A BRIEF FOVRME OF CONFESSION, IN­structing all Christian folke how to confesse their sinnes, & so to dispose themselues, that they may enioy the benefite of true Penāce, dooing the woorthy frutes therof, according to th' vse of Christes Catholique Church. Newly translated into English, and set foorth together with certaine other godly brief Treatises and Pra­iers, as is to be seene in the side folo­wing.

ANTVERPIAE, Apud Iohannem Foulerum. M. D. LXXVI. CVM PRIVILEGIO.

The Contentes of this Booke.

  • A Brief fourme of Confession.
  • A Treatise to receiue the B. Sacrament, made by Sir Thomas More. Fol. 52.
  • Certaine Praiers and Meditations of his 67.
  • An Instruction vnto true Chari­tie. 72.
  • An Exhortation in Latin. 74.
  • The same in English 75.
  • A feruent calling for Gods helpe in al tribulation, gathered out of cer­taine Psalmes in Latin. 79.
  • Certaine Praiers of Lodouicus Viues in Latin. 92.
  • Praiers before and after the recei­uing of the B. Sacrament. 94.
  • Item certaine Praiers of S. Tho. More, taken out of his Treatice vpon the Pass [...]on. 100.
  • The Golden Litanie. 106.

TO THE Right Honourable and Excellent Lady the Duchesse of Feria her Grace.

IT hath bene long my de­sire (right honourable and vertuous La­die) euer sins I did first see and know the right Noble and most worthy Duke your Graces late Husband, to be able to doe some seruice, or to shew some token of duetie to so wise and so worthy a Personage as his Grace was. Whose vertues were such, and his noble Qualities so great [Page] and so wel knowen vnto al (who neither for sinister affectiō were blinded, nor for ignorāce, vnapt to esteme and see the same) that I may wel saie and doubt, whe­ther the Nobilitie of bloud and parentage (which was very high and auncient) were greater in him, or els the vertues and qua­lities of his minde, the whiche alone had bene meete and suffi­cient, to haue made him suche, if he had not ben thereto borne by kind and noble Race. For if true Nobilitie consist in the gifts of vertue, wisedome and pro­wesse, adioyned with some an­tiquitie of famous and worthie Progenitours: I nede not but re­port the truth hereof to any that knew his Grace but a litle, whe­ther he were not abundantly en­dued with al the same. The An­tiquitie of his renowned Fami­lie and Ofspring, the late Histo­ries [Page] of Naples and Spaine do manifestly witnesse to the worlde. His liberalitie and passing Free­nes in succouring poore Gentle­men and other in necessitie (the memorie wherof is yet fresh in the mindes of many so succou­red by him) his Religious De­uotion toward God and his Ca­tholique Churche, his faithful coūsel to his Prince, his true and readie seruise in publike affaires at sundry times employed, his valour and prowesse in Martial feates wel tried: all these Noble Qualities of his Grace being so wel knowen and witnessed to the world, must nedes confirme and prooue, that he was a very worthy and true Noble-man in deede.

For whiche cause (as I said before) seeing and knowing all these high giftes of God and na­ture to be so plentifully in him, [Page] I did euer thinke my self bound to be ready to serue him, to ho­nor him and to beare that loyal affectiō toward him, which true Nobilitie doth of right require of al true honest hartes.

But now wheras it hath plea­sed God, so sone to bereaue your Grace of so Noble and so deare a Husband, and al good men of so great and so hable a Patrone in their necessities, and that now the best seruise we can do him, is to praie hartily for him: yet that former desire of mine is not thus quenched, nor dead with him, but from him is deriued to such as be leaft behinde him, being most nere and deare than vnto him, and leaft now to vs as mat­ter, whereon stil to exercise our former seruise and duetie.

And this very cause it was, which moued me of late, that whereas I had newly set forth a [Page 2] brief Latin Chronicle (printed before at Paris) and had somwhat augmēted it my self, and emong other things, made mention of the most honourable Duke of Feria, both of that he did in England a litle before and after the death of Good Queene Ma­rie, and now last, of his owne death, in departing out of this worlde in so good and so Godly Christian wise: al that part of my labour therein, I haue dedica­ted vnto that Noble Impe your Graces moste deare and onely Sonne, leaft now vnto you for a very paterne and comfort of his no lesse dere, than Noble Father. Which when I had done, yet was I not so satisfied, but tooke it to be against all good maner, if in shewing some seruice and honour to the Sonne, I should leaue alone the Mother not so much as saluted.

[Page]And therefore, whereas I had also translated out of Spanish a short Treatise cōteining a brief fourme or Doctrine of Confes­sion, which hath seemed to the learned and vertuous of our Nation here a thing very necessarie and profitable, specially at this time in so great corruption both of true faith, and good life: it came also to mind, that I should doe right wel, to dedicate the same smal labour of mine vnto your Honour, for a further te­stimonie of my foresaid affectiō and duetie, not only vnto that moste honourable Duke, who now (no doubte) is gone from this transitorie honour, to liue in eternal Glorie with God. but also vnto your Grace, vnto whō I beseke our Lord to send suche continuance and increase of worldly honour, and such com­fort to mitigate the dolour of [Page] his departing hence, that you may liue bothe together againe in that life and glorie that neuer shall decaie nor haue end: and in the meane time suche good health and fortitude to beare patiently this losse and lacke of him, that those Noble vertues, which are in your Grace, be not letted thereby, but may be so exercised together with your Sonne, and in training him vp in his Fathers owne steppes, that as long as the Mother or Sonne shal liue here, the worthy me­morie of the Father shall neuer die in mens hartes.

From Lo­uen the second of April, Anno D. 1572.
Your Graces most ready Seruitour, John Fouler.

To the Reader.

WHereas in this great corruption of Faith and good life, there is also great want of good instruction for the amend­mēt of both the same: & wheras yet the blindnes or malice of some mē is so great, that the ve­ry same meanes leaft by Christe and his Apostles in the Church for that end, they make so smal account of, that they both con­temne, and condemne the same, & without al reason raise therat with full vncomely termes: it hath semed to many good and vertuous men right necessary, to set forth some such Treatise, wherein briefly is conteined bothe the right vse and ende of Shrift or Confession and also the due order that eche Christian man ought to kepe and obserue [Page 3] in the same. Whiche whoso shal duly peruse and examine, shall soone see, how litle reason or cause ther is, to make Confessiō a cloke or colour of any vice and lewednes, sith it is purposely ordeined for a meane and pre­sent Remedie against all vice and sinne.

There is no time nor place now, to entre into farther dispi­cions with suche kind of per­sons, namely the same Argu­ment being already handled by diuers excellent great Clerkes, bothe in Latin, and in English also.

Only this I had further to warne the Reader, that hauing trāslated this Treatise into our owne Language, and being ex­horted to set foorth the same for the better information of all sortes in this point: it seemed also very expediente, to adde therevnto certaine other godly [Page] Instructions, Meditations, & Praiers seruing all to the same purpose: that is, for the auoy­ding of sinne, and purchasing of vertue, in the exercise whereof doth consist the whole life of the true beleeuer and folower of Christ. And this to be, and euer to haue bene the Doctrine and practise of the knowen Catho­lique Churche, not onely these present times, but al times and ages euen from Christe and his Apostles all along, haue & do most ma­nifestly testifie & shew.

A BRIEF FOVRME OF SHRIFT OR CON­fession, according to the vse of Christes Catholike Church.

The first Chapter. Of suche things as the penitent sinner must vnderstand, and do, for & before he go to Confession.

HE that wil wel & duely make his Confession must first of al cal him­self to accōpte cer­taine houres or daies, according to the time that he hath last bene shriuen, and so with all diligence cal to minde and remembrance his owne sinnes and offenses.

[Page]And let him not go to the fete of his ghostly Father, trusting on­ly vpon that which he shal aske or enquire of him. For a thing of suche importance, as is for a man to reconcile himself vnto God, oughte not to be done sleightly, and (as a man would say) at all aduenture, or vpon any sodaine light occasion: but of sad and set purpose, and vpō good aduise taken before, en­tring first into particular ac­compt with God, and with a mans owne conscience in his secrete chamber & closest place, considering, that there he goeth to giue accompt of his life vnto God, and vnto the Priest in his name.

The whiche accompt cannot be made in such sort, as it ought to be, except there go a diligent examination & discussing of the bonds and burdens, charges and discharges of our cōscience, [Page 4] the whiche are our sinnes. And therefore the Priest, if he wil do wel his duetie, ought not to ad­mit and receiue any penitent that is vnprouided in this poīt, vnlesse it be in extreme necessi­tie. For it is a plaine contempt of the Sacrament of Penance, and of the Iudgement of God whiche is exercised therein. Now than for the better calling to minde and remembrance of our sinnes, fiue things are principally to be considered.

  • 1. The time passed, sinse we were last shriuen and confessed.
  • 2. The state of our degree and person.
  • 3. The office and daily exer­cises wherein we haue ben oc­cupied.
  • 4. The places wher we haue liued and ben in.
  • 5. The persōs with whome we haue kept company and ben most conuersant.

The second Point. Of what sinnes particular rehearsal and mention is to be made in confession. Of Venial sinnes.

FOr to know & vnderstād wel, what sinnes are to be called to minde for to repent vs of the same, & to con­fesse them: it is to be noted, that the sinnes, whiche a man doth commit of his owne wil, are of twoe kindes. The one are Ve­nial, the other Mortal. The Ve­nial, are those sinnes and negli­gēces, into which almost houre­ly and at euery litle occasion we do fall through our weakenes: as are iesting, lawghing ouer­muche, idle talke, hastines and sodaine anger for a trifle, or to make a leasing without dāmage to our neighbour. And general­ly, almost al ye euil motions that we haue, being either without [Page] ful deliberation or cōsent: or at least without cōtempt of God, or any notable irreuerēce of him, or any notable harme of our­selues, or of our neighbours.

Al these, & suche as these, are called Veniall sinnes, for that God our Lorde hauing respect to our weakenes, doth easily pardon & forgeue vs th [...]same, & doth not bind vs to any other then temporall paine for them. Of such as these did Salamon saie: That seuen times in a daie the iust mā doth fal.Prou. 24. Signifying thereby vnto vs, that euen the very iust and righteous men do oftentimes fall into them. And of these sinnes also did S. Iohn meane in his Epistle,1. Ioan. 1. when he said: If we saie, that we haue no sinne, we deceiue ourselues.

And therefore, for that they are so daily, and so common through our weakenes, God hath left in his Church, byside the Sacrament of Penance, [Page] many remedies for them. And therefore it is not of necessitie, to confesse them, although it be very laudable and meritorious to be shriuen of them also.

The principal remedies for these venial sinnes, are.

  • 1 1. Almose dedes,
  • 2 2. To knocke vs on ye breast with some remorse.
  • 3 3. Often & much praier, especially the praier of the Pater noster.
  • 4 4. To beare with ye defects, faul [...]s, and froward dealings of our neighbour toward vs.
  • 5 5. To haue pacience in aduersities and tribulations.
  • 6 6. To Confesse our selues sinners vnto God, though it be done generally.
  • 7 7. To heare Masse deuoutly.
  • 8 8. To take holy water. The which is vnderstood, that it be done with a good deuout motion, and with some sorowe of our sinnes.

Of the sinnes whiche are mortall, of the whiche it is necessarily requi­red, that particular mention and rehearsall be made in Confession.

IT remaineth therefore, y• mortal & deadly syns on­ly (or such as be doubtful whether they be mortal, or no) be those, whereof we must make accompt particularly in the Sa­crament of Confession and Pe­naunce, to the end to repent vs of them, & to rehearse and open them in shrift wholy & plainly. And although it be a very hard thing to know the same, yet as far as the matter & present con­sideration can admit, it is to be vnderstanden: that that dede or negligence is a deadly sinne, in which of purpose and aduisedly with notable contempt of God, or manifest harme of our selfe or our neighbour, any of the ten commaundements are broken, [Page] or els when wee doe any thing against yt, which our owne con­science doth teache vs, in suche sort, as is aboue said: as for exā ­ple, to despise God, & to despaire of his mercy, to forsweare, or sweare falsely, to steale any thīg of valew, not to giue almose, if we be able, to such as we know to be in necessitie.

These and suche like, whiche are manifest and plaine mortal or deadly sinnes, and also suche as in respect of their qualitie or quantitie are doubtful to the pe­nitent, or to ye Ghostly Father, so that they cannot wel be iud­ged, whether they be mortal or venial, must of necessitie, as we haue said, be called to mind and rehearsed of the partie penitent, for to repent himselfe & confesse thesame. For if any one of these be willingly leaft out in Con­fession, the partie penitent doth hasard himself, in not making [Page] his shrifte in suche sorte as he oughte, and so should thereby commit a grieuous sinne.

And in all these sinnes, he must not onely make rehearsal of such as he hath committed by dede, but also of such as he hath cōmitted by thought, or desire, and by worde, whereas God is also offended by eche of these.

The third Point. Of the Circumstances.

AGaine, in this considera­tion and calling to minde of thy sinnes for to repent thee and make due confession of them, thou must also rehearse & make confession, not onely of these sinnes, as they are alone, but also of the circumstances that go with them, namely such as increase the sinne in such sort, that they change the kinde and nature thereof, as when a man [Page] committeth any thing against his Parents, or spirituall Pa­stors, or sinneth in a halowed place. The most common cir­cumstances, are seuen.

  • 1. Who.
  • 2. How much.
  • 3. Why and wherefore.
  • 4. In what place.
  • 5. At what time.
  • 6. By what meanes and in­struments.
  • 7. How oft, or how seldome.

1 By the Circumstance, Who, is vnderstood, that the state or qualitie of the person yt sinneth, must be considered, and also of the person against whome, or with whome sinne is cōmitted.

2 By the circumstance, How much, is vnderstood the quanti­tie of the sinne, or dammage, or contempt yt is done in the sinne.

3 By the circumstance, Why, or Wherefore, is vnderstood the end or intent, where with sinne is done.

[Page 6]In what place, that is to wit,4 whether the place be publike, or priuat, halowed or vnhalowed.

At what time, to wit, whether 5 it were on a holy day, or fasting day, or a day of publike praier.

By what meanes, and how 6 7 oft, are circumstances plaine inough by themselues.

The fourth Point. Of the first part of Penaunce, which is Contrition

WHen the Penitēt hath thus considered and called to an accompt the enormitie & filth of his sinnes, as is aforesaid, with the circumstances of the same: it behoueth him with true & hartie repentance therof, to aske God forgiuenes, with all humility & hope to obteine the same: being sory therefore most intierly and earnestly, specially for hauing offended God, vnto whome so great seruice is due: putting [Page] no trust in himself, but trusting wholy in the merites of Christe Iesu, the vertue whereof he shal nowe partake in this holy Sa­crament of penāce. This sorow & repentance of sinnes, to ye end it may be fruteful, must be ioy­ned principally with fiue thīgs.

1. With Faith, by whiche we beleue both the threattes, & the promises of God, and the ver­tue of this Sacrament.

2. With humilitie & submissiō of our selues, wherwith the sin­ner doth for his parte repute & thinke himself vnworthy of for­giuenes, or of any good thing.

3 With hope of Gods mercy that he may obtaine pardon.

4. With trust and confidence in the merites of Christe Iesu, by and through whome all par­don is obteined.

5. With the loue of God, that is to witte, that all sorowe and abhorring of sinne be princi­pally [Page 7] for the honour of God, & for to accomplish the obedience that is due vnto him. And by­cause this is the chief and prin­cipal part of penance, it is very expedient, that the partie peni­tent vse al diligence to procure through the helpe of our Lord, that he haue no notable defect and fault therein. And therefore he ought to further himselfe with al things that are wont to stirre vp and encrease in our soule this so necessarie a fier of Gods loue, as for example.

1. The knowledge of our­selues, and of our exceding and vile basenes.

2 The knowledge of the ex­ceeding passing greatnes of God, whom we haue offended.

3. The due pondering and thinking on our sinnes, & their filthines, and the euilles that they bring with them.

4. To thinke on the wrath of [Page] God, & on his iudgement, and the paines that our sinnes doe deserue.

5. To acknowledge the inesti­mable benefites which we haue receiued at Gods handes.

6. To haue before our eyes his passing manifold mercy and goodnes, through the which he casteth of noman that doth har­tily seeke him.

7. Last of al, the exercise of holy praier, whereby the giftes of God are obteined.

The fourth Point. Of the secōd part of penance, which is Confession.

IT behoueth also for the perfi­ting of this Sacrament, to haue ful & earnest purpose to confesse al our sinnes, as is afore said, with their circūstan­ces, namely such as do notably aggrauate and change the na­ture or kinde of the sinne.

[Page 8]And this cōfession must haue fiue principal properties of conditions, that is to witte:

  • 1. That it be whole.
  • 2. That it be plaine.
  • 3. That it be faithful.
  • 4. That it be discrete.
  • 5. That it be humble.

1. That it be whole, is to be vnderstood, that we confesse al our deadly sinnes, & those that seme doubtful to be such, not leauing out nor omitting any one of purpose, or yl intent, or by any notable negligence. For, as ho­ly learned men do saie, we must not hope for, nor craue pardon of our sinnes by halues of God whose woorkes are alwaies whole and perfect.

2. That it be plaine, is to be vnderstood, that it be not done with woordes that may hide and couer the substance and nature of the sinne commit­ted. For els it were no Con­fession, [Page] but a cloking and coue­ring: neither could the sentence of the Priest haue any place, by­cause the iudge cannot assoyle the thing that he knoweth not.

3. That it be faithful, not tel­ling one thing for another: and not to accuse other, or excuse our selues, but faithfully to reporte the truth, as it was done in deede.

4. That it be discrete, is to be vnderstood, that we confesse our sinnes in such wise, that we defame no other persons, declaring more then we should in confession, and that we leaue not out, nor rehearse other im­pertinent things that are to no purpose.

5. That it be humble, is to be vnderstood, that we confesse our sinnes with shamefastnes & confusion, not as though we did brag or vaūt of our sinnes, nor tel them as one that tolde [Page 9] some storie, or tale, of things happened in our life: but that we remember and cōsider wel, before whome we stande and confesse the same.

The sixth Point. Of the third part of penance, which is Satisfaction.

IT behoueth also, that ye par­tie penitent, when he goeth to the feete of his Ghostly Father, do prepare himself to make satisfaction and doe pe­nance for his sinnes. The which consisteth of two princi­pal things. The one is, to auoid & kepe himself effectually from deadly sinne, and from al dan­gerous occasions thereof. The other is, to make recompense to suche persons as he hath of­fended, humbling and submit­ting himselfe to the rules of good conscience and right, and [Page] framing himself vnto the qua­litie of the offence and trespace, according to the discretion and iudgement of his good & wise Ghostly Father.

The first of these two must faile in no wise, neither can faile in him that is truely contrite. For he that doth hartily and ef­fectuousely abhorre his sinnes, wil also consequently auoide & shunne the same. For otherwise when the penitent himself, or the Ghostly Father seeth that he that is shriuē, hath not done his endeuour to kepe himself from sinnes, & from the daungerous and neerest occasions thereof, wheras it is in his handes and freewil to abandon & put away the same: he may wel suppose & gather, that he that so shriueth himselfe, hath not true repen­tance: & therefore he ought not to assoile him, but warne and admonish him, what is meete for him to do, wheras he is not [Page 10] presently so disposed, yt he may be assoiled. For euery mind and purpose to forsake sinne is not inough for him that wil be shri­uen duely, as he ought to be: but he must haue a ful & perfect effectual purpose to sinne no­more. And therfore let the partie penitent do al that he can for his part, & al yt is requisite to keepe himselfe from sinne, & from the euident dangers and occasions thereof. As for example, such as haue once promised to auoide their sinne, saying yt they were of mind & purpose to put away al occasion therof, & yet haue not don so, as kepers of cōcubines, & vsurers are wont to do, and such as liue by vnlauful and yl trades: ye Ghostly father ought not to beleue nor assoile them, vntil they haue in deede aban­doned & vtterly forsaken those occasions that brought them in bondage vnto that sinne.

[Page]And he that should otherwise doo (as many Ghostly Fathers do now adaies) it is plainely both to his owne peril of dam­nation, and of the persons that come vnder his handes to be shriuen. For he maketh them beleue, that they be at peace and reconciled vnto God, & thereby abuseth them, & bringeth them into a woorse state than they were in before their shrift and absolution.

The other part of Satisfac­tion (which is a recompense & amendes of the sinnes and tres­paces committed by the partie penitent) must be done with ful intent and purpose to make sa­tisfaction, and to do al kind of penance, according to the coun­sel and aduise of the good and discrete Ghostly Father: doing for his part al that he can and certainely knoweth to be nede­ful to be done, for to make his [Page 11] Ghostly father vnderstand, that the mind that he hath to do sa­tisfaction and penance, is true and vnfained. Wherein it is to be noted, that satisfaction may be done to foure kindes of per­sonnes, to witte:

  • 1. To God.
  • 2. To our betters and Su­periours.
  • 3. To our equalles.
  • 4. To our inferiours.

1. Vnto God, satisfaction is due for euery sinne, (if we wil wholy auoide his wrath) by ta­king vengeance of our selues, or willingly bearing al tribula­tions, penalties, or paines that shal come of him, or that shalbe put vpon vs by them who are in his steade and place, whether it be almosedeedes, or fastings, or praiers, or pilgrimages, or other like paines, according as the qualitie of the trespace shal require.

