holy grace Amen At the Creede The Declaration AFter the Gospel followeth the Creede to put vs in minde of the multitude of Gentils who by preaching and miracles receiued the light of faith Here eleuate your hart with much feruour to God and offer him this humble request The petition ILluminate my soule o Lord with a true knowledge in the diuine Mysteries of our most holy Faith and giue me constant courage in the faithfull profession thereof yea to the cheerefull hazard of my life and of what else soeuer may be dearest to me for thy sake Vouchsafe also I beseech thee through the sacred meritts of thy beloued sonne IESVS a speedy reduction of our poore English Nation to a happy reconcilement with his only deare spouse the holy Catholike Church O lett not the meritts of his most precious blood be further frustrated in those soe dearely redeemed soules by this soule destroying sinne of vnhappie Schisme and Heresie At the second Dominus vobiscum The Declaration THis Dominus vobiscum immediately after the Creed or after the Gospel when the Creed is not said signifies the presence of our Lord Sauiour vpon Earth working stupēdious miracles to establish his holy Faith in the harts of his followers We must here craue that by the presēce of Gods heauenly grace our life may be answerable to his holy example and that we contradict not by our actions what we professe by the Christian maximes of our Faith The petition GRant me good Lord the continuall memory of thy diuine presence since it belongs onely to thee to reward or punish my thoughts my words and my deeds according to their due desert O let me be the subiect of thy diuine iustice in this world that I may enioy thee by eternall mercy in the other Amen At the offertory The Declaration THe offertory or oblation which is made of the Host vpon the paten and of the wyne in the chalice signifies the great promptitude and feruent affection proceeding from a deliberate will which our Sauiour had during his whole life to offer himselfe vnto God his Eternall Father to suffer his most bitter death and Passion for our Redemption Here now in all due gratitude we are bound in vnion of this most holy oblation to offer our selues to God most redily for his sake to suffer whatsoeuer his blessed will and prouidence shall ordayne for his honour and for the good of our ow ne soules yea death it selfe for his greater glory if occasion should soe require the same and to this effect say from a feruent hart The petition ACcept o heauenly Father this holy oblation of the body blood of thy only begotten sonne IESVS-CHRIST which together with all the powers both of my body and soule I here most humbly present to thy heauenly Maiesty in due gratefull acknowledgment of thy great mercy and for the expiation of all my grieuous sinnes Amen At the Lauatorie The Declaration THe Priest washeth only the ends of his fingers to signifie that in this diuine action he ought to be pure and free euen from veniall sinne for as concerning mortall had he been guilty it is to be supposed he has bene purged from that by precedent repentance nor is he worthy saith diuine S. Dennis to be present at these sacred Mysteries who voluntarily and with a deliberate purpose shall continue in the least veniall sinne The petition CLeanse blessed Lord IESVS by thy most precious blood my defiled soule O immaculate and most pure Virgin obtayne me grace by thy powerfull intercession soe rightly to detest all sinne as that by true repentance being entirely reconciled to thy blessed sonne I may the more fruitfully assist at this diuine sacrifice make more a pleasing oblation to his Eternall praise glory Amen At orate fratres c. and at the secret prayers The Declaration THe matter for the holy sacrifice now being prepared the Priest turnes to the people and desireth their prayers that it may become an acceptable oblation to God both for himselfe and them By the ensueing secret prayers we are put in minde how our most milde and patient Sauiour was constrayned by the malitious Iewes to retyre himselfe from his beloued Hierusalem to the valley of Ephraim where priuately he informed the Disciples of his approaching death and passion Here say with a compassionate hart The petition O What incomparable great griefe oppressed thy tender hart o my most louing and deare Redeemer IESVS to see thy selfe most iniuriously excluded from thy beloued Hierusalem by these vngratefull Iewes From whence by due reflexion vpon my selfe I haue iust cause to be confounded with exceeding shame considering how often I haue by my enormous sinnes constrayned thee to abandon thy desired habitation in my soule Blessed Iesu for thy tender merci's sake vouchsafe that I neuer more be separated from thee but that in life and death in tyme in all Eternity thou maist be the sole possessor of my whole hart soule Amen At the Preface The Declaration THe Preface or entrance into the sacred Canon of the Masse which is said with a loude voyce and ends with that high exclamation to Christs honour and praise of Hosanna in Excelsis signifieth the solemne entrance of our Blessed Sauiour vpon Palme-sunday into Hierusalem with that generall cry and applause of all the people Blessed is he who commeth in the name of our Lord Hosanna in the highest Here say with true feruent affection The petition LEtt shame and iust confusion ouerwhelme my soule considering with what ioy the Iewes receiued this our most louing Redeemer they hauing had neither Faith nor certaine knowledge that he was the true Messias of the law whereas I hauing both remaine yet voyde of all true feruent loue piety or deuotion towards this my soueraine Lord whom the Angels praise Dominations adore and whose heauenly glory the Powers Virtues and Seraphins magnifie with mutuall gladnesse with whome lett vs also now ioyne our prayers and prayses saying Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbaoth the Heauens and Earth are full of thy glory blessed is he that commeth in the name of our Lord. Hosanna in the highest At the Canon of the Masse which beginnes at Te igitur c. The Declaration NOw followes the Canon of the Masse so called because it is a constant Rule and order which the Church obserueth in the celebration of this her highest sacrifice for it changeth not like other partes of the Masse which dayly differ according to the seuerall feastes and Mysteries which we celebrate but this being the principall part of the sacrifice is immutable as is the holy sacrifice it selfe and it puts vs in minde of the bloody agonie of our Blessed Sauiour in that prayer which he made in the garden sweating water and blood the night before his bitter passion forsaken of all his dearest friends but in most perfect conformity vnto his heauenly Fathers will In vnion and homage whereof say
