cannot then let the company who stand by say Lord into thy hands we commend his soule He that doth thus is safe and secure for he shall neuer tast of eternall death Also in another old booke I find this written THese be the six signes vpon which a man may rest confident of his saluation 1 If he beleeue the Articles of Christian faith as many as are determined by the Churche 2 If he reioyce to dye in the faith of Christ 3 If hee know that hee hath grieuously offended God 4 If he bee heartily sorry for it 5 If he resolue to forsake his sinnes if God giue him life 6 If he hope and beleeue to come to eternall saluation not by his owne merits but by the merits of Iesus Christ And Anselme saith that these six questions are to bee asked of euery one at the time of his death and saith further thus Then say to the sicke person if Sathan obiect any thing against thee oppose thou the merits of Christ betwixt thee and him and thus without all doubt hee shall be saued This consolation of the sicke and preparation to their death is in ancient Copies ascribed to Anselme who liued more then 500 yeares agoe euen when Popery was almost growne to perfect age Now if any man make question how our fathers were saued in these later and worse times when Popery preuailed in a greater measure I answere that euen almost the same preparation and same questions were vsed long after Anselme euen in the deepest darkenesse of Popery For in the most euill time about the Councell of Constance some two hundred years ago Thus I finde it written in ancient Booke and it is ascribed to Gerson Euery Christian whether secular or regular is thus to be examined and informed in his sicknesse touching his saluation 1 DOest thou beleeue all the principal articles of faith and all that is contained in the whole body of holy Scripture according to the exposition of the Catholicke and orthodoxall Doctors of the holy Church and dost thou detest all heresies and errours and superstitions condemned or reproued by the Church and art thou glad that thou dyest in the faith of Christ and vnity and obedience of thy Mother the Church 2 Doest thou know and confesse that thou hast many wayes and grieuously offended thy God and Creator 3 Dost thou sorrow from thy whole heart for all thy sins committed against Gods Maiesty his loue and mercy art thou truely sorrowful for the euils that thou hast committed and the good that thou hast omitted and the grace thou hast neglected and art thou agreiued not so much for feare of death or any punishment as for that loue which thou oughtest to beare towards God 4 Doest thou beg pardon for all these thy sins of Iesus Christ desiring that by him thy heart may be enlightned truely to see and know thy sins that so thou maist particularly and more seriously repent of them 5 Doest thou propound and resolue truly to amend thy life if so be thou liue and neuer hereafter to sinne so againe but rather to loose any thing how deere soeuer vnto thee yea euen life it selfe then to offend thy God againe 6 Doest thou also desire of God grace to continue in this purpose that thou maist not fall againe 7 Doest thou forgiue from thy whole heart all that haue done thee any wrong in word or deed for the loue of Christ Iesus thy Lord and Sauiour and as thou hopest for pardon from him and doest thou hartily desire to bee forgiuen of all men whom thou hast any way offended 8 Wilt thou that there be ful restitution made according to thy power yea though it should extend to thy whole estate if otherwise there cannot bee satisfaction made 9 Doest thou beleeue that Christ dyed for thee and that thou canst bee saued no otherwise but by the merites of Iesus Christ and doest thou giue God thankes for this from thy whole heart as much as thou art able And whosoeuer can giue true answere to these questions affirmatiuely out of a good conscience and faith not fayned It is an euident and sufficient testimony of saluation and let him not doubt but if he so depart hee is one of them that shall be saued Behold heere good Reader our Religion practised in the most misty times of Popery behold heere the true holy Catholike and ancient way to heauen Namely By Christ and his merits alone Heere is no trusting on mans merits either our own or others Here is no mention of Agnus deis or Wodden Crucifixes He is not bid to trust in the prayers suffrages requiems dirges Masses Trentals or other obsequies that shall be sayd for him after his departure He is sent to no Angell no nor to the Virgin Mary for matter of Saluation Nay all are excluded Christs death alone euen it alone is made the meanes of his Saluation And the makers heereof were so resolute and zealous in this point that they vse such variety of words as though they could not sufficiently expresse the excellency and the nececessity of cleauing to Christ alone in the matter of saluation And if any man suspect that this is but deuised by vs and falsely fathered vpon Antiquity let him know that not onely we haue the ancient Copies whose age will speake for themselues but euen the better sort of Papists that be learned doe know this well enough A learned Papist of this age Gasper vlenbergius in lib. de Causis Causa 14. pag. 462. editionis Colon. 