[Page]2. To our betters and Supe­riours satisfaction is done, by yelding due obedience & humi­litie vnto them, namely when ye spiritual Rulers of the Church haue ordeined any thing vnder the vertue of obedience, by Ex­cōmunication, Interdiction, or any like ecclesiastical Censure. So that, if the partie penitent haue offended his Superiours, and continueth in disobedience vnto them, he may not by any pretēse be assoiled of such sinnes except he be first reconciled vnto them, in such order & meanes, as the discrete Ghostly Father shall giue him counsel to do, if he can not of himselfe attaine therevnto.

3. Vnto our equalles we doe satisfaction, by making them amends for any wrōg or harme that we haue done them in bo­die, or soule, in their name, or goodes. Wherein we must first [Page 12] do al that lyeth in vs, for to be reconciled vnto them, and to make them amendes before we goe about to be assoiled.

And if the case be suche, that it may be done commodiousely, it is very expediente and re­quisite, to make al the amendes that may be done touching the case, before we come to the feete of our Ghostly Father, to the ende to shewe thereby an euidente plaine declaration of our good minde and purpose, and so to receiue absolution in such sorte as is due. For when wee delaie such satisfaction and amendes till afterwarde, wee doe commonly either forget thesame, or els the good minde that we had to doe it, waxeth colde againe.

And if so be the satisfaction & amendes be such, that it is to be done by ye aduise & coūsel of our Ghostly Father, ye most certaine [Page] and surest waie were to aske counsel first of him, or els of some other discrete person, (as touching our duetie to be done in suche case) before that we come to confession. And that done, and al amendes made for the time & place requisite, than may we wel come to receiue the benefite of reconciliation, both with God and the world, vn­der the Sacrament of Confes­sion. And this waie is none other but the same, which the Primitiue Church did vse of old time, that ordinarily Satisfac­tion should alwaies go before Absolution: and thereby was both penance and repentance more truely & effectually vsed than, then it is now: for that now by ouermuch indulgēce in giuing of penance and in seeing amends made, & by negligence of Ghostly Fathers, & such as haue care of soules, eche man is [Page 13] suffred to liue as he wil, & not only to cōtinew in sinne, but al­so to iustifie himselfe therein, & to think he doth wel: as though God would cōdescend & frame himselfe vnto our abuses and wicked mindes,Psal. 140. or els be begui­led by our suttle excuses of our sinne. Let vs beseke him to re­medie the same, as a thing lon­ging to him alone.

Verily this order yt we now do here teach and speake of, is very agreeable vnto the Gos­pel, in which Christ himself our redemer willeth vs, that,Matth. 5. when wee goe to offer our oblation at the Altar, & remēber that our brother hath some iust quarel against vs: before that we offer the same, we first go & be recon­ciled vnto him, and so come af­terwardes and make our obla­tion, the which shal than be ac­cepted of God.

4. To our Inferiours, our Yongers & Subiects, satisfac­tion [Page] is to be done in such sort, ye the authoritie & office of the Su­periour be not therby abated or minished by ouermuch submis­sion vnto the Inferiour. And this is to be vnderstood, whē as the wrōg & iniurie done is not euident & great, in ye good name, life or goodes of the inferiour or subiect: wherein the aduise & counsel of the Ghostly Father is to be had & vsed with discre­tion. For if the displeasure & of­fence be but meane, it shal suffice to cause them to vnderstād who seme to haue bene grieued with hard wordes or sharp punnish­mēt, or any like way, yt the same hath bene done or said, not for any hatred of the partie, but for the hate of his faultes and of­fences, & for the zeale of iustice.

The seuenth Point. Of choosing our Ghostly Father.

AFter that the Penitēt hath thus disposed himselfe, he [Page 14] may go to cōfessiō, & shriue him­self vnto his owne Curate, yt is to wit, vnto such as is appoin­ted by ye Prelate or Ordinarie, or by any such way laufully admitted & allowed to heare cōfessiōs, accordīg to ye time & place. Nei­ther let any mā ignorātly aduē ­ture, to chuse his ghostly Father after his owne wil & pleasure. For he putteth himself in great peril by neglecting ye care of his owne soule, if he loke not who are appointed by the Bishops & Prelates in eche Parish, or in religious houses, by cōsent of ye Ordinaries. For to any of such he may be bolde to shriue him­self, & to take for his ghostly fa­ther, ye which in dede is ye surest way & most for his soules helth. For he may not seeke, who shal sonest assoile him & most easily, but who cā do it best, & most to yt quiet & profit of his owne cō ­science: vsing therin al such diligēce [Page] touchīg ye cure of his soule, as he would vse in ye cure of his bodie being dangerously sicke.

And let not any man thinke, that when by any perdō or In­dulgēce it is graūted vnto eche man to chuse his ghostly father, he hath therefore free choise to take whom he list, and so shriue himselfe. For that should cause a confusion in the order of the Churche, and leade sowles the next way to hel, with no lesse peril & harme, thā if licēce were giuen in some common wealth, that al the ideotes and ignorant persons that were therin, might take vpō them to cure al maner of disseases in any sicke bodie, which thīg is not to be thought to be the mind & entent of Chri­stes high Vicar the Pope: and therfore it is there said also, that the same ghostly Father must be mete & sufficient. And whereas the ignorāt person, that hath no [Page 15] learning or knowledge, can not iudge the same: it remaineth, yt this iudgemēt of the ablenes & sufficiēcie of the Ghostly Father do reast in the wil & apointmēt of the Prelate, Bishop, or Ordinarie, vnder whose charge and tuition God hath put the soule of the partie, & by whose iudge­ment the same partie is bound to be ruled in such like things, if he wil walke the right way, and proceede in due order as a Christian man should. And suche as do otherwise vse these priuileges, & procure the same, it is as much (to say in plaine language) as to put their soules in peril, as if they would liue after their owne pleasure, and without good order, and in such wise as no man may cal them to accompt of that they are bound to do. And so is the state and order of Christes cōmon-welth which God hath appointed in [Page] the Churche, confounded and vtterly peruerted, as we plain­ly see it is done now adaies.

Howbeit when the penitent may duely choose his Ghostly Father, which we denie not but yt in some case yt may fal, he may lawfully do: he must vse al the diligēce therin, that is wont to be vsed in the election & chusing of such things, as are of muche importance vnto vs, forasmuch as this is one of the same, yea and that the chief & most prin­cipal of al. And let him consider that in such a Confessour that so shalbe chosen, there must prin­cipally concurre foure quali­ties, to witte:

1. That he be not let by any Ecclesiastical Censure, wherby he can not assoile from sinnes.

2. That he haue knowlege to discerne betwene sinne & sinne, betwene leaper and leaper.

3. That he be discrete & able [Page 16] to applie the remedies & good counselles that are requisite, & to enquire of the penitent suche things & circumstances as are good & profitable to be knowē, as the case requireth, for behoof of his Ghostly children.

4. That he be of good name and estimation, & of good con­uersation of life, to the end that his good counselles may take place, & also that he may therby helpe the Penitent with his good instructions and praiers.

And by this it may appeare, how hard a thing it is, and in what dāger he putteth himself, that wil take vpon him by his owne iudgement, to iudge these qualities (or the most parte of them) whether they concurre together in the person that he woold chuse for his Ghostly Father: whereas it is certaine, that few men are of so perfect iudgement, yea and that fewe [Page] can iudge their owne cōscience, and know how to make a good cōfession of their owne sinnes, or tel how to say their Pater Noster aright, and so much lesse can chuse their owne Ghostly Fathers. And therefore the su­rest way is, to submitte them­selues, both therein, and in al other like things, to ye appoint­ment of their Bishops & Or­dinaries. For whiche humble submissiō & obedience of theirs in that case, God wil not faile to giue them the more grace in the holy Sacrament of Confession.

The second Chapter. Of Confession, and examining our Conscience.

The first Point. What is to be done before the parti­cular opening of our sinnes.

WHen the penitente sinner commeth vn­to his Ghostly Fa­ther, he must first kneele downe [Page 17] on his knees with al humilitie before him, as before one that is in Gods place, and so make the signe of the Crosse ✚ on his forehead, his mouth, and his breast, saying: In nomine Pa­tris, & Filij, & Spiritus Sancti, Amen. For that now, though he haue neuer so good cause to be ashamed both of himself, and his sinnes, yet notwithstāding al shame, he must truely with his mouth confesse vnto God al that is in his heart & breast, whereby he hath offended him.

And then must he saie, Bene­dicite, whereto as sone as his Ghostly Father hath said: Do­minus sit in ore tuo, &c. Let him by and by say his Confiteor, in this forme or some like, vntil he come to the wordes, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

COnfiteor Deo omnipotenti, Beatae Mariae semper Virgini, [Page] Beato Michaeli Archangelo, Beato Iohanni Baptistae, Sanctis Apostolis Petro & Paulo, om­nibus Sanctis, & tibi pater, quia peccaui nimis cogitatione, ver­bo, & opere: Mea culpa, mea culpa mea, maxima culpa.

Which in English is thus much to saie.

I confesse vnto almighty God, to the Blessed perpetual Vir­gin Marie, to the Blessed Ar­chāgel Michael, to blessed S. Iohn Baptist, the holy Apostles S. Peter & S. Paule, vnto all holy Saintes, and to you my Ghostly Father, yt I haue ouer grieuously sinned in thought, word and deede: through mine owne fault, mine owne fault, mine own most grieuous fault.

This done & said, let him by & by accuse himself, and confesse first of al, the lacke that he hath of ful & perfect repentance and contrition, for that he bringeth [Page 18] not with him such sufficient so­row of hart, as the greuousnes of his sinnes doth require.

Let him also accuse himself of the negligence & slackenes that he hath vsed in amending his life, and in appliyng such reme­dies and meanes as were nede­ful to the amendemēt therof, as are, continual praiers, fastings, & such like. Also for not hauing fulfilled his penance, or not ful­filled it wel & duely as it ought: & for neglecting the vse of good & godly deedes, and for not ke­ping himself & auoiding ye next occasions and prouocations of sinnes. Likewise ye vnkindnes that he hath vsed toward God, in falling often times into the same sinnes, specially if mali­tiously and wilfully. And also for not hauing made such due search & diligēt examination of his conscience, as nede was: for therin are cōteined ye defectes of [Page] al the three partes of penance.

And then let him foorthwith particularly cōfesse such sinnes as he hath committed against God, in breaking and offending his law: as far forth as he can cal them to minde by diligence afore vsed, and as he shal finde himselfe culpable and guiltie in eche of the ten Commanade­ments, and other dueties, the which are here set forth for help of his memorie and better re­membrance thereof.

The second Point. Of the examining of our conscience through the ten cōmaundements of God, and of the vnderstanding of them.

AL be it that the ten Com­maūdements of our Lord be such, that some do for­bid vs the euil, & some do commaund vs the good: yet for al that, eche Christian mā ought [Page 19] to know, that eche one of the Commaundementes doth both these two al at once: that is to saie, forbid vice, and commaund the vertue that is contrary to the same vice. As for example: in the first Cōmaundement writen in Exodus, we are forbid to make any Idolles, or to wor­ship them: and so it semeth, that the abhominable vice of Idola­trie is there forbidden: how be it, it is withal no lesse charged vnto vs, to honour, woorship, and loue one only God aboue al things: the which are ver­tues contrary vnto Idolatrie. Likewise in the seuenth Com­maundement, God forbiddeth theft, and consequently he com­maundeth the contrary vertue, which is liberalitie and free gi­uing vnto them that are in ne­cessitie. In the fourth, he com­maundeth expressely, that we honour our Parentes and Su­periours: [Page] where it is cōsequent­ly to be vnderstood, that the contrarie vice is forbidden vs, which is, to dishonor & disobey them. And so in al the other cō ­maūdementes the like is found: for that there is not one emong them al that commaundeth, but that the same forbiddeth also, nor any one that forbiddeth, but it also commaundeth.

And therfore the penitēt per­son shal do wel, to kepe this or­der in running them ouer & in examining of his cōscience, that he haue regarde in eche Com­maundement both to the one and to the other. For so is the perfection of the Law of God to be vnderstood, that we know how eche precept & cōmaunde­ment is fulfilled, and how it is broken, & what is therein com­maunded, and what forbidden: forasmuch as the office & duety of the seruant of God doth con­sist, [Page 20] not in the onely auoiding to do yl,Psal. 36. but (as the Prophet Da­uid saith) in doing good also to our neighbours when occasion requireth.

The third Point. Of the first Commaundement, what is forbidden in the same.

THou shalt make no I­dols, nor other like gra­uen Gods for to woor­ship them.

What is commaunded therin.

THou shalt loue and honour thy Lord God onely aboue al things, with al thy harte, with al thy soule, and with al thy strengthes.

How the same is fulfilled.

THis cōmaundemēt is fulfil­led after this maner: to wit, yt ther be in vs no loue or estemīg of any thing that repugneth & [Page] is against the loue and regard of God: & that we neither loue nor esteeme, nor honour any creature more, or so much, as him: but that in him onely we put our faith, hope, loue and trust, as in our last end & whole final blisse, louing him aboue al for his owne sake, and al other things for him. Putting our whole confidence in him, and running vnto him in al our needes and necessities, being thankeful vnto him for the be­nefites that we haue receiued of him. To thinke wel of him & of his perfectiōs, to feare & serue him as our Father and onely true Lord, to beleue al that ho­ly Church doth teach vs in his name, and to confesse the same at such time as neede is, to ho­nour his Saincts and friends, to haue in due reuerēce his ho­ly Diuine Seruice, and the Ce­remonies of the same. Finally [Page 21] to kepe a due order in charitie, giuing the first and chief loue vnto God for his owne sake, & next to loue our owne soules for God, and then the soules of our neighbours more then any temporal wordly goodes.

What is against this Commaunde­ment, and how it is broken.

THis Cōmaundement is broken twoo waies: to witte, by omitting and leauing vndone any of the things aforesaid in due time and place, and when reason ru­led by faith requireth the same: and againe by doing of things that are contrarie to these afore­said: to wit, giuing the honour that is due to God, (as high soueraigne homage, worship & seruice) vnto any other crea­ture byside him. Also in not be­leeuing, in douting, or curiously searching the points and partes [Page] of the Catholike faith. In com­municating, taking part, or fa­uouring them that doe suche things. In crediting dreames, witchcraftes, enchantmentes, southsayings, sorceries, ye vani­ [...]ies of Astrologie, & to put any trust in any contract or promise made with ye Diuel. Also to put any fond trust in our owne me­rites as of our selues, or to trust in any earthly things and crea­tures: to hope fondly in God, & not to put our owne hand & la­bour thereto: to despaire of his mercie, to cōplaine or finde fault with his iustice, to grudge and murmur at his prouidence, to abuse and turne to euil, his long suffring patience and mercie: to tēpt him, to blaspheme his holy name, or ye name of his Saints and frindes: to be vnthankeful & vnkind vnto him, to ronne to some other, rather than to him, specially in our aduersities and [Page 22] nedes, not to behaue ourselues in due maner & reuerence in our praiers vnto him, to set light by & not regard ye Diuine Seruice & Ceremonies allowed by holy Churche: to beare inordinate loue and affection to these infe­riour creatures, louing them for their own sakes, as our last end and blisse, and not in due order of Christian charitie.

The second Commaundement.

THou shalt not sweare, nor take the holy name of God in vaine.

What is against this Cōmaun­dement, and what is for­bidden therin.

TO abuse in euil and vnwor­thy maner the Sacramētes & Doctrine of Gods holy Reli­giō, & of Praier, & of things pro­perly belonging to his seruice. Not to vse al due reuerence vn­to [Page] God, or to his Saintes, and to holy Churches, & places de­dicate vnto him. To committe outwardly by worde or deede any sacrilege, or vnreuerēt act. To sweare oft times, to sweare without cause, & vse ye name of God or of his creatures with smal regard and reuerence. To sweare in doubtful things, to forsweare, & to committe per­iurie. To promise and vow euil things, or for euil intent & pur­pose. Not to fulfil, or to delay (without necessarie cause) any good vow or promise. To vse any vain idle othes. To breake the Commaundementes of the Church, and of our betters and Superiours. Also if a religious person doe not conforme and frame his life to the rule and or­der that he hath vowed: or if any person do not qualifie him selfe to such state of life, as he hath taken vpon him. To blas­pheme, [Page 23] to denie God, to curse and banne Gods creatures. To be negligent, colde and vndis­crete, to be mistrustfull, to be ouermuch dul and wandring in praier, and in Gods seruice.

What this Precept commaundeth and bindeth vs vnto.

JT bindeth vs to the vertues that are contrarie to al this aforesaid, chiefely to the seruice and worshipping of God. To vse our selues wel and in due order in al that perteineth to the tong and to talke: and to spend our time wel, as reason ruled by faith shal require. To vse al due reuerence vnto al things where the name of our Lord is called vpō, as are the seuen Sa­cramentes, holy doctrine and preaching, praier, vowes, ta­king of othes, and al halowed things. To cal on Gods holy name in our necessities, to giue [Page] him thankes with al our heart. To sweare, when necessarie oc­casion is offered, with al truth, with reuerence, with lawfull cause. To doe eche thing wel and duely, according to the rule, state and office that we liue in.

The third Commaundement.

THou shalt keepe holy the Sonnedaies, and holy Feastes of the Church.

What is commaunded in this Precept.

TO heare Masse from the be­ginning to the end deuout­ly, and the Sermon also, if we can. To labour and occupie our selues on those daies in recōci­ling & disposing our selues wel toward God. To kepe vs from sinne. To bestowe those daies chiefely in calling vpon God, & commending our selues to him with our whole hart. And to cal to mind & remembrance his be­nefites [Page 24] towards vs, and to be thankeful to him for the same.

What is forbidden in this Com­maundement, & wherwith the same is broken.

THis Commaundement is broken with al things that are contrarie to these aforesaid, namely by the exercise of handy craftes, and wordly affaires & occupations, which tende and redound al to profit and tempo­ral gaine, when as any part of our duetie toward God and his holy Feastes is let thereby, ex­cept there be some euident and manifest nede that requireth the same for order of charitie and helpe of our neighbour.

The fourth Commaundement.

HOnour thy Father, and Mother: that is to witte, thy natural Parentes, through whome thou wast borne and brought vp in this world: and [Page] also the spiritual Prelates, Bis­shops, Pastours, Preachers, Doctors, Scholemaisters, & al such as haue charge of soules, & al temporal Gouernours, & ge­nerally al yt are in Gods stede, as headdes appointed by him for our profit & gouernment. And by this honour towarde them is meant, that we must thinke wel of them, reuerence them, obey thē, helpe & succour them in their needes, wish them wel, & procure the same, and to praie God specially for thē: also to regard & haue in honour our Elders, and al aged persons.

What is forbidden in this Com­maundement.

IT is forbidden, to do ought that is contrary to this afore­said, in time & place when rea­son doth bind and require the same: as to curse or speake yl of our Parents and Superiours, [Page 25] not to helpe them, not to obey them, to giue them il answeres, to mocke and scoffe at them, to murmur, grudge and thinke yl of them, to dishonour, cōtemne or despise them.

The Parentes also and Su­periours do offend against this Commaundement, when they giue not to their childrē or sub­iectes, and to such as are vnder their charge, that thing which is due vnto them, as is good admonition, counsel, teaching, good hede & loking to thē, good example, and ordinate loue to­ward them, & to haue a vigilant eie & care of them: & likewise the husbandes in vsing al these things toward their wiues.

The fifth Commaundement.

THou shalt not kil. Thou shalt neither do, nor desire to do any bodily harme to thy neighbour, to wit, where there [Page] is no commaundement of Su­periour or Gouernour that re­quireth the same, or publike Authoritie that may laufully commaund it.

How this Commaundement is fulfilled, and whervnto it doth bind vs.

WE must be boūtiful, gentle, meke, courteous, charitable & merciful both to our frindes and enemies.

What is forbidden in this Pre­cept, and how it is broken.

JT is brokē in not doing this aforesaid at suche time and place as is mete to be done, and also in dooing any of this that foloweth, to witte, killing, wounding, stryking, cruell vsing, euil handling by force, and putting to shame or villa­nie, or els in desiring, or pro­curing [Page 26] any of these things to our neighbour. Also in giuing of counsel thereto, or prouoking the same and stirring vp any to do the like, and in dissembling and holding vs stil, when we might let and staie the same. Also when he that is a Iudge, doth passe & excede the order of iustice, or hath not a good & sin­gle intēt. Moreouer in bearing hatred, malice, anger, wrath and rancour toward our neigh­bour, in railing and vsing euil wordes and croked language, or doing any thing that maketh debate and enmitie, in piking quarels, in taking partes and sides, and giuing occasions of harme and offense vnto others, in stirring vppe braulings and brablings, by stirring vp of coles, when they were raked vp, that is, by ripping vp of old sores, and renewing a strife which had ben once appeaced: [Page] [...]n striuing, or contentiousely mainteining & holding of opi­nions: in beeing at open de­fiance, & in earnest & ouerlowd speaking & calling: in scolding and open clamors crying out in rage of passions, wherby many times men fall together by the eares, and lay handes one on another. Also in not giuing ad­uise, warning, and counsel in such perilles as may fal on the persōs of our neighbour, on his bodie or goodes, or any of his: also in tourneiments and exer­cise of feates of Armes not to vse discretion & wisedome, but dangerously to be rash & hastie, or to vse any wrath and hatred therein:Concil. Trident. Sess. 5. cap. 19. to bid the combate to any person, or to doe it, or to be present at it, or giuing ye ground where to fight it.