a Frend extolls and highly prayseth vs our Enemie much more for our good doth abase and decryes vs downe least we should grow proud and insolent Yea when prosperity extolls and makes vs vaine and by flattering applause puffs vp our soule with dangerous pride our Enemie will keepe vs downe by persecution and administers to vs thereby the souueraign'st antidote to preserue vs from that contagious sinne If Enemies were not necessary for our good God would not permit them but they are exceeding profitable to the good for their exercise of holy Patience and of other vertues for if the Church had not had Tyrants Heauen would not haue had those glorious Martyrs and were there no Enemies we should not see so manie good and holy men yea dayly experience doth plainly manifest the great good which is reaped by Enemies for auoyding of whose murmurations and detractions we are made much more wary and diligent in all our beheaueour and actions yea we must regarde them as the Ministers of Almighty God and as true promotours of our saluation therefore they well deserue our loue aswell as great compassion also considering what great harme they frequently doe themselues by profiting vs. And such as find so great a difficulty to loue an Enemie may well conceiue it a much more harder thing to endure the eternall flames of Hell for compelled we are to choose one of the two the beloued Apostle assuring vs that who loueth not is guilty of death Iohn 3. He meanes of that death which is eternall but now vndoubtedly he chooseth verie ill who will rather be damned for euer then loue his Enemie whom vnder paine of eternall punishment he is commanded to loue and that not in word nor in tongue but really indeed and treuth saith the same Apostle Epis 1.3 For true Charity is a burning fire actiue and appearing in all necessary seruices towards our neighbour doing good for euill with a cordiall and gracious affability for the loue of God for what measure we shall vse to our neighbour herein the selfe-same will God vse vnto vs. Math. 7. And therefore who will not pardon their Enemies such by saying their Pater noster and praying God to forgiue them as they forgiue those who haue offēded them they doe not pray but rather demāde a most heauy curse malediction vpon thēselues for they expresly in true effect demand that God should not forgiue them like as they forgiue not those who haue offended them Doe you therefore your selfe that first to your neighbour which you desire that God should doe for you for foe shall my heauenly Father doe to you if you forgiue not euerie one his brother from your hartes saith IESVS-CHRIST Math. 18. And it is also most euident that all iniuries whatsoeuer which can be done them by others are exceeding small in comparison of that great hurt which they doe to themselues in killing their owne soule by that wicked sinne of hatred and reuenge whereby they become like vnto him who to teare his enemies garment he pierceth his owne body with a mortall wound for the wrong from an Enemie concernes but the body only or our goods or good name but hatred and vnlawfull reuenge is that which killeth the soule by depriuing it of the grace of God and moreouer it obleiges vs yet further to aske pardon to confesse to doe pennance for it and finally to reconcile our selues with whom we were angry in all which there is farr more difficulty then had been at the first in suppressing our anger by casting it speedily from our thoughts as we doe spareles of fire which fall vpon our cloathes or by an act of humble patience conseruing thereby our selues in true charity and quiet peace How Patience may be practised in the occasion of contempt and disesteeme the last parte of this Exercise of holy Patience I Must not omit to set you downe here one fierce encounter more for Patience against contempt and disdaine wherein this vertue is frequently as hard put to it for getting off victorious from that dangerous conflict as from anie other whatsoeuer for here we are to fight against our selues the hardest combate of all the rest and for which we are chiefly strengthned by the helpe of true Humility which in all occasions of contempt doth serue vs as a soueraigne Antidote against the swelling anger that inflames the hart by pride and is abased by pondering First the miseries of man and little ground he hath for his owne esteeme which had it all the aduantage that either noblenesse of birth or anie worth of Auncesters can giue yet neuer could the greatest Monarch driue vp his Pedegree beyond these three descents of being the sonne of a Man the Grand-child of Earth the great grand-child of nothing which is the lowest point of anie created extraction Yea such is the great misery of Man saith a holy Father as but to thinke of his beginning may well confound him to consider his present state may giue him iust cause to lament to remember his finall end may iustly make him to tremble with horrid feare I will second the former motiue for Humility with this one reflexion more whereby to strengthen Patience against this strong encounter