shalt easely get patience in all thy troubles for euerie man in trouble is greatlie comforted when he thinketh that by death all aduersitie is ended and that after death great rewardes are prepared for all those that bee truely patient By this feare is engendred in the soule of a reasonable creature which is the beginning of the amendment of lyf for who is so sencelesse that considering wel and diligentlie the circumstāces of death doth not from top to toe tremble and quake And yf thow wilt say vnto mee I cannot feare death then must I answear thee that it proceedeth of these causes eyther that thow arte not a reasonable creature or that thow arte without vnderstanding or els that thow art ignorant how to consider and think on it wel It is no sinne to feare death because this feare is natural and was in our Sauiour Christe in as much as hee was man and wee fynde that the wise and natural philosophers had an apprehension of death but out of doubt it should bee a moste grieuous enormous sinne yf for such feare one should desyre to continew alwayes remaine in this miserable lyfe yea against God almightie his wil and pleasure And the feare of death in this manner is reproued in holy scriptures It is good then to feare death when such feare induceth thee to the feare and loue of God but it is a verie il thing to feare it when thow art therby disposed to gaine-say the holy wil of God I speak to thee of this laudable and profitable feare and thereto I inuite thee seeing without it holy men haue not profited in the perfection of christian lyfe I refuse and greatly blame that other vnmeasured feare of carnal and wicked men If thow take a custome to remember death in all thyne acts and deeds thow wilt become so timerous to displease almightie God that thow wilt cast from thee all slouth and sluggishnes and that this is true is apparant because yf thow shouldest think that to morrow thow must needs dy suddeynlie thow wouldest bee made wel disposed to all good woorkes Oh how much almes how many prayers how great contrition and what number of teares sobbes and sighes wouldest thow make and powre out Fasting would not bee hard for thee nor to pardon thine enemies nor yet to make restitution of euil gotten goods And therefore when thow art tempted with slouth or that wel doing grieueth thee take this spur of the remembrance of death and therewith prick thyne asse forward driuing him on and saying together with Salomon Eccl cap. 9. bestirre thee to doe good for thow arte to go out of hand where thow cāst not woork any more for thy profit and commoditie S. Gregorie saith valde se sollicitat in bone opere S. Greg. qui semper cogitat de extremo fine that is he maketh himself verie diligent in good woorks that alwayes thinketh on his last end And Seneca not disagreing from this our purpose saith nothing helpeth so much to temperance in all things as the often thinking vpon death wheer with thow maiest direct thy whole lyfe euen as the gouernour of a ship doth direct his vessel who desirous to bring it wel home into the hauen setteth himself at the sterne in the end therof so putting thy self by consideration into the end of thy lyfe thow shalt guide thy soule to the hauen of health Set thy self then continually to consider the end of thy lyfe and yf their commeth vpon thee a desire of worldlie riches say within thy self I must dy shortlie and I may dy euen this hower it standeth mee vpon therefore to take heed that for transitorie gayne I doe not lose my soule and euerlasting blisse If thou bee tempted with ambition and worldlie glorie run immediatlie to the remembrance of death say to thy desire If I am to dy shortlie and paraduenture to day or to morrow what need haue I to think how to make my self great in this world where I am to abyde so litle and short a time So in euerie other carnal desyre and in euerie other temptation that may come to thee eyther of hatred or of enuie or of pryd or of gluttonie alwayes thow shalt help thy self with the remembrance of death And their shal be no sinner so great that with this onlie remedie wel vsed and practised shal not be able to leaue sinne and to do trew pennance with perseueration And note that this remedie although it bee profitable to all yet is it much more profitable to beginners and to those that be nouices in the way of our Lord then to others that be wel forward or come to perfection Therefore as a holie father saith for those that haue gotten an habit in sinne and for the beginners in spiritual lyfe the remembrāce of death is no lesse necessarie and needful then daylie bread vnto the lyfe of the bodie yea it is wrytten that without such remembrance hardlie any one can bee saued for the scripture saith Ecclesiast ◠2 without feare no man is iustified which feare is wont to proceed of the remembrance of death Seeing then that thow knowest sufficientlie the medecine for all thy spiritual infirmities yf thow do not put it in practise vsing it when thow haste need the fault shal be thine And yf thow wilt be a diligent obseruer of this vniuersal remedie at the last end of thy lyfe that may be trewlie sayd of the which a bishop called Theophilus said vpon his death bed vnto the abbot Arsenius Blessed art thow Arsenius which haste alwayes had before thine eyes this last hower of death The Marchant hauing with much attension heeded these the Ermites woords and not without great cōtentation receaued thereby the aforesaid fruites beeing filled with a kynd of spiritual sweetnes hee said vnto the Eremite Father of two thinges I do much meruaile the first is that so few by this so easie way of the remembrance of death endeuour themselues to get so many marueylous spiritual commodities the second is how it cometh to passe that many think and remember themselues of their lyues last hower yet notwithstanding do not attayne to one of the least of these fruits and marueylous commodities To this answered the olde Ermite I shal not be able my sonne without teares to answere thee if I assoyle thy propounded questions seeing so great a multitude of christians to bee damned which so easilie might saue themselues for I am by fraternal charitie constrained to this grief and compassion of the ignorance and negligence of the world To the first then I answere that the world is so ful of so great ignorances and blyndnes and the health of soules so litle or nothing cared for that one ducat of gold or one carnal contentation is more estemed then a thowsand heauens The least thought or care that worldlings haue now adayes is of their saluation Therefore it is not to bee marueyled at that so
