A Christian exhortation taken oute of the holy Scriptures for the great comfort of euery faithfull person being in the agonie of deathe before whome it must be oftētimes red and recited if neede be euē to his last breath Wherevnto is ioyned in the end a singular Prayer for the partie greeuously afflicted by sicknesse dravving tovvard his death Therewith is a briefe Catechisme which is not only to instructe the sicke but also to refresh his memorie vvith the greate mysterie of our redemption Printed at London by Henry Bynneman Anno. 1579. Mathewe 24.51 The carelesse and negligente seruante shall be surprinsed and cutte off and haue his parte vvith the hypocrites there shall be vveeping and gnasshing of teeth Death is the end and beginning of life Ecclesiasticus 18.18 Before sicknesse vse medicine and before thou come to iudgement examine thy selfe and in the sight of God thou shalt finde fauoure Apocalips If thou doest not vvatch I vvil come vpon thee as a theefe and thou knovvest not at vvhat time I vvill come vpon thee Apocalips 16. Blessed is he vvhiche vvatcheth and keepeth his garmentes least he vvalke naked and that men see his filthynesse Mathew 24. Luke 12. Be ye readie for yee knovv not in vvhat hour the sonne of man shall come To the very Honorable his singular good Lord the Earle of Lincolne Lord Clinton and Say Lorde high Admirall of Englande Knighte of hir Maiesties order and one of the Lordes of hir Highnesse most honourable priuie Counsell THe greate and cunning workemaister yea the maister of all mischiefe Satan hath not ceased euen from the firste creation of man to molest and persecute the same lying euer in wayt to destroy him as is playnely seene in his assaults deliuered to our first parents Adam and Eue very shortlye after their creatiō he neuer left them vntill suche time as he hadde caused them to transgresse the commandement of the Almighty wherby they purchaced to themselues and to all their posteritie eternall damnation He continually putteth his cunning and Stratagemes in vse against seely poore man Sometime by open battaile as causing him to commit murther adulterie theft extortion and such like grosse offences against the commaundementes of the seconde Table Another time he solliciteth him to pride Idolatry blaspheming vnbeliefe lothing the word of God contempte of the same rebellion againste God vnthankefulnesse toward God and such like against the commandements of the first Table whereby he deliuereth vnto vs terrible and dangerous assaultes othertimes he dresseth agaynst vs surprinses as when by meane of the ingraffed corruption whiche dwelleth in vs he raiseth in vs horrible motions thoughtes affections and consentes yea and that whiche most daungerous of all is he hath so banded oure eyes that the greatest number of men doe thinke filthy motions vncleane thoughts corrupt affections and detestable consents to be no sin vnlesse the acte do ensue But indede the Eternall which hath created the heart seeth all these things in vs and abhorreth and condemneth them he is the searcher of the raines which knoweth the thought before it bee hatched in vs Wherefore we haue great cause to beg of God his grace that we may vnderstand and know the ruzes and deceiptes of Sathan whereby to auoyde them and when he shal at any time sollicite vs to any of the aboue named things or suche like let vs then know that the enimy is at hand that he dresseth his scaramuches againste vs and that he placeth his ambushes to cut betweene vs and our saluation wherefore it behoueth vs to bee alwayes armed with the armour of God whereof Sainct Paule speaketh in the Epistle to the Ephesians 6. Chapter and to bee well acquaynted with the perfect vse of our weapon for oure enimie is both strong and skilfull and woulde soone make an end of mankind if that God did not holde him in bridle his cunnings are in maner infinite he can transfigure himselfe sometime into the likenesse of an Angel of light yea into the likenesse of Christe himselfe and alleage the Scriptures vnto vs but it shall be altogither to cast vs downe with the weight of our sinnes into desperation and so to damne vs for he wyll alleadge vnto vs the iustice of God the horrour of oure sinnes and the Law cleane contrarie to Christe for Christe is the nouriture medicine and consolation of afflicted soules he will not breake the bruzed reede nor quench the smoking tow wherfore we must beware of this false and counterfetted Christe he can make this day that which is horrible sinne to seeme to me to be no sinne and to morrow that whiche is no sinne to be horrible sinne thus can he amplifie and swell the least euill thing that is and make it to seeme as great and huge as a mightie Mountayne I haue spoken some thing of this cūning aduersarie whiche the sacred Scripture calleth the great Leuiathā and the redde Dragon to the ende we might beware of him and auoide his snares which he laieth aboue and beneath vs before and behinde on euery side and within