of contempt to which though Pride hath naturally exceeding reluctance yet if we well behold our selues but in the glasse of humaine miserie it will be able to compell vs euen to contemne yea and to confesse that no contempt is able to exceed what the basenesse of our extraction may deserue whose conception is but loathsome impurity our present state but a sacke of filth and our pampered carcase what is it but prepared food for the crawling wormes 3. Our verie entrance into this world doth well prognosticate all our future successe therein who no sooner borne but also bound both hand and foot and tossed too and fro in a cradle presaging well thereby the seruitude and restlesse disquiet of the succeeding life of Man wherein his childhood passeth in folly in feare of correction and in ignorance his youth is rash passionate and voluptuous his manhood is subiect to be charged with the care of a wife children and familie from whence proceeds solicitude and affliction and lastly commeth creeping ould age stealing suddainly vpon vs whereby we receiue manie incurable wounds by decay of our senses chief powers of our soule our strenght falling vs our hands beginn to tremble our spiritts grow faint our stomakes corrupt our leggs become gowty our teeth dropp away and thus we are perplexed all the dayes of our life with griefe care and calamity and yet our death must also end in paine and exceeding horrour All which now being well considered and due reflection made vpon our great abiection and infinitt humaine miseries which wayes can we cast our eyes whereon to ground our selfe esteeme or pride Yea much rather haue we not great cause to iudge that no contempt can be so
Melancholy in Autumne Fleme in Winter Blood in the Spring 2. To pray for the fruits of the earth In the Spring when they are sowne and begin first to grow In Sommer that they may come to due maturity In Autumne for a seasonable haruist to reape and to lay them in And finally in winter that we may vse them temperately and without offending God 3. Because as each quarter of the yeare contayneth three whole monthes so by appointing to each quarter these three dayes of fast we giue vnto God thereby one day of each month in the yeare as the first fruits which are most due to him Wednesday is one of these dayes ordayned for this fast because vpon that day the Scribes and Pharisies did meete in Councell there resolued to put IESVS to death On Friday we fast in memory of the cruell execution of that theire sacrilegious rage And finally on Saturday we also fast in memory of the blessed Virgin and Apostles exceeding great sorrow and griefe during our Sauiour's lying buried in the graue till sunday morning that by his most glorious Resurrection he likewise raised their sad harts to new ioy And by these two dayes abstinence our minds are much better prepared to sanctifie the sunday following as we ought Finally we fast and pray vpon imber dayes thereby to inuocate the grace of the holy Ghost for all such as are in those tymes to take sacred Ordres in the Church that such only may be admitted vnto that holy Sacrament as shall be to Gods glory for the good of soules and for the edification of his deare spouse the holy Catholike Church by the promotion of such worthy persons only whose iust merit may make them deseruing of that sacred Ministrie and to be choosen fitt Pastors and Prelates for that high and dreadfull dignity to haue the charge and gouernment of our so deareby redeemed soules Of our fasting vpon Vigills and Eues YOu haue now seene that the institution both of the fast of Lent and Ember dayes was not without a verie pious and profitable end the next is to shew both the cause and motiue wherefore the Eues or Vigiles were also appointed to be obserued fast For which it is to be noted that they were first ordayned in imitation of our blessed Sauiour his frequent night watchings in prayer â—s we may reade in S. Luke 12. And manie other places of the Gospel and likewise for a better preparation against the ensueing fâ—ast in disposing our minds thereby more fittingly to celebrate the same But afterwards by length of tyme and great increase of Christianity and chiefly by decay of that first primitiue holy spirit amongst the Christians manie great abuses were commited by those night meetings in the Church and in steade of prayer and piety the ruder and deboister sorte did make but gaimesome sportes and iuncatings whereof S. Ambros being aduertised by deuout S. Monica he caused therevpon those Vigiles or night watchings to be changed into fasting dayes thereby the better to prepare both our harts and mindes to holy prayer and purity for the more worthyly celebrating of the ensueing feast which custome the Church hath both approoued and practized euer since Of the Rogation dayes THe Rogation-dayes are so called because vpon those dayes the Church hath ordayned that in publike Processions we sing the Letanies which Litaneia a greeke word doth signifie the same as Rogation or supplication doth in Latine This deuotion of the Letanies or Rogation is a verie antient-custome in the Church as S. Basil witnesseth epist 63. And in the tyme of S. Greg. Thaumaturgus about the yeare 240. that deuotion was in vse though afterward renewed and with fasting and procession adioyned to the Letanies they were more solemnly practised by S. Mamertin Bishop of Vienna in France about the yeare 452. he commanding those afflicted people to ioyne repentant harts and feruent prayers with the intercession of all the blessed Saints to craue Gods Mercy and to free them from that iust punishment of their sinnes by most horrid Earthquakes and by woolfes and other rauanours beastes which came by flockes into their townes and denoured all sortes of people These Rogation dayes appointed to be vpon the 3. dayes immediately before the Ascension of our Lord are called the lesse Rogation because it was ordayned in a lesser and