MANVALE Catholicorum.
A Manuall FOR True Catholickes.
LONDON, Printed for Leonard Becket, and are to be sold at his Shop in the Temple neere the Church, 1611.
ENCHIRIDION PIARVM PRECVM ET Meditationum.
Ex vetustiffimis Manuscript. pergamenis descripta.
Ex Bibliotheca W. Crashavi. Theol Bacchal. & verbi Div. Mnistir. apud Temp. Lond.
A HANDFVL: OR Rather a Heartfull of holy meditations and Prayers.
Gathered out of certaine ancient Manuscripts, written 300 yeares ago, or more.
By WILLIAM CRASHAW Batchelour of Diuinity, and Preacher at the Temple.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE LORD: HENRY THE Noble Earle of NORTHHAMPTON, Lord priuy Seale, Lord Warden of the Cinc (que) Ports, and one of his Maiesties Honourable priuy Counsell.
RIGHT Honourable, our Aduersaries amongst their many obiections against vs and our Religion, vse this [Page] for one, that if wee refuse their Church, and condemne their faith, wee condemne to hell all our forefathers. But it followeth not: for in such fundamental points as necessarily concerne saluation, as matter of merit, and meanes of Iustification, &c. our fathers in former times were not of the Romish faith, but of our Religion: excluding, disclayming, & renouncing all their owne merits, and cleauing only to Gods mercy, and the merits of Iesus Christ for their saluation. This was the faith of the ancient Church, &c. SaintBasillius in homel in Psal. 114. Basil saith. Eternall rest remaines [Page] for them which haue fought a good fight in this world, yet not for the merit of their workes, but through the rich mercies of God, in whom they trust.
Saint Hillary saith, ourHillarius in Psal. 51. workes suffice not to merit eternall life, but our hope is in the mercy of God for euer and euer.
Saint Augustine saith,Augustinus concione 1 in Psal. 70. Tua peccata sunt, merita Dei sunt: supplicium tibi debetur, et cum praemium venerit sua dona coronabit non tua merita. Sin is ours, Merit is Gods: Punishments are our due, but if rewardes come, God crownes his owne gifts, not our merites.
Gregory moral lib. 9. ca. 14.Saint Gregory (a Pope) saith, If I doe well, I shall haue eternall life, not by my merits but Gods mercy.
And long after euen inBernardus sermone. 15. in Psal. 90. the darkest times; deuote Bernard saith, A mans whole merit is to put the whole affiance of his heart in him, that hath saued the whole man, and therfore in another place he concludes, My merit is the mercy of the Lord.
All these Bellarmine cannotSermone 61. in Cant. meritum meum miseratio domini. deny, and himselfe produceth some of them or all, but shapes such answeres to them, as it would satisfye an indifferent man euen to read him in that pont.
And this was not the faithBellar. to. 4. lib. 5. de lust. cap. 6. of the principall Fathers only, but by the mercy of God, it was deriued euen vnto the inferiour, and vulgar [Page] sort, not of the Cleargy alone, but euen of the Laity also.
If the monuments of elder ages were extant & vncorrupted, it is more thē maruailous how cleerly this truth would shine: that our forefathers were not damned, though they beleeued, not as doth the present Romish Church: Nay further that they were saued by the same faith by which wee are at this day, though they were misled by some errours, and nusled in some superstitions; for which (being sinnes of infirmity, or rather of ignorance) we hope the Lord was mercifull vnto them, knowing [Page] that euen Dauid himselfe cried to God to clense Psal. 19. him from his secret sinnes.
But such hath beene the craft and malice of Popish policy, that partly the oldest bookes are embezilled and extinguished, and those that remaine are so altered corrupted and depraued from that they were, that there now remaines not one of many of the testimonies, which the former ages yeelded to this truth.
Notwithstanding the prouidence of God hath not failed his Church: for (do what they could) yet he who said the gates of hell Math. 16. should not preuaile against the [Page] true faith, hath taken order in spight of all plots to the contrary, that so many testimonies shall be preserued, as shall sufficiently witnesse to the world that our faith flourished in former ages.
My purpose is (if the Lord will) to gather vp such Antiquities though they be scattered and almost lost in these old worme eaten Manuscripts wherein they lye buried, which as Gods prouidence hath deliuered from the force and fury of the inquisitors fire, so it is al Christians duties to preserue them to posterity.
I haue here begun with a Handfull, or rather a Hartfull [Page] of holy prayers & meditations worthy to be worne in the hand, and borne in the heart of euery Christian, by which it may euidently appeare that the faith and Religion of the former ages, foure & fiue hundred yeares ago, was euen the same by which we looke to bee saued at this day.
Let this haue leaue (right Honorable) to come abroad out of the corners of obscurity, into publicke view, in the light & lustre of your renowned name, who are knowne to bee a reuerencer of Antiquity, a Mecaenas of learning, a practiser of piety, an enemy to the idolatry, [Page] superstitions, ambitious practises, traiterous deuices, and Machiauellian plots of Iesuites: and a detester of such especially, who vnder a pretence of Religion, doe cloake and conuey impieties against God, and against his annointed.