1589. writeth that in a Church in Colaine this very booke is extant Manuscript and that hee hath seene it and that this manner of comforting the sicke was vsed in former ages and confesseth that it containes the very treasure kernel of Christian Religion and saith further that this manner was vsed not in Germany onely but ouer all the Christian world Indeed to the Iesuits I confesse this is held a ridiculous manner of comforting the sicke such a spirit possesseth them Thus doth Gretzer their Champion flout vs Lutherans as he cals vs for thus doing The Lutherans saith hee do Iae. Gretzerus in refutat Leyseri de histor Ord. Iesuit thus comfort their sick Relicks Crucifixes Agnus deis and such matters are but dead things and nothing worth the Scripture hath not a word of them it is therefore very vngodly to trust in them but God is our hope and God is our strength trust in him c. On this wise fashion do these godly comforters comfort their sicke persons Thus in the Iesuites iudgement it is but a seely course to trust in Gods mercy and Christs merits in points of saluation Hereby it may be discerned of what spirit they are But let them mocke vs as long as with vs they mocke the Scriptures Antiquity and the better sort of their owne side for we appeale to this that hath bene said whether this manner of comforting the sicke were not in
vse long before Luther was borne Now if any obiect that in the same bookes there is mention of the Crucifixe and that it is appointed to be in the presence of the sicke person I answere it is true but not that he should worship it as now the Iesuits teach and all the approued Gregori de valent Gretzerus Vasquez Romish writers but that it may put him in mind of Christ which though it be a needlesse superstition yet is it not that impiety and idolatrie which now at this day is practised maintained in the Romish Church and my purpose is not to discharge those times nor our forefathers in those times of errours and superstitions but of the idolatrie impietie and blasphemy of the present Church of Rome And the same answer is also to bee giuen to another obiection That in the same booke there are praiers to the Saints and Angels It is so and from that errour those ages cannot bee cleered but with all let vs still obserue that those praiers are not to helpe them in matters of saluation as are many blasphemous praiers now vsuall in Popery and that sin in those mistie times being a sinne of ignorance no doubt was pardoned vnto them in the mercy of God seeing that for their reconciliation with God and eternall saluation they beleeued to attaine it onely by the merits and passion of Iesus Christ But let not vs feed on their infirmities but louingly passe by them and let this content and comfort vs that their meanes of saluation which they vsed and trusted vnto is the same with ours at this day for better testimony whereof let vs set downe some of their praiers being such as the best Christian may vse at this day with much comfort Certaine Praiers vsed by our Fore-fathers in the darkest times of Popery in the time of a mans sickenesse some to bee made for the sicke and some by the sicke person gathered out of the same ancient books When the sicke person feeles his strength to faile then let him commend his soule to God in this Praier O summa Deitas immensa clementissima atque gloriosissima Trinitas summa dilectio amor charitas miserere mei miserrimi peccatoris tibi enim commendo spiritum meum Deus meus pijssimus pater miserecordiarum miserecordiam fac huic pauperculae Creaturae in vltima necessitate mea succurreiam Domine indigenti animae desolatae vt non a canibus infernalibus deuoretur O dulcissime amantissime Domine Iesu Christi fili Dei viui ob honorem virtutem beatissimae passionis iube me recepi inter numerum electorum tuorum Saluator Redemptor meus reddo me totū tibi vt me non renuas â venia nec repellas à gloria tua At ô Domine Iesu Christe paradisum tuum postulo non ob valorem meritorum meorū cum sum puluis cinis peccator miserrimus sed in virtute efficacia tuae sanctissimae passionis per quam me miserimū redimere voluisti mihi paradisum tuo pretioso sanguine emere dignatus es Igitur per illam amaritudinem quam pro me sustinere voluisti in Cruce maxime in illa hora quando sanctissima anima tua egressa est de corpore tuo miserere animae meae in egressu suo Deinde dicat pluries diripuisti Domine vincula mea tibi sacrificabo hostiam laudis Deinde cum ipse visum loquelae amiserit orationes sequentes dicantur super infirmum laborantem ab aliquo presentium si adhuc superuiuit QVaesumus miserecors pater secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum respice propitius super hunc famulū tuum fratrem nostrum remissionem omnium peccatorum suorum tota cordis confessione poscentem Exaudi deprecantes