much meaner place as also by a much inferiour Prelate then is the Rogation vpon the day of S. Marke which was appointed by S. Gregory the great and in the most famous Citty of Rome vpon the apparition of an Angell on the topp of Moles Adriani for that occasion now euer since called Castel Angelo there sheathing his sword in testimonie that Gods angry wrath was appeased which had immediately before stroock dead so many thowsands suddainely as they were sneezing or yawning From whence begunn the custome that so soone as anie was hard to sneese all then who were neere runn presently to assist him saying God help or God blesse you as euer since the custome hath continued when any sneese to say God blesse you and also to make the signe of the Crosse vpon our mouthes in yawning as they also did This deuotion of the Letanies with procession and abstinence first institutâ—d vpon the occasions as you haue heard was recommended and commanded also afterward by the holy Church to be generally obserued by all her faithfull children for other good ends and motiues those dayes falling out about the verie season that Armies are then vsually preparing for the field The thunder and lightning is then also most frequent which like Gods fiery darts fly threatning vs ouer our heads The fruits of the earth are then generally in their tender growth and therefore verie subiect by manie seuerall casualities to take much harme Finally it is the tyme that both men and beastes are verie subiect to sicknesse and mortality all which being but the lamentable effects in due punishment of our sinne therefore our pious and carefull Mother the Cath. Church grounded vpon the self same iudgment with S. Paul reprehending the Corinthians of his tyme for prouoking God to anger by their irreuerences and vnworthily communicating the body and blood of our Lord for which he there declares that God seuerely punish't verie manie of them with seuerall sortes of diseases and with death it selfe 1. Cor. 11 therefore I say the holy Church hath great cause to command this deuotion vpon Rogation-dayes by prayer abstinence and Processions to stirr vp her children to penance and to cry for mercy in time and by those Letanies to craue the intercession of all the blessed Saints and Angells vnto God for vs which being the end and only motiue of her ordayning these Rogation-dayes and withall considering both the venerable antiquity and great authority of this deuotion in the Church it might well suffice to stopp our moderne Sectaries from their inueying without all reason against this so holy and deuout a custome
it conserues our harts in perfect peace and though diuers occasions may hinder our prayer or the practise of some charitable good worke yet we haue alwayes the good oportunity giuen vs thereby to exercise the true vertue of Patience and holy Conformity which in that encounter will be much more pleasing to God and more effectuall for our perfection then would be those our other good actions which we intended to doe because therein our owne will is principally to be found but in this is the true will of God by the denyall of our owne wherein all true ad solid Christian perfection consists At the striking of the Clocke DVring the tyme of the day let the stricking of the Clock put you in minde of that vertue which in your morning prayer you resolued to practise that day or of the vice which you intended chiefly to shunn Let it be a renewing of the purity of your intention an awakeing the memory of Gods diuine presence and of his innumerable blessed benefitts bestowed vpon you offer vp our Lord IESVS with his infinit merits vnto the blessed Trinity as the most propitious sacrifice for your sinne Or finally raise vp your hart vnto God by this or some such like aspiration blessed be the houre wherein my Sauiour IESVS became Incarnate was borne and died for my sake It is a holy practise also to make then the signe of the Crosse vpon our hart offering to him thereby all our thoughts words and deeds crauing his grace that wemay neuer offend him grieuous ly thereby At the Aue Marie bell or the Angelus Domini THis is a verse ancient and pious deuotion generally obserued throughout the vniuersall Church to admonish vs both morning noone and night to make an humble and gratefull acknowledgment of thanks-giuing vnto the blessed Trinity for the chiefest Mysteries of our holy Faith by saying those three versicles adioyned to the Angelicall Salutation and the prayer there added at the end which deuotion is ordinarily called the Angelus Domini because so it beginnes And it is to be said in the morning in humble and thankfull acknowledgment of that most glorious Mystery of the Resurrection of our diuine Redeemer at noone in honour and memory of his most sacred death and Passion And finally in the Euening in homage and adoration of his blessed Incarnation and byrth This deuotion I recommend the more earnestly vnto you for that it being at the selfsame tyme so generally practised by Gods Catholike children throughout the vniuersall world you ioyne your selfe thereby to that holy vnion of so manie blessed good soules and makeing together with them your due oblation of all humble homage gratitude it will be much more acceptable to his diuine Sonne our only and most glorious Redeemer How to preuent disquiet of minde for such Crosses and afflictions as are most likely to befall vs. REflect oftentymes vpon these crosses that by foreseeing the occasions most likely in probability to fall out you may be the better prouided to resist and defend your selfe Offer them with a cheerefull hart to God in vnion of the sacred merits of IESVS-CHRIST whereby they may be made worthy to be accepted by him in pennance and expiation of your sinne But if for all this you finde your minde begin to be disquieted with them let reason conuince you that what is now without remedy ought not by fruitlesse vexation to increase your