comest to mee lyke a traytor with deceytes laying wayt for my lyf I feel thow byndest mee hand and foot and by thy cruel forces suddaynlie bound and taken I see I am drawne as a thief and malefactor to the miserable punishment of myne end seeking ayd in so great sorrow and payne I finde no help nor succour neyther of riches nor of freinds nor yet of kynsfolkes why the hower appoynted of God is comme I must needs go and I know not whether I depart from this world that I loue so wel I leaue all my worldlie goodes and my worldlie felicitie greatly against my wil and so weeping and howling without hope of Gods help I was of cruel death preuented and in a moment lost all my prosperitie the wreched soule was assigned to the euerlasting paynes of hel and my corruptible bodie lost all his beautie and became loth some and stinking the food of wormes This sinner with this head made many other long discourses and had many imagined speaches ful of compunction and verie profitable to him that desireth to dy wel the which did in such wise imprint in his mynd the remembrance of death as thereby hee profited greatly in the way of saluation for he thought that all the miseries aboue mentioned hee might proue in himself yf hee should not against the hower of death be wel prepared But to be short I leaue this second mean and come to the third the which is yet of much more effect then eyther the first or the second The reason whereof may easilie be comprehended for in the first the miserable paines and anguishes of death are heard with the eares in the second they be as it weer seene with the eyes but in the third wee feel them in our selues The hearing surely doth moue much the seeing doth yet moue more but the feeling farre more moueth then either of the other Yf then the first and second mean to meditate vpon death do not moue thee take the third which is practised in this manner Imagine with all the forces of thy mynd that thow art presentlie in that last sicknes in which thow shalt be compelled to passe from this lyfe to another and thow shalt transforme into thee all those accidents which in that hower may happen thee and make them with thy mynde present vnto thee intentiuelie considering all the anguishes sorrowes and paynes of that heauie doleful tyme as though now presentlie thow wearest in the verie agonie of death and think thereon not as it shal come but as yf euen now at this instant thow didest feel in thy self the verie paynes and agonie thereof with thy thought then and with thyne imagination thow shalt suppose that thow art in thy bed forsaken of the phisitiōs as one without all hope of recouering bodilie health when thy tōgue fayleth thee the sences of thy bodie cease to do their woonted offices thow seeist no more nor more shal euer see in this lyfe thow speakest not nor euer shalt in this world speak more eyther wel or il thow hearest no more thow eatest no more thy pulse is scarselie to be perceyued thy bodie in all partes vexed with payne forsaketh thee thy members moue no more thow liest in thy bed like an image of wood or stone thow sweatest from top to toe for extream payne and torment their doth remaine in thee but a litle breath and in this manner sorrowing gaping for breath and striuing with death thow lyest for a litle tyme in such horrible terrible paynes both of mynde and of bodie as in this lyfe thow neuer didest feel so bitter griefes The synful soule seing herself forsaken and abandoned of the bodie whome she loued so deerlye with deep sighes her estate thorowlie weyghed knoweth she can haue neyther succour nor help of the world in this her extream need and therfore on her owne part willing to comfort and helpe her self beginneth to think on her workes yf yet in them she might finde some refuge but not able to finde in her self any other workes then weightie and wicked vices she maketh far greater sorrow then before Yet searching yf on any syde she might finde refreshing in this her hard and bitter case she then with wayling tourneth her to the mercie of God but therewithal knowing this her conuersion to rise of seruile feare seeith her self not in this last hower woorthie of mercie but rather of all rigour of iustice foorthwith is wholy cōfounded not knowing how to escape this horrible and feareful iudgement of the moste great iust iudge before whome the poore and vnhappy soule is now to bee called to appeere in iudgemēt to render a general accompt of all her actiōs euē to the least thought then the sorrowfull soule seeing her self in so great extremitie and not able to satisfie so great a iudge because so strait an accompt is demaūded of her as of all her worldlie goods of her worldlie honours of the members of her bodie and of their powers and how she hath vsed them to the honour of her creatour and the miserable soule not knowing what to answeare the eyes of her vnderstanding beeing opened she knoweth that she is not of her self by the giltinesse of her owne cōsciēce woorthie of glorie but deserueth payne and therefore vtterly desperate seeing she can fynde no relief to ease her vnshunnable payn but rather the encrease therof seeing the diuels appeare before her with moste soule and vglie shapes like fiers lyons watching to deuour her she then more vnhappie than any other creature in that instant feeleth such bitter grief and sorrow that she is forced for vehemencie of her vnspeakable passions to forsake for euer her miserable and contemptible bodie And so suddaynlie taken by those cruel fiendes of hel she is with such grief as cannot bee vttered bound and brought against her wil to that vnhappie and sorrowful countrie where beeing cast in burning fire she their remayneth in euerlasting wo and payne and the dead carkas now become carrion and all foule and stinking with a litle sound of belles and with weeping teares of kinsfolkes is brought vnto the graue whereafter it is put in the groūd it is soone deuoured of wormes turned into earth and ashes And then is verified the saying of Dauid in the Psalme Psalm 9. Perijt memoria eius cum sonitu iustus in eternum permanet that is his memorie hath perished with the sound the iust abydeth for euer and thus is the end of this worldes pomp and glorie Of how great effect the remembrāce of death may bee is shewed by many examples and chiefly by that which Iohn Climacus recyteth of a moste negligent and keycold religious man who taken with a grieuous sicknes was within a while rapt in spirit and when his soule was as it weer cleane separated from the bodie hee saw the iust iudgments of God afterward beeing returned to himself by by he despatched