renoua in eo pijssime pater quicquid in eo terrena fragilitate corruptum est vel quicquid Diabolica fraude violatum est vnitati corporis Ecclesiae membrum redemptionis congrega Miserere Domine gemituū suorum miserere lachrimarum eius in habentem fiduciam nisi in miserecordia tua ad tuae reconciliationis sacrameutum admitte In manus igitur in extinguibilis miserecordiae tuae pater sanctissime cōmendemus spiritum famuli tui fratris nostri secundū magnitudinem amoris quo se anima filij tui sanctissima in cruce tibi cōmendabit supplicater deprecantes quatenus per illā inestimabilē diuinitatē quam tua diuina bonitas in se totā traxit illam sanctissiman animam vt in hora vltima famuli tui fratris nostri suscipias in eodem amore spiritum eius Et tu dulcissime redemptor pijssime Iesu per illam lacrimabilem vocem quam moriturus emisisti cum pro nobis doloribus laboribus passionis adeo consumptus es vt te derelictum à patre clamabas Ne longe facias à famule tuo fratre nostro auxilium tuae miserationis in hora in momento afflictionis animae suae prae defectione consumptione spirit us te inuocare in extrema hora mortis scire non valente sed per triumphum sanctae crucis per salutem salutiferae passionis amorosae mortis tuae cogitade eo cogitationes pacis nō afflictonis sed miserecordissimae miserationis cōsolationis libera eam de omnibus angustijs erue eam a a tormentis sibi deputatis perduc eam in requiē aeternum O Domine Iesu Christe qui redemisti nos precioso sanguine tuo scribe in anima huius famuli tui vulnera tua pretioso sanguine tuo vt discat in eis legere tuum dolorem tuum amorem dolorem contra omnes dolores paenas quas pro peccatis suis se timet meruisse Amorem vt vniatur tibi amore inuisibili quo a te omnibus electis tuis nunquam possit in aeternum seperari Et fac cum Domine Iesu Christs participem sacratissimae incarnationis passionis resurrectionis ascentionis tuae fac eum participem sacratissimorū mysteriorum sacramentorum tuorum Fac eam participem omnium orationum ac benefactorum quae fuerunt in Ecclesia sancta tua Fac eam participem omnium benedictionum gratiarum gaudiorum ominum electorum tuorum ab initio mundi concede vt cum his omnibus in tuo conspectu gaudeat in aeternum Domine qui orasti pro nobis in monte Oliueti obsecramus te vt multitudinē sanguinis et sudoris quem prae angustia tua copiosissime pro nobis effudisti ostendere digneris offerre deo patri omnipotenti contra multitudinem omnium peccatorum huius famuli tui fratris nostri libera cum in hac hora mortis suae ab omnibus paenis angustijs quas pro peccatis fuis timet se meruisse salua animam eius in hac hora exitus sui et aperi ei Ianuam vitae fact eam gaudere cum sanctis in gloria
aeterna per tua merita Domine Iesu Christe qui cum Deo patre spiritu Sancto viuis reg-Deus in secula Cum autem eius vires deficient animam emissurum videatur commendetur anima per aliquem astantium hoc modo Commendatio animae morientis COmmendo te omnipotenti Deo charissime frater et ei cuius es creatura committo proficiscere anima Christiana de hoc misero mundo In nomine Patris omnipotentis qui te creauit In nomine Iesu Christi filij eius qui pro te passus est In nomine Spiritus Sancti qul in te fusus est Egrediente aute animatua de corpore splendidus Angelorum caetus tibi occurrat omnium sanctorum caetus te accipiat appareat tibi mitis clemens Iesus Christus qui inter assistentes sibi te iugiter interesse decernat vt locus tuus in pace sit habitatio tua in Hierusalem coelesti Ignores omnino quid horret in tenebris quid stridet in flammis quid cruciat in tormentis Cedat tibi nequissimus Sathan cum satellitibus suis nec in aduentu suo te vincat sedcoram angelis dei contremiscat as in aterna noctis chaos immane diffugiat at exurget Deus dissipentur omnes inimici eius sicut deficit fumus ita deficiant Iusti autem exultentur exultent in conspectu Dei Confundantur igitur erubescant ante te tar tareae legiones ministri satanae iter tuum impedire non audeāt Liberet te à cruciatu Christus qui pro te mori dignatus est constituet te Christus filius Dei inter paradisi sui amena semper virentia i am inter oues suos verus te ille pastor agnoscat Ille ab omnibus peccatis tuis absoluat atque ad dextram in electorum suorum sorte te constituat vt redemptorem tuum facie ad faciam videas cōstitutum agmina beatorum contemplationis diuinae gaudio potiaris in secula saeculonum Amen Certaine Praiers vsed by our Fore-fathers in the darkest times of Popery in the time of a mans sickenesse some to bee made for the sicke and some by the sicke person gathered out of the same ancient books When the sicke person feeles his strength to faile then let him commend his soule to God in this Praier O Most high and soueraigne God whose goodnesse and mercie is infinite ô most glorious Trinity which art loue and mercie and goodnesse it selfe haue mercy on me most miserable sinner for vnto thee and vnto thy hands I commend my spirit ô Lord my most louing God father of mercies shew thy mercy on me thy poore creature