harme whereas by a sweet and milde regard with the eyes of your soule towards God adoring his blessed will and subiecting your selfe with a cheerefull conformity to his diuine and all-disposing Prouidence you would not only preserue a most weet happy repose of mâ—nde but also by a gratefull oblation and sacrifice vnto him of that little Crosse your gaines would inestimably exceed all losse whatsoeuer could happen thereby vnto you How to moderate our griefe conceiued at the suddaine newse of the death of some deare frend MOurning for the losse of frends is not to be blamed nature being allowed to shew its sense and feeling within the limits of Prudence and Reason in so iust a cause Thus Abraham bewayled the death of Sara his beloued wyfe Iacob deplored Ioseph conceiuing him as dead The Israelits bewayled the death of Moyses 30. dayes This IESVS-CHRIST himselfe approoned by his owne diuine example sighing and shedding teares for the death of Lazarus By all which we may conclude that moderate mourning for the death of frends is not reprooued it passing not due bounds nor to the notorious preiudice of our life or health which God and nature obleiges vs to preserue for the contrary would offend both God and the soules of our departed frends who euen in the paines of Purgatory are extreamely comforted with Gods blessed will and disposition euen in those their present sufferings It is therefore much more worthy of a Man to let reason preuaile with him for the cure of that which tyme would effect to his greater harme it being also most certaine that as immoderate griefe doth but hurt to the liuing so it doth no good at all to the dead it much hurtes our selues and is verie troublesome to others We must not lament saith S. Paul as the Gentils doe who neither haue assured hope as we nor are comforted with the expectation of an endlesse Blisse whereby he forbids not a moderate sorrow but only excesse which proceeds either from selfloue or from infidelity And therefore we must take heed saith S. Cyprian least we giue occasion for Pagans to think that all is but fables which Christians beleeue of the other life as in some sort they might haue cause by seeing vs so excessiuely to deplore those whom yet by death we beleeue to haue obtayned euerlasting felicity When our labours or sufferings grow teadious and seeme ouer burthensome vnto vs causing melancholy and sadnesse of hart and how to apply the remedy IN these occasions we must call to minde the laborious and wearisome paines which IESVS-CHRIST true God and man did suffer to satisfie for our offences and thereby to pourchace our saluation For which due gratitude exacts from vs that with cheerefull conformity to his blessed will we also embrace as well the laborious actions as also what sufferings soeuer he shall please to impose vpon vs. Craue huÌ„bly by earnest prayer that Gods diuine loue may be the sole possessor of your hart for enioying that you will haue both strength and courage for all the rest But if sadnesse or melancholy notwithstanding this shall deiect your hart you must then with a generous courage raise it vpp to praise with pious feruour your Creatour and mercifull Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST and in dispite of that dull heauinesse of minde reioyce with all cheerefull gratitude for that his goodnesse hath made you capable of so noble and happie an end for which he hath also afforded you so manie great and easie meanes whereby to obtayne the same for this will driue away that
faults those persons are so much to be blamed what then might we our selues deserue if all the great crymes whereof God sees vs guilty were lay'd open to Men. Let vs eleuate interiorly our harts and craue humbly his diuine grace for the amendment of our owne great faults which being so verie manie we haue small cause to busie our selues in looking after those of our neighbour and yet quite to the contrary none vsually doe looke more narrowly into other Mens faults and liues then they who make least accompt of their owne nor doe anie so seuerely examine the actions of others as those who are most licentious and haue least care to amend what belongs to themselues Be therefore verie carefull to auoyde all detraction in your owne discourse and discreetly endeauour to preuent it in others at least seeme not well pleased thereat or retyre your selfe discreetly and with the least offence you can from the companie Auoyde as much as may be all discourse about publike and state affaires experience well teaching vs that through a seeming zeale of the common good we are precipitately push't on to rash iudgment beyond the due respect we owe to soueraigne powers and to their chiefe Ministers whom oftentymes we notoriously iniure as also our owne soules and stand thereby by engaged to much more satisfaction then we can well conceiue which way to acquitt Finally speake euill of none but your-selfe neither busie your minde with other Mens faults but much rather about the mending of your owne and if by some detracting calumnie you shall be iniured I recommende to you the vertuous moderation of that morally diuine Plato well deseruing to be imitated by anie good Christian herein who once being tould by his frend of a notorious detraction whereby his Enemie had greatly preiudiced his good name he made this modest and verie lawdable reply I will endeauour to liue in such sort saith he as the world shall not beleeue that to be true which he hath reported of mee To conclude if you heare anie speake ill of their neighbour say with a holy Man in the like occasion O how much are we bound to God for his grace if we be not much worse our selues And therefore who well knowes but himselfe will neuer speake ill of an other but rather abhorre Detraction as an infectious poison to all good Conuersation for which the precedent discourse now sufficing the next shall bee Against Ieering Scoffing and all prophane