persecute the church of god, bynding and killynge all that professed the name of our lord Jesus: in Cypriane, which of a southsayer was made a martyr: and in many other mo, which from their ydolatry, from blasphe my from horrible crymes, through their faith in Christ atteyned mercy and crownes. To exclude desperation, & rayse hope, the scriptures of the newe testament be more apte than the scriptures of the olde. Nor it is no wonder, Moyses feared the Jewes with commaundementes, Christe comforted all men by fayth and grace. The holy scriptures haue not onely exaumples, but also sayenges very many, partly which cast on men a dicde, partly which comfort the ferefull. For vpon these two thinges in maner al the [Page] bokes of the prophetes do renne, heapinge vp vnto them that turne awaye frome god, the vengcance of god: and agayne amplyfyenge the mercye of god to theym that be conuerted to repentaunce. Eyther of these medicines is holsome, if it be taken wysely and in place. Those that be terrible, and put men in fere, must be ministred to hole in body and sycke in soule, wylde and dronken in the prosperitie of this worlde, or cast into a slepe with the delytes of this worlde, as it were with the herbe called Mandrake: to the entente that as by takynge of Helleborus they maye be brought into their ryghte wyttes: or by takynge the herbe Brassica, called Cole, they may returne to sobrenes: or myghtely cryed on, and plucked, they maye awake. Those that cause hope of forgyuenes, muste be gyuen to tymorous and fearfull persons, specially in the daunger of deathe. How be it neyther to the one feare must be so ministred, that there shal no hope of forgiuenes be mixed to the medicine, nor to the other asswagementes and comfortes must be so gyuen, that they shall be disceyued. For it is two thinges, to chastyse and to cast downe, to comfort & to flatter. Wherfore it forceth not a lytell, what persons do kepe and syt with sycke men. They ought to haue alwayes at hande sundry places of [Page] scriptures, that eyther by the rehersall or tellynge of them, they maye establyshe and holde vp the fayntynge harte of the sycke person. To this purpose certayne prayers aptely made will helpe. For certayne prayers go aboute, whiche be made of vnlerned persones, & by vnlerned persons be taught to sycke folke. Hope beyng thus called vp, yet remayneth the feare of Purgatory, the which feare some men go about to mitigate and put out with remedyes, after myn opinion, nothinge effectuall. Some do promyse to be sure & redemed from the fyre of Purgatorye by byenge of pardons: but I feare least this be not, to succour and comfort the sycke manne, but rather a mockynge and a mere dissimulation. They do better whiche by Masses and prayers of good men, & also by almes dedes, counsayle hym to dymynish the paynes of Purgatory. But the strōgest [...]remedy of all, is to aduertyse the sycke mā, as moch as he can, to styre and rayse vp his faith and charitie towarde god & his neighboure, with all his harte to forgyue al men, of whom he hath bene hurted and greued, and paciently to suffre for the loue of Christ Jesus the paynes of the syckenesse, and also death, submytting him selfe holly in al thinges to the wil and pleasure of god, thinking that god wil not iudge two tymes vpon one [Page] thinge: and that Christ for our synnes hath suffered great peynes on the crosse. Out of these fountaynes, and namely of his blode, let hym fetche a refrigeration and asswagement of the fyre of Purgatory. And so mystrustynge hym selfe, and trustyng vpon the excedynge mercye of god, the merytes of Christ, and the suffrages of all holy menne, with a contrite harte and religious trust let hym saye, In manus was domine, commendo spiritum meum, Into thy handes lord, I commende my spirite. There shalbe no disdayn, though the synner and weake man vsurpeth the wordes of his lord. For to that purpose our heed expressed these thingis in him self, that we shoulde folowe hym, whiche be his membres. That yf it please any man also of the other holy men to fetche an exaumple, let him saye with saynt Steuen, Lorde god take my spirite. Examples haue a great vertue and strēgth to moue mens myndes. For they shew as it were in a glasse, what is comely, and what is otherwyse: Lykwyse as also in other thīgis we be more moued with those thinges that we se, than that we here. Wherfore it hath no small profyt to be often present at mens deathes, to thentēt that we maye despyse that in them we se detestable, and folow that is good and holy. For in that article of death euery mans faith appereth [Page] what it is, and euery mans conscience. But here shall no example be founde more perfyte than that, whyche the lorde expressed vnto vs in him self. For whan that last night approched, against the storme of temtation, which was at hande, he armed his disciples with