The sixth and ninth Com­maundement.

[Page 27]THou shalt not committe adulterie, nor any forni­catiō, nor desire any other mans wife, nor haue any carnal accesse or behauiour vnto her.

What is commaunded in this Precept.

TO be chaste, to be mode­rate and sober in eating and drinking, honest in wordes and al outward gestures, to weare our clothes and apparel in al decent, sad & graue wise, with­out wanton deuises, and ho­nestie, according to our degree and calling. We are also here commaunded, to procure and seeke al the meanes & remedies that we can, whereby to driue away and auoid the foule sinne of leacherie, & of al vncleane & beastly vice, the which remedies are these that folow.

The remedies against leacherie and vncleannes, and for the better keping of the sixth Com­maundement.

THe first meane & remedie is to refraine & put out of our mindes al soule and vncleane thoughtes & imaginations: to chasten & exercise the bodie with labours & painful things, as fa­stings, watchings, visiting of holy places, praying, disciplines yt is to wit, afflicting & putting the bodie to some sensible paine, reading of good bokes, & ye exā ­ples & liues of Saintes & holy men & wemen: to flee idlenes, & al yl occasions, & lewd wanton cōpanies & conuersations: and specially to vse cōtinual medita­tion & thinking on four things: to wit, death, domes-daie & last iudgement, hel & heauen: and last of al, with the mortifiyng of our owne desires and wil.

What is forbidden in this Com­maundement, and how it is broken.

THis Commaundement is broken, in hauing any car­nal accesse and copulation, how so euer it be, saue with a mans owne wife. And here the partie penitent in his confession must expresse, in what wise he hath offended in this sinne of leache­rie, in al that he shal find him­self guiltie and faultie against this Commaundement. And though he may not name any person particulerly with whom he hath sinned, yet he must par­ticularly declare, with what maner of persons he hath offen­ded our Lord. For the qualitie of the persons doth alter the nature of the sinne: as if it be with one yt is a cōmon woman, or o­therwise a harlot who is not as­sured by cōtract to any other mā [Page] it is called Simplex fornicatio, single fornication: if with a Virgin or maiden, it is deflou­ring: if with a maried wife, or an espoused woman, it is adul­terie: if it be done with force & violence▪ it is rape: if with any of our kinne within the fourth degree of consanguinitie or al­liance, it is called Incest: if with any that is religious, or in a ha­lowed place, it is sacrilege: if it be with a beast in any maner of wise, it is called the sinne of bestialitie or beastlines.

Also a man sinneth against this Commaundement in any accessories that go before, or go together with it, or ensue vpon suche actes: as, in beholding and casting of wanton lookes, in touching and wanton hand­ling in any maner of wise, in sending messages and messen­gers to & fro, or letters, giftes, presentes, tokens, and suche [Page 29] like inticementes, as apparel, or any thing longing thereto, or in the wearing and vsing of his owne clothes and garmentes to procure wanton affection, in minstrelsie, songs, swete sa­uours and odours, or any like inuentions of amorours deui­ses, that are but allurementes tending al to suche carnal de­lights and pleasures.

Againe, this Commaunde­ment is broken in misse-vsing a mannes owne wife by vnho­nest conuersation with her, or committing any thing against the due order of nature, or by vsing her any waie perilousely while shee is with childe, or within the time of her natural and monthly course, or on high Feastes and Fasting daies.

Againe, in making any con­tract of Matrimonie, or in ma­king and celebrating Mariage against the Orders and Lawes [Page] of the Churche, or against the Decrees and Preceptes of our Bishops and Pastours. Item by ouermuch eating and drin­king for such fleshly purpose, or by eating of meates or taking of things that prouoke and stirre vp the bodie to such flesh­ly motions. Finally in leading or keping companie with any person to any such act, or giuing counsell, or dissembling & hol­ding our peace, or not letting & staying the same by any meane we cā, or helping toward any of al that aforesaid by dede, worde, or by any signes: by holding suche persons knowen in house to that ende, as brokers or baudes: by holding our selues & our minds long with delecta­tion in any like thoughtes, or consenting with our wil to the same, & (to conclude) in al ma­ner of dishonestie, and vnclean­nes of fleshly lust and appetite, [Page 30] or any thing longing thervnto, this Commaundement is vio­lated and broken.

The seuenth and tenth Com­maundement.

THou shalt not steale, nor desire any thing that is an other mans: that is to say, thou shalt not steale, nor possesse, vsurpe nor withold ought that is an other mannes, without lauful cause & reason.

What is commaunded in this Pre­cept, and how it is broken.

THis precept commaundeth to kepe the vertue of iustice and righteousnes, which doth not vsurpe oughte that is an other mans, and giueth to eche man that that is his: also to be liberal and free, when God and reason demaundeth the same, [Page] specially towardes the poore, if we haue wherewithal: and if not, yet at least with our good wil and minde.

What is forbiddē in this Commaun­dement, and how it is broken in sundrie wise.

THis Commaundement is broken in leauing vndone any thing of that aboue-said, in stealing priuily or openly by force and violence, or by taking part, or concealing the same: in taking away halowed things, or out of halowed places, or els in commaunding or giuing cō ­sent and counsel thereto, or hel­ping any way to put the same in effect, or in praising any such euil purpose, or not letting the same, if it lie in our power, in not disclosing the same, in not restoring by and by that which hath ben wickedly so taken a­way, if we haue wherwithal.

[Page 31]Also he breaketh this Com­maundement, that committeth vsurie, or hath a [...]y euil trade or occupation wherewith he get­teth his liuing vnlaufully, in vsing of Simonie, that is, bying and selling of spiritual things, in selling aboue the iust & rea­sonable price, also in storing vp of things, til they wax dearer, in ouering the market, as some cornesellers do to raise dearth, in playing and gamning with ouermuch aduantage, or vsing deceit and sleightes therein, or gamning with such persons as can not laufully put away or alienate the same that they plaie for, as with yong men vnder gouernement, with Receiuers, Stewards and such like, or in vsing great excesse therein for great sommes, or leesing & spending much time in plaie. For al these are certaine spices and kindes of couetousnes.

[Page]Also this Cōmaundement is brokē in defrauding & not pay­ing al due tributes & customes to our Princes & Magistrates, in vsing false weightes & mea­sures, in selling false & corrupt wares, in abating & altering any wares in substance, quan­ti [...]ie, or qualitie, when they are to be solde, or otherwise exchan­ged. Also in not paying our debtes, if we can & may: or in not doing our best to restore to the right owner any thing that we haue found: in not giuing almose to the needy, if we can: in desiring or purchasing other mens goods or landes to our self by any vnleful meanes: in making euil restitution & pay­ment of any thing borowed, or occupying of an others: in not spending freely & honestly ac­cording to our state & qualitie, and finally, in being any way couetous, craftie and deceitful.

The eigth Commaundement.

THou shalt beare no false witnesse: that is to saie, re­fraine thy tong from al harme & dammage both of thy self & thy neighbour, and from al maner of lying & il report or witnesse.

How it is broken.

THis Commaundement is broken in bearing any false witnesse to the dammage of our neighbour, or in hearing the same with good wil, or in pro­curing and causing any other to do the same. Also in vttering & disclosing any mans faultes openly, whereas few men doe openly know them, or in be­wraying his secrete faultes, in aggrauating and augmenting his defectes and imperfections, in hiding and dissembling his vertues, in belying any man, in praising or commending ought without cause, and to no pur­pose [Page] and good ende, or for any euil intent & effec [...]: in angring or prouoking any man to in­dignation without cause or rea­son, in murmuring, grudging, lying, glosing, accusing, back­byting, giuing priuie scoffes, defaming, il suspecting, in being curious and spying to know other mennes liues & secretes, and in bewraying the same, in slaundering, and sowing tales to defame him, to empaire his good name, to sprede abrode or to enlarge yl reporte of him, to iudge yl of any mā. Also in hea­ring gladly and giuing eare to other that do such like things, or in not letting nor forbidding them if we may: in reioycing at the yl report of our neighbour, to be sorie that he hath a good report & name, to be enuious of his giftes, graces, good quali­ties, & good dedes: not to giue good counsel, when we may [Page 33] do any good thereby, or to omit and refuse, or neglect to speake wel and giue good witnesse of our neighbour, when time and place requireth.

How this Commaundement is fulfilled.

THis Commaundemente is kept and fulfilled by doing good to our neighbours with our woordes, where occasion and nede requireth, & by doing the contrarie things of al that is afore said, specially by vsing truth in al our doings and say­ings, and in such witnesses and testimonies as we shal giue of our neighbour, beeing glad to set foorth his vertues, to couer and hide his faultes, to excuse his defectes and imperfections, & to construe & take in the best part al things that are doutful, & may any wise be drawen to a good meaning & likelyhod: to [Page] speake and thinke wel of him, without contrarying or gaine-saying ye manifest truth, to pro­cure & endeuour, when it is in our power, that other also doe the same, & finally, to kepe and haue in vs alway charitie, the whiche (as S. Paule saith) for that it is patient & gentle,x. Cor. 13. doth suffer al, & couer al, & taketh al in good part, except that which is euidently il of it self, or hath a spice and parttaking with yl.

Of brotherly warning and correction.

IT perteineth also to the affir­matiue parte of this Cōmaundement, to admonish & warne our brother charitably. Wherin there is some particular mentiō & consideration to be had: and that is, that wheras the same is a medicine of the soule, whereby our neighbour may auoide and come out of syn, or not fal into it: [Page 34] it is requisite & behoueful, to be circumspect & warie in appliyng the same to the partie at suche time and season, as we shal per­ceiue it to take effect & do good, or els see some likelyhood, that it shal do no harme: and then we are bound to vse the same vnder paine of great sinne. And whereas al men in some respect or other are of duetie bounde herevnto: yet Prelates, Prea­chers, Rulers, Magistrates, Householders, and men of age & authoritie are more specially bound thereto, eche one accor­ding to his degree and state.

The Commaundementes of the Church, which are six.

SIx Cōmaundements there are in the whole Church, which are in maner general the which we are bound to kepe, eche man in his vocation [Page] & degree, bycause of the boun­den duety we haue to obey the Churche, as our spiritual Mo­ther, & them that are Rulers & Officers in the same, for that thei are in Gods room & place.

The first.

THe first Commaundement is, to heare Masse vppon Sondaies, & al holy daies that are kept, according to ye custome of eche Prouince and Diocese.

How this is fulfilled.

THis Cōmaundement is ful­filled in hearing one Masse to the end, and (if it may be) the High Masse, and that which is of the present daie and feast: & to heare the same with al reue­rence & deuotiō, and with good affections and motions in our hartes, in desiring and calling for the grace of God, and fully purposing to forsake sinne.

How it is broken.

JT is broken, in not dooing any thing of this aforesaid, or in doing the contrarie.

The second.

TO fast suche daies as the Church commaundeth: that is to witte, the Lent, the fower Imber daies, the Eues & Fa­sting daies, & on Fridaies and Saturdaies to eate like as in the Lent, conformably and ac­cording to the custome of the Countrie and Diocese wherein a man liueth.

This precept conteineth in it two things, to witte, Christian abstinence and sobrietie, which is, to eate once in the daie mea­surably: the other is, the ap­pointmēt of such meates as are to be forborne, as flesh, egges, cheese, milke, or any of these, without necessitie and license.

How this is broken.

IT is broken, by not fasting on such daies aforesaid, without some reasonable cause, and by eating more then once, by ea­ting before noone some notable great space of time, by eating ouermuche with some sensible excesse, or with some euident cu­riositie & delicatenes, by eating the night before with apparent fulnes to defraude the fast fo­lowing. Also by fasting with vndiscrete abstinences to some euident harme of the bodie, by fasting superstitiously, & Iew­ishly, by eating flesh, egges, cheese, or white meates vppon forbiddē daies without vrgent cause and necessitie, and with­out leaue of the ghostly Father, or of the Physition, in case thou may haue time and opportuni­tie to aske leaue & libertie there­vnto. By not absteining from sinne on those daies specially, [Page 36] by not exercising our selues in good & vertuous deedes vpon the same daies, namely in deuo­tiō & in praier, whereby our fa­sting may be fruitful vnto vs.

Concerning the maner of obseruing the Saturdaies, it is to be noted, that bycause there are diuers fashions according to the diuersitie of the Coun­tries, the well disposed Christiā man must conforme and frame himselfe vnto the custome of the Countrie where he is aby­ding, if he wil liue without of­fense of others, according vnto S. Ambrose rule. And therefore he must also confesse himself of any fault he hath done against suche customes, specially, if he did it with contempte, or with offense vnto others.

The third Precept.

TO paie our Tithes and of­frings, such as of olde cu­stomes haue bene wonte to be paid.

[Page]They offend this Precept, and are bound to restitution, who paie not the same, and they that paie them with some de­fect, or with the worst, and they that paie not tithes of al suche things as the custome of the Countrie is to be paid of.

This Precept is fulfilled by dooing the contrarie of al this in due time and order.

The fourth Precept.

TO go to shrift once a yeare at the least at Easter, & to be cōfessed to our owne Curate, or to suche as ye Diocesan shal ap­point, except we haue license to cōfesse ourselues to some other.

How this is broken.

BY not confessing our selues at this time, by making a fained confession without the necessarie pointes belonging to the same, by confessing through compulsion, & with an euil wil, [Page 37] by not confessing to our owne Pastour or Curate, or to such as he shal appoint, except we haue leaue to chuse our Ghostly Fa­ther. And if we haue leaue, by chusing him of purpose that is vnmete, or vnlearned, vndis­crete, peruerse, of euil life, or not attending ye thing that he doth, nor giuing hede to his cure, as reason would he should.

This Precept is fulfilled by doing the contrary to al this, in due time and maner.

The fifth Precept.

TO receiue the blessed Sacra­ment at the time of Easter, or within eight daies before or after, being of lauful age & dis­position to the same.

How this Precept is broken.

BY not comming to receiue within eight daies before or after Easter, without the con­sent of our Ghostly Father.

[Page]Also by receiuing & not confes­sing ourselues before, nor do­ing satisfaction, nor repenting of our sinnes, and by not recon­ciling ourselues vnto them that we haue offended, if we might conueniently haue done it.

Also by comming to the Sa­cramēt with litle faith, or with­out due reuerence & deuotion, or not being fasting from the midnight before, or by receiuing at the hand of any other than of his owne Curat, except he haue leaue therevnto, and in not gi­uing account to his Curat how he hath vsed himselfe, if he haue receiued in any other place for some occasion.

This Precept is fulfilled by dooing the contrarie of al this, in due time and order.

The sixt Precept.

TO make or keepe no wed­dings or Mariages at suche times as are forbidden by the [Page 38] Churche, that is to wit, in the Aduent time, and from Ashe­wednsdaie vntil Low-Sonne­daie, and from the Mondaie be­fore Ascension daie vntil Trini­tie Eue, and vppon other daies that are high Vigilles, fasting daies and solemne Feastes.

How this Precept is broken.

WHen weddings are kepte vpon any of these daies or Principal Feastes: which is to be vnderstood, when there is no daunger betweene maried folke to fal into any syn by leauing to satisfie this duetie of Matri­monie. How be it there is neuer committed deadly sinne hereby, except it he by contempt. Also they offend against this Pre­cept, yt wil wed or marie, & not dispose themselues before with praier & good motions & deuo­tion to receiue duely the holy Sacrament of Matrimonie, & the blessings of the Churche.

The third Capter. Of the seuen Deadly sinnes, and remedies for the same.

Of Pride.

PRide is an inordinate desire of honour and excellencie.

How is deadly sinne committed herein.

BY not acknowleging God for the giuer of the goodnes or good thing that a man hath, and in being vnkind vnto him. Also for a man to pretend more his owne honour, than the ho­nour of God, either in the good things that he doth, or in the euil that he refuseth to do. In desiring Honours, Offices, Di­gnities, Estates, and Preemi­nencies, to the intent to com­maund, and to be had in repu­tation, and to be worshipped, not hauing respect to his owne [Page 39] worthines, aptnes, nor desert, nor to the meanes whereby he procureth the same.

Againe, to prease and thrust himselfe into suche dignities & roomes, with inuenting new deuises, & attempting great en­terprises without good ground and assistence to the fame.

In holding opinion of him­self, that he is singular and pas­sing excellent in his owne good qualities, and that no man can matche him, nor be found equal vnto him.

In despising or disdaigning his neighbours by worde or deede, as the whiche may not be compared vnto him.

In attributing to himselfe, or reioysing that other do attri­bute vnto him hon [...]s and di­gnities that are not conuenient for him, in [...]osting himselfe of the same, or of any euil things that he hath done, in bearing [Page] ouer great pomp & countenance either in apparel, fare, or reti­nue, or in the behauiour of his owne person, in taking indig­nation with his neighbours for that they do not woorship and esteeme him. In desiring to go before his equalles, or to make himself equal & not to acknow­ledge his betters, in disdaining his inferiours, to be sorie that they stand by him in ought that he doth, be it good or ill.

To wax fond and vaine glo­rious in prosperitie, & to mur­murre and grudge in aduersi­tie, making no account: what he doth deserue.

To disdaine himselfe of the Office & Vocation that he hath, thinking that he is worthie of better.

To faine and counterfeit ho­lines when he hath none.

To hide & couer his faultes, when as he is bound to shew [Page 40] them. Also they offend in pride, that are wranglers and conten­tious personnes, that wil haue their owne wil & minde to take place, and they that are curious to know strāge & vaine things, and they that wil not frame & conforme themselues vnto the iudgement and order of their betters, and of wiser men, and they that are disobedient to their Superiours.

How a man may auoide this sinne & of the vertue of humilitie.

A man may auoid & shunne this sinne by the vertue of humilitie, which is the begin­ning & foundation of the Chri­stian building, and consisteth in a certaine true knowlege of ourselfe, and of God, in the wil and desire to be subiect to God and to his Lawe, in obey­ing and folowing our Supe­riours and suche as haue lear­ning [Page] & knowledge. In not de­siring to go before our equals, nor to despice our inferiours, hauing suche opinion of our­selues and our affaires, as may stand with Christian modestie, exercising ourselues oft times in humble things, and breaking the stoutnes and excessiue hau­tines of our owne wil, hauing alway before vs the example of Iesus Christ, and of his Crosse, and the examples of his holy Saintes for to folow them, and hauing alway our owne defects and faultes before our eies, and how much we are bound vnto our Lord and Sauiour.

Of Ire or Wrath.

WRath is an inordinate de­sire of reuengement.

Al the branches and particu­lar membres thereof are spo­ken of before in the fift Com­maundement, and therefore it [Page 41] shal not be needeful here to make any peculiar considera­tion of the same.

The remedies of this sinne.

THe remedies hereof are the very same yt serue for pride, and withal, the vertue of pa­tience, and continual conside­ration of the Crosse of Christ, with the which our pride and anger of hart must be crucified.

Of the sinne of Enuie.

ENuie is a sadnes & inordi­nate grief for ye prosperitie of our neighbour, or els inordinate ioy of his harme & aduersitie.

This sinne goeth against the fift, the seuenth, and eigth Com­maundement. For when the enuie is against the goods of the bodie, it goeth against the fift Commaundement: & when it is in the goods of fortune, it goeth against the seuenth: and [Page] when it is against the prospe­ritie of good name, it goeth a­gainst the eigth. But when it is in the goodes of grace, then it is a diuelish sinne, which is against the holy Ghost. The Penitent must looke wel, what he can accuse himself of herein, and the Confessour likewise, what he may enquire of, tou­ching the same.

Of the remedie of this sinne, and the curing thereof with the power and vertue of Grace.

THE wickednesse of this more diuelish then humaine sinne, whiche doth so muche abase and corrupt the bountie of mans hart, is cured with the vertue of Charitie, the moste principal vertue emong al ver­tues, and the which most of al doth make vs like vnto God, and doth truely make him that hath it, the true scholer of Chri­stes [Page 42] schole, the which vertue is none other thing, but a certaine heauenly fire and heate, whiche enflameth the harte of man (be­ing capable of God) to the loue of God for his owne sake, and of our frindes and enemies, and al other things, for him.

This vertue whereas it is the most principal frute of the holy Ghost, we ought as wel for the hauing, as for the preseruing of it, to craue the same of God him­self with often sighes, & feruent desires and continual praiers, saying alwaies hartily vnto God: Adueniat regnum tuum, Let the kingdome, O Lord, of thy holy Ghost come into vs. For thy kingdome doth wholly stand and consist in the possessiō of this holy vertue Charitie, the which doth make, that no other wil remaineth nor raigneth in vs, but the wil of God, & ma­keth vs apte and able vnto al [Page] goodnes. For by it we suffer al, we beleue al, we passe ouer and endure al with quietnes, and fi­nally through it, we haue al that euer is hid and reuealed in the holy Scriptures, as blessed S. Augustine doth saie: & without it al the rest that remaineth, seme it neuer so much, is worth nothing at al in deede, for any right that it hath to heauen.

Of Leacherie.

LEacherie is an inordinate desire about bodily plea­sures, & namely the pleasures of touching. In the sixt Cōmaun­dement we haue at large spokē of this sinne, and of al the bran­ches and remedies of the same.

Of Glotonie.

GLotonie is an inordinate de­sire about the pleasures of the taste.