The God of heauen confirme that blessed worke of his in your Lordship more & more, to the glory of his name, the benefite of this Realme, and to your owne saluation in Christ Iesus: So praieth
The Contents.
- 1 A Holy and orthodox Confession of the Trinity, the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost.
- 2 A godly confession of sinnes and prayer for pardon, and for eternall life.
- 3 A godly meditation of mans misery, and Gods mercy, together with a deuout prayer.
- 4 The manner of preparing [Page] sicke persons to death in the ancient times▪ euen in Popery.
De Deo Patre, pia, & orthodoxa Confessio.
De Iesu Christo Deo & homine Confessio orthodoxa.
De eodem.
De Sancto Spiritu Confessio Orthodoxa.
Conclusio cum deuotissima Precatione.
Amen.
Meditatio pijssima, de hominis miseria, et Dei miserecordia, vna cum deuota precatione.
An Orthodoxall Confession of God the Father.
A holy and orthodoxall Confession of God the Son, Iesus Christ the Sauiour of Mankind.
Of Christ againe.
A true and orthodoxall Confession of the holy Ghost.
The conclusion with a deuour and holy prayer.
Amen.
A holy meditation of mans mi sery, and Gods mercy, together with a deuout prayer.
Amen.
Here followeth the means and manner how our forefathers in the time of Popery prepared themselues and others to dye, consisting first of the confession of their faith, and secondly of the prayers which were made by them, & for them in their last sicknesse, by which it may appeare that though they were misled by the crafty Romish Clergy, in diuers errours and superstions, yet in the great point of the meanes of saluation, they were of our religion and were saued by it.
INterrogationes quae fieri debent morituris dum adhuc vsum rationis habent, & loquendi, vt si quis minus dispositus fuerit ad moriendum, de meliori informetur at (que) in eodem confortetur. Illae autem interrogationes debent fieri, fecundum Anselmum Episcopum hoc modo,
Primos queratur sic.
Frater 1 laetaris quod in fide Christi morieris.
Ille respondet, Etiam.
Frater 2 penitet te non tam bene vixisse sicut debuisses?
Respondeat etiam.
Frater, habes animum emendandi si spatium viuendi haberes?
Respon. Etiam.
Frater credis te non posse nisi per Christi mortem saluari?
Resp. Etiam.
Credis quod prote mortuus est Dominus Iesus Christus fillius Dei?
Resp. Etiam,
Agis ei gratias ex toto corde de hoc.
Respo. Etiam.
Age ergo ei (dum superest in te anima) semper gratias, & in hac sola morte, fiduciam tuam constitue: in nulla alia re fiduciam habe, huic mortite totum committe, hac sola te totum contege: totum immisce [Page 67] te in hac morte, totum confige, in hac morte te totum inuolue.
Et si dominus Deus voluerit tu iudicare, dic, Domine, mortem Domini mei Iesu Christi obijcio inter me & iudiciū tuum aliter tecum non contendam.
Et si tibi dixerit Deus, quia peccator es. dic, Domine mortem Domini mei Iesu Christi pono inter te & peccata mea: si dixerit tibi quod meruisti damnationem, dic: Domine, mortem Domini mei Iesu Christi obtendo inter te, & mala merita mea, Ipsum (que), & dignissimae, passionis meritum offero pro merito quod ego debuissem habere, & (heu) hon habeo:
Si dixerit deus quod tibi est iratus, [Page 69] die, Domine mortem Domini mei Iesu Christi pono inter me & iram tuam.
Deinde dicat ter, In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum, et si id ipsum non potest loqui dicat conuentus vel astantes, In manus tuas domine commendamus spiritum eius.
Et securus moritur, nec videbit mortem in eternum.
Et in alio vetusto codice.
SEquntur signa sex quibus homo potest confidere de salute.
1 Si credit ea quae sunt Christianae fidei quantum ad omnia ab Ecclesia determinata.
[Page 71]2 Si gaudet & laetetur quod in fide Christi morietur.
3 Si cognoscat se grauiter Deum offendisse.
4 Si dolet se tam grauiter Deum offendisse.
5 Si proponit a peccatis abstinere si vixerit.
6 Si credit & sperat venire ad salutē aeternam non proprijs meritis, sed Iesu Christi.
Et dicit Anselmus quod hae sex questiones proponi debent homini costituto in mortis articulo, & addit.
Deinde dicatur infirmo: si Sathan tibi obijciat aliquid, opponas merita Christi inter te & ipsū, & his peractis sine dubio saluabitur.
Ista consolatio & preparatio ad mortem, in vetustis codicibus ascribitur Anselmo, qui vixit ante annos 500, in ipsa adulta fere aetate Papismi. Si vero dubitaret quis, quomodo patres nostri in hisce posterioribus, multo (que) peioribus temporibus salutem aeternā possent adipisci, grassante Papismo & vigente potestate tenebrarum.
