god Let vs begin to loue good cogitations and forthwith God will vouchsafe to deliuer vs frō those that be euil Questions and aduertisements about sin and repentance or Penitence What is sinne There are two latin words for it peccatum and delictum peccatum is the sinne when wée doe offend by disobeying the commandements of god delictum is the sin when wee leaue a good worke vndone which we ought to doe but these words are almost growen out of difference An other definition of sinne Fol. 19. Aug. cont Faust. lib. 2. cap. 22. Sinne is a frée will to retaine and obtaine that which Law and Iustice hath forbiddē From the will therefore floweth the beginning of sin and from thence the beginning of euil namely the transgressiō of the iust commandements of God or the punishment according to the iust iudgements thereof How many sortes of sins are there Thrée Sins of infirmity of ignorance and of malice sinnes of infirmity are cōtrary to power and by attribution to the father Sins of ignoraunce to wisedome and contrary to the Sonne Sins of malice to loue and by attribution are contrarye to the holy Ghost De ver fals penit There is no sinne so small that groweth not ouer strōg by negligence De conf lib. 1. cap. 7. Who shall put me in remembraunce of the sinnes of my childehoode for none are cleane from sin in thy sight no not so much as the childe of one day olde And a little after The weakenesse of infantes members is innocent before GOD but not their soules Feare therefore to commit sinne for he that loueth sin shal fal into a death where he could not fall into it if he did not delight in sin Which be the sinnes crying before God for vengeance and punishment Manslaughter sin against nature Oppression of the poore fatherles and widdowes with holding of laborers wages and debtes due to poore men Which be the sinnes that bring forth other sinnes Prouocation counsailing commending permission assisting participation consenting Which be the circumstances augmenting sin Time knowledge order age state number perseuering dignity place manner small resisting How is sin auoided By eschewing the occasion thereof which oftentimes is found to bee through company meats drinkes apparell beholding c. What remedy to put away sin committed Repentance which is an inward contrition of heart for sinne committed with amendement of life intended What effects be there of repentance It maketh Angels glad it iustifieth wicked persons it doth call againe the goodnes lost and draweth mankinde to euerlasting life Which be the parts pertayning to repentance Hope of forgiuenesse inward sorrowing or contrition of hart acknowledging of the fault and a purpose to forsake sinne How should a man beginne Repentance First in thy chamber or other secrete place be busily thinking with thy selfe how manifoldly how wickedly thou hast sinned whether in déed spéech cōsent or will and then what good déedes thou hast left vndone which to thée pertained to doe Thy sinnes particularly called to remembrance with the greatnes enormity and filthinesse of them it behooueth to aske God forgiuenes with all humility and hope to bee forgiuen wholy trusting in the merits of our only Sauiour and Redéemer the great benefite and vertue of whose merites are applied vnto the sickenes and wounds of our souls by his ghostly phisicke of Penitence and the godly actions and perfourmance therof which is like to proue the more fruitefull and effectuall if it bee ioyned with these thinges following First faith which is a firme beleeuing that God will vndoubtedly perform that that he promiseth or threatneth Secondly hope of obtayning forgiuenesse Thirdly confidence and trust had in Christs merits of his bloudsheadding and passion whereof our penitēce for sin maketh vs partakers Fourthly submission and accusing of our selues Fiftly the loue of God for which all sin is to be abhorred and all obedient seruice of our part to bee performed Meanes to kindle and stirre vp that loue are these First the knowing of our selues by considering our basens vilenes infirmity The consideration of the mightinesse and greatnes of God against whom we dared to offend The regard and dread of displeasure and terror of the last iudgement when al shal be rewarded according vnto their workes or desertes The reuoluing reckoning and remembring of our sins and wicked or filthy desires The calling to minde of Gods vndeserued benefites bestowed on vs his vnprofitable vnworthy seruantes To helpe vs the better to call our sins to mind these fewe circumstances may serue The calling to mind how long time hath passed since we performed the workes parts of penitence last before this in such sort as we ought to do The estate of our degrée and calling by reason wherof our sinne may be the more grieuous or wee the more touched or punished for the transgressions of others The vocations which we haue bestowed our time in The places wher we haue liued accompanied or béene conuersant The persons whose felowshippe or dealinges we haue medled with Why is confession of sins so needefull as