Suche folke doe offend here­in, that put ouermuche care and [Page 43] diligence in seeking and proui­ding for meates and drinkes. Likewise such as eate and drink more than is necessarie for their good health according to their custome & bringing vp, & suche as eate and drinke more than is mete for their estate & qualitie. Also they that eate & drinke for some inordinate purpose, as for carnal pleasure, or doe seeke for exquisite delicates to fil their delicious appetite, hauing no neede of the same.

Also such as feed with vnho­nest, vncomly, or foule gestures & fasshions, mocking, scoffing, toying and suche like maners. It is sinne also, to mingle any thing in meates that may make other to be distract and byside themselfe, and to be a meane or cause that some other do any of these things: also to breake the fasting daies & Vigils, whereof we haue already spoken before.

Of Temperance and Christian fa­sting, which are the due & lau­ful remedies of this sinne, & his felow, which is Leacherie.

THis beastly sinne, and the sinne of Leacherie that fo­loweth withal, may both be ex­pelled by their contrarie, which is the vertue of Temperance, which cōsisteth in the moderate vse of eating and drinking, & of other things of the taste, hauing respect to good helth and dispo­sition of ye bodie, custome, estate, age & abilitie, according as rea­son, good discretion and wise­dome shal teache, without any notable excesse or fault.

Of Christian Fasting.

ALso both these sinnes are orderly expelled with the exercise of Christian fasting, whiche consisteth in chastening & bringing low the whole and lustie bodie with abstinence of [Page 44] meates by good discretion, and without superstition, making the flesh subiect to the spirite, that it rebel not to the same.

Of the sinne of Auarice or Couetousnes.

AVarice is an inordinate desire of getting & keeping mony & other worldly goods.

Herein do offend Simonia­cal persons, theeues and rob­bers, Churchrobbers, men that vse wicked and vnlauful trades of vniust gaines, as vsurers, bandes, and such like: they that withhold that that is another mans: they that borow & paie not againe, when they can: they that keepe backe or deceiue any body of a thing laid to pawne or pledge, or a thing lost, or laid to keepe and put in trust with any man, against the wil of the owner. Also they that doe not spend in due time & maner, as [Page] is mete for their estate. They yt are not liberal toward ye poore in due order of charitie: & they that put their whole mind & stu­die in getting or keeping these casual goods of ye world, forgetting their owne soules, & God.

The rest that toucheth this sinne, we haue mencioned in the seuenth Commaundement.

This sinne is auoided by the exercise of three moral ver [...]ues, Iustice, Liberalitie, and Mer­cie or Pitie.

By Iustice or righteousnes, which is the vertue that giueth to eche man that which is his, and withholdeth nothing that is anothers.

By Liberalitie, which is the vertue by which these temporal goods are bestowed and spent, when, and how and to suche as is conuenient.

By the vertue of pitie or mercie, which is a certaine har­tie [Page 45] compassion of the necessities and miseries of our neighbour. Whereby the hardnes of the minde of the couetous man is mollified, and at last moued & drawen, not to sette his minde on these worldly goods, in get­ting or keping of them in suche wise, that he leese God, who is our true good and treasure: but so to vse them as they are ordei­ned, which is, to spend them as is conuenient, to the seruice of God, and the profit of our sel­ues and of our neighbours.

Of the sinne of Slouth.

SLouth is a slackenes or lo­thing in beginning and pur­suing the things that belong to walke in the waie of God.

In this sinne doe offend the dul & weake sprited, which euer finde lettes and inconueniences in good things. Also such as are cold, luke warme, negligent, in [Page] despeire, & ye wretches that wil put themselues to no labour, nor to nothing that good is: the slacke delaiers who walke from day to daie, differring good things: such as haue no regard of the good name of a Christian nor of the duety of their owne vocation in the way and ser­uice of God, especially in praier. Also they that put away from them inspirations & good mo­tions, and contemne the good counselles of God and the Go­spelles, and the examples of the Saintes, and do not that which God and his Spiritual Offi­cers do commaund, for, and at suche time as they commaund the same. Also they that leese and spend their time ill.

Of the contrarie vertue vnto Slouth, which is Hope.

THis accursed sinne is put away from the soule, by the [Page 46] exercise of the Diuine vertue of Hope, through the which a man doth attempt things that are hard and aboue himself, apper­teining to God & his holy wil. This vertue maketh vs to set nought by trauailes, to plucke vp al impedimentes and con­tradictions, and to passe litle on the difficulties that may come and fal in the waie.Heb. 6. S. Paule calleth it the Anker: and very wel. For it worketh that effect in the soule, which the Anker is wont to do in the sea in the time of stormes and tempestes: that is, to hold and keepe the soule fast & vnmoueable in her pur­pose, which is, God, although vnto the sense it seme most vn­possible or hard, which we hope for, or though it shalbe long de­laied, or be yet farre of, whiche we loke for. The which wheras it is the very frute of the holy Ghost, it cannot be gotten nor [Page] kept without continuing much in holy praier. And therefore it is necessarie, that the same be much vsed in the whole processe & course of this perilous life, if we wil not haue the kingdome of sinne to preuaile and kepe vs away from our beginning, whiche is God.

Of the sinne against the Holy Ghost.

ACcording to the mind & de­finition of Doctours & lear­ned men, the syn against the ho­ly Ghost is cōmitted by one of these six waies, the whiche may be reduced to the sinnes aboue­said, if they be wel vnderstood.

They are these.
  • 1. To despeir of Gods mercie.
  • 2. To presume of our owne good dedes and merites.
  • 3. To gainsaie ye knowē truth.
  • 4. To blaspheme, attributing [Page 47] that, which belongeth to God, vnto creatures: or cōtrarywise.
  • 5. To enuie the grace of our neighbour.
  • 6. To be obstinate in hauing no wil to do penance.

The syns mentioned of in Scripture the whiche doe crie vnto God for vengeance, are foure.

  • 1. To shed ye bloud of innocēts.
  • 2. To oppresse & persecute the fatherlesse children & widowes, and suche as haue no power to resist.
  • 3. The vices of vncleannes against nature.
  • 4. To withholde the wages of an others labour.

The workes of mercie are four­tene, seuen bodily, and seuen ghostly.

The seuen bodily woorkes, are these:

  • 1. To giue meat to ye hungrie.
  • 2. To giue drinke to ye thirstie.
  • [Page]3. To cloth the naked.
  • 4. To lodge the harbourlesse.
  • 5. To visite the sicke.
  • 6. To raunsome captiues and prisoners.
  • 7. To burie the dead.

It is to be vnderstood, that we must vse these woorkes of mercie toward the needy, when reason and charitie bindeth vs therevnto, and not to tarie til our neighbour be in extreme necessitie, as some stony harted and wretched persons do. For he that is come to such extreme necessitie, can scant take any profit of our charitie. It is a sufficient bonde for vs, to know that our neighbour is in peril to fal into some manifest great harme through suche necessitie, & so to vse our charitie toward him according to our habilitie, and not to content ourselfe in giuing some smal wretched almes, as men are wont to do. [Page 48] Al these seuen workes of mercie are fulfilled with the vertue of charitable pitie, the which con­sisteth, as we haue said, in ha­uing effectual compassion vpon the miseries and necessities of our neighbours, so farre forth as we are able: & if we can helpe them none otherwise, yet with our good wil alwaies to kepe the order which charitie requi­reth. And these are also special­ly fulfilled, in keping the fourth, fifth, seuenth and eight Com­maundement, beeing wel vn­derstood, & so the Penitent may accuse himself of the same as he findeth his conscience guiltie.

The seuen ghostly workes of mercie.
  • 1. To comfort the sorowful.
  • 2. To instructe and teache the ignorant.
  • 3. To counsel them that haue neede.
  • 4. To forgiue the wronges that are done vnto vs.
  • [Page]5. To suffer and beare with the faultes of our neighbours.
  • 6. To correct & amēd ye same.
  • 7. And to praie vnto God for them.

Al these are to be done in due time and place, when reason re­quireth the same, and namely by keping wel the fourth, fifth, and eigth Commaundement, being wel vnderstood.

Of the fiue wittes and the inward and outward senses, and the two powers of the soule.

SYnne is also committed in the senses and powers of the minde: as

  • 1. in Seeing,
  • 2. Smelling,
  • 3. Hearing,
  • 4. Tasting,
  • 5. and Feeling.

Also in wandring of the fansie, and in the discourses and ima­ginations of the mind, and in [Page 49] the two powers of the soule, whiche are, the Vnderstanding and Memorie: not for that they are properly syns of thēselues, wheras in their owne actions, they vse no freewil, but sinne is said to be in thē, when we euilly applie them to vnlauful vses. And so there nedeth not any particular consideration to be made of them, more then that we haue already in the ten Commaund­ments and in the seuen deadly sinnes. For cōcerning ye Sight, if it be of things that belong to worldly pompe and pride, the desire to see suche things shal belong to the sinne of Pride, which the Scripture calleth the Concupiscence of the eies:1. Ioan. 2. and if it be to see wanton things or women, for to desire them, it ap­perteineth to the sinne of flesh­ly lust, and to the s [...]xth & ninth Commaundement, and so like­wise in smelling and touching. [Page] The exercise of the most of these vertues, and the sinnes against the same we haue already tou­ched, when we spake of suche sinnes, and the Commaunde­mentes thereto belonging. And so it needeth not to make any particular consideration thereof, minding to be brief in this Treatie, as we did entend.

The conclusion what is to be done after dew examination of our Con­science, & confession of our synnes.

NOw then, after the Peni­tent hath made his Cōfes­sion or shrift of al such sinnes as he thinketh himself guiltie, and his conscience grudging at the same, being truely and hartily sorie therefore, & with ful pur­pose and minde to forsake the same, & to auoide the very nee­rest occasions thereof, & being presupposed also, that he is not in some suche reserued case by some sinne, but that his ordi­narie [Page 50] Ghostly Father may as­soile him, the which must be re­ferred to his iudgement: the Penitent with al humilitie shal aske absolution and penance of his Ghostly Father, who is there in Gods place and office, saying after this maner.

And in what soeuer other maner I haue offended our Lord and Sauiour, byside that which I haue here confessed: I would also gladly confesse the same, if it came to my mind and knowlege, as God doth know, that I haue many waies offen­ded him, whiche I do not now remember, and that other haue also offended through me, and by my negligence, of al whiche I crie God hartily mercie, and aske him forgiuenes, and do be­seke the blessed Virgin Marie, and al the holy Saintes of hea­uen, that by their intercession they helpe me to obteine grace [Page] and forgiuenes of God, and that you my Ghostly Father, (who are here in Gods place) wil giue me penance and abso­lution, and good ghostly coun­sel, & praie to our Lord for me. And so make an ende, adding at the last, the reast of the Con­fiteor, thus:

Ideo precor Beatam Mariam semper Virginem, Beatum Mi­chaelem Archangelum, Beatum Iohannem Baptistam, Sanctos Apostolos Petrum & Paulum, & te, Pater, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.

After Absolution is giuen, which cōsisteth in these words: Ego te absoluo, in nomine Pa­tris, & Filij & Spiritus Sancti, Amen: receiuing the same with great faith and deuotion, and beleeuing stedfastly, that God worketh therein by the merites [Page 51] of his moste blessed and onely Sonne, he shal heare the good lessons and penance whiche the Priest shal giue him, & without delaie, fulfil the same, if he may conueniently, or els as sone as he can, giuing alwaies due thankes to our Lord. And so from thence-forward he must with al diligence procure the amendement of his life, asking with al his hart and most in­stantly the grace & helpe of our Lord therevnto, without the whiche no good thing can be done.

FINIS.
Visitatum & approbatum Louanij, 27. Decemb. Anno D. 1571.
J. Molanus.

[Page]

My Flessh is meate in deede.
This is my Bodie which is giuen for you.


[Page 52]Treatise to receiue the [...]lessed Bodie of our Lord Sa­cramentally, & virtually both: made by the excellent learned, wise, vertuous, & godly man, Sir Tho­mas Moore Knight (sometime Lord Chancelour of Englād) while he was prisoner in the Tower of London, Anno 1534. & 1535.

THey receiue the blessed Bodie of our Lorde bothe Sacramētally, & virtually, which in due maner and worthily, receiue the blessed Sacrament. When I saie, worthily, I meane not, that any man is so good, or can be so good, that his goodnesse could make him of very right and reason, worthy to receiue [Page] into his vile earthly bodie, that holie blessed glorious flesh and bloud of Almighty God him­selfe, with his celestial Soule therein, and with the Maiestie of his eternal Godhead: but that he may prepare himselfe, working with the grace of God, to stand in such state, as the in­comparable goodnes of God, wil of his liberal boūtie vouch­safe to take & accept for worthy, to receiue his owne inestimable pretious Bodie into the bodie of so simple a seruant. Suche is the wōderful boūtie of almigh­ty God, that he not only doth vouchsafe, but also doth delite to be with men, if they prepare to receiue him with honest and cleane soules, whereof he saith: Delitiae meae esse cum filijs ho­minum. Prou. 8. My delite & pleasures are to be with the sonnes of mē.

And how can we doubt, that God deliteth to be with the [Page 53] sonnes of men, whē the Sonne of God, & very almighty God himselfe, liked not only to be­come the sonne of man, that is to wit, the Sonne of Adam the first man: but ouer that in his innocent manhode to suffer his painful Passion, for the redem­ption and restitution of man.

In remembrance & memorial whereof, he disdeineth not to take for worthie suche men, as wilfully make not themselues vnworthie to receiue the selfe same blessed Bodie into their bodies, to the inestimable welth of their soules: & yet of his high soueraine patience, he refuseth not to enter bodily into the vile bodies of those, whose filthy minds refuse to receue him gra­ciously into their soules. But then do suche folke receiue him only sacramentally, & not vir­tually, that is to wit, they re­ceiue his very blessed Bodie in­to [Page] to theirs, vnder the sacramental signe, but they receiue not the thing of the Sacrament, that is to wit, the vertue and the effect therof, that is to saie, the grace, by which they should be liuely mēbers incorporate in Christes holie mystical Bodie: but in stede of that liuely grace, they receiue their iudgement, and their damnation.

And some such by the outra­gious enormitie of their deadly sinful purpose, in whiche they presume to receiue that blessed Bodie, deserue to haue the Di­uel (through the sufferance of God) personally so to enter into their breastes, that they neuer haue the grace after to cast him out: but like as a mā with bridle and spurre rideth and ruleth an horse, & maketh him go whiche waie he list to guide him: so doth the Diuel by his inward suggestions, gouerne & guide [Page 54] the man, and bridle him from al good, & spurre him into al euil, til he finally driue him to al mis­chiefe, as he did the false trai­tour Iudas, that sinfully recei­ued that holie Bodie, whom the Diuel did therfore first carie out about ye traiterous death of the self same blessed body of his most louing Mais [...]r,Iohan. 13. which he so late so sinfully receiued, & within a few houres after vnto the de­sperate destruction of himselfe.Matth. 28.

And therefore haue we great cause with great dread & reue­rence, to consider wel the state of our own soule, when we shal go to the boord of God, and as neere as we can (with helpe of his speciall grace, diligently praied for before) pourge and cleanse our soules by confession, contrition, and penaunce, with ful purpose of forsaking from thenceforth, the proude desires of the Diuel, the greedy couetise [Page] of wretched worldly welth, and the foule affection of the filthy flesh, and be in ful mind to per­seuer and continue in the waies of God & holy cleannes of spi­rite. Least that, if we presume so vnreuerently to receiue this pretiouse margarite, this pure pearle, the blessed Bodie of our Sauiour himselfe, conteined in the sacramental signe of bread, that like a sorre of swyne wroo­ting in the dirte, & wallowing in the myre, wee treade it vnder the filthy feete of our foule affec­tions, while we sette more by them, than by it, intending to walke and wallowe in the pud­dle of foule filthy sinne, there­with the legiō of Diuelles may gette leaue of Christe, so to en­ter into vs,Mat. 8. Mar. 5. Luc. 8. as they gate leaue of him to enter into the hogges of Genazareth, & as they ranne foorthwith with them, & neuer stinted, til they drowned them [Page 55] in the sea, so runne on with vs (but if God of his great mercie refraine them, and geue vs the grace to repent) els not faile to drowne vs in the deepe sea of euerlasting sorow.

Of this great outragious pe­rill, the blessed Apostle S. Paul geueth vs gracious warning, where he saieth in his first Epi­stle to the Corinthians: Quicunque manducauerit Panem, & biberit Calicem Domini indi­gnè, Cap. 11. reus erit Corporis & San­guinis Domini, Who so euer eateth the Bread, & drinketh the Cup of our Lord vnworthily, he shalbe guiltie of the Bodie and Bloud of our Lord.

Here is (good Christian Readers) a dreadful & terrible sen­tence, which God here (by the mouth of his holy Apostle) ge­ueth against al them, that vn­woorthily receiue this most blessed Sacrament, that their [Page] parte shall be with Pilate & the Iewes, and with that fals [...] trai­tour Iudas, sith God r [...]pute [...]h the vnworthy receiuing and ea­ting of his blessed Bodie, for a like heinous offense against his Maiestie, as he accompteth theirs, that wrongfully & cruel­ly killed him.

And therefore to the intent, that we may auoid wel this im­portable daunger, and in suche wise receiue the Bodie & Bloud of our Lord, as God may of his goodnes accept vs for worthy: and therefore not onely enter with his blessed Flesh & Bloud sacramentally and bodily into our bodies, but also with his holy spirit graciously and effec­tually into our soules: S. Paul in the place before remembred, saith: Probet seipsum homo, & sic de pane illo edat, [...]. Cor. 11. & de calice bibat: Let a man proue himself, and so eat of that bread & drinke [Page 56] of that cuppe. But than in what wise shal we proue our self? we may not goe rashly to Gods boord, but by a conuenient time taken before. We must (as I be­ganne to saie) consider wel, and examine surely, what state our soule standeth in.

In which thing it wil be not onely right hard, but also per­aduenture impossible, by any possible diligence of our self, to atteine vnto the very full vn­doubted suretie therof, without special reuelacion of God. For as the Scripture saith: Nemo viuens scit, Eccles. 9. vtrū odio vel amore dignus sit. Nomā liuing know­eth, whether he be worthy ye fa­uour or hatred of God. And in an other place: Si oculus meus fuerit simplex, non cognoscet hoc anima mea I [...] mine eye be simple, that is to say, if mine in­tent & my minde be right, that cannot my mind surely know.

[Page]But God yet in this point is of his high goodnes content, if we do the diligence that we can, to see that we be not in the pur­pose of any deadly sinne. For though it may be, that for al our diligence, God (whose eie pear­ceth muche more deepe into the bottonie of our heart, than our own doth) may see therein some suche sinne as we can not see there our selfe: for whiche S. Paule saith: Nullius mihi con­scius sum, 1. Cor. 4. sed non in hoc iusti­catus sum, In mine owne con­science I knowe nothing, but yet am I not thereby iustified: yet our true diligēce done in the search, God of his high bountie so farreforth accepteth, that he imputeth not any suche secrete lurking syn vnto our charge for an vnworthy receiuing of this blessed Sacrament, but rather the strength and vertue thereof pourgeth & clenseth that sinne.

[Page 57]In this prouing & examina­tion of our self, which S. Paule speaketh of, one very speciall point must be, to proue and ex­amine ourself, and see, that we be in the right faith and belief cōcerning the holy blessed Sa­cramēt it self, that is to wit, that we verily beleue, that it is, as in deede it is, vnder ye forme & like­nesse of bread, the very blessed Bodie, flesh & bloud, of our holy Sauiour Christ him self, the ve­ry self same Bodie, and the very self same bloud, that did & was shed vpō the Crosse for our syn, and the third daie gloriously did arise againe to life, & with the soules of holy Saincts set out of hel, ascended & stied vp won­derfully into heauen, and there sitteth on the right hand of the Father, & shall visibly descende in great glorie to iudge the quicke & the dead, and reward al men after their workes.

[Page]We must (I saie) see, that we firmely beleue, that this blessed Sacrament is not a bare signe, or a figure, or a token of that holy Bodie of Christ: but that it is in perpetual remembrāce of his bitter Passion that he suffered for vs, the selfe same pretious Bodie of Christ that suffered it, by his owne almighty power & vnspeakable goodnesse conse­crated and giuen vnto vs.

And this point of belief, is in the receiuing of this blessed Sacrament of such necessitie & such weight, with them that haue yeares & discretion, that with­out it, they receiue it plainly to their damnatiō. And that point beleeued very ful & fastly, must needes bee a great occasion to mooue any manne in all other points, to receiue it wel. For note wel the words of S. Paul therein:1. Cor. 11. Qui manducat de hoc pane, & bibit de calice indignè, [Page 58] iudicium sibi manducat & bibit, non dijudicans corpus Domini, He that eateth of this bread, and drinketh of this cuppe vnwor­thily, eateth & drinketh iudge­ment vppon him selfe, in that he discerneth not the Bodie of our Lord.

Lo heere this blessed Apostle wel declareth, that he, which in any wise vnworthily receiueth this most excellent Sacrament, receiueth it vnto his owne damnation, in that he wel declareth by his euil demeanour toward it, in his vnworthy receiuing of it, that he discerneth it not, nor iudgeth it, nor taketh it for the very Bodie of our Lord, as in deede it is.

And verily it is hard, but that this point depely rooted in our breast, should sette all our heart in a feruour of deuotion toward the woorthy receiuing of that blessed Bodie.

[Page]But surely there can be no doubt on the other side, but that if any man beleeue, that it is Christes very Bodie, and yet is not inflamed to receiue him de­uoutly thereby: that man were likely to receiue this blessed Sacrament very coldly, and farre from al deuotion, if he beleued, that it were not his Bodie, but onely a bare token of him in stede of his Bodie.