Respondeo eandem fere preparationem, & intterrogationes fuisse in vsu & aestimatione, In densissimis Papismi tenebris: pessimo nimirum illo tempore Concilij Constantiensis ante annos nimirum 200. sic enim reperio scriptum in alio vetusto codice, multis abhinc annis descripto.
Omnis Christianus siue secularis, fiue regularis modo subsequenti de sua salute inquirendus et informandus est.
1 CRedis omnes principales articulos fidei, & insuper toti sacrae Scripturae per omnia, secundum sanctorum Catholicorum & orthodoxorum, sanctae Ecclesiae doctorum expositionem & detestatis omnes hereses & errores at (que) superstitiones, ab Ecclesia reprobatas: ac laetaris insuper quod in fide Christi, ac vnitate matris Eccelsiae, ac obedientia morieris?
2 Cognoscis te Creatorem tuum saepe & multipliciter, at (que) grauiter offendisse.
[Page 77]3 Doles ex toto corde de omnibus peccatis contra Dei maiestatem amorem & benignitatem, de malis commissis & bonis omissis, & gratias neglectis, non solum timore mortis conturbatus, vel paenae cuiuscū (que) sed magis ex amore Dei?
4 Petis frater omnibus istis veniam a Iesu Christo, optans per illum cor tuum illuminari ad cognitionem obliquorum, vt de illis valeas specialiter paenitere?
5 Proponis te vereaciter velle emē dare si supervixeris, et nunquā plus mortaliter peccare scienter, sed [Page 79] potius omnia quanticunque chara dimittere imo etiam vitam carnalem perdere antequam Deum plus velles offendere.
6 Rogas insuper Deum vt det tibi gratiam hoc propositum continuandi & non recidiuandi.
7 Indulges, ex toto corde, omnibus qui vnquam aliquid nocumentum verbo, vel facto tibi intulerunt, vel aliquo modo offenderunt, ob amorem & venerationem Domini tui Iesu Christi, a quo & tu veniam speras▪ Petis etiam fideliter indulgeri & remitti tibi ab ijs quos tu offendisti quouis modo?
8 Vis ablata restitui integraliter in quantū teneris iuxta tuarum facultatum valorem etiam vs (que) ad omnium bonorum tuorum c [...]ssionem inclusiue, vbi alias, satisfactio fieri non valeret?
9 Credis quod parte mortuus sit Christus & quod aliter saluari non potes, nisi per meritum passionis Domini nostri Iesu Christi: & agis etiam de hoc Deo gratias ex corde, quantum valeas.
Quicun (que) autem ad praedictas interrogationes ex conscientia bona, & fide non ficta, vere poterit affirmatiue respondere, satis euidens argumentum salutis habet, si sic decesserit, quod de numero saluandorum erit.
QVestions to bee propounded to sicke persons, whilst they haue the vse of reason, and power to speake, to the end that if any be not so well disposed to dye, he may bee better informed and prepared. And the questions be these, according to Anselme the reuerend Bishop.
1 Let him be asked thus,
Brother dost thou reioyce that thou shalt dye in the faith of Christ?
Ans. I do.
2 Brother, dost thou sorrow and grieue, for that thou hast not liued so well as thou oughtest?
The answere, I do
Brother: hast thou a hearty purpose to liue better, if God giue thee time to liue?
Ans. I haue.
Brother dost thou beleeue that thou cannot be saued, but by the death of Christ?
Ans. I do.
Dost thou beleeue that Iesus Christ the Sonne of God dyed for thee?
Ans. I do.
Dost thou giue thankes to God therefore from thy whole heart?
Ans. I do.
Well then good brother, whilst thy soule is yet in thy body giue him hearty thankes▪ and settle all thy assurance vpon his death alone: haue no confidence in any thing else: trust thy selfe wholly to his passion: couer thy selfe wholly with it, fasten thy whole [Page 68] selfe on his crosse: cast thy whole selfe into this sea.
And if thy Lord God say hee will iudge thee; answere thou, Lord I obiect the death of my Lord Iesus Christ betwixt me & thy iudgement, otherwise I will not contend with thee.
And if God say to thee thou art a sinner, answer: Lord it is so, but I set the death of my Lord Iesus Christ betwixt thee & my sinnes: If hee say that thou hast deserued damnation, answer. It is true Lord, but I place the death and merits of my Lord Iesus Christ betwixt thee and my ill deseruings: and I offer vp him & the most worthy merites of his passion, for the merits which I should haue had, but (alas) haue not.
If the Lord say further that he is angry with thee, answere [Page 70] him, Lord thou hast cause, but I set the death and suffrings of my Lord Iesus Christ, betwixt thy wrath and my soule.
Then let him say thrise: Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit. And if he be so weake hee cannot, then let the company who stand by say, Lord into thy hands we commend his soule.