peril at all After that hee procureth the phisition to giue him too much hope of lyfe and lykewyse all them of the howse And his fteindes and kinsfolkes to comforte him saying Sir bee of good cheere for ye shal amend verie shortlie And yf any religious man come to visit him they warne him or tel him that for nothing in the world he put any feare in him or tel him that hee is in peril to dy All these bee woorkings of our ghostelie enemie Therefore a wyseman so soone as hee feeleth himself sick saith I wil confesse my self and receyue the blessed sacrament and prepare my self for death and after let God woork his holy wil of mee as it pleaseth him for that I am his creature But note that when hee hath made this good determination the deuil doth not yet ceasse to make him delay so good a deed and beginneth to moue his wyf yf hee bee maried and his kinsfolkes to leaue them some of his worldlie substance and they talk to him of many hard thinges and all worldlie In the meane while the sicknes encteaseth and the sickman saith dispatche these businesses I wil in any wyse bee confessed In suche case I would aduyse thee to haue an eye to the principal which is the health of thy soule for the malice of the deuil layeth many snares to catche thee Say not I wil first dispatche my worldlie busines and then confesse mee because it is the deuil that maketh thee to speak so but say I wil first confesse me and prepare for my soule and after I wil dispose these other things of the world because this busines of the soule doth to say the truth importe mee much more then a thowsand worldes And doubt not when thow shalt be confessed thow shalt haue in thee the grace of God and bee better able then to dispose of thy worldlie things with more iudgement and better meanes Now marke wel my sonne for in this rule I wil discouer vnto thee some goodlie secretes which commonlie are not set fourth of some deuout men which haue entreated of this arte to dy wel All how shold and worldlie care beeing then set a side I wil haue thee after thow haste examined thy conscience to make thy confession to a good and learned priest following the example of S. Augustine who in his last sicknes would haue none to enter into his chamber for some dayes together vntil he had made a diligent search examination of his conscience And so hee had written before to a nephew of his and perswaded him that putting a syde all earthlie care in his sicknes hee should turne himselfe wholie to God almightie with great contrition beholding the blessed woundes of our moste mercyful redeemer and bewayling detesting al his faultes past In this tyme it should be verie good to say the seaueÌ„ peniteÌ„tial Psalmes as did thesame S. Augustyne who turning his heauie pale face to the wall where the seauen Psalmes weere written and beeing froÌ„ all other care sequestred sayd them with great aboundance of teares demaunding of almightie God mercie pardon for his sinnes And after such a contrition and repentance for thy sinnes thow shalt then make thy confession with an exact examination of thy conscience and after while thow art in perfect memorie thow shalt receyue the blessed sacrament which is called in latyn viaticum that is to say a viage prouision because it is necessarie and needful in the way by which wee haue to passe from this lyf to the next With how great reuerence and deuotion so great a sacrament is to be receyued I wil not for breuities sake heere declare but wil referre thee for this matter to the examples of the sainctes and especially for the passage out of this lyfe to the glorious doctor S. Hierome where thow shalt fynde with how many teares and with how merueylous great consideration hee receyued the blessed sacrament all which is wrytten for our example When now thow shalt be communicated immediatelie thow shalt require that growing woors thow mayest haue the sacrament of extreme vnction when it shal seeme good to thy ghostly father And heer I wil tel thee a good note which is that yf thow take the sacrameÌ„t of extreme vnctioÌ„ in such manner as I haue instructed thee and yf thow pray to our Lord aswel as thow canst and oftentymes repeat thy prayer and perseuer in desire vntil death asking of God that for his infinite mercy and by the vertue of this holie Sacrament of extreme vnction he wil graunt thee plenarie remission in this lyfe of all thy sinnes that is to say that when thy soule shal be seperated from thy bodie immidiatly without touche of the paynes of purgatorie thow mayest flie to the blisse of euerlasting lyfe Iohn Gerson Chancelor of Paris and William Altissiodorensis affirme with whome agreeth also Peter de Palude that in this case the sick dying with the disposition and holy preparation before mentioned shal not feel the paynes of purgatorie but straight way shal ascend to the eternal ioyes of heauen And it seemeth Cassiobrus was of this opinion touching the plenary remission in alleaging this verse â—salm 115. Dirupisti Domine vincula mea tibi sacrificabo hostiam laudis that is thow haste broken my bandes in sonder o lord to thee wil I yeeld the sacrifice of prayse which as some hold opinioÌ„ being sayd in the end of a mannes lyf doth procure that his sinnes be remitted that is as I expound it touching the payne for as for the fault perfect contrition sufficeth Behold my welbeloued sonne how easilie a christian may obtayne plenarie remission and ful pardon of his sinnes See besydes how much it importeth to knowe this arte of dying wel and how greatlie it profiteth how to knowe to make preparation with the sacraments of holy Churche And yf thow weart at that point that thow couldest then not haue the sacrameÌ„ts in this case thy good desire with the continewance of the said prayer would suffice thee And so by the opinion of Iohn Gerson a verie Catholike doctor William Altissiodorensis thow shouldest lykewyse obtayne plenarie remission by the vertue of that prayer Yea without the sacraments actuallie receyued Therefore marke this notable saying and keep it in memorie and prayse the infinite goodnes of God who for so short and few wordes doth deliuer vs from the payne of so great a fyer The third rule THE third rule for the tyme of sicknes is that thow prepare thy self to be constant and strong against the sundrie temptatioÌ„s whear with the deuil wil trouble thee Wherefore it is to be known according to the doctrine of diuynes that the deuil is more diligent in tempting at the tyme of death then in the tyme of health for he thinking the disease to be mortal saith to himself yf I lose this soule at this instant I lose it for euer wherfore I wil not leaue to doe what
Illumina oculos meos ne vnquam obdormiam in morte ne quando dicat inimicus meus praeualui aduersus eum That is lighten myne eyes that I sleep not in death least that at any tyme my enemy say I haue preuailed against him And yf thow canst say none other at least thow shalt say a Pater noster and Aue Maria deuoutly euerie day with this inteÌ„tioÌ„ that God wil geue thee grace to dy lyke a true christian And although it be a thing very coÌ„uenieÌ„t for the obtayning of such singular grace to haue recourse to the glorious mother of God as also to the apostles martirs coÌ„fessors virgins other saintes in heaueÌ„ yet neuerthelesse thow oughtest particularly to inuocate the ayd of thy good angel who for so much as hee hath a particular care ouer thee wil not faile in that so dangerous and perillous an howre to assist thee with a singuler and special help Some bee accustomed to say this prayer O Domine Iesu Christe deprecâ—r te propter illam amaritudinem quà m pro me misero peccatore sustinuisti in cruce maxime quando nobilissima anima tua egressa est de corpore tuo miserere animae meae in egressu suo Amen That is O Lord Iesu Christe I beseech thee for that bitternes which for mee wretched sinner thow didst endure on the crosse espetialy when thy moste noble soule went foorth of thy body haue mercy vpon my soule when it shal departe out of my