you the interlacing it with these the richest iewels of Charity which are likewise to be gathered in the garden of a vertuous soule by each act of the loue of our enemie produced originally from the true Ioue of God and are the purest most eleuated acts of Charity aboue all others as I am verie confident that you will plainely perceiue by the ensving discourse Of the loue of our enemies the second parte of this proposed Exercise of Patience OVr most mercifull and louing Redeemer in his sacred Gospel Math. 5. doth not only recommend to vs the loue of our Enemies but expresly commands it saith S. Augustin serm 59. de temp and therefore it is a duty properly belonging to a Christian to loue his Enemie This our Diuine Sauiour IESVS hath taught vs both by word and example and by the whole practise of his blessed life which was a continuall exercise of loue and doing good for euill as also was his death the soueraigne sacrifice in expiation of their sinne and to giue the happiest life to them who put him to the cruelst death vpon a reproachfull Crosse from whence the verie first word which fell from him amidst all those his piercing torments was not to threaten nor to demand reuenge vpon those his sacrilegious Enemies but to craue pardon for them who had so ill deseru'd it and alleadged the strongest reasons vnto his eternall Father for their excuse beseeching him to pardon them because they knew not what they did Luke 23. vers 34. And therefore now still to begin with the surest Rule whereby to regulate all our actions as well in this good practise as in all the rest it might sufficiently perswade anie good Christian to the true loue of his greatest Enemie to know that it is IESVS-CHRIST his soueraigne King and Captaine who so expresly commandes it Math. 5. where nothing can be set downe in more plaine or expresser saying you haue heard that it was said thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thy Enemies so taught the Pharisies but not the law but I say to you loue your Enemies doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that persecute and abuse you that you may be the children of your Father which is in Heauen who maketh his sunne to shine vpon the good the bad and raines vpon the iust and the vniust for if you loue them who loue you what reward shall you haue doe not the Publicans also doe the same And can we now conceiue a more cleare or expresse command then this to loue our Enemies Yea not only to loue them but also to doe good to them who hate vs and to pray for them who persecute and doe vs wrong thereby to testifie that we are the children of our heauenly Father by imitation of that admirable great goodnesse in him towards vs his most vngratefull and sinfull creatures And that the weighty importance of this so expresse a command might the better appeare the Angelicall Doctor S. Tho. diuinely declares it assuring vs that tho true loue of our Enemie is the most pure the most diuine and the highest act of holy Charity which can be performed by man This great truth is not auouched without the proofe of most euident reason for there is nothing that man can doe which appeareth so manifestly to be done by him so purely for the loue of God as to loue his greatest Enemie for you may loue God in desire of your owne good and to gaine Heauen thereby you may also and most vsually loue your frend because he is your frend or for his good humour and sympathy or for some pleasing qualitie or for profit honout or the like which may be reaped by his conuersation In fine you may loue an other in respect of some content or benefit and all this is but meerely for your owne commodity as both Turkes and barbarous Pagans doe yea euen brute beastes thēselues can loue in such a māner By all which you will easily perceiue that no loue is discouered to be so vnfeynedly the pure true loue of God as is the loue of our Enemie for in that it appeareth most certaine and euident that there is nothing for you to loue in him but purely and meerely God nor anie other motiue to be found whereby to induce you to doe him anie good turne but purely God alone for in that naughty man you haue no other subiect but of hatred and much dislike should not the loue of God and obedience to his holy commandement perswade you to loue him and to doe him what good you can Which act as it proceedes from the greatest vertue and by which we render to God the most soueraigne honour and homage so likewise it conferres vnto man the highest dignity whereof anie mortall creature can be conceiued capable makeing him thereby the adopted sonne of a heauenly Father Math. 5. And therefore as this vertue is so verie precious in the sight of God so ought it to be as dearly esteemed and most faithfully practised by vs by louing and doing the best good we can to our greatest enemies it being a vertue both so gratefull to God and so infinitly aduantageous to our soules we hauing no greater assurance of Gods pardoning our sinnes then by forgiuing such as offend vs for that is the verie Rule and measure of his mercy and we can only expect from him that he forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs Luke 6. And truly no Enemie can be so bad but that for IESVS-CHRIST his sake he may be pardoned although he deserues it not for his owne nor