He that doth thus is safe and secure, for, he shall neuer tast of eternall death.
Also in another old booke I find this written.
THese be the six signes vpon which a man may rest confident of his saluation.
1 If he beleeue the Articles of Christian faith, as many as are determined by the Churche.
[Page 72]2 If he reioyce to dye in the faith of Christ.
3 If hee know that hee hath grieuously offended God.
4 If he bee heartily sorry for it.
5 If he resolue to forsake his sinnes, if God giue him life.
6 If he hope and beleeue to come to eternall saluation, not by his owne merits, but by the merits of Iesus Christ.
And Anselme saith that these six questions are to bee asked of euery one at the time of his death, and saith further thus.
Then say to the sicke person: if Sathan obiect any thing against thee, oppose thou the merits of Christ betwixt thee and him: and thus without all doubt hee shall be saued.
This consolation of the sicke and preparation to their death is in ancient Copies ascribed to Anselme, who liued more then 500 yeares agoe, euen when Popery was almost growne to perfect age: Now if any man make question how our fathers were saued in these later and worse times, when Popery preuailed in a greater measure; I answere that euen almost the same preparation, and same questions, were vsed long after Anselme, euen in the deepest darkenesse of Popery: For in the most euill time about the Councell of Constance, some two hundred years ago, Thus I finde it written in ancient Booke, and it is ascribed to Gerson.
Euery Christian whether secular or regular is thus to be examined and informed in his sicknesse touching his saluation.
1 DOest thou beleeue all the principal articles of faith, and all that is contained in the whole body of holy Scripture, according to the exposition of the Catholicke and orthodoxall Doctors of the holy Church: and dost thou detest all heresies and errours and superstitions, condemned or reproued by the Church: and art thou glad that thou dyest in the faith of Christ, and vnity and obedience of thy Mother the Church.
2 Doest thou know and confesse that thou hast many wayes and grieuously offended thy God and Creator.
[Page 76]3 Dost thou sorrow from thy whole heart for all thy sins committed against Gods Maiesty his loue and mercy, art thou truely sorrowful for the euils that thou hast committed, and the good that thou hast omitted, and the grace thou hast neglected, and art thou agreiued, not so much for feare of death, or any punishment, as for that loue which thou oughtest to beare towards God?
4 Doest thou beg pardon for all these thy sins of Iesus Christ, desiring that by him thy heart may be enlightned, truely to see and know thy sins, that so thou maist particularly and more seriously repent of them?
5 Doest thou propound and resolue truly to amend thy life (if so be thou liue) and neuer hereafter to sinne so againe, but rather [Page 78] to loose any thing how deere soeuer vnto thee, yea euen life it selfe, then to offend thy God againe?
6 Doest thou also desire of God, grace to continue in this purpose, that thou maist not fall againe?
7 Doest thou forgiue from thy whole heart all that haue done thee any wrong in word or deed, for the loue of Christ Iesus thy Lord and Sauiour, and as thou hopest for pardon from him: and doest thou hartily desire to bee forgiuen of all men, whom thou hast any way offended?
8 Wilt thou that there be ful restitution made according to thy power, yea though it should extend to thy whole estate, if otherwise there cannot bee satisfaction made?
[Page 80]9 Doest thou beleeue that Christ dyed for thee, and that thou canst bee saued no otherwise but by the merites of Iesus Christ: and doest thou giue God thankes for this from thy whole heart as much as thou art able.
And whosoeuer can giue true answere to these questions affirmatiuely, out of a good conscience and faith not fayned; It is an euident and sufficient testimony of saluation, and let him not doubt but if he so depart, hee is one of them that shall be saued.
Behold heere good Reader our Religion practised in the most misty times of Popery: behold heere the true, holy, Catholike and ancient way to heauen: Namely, By Christ and his merits alone. Heere is no trusting on mans merits, either our own or others: Here is no mention of Agnus deis, or Wodden Crucifixes, He is not bid to trust in the prayers, suffrages, requiems, dirges, Masses, Trentals, or other obsequies that shall be sayd for him after his departure. He is sent to no Angell, no nor to the Virgin Mary, for matter of Saluation: Nay all are excluded, & Christs death alone, euen it alone, is made the meanes of his Saluation, And the makers heereof were so resolute, and zealous in this point, that they vse such variety of words, as though they could not sufficiently expresse the excellency and the nececessity of cleauing to Christ alone [Page 82] in the matter of saluation.
And if any man suspect that this is but deuised by vs, and falsely fathered vpon Antiquity, let him know that not onely we haue the ancient Copies, whose age will speake for themselues, but euen the better sort of Papists, that be learned, doe know this well enough.