discourse THe next neare adioyning vicious branch to Detraction Rash-iudgment is Ieering and vnciuill discourse which being so common and verie hurtfull to all humane Conuersation I will endeauour briefly to giue you here a character of this vice whereby beholding it's sinfull deformity you may the more be mooued to detest the same And for the better vnderstanding hereof it is to be obserued that there be two sorts of euill Iesters or Ieerers The first are such as mocke and scoffe at holy things and make but a ieast of our Faith or Religion of Sacraments Ceremonies and preaching c. yea they prophanely sport and make myrth with the sacred Scripture it selfe Of these the Prophet Hieremy much complayned ch 20. saying that the word of God which he preached was made but a iest and laughter Of this sort are such as ieering and laughing will say God is an honest good Man and will not be so hard to please The Diuell is not so black as they paint him Heauen is great there will be place enough for vs all These and such-like sacrilegious scoffs and mocks are most odious to God saith the holy prouerb c. 1. and his manie dreadfull punishments as likewise his angry and most fearefull threates to deride them also at the doubtfull houre of their death ought to be a sufficient warning for their speedy amendment as may be seene in this sadd example well deseruing a flood of bitter teares related by Doctor Sanders in his Schisme of England concerning K. Henry the eight where he attributes the deplorable destruction of Catholike Religion as a maine cause amongst the rest to those prophane and sacrilegious scoffings and blasphemous ieasts of Syr Francis Bryan the Kings bosome frend and of the Bullins race who thus in nature of a pleasant scoffing ieaster laboured to please the Kings licentious and luxurious humour by pernicious scoffs and ieares at all things which were sacred in the Church One amongst manie others not the least for impiety was this when being demanded by the wanton King what manner of sinne it was to lye with the daughter after he had abused the mother it was iust the same quoth this wicked Bryan as first hauing eaten the henne to feed afte wards vpon her chicken at which the King verie lowdely laughing ha Bryan said he and art thou not rightly indeed my infernall Vicar For so his accustomed blasphemous ieasting to the King had giuen him generally that name and after this he was commonly called by all the Kings Vicar of Hell By these sacrilegious and pernicious Ieeres he so fedd the Kings vicious humour as he also freed his libidinous and sinfull mind from all remorse so that by little and little his voluptuous hart became voyde of all scruple for his most horrid sacriledges which though this irreligious Sycophant by his deriding scoffs had made now to seeme ridiculous to the King yet we haue felt their sadd effects and haue had leasure aboue sixcore yeares to deplore them and the vnfortunate King much more who being come vnto the verie point of his vnhappy death he called for a cupp of white wyne and as taking his last farewell of that his most impious fauorit he dolefully pronounced those disparing words O Bryan all is lost and so immediately dyed leauing thereby for our instruction a sufficient warning against scoffing and all manner of iesting at holy things The other sort of euill iesters are such as scoffe and Ieere at the defects of other Men as did those vngracious children at the Prophet Elizeus for his bald head whom God presently reuenged by wylde beares who deuoured them euery one 4. Kings 2. This scoffing and ieering is verie vsuall at naturall defects as at want of witt want of comelinesse of riches or some corporall sense c. Others much more sinfully mocke at deuotion and vertue calling Piety Hipocrisy Patience Simplicity Cowardlinesse a good Confcience they call Scrupulosity Affability sillinesse and finally there is no vertue which hath not by them it's taunt and ieere for the simplicity of the iust man is scorned saith Iob. c. 12. but let them beware in good tyme and not be deceiued for God will not be long mocked by them saith S. Paul and Michol K. Dauids wyfe experienced her iust punishment by a perpetuall disgrace of sterility for ieering and deriding that holy King when shee beheld him in great humility meanely cloathed dancing and playing musicke vp pona harpe before the Arke of God 2.
the good resolutions and affections which he hath giuen you 2. Craue his grace to put them in execution 3. Implore the assistance of the Blessed Virgin and holy Saints Pater Aue. Credo The second Meditation About makeing our last will and Testament Preparation 1. Place your selfe in Gods diuine Presence 2. Beseech him to inspire you 3. Conceiue your souueraine Iudge as thus calling vpon you render an accompt of thy Baylifship Luke 16. Consideration A Will or Testament is only a protestation of iustice by which is giuen to euery one their due The body to the earth and wormes debts vnto creditours the inheritance to lawfull heires our almes to the poore and our soule vnto God to whom we being to render a most strict accompt for the vse of all the Talents which he hath lent vs to be employed for the increase of his glory as also for euery moment of our life and for each thought word and deed therein O what a folly and madnesse is it to differ this important reckning to the last day of our life when the paine of our sicknesse the feare of this accompt the weaknesse of our senses other powers and finally the great importunity of manie then ordinarily about priuate interests will hardly permit vs to doe anie thing as we ought either for the glory of God or for our owne soules good nor yet to our frends satisfaction but frequently with such confusion and so verie vnperfectly as we leaue thereby occasion for quarrels and verie much strife causing breach of charity amongst our nearest friends when we are dead and no small preiudice also to our