the fode of his moste holye bodye and Mode, monyshinge vs, that so oft as we fall into casualtie or disease, whiche thretneth death, forthwith shulde purge our affectiōs with confession, lyke as oure lorde wasshed the fete of his disciples, and that done that we take reuerentely the body of our lorde, which meat may make our myndes stronge and vnvanquysshable againste our spirituall ennemy. Our lorde made no testament, but in stede of his testamēt was that hole fyery sermon, which John specifyeth and teleth [...] very diligentely, and the ordinaunce of the sacrament of the aulter made in memory of his death. Of a testament these wordes also do sounde, whiche were spoken on the crosse, woman behold thy sonne, And to the disciple, Beholde thy mother. Wherfore of externall thinges we ought to speake lytel, and moche of the thingis that make to faith and charitie. For the wordes of theym that we are wōt to be snatched vp somdele gredyly, and to be printed more depely in the myndes of the hearers, partly that no man [Page] is thought to fayne in that ieopardy, partly that the mynd whā it beginneth to be plucked from the body, wherwith it is combred, oftentymes vttereth a glymmerynge, and a profe of that lybertie and knowlege, whervnto it goth. But let vs retourne to the example of our redemer. After his maūdy, he departed from the house into the yarde, and his other disciples, there commanded to sit downe, he toke with him onely thre, Peter, John, and James of Zebedei, to thentente that he might haue the same to be witnesses of his humayne infirmitie, whiche to fore in the mount he wolde haue to be witnesses of his glory. To these he confessed thextreme heuynes of his mynd, which oftentymes is more greuous than the self deth, which beinge commanded to watche & praye, agayne he departed to praye. In the corporall departinge of our lorde there is a greate mystery. Who prepareth him to deth, must departe frome all vrbane and domesticall affections, caste awaye the care of the publyke weale, vtterly do away the thought of possessions, commende his wyfe and childern to the lorde, conuey away him self from the trust of his frendes & kynsmen, not his most inwarde frēdes receyue into the care of his mynde, he muste be alone frome couerte of house, which than will speake with the heuenly [Page] father, whā extreme necessite approcheth. Thre tymes he monyshed his disciples. whan they slept, to wake & pray, that they entre not into temptation. He entreth into tentation, whiche gyueth him selfe into the power of the temptour. But they that wake and pray, though they be stryken with tentation, yet it passeth away by & by. That which our lorde spake to the thre disciples, he spake to vs all. They slept, and therfore they fell into tentation. Peter the most strō gest of all denyed his maister, the other for scare fled away, and wold haue denyed him moch more, if they had ben in lyke case. So in lyke maner in peryll of death mans infirmitie is ouercome, onles instantely, oneles with a pure affection, onles with an vnuanquyshed trust he cryeth for the help of him, which onely reuyueth the deed. Now how a man shulde praye beinge in this state, our redemer vouche safed by his exaumple, to shewe vnto vs. He bowed his knees: this was not ynoughe, he fell downe flat on his face. From the grounde he cryed to his father so mightely, that his voyce was herde of the thre disciples, whiche were a stones caste of, besyde that they were heuye with slepe. Two tymes he returned to prayer. iii. tymes he repeted the self same wordis, Not as I will, but as thou. He boweth his knees, [...] &c. [Page] which submitteth him holly to goddis will: be falleth flat down on his face, which holly discontenteth him selfe, holly distrusteth his owne strength and good dedes, nor frō any other where hopeth solace, than frome the mercye of oure lorde. Nor we maye not despayre forthwith, though comfort be differred, agayne and agayne we must returne to cryenge, not of the mouthe, but of the hart. For if the thynge that our lorde dyd outwardly, we folowe spiritually, the good aungell wyll come and wype of the bloudy sweatte from our minde, and shal either deliuer vs from peryll, or giue strength to our spirite, that we boldly may suffre deth. Last of all we must with our lorde all naked, ascende vpon the crosse, farre from all erthly affections, lift vp to the loue of the heuenly lyfe, that with saynt Paule we may say, The world is crucified vnto me, & I to the worlde. Gala. [...]And there nayled with thre nayles, feythe, hope, and charitie, we must constantly perseuer, fyghtyng valiantly with our ennemy the dyuelle, vntylle at laste, after we haue vanquyshed him, we may passe into eternall reste, through the ayde and grace of oure lorde Iesus Christe, to whom with the father and holy gooste be prayse and glorie without ende. Amen.