prayer Because confession prepareth and maketh vs more méete to pray and more likely to be heard The holy man Dauid had euer recourse to confession and penitence Psa. Dixi confitebor c. I haue said I wil confesse mine iniquities to the accusing of my selfe Prou. 28. He that hideth his offences shal not prosper but hee that shall confesse them and forsake them shal obtaine mercy Who is like neuer to be forgiuen Hee that forgiueth not others And he that wil not to his power restore again such goodes or thinges as he hath taken or gotten into his hand wrongfully from others by stealth robbery fraude subtilty or otherwise iniuriously How proue you that The testimony of the Pater noster or Lordes praier may be brought for the first viz. Good Lord forgiue vs euen as wee forgiue others And for the other S. Augustines wordes may stande for witnesse to confirme it where he saith Non dimittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum The sinne is not forgiuen vnles the thing taken away be restored How a man ought to examine his owne conscience and to confesse his sins priuatly to God First looke into your selfe your behauior and vsage and sée by how many waies and meanes you haue offended God in the sin of pride whether it be of a hie presumptuous vaine-glorious or arrogant minde or else in your apparell beauty eloquence riches great liuelyhood faire building office or other temporall or naturall gifts And according to that which you shall find your selfe an offender in to be heartily contrite and inwardly sorrowful cōfessing acknowledging and accusing your selfe thereof Most humbly crauing pardon and forgiuenes with an vnfained purpose to amend and become humble as a denier of your selfe Also how much and how diuersely you haue sinned in enuy against others because they bee better estéemed or commended then you or liue in
all euill and lifting vp my eies and addressing my praiers vnto thee Drawe my féete out of the snare and hide me vnder the couert of thy winges A prayer out of the Psalme called Saint Barnards verses Lighten mine eies least at any time I sléepe in death that mine enimy neuer say I haue preuailed against him Be mindful of thy mercies O Lorde and of thy commiserations which haue beene since the world began Remember not the follies and offences committed in my youth Be mindfull of me according to mercy and for thy goodnesse O Lord. Into thy handes I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of trueth I haue saide and spoken it openly O Lord make my end knowen vnto me And what the number of my daies is that I may knowe what is wanting vnto me Giue me a good signe that such as hate me may see thy fauour and thereat may bée confounded forasmuch as thou O Lorde hast holpen and comforted me O Lord let it be so séeing I am thy seruant and the sonne of thy handmaid Thou hast ridde me of my thraldome I will offer vnto thee the sacrifice of praise and shall call vpon the name of the Lord. They perished who fled from me and there is none to seeke after my soule I cried to the Lord saying thou art my hope my portion in the land of the liuing Glory be to the Father c. Another praier by such as be present at the perill of child-birth MOst mightie Creator mercifull God wee thy séely wretched creatures descended of Eue her ofspring most suppliantly beséech thée of thy infinite goodnes mercifully to looke on the wretched state miserie which of thy dreadful iustice in mixing alwayes sorrowes with ioyes thou hast inflicted vpon womankind for our said first parent her disobedience and namely the state sorrowful beeing of this our sister thy seruant here languishing and oppressed with the paines of womans trauaile and wretchednesse O good Lorde thy omnipotent wisedome foreséeing that some would sinne much did bridle them with infirmitie of bodie to the end that it may bee founde more profitable for them to be low brought with suffering gréeuous pains then to remaine in helth to their more hasard of sinne and damnation But séeing in all sicknes there bée thrée things that be greuous and specially to vs thy creatures of more weaknes and infirmitie by nature that is to say the feare of death the griefe of the bodie and the losse or leuing of these worldlie pleasures therefore thy mercifull goodnes hath so disposed our state condition in this life that no woman or man can be in great paine and long continue therein so as by thy iust and mercifull prouidence either he shall be able to beare our paines or els that the same shal be but short therfore it may please thée of thy great mercies that as the aire is clensed made cléer after vehement storms so after this sharpe and long showre of teares and wofull panges there may followe a calme of ease of affliction to this our sister and faire wether both of thy gratious fauour and of our mindes quietnesse that are pensiue and carefull for her For by the testimony of thy holy word thou delightest not in destruction with thy own mouth by the holy Ghost thou hast saide that thou wilt conuert the sorowing of thy seruants into