A learned Papist of this ageGasper vlenbergius. in lib. de Causis. Causa 14. pag. 462. editionis Colon. 1589. writeth, that in a Church in Colaine this very booke is extant (Manuscript) and that hee hath seene it, and that this manner of comforting the sicke was vsed in former ages, and confesseth that it containes the very treasure & kernel of Christian Religion, and saith further that this manner was vsed not in Germany onely, but ouer all the Christian world: Indeed to the Iesuits I confesse, this is held a ridiculous manner of comforting the sicke, (such a spirit possesseth them:) [Page 83] Thus doth Gretzer their Champion, flout vs Lutherans (as he cals vs) for thus doing.
The Lutherans (saith hee) doIae. Gretzerus in refutat Leyseri de histor. Ord. Iesuit. thus comfort their sick. Relicks, Crucifixes, Agnus deis, and such matters are but dead things, and nothing worth, the Scripture hath not a word of them: it is therefore very vngodly to trust in them; but God is our hope, and God is our strength trust in him, &c. On this wise fashion do these godly comforters comfort their sicke persons.
Thus in the Iesuites iudgement it is but a seely course to trust in Gods mercy, and Christs merits, in points of saluation: Hereby it may be discerned of what spirit they are. But let them mocke vs, as long as with vs they mocke the Scriptures, Antiquity, and the better sort of their owne side, for we appeale to this that [Page 84] hath bene said, whether this manner of comforting the sicke were not in vse long before Luther was borne:
Now if any obiect that in the same bookes there is mention of the Crucifixe, and that it is appointed to be in the presence of the sicke person: I answere it is true, but not that he should worship it, (as now the Iesuits teach, and all the approued Gregori. de valent. Gretzerus, Vasquez. Romish writers) but that it may put him in mind of Christ, which though it be a needlesse superstition, yet is it not that impiety and idolatrie, which now at this day is practised & maintained in the Romish Church, and my purpose is not to discharge those times, nor our forefathers in those times of errours, and superstitions, but of the idolatrie, impietie, and blasphemy of the present Church of Rome. And the same answer is also to bee giuen to another obiection. That in the same booke there are [Page 85] praiers to the Saints and Angels: It is so, and from that errour those ages cannot bee cleered: but with all let vs still obserue that those praiers are not to helpe them in matters of saluation, (as are many blasphemous praiers now vsuall in Popery:) and that sin in those mistie times (being a sinne of ignorance) no doubt was pardoned vnto them in the mercy of God, seeing that for their reconciliation with God, and eternall saluation, they beleeued to attaine it onely by the merits and passion of Iesus Christ. But let not vs feed on their infirmities, but louingly passe by them, and let this content and comfort vs, that their meanes of saluation which they vsed and trusted vnto, is the same with ours at this day: for better testimony whereof, let vs set downe some of their praiers, being such as the best Christian may vse at this day with much comfort.
Certaine Praiers vsed by our Fore-fathers in the darkest times of Popery, in the time of a mans sickenesse: some to bee made for the sicke, and some by the sicke person: gathered out of the same ancient books. When the sicke person feeles his strength to faile, then let him commend his soule to God in this Praier.
O summa Deitas, immensa, clementissima, at (que) gloriosissima Trinitas, summa dilectio, amor & charitas, miserere mei miserrimi peccatoris: tibi enim commendo spiritum meum. Deus meus pijssimus, pater miserecordiarum, miserecordiam fac huic pauperculae Creaturae, & in vltima necessitate mea succurreiam Domine indigenti animae, & desolatae, vt non a canibus infernalibus deuoretur.
O dulcissime, & amantissime Domine Iesu Christi, fili Dei viui, ob honorem, & virtutem beatissimae passionis, iube me recepi inter numerum electorum tuorum:
Saluator & Redemptor meus, reddo me totū tibi: vt me non renuas â venia, nec repellas à gloria tua. At ô Domine Iesu Christe, paradisum tuum postulo, non ob valorem meritorum meorū, cum sum puluis & cinis, & peccator miserrimus sed in virtute & efficacia, tuae sanctissimae passionis, per quam me miserimū redimere voluisti, & mihi paradisum tuo pretioso sanguine emere dignatus es. Igitur per illam amaritudinem quam pro me sustinere voluisti in Cruce, maxime in illa hora quando sanctissima anima tua egressa est de corpore tuo, miserere animae meae in egressu suo.
Deinde dicat pluries diripuisti Domine vincula mea, tibi sacrificabo hostiam laudis.
Deinde cum ipse visum loquelae amiserit, orationes sequentes dicantur super infirmum laborantem ab aliquo presentium, si adhuc superuiuit.
QVaesumus, miserecors pater, secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, respice propitius super hunc famulū tuum, fratrem nostrum, remissionem omnium peccatorum suorum tota cordis confessione poscentem: Exaudi deprecantes, & renoua in eo, pijssime pater, quicquid in eo terrena fragilitate corruptum [Page 93] est, vel quicquid Diabolica fraude violatum est, & vnitati corporis Ecclesiae membrum redemptionis congrega. Miserere Domine gemituū suorum, miserere lachrimarum eius, & in habentem fiduciam nisi in miserecordia tua ad tuae reconciliationis sacrameutum admitte. In manus igitur in extinguibilis miserecordiae tuae, pater sanctissime, cōmendemus spiritum famuli tui fratris nostri, secundū magnitudinem amoris quo se anima filij tui sanctissima in cruce tibi cōmendabit supplicater deprecantes quatenus per illā inestimabilē diuinitatē quam tua diuina bonitas in se totā traxit illam sanctissiman [Page 95] animam, vt in hora vltima famuli tui, fratris nostri, suscipias in eodem amore spiritum eius.