¶ FINIS.

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PREPARATION TO DEATHE, A boke as deuout as eloquent, compiled by Erasmus Roterodame.

Phil. 1.

MIHI VIVERE Christus est, & mori lucrum.

THE PREFACE. DESIDERIVS ERASMVS OF ROTERODAME, to the ryght noble lorde Thomas, Erle of wylteshyre, and of Drmanie, sendeth gretynge.

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TO THE VERY PERfyte conclusyon of Christes lore, your lordeshyp calleth me, mooste noble Erle, and yet more noble in the study of godlynes, than in the ornamentes of fortune, in that ye prouoke me to adde to my former bokes some lytle thynge, teachinge howe a man ought to prepare hym to deth. For this is of mans lyfe the last part (as it were) of the playe, wherof hangeth eyther euerlastynge blysse of man, or euerlastynge damnation. This is the laste fyghte with the enemye, wherby the souldiour of Christe loketh for eternall triumphe, yf he ouercome: and euerlastynge shame, if he be ouercome. As tonchynge my selfe. I haue bene hole in this busynesse this great whyle, where as youre exhortation was, as who sayth, a spurre to [Page] hym that renneth. Howe be it at that tyme I studyed for myne owne priuate comfort. But your goodnes coueteth, that also this frute throughe vs myght be made commun vnto many. Wolde god, that the lorde of his goodnes wyll graunt to your most holy requestes, and to myne endeuour a prosperous ende, at leaste I wyll not wrastle againste his wyll, throughe whose instincte, I suppose this myne obsequye and seruyce to be demaunded of your lordeshyp.

¶ Fare ye well. At Friburge, the Lalendes of Decembre, the yere of oure lorde, a thousand, fyue hundreth, thyrty and thre.

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[Page] LONDINI IN AEDIBVS THOMAB. BERTHELETI REGII IMPRESSORIS. EXCVS.

ANNO. M. D. XXXVIII.

CVM PRIVILEGIO.

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Information about this book

Title statement

Preparation to deathe A booke as deuout as eloquent, compiled by Erasmus Roterodame.De praeparatione ad mortem. English

Erasmus, Desiderius, d. 1536.

Edition statement

1538

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2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A00389

ID [STC]

STC 10505

ID [STC]

ESTC S116245

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99851462

ID [PROQUEST]

99851462

ID [VID]

16736

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A00389)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 16736)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1096:14)

Source

— Preparation to deathe A booke as deuout as eloquent, compiled by Erasmus Roterodame., De praeparatione ad mortem. English, Erasmus, Desiderius, d. 1536..

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[104] p.

In aedibus Thomae Bertheleti regii impressoris. excus.,. [Londini :: Annno. M. D. XXXVIII. [1538]]. (A translation of: Erasmus, Desiderius. De praeparatione ad mortem.) (Imprint from colophon.) (Signatures: A-F G⁴.) (Reproduction of the original in the Folger Shakespeare Library.)

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