can his offending vs haue anie comparison with the grieuousnesse of our offending God for which we must expect no pardon from him vnlesse we also pardon such as haue offended vs and that entirely and from the verie bottome of our hart all which aboundantly perswades vs to embrace this generous vertue of louing our greatest Enemies to which I will yet further adde some congruous motiues whereby the better to confirme our resolution for that holy practise by makeing good and serious reflexions vpon these ensuing points First that we haue none so watchfull as our Enemie to obserue our faults and errours and to let vs vnderstand them which we should neuer know from a frend nor yet haue by his meanes that good occasion to reforme our liues We pay wages to Maisters and Gouernours and yet none are so carefully obseruant to let vs vnderstand our misde meanours as are our greatest Enemies and that also gratis without pay He bouldly tells vs true when our frend dares not speake and he serues vs as a needfull curbe by publishing our vice and will plainly aduertise vs if we goe amisse nor dare we doe ill in his sight whereas a frend seldome preuents anie thing of all this great harme but rather verie frequently he prooues a motiue great cause of our doing ill When
would frustrate all our former paines And therefore to preuent the danger of so great an euill the best expedient which I can recommende to you is a carefull obseruance of these former Rules it being manifest that the most assured way to dye well is to liue well yea the one is but the Eccho of the other and much folly it would be to hope for a happy death and yet to fly a good life whereof the other depends Many will say with Balaam ô let me dye the death of the Iust and be may end like vnto theirs Numb 23. But they ought rather to say ô let me liue the life of the Iust that my end maybe like vnto theires He liueth well who spendes his life in learning to dye well who learnes not this is truly ignorant though for all the rest he be as wise as Plato or as learned as was Aristotle who vpon the point to dye cry'd out I entred into this world in pouerty I liued therein with misery and finally I dye in ignorance of that he ment which most imported him to know for he had not learn'd the art of dying well wherein the only true wisdome and knowledge doth consist This happy and most needfull Art is best learned by dying first in minde to the world before we can liue rightly to God yea we must dye verie often in minde to dye once truly well This was the practise of holy S. Augustin when he said let me dye to the end I may not dye he meanes that by often conceiuing himselfe as a dying man to make familiar by frequent practise in the tyme of health the exercises of those necessary acts which are to be vsed at the tyme of our death for who learnes not in tyme of health to practise the holy acts of vertue and to resist the temptations most incident in that dangerous extremity how shall he doe it well at his death when the battaile will be more furious and he much weaker to resist yea by paine and other impediments in tyme of sicknesse and cheefly when neere to our end we are manie wayes hindred from performing the duty which we then ought to render vnto God And therefore it greatly imports vs so to practise them in tyme of health as if we were then actually at the verie point of our death which being seriously and frequently performed it will produce a true contempt of the world and a holy disingagement from the creatures thereof and will also make the practise of those acts much more easie to vs at the tyme of our death This holy Exercise may best be made by way of these eight ensuing Meditations which you may take for the subiect of a spirituall Retreate for so manie dayes or for halfe the tyme as occasion and your spirituall Director shall best aduise you And for the methode of your Meditations you may vse the same which I formerly mentioned in B Sales Part. 2. chap. 2. in his Introduction to a deuout life The substance of this exercise I haue collected partly out of the R. F. Eude a Missionary Priest and a most pious Author the which I earnestly yet once againe recommend and verie heartely exhort you to make vse thereof once a yeare at the least And if your occasions will so permitt no tyme is more proper for it then the holy weeke The first Meditation Of submission and Conformity to Gods diuine will concerning our death The Preparation 1. Place your selfe in the Presence of God 2. Beseech him to inspire you with his grace 3. And which serues as a generall aduise for this and all the ensueing Meditations you must endeuour so to behaue your selfe therein as if they were to be your last And therefore labour to procure such interiour affections in your soule as ought to be wished were you assured to dye that present day Considerations FIrst here consider your selfe as present before your Soueraigne Iudge pronouncing that iust sentence of death against you in those words to Adam Gen. 1. and in him against all other men dust thou art and into dust thou shalt returne 2. With what infinit loue and profound humility IESVS-CHRIST that innocent and immaculate lambe did accept from wicked Pilate that cruell sentence of a reproachfull death vpon the Crosse thereby to satisfye the