and without vs to the ende that when wee shall feele our selues in any sort solicited by him ▪ we maye forthwith repaire to our Panacea and most holesome medicine for al diseases which is the word of God in the which we shall finde all comforte and hauing founde it we must lay sure holde on it in all humilitie and Prayer the whiche word doth euen repulse and chase Sathan from vs It is a lighte whiche lighteneth to our feete it is a most pure thing it cōuerteth soules it is a faithfull witnesle yea it is the power of God to saluation to all beleeuers Saincte Paule calleth it the Sword of the Spirit the which wōudeth and putteth Sathan to flighte it is that Sword without the whiche we may not fight the battayle wyth that strong and mightie enimie with whome wee must euerye one of vs fight a battayle eyther in the time of oure healthe or else in the article of our death for then beginneth he to play sharply the accuser then setteth he forth vnto vs the Lord Christe as a lawgiuer and exactor then maketh he euery sinne to seeme twenty to the ende he maye make vs to dishonour God through vnbeleefe and so to fall into desperation our aunswer must be to him Satan thou canst not speake truth except it be to get credite whereby afterward thou mayst the more boldly tel millions of lyes but know thou that my Lord Iesus Christe hathe payde my debt more than abundantly for with one onely offering he hath cōsecrated for euer thē which are sanctified Nowe God is iust yea iustice it selfe wherefore he is contente with one more than sufficient paymente for one thyng wherfore thou canst in no wise hurt me if he can not in this sort preuaile Then commeth he in another lykenesse with his faire face with flattering and entising words to lift vs vp into pride and
vsed towardes oure fathers are not yet quenched and consumed for thou art the great eternall God fauourable and mercifull whiche neuer changest Thy holy worde teacheth vs very playnely that all the earthe is full of thy mercies the whiche doe farre surmount thy Iustice wherefore appease thy rigour towardes thy creature haue pitie and compassion of him for the loue of thy sonne Iesus Christ our lord Looke not vppon his sinnes but beholde the face of thy Christe who hathe sufficientlye satisfyed for the same in offering to thée vppon the Crosse the greate Sacrifice of hys body we beséeche thée then most louing and mercifull God to make him to féele thy grace the whyche thou neuer denyest to thy Children And for so much as thou art oure eternall father whiche knowest well what is necessarie and expediente for our saluation we doe not pray thée to prolong or to shorten hys life for we do repose our selues vpon thy holy will the which we doe only desire to do Thou arte wise not néeding councell to dispose of thy creature according to thy good pleasure but if it please thée to call him who is he that maye resist and if thou wilt send him health which is he that maye controll thée For all things are in thy hand and nothing is done without thy will and holye Prouidence Yet notwithstanding O Lord if of thy mercie thou doest prolong his dayes thy scourge shall serue hym for chastizemente to amende and to turne to thée and wée wyth hym shall yéelde vnto thée thankes and prayses But if thou haue determined to passe him into a better life we beséeche thée for the loue of thy sonne Iesus to forget all hys faultes and offences the whyche thou hast willed to be blotted out and washed in the shedding of his pretious bloud That it maye please thée for the merit of the death and passion of thy sonne to receyue his soule into thy hands when thou shalte call him out of thys Worlde O Lord God despise not the workemanship of thy handes for beholde héere thy poore creature in manner vtterly beaten downe the whyche calleth vpon thée from the deapth of all his euils presenting vnto thée his sorowfull and penitente hearte the whiche we beséeche thée to haue for acceptable for the loue of thy sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde for whose sake thou hast promised vs to heare our requestes Wherefore O Lord we beséech thée to receyue vs into thy holy conduct lightning our heartes and vnderstandings to addresse vs towardes thée and to call vpon thy name so as thy sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde hath taughte vs to pray for all oure necessities saying Our Father whiche arte in Heauen c. Lastly O God and most mercifull Father that it maye please thée euer to susteyne vs by thy grace and power to the ende that through the weakenesse of our fleshe we fall not And for so muche as of our selues we are so féeble that we are not able to stande fast the space of one minute may it please thée to fortifie vs by thy holy Spirit and to arme vs with thy graces to the end that we may constantlye perseuere in thy Fayth without the whiche it is not possible to please thée it may please thée to confirme vs dayly in the same whereof wée wyll make confession both wyth heart