Et tu dulcissime redemptor, pijssime Iesu, per illam lacrimabilem vocem quam moriturus emisisti, cum pro nobis doloribus & laboribus passionis adeo consumptus es, vt te derelictum à patre clamabas. Ne longe facias à famule tuo, fratre nostro, auxilium tuae miserationis in hora & in momento afflictionis animae suae prae defectione & consumptione spirit us te inuocare in extrema hora mortis scire non valente: sed per triumphum sanctae crucis & per salutem [Page 97] salutiferae passionis & amorosae mortis tuae, cogitade eo cogitationes pacis, & nō afflictonis sed miserecordissimae miserationis & cōsolationis: & libera eam de omnibus angustijs, erue eam a a tormentis sibi deputatis & perduc eam in requiē aeternum: O Domine Iesu Christe, qui redemisti nos precioso sanguine tuo, scribe in anima huius famuli tui vulnera tua pretioso sanguine tuo, vt discat in eis legere tuum dolorem & tuum amorem: dolorem contra omnes dolores & paenas quas pro peccatis suis se timet meruisse: Amorem vt vniatur tibi amore inuisibili, quo a te & omnibus electis tuis, nunquam possit in aeternum seperari:
Et fac cum Domine Iesu Christs participem sacratissimae incarnationis passionis, resurrectionis & ascentionis tuae: fac eum participem sacratissimorū mysteriorum & sacramentorum tuorum: Fac eam participem omnium orationum ac benefactorum quae fuerunt in Ecclesia sancta tua. Fac eam participem omnium benedictionum, gratiarum, & gaudiorum ominum electorum tuorum, ab initio mundi, & concede vt cum his omnibus in tuo conspectu gaudeat in aeternum: Domine qui orasti pro nobis in monte Oliueti, obsecramus te vt multitudinē sanguinis et sudoris quem prae angustia tua copiosissime pro nobis effudisti, ostendere digneris & offerre deo patri omnipotenti contra multitudinem omnium [Page 101] peccatorum huius famuli tui fratris nostri, & libera cum in hac hora mortis suae ab omnibus paenis & angustijs quas pro peccatis fuis timet se meruisse; salua animam eius in hac hora exitus sui, et aperi ei Ianuam vitae, & fact eam gaudere cum sanctis in gloria aeterna, per tua merita Domine Iesu Christe, qui cum Deo patre, & spiritu Sancto viuis & reg-Deus in secula.
Cum autem eius vires deficient & animam emissurum videatur, commendetur anima per aliquem astantium, hoc modo.
Commendatio animae morientis.
COmmendo te omnipotenti Deo (charissime frater) et ei, cuius es creatura committo: proficiscere anima Christiana de hoc misero mundo. In nomine Patris omnipotentis qui te creauit. In nomine Iesu Christi filij eius qui pro te passus est. In nomine Spiritus Sancti, qul in te fusus est. Egrediente aute animatua de corpore, splendidus Angelorum caetus tibi occurrat, & omnium sanctorum caetus te accipiat: [Page 105] appareat tibi mitis, & clemens, Iesus Christus, qui inter assistentes sibi te iugiter interesse decernat, vt locus tuus in pace sit, & habitatio tua in Hierusalem coelesti: Ignores omnino quid horret in tenebris, quid stridet in flammis, quid cruciat in tormentis. Cedat tibi nequissimus Sathan cum satellitibus suis: nec in aduentu suo te vincat, sedcoram angelis dei contremiscat as in aterna noctis chaos immane diffugiat: at exurget Deus & dissipentur omnes inimici eius, sicut deficit fumus ita deficiant. Iusti autem exultentur, [Page 107] & exultent in conspectu Dei: Confundantur igitur & erubescant ante te tar tareae legiones & ministri satanae iter tuum impedire non audeāt: Liberet te à cruciatu Christus qui pro te mori dignatus est, & constituet te Christus filius Dei inter paradisi sui amena & semper virentia, & i am inter oues suos verus te ille pastor agnoscat. Ille ab omnibus peccatis tuis absoluat, at (que) ad dextram in electorum suorum sorte te constituat, vt redemptorem tuum facie ad faciam videas & cōstitutum [Page 109] agmina beatorum contemplationis diuinae gaudio potiaris in secula saeculonum.
Amen.
Certaine Praiers vsed by our Fore-fathers in the darkest times of Popery, in the time of a mans sickenesse: some to bee made for the sicke, and some by the sicke person: gathered out of the same ancient books. When the sicke person feeles his strength to faile, then let him commend his soule to God in this Praier.