iustice of his Eternall Father for our offences In due honour and homage wherevnto we must cheerefully submit our selues to the iust sentence of death acknowledging that our greeuous sinnes most iustly deserues it Affections and Resolutions O Diuine and louing Iesv who being the source and fountaine of all true life yet didst-vouchsafe to dye so painfull a death for me in humble and gratefull acknowledgment thereof I accept from this instant with a willing heart that suffering state which thy diuine will hath ordayned me in adoration of thy sacred sufferings as also in honour and vnion of that thy naked pouerty and being so forsaken vpon the Crosse I here now render my selfe to what want or misery soeuer thy heauenly iustice and holy pleasure hast ordayned for me be it by persecution by calumny scorne confusion or by anie other iniury or sufferance from anie creature whatsoeuer all which I humbly accept in expiation of my sinne yeald my selfe most willingly to suffer all paines and infirmities by thy diuine will allotted me my agonies and death it selfe All which and what else soeuer they be I accept thereof in honour vnion and adoration of thy most dolorous death and cruell torments for which the Prophet Esa so iustly hath called thee a Man of sorrowes cap. 53. and I most entirely submit my selfe to dye in true conformity to thy holy will be it without the comfort of my friends or senses that I dye this yeare or this day this houre or moment where or in what manner thy diuine Prouidence shall ordayne vouchsafe but o Lord that my desire may euer be thy will be done and that my heart accompanie it with true contrition and perseuerance in thy grace This grant me deare IESV for thy bitter Passion sake and then let death assault me in bed or in the field by lingering paine or by suddaine accident be it naturall or violent honorable orignominious be it but thy blessed pleasure and welcome yea Father for so hath it well pleased thee Luke 10. Grant Lord IESV I beseech thee that as thou vouchsafest to dye for the loue of me so I may both liue and dye purely for the loue of thee and that neither liuing nor dying I may euer anie more offend thee But that finally I may breath fourth my soule in cheerefull conformity to that most holy obedience wherewith thou didst render thy blessed spirit vpon the Crosse into thy Fathers hands O glorious Trinity I wholy abandon my selfe vnto thy heauenly will vouchsafe to dispose of me both in tyme and Eternity to thy owne greater honour and glory The Conclusion 1. Giue God thankes for
grace to strengthen vs in the future occasions of temptations against that our good purpose and to preuent all assaults which may most endanger vs to offend If vpon this our Examen we finde that we haue falne much more then ordinary into that imperfection which we proposed chiefly to amend we must not therefore be disquieted nor too much troubled in minde for it but much rather lett vs impose vpon our selues some voluntary penance of prayers almes or some good worke thereby to obtayne Gods grace to amend our sinne of sloath of detraction or the like to which we finde our selues inclind and most subiect to fall into Lastly we must with true sorrow craue pardon for our negligence committed in that good practise and purpose by the helpe of Gods heauenly grace to amend And by a faithfull continuance of this daily particular Examen the faithfull soule will be greatly strengthned in all solid vertue and may humbly confide to obtayne a most happie and speedy victory ouer all dangerous vice which wiâ—◠〈◊〉 possibly be able to ressist the great force of so holy an Exercise Take the aduise of your spirituall director concerning the vertue or vice whereof you make choyce for the subiect of this vertuous practise as also the tyme to be continued vpon a particular vertue or vice which is vsually to be till you haue gayned the one or quite maistered the other Which done then take a new subiect for that your particular Examen as before By which holy practise and Gods diuine grace you will speedily arriue at the perfection of a true vertuous life Our morning deuotion being ended we must then apply our selues to that which our present occasions and condition requireth at our hands calling frequently to minde for what end it was that God both created and still preserues vs for it being only for his glory and our owne saluation we must direct all our actions of the day accordingly as being accomptable for euery moment of this most pretious tyme which God hath lent vs. And there propose to our selues some good employment for that present day and not consume it in idlenesse nor permit our hart to be so fixed vpon meere wordly employments as to forget the diuine seruice of God or the true purity of our intention wherewith if we season them it will procure vs a happy blessing both for a good temporall successe and also an vndoubted recompence in Eternity due to such vertuous acts which are soe verie gratefull vnto God We must recall often to minde that most important and fruitfull remembrance of Gods diuine presence and verie feruently renew the purity of our intention both in our conuersation and all other actions doing them in honour of that holy conuersation of IESVS-CHRIST here vpon Earth amongst men and for entertainement