soules To preuent all which great euills I conceiue it a good expedient that we in tyme of health make vse sometymes of this good Exercise that in rendring thereby familiar these holy Affections of a spirituall Testament we may be inspired also how to dispose a forehand in good tyme of our temporall trust according to true iustice and piety Affections and Resolutions DEare IESV who in thy last Testament gauest all entirely to me dying poore and naked vpon the Crosse for my Redemption without reseruing what might haue couered thy naked wounded body yea all and to the very last drop of thy most precious blood In humble gratitude whereof I here bequeath to thee my life my death my body my soule and all the powers and operations of them both And as the chiefest legacy which thou bequeathed'st to thy Apostles was that new Commandment of mutuall loue Iohn 11.34 In honour and homage of which I here humbly craue thy grace to fortifie me in that holy vertue of Charity whereby I most cordially embrace in vnion of that thy most louing Commandement all against whomsoeuer my corrupt nature may or euer hath conceiued anie auersion And as vpon the Crosse thou there did'st recōmend thy sacred Mother vnto thy beloued Apostle Iohn 19. in him vs all vnto her so I here Lord Iesv now recōmend most hūbly vnto thee all the necessities of thy deare Spouse our holy Mother the Cath. Church of all my dearest frends and greatest enemies to assist and protect them in all their necessities both of body and soule and to bring vs all finally to that eternall Blisse there to praise to loue to glorifie thee for euer This Lord IESV is my present will and Testament which I here willingly signe both with my heart and hand Vouchsafe thou to strengthen and confirme the same by putting to it the seale of thy heauenly grace that no sinfull malice may euer change this holy resolution Conclusion 1. Thanke God for your good Affections and Resolutions 2 Implore his grace to make good vse of them 3. Craue Pardon for your negligence in Prayer Pater Aue. Credo The third Meditation Of Confession and Satisfaction which we ought to make to God for our sinnes Preparation 1. Place your selfe in the presence of God 2. Beseech him to inspire you 3. Conceiue your selfe as a guilty criminel before your iust and Soueraigne Iudge Considerations FIrst calling to mind Gods innumerable benefits and rendring him humble tankes for the same it is fitting in the next place to acknowledge our manie grieuous offences and crauing most humbly Gods diuine pardon to resolue vpon due satisfaction for them And to this end it is verie requisit to make a good Confession and that with more then ordinary diligence and with as careful preparation as if it were to be our last conceiuing our selues as if in the case of K. Ezechias when God sent the Prophet Esaie to warne him to prepare for death who presently therevpon be thought himselfe for the state of his Conscience and as one awakened at that message of death he said I will recompt to thee all my yeares in the bitternesse of my soule Isaie 38. Doe you now the like and prepare your selfe by true repentance for your offences past with a firme purpose to amend resoluing to make restitution if cause require it as also to depose all ill will and enmity to put away all imminent danger of mortall sinne And finally stirr vp your heart to true feruent deuotion by these enfuing affections and resolutions or the like Affections and Resolutions THou hast created me ô God to loue and serue thee who are most worthy of all seruice and loue My obligation to thee is infinit and yet how often and how greeuously haue I offended thee by thought word and deed by my corporall senses and by all the powers of my sinfull soule yea by the abuse of those verie creatures which thou so carefully hast ordayned for my vse Ah how enormous is my ingratitude and infidelity O my most deare Redeemer IESV I cast all these my detestable sinnes into that immense Ocean of mercy still flowing from thy most precious blood purify me thereby o Lord and confirme my present resolution rather to dye then by the like to offend thee any more O that my heart could melt into true sorrow griefe for my detestable sinne and into teares of blood to wash away my haynous crymes What cane I doe great God in reparation of so infinit a wrong but only to offer vnto thee that inexhaustable treasure of the sacred Passion of thy diuine Sonne IESVS which I here presentto the glorious Trinity in satisfaction and expiation of all my sinnes committed from the instant of my first vse of reason vntill this present tyme. In vnion of which deare ransome I here entyrely now giue my selfe to thee I accept and most willingly embrace all the paines both in body and soule which thou hast allotted me either for this world or the next Admit thereof sweet Lord I beseech thee and of this my present resolution The Conclusion 1. Thanke God for your good Affections and Resolutions 2. Craue grace to put them in execution 3. Begg humbly pardon for all negligence or irreuerence in your prayer Pater Aue. Credo The fourth Meditation Of