body A chanon reguler of the order of S. Augustyne after his death appearing to a freind of his told him that by meanes of this prayer which hee had ordinarily in his lyfe tyme said euery day there was graunted vnto him a verie good happie and quiet death Yf thow shalt then daylie vse so to recommend thy self to God to the saincts and angels thow mayest hope neuer to be abandoned of them in that case And although in time of pestilence or of war thow fynde thy self depriued of all mannes help do not doubt For in that hower thy good angel and the saincts wil not fayle of their desired helpe in due tyme as it is knowne to haue happened to many that trusted in their ayd The fourth and last rule THE fourth rule which ought to be obserued in health is called mortification The deuout men that haue treated of this doctrine wryte that a man ought euerie day to dy that is to say to mortifie his proper passions sences as for example one doth abuse thee in wordes thy passion would answere him and thow wouldest not suffer him to tread thee as it weer vnder his feet but thereby thow shouldest shew thy self not to haue mortifyed thy affections whereas holding thy peace and mortifiyng that violent motion thow shouldest shew thy selfe to bee dead to the world and that thy reason comaundeth ouer thy inferiour affections When thyne eye would see and behold a beautiful creature yf thow restraine thy desire thow shalt mortifie it but yf thow suffer thy self to be caried away by sensualitie then caÌ„st thow not be called dead vnto the world but aliue Therefore it is said of holy men that yf thow desire to dy a trew christian and at the end of thy lyfe to enioy euerlasting blisse it behoueth thee euerie day whilest thow liuest many times to dy And thus oftentymes dying spiritually thow shalt learne the arte to dy wel and safelie and without feare come to the end of thy lyfe with good preparation and their shal be verified in thee the saying of blessed S. Gregorie the great when hee said Non timebit facere quod se nouerit bene didicisse that is to say hee shal not feare to doe that which hee knoweth himself to haue learned wel to do And thus haste thow somwhat vnderstood how thow oughtest to prepare thy self for death in tyme of health which is practised beforehand and in it consisteth fowre rules or principal points the first is called the remembrance of death the second the making of thy testament the third prayer the fourth mortification And now come wee to the second parte where wee shal speak more briefly of the preparation a man ought to make when hee beginneth to bee sick and it conteyneth fowre other principal rules THE SECOND CHAPTER wherein is principally treated of the preparation which a man ought to make in the begining of sicknes and conteyneth fowre principal rules The first rule THE first rule is that when thow feelest thy selfe depriued of health thow do think by and by that almightie God who is the chief goodnes is hee that sendeth thee this sicknes for the greater weal of thy soule and to the end that thow shouldest leaue thy euil lyf or els yf alreadie thow haest amended thy euil lyfe that then thow mayest bee preserued in good lyfe with greater perfection The wyseman sayd Infirmitas grauis sobriam facit animam that is to say A grieuous sicknes maketh the soule sober And Dauid saith Multiplicate sunt infirmitates eorum postea accelerauerunt that is Their infirmities weare multiplied and afterward they made haste Therefore this sicknes without doubt being sent thee of God for thy profit thow oughest to receyue with great patience and thank him for his giftes For although these strypes and fatherlie corrections afflict and greeue the bodie yet they cure the soule and of this thy prayse-woorthie patience many good fruites shal follow First thow shalt greatly merit in the sight of God being conformable to his iust and holie wil and pleasure and it shal be a satisfactioÌ„ for thy sinnes and the more in that thow shalt the more easilie suffer the sicknes it self and so yf God wil that thow ameÌ„d thow shalt sooner bee deliuered Whereas on the contrarie part yf thow shouldest bee impatieÌ„t thow shouldest synne and thy sicknes should bee prolonged and peraduenture also encreased and thow weakened by thyne impatience shouldest then with more difficultie beare euerie litle payne or grief To this purpose S. Augustine said Si Deum diligis quod faecit Deus diligis that is Yf thow loue God thow louest that which God doeth And S. Hierome saith Qui cum dolore agritudinem suscipit signum est quod Deum non sufficienter diligit that is to say It is a signe hee doth not loue God with all his hart as hee ought to do which receyueth sicknes with greef of mynde The second rule THE secoÌ„d rule of preparatioÌ„ that ought to be made in sicknes is so soone as thow perceyuest thy self to bee sick that thow think thow mayest dy of this disease and that thow therefore doe dispose thy selfe to receyue the sacraments of holy Churche as yf thow wert sure thow shouldest then dy in deed In this case the deuil is wont to lay many stoppes to let a man to doe so great good First hee putteth in his mynde that hee shal not dy of that sicknes and that their is no
rule Hebr. 5. THE fourth and last rule obserued of our Sauiour in his passage was that as S. Paule saith Cum clamore valido lachrymis preces offerens exauditus est pro sua reuerentia that is to say offering vp his prayers with a loud cry and teares he was heard for his reuerence sake And the text of the holy gospel saith that our lord hauing cryed with a loud voyce and recomended his soule to his heauenly Father saying Luc. 23. Father into thy handes I commend my spirit yeelded vp his ghoste leauing the bodie without the soule wherevpon is gathered that our Sauiour hath done three things in this last rule First hee cryed with a loud voyce secondly hee wept thirdly hee commended his soule to his Father and then his blessed soule departed from his precious and holy bodie All these thinges ought the sick man to doe that is vpon his last passage and in the agonie of death So that after he hath caused his parents and frendes to retyre hauing taken his leaue of them hee shal first think vpon the state of his conscience and then call vpon almighty God not with a loud voyce but with deep and profound sighes from the bottome of his hart crauing pardon with moste sorrowful teares and intyre contrition of his creator for all his sinnes and offences comitted against his diuyne maiesty let him repent himself of euerie sinne he hath comitted and with sorowful hart aske mercie of almightie God for euerie smal negligence bitterly also lamenting for euerie litle losse of tyme and requiring helpe of our blessed Ladie and all the saintes oftentymes let him say In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum that is into thy handes o Lord I commend my spirit The which woordes the diuynes think to be of verie great vertue And so by meanes of thease preparations beeing filled with good and holy desires thow shalt come to a happy passage of death