of true charity and friendship with our neighbour which is a thing verie pleasing to God I must not conclude this third Rule of Prayer without some short aduertissement for the practise of Confession Communion wherein I need not be long we hauing all necessarie instructions for them in so manie other good bookes of deuotion and so verie familiar now vnto all Of the holy Sacraments of Confeâ—â—ion and Communion TO the holy plant of deuotion are belonging as two principall branches Confession and Communion yea they are as two souueraine fountaines of all grace and benediction the first reuiues vs from the death of sinn and the second nourishes and preserues vs in the blessed life of grace And as for the right vse and practise in frequenting these a foresaid Sacraments we are most prudently aduised therein by the Bishop of Geneua that great Maister of a true spirituall life in the second parte of his introduction to a deuout life chap. 19. about Confession And in the chapter following for Communion to which I will only here add for further motiues to make often vse of the first the aduantage and great fruit to be gained by the frequent vse of Confession considering that by each Sacramentall absolution we gaine a new degree of grace and increase of vertue our soule is cleansed thereby from sinne and freed from a part of the paine which its former sinnes had deserued shee also gaines forces to auoyde future finne to resist temptations and to practise vertue yea the oftner we confesse the better will be our confessions our memory being more able to call to minde our offences It is also a great security in case of suddaine death which by this holy practise probably will neuer finde vs in a mortall sinne Other dispositions required to a worthy confession are these First a diligent and exact examen of Conscience of all our sinnes 2. true repentance for the same 3. a firme purpose to amend them hereafter 4. an humble modest sincere and entyre Confession of them as well for the number as neare as morally we can as also for the mortally aggrauating circunstances which change the nature of the sinne I will conclude this article in answering them who to excuse their negligence and indeuotion will commonly say they can finde no matter in their consciences to confesse But this pretended cloake for their seldome Confession cannot couer their sinfull sloath for if the iust man as holy Scripture assures vs sinne seuen tymes a day how can we presume to want matter for Confession once a weeke S. Francis thought it a great sinne to be distracted in his prayers and he confessed it speedily to obtayne pardon thereof S. Cath. of Sienna confessed daily and wept with great repentance for the least veniall sinne if that can be called little which is committed against so great a God Sodid S. Charles Borromeus S. Ignatius of Loyola S. Theresa and manie more of these Saints And can anie then haue so little shame as to excuse and palliate their indeuotion and seldome confessing by saying that they can finde no matter whereof to accuse themselues O lett them but call to minde how exact an accompt they must render to their souueraine and dreadfull iudge of each idle word as also of euery momeÌ„t of ill spent tyme they will easily find both by thought word and deed or by sinfull omission to haue dayly iust cause to acknowledge their grieuous offenses and to craue humbly Gods gracious pardon for the same Of the holy Communion BLessed Sales that great Bishop of Geneua in the a foresaid Chap. giues vs in few words such ample instruction about frequenting this Sacrament as I shall only need here to aduertise how the Councell of Florence and Diuines doe generally teach vs that as this holy Sacrament is true food to our soules so also in proportion it workes therein the same effects with those of corporall food in our bodies which are to nourish to sustayne and to preserue them from sicknesse and death to giue force tâ— resist enemies and to performe such functions as are required and the like which are
assured by that infallible verity of diuine Faith of the reall and substantiall presence both of the diuinity and humanity of IESVS-CHRIST true God and man accompanied with all the diuine Attributes belonging vnto the infinit Maiesty of our heauenly eternall and Almighty God Secondly we ought there to behaue our selues with all exteriour reuerence and verie carefully to auoyde all needlesse words and lookes still keeping the eyes of our soule firmely fixed vpon the Altar and our mindes wholy busied with deuout attention vnto these most sacred Mysteries of the life and death of IESVS-CHRIST which in that dreadfull sacrifice are so verie liuely there represented vnto vs and to this verie end it was instituted by him For as often as you shall eate this bread and drink the chalice you shall shew the death of our Lord vntill he come 1. Cor. 11. A Prayer to be saide at the beginning of the Masse DEate IESVS my most mercifull Redeemer who dayly to renew in vs both the happie fruit and memory of thy most bitter death and Passion didst institute this holy sacrifice of the Masse vouchsafe I beseech thee that I may not only by my presence assist thereat but also partake of those diuine Mysteries wherein thou art the vnspotted lambe and gratefull victime