O Most high and soueraigne God whose goodnesse and mercie is infinite: ô most glorious Trinity, which art loue, and mercie, and goodnesse it selfe, haue mercy on me most miserable sinner, for vnto thee, and vnto thy hands I commend my spirit: ô Lord, my most louing God, & father of mercies, shew thy mercy on me thy poore creature, and forsake mee not in my last neede, but stand with me Lord, and helpe my succourlesse soule, saue my poore and desolate soule, that it bee not deuoured of the infernall dogges.
O most louing Lord, & sweet Sauiour Iesus Christ, the sonne of the liuing God, I beseech thee for the honor, and by the vertue of thy most blessed passion command that I may be receiued into [Page 90] the number of thy Saints, and seruants.
O my Sauiour & my Redeemer I here yeeld vp my selfe wholly to thee, O grant mee thy grace and thy glory, vochsafe me pardon of my sin, and giue me a portion of thy glory. But ô my deere Lord, I chalenge not a place in heauen for any worthines of my owne merits, for I am but dust & ashes, & a most wretched finner: but for the vertue of thy most blessed passiō, by which thou diddest vouchsafe to redeeme mee miserable man, and to purchase heauē for me, euen with the price of thy precious bloud. I beseech thee therefore by thy most blessed, & bitter passion, which thou sustainedst on the Crosse for me, especially in that houre whē thy blessed soule did leaue the body, that thou wouldest haue mercy on my poore soule at the time of my departure.
Then let him lift vp his heart with ioy and thanksgiuing, and say, Lord thou hast broken my bonds, therefore I will offer to thee the sacrifice of praise.
After, if his weaknesse grow so that hee loose the vse of his speech, let some of the by-standers say these prayers following ouer him, or more if he liue so long.
MErcifull God and Father wee beseech thee for the multitudes of thy mercies, look fauourably vpon this thy seruant (our deere brother) who with true and hearty confession seeks pardon of all his sinnes at the hand of thy mercies, O Lord heare vs for him, and we beseech thee for him, most holy father, to renew in his heart what euer is [Page 94] corrupted by the frailty of his flesh, and restore that grace which the wily and malicious enemy the diuell hath stolne out of his soule: O Lord recall him to the vnity of thy Church; ingraft him into the body of thy soule. O Lord take pitty of the sighes and sobbes of his soule, and groanes of his heart, o Lord looke vpon his teares, gather them in thy bottle, and be good to him, who hath no hope, comfort nor confidence, but in thy mercy, and seale vp the assurance of his reconciliation with thee. O most holy Father we humbly commend the soule of this thy seruant, and our brother into the hands of thy vnmeasureable mercies, humbly beseeching thee, according to the greatnesse of that loue in which the blessed soule of thy sonne did commend [Page 96] it selfe into thy holy hands, that for the worthinesse of that infinite loue of thine, in which thou didst receiue that holy soule vnto thy selfe, thou wouldst vouchsafe in this our brothers last houre, to receiue his poore soule also and make it partaker of the same loue.
And thou most sweete Sauiour and most mercifull Lord Iesus, thou that dying on the crosse was so pressed with anguish and torments for vs, as made thee sound out that pittiful voyce vnto thy Father: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, we beseech thee estrange not thy selfe, and turne not away thy face frō thy seruant our brother, now in the houre of his soules affliction, when his strength faileth, and his spirits are so spent that he cannot cal vpon theee: heare vs O Lord: [Page 98] heare vs for him, and for that thy glorious victory in which thou didst triumph on the crosse, & for thy pretious passion and bitter death thinke of him the thoughts of mercy and not of iustice: shed thy mercies in his soule & speak cōfortably to his conscience, deliuer his soule out of all spirituall distresse, saue him frō the tormēts due vnto his deseruings, & bring him, for thy own merits sake, to eternal rest. O Lod Iesus Christ which didst redeem vs with thy precious bloud, write with thine own bloud, in the soule, and ingraue thy wounds in the heart of this thy seruant, that in thē he may see & read thy doleful suffrings & thy sweet loue: thy sufferings that they may be effectual to rasome him frō those sorrows & torments which he hath merited by his sins: thy loue that it may vnite his heart to thee, in inuisible & inseparable bonds, so as he may neuer be seperated frō, thee nor thy Saints, for euer and euer.