and finally reÌ„der thy body to the earth and thy soule to thy creator with whome thow shalt liue eternally When the young MerchaÌ„t had heard all these rules hee said to the Ermyte I cannot expresse with my tongue how much your profitable wordes haue bene acceptable vnto mee Surelie ye haue made me know thinges which I shal neuer forget yea more then that I shal endeuour my self through the grace of God with all possible diligence to put in practise and execution all thease 12. golden rules of the arte to dy wel which ye haue declared vnto mee in the precedent chapters But I beseech yow seeing wee be in this talk of death that ye wil answere to certayne doubtes of myne according to your learning the opinion of the sacred diuynes and as ye shal be illumined by the holy Ghoste The Ermite answered that hee was verie wel contented so that hee did not seek to know them of a vaine curiositie The Merchant said I desire to be resolued of certayne doubtes of which the resolutions and declarations shal be to all men prontable and pleasing for their are none which ought not to des re and vnderstand such doctrine because death is common to all and therefore ought euerie one willingly to talk and reason there of The Ermite then said my sonne it is conuenient wee sit downe because my great age requireth some rest as also because when wee sit and repose our selues the spirits wil be better disposed to conceyue and more apt to vnderstaÌ„d the answere and resolution to thy demaundes Begin then and propound in few woordes thy doubtes the MerchaÌ„t then they beeing set downe began to make his demaundes as followeth The first â—â—estion I Demaund in the first place yf wee be all bound to desire death The Ermite answered that in respect of the appetite or desire sensitiue wee be not bound but contrarie it is in respect of the appetite or desire resonable voluntarie and free vnder which the appetite sensitiue ought to be both subiect gouerned The reason heerof is for that according to the opinion of the diuynes wee be bound to leaue our owne lyfe and to accept death for the certayne sure saluation of our neighbour much more then be wee bound to this charitie for our owne saluation the which wee know for certayne cannot be had ordinarily yf first wee dy not And wee beeing bound to desire this last and eternal felicity wee are consequently bound to desire all the meanes necessarie to the attayning thereof And for not desiring of death with reason as aforesaid many Christians are daÌ„ned which yf they might would choose to liue in this miserable world for euer would say to almightie God keep thow thy heauen for thy self for I care not for it it sufficeth mee to liue heer with my freindes and kindred Wherefore it is a thing manifest and playne that such men loue not God And they haue not charitie seeing they neuer care to see his face wherein consisteth all our true and chiefest blisse And thus by this answere the Merchant was thorowlie satisfied and hee said this was a good poynt woorthy to bee wel considered of many worldlings which are perswaded they are not bound to desire death alleaging that the religious and perfect men be they which are bound to desire death and in no wyse seculer and wordly men But without all doubt they be deceyued for wee are there vnto all bound indifferentlie The second question THE second question was whether wee ought to haue an ill opinion of those that dy vnwillingly The Ermite answered saying my sonne take heed to my woordes for in this place I wil tel thee another point which as I think is of very few vnderstood Assure thy self it is not lawful to desire long lyfe except it bee to make some spiritual fruit eyther in himself or others where-fore when-soeuer a sickman dyeth vnwillingly and that hee desireth the prolonging of hiâ— lyfe principally to other end then to do spiritual good eyther in himself or in others I say that in this case hee sinneth greatly my reason is for that yf hee had the vertues of hope and charitie hee would more desire to bee ioyned with his God then any other thing that is not in any sorte giuen or ordayned to that end that is the coniunction and vnion with the soueraigne good It is needful then to satisfy thy demaund with a distinction wherefore I say vnto thee when a sick man dyeth vnwillingly to the end hee would abyde in this world to ioy and triumphe not to the end to amend his lyfe nor yet to help others of such an one a man cannot but haue a sinister and il opinion because it is a signe hee hath not charitie toward his creator But when the sick person desireth his lyfe may bee prolonged to do penance for his sinnes or to haue tyme to merit more or to come more in Gods fauour or els to help others after the
of three dayes Through the which great miracle sundry doctors schollers left the world went into the wildernes where they began the first foundation of the order of the Carthusians otherwise called the monkes of the Charterhows The eleueÌ„th â—â—estion THE eleuenth questioÌ„ was yf when this particuler iudgement is done and the sentence giuen the soule be caried by and by to the place appoynted The Ermite answered that the holy Catholike Churche holdeth and firmly beleeueth that our soules beeing departed out of our bodies do after their particular iudgemeÌ„ts ordinarily passe vnto the place of euerlasting ioy or paine according to their merites or demerits And the reason hereof is for that it is the soule that principally synneth or meriteth and the bodie without it cannot sinne nor merit and therefore it is not against reason that the soule without the bodie receyue eyther good or euil vntil the day of the vniuersal iudgement it sufficeth that afterward at the tyme of the vniuersal iudgement beeing vnited with the bodie it be therewith for euer eyther saued or damned The sacred diuynes in the fourth of the sentences do proue this our Catholike conclusion with reasons authorityes and authentical histories but in this place onely the authority of the scriptures is sufficient for vs as it apeereth in the 23. of S. Luke where our Sauiour Christe said to the good theef Hodie mecum eris in paradiso This day thow shalt bee with mee in paradise hee said not at the end of the world but this day And Iob speaking of wordlings said Ducunt in bonis dies suos in puncto ad infernum discendunt that is to say they spend their dayes in pleasures and in a momeÌ„t they descend into hel Whereby it apeereth that whylest they bee in their triumphes and ioyes sodeynlie in the twinckling of an eye they fall into hel The twelfth question THE twelfth question was yf all they that dy do suffer equal payne and anguish in the agonie of death The Ermite answered no as it appeareth in some olde men which dy easily and also some that seeme to dy sleeping and some whilest they bee in an extasie or traunce as S. Augustine declareth in his book De ciuitate Dei Moreouer it happeneth somtymes that one aliue and in health doth endure greater payne then an other in the tyme of his death and it is iudged of Wysemen that oftentymes it is a