But nowe hauing the full faith of this point fastly groun­ded in our heart, that the thing whiche we receiue, is the very blessed Bodie of Christ: I trust there shal not greatly neede any great information farther to teach vs, or any great exhorta­tion farder to stirre & excite vs, with al humble maner and reuerent behauiour, to receiue him.

For if we wil but consider, if there were a great worldly Prince, which for special fauour [Page 59] that hee bare vs, would come visite vs in our owne house, what a busines we would then make, and what a woorke it would be for vs, to see that our house were trimmed vp in eue­ry point, to the best of our pos­sible power, and euery thing so prouided and ordered, that he should by his honorable recei­uing, perceiue what affection we beare him, & in what high estimation we haue him: we should sone by the comparing of that worldly Prince, and this heauenly Prince together (be­twene whiche twaine is farre farre lesse comparison, than is betwene a man & a mouse) in­fourme and teach our self, with how lowly mind, how tender louing heart, home reuerent humble maner we should ende­uour our selues to receiue this glorious heauenly King, the King of al Kinges, almightie [Page] God himselfe, that so louingly doth vouchsafe to enter not only into our house (to which the no­ble man Centurio acknowled­ged him self vnworthy) but his pretious Bodie into our vile wretched carcas, & his holy spi­rit into our poore simple soule. What diligence can here suffice vs? What solicitude can wee thinke heere enough, against the comming of this almighty King, comming for so special gratious fauor, not to put vs to coste, not to spend of ours, but to enrich vs of his, and that af­ter so manyfold deadly displea­sures done him so vnkindly by vs, against so many of his in­comparable benefits before don vnto vs? How would we now labour & foresee, that the house of our soule (whiche God were coming to reast in) should nei­ther haue any poisoned spider or cobweb of deadly sinne han­ging [Page 60] in the roofe, nor so muche as a strawe or a fether of any light lewde thought, that wee might spie in the floure, but we would sweepe it awaie?

But forasmuch (good Chri­sten Readers) as we neither cā atteine this great point of faith nor any other vertue, but by the special grace of God, of whose high goodnes euery good thing cometh (for as S. Iames saith, Omne datum optimum & om­ne donum perfectum, Iacob. 1. de sur­fum est, descendens â Patre lu­minum, Euery good gift, and euery perfect gift is from aboue descending from the Father of lightes) let vs therefore praie for his gracious helpe in the at­teining of this faith, and for his helpe in the cleansing of our soule against his coming: that he may make vs worthie to re­ceiue him worthily. And euer let vs of our owne parte feare [Page] our owne vnworthinesse, & on his parte trust boldly vpon his goodnesse, if we forslowe not to worke with him for our owne parte. For if we willingly vpon the trust & comfort of his good­nes leaue our own deuour vn­done, than is our hope no hope, but a very foule presumption.

Than whē we come vnto his holy boord, into the presence of his blessed Bodie, let vs consi­der his high glorious Maiestie, which his high goodnesse there hideth from vs, and the proper fourme of his holy Flesh coue­reth vnder the forme of bread, both to kepe vs frō abashment, such as we could not peraduen­ture abide, if we (such as we yet be) should see & receiue him in his owne fourme such as he is: and also for the increase of the merite of our faith, & the obe­dient belief of that thing at his commaundement, whereof our [Page 61] eyes and our reason seeme to shew vs the contrarie.

And yet forasmuche as al­though we beleeue it, yet is that beliefe in many of vs very fame & farre from the point of suche vigour and strength, as would God it had: let vs saie vnto him with the Father that had the dumme sonne: Credo Domine, Mar. 9. adiuua incredulitatem me [...]m, I beleue Lord, but helpe thou my lacke of beliefe. And with his blessed Apostles: Domine, adauge nobis fidē, Luc. 17. Lord increase faith in vs: let vs also with the poore Publicane, in knowlege of our owne vnworthines, say with al mekenes of hart: Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori, Mat. 8. Lord God be merciful to me sinner that I am: and with the Centurio: Domine, non sum di­gnus vt intres [...]ub tectū meum, Lord, I am not worthy, yt thou shouldest come into my house.

[Page]And yet with al this remem­brance of our owne vnworthi­nes, and therefore the great re­uerence, feare and dread for our ow [...]e parte: let vs not forget on the other side to consider his inestimable goodnesse, whiche disdaineth not for all our vn­worthinesse, to come vnto vs, and to be receiued of vs.

But likewise as at the sight or receiuing of this excellente memorial of his death (for in the remembrance therof doth he thus consecrate & giue his own blessed Flesh & Bloud vnto vs) we must with tender compas­sion remember and cal to mind the bitter paines of his moste paineful Passion, and yet ther­withal reioyce and be gladde in the consideration of his incom­parable kindnes, whiche in his so suffering for vs, to our inesti­mable benefit he shewed & de­clared towarde vs: so must we [Page 62] be both sore afeard of our owne vnworthinesse, & yet therewith be right glad and in great hope at the consideration of his vn­measurable goodnes.

S. Elizabeth at the visita­tion and saluta [...]ion of our bles­sed Ladie, hauing by reuelation the sure inwarde knowledge, that our Ladie was conceiued with our Lord, albeit that she was herself suche, as els for the diuersitie betwene their ages, she wel might and would haue thought it but conuenient and meetely, that her yong Cosine should come and visite her: yet now bycause shee was Mother to our [...]ord, she was sore a mer­ueiled of her visitation, and thought herself farre vnworthy thereto, and therefore said vnto her: Vnde hoc, Luc. 1. vt veniat mater Domini mei ad me? Whereof is this, that the Mother of my Lorde should come to me? [Page] But yet for al the abashment of her owne vnworthines, she cō ­ceiued throughly suche a glad blessed comforte, that her holy child S. Iohn the Baptist hop­ped in her bellie for ioy, wherof shee said: Vt facta est vox salu­tationis tuae in auribus meis, ex­ultauit in gaudio infans in vtero meo, As soone as the voice of thy salutation was in mine eares, the infant in my wombe lepte for ioye.

Now like as S. Elizabeth by the spirite of God had those ho­ly affections, both of reuerence, considering her owne vnwor­thines in the visitation of the Mother of God, and yet for all that so great inward gladnesse therewith: let vs at this greate high visitation, in which not the Mother of God, as came to S. Elizabeth, but one incōparably more excelling the Mother of God, than the Mother of God passed S. Elizabeth, doth so [Page 63] vouchesafe to come and visite eche of vs with his most blessed presence, that he commeth not into our house, but into our self: Let vs, I saie, cal for the helpe of the same holy spirit, that than inspired her, & praie him at this high & holy visitation, so to in­spire vs, that we may both be abasshed with the reuerēt dread of our owne vnworthines, and yet therewith conceiue a ioyful consolation and comfort in the consideration of Gods inesti­mable goodnes. And that eche of vs like as we may wel saie with great reuerent dread and admiration, Vnde hoc, vt veniat Dominus meus ad me? Whereof is this, yt my Lord should come vnto me? & not onely vnto me, but also into me: so we may with glad heart truly say at the sight of his blessed presence, Ex­ultauit gaudio infans in vtero meo, The child in my bellie, that [Page] is to witte, the soule in my bo­die (which should be than such a childe in innocencie, as was that innocent infant S. Iohn) leapeth, good Lord, for ioy.

Now when we haue recei­ued our Lord, and haue him in our bodie, let vs not than letre him alone, and gette vs foorth about other things, & looke no more vnto him. For litle good could he, that so would serue any geast: but let al our busines be about him, let vs by deuout praier talke to him, by deuout meditation talke with him. Let vs saie with the Prophet: Au­diam, quid loquatur in me Do­minus, Psalm. 54. I wil heare what our Lord wil speake within me. For surely if wee set aside al other things, and attend vnto him, he wil not faile with good inspira­tions to speake suche things to vs within vs, as shal serue to the great spiritual comfort and [Page 64] profit of our soule. And therfore let vs with Martha prouide, yt all our ourwarde busines may be pertaining to him, in making cheere to him, and to his companie for his sake, that is to witte, to poore folke, of whiche he ta­keth euery one not onely for his Disciple, but also as for himself. For himself saith: Quic quid vnī ex istis fecistis in nomine meo, mihi fecistis, That that you haue donne to one of these in my name, you haue done it to my self. And let vs with Marie also sitte in deuout meditation, and hearken wel what our Sa­uiour being now our geast, wil inwardly saie vnto vs.

Now haue we a special time of praier, whiles hee that hath made vs, he that hath bought vs, he whom we haue offended, he that shall iudge vs, he that shall either damne or saue vs, is of his great goodnes become [Page] our geast, and is personally pre­sent within vs, & that for none other purpose, but to be sewed vnto for pardon and so thereby to saue vs. Let vs not leese this time therfore, nor suffer this oc­casion to slippe, whiche we can litle tel whether euer wee shall get it againe or neuer. Let vs indeuour our selfe to keepe him stil, & let vs saie with his twoo Disciples, that were going to the Castell of Emaus: Mane nobifcum Domine, Mar. 14. tarie with vs good Lord: and then shall we be sure, that he wil not goe from vs, but if we vnkindely put him from vs.

Let vs not plaie like the people of Genazareth, whiche praied him to depart out of their quarters, bycause they lost their hogges by him, when in stede of the hogges he saued the man, out of whom he cast the legion of Diuels that after de­stroyed [Page 65] the hogges. Let not vs likewise rather put God from vs by vnlawfull loue of world­ly winning, or foule filthy lust, rather than for the profit of our soule to forbeare it.

For sure may we be, that whan we waxe suche▪ God wil not ta­rie with vs, but we put him vn­kindly from vs. Nor let vs not doe, as did the people of Hie­rusalem, whiche on Palme Sō ­daie receiued Christ royally and ful deuoutly with Procession: and on the Fridaie after put him to a shameful passion:Mat. 21. On the Sondaie cried, Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini, Mar. 11. Blessed be he that commeth in the name of our Lord: and on the Fridaie cried out, Non hunc, Luc. 19. fed Barra­bam, Wee wil not haue him, but Barrabas: on ye Sondaie cried, Ofanna in Excelsis, Iohn. 12. on the Fri­daie, Tolle, tolle, crucifige eum. Surely if we receiue him neuer [Page] so wel, nor neuer so deuou [...]ly at Easter: yet when so euer we fal after so such wretched sinful li­uing, as casteth our Lord in such wise out of our soules, as his grace tarieth not with vs, we shew our selfe to haue receiued him in suche maner, as those Iewes did. For we do as much as in vs is, to crucifie Christ againe: Iterum (saith S. Paul) crucifigentes Filium Dei. Heb. 6.

Let vs, good Christian Rea­ders, receiue him in suche wise, as did the good Publican Za­cheus, which when he longed to see Christ,Luc. 19. & bycause he was but lowe of stature, did clym vp in­to a tree: our Lorde seeing his deuotiō, called vnto him, & said: Zachee, come of, & come doune, for this daie must I dwel with thee. And he made haste, & came doune, & very gladly receiued him into his house. But he not onely receiued him with a ioy of [Page 66] a light & soone sliding affection, but that it might wel appeare, that he receiued him with a sure earnest vertuous minde, he pro­ued it by his vertuous workes. For he foorthwith was conten­ted to make recompense to al men, that he had wronged, and that in a large maner, for euery penie, a groote, & yet offered to geue out also foorthwith, the tone half of al his substance vn­to the poore men, & that foorth­with also, by & by, without any longer delaie. And therefore he said not: Thou shalt here, that I shal geue it: but he saied, Ecce, dimidiū bonorū meorū do pau­peribus, Lo, looke good Lorde,Luc. 19. the tone halfe of my goodes I doe geue vnto poore men.

With such alacritie, with such quicknes of spirite, with suche gladnesse, and such spiritual re­ioysing, as this man receiued our Lorde into his house: our [Page] Lord geue vs ye grace to receiue his blessed Bodie & Bloud, his holy soule, & his almighty God head both into our bodies & in­to our soules, that the fruites of our good woorkes may beare witnesse vnto our cōscience, that we receiue him worthily, and in such a ful faith, and such a stable purpose of good liuing, as we be boundē to do. And than shal God geue a gracious sentence, and saie vppon our soule, as he said vpon Zacheus: Hodie sa­lus facta est huic domui, This daie is health & saluation come vnto this house: which that ho­ly blessed persō of Christ, which we verily in the Blessed Sacrament receiue, through the me­rite of his bitter Passiō (wherof he hath ordeined his own bles­sed Bodie in that blessed Sacramēt to be the memorial) vouch­safe, good Christian Readers, to graunt vnto vs al.

FINIS.

CERTAINE Deuout Praiers and GHOSTLY MEDITATIONS made and collected also by the said Sir Thomas Moore, whiles he was prisoner in the Tower of London.

Pater noster. Aue Maria. Credo.

O Holie Trinitie, the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghoste, three equal and coeternall Per­sons, & one almighty God, h [...]ue mercie on me due, abiect, abho­minable, sinful wretc [...]: me [...]ke­ly knowledginge before thine high Maiestie my long conti­nued sinfull lyfe, euen now my very chilhood hitherto.

[Page]In my childehood in this point, and that point, &c.

After my childhoode in this point, and that point, &c. and so forth by euery age.

Now good gracious Lord, as thou geuest me thy grace to knowledge thē, so geue me thy grace not in woorde onely, but in heart also with very sorowful contrition to repent them, & vt­terly to forsake thē. And forgeue me those syns also, in which by mine own default through euil affectiōs & euil custome, my rea­son is with sensualitie so blin­ded, y• I can not discerne thē for syn. And illumine, good Lorde, mine heart, & geue me thy grace to know thē, & to acknowledge thē. And forgeue me my sinnes negligently forgotten, & bring them to my minde, with grace to be purely confessed of them.

Glorious God, geue me from hencefoorth the grace with litle [Page 68] respect vnto the worlde, so to set & firmely fixe mine heart vpon thee, that I may say with thy blessed Apostle S. Paule, Mun­dus mihi crucifixus est, Gal. 4. & ego mundo. Phil. 1. Mihi viuere Christus est, & mori lucrum. Cupio dis­solui & esse cum Christo. Geue me the grace to amende my life, and to haue an eye to mine ende without grudge of death, which to them that die in thee (good Lord) is ye gate of a welthy life. Almighty God, doce me facere voluntatē tuam. Fac me currere in odore vnguentorum tuorum. Apprehende manū meam dex­teram, & deduc me in via recta propter inimicos meos. Trahe me post te. In chamo & fraeno maxillas meas constringe, quum non approximo ad te.

O glorious God, all sinful feare, al sinful sorow & pe [...]sife­nes, all sinful hope, all sinful mirth & gladnes take from me. [Page] And on ye other side concerning such feare, such heauinesse, suche consolacion, comfor [...], & gladnes, as shal be profitable to my soule, Fac m [...]cum secundum magnam bonitatem tuam, Domine.

GOod Lord, geue me ye grace in al my f [...]are and agony to haue recourse to that great [...]eare & wond [...]rful agonie, that thou my sweete Sa [...]iour [...]adst at the Mo [...]t of Oliuete before thy moste bitter Passion, and in the meditation thereof to conceiue ghostly comforte and consolatiō profitable for my soule.

Almighty God take from me all vaine glorious mindes, all appetites of mine owne praise, al enuie, couetousnes, glotonie, slouth, and leachery, al wra [...]hful Aff [...]ctions, al appetite of reuen­ging, all desire or delite of other folkes harme▪ al pleasure in prouoking any [...]erson [...]o wrath & anger, al delite of exprobra [...]ion [Page 69] and insultatiō against any per­son in their affliction or calami­tie. And geue me, good Lord, an humble, lowly, quie [...], peaceable, patient, charitable, kinde, ten­der, and pitiful minde, with all my workes, & al my woords, & all my thoughtes, to haue a tast of thy holy blessed Spirite.

Geue me, good Lorde, a ful faith, a firme hope, & a feruent charitie, a loue to thee, good Lord, incomperably aboue the loue to my self, and that I loue nothing to thy displeasure, but euery thing in an order to thee.

Geue me, good Lorde, a lon­ging to be with thee, not for the auoiding of ye calamities of this w [...]t [...]h [...]d world, no [...] somuch for auoiding of the paines of Pur­gatorie, nor of the paines of hel neither, nor somuch for the atteining of the ioyes of heauen in respect of mine own cōmoditie, as euen for a very loue to thee.

[Page]And beare mee, good Lorde, thy loue & fauour, whiche thing my loue to thee-ward (were it neuer so great) could not, but of thy great goodnes, deserue.

And pardon me, good Lord, that I am so bolde to aske so high petitions, being so vile a sinful wretch, and so vnworthy to obtaine the lowest: but yet good Lord, such they be as I am bound to wish for, & should be nerer the effectual desire of thē, if my manifold sinnes were not the set. From which, o glorious Trinitie vouchsafe of thy good­nes to wash me with that bles­sed Bloud that issued out of thy tender bodie, o sweet Sauiour Christ, in the diuers torments of thy most bitter Passion.

Take from me, good Lorde, this luke warme fashion, or ra­ther keycold maner of medita­tion, & this dulnes in praying vnto thee: & geue me warmth, [Page 70] delight & quicknes in thinking vpō thee: & geue me the grace to long for thy holy Sacraments, and specially to reioyce in the presence of thy very blessed Bo­die, sweete Sauiour Christe, in the holy Sacramēt of ye Aulter: And duly to thanke thee for thy gracious visitatiō therewith: & at that high memorial, with tender compassion, to remember & cōsider thy moste bitter Passiō.

Make vs al, good Lord, vir­tually participant of that holy Sacrament this daie, and euery day make vs al liuely mēbers, sweete Sauiour Christe, of thy holy Mystical Bodie, thy holy Catholique Churche.

Dignare Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.

Miserere nostrî Domine, mi­serere nostrî.

Fiat misericordia tua Domine super nos, quemadmodum spe­rauimus in te.

[Page] In te Domine speraui, nō confundar in aeternum.

Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genitrix.

Vt digni efficiamur promis­sionibus Christi.

Pro amicis.

ALmighty God, haue mer­cie on N. &c. with special meditation and consideration of euery friend, as godly affec­tion and occasion requireth.

Pro inimicis.

ALmighty God, haue mer­cie on N. &c. & on al that beare me euil will, & would me harme, & their faults & mine to­gether, by such easie, tender, merciful meanes, as thine infinite wisedome best cā deuise, vouch­safe to amend & redresse, & make vs saued soules in heauen toge­ther, where we may euer liue and lou [...] together with thee and [Page 71] thy blessed Saincts, O glorious Trinitie, for the bitter Passiō of our swēte Sauior Christ. Amen.

LOrd geue me pacience in tribulation, and grace in euery thīg to cōforme my wil to thine, yt I may truely saie: Fiat volun­tas tua sicut in coelo & in terra.

The things, good Lord, that I praie for, geue me the grace to labour for. Amen.

Pater noster, &c.

GEue me ye grace, good Lord, to set the world at naught.

To set my minde fast vpon thee.

And not to hang vppon the blast of mennes mouthes.

To be content to be solitarie.

Not to long for wordly companie.

Litle and litle vtterly to cast of the world.

And rid my minde of all the busines thereof.

[Page]Not to long to heare of any worldly things.

But yt the hearing of worldly fantasies may be to me displea­saunt.

Gladly to be thinkīg of God,

Pitiously to cal for his helpe.

To leane vnto the comfort of God.

Busily to labour to loue him.

To know mine owne vilitie and wretchednes.

To humble & meekē my selfe vnder the mighty hand of God.

To bewaile my sinnes past.

For the purging of them pa­ciently to suffer aduersitie.

Gladly to beare my purga­torie here.

To be ioyful of tribulation.

To walke the narowe waie that leadeth to life.

To beare the Crosse with Christe.

To haue the last thinges in remembrance.

[Page 72]To haue euer before myne eye my death that is euer at hand.

To make death no stranger to mee.

To foresee and consider the euerlasting fier of hel.

To praie for pardon, before the Iudge come.

To haue cōtinually in minde the Passion that Christ suffered for mee.

For his benefites incessantly to geue him thankes.

To buy the time againe, that I before haue lost.

To absteine from vaine con­fabulations.

To eschue light foolish mirth and gladnes.

Recreations not necessarie to cut of.

Of worldly substance, frinds, libertie, life & al, to set the losse at right nought, for the win­ning of Christe.

[Page]To thinke my most enemies my best friends.

For the bretherne of Ioseph could neuer haue done him so much good with their loue and fauour, as they did him with their malice and hatred.

These mindes are more to be desired of euery man, than al the treasure of all the Princes and Kings Christian and Heathen, were it gathered and laid toge­ther all vpon one heape.

An Instruction.

BEare no malice or euil wil to no man liuing: for either the mā is good, or nought.