great as we deserue and yet our happinesse in this surpasseth farr all other mortall creatures that by enduring with vertuous Patience this small tēporall contempt we may auoyde the eternall paines which our sinnes haue most iustly deserued and at the selfesame instant also that we endure here this small wordly despise God and his Angells will honour and esteeme vs in Heauen for the same Despise therefore with a true generous courage all momentary vaine glory the deceiptfull esteeme of men seeing that by your vertuous renouncing them you gaine that only true honour and glory in the sight of God which only is right worthy of esteeme But to be yet further encouraged and with a more powerfull motiue to be patient in the greatest contempt you may please but to cast the eyes of your consideration vpon the whole life of our glorious Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST and there you shall finde that from his birth in the manger vntill his death vpon the reproachfull Crosse he was in a continuall state of abiection there suffering contempt and disdaine Yea ioy being proposed vnto him he sustayned the Crosse contemning confusion Heb. 12 and the kingly Prophet tells vs that he was a reproach of Men and the verie outcast of the people ps 21. he was dispised and the most abiect of men saith Esa 55. Yea so farr he permitted himselfe to be contemned and vilif'd by his vngratefull creatures that a most facinerous Barabbas should be preferred before him and be esteemed much more worthy to liue then he Mark 15. But you will say notwithstanding that contempt and scorne are pills of a verie rough operation I cannot deny it yet as their effect is exceeding profitable so also their operation may be made both verie gentle and easie by mixing them with a serious ponderation of the great folly in all wordly esteeme and of the vaine praise and opinion of Men calling but to minde how soone both he that prayseth and who is praysed and most flattered by him as likewise who dispraiseth who is dispraised and dispised shall be equally reduced to contēptible dust and how soone they are all to be presented before that dreadfull Throne of God where sinfull malice shall be struck starke dumbe for euer whilst happie Patiēce will be honoured and rewarded for all Eternity All which but well considered would free vs from the vsuall great repugnance which we haue to swallow downe the mentioned pills of scorne or iniury yea it would enable vs verie much to suppresse our vnruly nature and not to looke with an angry eye nor to vse any exasperating words to them who haue dispised vs but to shew much rather all courteous ciuility and in true Charity to pray for them I haue now here proposed to you the practise of such vertues as I conceiued most necessary for a vertuous soule aspiring to perfection I know one may expect I should haue spoke of manie more Yet these contayning the actiue parte of that Christian duty to which we are most obleiged I conceiue it sufficient to comply with my designe of a practicall Rule and leauing the more speculatiue vertues to be perused in longer treatises I will now proceede with the shortest methode I can to THE SECOND PARTE Of this Fifth Rule contayning pious practises for seuerall occasions in the day THE malice of our Ghostly Enemie is so great to preuent vs of the happy end of our beatitude as he setts his trapps in all occasions to draw vs into sinne and therefore to be the better able to auoyde the danger of his temptations of our owne great frailty in the most obuious occasions which occur it will be needfull to gaine by much practise the good habits of pious eiaculations and eleuations of our hart vnto God And because there is no moment of the day wherein we stand not in need of diuine helpe so we ought by this frequent meanes to dart vp our harts with much feruour sometymes to praise his goodnesse then to admire his greatnesse after that to demaund humble pardon for our sinnes or grace to subdue our temptations and to leade a more vertuous life saying with a feruent zeale in occasion of some vaine glory O Maiesty most sublime who wast so lowly humbled for my sake vouchsafe me true Humility of hart and rightly to know my selfe At the beginning of anie principall action direct briefly your intention and hart vnto God saying within your selfe It is for thy loue and honour my deare Lord that I doe this grant me thy grace that I offend the not thereby So soone as you perceiue your selfe assaulted with anie dangerous temptation or in occasion of sinne make the signe of the holy Crosse vpon your hart in token that you humbly craue Gods helpe and that you disauow the sinne or say Lord I suffer violence answer for me Isa 38. Or the like calling earnestly to God for helpe In occasion of impatience O most patient IESV when shall I by thy holy example reioyce in suffering iniuries and contempt for thee In temptation to couetousnesse O treasure Eternall when shall I imitate thy holy pouerty In temptation to Reuenge O most mild IESV who so meekely forgiuest all thy Enemies when shall I by thy diuine Example forgiue the small iniuries which are done against me and rendring good for euill shall pray for my persecutours To demand Charity and other needfull vertues O grant me grace Lord IESV to make me feruent in thy loue patient in aduersity constant in well doing deuout in thy seruice and to be in all things conformable vnto thy most holy will At your going out of dores first purifiing your intention as formerly and keeping Gods diuine presence before your eyes and eleuating your hart vnto him say Shew me o Lord thy wayes and direct me in thy pathe guide my steppes according to thy word to the end that noiniustice may rule ouer me Make perfect my goings in thy path Psal 118. These and such like holy aspirations darted feruourously from a deuout and louing hart doe make our actions verie gratefull vnto God and doe briefly eleuate our hart and minde to him as meditation doth it at large When we are importunely interrupted at our prayers or in anie other good action HIs deuotion or good action is neuer hindred who regards but Gods diuine order and Prouidence which disposeth of all for our greatest good therefore as we ought patiently to suffer interiour distractious so also we must endure the exteriour we may not put our selues in occasion of such distractions but if they happen we must then receiue them as ordayned by God with all quiet Humility and then although it chance that they shall interrupt vs yet Gods order and diuine disposition is not interrupted thereby in vs but much rather is fulfilled therein if we be but faithfull and patient This is the richest and greatest secret of a spirituall life and the truest Paradise vpon Earth for