greater difficulty to beare the troubles and miseries of this lyfe then dying to loose the lyfe of the bodie So as in this respect there haue bene many holy Confessors that haue suffered more greeuous afflictions then some martirs Wee may therefore think that there is no man who eyther before his death or at the tyme of his death or at least after death doth not suffer excessiue grief and great torment When the youngman had wel vnderstood all these things aforesaid hee would yet haue propounded other questions but the Ermite feeling himselfe wearie aswel for his great age as also for his long talk prayed him that hee would bee content to aske him no more but rather that hee would do his endeuour to put in execution that which hee had all readdie tolde him for woordes without deedes are litle profitable and to such as haue a good wil to do wel it is not needful to vse many persuasions but breefly to tel them their dueties Then the youngman with great reuerence and humility did vpon his knees giue thankes vnto the good Ermite for so many his good holy lessons promised him to make it apeer that his long discours should not bee vnprofitable and without great fruit And so hauing had his blessing took his leaue and without delay desirous to giue himself wholie to learne to dy wel distributed all his riches to poor orphans Churches and hospitalles and forsaking this miserable and deceyuing world entred into religion where hee continewed a long tyme and diligently obserued the aforesaid rules til at length hauing liued long and vertuously hee happely rendred his soule into the handes of this creator to whome bee all honour and glorie world without-end Amen FINIS
at the very end of his lyf THE FIRST CHAPTER CONTEYNING RVLES of health sheweth what a man ought to do about dying wel the whyle he is in good health The first rule NO man ought to defer vnto the last hower to prepare himself to dy but very behooful it is that euery one dispose himself during the whole tyme of his lyf that wel he may passe the last passage of death Therefore then whylest thow arte in good health obserue and keepe these fower fruitful rules The first whereof is this bee alwayes myndful of death because therein is conteyned a great secret which of few is vnderstood of fewer practised for that by the onlie meditation of death in due manner often vsed sufficient remedie is found against all our spiritual infirmities And therefore Kinges Princes Prelates and riche men of the worlde who with all industrie do put away froÌ„ them the remembraÌ„ce of death do herein greatly offend because more then any other thing they ought to haue it in continuall coÌ„sideration for that to flie the meditation and remembrance of death is no other thing then to cast away from them the grace of the holie ghoste which bringeth oftentimes into the myndes of sinners such feareful remembrance to the end that being thereby terified they may more easelie returne to good lyfe and attaine to eternal felicitie And to the end that this so good and profitable doctrine may alwayes rest fixed in thy mynd I wil in few wordes declare vnto thee the marueylous fruites that proceed of this continual memorie of death The first frute that it produceth is a profound and entyre humilitie The first fruit of the remembraÌ„ce of death for yf thow think often tymes on death thow doest abase and put downe as it were perforce all pryde arrogancie and insolencie become gentle humble and meek For who is hee that considering in how short a tyme hee is to returne to ashes can wax proud we read in bookes of natural philosophy that the peacock a moste faire bird beholding the great beautie of his glistering fethers he reioyseth greatly spreading out his maruelous faire taile in signe of his gladnes but eft-soones beholding thee foulenes of his feet he then becometh altogether heauie his pryde is abated sodainlie hee layeth downe his winges and tayle and for great sorrow maketh a lamentable crie Euen so a man made proud either through his riches beautie of his bodie or by glorying in his parentage or for other worldly causes exalted yf hee shal consider the miserie of his end and in how short a tyme all his glorie is to be resolued into smoke he wil be constrayned to lay a side all pride of mynde and to cloath himselfe with humilitie and lowlines To this end at the triumphant coronation of the Pope a woorthy custome is obserued that a litle towe beeing tyed to the end of a staf it is held vp and set on fyre and beeing in opeÌ„ view suddeynlie burnt one with a loud voice crieth out saying Sic transit gloria mundi Pater sancte that is to say Euen thus o holy Father passeth a way the glorie of the world And for this cause also a holy Patriarke desyrous in that high dignitie to keep himselfe humble and lowlie ordeyned that the makers of his tombe the worke where of he would should continew all the time of his lyfe euerie time that he was in any great pompe should appeare before him and tel him how his tombe was stil in making and that therefore he should prepare himself for death and this he did that such remembrance might alwayes in the middest of wordlie honour keep him humble and lowlie The other merueylous profit that cometh of the meditation of death The second fruit is a suffic eÌ„t remedie against coueteousnes for the man that perswadeth himself to liue euer in this world can neuer be coÌ„tent nor satisfied with heaping vp of riches but becometh wholy insatiable yet when hee remeÌ„breth that ere it be long he must leaue all things and cannot carie away with him so much as one half peny then beginneth he to dispise all the goodes of the world This is it which S. Ierome wryteth to Paulinus saying Epist 101. Facile contemnit omnia qui semper cogitat se esse morituru that is he which euer hath in mynde that he shal dy doth easelie contemne all things And Salomon saith that a man liuing long in aboundance and glorie of the world Ecclesiast 12 ought to remember the darke and obscure time of death which beeing once come shal make euerie man know how vaine and britle haue bene the thinges which are past and gon And Plato highlie commending this meditation of death sayeth more worthie philosophy then this can not bee found Whoso then desireth in short time and with ease to become a perfect philosopher yea a godlie man and beloued of God let him giue himselfe wholie to thee meditation of death and he shal fynd by sure experience that my wordes are neyther false nor vaine The third fruite Lib. 16. moral cap. â—â—t The third fruit of the remembrance of death is that all desire of carnal lust is theirby easely extinguished S. Gregorie witnesseth this where hee saith Nothing auayleth so much to tame the desires of the flesh then the memorie of death and to think what this poor flesh shal become when the soule hath left it The sainctes which wear by nature cloathed with frayle and wanton flesh as wee are through help of this exercise of the mynd did easelie ouercome all fleshlie motions as it is red of many and speciallie of an Ermite who beeing much assaulted