If he be good, and I hate him: than am I nought. If he be nought, either he shal amend & die good, and goe to God: or abide nought, & die nought, and go to the diuel. And than let me now remember, that it he shall [Page 73] be saued, he shal not faile (if I be saued to, as I trust to be) to loue me very heartily, & I shall then in likewise loue him. And why should I now than hate one for this while, which shal hereafter loue mee for euermore? And why shoulde I nowe than be enemie to him, with whome I shall in time cōming be coupled in eternal friendship? And on the other side, if he shall conti­nue nought, & be damned: than is there so outragious eternal sorow towards him, that I may well thinke my selfe a deadly cruel wretche, if I woulde not now rather pitie his paine, than maligne his person. If one wil saie, that we may well, & with good conscience, wish an euill man harme, least he should doe harme to such other folke as are innocente and good: I wil not now dispute vpon that point. For that roote hath many moe [Page] [...]aunches to be wel weighed and considered, than I can now conueniently write, hauing none other pen but a cole. But verily this wil I saie, that I wil giue counsail to euery good frind of mine, but if he be put in such a roume, as to punnish an euil man lyeth in his charge by reason of his office, els leaue the desire of punishmēt vnto God, and vnto such other folke as are so grounded in charitie and so fast cleane vnto God, that no secrete shrewde cruell affection, vnder the cloke of a iust and a vertuous zeale, can crepe in & vndermine them. But let vs that are no better than men of a meane sorte, euer praie for suche mercifull amendment in other folke, as our own conscience sheweth vs that we haue nede in our selfe.

VITA per offensam Dei serua­ta, erit ei, qui sic se seruauerit, odibilis. Nam qui sic vitam tuā seruaueris, tute postridie vitā tuam odio habebis, & dolebis vehementer, mortem te non pertulisse pridie. Nam restare tibi mortem recor­daberis, quae qualis futura sit, nescis, ne (que) quàm citò ventura, & meritò habes metuere, ne mortē fic dilatam sequātur inferorum tormenta, vbi desiderabunt homines mori, & mors fugiet ab eis, quum eam mortem quam fugisti,Apocal. 9. secu­tura fuerint aeterna coelorum gaudia.

Quàm stultum est, vitando mortem temporaneam incurrere in aeternā? nec temporaneam vitare tamen, sed pau [...] ­sper differre? Nam si inpraesentiarum mortē vitaris, an perpetuô iam victu­rus es? aut alio tempore sine poena moriturus? Immò continget tibi fortasse, quod diuiti longam sibi vitam promit­tenti, Christus impendisse commemo­rat: Stulte, hac nocte rapiēt abs te ani­mam tuam. Caeterùm hoc certè certum habes, quód & mori aliquando debes,Luc. 12. & (quae est humanae vitae breuitas) vi­uere diu non potes. Denique nec hoc, opinor, dubitas, quòd quū fatalis mor­bus aduenerit, & appetētis mortis mo­lestia [Page] coeperit ingrauescere, optabis te fuisse pridē pro animae tuae conserua­tione, quantūms cruciabili morte, per­emptum. Nō est illud ergo tā desperatè metuendū tibi ne fiat, quod fuisse factū, scis, te paulò pòst exoptaturū. Qui pa­tiuntur secundùm voluntatē Dei, fideli Creatori cōmendant animas suas.1. Pet. 4. Charissimi, Nolite peregrinari in feruore, qui ad tentationē vobis fit, quasi nouū aliquid vobis cōtingat, sed cōmunican­tes Christi passionibus, gaud [...]te, vt in reuelatione gloriae eius gaudeatis exultātes. Pudeat bonos in bonis timidio­res esse, quàm mali sunti [...] malis. Audire siquidē latrones licet dicentes, ignauū esse eū, qui refugiat septēnij voluptatē, ne post patiatur dimidiatae horae sus­pendium. Et Christianum hominē non pudeat, potius aeternā vitā & felicitatē perdere, quam pati velit breuē mortem paulò citiùs, quā tamē scit se necessariò passurum paulò seriùs, & nisi poenitear, à morte tēporali ruiturum protinus in aeternā eâ (que) plenā tormētis omni morte molestioribus. Si quis vel vnū cōspice­re posset ex daemonibus illis, qui magno numero nos expectant, vt in aeternum crucient: omnes mortalium omniū mi­nas vnius terrore floccifaceret. Et quā ­tò [Page 75] magis floccifaceret, si videre posset coeios apertos, & Iesum frantem, sicut v [...]it Beatus Stephanus?Actor. 7. Aduersarius ve [...]er diabolus, sicut leo rugiēs circuit, quaerēs quē deuoret. Bernardus:1. Petr. 5. Gratias ago magno illi Leoni de tribu Iuda: rugire iste potest, mordere non potest. Q [...]ātum cū (que) minetur, nō simus bestiae, vt nos prosternat vacuus ille rugitus. Verè bestia est, verè rationis expers, qui tā pusillanimis est, vt solo timore cedat qui sola futuri laboris exaggeratione victus ante conflictū, nó telo, sed tuba prosteruitur.Heb. 12. Nondū restitistis vs (que) ad sanguinē, ait stre [...]uus ille dux, qui Leo­nis huius nouerat vanū esse rugitū. Et alius: Resistite inquit Diabolo, & fugiet à vobis, resistite fortes in fide. Eos qui,Iacob. 4. spe in Deū relicta, fugiūt ad humanum auxiliū, perituros [...]dicit cū suo auxilio.Esai. 31.

Sic perijt Saul rex, qui murmurans, impatiens, & desperans de Deo, quia non statim exauditus esi, trās [...]ulit se ad consulēdam Phytonissam: quum prius omnes Phytonissas edicto publico ius­sisset puniendas.

My firme hope is, that he, whiche so derely bought me, will not, wtout mine owne damnable fault, leese me to his most malicious enemie.

The Englissh of the Latine that went before.

WHo so euer so saueth his lyfe, that he dis­pleaseth God there­by, shall soone after, to his no litle grief, ful sore mis­lyke the same. For if thou so sa­uest thy lyfe, thou shalt on the morow so deadly hate thy lyfe, that at the heart ful heauy shalt thou be, that the day before thou didst not leese thy lyfe. For that certaynely dye thou muste, shalt thou full surely remember: but how, or how soone, that wotest thou not at all. And iust cause hast thou to feare, least vpō such delay of thy death, may haply ensue the euerlasting torments in hel, where men shal sore long to die, and death shal flee from them:Apocal. 9. whereas by th' enduryng of that death, whiche thou so muche abhorrest, there should [Page 76] haue vndoubtedly followed the euerlasting ioyes of heauen.

What foly is it for thee than, to auoide this tēporal death, as thereby to fall in perill, to pur­chase thy selfe eternal death: and yet therewith not to escape thy tēporal death, but perhaps for a while only to delaie thy death?

For put case thou mightest for that whyle eschew the daunger of death: art thou sure therfore, eyther to continew thy lyfe for euer, or at an other time to die & feele no paine? Nay rather it may fortune to fare with thee, as it fared with the riche man, that assuredly reckened himselfe to liue ful many a yere, to whō Christe said: This night thou foole,Luc. 12. shal [...]ey deriue the of thy lyfe. And againe, this art thou wel assured of, yt both die ones thou shalt, & also, for yt so shortly mans lyfe here passeth awaie, that lōg here liue thou cāst not.

[Page]Fynally hereof, as I suppose, doubtest thou neuer a deale, that when the time shall come, in which thou shalt lie sicke on thy deathbed, and therewith begyn to fele ye painful pangs of death so dreadfully drawing on: than wilt thou heartyly wish, that for ye sauing of thy soule, thou hadst died a most sharpe & cruel death many a daie before. Than cause hast thou none pardie, so sore to feare that thing to fal, which as thou knowest thy self right wel, thou wouldst within a while af­ter haue wisshed to haue fallen vnto thee before. Who so euer suffer any trouble or aduersitie, accordyng to the will of God, mu [...]te wholly committe their soules into the handes of God their trusty and faithfull Crea­tour. Be not discouraged, my welbeloued bretherne,1. Petr. 4. saith S. Peter, by reason of the extreme persecutiō that is amongest you [Page 77] (whiche is sent you for a proufe of your pacience) as though some strange thing were befallē vnto you: but in as muche as ye be partakers of Christes paine & Passion, ful heartily re­ioice, that you may likewise re­ioice at ye reuelatiō of his glorie.

Wel may good men be asha­med, to haue lesse courage to do good, than euil men haue [...] doe euil. For a mā may heare theues not let to say, yt he hath a faint stomacke, that wil stick for ba [...]e an howres hanging to liue seuē yeres in pleasure. And what a shame were it than for a Christē man, to be content rather to lese the lyfe & blisse euerlasting, than suffer a short death somewhat afore his time, whiche he is so wel assured, that needes suffer he shal, and that within a while after, and (but if he repent him in tyme) straight vppon his temporal death, fal into eternal [Page] death & the same so horrible and paineful, that it farre exceedeth al other kyndes of death.

If it were possible for a man, with his corporal eyes, to be­hold one of those griefly frends, which in so great a numbre daily looke & long for vs in hell for euer to torment vs: the feare of him alone would make him not to regard a rish, all the terrible threates that any manne could imagine. And how muche lesse would he regard then thā, if he might possibly see heauen open, & Iesus Christe there standing, as did the blessed S. Stephan?

Your aduersary the diuell, sayth S. Peter, lyke a roring lion renneth about,1. Pet. 5. seking whō he may deuoure. But hearcke what S. Bernard saith: I hum­bly thanke that mighty Lion of the Tribe of Iuda: well rore may this lion, but bite me he cā ­not. Threaten he vs neuer so [Page 78] much, let vs not be such beastly cowards, that for his only rude roryng we fal downe flat to the ground. For a very beast is he, & hath no reason in deede, which is either so feble sprited, that for feare alone he geueth ouer, or so discomfited vpon a vaine ima­gination of the paines that he may hap to suffer, that at ye bare blaste of the trumpet, before the batayle beginne, he is quite and cleane ouerthrowē without any stroke at al. Ye haue not resisted as yet to the sheding of your blood, saith ye valiant Capitain,Hebr. 12. whiche knewe right well, that the roring of this lion was no­thing to be passed on. And an other saith, Stand stiffe against the diuel,Iacob. 4. and he will flee from you. Stande stiffe, I saie, with a strong and stedfast faith: for Esaie geueth vs warnyng be­fore, that they, that hauing no hope of Gods helpe, flee for suc­cour [Page] to mans helpe, shall bothe thēs [...]lues, & their helpers with them, come to vtter confusion.

So came Kinge Saul to naught, who, bycause he was not by and by of God heard at his pleasure, murmured, grud­ged, and dist [...]usted God, and so fell in conclusion to seeke coun­saile of a wy [...]che, whereas for the punishment of all witches, he him s [...]lfe had geuen ge­nerally so precise com­maundement before.

Here foloweth a seruent Calling for the helpe of God against all trouble and tentation, made and gathered out of certaine Psalmes by the same Sir Thomas Moore in the time (as it may s [...]me) of his last trouble and persecu­tion.

JMPLORA­TIO DIVINI AVXILII c [...]ntra tentationem, cum insul­latione contra Daemones ex spe & fiducia in Deum.

DOmine,Psalt. 5. quid multiplicati sunt, qui tribulant me? multi insurgunt aduer­sum me.

Multi dicūt animae meae, Non est salus ipsi in Deo eius.

Tu autem, Domine, susceptor meus es, gloria mea, & exaltans caput meum.

Ego dormiui, & soporatus sum & exurrexi, quia Dominus sus [...]epit me.

Non timebo millia populi [...]ir­cundantis me: exurge Domine, saluum me fac Deus meus.

Domine deduc me in iustitia tua propt [...]r inimicos meos:Psalt. 5. diri­ge in conspecto tuo viam meam.

[Page]Quoniam non est in ore eorū veritas, cor eorum vanum est.

Sepulcrum patens est guttur eorum, iudica illos Deus.

Decidāt à cogitationibus suis: secundùm multitudinem impie­tatum eorum expelle eos, quo­niam rritauerunt te domine.

Et laetentur omnes qui sperāt in te, maeternum exultabunt, & habitabis in eis.

Domine vt▪ scuto bonae vo­luntatis tuae coronasti nos.

Domine deus meus, in te spe­raui,Psal. 7. [...]a [...]uum me fac ex omnibus persequentibus me, & libera me.

Nequando rapiat vtleo ani­mam meam, dum non est qui re­dimat, neque qui saluum faciat.

Exurge domine in ira tua, & exaltare in finibus inimicorum meorum.

Persequatur inimi [...]us animam meā vt cōprehendat, & concul­cet in terra vitam meam, & glo­riā meam in puluerem deducat.

[Page 77]Arcum suū tetendit, & parauit illū: & in eo parauit va [...]a mortis, sagittas suas ardentibus effecit.

Ecce parturit iniustitiā, cōce­pit dolorē, & peperit iniquitatē.

Lacum aperui [...], & effodit eū, incidit in foueam quam fecit.

Conuertetur dolor eius in ca­put eius, & in verticem ipsius iniquitas eius descendet.

Confitebor domino secundū iustitiam eius: & psallam nomini domini altissimi.

In pace in idipsum dormiam & requiescam.Psal. 4.

Quoniam, tu domine, singu­lariter in spe constituis [...] me.

Miserere mei domine vide humilitatem meā de inimicis meis.Psal 9.

E [...] sperent in te, qui nouerunt nomē tuum domine, quoniā nō dereliquisti quae [...]etes te, domine.

Et factus est Dominus re [...]u­gium pauperi, adiutor in oppor­tunitatibus in tribulatione.

[Page]Vt quid, [...]omine, recessisti longè, despicis in opportunitati­bus in tribulatione?

Quoniam non in finem obli­uio erit pauperis, patientia pau­perum non peribit in finem.

Exurge Domine Deus, exal­tetur manus tua, ne obliuiscaris pauperum.

Tibi derelictus est pauper, or phano tu eris adiutor.

Desiderium pauperum exau­diuit Dominus: praeparationem cordis eorum audiuit auris tua.

Dominus in tēplo sancto suo: Dominus in coelo sedes eius.

Oculi eius in pauperem respiciunt: palpebrae eius interrogant filios hominum.

Propter miseriam inopum & gemitum pauperum, nunc exur­gam, dicit Dominus.

Domine, Deus meus, in te speraui, saluum me fac ex omnibus persequētibus me, & libera me.

[Page 81]Vsquequo, Domine,Psal. 12. obliui­fceris me in finem? vsquequo a­uertis faciem tuam à me?

Quā diu ponā cōsilia in anima me? dolorē in corde meo per diē?

Vsquequo exaltabitur inimi­cus meus super me? respice, & exaudi me Domine, deus meus.

Illumina oculos meos, ne vn­quam obdormiam in morte: ne­quando dicat inimicus meus, Praeualui aduersus eum.

Qui tribulant me, exultabunt si motus fuero: ego autem in misericordia tua speraui.

Exultabit cor meum in salu­tari tuo: cantabo Domino, qui bona tribuit mihi, & psallam no­mini Domini altissimi.

Conserua me, Domine,Psal. 15. quo­niam speraui in te: dixi Domi­no, Deus meus es tu, quoniam bonorum meorum non eges.

Perfice gressus meos in semitis tuis:Psal. 16. vt non moueantur vestigia mea.

[Page]Mirifica mi [...]ericordias tuas, qui salu [...]s facias sperantes in te.

Psal. 15.Prouidebā Dominum in conspectu meo semper, quoniam à dextris est mihi, ne cōmouear.

Propter hoc laetatū est cor meū, & exultauit lingua mea, in super & caro mea requiescet in spe.

Tu illuminas lucernam meam domine: Deus meus, illumina ten [...]bras meas.

Quoniā in te eripiar à tētatio­ne, in deo meo trāsgrediar murū.

Deus meus impolluta via eius, eloquia domini igne examinata, protector est omnium spe­rantium in se.

Quoniam quis Deus praeter dominum? aut quis Deus, prae­ter Deum nostrum?

Psal. 21.Ego autem sum vermis & nō homo, opprobrium hominum, & abiectio plebis.

Omnes videntes me deriserūt me: locuti sunt labijs, & moue­runt caput.

[Page 82]Tu es, qui extraxisti me de vē ­tre, spes mea ab vberibus matris meae, in te proiectus sum ex vtero.

De ventre matris meae Deus meus es tu, ne discesseris à me.

Quoniam tribulatio proxima est, quoniam nō est qui adiuuet.

Tu autem, domine, ne elonga­ueris auxilium tuū à me, ad de­fensionem meam conspice.

Et si ambulauero in medio vmbrae mortis, nō timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es.

Virga tua & baculus tuus ipsa me consolata sunt.

Ad te domine leuaui animam meam: Deus meus, in te, cōfido,Psal. 24. non erubescam.

Neque irrideant me inimici mei: etenim vniuersi, qui susti­nent te non confundentur.

Delicta iuuēturis meae & ignorantias meas ne memineris.

Secundū misericordiā tuā me­mēto mei tu, propter bonitatem tuā, dn̄e.

[Page]Propter nomen tuum, Domi­ne, propitiaberis peccato meo, multum est enim.

Oculi mei semper ad Domi­num, quoniam ipse euellet de la­queo pedes meos.

Tribulationes cordis mei multiplicatae sunt, de necessitatibus meis erue me.

Vide humilitatem meam & laborem meum, & dimitte vniuersa delicta mea.

Dominus illuminatio mea, & falus mea: quem [...]imebo?

Psal. 26.Dominus protector vitae, meae, à quotrep idabo?

Si consistant aduersum me ca­stra, non timebit cor meum.

Si exurgat aduersum me prae­lium, in hoc ego sperabo.

Vnā petij à Domino, hanc re­quirā, vt inhabitē in domo Do­mini omnibus diebus vitae meae.

Vt videam voluntatem Do­mini, & visitem templum eius.

[Page 83]Exaudi Domine vocem meā, qua clamaui ad te, miserere mei, & exaudi me.

Tibi dixit cor meum, ex quisi­uit te facies mea, faciem tuam domine requiram.

Ne auertas faciem tuam a me: ne declines in ira à seruo tuo.

Adiutor meus esto, ne dere­linquas me, neque despicias me, Deus salutaris meus.

Credo videre bona Domini: in terra viuentium.

Expecta dominum, viriliter age: confortetur cor tuum, & sustine dominum.

Ad te, domine, clamabo, Deus meus ne sileas à me:Psal. 27. nequando taceas à me, & assimilabor de­scendentibus in lacum.

Psallite domino Sancti eius, & confitemini memoriae sancti­tatis eius.Psal. 29.

Quoniam ira in indignatione eius, & vita in voluntate eius.

[Page]Ad vesperam demorabitur fletus: & ad matutinum laetitia.

Auertisti faciem tuam à me, & factus sum conturbatus.

Ad te, domine, clamabo, & ad Deum meum deprecabor.

Quae vtilitas in sanguine meo dum descēdo in corruptionem?

In te, domine, speraui, nō confundar in aeternum: in iustitia tua libera me.

psal. 30.Inclina ad me aurem tuam, accelera vt eruas me.

Esto mihi in Deum protecto­rem, & in domum refugij, vt sal­uum me facias.

Quoniā fortitudo mea & refugiū meū estu, & propter nomen tuū deduces me, & enutries me.

Educes me de laqueo, quem absconderunt mihi, quoniam tu es protector meus.

In manus tuas, Domine, com­mendo spiritum meum redemi­sti me, domine, Deus veritatis.

[Page 84]Miserere mei, domine, quo­niam tribulor, conturbatus est in ira oculus meus, anima mea & venter meus.

Quoniā defecit in dolore vita mea, & anni mei in gemitibus.

Infirmata est in pauꝑtate virtꝰ mea, & ossa mea cōturbata sunt.

Super omnes inimicos meos factus sum opprobrium vicinis meis valde, & timor notis meis.

Qui videbant me, foras fuge­runt à me: obliuioni datus sum tanquam mortuus à corde.

Factus sum tāquā vas perditū: quoniā audiui vituperationem multorū cōmoratiū in circuitu.

In eo dum conuenirent simul aduersum me, accipere animam meam consiliati sunt.

Ego autem in te speraui, do­mine: dixi, Deus meus es tu, in manibus tuis sortes meae.

Illustra faciem tuam super seruum tuum, saluum me fac in [Page] misericordia tua, domine non confundar, quoniā inuocaui te.

Quâm magna multitudo dul­cedinis tuae, domine? quam ab­scondisti timentibus te.

Ecce, oculi domini super ti­mentes eum, & in eis qui sperāt super misericordia eius.

Vt eruat à morte animas eo­rum, & alat eos in fame.

Anima nostra sustinet domi­num, quoniam adiutor & pro­tector noster est.

Quia in eo laetabitur cor no­strum, & in nomine sancto eius sperauimus.

Fiat misericordia tua domine super nos:Psal. 33. quemadmodum spe­rauimus in te.

Accedite ad eum, & illumina­mini, & facies vestrae non con­fundentur.

Immittet Angelus domini in circuitu timentium eum, & eri­piet eos.

[Page 85]Gustate, & videte, quoniam suauis est Dominus, beatus vir, qui sperat in eo.

Timete dominum omnes Sancti eius, quoniam non est inopia timentibus eum.

Diuites eguerunt, & esurie­runt: inquirentes autem domi­num non minuētur omni bono.

Iuxtà est dominus his, qui tri­bulato sunt corde, & humiles spiritu saluabit.

Filij hominum in tegmine alarum tuarum sperabunt,Psal. 35. inebria­buntur ab vbertate domus tuae.

Quonā apud te est fons vitae, & in lumine tuo videbimus lumē.

Dn̄e,Psal. 37. ne in furore tuo arguas me, ne (que) in ira tua corripias me.

Quoniā sagittae tuae infixae sunt mihi, & confirmasti super me manum tuam.

Non est sanitas in carne mea à facie irae tuae, nō est pax ossibus meis à facie peccatorum meorū.

[Page]Quoniā iniquitates meae super gressae sunt c [...]put meū, & sicut o­nus graue grauatae sunt super me.