and mouth saying I beleeue in God the Father Almightie c. The Prayers being ended they may sée how the sicke person doeth and enquire how he féeleth himselfe with Christian and gratious spéech but if they sée that he decline and that within shorte time after no token of recouerie doe appeare they may chose some mete time to speake to the sicke person and to aske hym if he do desire to heare spéech of God and to hearken to his word whilest he hath yet good remembrance For if he be of God they maye then beginne thys little Catechisme which followeth * ⎠* A shorte Catechisme vvhiche is not onely to instructe the sicke but also to refreshe his memorie with the great mysterie of oure Redemption for the good vnderstanding and remembrance whereof in his latter dayes he ought to make confession of his faith before the company of the faythful of the which one in the absence of the Minister hould demaund of hym as follovveth The Minister B. S. N. Euery man whiche knoweth well himselfe and is not ignorante of his estate and qualitie certaynely ought to acknowledge that albeit he is created to the image and likenesse of God yet notwythstanding he is conceyned and borne in the sinne of the olde Adam wherby he is made a poóre and wretched sinner ignorant inconstant and full of iniquitie and consequentlye subiecte to all miseries afflictions aduersities and lastly to deathe the cause whereof is sinne the whyche God not willing to leaue it vnpunished doth afflicte vs dayly and to speake it playnely he chastiseth vs in this world to the end we shoulde not be damned wyth the worlde Wherefore B. S. N. be patiente in your sicknesse and you shall possesse your soule in spiritual ioy acknowledge youre sinne and accuse youre selfe before the Maiestie of God whome you must looke vpon and behold by Faith making confession of the same both with heart mouth before the whole company For it is written that man beléeueth wyth his hearte to iustice and confesseth with his mouth to saluation Harken then to the demaundes whyche now I will make vnto you and answere me faithfully according to the vnderstanding that you haue receyued of the lord But if you can not bycause of your weakenesse and impeachment of your sicknesse I wyll answere for you and it shall suffice vs that ye giue vs to vnderstand by some token your heart and cōstancie of faith in the whiche you must liue and dye Now I aske of you For what cause and to what end were you created in this worlde The sicke For to know God. Minister Was it necessarie for you to know God The sicke Yea truely for so muche as hée is my soueraigne goodnesse withoute the knowledge of him I shoulde bée more miserable than the brute beastes Minister Séeing that you know God you know well that he is an infinite power wisedome and goodnesse one onely God in three persons father sonne and holy Ghost It is the onlye God which Abraham Isaac and Iacob did worship in spirit truth It is the only eternall God whiche hathe created Heauen and Earthe as all the thyngs whyche are in them the knowledge of GOD whiche you haue is it not suche The sicke Yes Minister But coulde suche a simple knowledge of God bring you well to eternall life The sicke Very hardly for it is eternall life to confesse and knowe one onely God and hym whome hée hathe sente hys onely eternall sonne oure Lorde and Sauioure Iesus Christ Minister For what
cause is it necessarie for you to confesse and knowe the Lord Iesus Christ The sicke Bycause I must recouer in Iesus Christe all that whiche I haue lost in my self by meane of the sinne of the olde Adam wherein I was conceyued and borne Wherefore it was néedefull for my saluation that Iesus Christe very God and verye man being clothed with oure fleshe shoulde of his frée liberalitie and grace giue me all that which I had lost in Adam Minister It is very well sayde that is the cause why Iesus Christe was conceyued by the holy Ghost and borne of the Virgine Marie to purge and sanctifie you for cleane contrary to him you are conceyued and borne in sinne and of sinfull parents wherefore do not you confesse that wythout Iesus Christe you shoulde haue remayned a poore and wretched sinner in eternall death The sicke Yes verily but I beléeue and confesse that this good Iesus Christ hathe reconciled me to God his Father Minister Yea but how hath he reconciled you to God his father The sicke By his deathe and passion in the sheding of his pretious bloud for to deliuer me from eternall paynes This good Iesus Christe hath suffered for me vnder Ponce Pilate manie afflictiōs iniuries and troubles It is Iesus Christ which was crucifyed for me as accursed vpon the woodde of the Crosse to deliuer mée from the eternall cursse wherevnto Adam had bound me This my faniour Iesus Christ was indéede buried to burie all my sinnes wyth him to the ende they shoulde not bée imputed vnto me before god It is my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ which is gone downe into the lower partes suffering an