mei Iesu Christi obijcio inter me iudiciuÌ„ tuum aliter tecum non contendam Et si tibi dixerit Deus quia peccator es dic Domine mortem Domini mei Iesu Christi pono inter te peccata mea si dixerit tibi quod meruisti damnationem dic Domine mortem Domini mei Iesu Christi obtendo inter te mala merita mea Ipsumque dignissimae passionis meritum offero pro merito quod ego debuissem habere heu hon habeo Si dixerit deus quod tibi est iratus die Domine mortem Domini mei Iesu Christi pono inter me iram tuam Deinde dicat ter In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum et si id ipsum non potest loqui dicat conuentus vel astantes In manus tuas domine commendamus spiritum eius Et securus moritur nec videbit mortem in eternum Et in alio vetusto codice SEquntur signa sex quibus homo potest confidere de salute 1 Si credit ea quae sunt Christianae fidei quantum ad omnia ab Ecclesia determinata 2 Si gaudet laetetur quod in fide Christi morietur 3 Si cognoscat se grauiter Deum offendisse 4 Si dolet se tam grauiter Deum offendisse 5 Si proponit a peccatis abstinere si vixerit 6 Si credit sperat venire ad saluteÌ„ aeternam non proprijs meritis sed Iesu Christi Et dicit Anselmus quod hae sex questiones proponi debent homini costituto in mortis articulo addit Deinde dicatur infirmo si Sathan tibi obijciat aliquid opponas merita Christi inter te ipsuÌ„ his peractis sine dubio saluabitur Ista consolatio preparatio ad mortem in vetustis codicibus ascribitur Anselmo qui vixit ante annos 500 in ipsa adulta fere aetate Papismi Si vero dubitaret quis quomodo patres nostri in hisce posterioribus multoque peioribus temporibus salutem aeternaÌ„ possent adipisci grassante Papismo vigente potestate tenebrarum Respondeo eandem fere preparationem intterrogationes fuisse in vsu aestimatione In densissimis Papismi tenebris pessimo nimirum illo tempore Concilij Constantiensis ante annos nimirum 200. sic enim reperio scriptum in alio vetusto codice multis abhinc annis descripto Omnis Christianus siue secularis fiue regularis modo subsequenti de sua salute inquirendus et informandus est 1 CRedis omnes principales articulos fidei insuper toti sacrae Scripturae per omnia secundum sanctorum Catholicorum orthodoxorum sanctae Ecclesiae doctorum expositionem detestatis omnes hereses errores atque superstitiones ab Ecclesia reprobatas ac laetaris insuper quod in fide Christi ac vnitate matris Eccelsiae ac obedientia morieris 2 Cognoscis te Creatorem tuum saepe multipliciter atque grauiter offendisse 3 Doles ex toto corde de omnibus peccatis contra Dei maiestatem amorem benignitatem de malis commissis bonis omissis gratias neglectis non solum timore mortis conturbatus vel paenae cuiuscuÌ„que sed magis ex amore Dei 4 Petis frater omnibus istis veniam a Iesu Christo optans per illum cor tuum illuminari ad cognitionem obliquorum vt de illis valeas specialiter paenitere 5 Proponis te vereaciter velle emeÌ„dare si supervixeris et nunquaÌ„ plus mortaliter peccare scienter sed potius omnia quanticunque chara dimittere imo etiam vitam carnalem perdere antequam Deum plus velles offendere 6 Rogas insuper Deum vt det tibi gratiam hoc propositum continuandi non recidiuandi 7 Indulges ex toto corde omnibus qui vnquam aliquid nocumentum verbo vel facto tibi intulerunt vel aliquo modo offenderunt ob amorem venerationem Domini tui Iesu Christi a quo tu veniam speras Petis etiam fideliter indulgeri remitti tibi ab ijs quos tu offendisti quouis modo 8 Vis ablata restitui integraliter in quantuÌ„ teneris iuxta tuarum facultatum valorem etiam vsque ad omnium bonorum tuorum câ—ssionem inclusiue vbi alias satisfactio fieri non valeret 9 Credis quod parte mortuus sit Christus quod aliter saluari non potes nisi per meritum passionis Domini nostri Iesu Christi agis etiam de hoc Deo gratias ex corde quantum valeas Quicunque autem ad praedictas interrogationes ex conscientia bona fide non ficta vere poterit affirmatiue respondere satis euidens argumentum salutis habet si sic decesserit quod de numero saluandorum erit QVestions to bee propounded to sicke persons whilst they haue the vse of reason and power to speake to the end that if any be not so well disposed to dye he may bee better informed and prepared And the questions be these according to Anselme the reuerend Bishop 1 Let him be asked thus Brother dost thou reioyce that thou shalt dye in the faith of Christ Ans I do 2 Brother dost thou sorrow and grieue for that thou hast not liued so well as thou oughtest The answere I do Brother hast thou a hearty purpose to liue better if God giue thee time to liue Ans I haue Brother dost thou beleeue that thou cannot be saued but by the death of Christ Ans I do Dost thou beleeue that Iesus Christ the Sonne of God dyed for thee Ans I do Dost thou giue thankes to God therefore from thy whole heart Ans I do Well then good brother whilst thy soule is yet in thy body giue him hearty thankes and settle all thy assurance vpon his death alone haue no confidence in any thing else trust thy selfe wholly to his passion couer thy selfe wholly with it fasten thy whole selfe on his crosse cast thy whole selfe into this sea And if thy Lord God say hee will iudge thee answere thou Lord I obiect the death of my Lord Iesus Christ betwixt me thy iudgement otherwise I will not contend with thee And if God say to thee thou art a sinner answer Lord it is so but I set the death of my Lord Iesus Christ betwixt thee my sinnes If hee say that thou hast deserued damnation answer It is true Lord but I place the death and merits of my Lord Iesus Christ betwixt thee and my ill deseruings and I offer vp him the most worthy merites of his passion for the merits which I should haue had but alas haue not If the Lord say further that he is angry with thee answere him Lord thou hast cause but I set the death and suffrings of my Lord Iesus Christ betwixt thy wrath and my soule Then let him say thrise Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit And if he be so weake hee
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.
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