Putrue [...]unt & corruptae sunt cicatrices meae, à facie insipien­tiae meae.

Miser factus sum, & curuatus sum vs (que) in finem: tota die con­tristatus ingrediebar.

Quoniam lumbi mei impleti sunt illusionibus: & non est sanitas in carne mea.

Afflictus sum, & humiliatus sum nimis: rugiebam à gemitu cordis mei.

Domine, ante te omne desiderium meum: & gemitus meus à te non est absconditus.

Cor meum conturbatum est, dereliquit me virtus mea: & lu­men oculorum meorum, & ip­sum non est mecum.

Amici mei & proximi mei ad­uersum me appropin quauerunt, & steterunt.

[Page 86]Et qui iuxta me erant, delon­gè steterunt, & vim faciebāt, qui quaerebant animam meam.

Et qui inquirebāt mala mihi, locuti sunt vanitates▪ & dolos tota die meditabantur.

Ego autem tanquam surdus, non audiebam: & sicut mutus, non aperiens os suum.

Et factus sum sicut homo non audiens, & nō habens in ore suo redargutiones.

Quoniam in te, domine, spe­raui, tu exaudies me, domine, Deus meus.

Quia dixi, Nequando super­gaudeant mihi inimici mei, & dum commouentur pedes mei, super me magna locuti sunt.

Quoniam ego in flagella paratus sum, & dolor meus in cōspe­ctu meo semper.

Quoniam iniquitatem meam annūciabo, & cogitabo pro pec­cato meo.

[Page]Inimici aūt mei viuunt, & cō ­firmati sunt super me: & multiplicati sunt, qui oderūt me iniquè.

Qui retribuunt mala pro bo­nis, detrahebant mihi, quoniam sequebar bonitatem.

Ne derelinquas me, domine: Deus meus, ne discesseris à me.

Intēde in adiutorium meum, domine, Deus salutis meae.

Dixi, Custodiam vias meas, vt nō delinquam in lingua mea.Psal. 38.

Posui ori meo custodiā, cū cō ­sisteret peccator aduersum me.

Obmutui, & humiliatus sum, & silui à bonis, & dolor meus renouatus est.

Cōcaluit cor meum intra me, & in meditatione mea exarde­scet ignis.

Locutus sum in lingua mea, Notum fac mihi domine finem meum.

Et numerum dierum meorū quis est, vt sciam quid desit mihi.

[Page 87]Ecce mēsurabiles posuisti dies meos, & substantia mea tāquam nihilum ante te.

Veruntamen vniuersa vani­tas, omnis homo viuens.

Veruntamen in imagine per­transit homo, sed & frustra con­turbatur.

Thesaurizat, & ignorat, cui congregabit ea.

Et nunc quae est expectatio mea? nónne dominus? & sub­stantia mea apud te est.

Ab omnibus iniquitatibus meis erue me, opprobrium insi­pienti dedisti me.

Obmutui, & non aperui os meum: quoniam tu fecisti, amo­ue à me plagas tuas.

A fortitudine manus tuae ego defeci, in increpationibus: ꝓpter iniquitatē corripuisti hominem.

Et tabescere fecisti sicut ara­neam animam eius, veruntamen vanè conturbatur omnis homo.

[Page]Exaudi orationem meam, domine, & deprecationem meā, auribus percipe lachrymas meas.

Ne sileas: quoniā aduena ego sum apud te, & peregrinus, sicut omnes patres mei.

Remitte mihi, vt refrigerer, priusquā abeā, & amplius nō ero.

Psal. [...]9.Beatus vir, cuius est nomē domini spes eius, & non respexit in vanitates, & insanias falsas.

Multa secisti tu domine, mirabilia tua, & cogitationibus tuis, non est qui similis sit tibi.

Tu autem, domine, ne longè facias miserationes tuas à me, misericordia tua & veritas tua susceperunt me.

Quoniam circundederunt me mala, quorum non est numerus: cōprehenderunt me iniquitates meae, & non potui vt viderem.

Multiplicatae sunt super capillos capitis mei, & cor meum de­reliquit me.

[Page 88]Complaceat tibi, domine, vt eruas me▪ Domine ad adiuuan­dum me respice.

Exultent & laetentur super te omnes quaerentes te, & dicant semper, magnificetur dominus, qui diligunt salutare tuum.

Ego aūt mendicus sum & pauper, dominus solicitus est meî.

Adiutor meus & protector meus tu es, Deus meus ne tar­daueris.

Quemadmodū desiderat cer­uus ad fontes aquarum:Psal. 41. ita desi­derat anima mea ad te, Deus.

Sitiuit anima mea ad Deum fontem viuum: quando veniam, & apparebo ante faciem Dei?

Fuerunt mihi lachrymae meae panes die ac nocte, dum dicitur mihi cotidie, Vbi est Deus tuus?

Haec recordatus sum, & effudi in me animam meam, quoniam trāsibo in locum tabernaculi ad­mirabilis vsque ad domum Dei.

[Page]In voce exult [...]tionis & con­fessionis, sonus epulantis.

Quare tristis es anima mea? & quare conturbas me?

Spera in Deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi, salutare vultus mei, & Deus meus.

Ad meipsum anima mea con­turbata est: propterea memor ero tuî de terra Iordanis, & Hermonij à monte modico.

Abyssus abyssum inuocat, in voce cataractarum tuarum.

Omnia excelsa tua & fluctus tui super me transierunt.

In die mandauit Dn̄s miseri­cordiā suā, & nocte canticū eius.

Apud me oratio deo vitae meae: dicam Deo, Susceptor meus es.

Quare oblitus es mei? & qua­re contristatus incedo, dum af­fligit me inimicus?

Dum confringuntur ossa mea, exprobrauerunt mihi, qui tribulant me, inimici mei.

[Page 89]Dum dicunt mihi per singulos dies, Vbi est Deus tuus?

Quare tristis es anima mea? & quare conturbas me?

Spera in Deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi, salutare vultus mei, & Deus meus.

Deus noster refugium & vir­tus:Psal. 45. adiutor in tribulationibus quae inuenerunt nos nimis.

Propterea non timebimus dū turbabitur terra: & transferen­tur montes in cor maris.

Sonuerunt & turbatae sunt a­quae eorum: cōturbati sunt mō ­tes in fortitudine eius.

Fluminis impetus laetificat ci­uitatem Dei: sanctificauit taber­naculum suum Altissimus.

Deus in medio eius non com­mouebitur, adiuuabit eam deus manè diluculo.

Miserere meî Deus,Psalt. 50. secun­dùm magnam misericordiam tuam.

[Page]Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, dele ini­quitatem meam.

Amplius laua me ab iniquita­te mea: & à peccato meo mun­da me.

Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco: & peccatū meum contra me aest semper.

Tibi [...]oli peccaui, & malū corā te feci: vt iustificeris in sermonibus tuis, & vincas cū iudicaris.

Ecce enim in iniquitatibus cō ceptus sum & in peccatis concepit me mater mea.

Ecce enim veritatem dilexi­sti: incerta & occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi.

Asperges me hyssopo, & mundabor: lauabis me, & super ni­uem dealbabor.

Auditui meo dabis gaudiū & laetitiā: & exultabūt ossa humiliata.

Auerte faciem tuam à peccatis meis: & omnes iniquitates meas dele.

[Page 90]Cor mundū crea in me Deus: & spiritum rectum innoua in visceribus meis.

Ne proijcias me à facie tua▪ & Spiritum sanctum tuum ne au­feras à me.

Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui▪ & Spiritu principali confir­ma me.

Docebo iniquos vias tuas: & impij ad te conuertentur.

Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus, Deus salutis meae & exultabit lingua mea iusti [...]am tuam.

Domine, labia mea aperies: & os meū annuntiabit laudem tuā.

Quoniam si voluisses sacrifi­ciū dedissem vtique: holocaustis non delectaberis.

Sacrificium Deo, spiritus con­tribulatus cor contritum & humiliatum, Deus non despicies.

Benignè fac, domine, in bona voluntate tua Sion: vt aedificen­tur muri Hierusalem.

[Page]Tunc acceptabis sacrificium iustitiae, oblationes & holocausta: tunc imponent super altare tuū vitulos.

Exaudi, deus, orationē meam, & ne despexeris deprecationem meā,Psal. 54. intēde mihi, & exaudi me.

Cor meum conturbatum est in me, & sormido mortis cecidit super me.

Timor & tremor venerūt su­per me, & cōtexerūt me tenebrae.

Et dixi, Quis dabit mihi pen­nas sicut columbae, & volabo & requiescam?

Iacta super Dominum curam tuam, & ipse te enutriet.

Nōne deo subiecta erit anima mea?Psal. 61. ab ipso enim salutare meū.

Nam & ipse Deus meus, & sa­lutaris meus, susceptot meus, nō mouebor amplius.

Quous (que) irruitis in hominem? interficitis vniuersi vos, tāquam parieti inclinato, & maceriae de­pulsae.

[Page 91]Veruntamen Deo subiecta e­sto anima mea, quoniam ab ipso patientia mea

Quia ipse Deus meus, & Saluator meus, adiutor meus, nō emi­grabo.

In Deo salutare meum, & glo­ria mea, Deus auxilij mei, & spes mea in Deo est.

Sperate in eo omnis congre­gatio populi, effundite coram il­lo corda vestra, adiutor Deus noster in aeternum.

Semel locutus est Dominus, duo haec audiui, quia potestas Dei est, & tibi Domine miseri­cordia, quia tu reddes vnicuique iuxta opera [...]ua.

Deus, Deus meus: ad te de lu­ce vigilo.Psal. 62.

Sitiuit in te anima mea, quàm multipliciter tibi caro mea.

In terra delerta, inuia, & ina­quosa, sic in sancto apparui tibi, vt viderē virtutem tua & gloriā tuam.

[Page]Quoniam melior est miseri­cordia tua super vitas, labia mea laudabunt te.

Sic benedicam te in vita mea, & in nomine tuo leuabo manus meas.

Sicut adipe & pinguedine re­pleatur anima mea, & labijs exultationis laudabit os meum.

Sic memor fui tuî super stratū meum, in matutinis meditabor in te, quia fuisti adiutor meus.

Et in velamento alarum tua­rū exultabo, ad haesit anima mea post te, me suscepit dextera tua.

Ipsi verò in vanum quaesierunt animam meam: introibunt in in­feriora terrae, tradentur in ma­nus gladij, partes vulpium erūt.

Rex verò laetabitur in Deo, laudabuntur omnes qui iurant in eo: quia obstructum est os lo­quentium iniqua.

Deus misereatur nostrî & be­nedicat nobis,Psal. 66. illuminet vultum [Page 92] suum super nos, & misereatur nostrî.

Vt cognoscamus in terra viam tuam, in omnibus gentibus salu­tare tuum.

Confiteātur tibi populi, Deus: confiteantur tibi populi omnes.

Laetentur & exultent gentes, quoniā iudicas populos in aequi­tate, & gentes in terra dirigis.

Confiteātur tibi populi, Deus, confiteantur tibi populi omnes: terra dedit fructum suum.

Benedicat nos Deus, Deus, noster, benedicat nos Deus, & metuant eū omnes fines terrae.

FINIS.

PRECATIO­nes Iohan Lodouici Viuis.

PRO ECCLESIA Sancta Catholica.

O Amicissime nostrî Christe, ô Sponse, cui est vnicè chara tua Ecclesia, qui (que) pollicitus es, te illi nūquam defuturum, auge eam, & fac laetissimam bona sobole patris simillima, nempe tuî: fac nos omnes idem & de te sentire, & in te, vt simus verè vnū corpus illud, cuius tu es caput, conglutinati & compacti charitate mutua, de tuo illo perpetuo igne accensa, qui ita nos amasti, vt san­guinem & vitam tuam pro nobis im­penderes. O Christé, author & suasor charitatis, pacis, beneuolentiae, emolli durissima nostra pectora, & planè fer­tea, calefac corda nostra glacie concre­ta & durata, vt mutuò bene cupiamus, quò agnoscant omnes, discipulos tuos esse nos & iam nunc incipiamus vitam illam coelestem exprimere, in qua nulla est dissensio, nullum odium, sed pax & & amor omnium inter omnes.

Pro pace & coadunatione populi Christiani.

VNum corpus est Ecclesia, à Christo capite per membra omnia descripta, & coagmentata compagine charitatis mutuae membrorum inter se, & cum ipso capite, grande mysterium diuinae boni­tatis. O caput, ô parens noster, tibi vnī [...]ae suppetunt vires, quibus quodcun (que) cordi tibi fuerit, perficias. Congreganos dispersos, cōiunge tot opinionibus dissidentes, dissectos (que). Vni, quos odia & inimicitiae reddūt diuersissimos: fac vt nos omnes, qui Baptismate nominis tui regeniti atque innouati sumus, verè in vnum corpus coēamus, dignum te tanto capite, quo vel fingi nihil potest melius, aut maius: vnum sentiamus omnes, vnum sapiamus, nempe te vnum Deum omnipotentem, & nostrî bene­uolèntissimum, hominem mansuetissi­mum, affixum cruci propter scelera nostra, redemptorem humani generis, in­stauratorem mundi vniuersi. Seda Do­mine tot fluctus, quibus nauigium hoc tuum tā variè impetitur & concutitur. Expergiscere, Christe Iesu, serua nos, [Page] quia instat at (que) vrget naufragiū atrox: nullae iam hominum vires, nulla sapiē ­tia, nullae opes possunt opem ferre, nulla restat remedij spes, solus aspectus tuus propitius procellam hanc saeuissimam serenare potest, & tranquillare.

PRO IIS QVI nos regunt.

REgentium omnium tu es solus, Domine, exemplar quod aemu­lentur, quod studeant referre, quippe qui es optimus, ac sa­pientissimus, ea (que) de causa nec errare potes, nec alia facere, quā bona. Eos, Christe, quos tuo loco regendis tuis populis, tanquā ouiū pastores dedisti, lumine tuae claritatis illustra, igne tu [...] amoris accende, vt luce praeeunte, quae sunt optima videant, & amore sancto incensi ea concupiscant, in te (que) vnum semper intenti, non quod ipsis collibi­tum sit sequantur, sed quod tu praece­pisti, omnia (que) sua ad te propofitum ex­emplar dirigant, vt & ipsi probé fun­gantur munere abs te mandato, & nos sub illis quietam piam (que) vitam transi­gamus.

A Praier to be said before the receauing of the Blessed Sacrament.

I Adore and worship thee, & geue thankes vnto thee (my moste louing Lorde Iesu Christe) for thy innume­rable benefits and giftes geuen vnto me moste vnworthy. All those I yeeld & offer vnto thee, into an euerlasting laude and praise. I geue vnto thee thanks for al ye goodnes, that euer thou diddest shew, or euer wilt shew vnto any reasonable creature. I geue thee thankes for all the mercies of thy most swete good­nes. I geue thee thankes for thy holy Incarnation, Natiui­tie, Infancie, Childhod, Man­state, labours, sorowfull cares, Passion, Death, Resurrec­tion, and thine Ascension. I moste humbly thanke thee, that thou hast vouchsafed, to [Page] admitte me most vile sinner to the noble and liuely feast of this thy holy table. O gracious Iesu I beseche thee, for that loue that in maner constreigned thee to be incarnated, to suffre & to die for me, that thou wilt make me fully cleane frō all sinne, & make me to please thee in all thyng. Adorne & garnish my beggarly and poore soule, with thy mer­cies and vertues.

Graunt merciful Iesu, that I may with most hūble reuerēce, with burning desire and chaste affection, receiue the most vene­rable Sacrament of thy blessed Bodie, in memorie of all those things, that thou hast vouchsa­fed to doe, to speake, & to suffre for my saluation. Graunt, good Lord, that I may performe this thing most purely, to the euer­lasting glorie of thy name, to the honour of thy moste sweet Mother & Virgin Marie, and to [Page 95] the honour of thy blessed Saint N. to the honour of all thy bles­sed Saintes & Angels of heauē,Name the Sainte of that daie. to the soule health of me, & of N. and to the soules health of all Christen people, quicke & dead.

Haue mercy, good Lord, haue mercy vpon thy Churche, haue mercy, good Lord vpō this place & this companie. Graunt that here be alway humilitie, peace, charitie, chastitie, and clennesse. Graunt, yt we all may worthily amende and correct our selues, and that we feare thee and serue thee [...]aithfully: & that we may loue thee, & please thee. I com­mend vnto thy mercy all our busines, and al our necessities: be mercifull vnto all those, for whom thou hast shed thy pre­cious blood. Graunt vnto the quicke forgeuenesse & grace, graunt vnto the faithful departed, reast and light euerlasting.

AMEN.

Another Prayer before the re­ceauing of the holy Sacrament.

O Benigne Iesu yt woul­dest suffer so many gre­uous paines, yea death it selfe for the loue of mankind: great & meruelous is thy cha­rity. O good God for that thy charity, & that thou vouchesa­fedst with thy precious bloud to wash away our synnes, I pray thee gracious Lorde, that thou forgeue me all the synnes that I haue done, thought, or said, in pride, in wrath, in enuie, in co­uetousnes, in glotonie, in slouth in lecherie, in vnclēnes of body, and of soule, in mispending of my fine wittes, in breaking thy commaundements, in wasting the time of my lyfe in vice, in yt I haue not folowed vertue, nor done those ghostly deedes that I mought & ought to haue [Page 96] done. O mercifull Iesu with that precious bloud yt thou didst shed on the Roode for our saluation, wash al the syns away that I haue done since my birth, cō ­fort & make me hoole with the holy Sacramēt, which thou hast ordeined & left here on earth to be our medicine, & life, through which we should liue after thee, & with thee, & thou in vs. For, good Lord, thou saidst at yt holy worke when thou madest it and gauest it to thy Disciples: Panis quem ego dabo, caro mea est, Iohan. 6. pro mūdi vita: qui manducat me, ipse viuit pro­pter me, ipse manet in me, & ego in eo. O thou holy mightiful Prieste & Bishop, yt by thy diuine might madest the worthy Sacramēt of thy precious Body in fourme of bread, geue me grace to receiue it this day with puritie of heart, & cleannes of soule, wt loue, dread and stedfast beleefe. O benigne God, I acknowlege & cōfesse to [Page] thy high goodnes, that I am not worthy to come vnto thy boorde to be fed with so royall meate as is thy blessed Body. But gracious Lorde, I beleeue verily, yt thou maist make me worthy who haste made al thing of nought, & of sinful hast made righteous & holy. O almighty God, for this thy great might I pray thee, that thou make me worthy & hable to receaue thy precious Bodie deuoutly with al reuerence, with perfect mekenes, & holynes, with full con­trition, and teares of deuotion, with spiritual comforte of glad­nes of thy presence. O blessed Bodie in fourme of bread, come and entre into my mouth and hart, that by thy diuine presence my soule be fed, yea & fastened to thee with perfect charitie. O Lord, fill me with grace, and strengthen me, that I may euer herafter liue after thy wil, & that [Page 97] I may liue in thee, and thou in me. Iesu for thy great bountie saue me from al perils, teache & cōfort my soule in all doubtes & dreads, cleanse me frō all vices, suffer nothing to abide in my hart, but only thy self which are my souls lyfe & leach. O heauēly meate, o ioy of Angels, o soules strength, o precious Bodie that geu [...]th endlesse helpe, mercifull lord Iesu, thus didst thy self say, Ego sum panis viuus qui de coelo de­scēdi: si quis māducauerit ex hoc pane, Iohan. 6. viuet in aeternum. O thou Bread of lyfe that diddest descēde from heauen, who yt eateth this bread, shal liue euerlastingly: O blessed Iesu, make me now at this time worthy to receiue this Sacra­mēt, that is thy precious Body, yt I may liue euerlastingly with thee in thy presence, & see thee face to face, euer to ioy in thy goodnes in blisse euerlasting.

AMEN.

A Praier to be said after the receiuing of the Blessed Sacrament.

I Adore & worship thee, & geue my humble & heartie thankes vnto thee, moste mercifull Lorde Iesu Christe, which hast vouchsafed to admit me most vile sinner, vnto the noble & liuely feast of thy moste holy table. Alas for me wretche. For I haue receiued this moste venerable Sacrament to to vn­worthily.

Lorde, haue mercy on me, Lorde forgeue me. I commend that, whiche I haue done, vnto thy Diuine heart, there to be a­mended, & to be made perfect. Receiue (I beseche thee Lorde) these most holy mysteries of thy blessed Body, which I haue re­ceiued to the euerlasting glory of thy holy name, to the honour of thy moste swete Mother the Virgin Marie, & to the honour [Page 98] of thy blessed Saint N. to the honour of all thy blessed and holy Saintes and Angels of heauen,Name the Sainte of that daie. for my soule health, and for the soule health of al Christē people quicke and dead. Receiue (good Lord) this most excellēt Sacra­ment, in full amendment, pur­gation, & satisfaction for all my sinnes and negligences, and for the sinnes of all the world. Re­store by it, and make vp againe al my ghostly ruines & decaies, and supplie my needy pouertie. Mortifie by it in me, what so e­uer doth displease thee: & make me one according to thy heartes desire. By it, make my spirite, my soule and my body, confor­mable to the spirite, the soule & body of thy holy Humanitie: & lighten me altogether with the light of thy Diuinitie.

Graunt by it, that I may be stablished in thee, that I perfet­ly with perseuerance loue thee, [Page] that I may be incorporate vnto thee, & most nerely vnited vnto thee: and that I may be chaun­ged all whole into thee, to the laude of thy blessed name.