with the temptation of the flesh through an imagination that the diuel presented before him of a yong woman that was dead on whome in the tyme of her lyf he had bene enamoured hee digged her dead body stincking and ful of wormes out of her graue and casting himself vpon this carcas licked it with his tongue and smelling the filthy sauour said to his flesh go to now cruel and vntamed beast take now thy fil of that which thow haste affected with an vnmeasurable and dissolute loue and so by this meanes hee was freed from this his fleshly temptation The fourth commoditie rising of this consideration is that not only pride couetousnes and leacherie are thereby ouercome but also euerie other sinne may by it bee auoyded as the scripture testifieth In omnibus operibus tuis memorare nouissima tua in aeternum non peccabis In all thy woorkes remember the end and thow shalt neuer sinne And to thesame effect a holy Abbot said Semper memor esto exitus tui non erit delictuÌ„ in anima tua that is remember alwayes thine end their shal neuer bee synne in thy soule But what need I to remember thee of the merueylous fruits of the first rule which are almost innumerable by this thow
away all those that then wear with him in his sel and their shut himself vp and liued with bread and water xij yeares neuer speaking to any person so much as one woord vntil hee was neer vnto death that then the other monkes desirous to receaue of him some good instructions did break open his chamber door and entred in vnto him and prayed him that it might not bee grieuous vnto him in this his last hower to speak in the way of charitie for the edification of others and disclose vnto them in what manner so sudaynlie from so great negligence hee was come to so great perfection who after much intreatie made them this answere pardon mee yf I do not vse many words and assure your selues none can euer sinne grieuously which haue the true feeling of the remēbrance of death The monkes buried him with great deuotion but the next day following when his bones were sought by such as desired to reuerence them they wear not found Whereby they knew how much the feeling in deed of the remembrance of death doth please God and what effect it woorketh and how expedient it is for them that desire to become good since that in one moment it can make euen those that bee verie negligent zealously disposed and most feruent to euerie good woork And now seeing that with more prolixitie then I ment I haue handled this first rule the more to shew the vtilitie thereof the shorter wil I now enforce my self to be in the rules following The second rule THE second principal rule of the arte to dy wel consisteth in disposeing of a mannes last wil and testament for a wyse man ought not to dy without making his testament And although hee bee willing to make it yet ought hee not to deferre it to the last extremitie Therefore said Iacob to Laban Genes 3. Iustum est vt aliquando domut meae disponam that is to say It is meet that without any more adoe I dispose of my howse And Esay said to Ezechias king of Iudea Dispone domut tuae quia Regum 20. morieris nō viues that is set thy howse in order for thow shalt die and not liue Hee that at the beginning of his sicknes maketh his testament may the better prouyde for himself and his kinred because he taketh the fitter oportunitie to do it with greater foresight and iudgement and is more readdie afterward at the point of death to attend to the health of his soule The diuel doth his endeuour to make thee defer the making of thy testament to the intēt that after when thow shalt be grieued with thy sicknes thow mayest also be troubled with thy children and kinred who all seek their owne commoditie and litle care for thy soules health Therefore yf thow bee wyse thow wilt make thy testament so soone as thow canst and to the end thow mayest make it as it beheueth with the more commoditie I wil teach thee certaine secrets concerning thesame First then I must put thee in remembrance that thow do not to much truste vnto freindes or kinsfolkes when they promisse thee to do good for thy soule after thy death for yf in thy lyf tyme thow wilt bee negligent to procure help and necessary prayers for thy self far more negligent wil they bee when thow arte gone This is so playnlie seene euerie day by manifest experiēce that it would seeme a thing vtterly needles to go about to proue it Secondlie I am to aduertise thee that thow cāst not make any legacies which can bee more profitable for thy soule then legacies to haue masses sayd for thee the which is proued by all the diuines chiefly by Gabriel Beele vpon the canon of the Masse and by the Angelical Doctor S. Thomas Aquinas vpō the fourth of the sentences Who affirme the Masse to bee alwayes auayleable to the soules that are in purgatorie yea although the priest which said it were in deadlie sinne because he as the minister sayeth it in the person of the Churche militant which is euer acceptable vnto God Thirdlie I aduise thee that thow ordeyne and appoynt thy legacies in such wyse as without delay after thow be dead they may bee performed and thy wil executed aswel for the masses as for the almes which thow shalt leaue to be bestowed For as Iohn Gerson sayth far better it is to haue them said out of hand then to tarie diuers yeares because the sooner they be said the sooner the soules be deliuered out of the paynes of purgatorie Fourthlie I must put thee in mynde to confesse thy self and to communicate before thow make thy testament For when thereby thow art the more in the fauour of God legacies of almes masses do far more auaile thee then yf thow weert out of the state of grace This is grounded vpon the doctrine of S. Thomas in the fourth of the sentences where hee saith the satisfaction inioyned of the confessor made when thow art in deadly sinne doth not take away the payne of the sinne remitted although the opinion of Scotus which holdeth the contrarie bee more fauorable but yet in our case I iudge that of S. Thomas to be the more sure Lastly there is come to my mynde an other thing to remember thee of which I heard of that noble capitaine Bartholomew of Bergamo which is that yf thow wilt make a singular good testament and a perfect preparation to dy wel then beare thy self alwayes in such sorte whilest thow art a liue and let thy wordes bee so charitable direct and cleere cōcerning thy last wil in thy lyfe tyme that after thy death no man may haue iust cause to complayne of thee Yf thow arte a secular man in thus doing thow maist leaue thy heyres in peace without stryf which is the best inheritance that thow maist leaue vnto them moreouer thow doest therein the better prouyde for thy saluation theirs and therefore thow oughtest in any case to obserue this good profitable lessō in the making of thy testamēt But yf thow bee a spiritual man not hauing worldlie goods to distribute thow mayest make a spiritual testamēt after the example of many sainctes which haue spoken in their testaments not of wordlie wealth earthlie possessions but of spiritual and heauenly thinges The thir◠rule THE third rule of the arte to dy wel which is to bee practised in health is daylie prayer to obtayne at Gods hādes a good and laudable death For as without God his grace no man cā do any good or meritorious woork nor think my good thought so a good death without his grace wee can in no wyse look for Therefore wee ought euerie day to pray vnto God that he wil for his infinite goodnes graunt vs a good and happie end In obseruing the custome so to pray S. Augustine and S. Catherine of Siena were wont to say this verse of the Psalme which is verie fit for the purpose