reioycing Bee then our good Lord and our comforter in the day of our tribulation Suffer not wee beséech thée this our sister to bée tempted or oppressed with paines and calamity aboue her strength and patience to beare it but mercifully and spéedily helpe and deliuer her both from paines and perill So shal we euermore pronounce and say Blessed is God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ the Father of mercies and God of all consolation who comforteth vs in all our trouble Amen The Lords prayer briefly expounded Our Father By benefite of Creation through thy omnipotencie By priuiledge of condition through thy prouidence By pietie of adoption thorough thy charitie By reparation of blisse through thy onely begotten Which art in heauen By omnipotent power gouerning By grace lightening By mercie directing By glorie appearing Halowed be thy name Of vs by honest conuersation In vs by a cleane conscience Foorth out of vs by a good name and fame Aboue vs by Angelicall presentation Thy kingdome come That is Heauen by reuelation Holy Church by assumption The faithfull soule by iustification The holy scripture by instruction Thy will be done In simplicitie of heart by humilitie In charitie of bodie by abstinence In holinesse of prayer by frequentation In veritie of woorke by discretion Giue vs this day our daily bread Of humane necessitie Of spirituall doctrine Of the blessed sacrament Of eternall felicitie And forgiue vs our trespasses as we c. Not retaining mallice in heart Not vpbraiding in word Not doing euill for euill Not refusing to do good And let vs not be lead into temptation Sodaine which dismaieth Importune which wearieth Deceitfull which beguileth Uiolent which oppresseth But deliuer vs from euill Of worldly aduersitie which disquieteth Of mans crueltie which vexeth Of the Deuils subtletie which preuaileth Of euerlasting calamitie which tormenteth Amen that is all thus bee done By attention of heart By sinceritie of word By diligent practise By continuall desire Read and vnderstand Remember practise As thinges are prooued to be liuing by moouing by sense of sight or feeling and by liuely working so is it knowne whether the soule of any man liueth in Christ by these three tokens IF the soule be moued with the spirite of Christ that is to the holie desire of heauenly things and to the contemning of the delectable things of the world 〈◊〉 the soule haue a féeling of those thinges which pertaine vnto Christ and as it were a suffering with Christ that suffered If the soule worketh vertuous works in following of Christ. They that be lead by the spirit of God bée the sons of God Fides sine operibus mortua est These bee sixe signes of a Christian. INnocencie and cleannesse Penitence and the true performing thereof Lowlinesse and humilitie of spirite Obedience and the feare of God Pitie and brotherly loue Feruent charitie The 12. abuses of the world which are thought to bee the sinnes which deserue with the iustice of God that Antichrist the most wicked of all men should preuaile and trouble the whole world to the perill of innumerable soules OLde men and graue persons without the wisedome of true and mature patience Yong men of lesse knowledge and authoritie without reuerence and obedience Rich men without almes and mercifull works The poore giuen to proud apparell and without humilitie The Pastors or Teachers without good déedes where Christ himself wroght first and then taught hee saith Qui fecerit sic docuerit ille saluabitur The people hearing the word of God preached and yet waxe
thinges committed to thy charge that I léese nothing or suffer it to perish by my sloth and negligence O Lorde kéepe mee in health and comforte my strength giue me vnderstanding wit to go forward with the worke of my Maister or Mistres and by thy gracious help for to increase their substance that by my diligence they may bee replenished with thy blessing And further that whatsoeuer I shall do at any time the same may turne to the glory of thy most holy name and to the wholesome exercise of my faith through Iesus Christ thy beloued son which liueth with thee and raigneth in the vnity of the holy Ghost worlde without end Amen The praier of one in a troubled conscience LOrde reproue mee not in thy fury thy arrowes are fixed in me and thou hast laide thy hande vppon mee There is no helth in my flesh because of thy wrath there is no quiete in my bones because of my sinnes My heart is sore troubled my strength and valour hath failed mee the light of mine eies is not with me sorrows haue compassed me without number my iniquities are gone ouer my own head they are multiplied as the haires of my head gréeuing oppressing me as a sore burden The sorrowes of death haue compassed me and the troubles of hell are come vpon mee My conscience and my heart are both against mee O Lorde deliuer me hasten to helpe me and bring my soule from the terrors of hell forgiue me my sins which my enemy the diuell heapeth vppon me like a mountaine so as the same standing before my eies I may not beholde the