COnuert (Lord) miserable sinners, call againe here­tikes and schismatikes. Lighten the infidels that know not thee, helpe al that be in any necessity & trouble, helpe all them that haue commended themselues or desired to be commended vnto my praiers. Haue mercy vpon my parentes and benefactours. Haue mercy vpō al them, for whom I am bound to pray, and that thou would [...]st be intreated for. Haue mercy on this place and companie.

Graunt, that here be alway humilitie, peace, charitie, chasti­tie, and puritie.

Graunt, that we all may worthily amend & correcte our selues, that we may feare thee, [Page 99] and serue thee faithfully, & that we may loue thee, & please thee. I commend vnto thy mercy all our businesses, and all our ne­cessities. Lord, be merciful vnto all people, for whom thou hast shedde thy precious bloude.

Graunt vnto the quicke for­geuenes and grace, & vnto the faithful departed, reast and life euerlasting.

AMEN.

Another Praier after receauing of the Sacrament.

THankes be vnto thee, O holy Father, God al­mightie, that thou did­dest vouchesafe of thy great pi­tie to sende thy only Sonne frō thy high Throne into this vale of wo and miserie, here to take our nature and shape, & in the same to suffer most sharp paines & bitter deth to bring our soules to thy kingdome, and to leaue that precious Bodie here to be [Page] our strength, & cōfort: I thanke thee most mercifull Lorde Iesu with all the mighte & strength that thou hast geuen me: I offer to thee thanks, that thou this day hast fed me with thine own precious Body, by whiche I hope to haue health of soule, & euerlasting life, with ioy when I depart hence. O holy Ghost come good Lorde & enflame my hart with thy brenning beames of loue, and make me with ver­tuous swetenes continually to yelde acceptable thankes to the holy and glorious Trinitie. O ye three Persons & one God, glorie, laude, and honor, with all reuerence be offered to you of all creatures without ende.

Amen.

Here folowe certaine Praiers taken out of the Treatice vpon the Passion of Christ, made by Sir Tho. More Knight. while he was pri­soner in ye Tower of Londō. 1534.
Ecce Homo.
Behold the Man.

The first Praier or Meditation, of the fal of the euil Angels, and confirmation of the good.

O Glorious blessed Tri­nitie, whose iustice hath damned vnto perpe­tuall paine, many proud rebel­lious Angels, whom thy good­nes [Page] had created to be parteners of thine eternal glory: for thy tē ­der mercy, plant in mine heart such mekenes, that I so may by thy grace folow ye motiō of my good Angel, & so resist [...]he proud suggestions of those spiteful spirites that fel, as I may through the merites of thy bitter Passiō, be partener of thy blisse, with those holy spirites that stoode, & now confirmed by thy grace, in glorie shal stande for euer.

The ij. Praier, or Meditation of the Creation and fall of Mankind.

ALmightie God, yt of thine infinite goodnes, diddest create our first parents in ye state of innocēcie, with present wealth & hope of heauē to come, til through ye diuels traine their foly fel by sinne to wrechednes: for thy tender pity of yt Passion that was paide for their & our redemptiō, assist me so with thy [Page 101] gracious helpe, yt vnto the subtil suggestions of the Serpent, I neuer so encline ye eares of mine heart, but that my reason may resist them, and master my sen­sualitie, & refraine me from thē.

The iij. Praier, of the determinatiō of the Trinitie for the restauratiō and Redemption of Mankind.

O Holy blessed Sauioure Iesu Christ, which wil­lingly didst determine to die for mans sake, mollifie mine harde heart, and soupple it so by grace, that thorowe tender compassion of thy bitter Passiō. I may be partener of thine holy redemption.

The iiij. Praier for the fruteful rea­ding or hearing of the Gospel of Christes Passion.

GOod Lorde giue vs thy grace, not to reade or heare this Gospel of thy bitter Passion with our eyen & [Page] our eares in maner of a passe­time, but that it may with com­passiō so sinke into our heartes, that it may stretche to th' euerlasting profite of our soules.

The v. Praier, for the true receauing of the spiritual Paschal Lambe, the very blessed Body of Christe.

GOod Lord, whiche vpon the sacrifice of the Paschal Lambe, didst so clearely destroy the first begotten childrē of the Egiptians, that Pharao was thereby forced to let ye chil­dren of Israel depart out of his bondage: I besech thee geue me the grace in such faithful wise to receiue the very swete Paschall Lamb, the very blessed Body of our swete Sauiour thy Sonne, that the first suggestions of syn by thy power killed in myne heart, I may safe departe, out of the danger of the moste cruel Pharao the diuel.

The vi. Praier, for to end this life wel.

GOod Lorde geue me the grace so to spend my life, that when the day of my death shal come, though I feele paine in my body, I may feele comforte in soule: & with faith­full hope of thy mercy, in dewe loue toward thee, & charitie to­ward the world, I may through thy grace, part hence into thy glory.

The vij. Praier, against the follo­wing of euil counsel.

GRacious God, geue me thy grace so to consider the punnishment of that false great counsail, that gathe­red together against thee, that I be neuer to thy displeasure partener, nor geue mine assent to folow the sinful deuise of any wicked counsell.

The viij. Praier against Couetice, and for setting the world at nowght.

O My swete Sauioure Christ, whō thine owne wicked disciple entan­gled with the diuel, thorowe vile wretched couetice betraied, inspire I beseche thee, the mar­uaile of thy Maiestie, with the loue of thy goodnes, so depe in­to mine heart, that in respect of the lest point of thy pleasure, my mind may set alway this whole wretched world at nought.

The ix. Praier of Christes true loue toward vs, and that we may truely loue him againe.

O My swete Sauioure Christ, which throwgh thine vndeserued loue towarde Mankinde, so kindely woldest suffer the paineful death of the Crosse, suffer not me to be cold nor luke warme in loue againe toward thee.

The x. Praier, for keping of Christes holy Law, and following his exāple in compting our selues but pilgrims on earth.

ALmightie Iesu Christe, whiche wouldest for our ensample obserue the law that thou camest to change, and being maker of the whole earth wouldest haue yet no dwelling house therin: geue vs thy grace so to keepe thine holy Law, and so to recken oure selfe for no dwellers but for pilgrimes vp­pon earth, that we maie longe and make haste, walking with faithe in the waie of vertuous woorkes, to come to the glo­rious countrey, wherein thou haste bought vs enheritaunce for euer with thine owne pre­cious Bloode.

The xi. Praier, against Pride, and for mekenes and charitie toward frind or foe.

ALmightie Iesu my swete Sauiour Christ, whiche wouldst vouchesafe, thine owne almightie hands to wesh the fete of thy twelue Apostles not only of the good, but of the very traitour to: vouchsafe good Lorde of thine excellent good­nes, in suche wise to weshe the sowle feete of mine affections, that I neuer haue suche Pride enter into mine heart, as to dis­daine either in friende or foe, with mekenes & charitie for the loue of thee, to file mine handes with weshing of their feete.

The xij. Praier, for true faith, feruent deuotion, and fruteful receauing the ghostly Foode of the Sa­cramēt of Christes own blessed Bodie and Blood.

[Page 104]OVr most deare Sauiour Christe, which after the finishing of the old Pa­schal sacrifice, hast instituted the new Sacrament of thine owne blessed Body and Bloode, for a memorial of thy bitter Passion: geue vs such true faith therein, & such feruent deuotion therto, that our soules may take fruit­full ghostly Foode thereby.

Sir Thomas More made no mo Praiers vpon the last points of the Passion, as he did hit [...]erto vpon these first.
Hereafter followe certaine de­uout and godly Praiers, com­monly called The Golden Litanie.

The Goldē Litani in English.

LOrd haue mercy vpō vs. Christ haue mercy vpō vs. Lorde haue mercy vpon vs: and graunt vs vertue of soule and minde in earth and aboue earth, that we may serue thee after the pleasure of thy will.

God euerlasting Father, by thy heauēly vertue, haue mercy vpon vs.

The Sonne of god Redemer of ye world, haue mercy vpō vs.

The holy Ghoste, by thy goodnes, haue mercy vpon vs.

God ye increace & vndiuided Trinitie, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy Diuine nature, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy infinite meekenes, haue mercy vpon vs.

[Page 105]By thy selfe and all goodnes that in thee thou beholdest, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the creation of heauen & earth, & all things that in them are, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy goodnes yt didst creat Angels, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the loue that thou haddest when thou createdst mā to thine owne similitude, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the greate loue that thou hadst to redeeme man after his fall, haue mercy vpon vs.

By that ineffable loue that thou haddest, when thou didst chuse the worthy Virgin Ma­rie to be thy Mother, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the holy name of Marie, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the Conception of the Virgin thy Mother, the which was sanctified in her Mothers wombe, haue thou mercy vpon vs.

[Page]By the holy Natiuitie of her, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the perfite puritie and mekenes of her, haue mercy vp­pon vs.

By the most humble affectiō, whiche she toke of thee in the lap of the Father, in her Virgin Womb, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the mekenes of thy high Maiestie, that thou disdainedst not, to descend into the Wombe of the Virgin Marie, haue mer­cy vpon vs.

By the fraise nature of ours that it pleased thee to take for our sinne, not abhorring the same, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy holy Natiuitie, that thou wouldest vouchesafe to be borne of a Maide, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the ineffable ioye, whiche thy Mother had in thy birth, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the colde Cribbe, in the whiche with vile clothes thou [Page 106] were wound and put, and nou­rished with maidēs milke, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the ioy of the shepherds, whiche honoured thee in the Cribbe, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy painfull Circumci­sion & shedding of thy precious Bloode, and by thy holy Name Iesus, & by al thy holy Saints, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the oblation and praier of the three Kinges, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the oblation, wherewith thou were offered vp in the Tē ­ple, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy fleeing into Egipt, and by all the necessitie that thou suffredst there with the Virgin thy Mother, haue mer­cy vpon vs.

By thy going againe from Egipt into Nazareth, and obe­dience that thou were vnder thy parentes, haue mercy vpon vs.

[Page]By thy humble and meke cō ­uersation, that thou hadst on earth in the time of three and thirty yeres that thou were conuersant, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy meke obedience and paines, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy holy meditations in worde and worke, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy Baptisme, and appearing of the holy Trinitie, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy holy stedfast contem­ [...]lations and knelings, & ouer­cōming of the fiendes tentation in deserte, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy thyrst & hungre, colde and heate, whiche in this vale of miserie thou suffredst, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the sorowe of thy hearte, labour and wearines, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy greate pouertie and contemplation, haue mercy vpō vs.

[Page 107]By the obtrectation of thine enemies toward thee, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy watchings and prai­ers, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy holsome doctrine & be­nefites, & strength of resisting, in that thou yeldedst not to thine enemies, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the tokens, wonders, and miracles that thou diddest, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy meke, swete, and holy cōuersatiō, haue mercy vpō vs.

By thy holy teares, and thy meeke entring into Ierusalem on Palme-sonday, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the inflamed desire that thou hadst to redeme vs, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy meeke washing of thy Disciples and Iudas the trai­tours feete, haue mercy vpō vs.

By thy moste louing institu­tion of the worthy Sacrament [Page] of thy blessed Body and Blood, Lord haue mercy vpon vs.

By the profound loue, in that thou sufferedst thy Disciple S. Ihon to rest on thy Breaste at thy laste Supper, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the peace that thou didst geue to thy Disciples, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy holy Wordes & ser­mons, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy passing great heaui­nes that thou hadst, when thou didst praie to thy Father in the garden nigh to the Mount of Oliuete, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the vertue of thy praier yt thou offeredst vp three times, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy painefull & fearefull death, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy agonie when thou offredst thy selfe willingly to ye death, in obeying thy Father, haue mercy vpon vs.

[Page 108]By the sheding of thy Blood for anguish, haue mercy vpō vs.

By ye mekenes, in that thou woldst be comforted of the An­gel, comfort me in al times, and haue mercy vpon vs.

By the triumphant wil that thou hadst, when thou wentst to mete them that sought thee vn­to death, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the fearefull taking a [...]d violent laying on handes of the Iewes, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy immutable goodnes that thou refusedst not to take ye kisse of Iudas the traitour, and that thou healedst the eare of the Bishops seruant, that was stri­ken of, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the holy Bondes in the whiche thou were taken, & ledde away, & by the braids in which thou were made wery yt night, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the buffet which thou suf­fredst at the Seate of Annas the [Page] Bishop and other vnknowing thee, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the loue and charitie that thou hadst, when thou were led bounden before the Bisshoppe Cayfas, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the false witnesse & lyes by whiche thou were vniustly condēned, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the vile spittings and il­lusions, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy buffettes and stripes, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the blindfolding of thy holy eyes, and other reproches that thou suffredst that night, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy gracious beholding that thou beheldest Peter, & by al that labour & secret vnknowē torment, whiche thou sufferedst that night, haue mercy vpō vs.

By thy presentation, and ac­cusation whiche they broughte against thee before Pilate the Iudge, haue mercy vpon vs.

[Page 109]By the despising and illusion that thou sufferedst before He­rode, and the white vesture in the whiche he sent thee to Pi­late, haue mercy vpon vs.

By al the labours yt thou suf­feredst in going frō one Iudge to an other, haue mercy vpō vs.

By thy great pacience & stil­nesse, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the shamefull pulling of thy clothes and hard binding of thy body to the piller, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the hard beating of scour­ges, haue mercy vpon vs.

By ye innumerable woundes of thy precious Body, hugely shed out, haue mercy vpon vs.

By all thy paines, dolours, colde and shaking, and the glad shedding out of thy blood, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the purple vestement, and the crowne of thorne, [...]hrust fast vpon thy Blessed Head with violence, haue mercy vpon vs.

[Page]By the innumerable paines that thou were tormēted when they smote the croune of thorne with the Kinges sceptre, and by the great effusiō of thy precious Blood, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the scornefull honouring and saluting of the Iewes, whē they said: Haile King of the Iewes, haue mercy vpon vs.

By their vile spitting on thy diuine face together with harde strokes, haue mercy vpon vs.

By al the paines and heaui­nes of heart that thou haddest, whē Pilate ledde thee out vnto the people bearing the Crowne of thorne, and the purple veste­ment, & said: Behold the Man, haue mercy vpon vs.

By that dreadful sentence of death, & vile name, leading thee vnto the mount of Caluarie, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the loue wherewith thou didst beare the Crosse to ye place [Page 110] of paine vpon thy backe, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the labour, anguish, shame and beating, whiche thou suf­fredst by the way, haue mercy vpon vs.

By al thy harde steppes that thou hadst, bearing the Crosse when thou wentst to thy death, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the great wearines of thy shoulders, on whiche thou didst beare the Crosse vnto the time thou failed for weakenes, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the compassion of hearte that thou hadst in meting of thy sorowful Mother, & in bearing of thy crosse, haue mercy on vs.

By thy heauy loking & ascending vp ye high Mount of Cal­uarie, on whiche thou were cru­cified, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the stripping of and spoi­ling of thy clothes in most con­fusion in the sight of the Virgin [Page] thy Mother and all the people, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy being naked, full of woundes, laden with great so­rowes, enduring the colde of the wind, til ye Crosse was made ready, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy painful stepps, when thou wentest nere to the Crosse, and thereon was fastened with boysteous nailes, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy tender teares & wee­ping, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the ache of thy veines and sinowes and al thy membres on thy Crosse, haue mercy on vs.

By the thyrling of thy right hande, and shedding of thy pre­cious Bloodde, Lorde make vs cleane from all sinne, and haue mercy vpon vs.

By the thyrling of thy lift hand, and by the holy Wound of the same, and thy holy Bloode, saue vs, & haue mercy vpon vs.

[Page 111]By the sore dryuing of the nailes into thy holy Feete, and by the woundes of the same, & by the flowing out of thy pre­cious Bloud, purge vs, and re­concile vs to thy Father, and haue mercy vpon vs.

By the lifting vp of thy most holy Body on the Crosse, & by the violēt paines wherewith al thy holy membres were rufully pained, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the heauines of thy heart & al the strengthes of thy soule, saue me, defende me, and haue mercy vpon vs.

By the diuision or parting of thy vestures, and the lot whiche they cast on thy cote without seame in thine owne sight and beholding, haue mercy vpō vs.

By the loue that thou hadst hanging three houres on the Crosse aliue, haue mercy on vs.

By the reproches & wordes ful of confusiō that thou heardst [Page] hāging on the Crosse, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the blaspheminges and curses & shameful reuiling that thou suffredst on the crosse, haue mercy vpon vs.

By al the dolours that thou suffredst in thy ribbes, loynes and shoulders crucified, haue mercy vpon vs.

By all the paines that thou hadst being spred on the Crosse in thy sinewes, veines, fete & al thy mēbres, haue mercy vpō vs.

By thy great mekenesse in praying to thy Father for thine enemies, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy mercy, by which thou promisedst to the thefe paradise, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the care that thou hadst of thy Mother in thy torment, commending her to thy beloued Disciple, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the sworde of sorowe that went vnto thy Mothers heart, [Page 112] and the compassion and teares that she shed out for sorow stan­ding vnder the Crosse, haue mercy vpon vs.

By al thy holy Teares on the Crosse, and in al the time of thy life, shedde out for the world, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy thirst, gall and eysell with vinegre, giue me to taste of thy swete Spirite, and haue mercy vpon vs.

By all thy holy Wordes by thee pronounced both vpon the Crosse, and in al thy whole life, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the weeping & crie, in the whiche thou didst commend thy Spirite to thy Father, that our soules may be commended to thee, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the separation of thy holy Soule from thy blessed and di­uine body, haue mercy vpō vs.

By the enclining of thy holy Head vpon thy breast, encline [Page] swete Iesus vnto vs, and haue mercy vpon vs,

By the huge dolefulnes of thy death, and intolerable bru­singes, in whiche thy heart was broken, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the opening of thy side, and the read wound of it, and the precious Bloode, good Lorde, pearce our hearte with the speare of thy loue, and haue mercy vpon vs.

By the precious Bloode and water that ranne out of thy ho­ly [...], wash and make vs cleane in the same holy Water and Blood from all our sinnes, and haue mercy vpon vs.

By the mercy that thou she­wedst on the Crosse to the Cen­turio, and al the mercy that euer thou shewedst to mā, haue mer­cy vpon vs.

By the descending of thy ho­ly Soule to Limbo Patrum, haue mercy vpon vs.

[Page 113]By ye vertue of thy holy soule, wherewith thou brakest vp the gates of hel, and deliueredst out the soules of thy friendes, haue mercy vpon vs.

By ye taking down of thy ho­ly Body from the Crosse, & the solēne Sepulture of it, & the la­mēting of ye Virgin thy Mother & Marie Magdalen, & other of thy frinds, haue mercy vpō vs.

By al the labour, wearines, sorow, & heauines that thou suf­fredst from the daie of thy Nati­uitie vnto the houre of the de­parting of thy holy Soule from thy bodie, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy glorious & vertuous resurrection in Body & Soule, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the ineffable ioye of thy Mother, & other of thy frindes, and the glorie of thy Resurrec­tion, haue mercie vpon vs.

By the grace yt thou apperedst to Marie Magdelen and other [Page] women, & to thy Disciple in thy impassible body after thy resur­rection, haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy m [...]ruelous & glorious ascēsiō cōfort vs Lord in al our nedes, & haue mercy vpon vs.

By the diuine cōsolation and sending of the holy Ghost into thy Disciples, glad vs, sanctifie vs, & strēgth vs in faith, hope, & charitie, & haue mercy vpon vs.

By thy glorious & diuine maiestie, and the vertue of thy holy name, kepe vs, gouern vs now & euer, & haue mercy vpon vs.

By the Sonne in thy holy Godhed together in thy Man­hod hiddē, haue mercy vpō vs.

By thy selfe, and al goodnes and merites that in thee and in thy Mother thou didst behold, haue mercie vpon vs.

By thy celestial Ministers Michael & Gabriel, keepers de­puted to me, & al other thy hea­uenly Spirits, haue mercy vpō vs.

[Page 114]By the intercession & merites of S. Peter, S. Paule, S. Iohn the Euangelist, & other of thine Apostles, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the merites & intercession of thy holy Martyrs S. Ste­phan, and S. Laurence and all other, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the vertues & merites of the holy Fathers & Confessours S. Augustine, S. Hierome, S. Chrysostome, S. Ambrose, and al other, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the merites & praiers of holy S. Anne, S. Katherin, S. Barbara, & all other holy Vir­gins, & holy widowes & chaste women, haue mercy vpon vs.

By the merits & praiers of al thy holy chosen Saintes, yt are, were, & are for to come in heauē & in earth, haue mercy vpon vs.

Succour vs, sweete Iesu, in the trembling and strait daie of Iudgemēt, & graunt vs in this exile & trāsitory life those things [Page] that be necessarie to the helth of our bodie & soule, and after this life to liue in ioy with the euer­lastingly without end. Amen.

Lorde heare graciously my praiers, and let my crie come to thee, &c. Praie we.

LOrd giue to ye quick grace, to the dead rest, in especial to thē, yt I am boundē, N. and to the Churche holines, peace & concord. And that thou wilt vouchesafe, to take this praier to the honour & glorie of thy holy name, & that thou wilt vouchesafe to haue mercy vpon vs, & to forgiue vs al our syns: & graunt euerlastingly, that we may perseuer in all goodnes, & that we may serue thee. And after this life, we may de­serue to raigne with thee, in euerlasting glory and life without end.

FINIS.

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