our Ladie be their in presence and staÌ„d before the eyes of the sick also that their bee holy water with the which let all the chamber and the sick person be sprinckled because it auayleth greatly against the power of the deuil Also that their be red the gospels of Christes passion and specially that of S. Iohn or some other thing of the bible and that hee be put in mynde of the saintes and principallie or his aduocates and patroÌ„s to whome in his lyfe tyme hee hath had particuler and special deuotion let their also be warning geuen that in the chamber wheare the sick lyeth their be no reasoning of worldlie matters nor lowd speaking but onely so much as is needful for behoof of the sick for then is tyme to pray and not to prattle also that none weep their that great sylence be kept and that their be in the chamber no great multitude of persons they ought also to prohibite that the sick person be not much molested with the visitinges of his freindes and kinsfolkes and speciallie when his sicknes encreaseth and that there is in him no great hope of lyfe And thus I make an end of this secoÌ„d chapter in the which I haue declared the preparation called the approching which ought to be made in tyme of sicknes And it conteyneth 4. rules the first is called constancie or patience the second deuout receyuing of the sacraments of the Churche the third a wary and good prouision against the deuils temptations the fourth a good election or choyse of one or two faithful freinds that may haue diligent care of the sick And now in a few woordes I wil dispatche the last preparation declaring that which is to be done in the passage and very last end of this present lyfe THE THIRD CHAPTER wherein is declared in few woordes the last preparation which hee ought to make that is come vnto the very end of his lyf IN this third chapter wee are to speak of the preparation which ought to be made when a man is neerest the end of his lyfe as when hee beginneth to enter into his agony and draweth onward to his last gaspe This chapter conteyneth foure short rules the which after the example of our lord Iesu Christe wee ought to obserue in this last passage of our lyfe for wee ought to know that as the lyfe of our Sauiour hath bene geuen vs for a rule and for the instruction of our lyfe so also his death hath bene set before vs to teach vs how to dy Therefore S. Gregorie saith that Omnis Christi actio nostra est instructio that is to say all the actions of Christ are instructions for vs. As our lyfe then shal be best when it shal be lyke to that of our redeemers who was verie man and verie God so also our death shal be verie laudable and holy when it shal haue those conditioÌ„s which that death of our blessed Mayster had who being on the hard wood of the crosse neere vnto death diligentlie obserued fower rules before his blessed soule departed from his sacred bodie The first â—ule THE first rule was that spoyled naked hee ascended the holie crosse forsaken almoste of all where hee would dy poor reseruing no worldly thing for himself So wee ought at the least now at the last after the example of our Sauiour to renounce effectually euerie superfluous and vayne possessioÌ„ all worldlie carnal loue leauing that to-great affectioÌ„ which wee weere wont to beare to wyfe and children careing no more neyther for riches nor for honours of the world to the end that wee bee not troobled by any thing but in this laste period of our lyf to think wholy vpon almighty God The second rule THE second rule obserued by our lord on the crosse was that hee prayed for himself and for his enemies repeating as he prayed vnto his father the woordes of the Psalme Deus Deus meus respice in me quare me dereliquisti that is to say O God my God look vpon mee why hast thow forsaken mee and afterward this verse of the Psalme In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum that is Into thy handes o Lord I commend my spirit So ought wee to pray first for our selues after for enemies And at that tyme a man put in such heauines and peril of his saluation ought neuer to cease to cal for help of our moste mercyful lord God and of his blessed mother of all the Angels Patriarches Prophets Martyrs CoÌ„fessors Virgins and matrons soliciting them with great grones and deep sighes to help him in this perillous battayle and in so great necessitie and to inuite them that they vouchsafe to accompanie his soule and guide it into the eternal tabernacles to enioy the diuine essence and to reioyce with them in euerlasting peace The third rule THE third rule obserued of our redeemer Iesus Christe was that hee with bowing of his head in such manner as hee might took leaue of his moste deer mother and of his moste hartie freindes which were their present about the crosse and recommeÌ„ded his blessed mother to her new sonne which hee gaue her By this hee gaue vs example to do the lyke to wit that when the sick person seeth himselfe to bee neer death it is very conuenient that hee recommend his family as his wel-beloued wyf and his deere children to some freind that may counsel and help them After this all his seruants and how shold called together let him take leaue of them aske them forgiuenes for the il examples hee hath geuen them and make them some good exhortation And yf that hee be a father let him giue his fatherly blessing to his derely beloued children saying vnto them my children yf ye wil be good and haue the feare of God before your eyes your principal and heauenly Father wil neuer forsake yow Be diligent to keep his commaundements The blessing of the Father of the Sonne or the holy Ghoste of our blessed Ladie and of all the Saintes in heauen be with yow Then taking euery one of them by the hand and kissing them and imbracing his louing wyf and children hee shal say O my deere wyf I pray thee honour and feare our Lord God aboue all thinges I leaue thee these our children haue diligent care of them vntil this tyme they haue bene ours now they shal be thyne yf thow wilt continew in good lyfe thow shalt neuer waÌ„t the help of God Be of good cheer do not not weep for our Lord wil be with thee Then shal hee exhort his children that they be obedient to their mother and feare and reuerence her as they ought After this he shal take leaue of them all causing them to go out of his chamber that hee may remayne alone with his faithful and chosen freindes which are to haue care ouer him euen to the last end of his lyfe The fourth