extreame temporall anguishe to deliuer me from an eternall Minister All this whiche you haue nowe confessed of Iesus Christe was it sufficient to saue you The sicke No but that the holy Scriptures should be in euery iote fulfilled for what is it that Iesus Christ should haue profited me to haue bin borne crucifyed dead buried and gone downe into the lower partes for me only withoute being risen agayne Wherefore I beléeue and confesse that my Lorde my head and Sauiour Iesus Christe is risen from the dead to make me to rise with hym as one of his little members into eternall life Minister Consequently it is written that he is gone vp into the Heauens being nowe set at the righte hande of God his Father But what dothe this ascention profit you The sicke My Lord my head and Sauiour Iesus Christe is gone vp into the Heauens to make me to go vp after him for there where the head is the members are also and I beléeue that being set at the right hande of God his Father he is mine Aduocate intercessor and only mediator towards him very wel assuring me that none may be able to hurte me séeing that Iesus Christ is mine aduocate my iudge togither wherefore I haue no occasion to feare the day of his iudgement when he shall come to iudge the liuing and the dead for I beléeue and confesse in steadfast Faith that there is no iudgemente nor condemnation againste those whiche are faithfull members in Iesus Christ Minister Who hathe giuen him the grace to vnderstande and knowe all these things The sicke It is by the grace of the holye Ghost one onely God with the Father and the sonne by whose meane we receyue all the good thinges and giftes whiche are offered vnto vs in Iesus Christ Minister Séeing that you haue alreadye confessed that you are a member of Iesus Christ it followeth then that you are also incorporate to hys Churche the whiche ye ought to beléeue to be holy Catholike and vniuersall The sicke I beléeue certaynely the holye Church vniuersal washed and clensed in the pretious bloud of Iesus Christ wherefore I doe most humbly thanke him that he hath gyuen me the grace to be one of the little members of his Church and beyng baptised in his name he hath made me to liue in the communion vnitie and charitie of the same hauing instructed me with his holy word and nourished me with his true bodye hauing giuen me to drinke of hys most pretious bloud in hope of the eternall life Minister Nowe séeing that you are so well founded vpon the liuely Rocke which is Iesus Christ and knowing your selfe well you must confesse and acknowledge the principall good things whiche you haue receyued of thys Lord Iesus Christ The sicke It is very méete for I will not be ingrate to acknowledge the good things and giftes that I haue receiued of God wherefore I consesse that I wretched and miserable sinner haue infinitely and withoute ceassing offended the goodnesse and iustice of God hauing transgressed his holy commandements In doing whereof I haue deserued eternall death and damnatiō Notwithstanding I appealing to the mercie of God do aske him mercie and beléeue and confesse vndoubtedly that my sinnes are fully and wholly forgiuen me by the only merite of the deathe and passion of my Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ in the sheding of hys most precious bloud wherein I doe assure my selfe to be sufficientlye and fully washed and purged which is the greatest cōtentation and good thing that euer I mighte receyue and such is my faith in the whyche I will liue and dye by the grace of the holy Ghost Minister Séeing that you haue receyued so great a good thing of God by the meane of his sonne Iesus Christe it behoueth you also to do hys commandementes for euen as he hathe pardoned and forgiuen you all your sinnes euen so likewise must you fréely and with a good heart forgiue all those whiche may haue offended you other wise you shall not walke according to God. The sicke Héerein haue I knowen the Law of Iesus Christ to be the onely holy and perfect lawe commaunding vs to loue our neyghbours both friēds and enimies as our selues wherefore I beséeche all those whome I may haue offended eyther in worde or déede to forgiue me with as good a heart as I doe forgiue all whyche haue offended me desiring to doe them pleasure and seruice as to my good bréethren and friends Minister Now séeing that it is ordeyned of God that all men shall dye we may not resist his ordinance but we must continually conforme our selues to his holy will wherfore my brother you may not find it strange if I doe declare vnto you that which the good Prophete Esay dyd declare to the King Ezechias saying vnto hym from the Lorde Giue order to thy house for thou shalt die shalt liue no longer This good councel should stirre you vp to dispose your self spiritually well in your cōscience It is first to turne your selfe to God and to bewayle your sinnes as this good King did to implore his mercie in asking him forgiuenesse and saying alwaye in your heart O Lord God be