and forsake mee not in my last neede but stand with me Lord and helpe my succourlesse soule saue my poore and desolate soule that it bee not deuoured of the infernall dogges O most louing Lord sweet Sauiour Iesus Christ the sonne of the liuing God I beseech thee for the honor and by the vertue of thy most blessed passion command that I may be receiued into the number of thy Saints and seruants O my Sauiour my Redeemer I here yeeld vp my selfe wholly to thee O grant mee thy grace and thy glory vochsafe me pardon of my sin and giue me a portion of thy glory But ô my deere Lord I chalenge not a place in heauen for any worthines of my owne merits for I am but dust ashes a most wretched finner but for the vertue of thy most blessed passiō by which thou diddest vouchsafe to redeeme mee miserable man and to purchase heauē for me euen with the price of thy precious bloud I beseech thee therefore by thy most blessed bitter passion which thou sustainedst on the Crosse for me especially in that houre whē thy blessed soule did leaue the body that thou wouldest haue mercy on my poore soule at the time of my departure Then let him lift vp his heart with ioy and thanksgiuing and say Lord thou hast broken my bonds therefore I will offer to thee the sacrifice of praise After if his weaknesse grow so that hee loose the vse of his speech let some of the by-standers say these prayers following ouer him or more if he liue so long MErcifull God and Father wee beseech thee for the multitudes of thy mercies look fauourably vpon this thy seruant our deere brother who with true and hearty confession seeks pardon of all his sinnes at the hand of thy mercies O Lord heare vs for him and we beseech thee for him most holy father to renew in his heart what euer is corrupted by the frailty of his flesh and restore that grace which the wily and malicious enemy the diuell hath stolne out of his soule O Lord recall him to the vnity of thy Church ingraft him into the body of thy soule O Lord take pitty of the sighes and sobbes of his soule and groanes of his heart o Lord looke vpon his teares gather them in thy bottle and be good to him who hath no hope comfort nor confidence but in thy mercy and seale vp the assurance of his reconciliation with thee O most holy Father we humbly commend the soule of this thy seruant and our brother into the hands of thy vnmeasureable mercies humbly beseeching thee according to the greatnesse of that loue in which the blessed soule of thy sonne did commend it selfe into thy holy hands that for the worthinesse of that infinite loue of thine in which thou didst receiue that holy soule vnto thy selfe thou wouldst vouchsafe in this our brothers last houre to receiue his poore soule also and make it partaker of the same loue And thou most sweete Sauiour and most mercifull Lord Iesus thou that dying on the crosse was so pressed with anguish and torments for vs as made thee sound out that pittiful voyce vnto thy Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken me we beseech thee estrange not thy selfe and turne not away thy face frō thy seruant our brother now in the houre of his soules affliction when his strength faileth and his spirits are so spent that he cannot cal vpon theee heare vs O Lord heare vs for him and for that thy glorious victory in which thou didst triumph on the crosse for thy pretious passion and bitter death thinke of him the thoughts of mercy and not of iustice shed thy mercies in his soule speak cōfortably to his conscience deliuer his soule out of all spirituall distresse saue him frō the tormēts due vnto his deseruings bring him for thy own merits sake to eternal rest O Lod Iesus Christ which didst redeem vs with thy precious bloud write with thine own bloud in the soule and ingraue thy wounds in the heart of this thy seruant that in thē he may see read thy doleful suffrings thy sweet loue thy sufferings that they may be effectual to rasome him frō those sorrows
torments which he hath merited by his sins thy loue that it may vnite his heart to thee in inuisible inseparable bonds so as he may neuer be seperated frō thee nor thy Saints for euer and euer And Lord Iesus Christ we beseech thee make his soule partaker of all the merits of thy most sacred incarnation passion resurrection and ascention Make him pertaker of the vertue of thy most blessed sacraments and all thy holy mysteries Make him pertaker of all the praiers good deedes done in thy whole Church Make him pertaker of al the blessings graces and comforts of all thy elect and grant that with them all he may liue in thy presence for euermore O Lord which powred out thy prayer for vs on the mount Oliuet and sweat water and bloud wee beseech thee let that precious bloud of thine which thou didst so aboundantly poure out for our saluation let it bee presented and offered to thy father to stand against the multitude of of the sinnes of this thy seruant our brother Lord be with him at his last houre and then deliuer him from the anguish and torments which