And Lord Iesus Christ we beseech thee make his soule partaker of all the merits of thy most sacred incarnation, passion, resurrection, and ascention. Make him pertaker of the vertue of thy most blessed sacraments, and all thy holy mysteries. Make him pertaker of all the praiers & good deedes done in thy whole Church. Make him pertaker of al the blessings, graces, and comforts of all thy elect, and grant that with them all he may liue in thy presence for euermore. O Lord which powred out thy prayer for vs on the mount Oliuet, and sweat water and bloud, wee beseech thee, let that precious bloud of thine, which thou didst so aboundantly poure out for our saluation, let it bee presented and offered to thy father to stand against the multitude of [Page 102] of the sinnes of this thy seruant, our brother: Lord be with him at his last houre, and then deliuer him from the anguish and torments which for his sins he may iustly feare: Graciously receiue his soule in the houre of his departure: open the gate of heauen vnto him, and giue him a portion with thy Saints in glory, for thy owne most glorious merite, O Lord Iesus Christ, who with God the Father, and the holy Ghost, liuest and raignest one God for euermore, Amen.
And when the sicke mans strength beginnes to faile, and the soule is ready to depart: then let the soule be commended to God by one of the by-standers on this manner.
The Commendation of the soule to be said at a mans death.
I Heere commend thee to Almighty God most deere brother, and I commit thee to him whose creature thou art. Go forth therefore O Christian soule, get thee gone out of this filthy world, go forth in the name of the Almighty Father who created thee, in the name of Iesus Christ, who dyed for thee, in the name of the holy Ghost who hath bene poured out vpon thee: And when thou (happy soule) art deliuered out of the prison of the body, the glorious quire of heauenly Angels meet thee, and the company of all holy Saintes entertaine thee: the louing [Page 106] countenance and cheereful face of Iesus Christ shine vpon thee, a mercifull Iudge bee hee vnto thee, that thou maist haue sentence to sit for euer amongst his Saints, on his right hand: thy dwellings be in peace, and thy saluation in the heauenly Ierusalem for euermore, farr be it from thee euer to feele or know how horrible the darknesse, how terrible the flames, and how intollerable the torments of hell are, Sathan and all his hellish guard be they confounded at thy presence, and if hee dare set vpon thee, victory and triumph be on thy side, shame and trembling fall vpon him from the presence of Gods Angels, and be hee banished into the blacke mists, and confused chaos of eternall darknesse. But let the Lord arise and let his enemies be scattered, and [Page 108] as the smoake vanisheth, so let them flye away. But let the iust be exalted and reioyce in the presence of the Lord: let the infernall legions not dare to touch theee, nor all Sathans helhounds presume to hinder thee, and hee who disdained not to dye for thee, be hee thy Sauiour and deliuerer from all spirituall vexation. Be the gates of paradise open vnto thee, & thy Christ giue thee thy place and mansion in the same. And he that is the true Pastor, and great Sheepeheard of the Sheepe acknowledge thee for one of his true Sheepe, and receiue thee into his fold, Iesus Christ absolue thee from all thy sins, and place thee on his right hand among his elect, that there thou maist see thy Redeemer face to face, & in the society of blessed [Page 110] sed soules maist enioy the comforts of heauenly cōtemplation, and the blessed vision of God, for euer and euer.
Amen.
To the Reader.
SEe, Christian brother, how in the worst times they were prepared to die, and commended to God: if the ancient books did not proclaime this truth, some would not beleeue but that they had been made in this latter time. But seeing the truth cannot be denied, I desire thee with me to obserue these few collections arising out of due consideration of the premisses.
[Page]1. Heere is answere to that great question, how our forefathers were saued, euen by the same faith as we are at this day.
2. How truly Christ performed his promise, namely, that the gates of hell should not preuaile against the true faith, for so we see that in the vilest times this Faith hath beene preserued.
3. Obserue how here is no touch, nor once mention of Purgatory, nor of any thing to be done for their good after this life.
4. Here is no relation to any pardons or indulgences from the Pope.
5. Here is no necessity laid [Page] downe of sending for a Priest to bring his Hoste, and his Pix, and his holy water, and his Taper: These matters, it seemes, are rather commanded & pressed vpon the people by the Romish Cleargie▪ then much regarded by the wiser, and godlier sort of our forefathers: neither are they commanded to stay till the Priest come, but (saith the booke) let these prayers bee said, and the Commendation of his soule, by one of the bystanders.
Lastly, let it bee obserued, that in all these prayers and commendations, and questions (and these saith the booke are all that be of necessity to [Page] be said) here is not one smack of Popish idolarry, or superstition.
In these respects I haue thought it no needlesse labour to communicate these to thee (deere brother,) I know there be store of godly prayers and meditations already extant. But these are of a special vse more then others and are venerable for their antiquity. And are to be the more welcome, because God preserued thē in the hands of our very enemies. And thogh they were mingled with other things not so good, yetHieronym. ad Laetum. Grandis prudentiae est aurum in luto quaerere. let vs know as S. Hierome tels vs, that it is no small point of wisdome, to seeke out [Page] gold out of mire and clay.
Make vse of these, and helpe mee with thy prayers, and thou shalt shortly (if God permit) bee pertaker of more.
TAM ROBVR. TAM ROBOR. NI-COLIS ARBOR IOVIS. 1610.
LONDON, Printed for Leonard Becket, and are to be sold at his Shop in the Temple neere the Church, 1611.