brightnesse of thy grace Let thy mercy therefore appeare vnto me I beseech thee and let me not be destitute of thy fauour Comfort me O God that I may haue the inioying of a quiet conscience for all this is inferiour to thy greatnesse and mercy if thou wilt Why art thou sorrowfull my soule trust in God the helth of my countenance and he shall take thée out of temptation and bring thée at liberty through the innocent death of our Lorde Iesus Christ which is the holy and vnspotted sacrifice for our sinnes Amen The prayer of a sicke person ALmighty God and heauenly Father forasmuch as thou hast commaunded vs saying Call vpon me in the day of trouble I will heare thee and thou shalt honour me therefore I doe call vpon thée in this my great distres through Iesus Christ thy beloued Son forsake me not a wretched sinner And if this my infirmity extend not vnto death help me that by thy mercy I may recouer my helth and glorify thy power and vertue which thou hast shewed vppon me But if it be thy good pleasure more expedient and méete for me to die then to remaine in this sorrowfull vale and troublesome life let thy godly will be done in Earth as it is in Heauen And giue me grace I beséeche thee that I may commit my selfe to thy will which alwaies is best Kéepe me firme in the Catholique faith to the end that I be not seuered from thee and thy vnity but receiue my soule into thy kingdome through the same thy beloued sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Another prayer of the sicke O Mighty and omnipotent God which art mercifull and ful of pitty and long suffering forgiue me my sinnes and put away my iniquity Uouchsafe beséech thée to comfort my soule against whatsoeuer temptation and afflictions helpe me that my faith doe not faint or wauer in thee nor my hope haue any distrust nor my charitye waxe cold nor that my frailty be ouercome with the fear of death And when the extreame houre of my life shall come then send me forth in peace I beséech thee because mine eies haue seene thy health which thou hast made ready before the face of all people as a light to lighten the Gentiles and as a renowne for all thy people of Israel In this my Sauior I beléeue in him doe I trust I beséech thée O Lord let me not be confounded sith thou art my help and my strength beholde mee with the eies of thy pitty and turne thy fatherly fauour towards mee through Iesus Christ thy sonne who by his most sacred passion and death obtained for vs eternall redemption Amen A prayer of such as be present at the extreame sicknes or death-pangs of any O Most holy and omnipotent God that preseruest our life euē at the point of death wee do beseech thee vouchsafe to cast the eies of thy mercy vppon this sicke person to reléeue him both in body and soul and to forgiue him al his sins accept we beséech thée the oblation of the most innocent death of Iesus Christ thy beloued Son in place of satisfaction for all his iniquities For in the confession of his name hee was baptized deliuer him now therefore from the pains and griefes of his body shorten his griefe and affliction conserue him against the accusation of his own conscience and against whatsoeuer temtations of the enemy that hée may striue manfully by the faith of the holy Church and ouercome him Sende vnto him thy holy Angelles that they may bring him to the felowship of al Angels and of the elect in Christ Iesus our Lord. Amen A prayer in time of plague or common mortality ALmighty God wee doe grant and acknowledge that we haue often and gréeously offended thee by our diuerse and manifold sinnes forasmuch as wee haue all swarued from thée and therwith are become vnprofitable neither we nor our fathers kéeping thy commaundements With a right sorrowfull spirite wee beseech thy infinite mercy for Iesus Christe thy beloued Sonnes sake that thou wilt not deale with vs according to our sinnes but haue mercy vpon vs according to thy great goodnesse and fauour Be mercifull to vs of thy fatherly good wil take from vs this fearefull cogitation of pestilence infectiue sicknes and suffer vs not thus to perish by thy dreadfull disease Rebuke vs not Lorde in thy fury nor consume vs with the wicked vngodly Lorde I beséech thée let thy displeasure cease leaue vs shew vnto vs thy mercy and deliuer vs bée mindfull of thy goonesse and pitty for thy names sake Thou O Lord art good and thy iudgements be right but we haue sinned and stirred vp thy displesure against vs forgiue I beséech thee the iniquity of my people and take from vs this pestilent infection for the bitter passion of thy sweet Sonne Protect vs from thy wrath from euill and sudden death and from eternal damnation But if thy good pleasure bee such that thou wilt needes visit our iniquities with this temporall punishment so fauour vs I beséech thee that bearing thy fatherly hande laide vppon vs wee dispaire not in thy chastisement For when we are iudged we are so corrected by our Lord that wee be not condemned with this worlde And more profitable it is to suffer here temporall punishment then eternall in