for his sins he may iustly feare Graciously receiue his soule in the houre of his departure open the gate of heauen vnto him and giue him a portion with thy Saints in glory for thy owne most glorious merite O Lord Iesus Christ who with God the Father and the holy Ghost liuest and raignest one God for euermore Amen And when the sicke mans strength beginnes to faile and the soule is ready to depart then let the soule be commended to God by one of the by-standers on this manner The Commendation of the soule to be said at a mans death I Heere commend thee to Almighty God most deere brother and I commit thee to him whose creature thou art Go forth therefore O Christian soule get thee gone out of this filthy world go forth in the name of the Almighty Father who created thee in the name of Iesus Christ who dyed for thee in the name of the holy Ghost who hath bene poured out vpon thee And when thou happy soule art deliuered out of the prison of the body the glorious quire of heauenly Angels meet thee and the company of all holy Saintes entertaine thee the louing countenance and cheereful face of Iesus Christ shine vpon thee a mercifull Iudge bee hee vnto thee that thou maist haue sentence to sit for euer amongst his Saints on his right hand thy dwellings be in peace and thy saluation in the heauenly Ierusalem for euermore farr be it from thee euer to feele or know how horrible the darknesse how terrible the flames and how intollerable the torments of hell are Sathan and all his hellish guard be they confounded at thy presence and if hee dare set vpon thee victory and triumph be on thy side shame and trembling fall vpon him from the presence of Gods Angels and be hee banished into the blacke mists and confused chaos of eternall darknesse But let the Lord arise and let his enemies be scattered and as the smoake vanisheth so let them flye away But let the iust be exalted and reioyce in the presence of the Lord let the infernall legions not dare to touch theee nor all Sathans helhounds presume to hinder thee and hee who disdained not to dye for thee be hee thy Sauiour and deliuerer from all spirituall vexation Be the gates of paradise open vnto thee thy Christ giue thee thy place and mansion in the same And he that is the true Pastor and great Sheepeheard of the Sheepe acknowledge thee for one of his true Sheepe and receiue thee into his fold Iesus Christ absolue thee from all thy sins and place thee on his right hand among his elect that there thou maist see thy Redeemer face to face in the society of blessed sed soules maist enioy the comforts of heauenly cōtemplation and the blessed vision of God for euer and euer Amen To the Reader SEe Christian brother how in the worst times they were prepared to die and commended to God if the ancient books did not proclaime this truth some would not beleeue but that they had been made in this latter time But seeing the truth cannot be denied I desire thee with me to obserue these few collections arising out of due consideration of the premisses 1. Heere is answere to that great question how our forefathers were saued euen by the same faith as we are at this day 2. How truly Christ performed his promise namely that the gates of hell should not preuaile against the true faith for so we see that in the vilest times this Faith hath beene preserued 3. Obserue how here is no touch nor once mention of Purgatory nor of any thing to be done for their good after this life 4. Here is no relation to any pardons or indulgences from the Pope 5. Here is no necessity laid downe of sending for a Priest to bring his Hoste and his Pix and his holy water and his Taper These matters it seemes are rather commanded pressed vpon the people by the Romish Cleargie then much regarded by the wiser and godlier sort of our forefathers neither are they commanded to stay till the Priest come but saith the booke let these prayers bee said and the Commendation of his soule by one of the by-standers Lastly let it bee obserued that in all these prayers and commendations and questions and these saith the booke are all that be of necessity to be said here is not one smack of Popish idolarry or superstition In these respects I haue thought it no needlesse labour to communicate these to thee deere brother I know there be store of godly prayers and meditations already extant But these are of a special vse more then others and are venerable for their antiquity And are to be the more welcome because God preserued thē in the hands of our very enemies And thogh they were mingled with other things not so good yet Hieronym ad Laetum Grandis prudentiae est aurum in luto quaerere let vs know as S. Hierome tels vs that it is no small point of wisdome to seeke out gold out of mire and clay Make vse of these and helpe mee with thy prayers and thou shalt shortly if God permit bee pertaker of more FINIS TAM ROBVR TAM ROBOR NI-COLIS ARBOR IOVIS 1610. LONDON Printed for Leonard Becket and are to be sold at his Shop in the Temple neere the Church 1611.