offered for the sinnes of the world And grant I befeech thee that I may with a true repentant hart and attentiue reuerence so assist at this great Mystery of thy diuine power wisdome and goodnesse that I may effectually participate of the self-same gratefull sacrifice as it was offered by thee in that bloody forme vpon the Crosse for the Redemption of the world to thy Eternall Father for this is the infinit treasure wherein only I confide and the inestimable price which I offer in expiation of all my grieuous sinnes and vnder this shelter of thy sacred merits only it is that I dare presume to present my selfe before thee as a poore captiue slaue redeemed with the price of thy most precious blood who liuest and raignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost world without end Amen What we are to consider at the Priests descending to the foote of the Altar and makeing a low reuerence there A Declaration of the Mystery THe Priest being ascended to the Altar and hauing placed there the Chalice and opened the booke he immediately descends againe to the lower step to signifie that though by the happie state of our first creation we had been vnited to God in Adam by the holy vnion of his grace yet we were soone separated from him by sinne which in our verie conception we all contract and are cast downe to the lowest degree of abiection and become obiects of the wrath of God as the Priest at the lowest step of the Altar by his bowing with profound reuerence represents to vs. Here in the true spirit of humiliation make this your petition as followeth The Petition O Most infinitly good and mercifull God who to preserue thy trayterous rebellious and vngratefull seruant from eternall punishment didst condemne thy only deare sonne to a reproachfull death vpon the Crosse vouchsafe I beseech thee to interpose his most sacred death and Passion betwixt my sinfull soule and thy most dreadfull iudgement both now and in the houre of my death Amen What is signified by the Priests makeing the signe of the Crosse when he beginnes the Introibo The Declaration THe Priest erecting himselfe againe makes the signe of the holy Crosse in the name of the blessed Trinity humbly acknowledging that by the bitter death Passion of our souueraine Lord vpō the Crosse we are redeemed raised vp againe to the happie state of reconciliation and to the right of our heauenly inheritance in humble and assured hope whereof the Priest proceedes saying with the Royall Prophet I will appreach to the Altar of my God to the God who much reioyceth me c. Psal 45. Here disposing your hart to gratitude and humble confusion say The petition MY most gracious Lord IESVS how often by separating my selfe from thee by grieuous sinne had I been cast into the lowest Hell had not thy infinitt goodnesse and great mercy reserued me to rise by holy penance and to make my happie peace againe with thee Grant me the sense of true gratitude and thy holy grace so truly to detest all sinne as I may much rather choose to dye then by anie deliberate consent to offend thee greuously anie more Amen What is signified by the Confiteor The Declaration A Tributing here all good vnto God and nothing but sinne with the iust confufion and punishment thereof vnto our selues the Priest makes profound reuerence and from a contrite and humble hart he vtters the publike and generall Confession of his sinnes committed by thought word or deed which the people with like contrition accompanying the clerke are also to say Knock here your breast with the contrite and humble Publican of the Gospel saying The petition GOd be mercifull to me a most wretched sinner Grant me I beseech thee true repētāce that being purified thereby from sinne I may become more gratefull to offer vp to thee this holy sacrifice both for the liuing and dead What is signified by the following verses vntill the Priest ascends vp to the Altar and kisseth it The Declaration THis humble confession thus mutually made both by the Priest and people they now likewise encourage each other in the aboundant mercy of so great a God by these confortable ensueing verses of the Psal 86. O God thou being reconciled to me wilt giue me life and thy people will reioyce in thee Shew fourth to vs o Lord thy mercy giue vs thy saluation O Lord heare my prayer and let my crye come vnto thee c. And soe the Priest ascending to the Altar kisseth it in testimonie of our happie reconciliation with God by the Incarnation of his only sonne IESVS-CHRIST in whom we are also tobe vnited by perfect charity to our neighbour all the world The petition LOrd IESVS who in thy infinite loue didst shed thy most precious blood to reconcile vs vngratefull sinners to thy Eternall Fathers peace vouchsafe that we may liue and dye in that blessed triple peace first with thee by holy grace secondly with our selues by the enioyment of a good conscience and thirdly with our neighbour by imitation and in honour and hommage of thy diuine and infinite Charity Amen At the Introite and Kyries The Declaration THe Introite puts vs in mind of the great desires which the holy Fathers and Patriarches had of their Redeemers comming And the Kyries of their earnest cryes for his speedy approach With whome we must ioyne our harty desires to the Blessed Trinity for his speedy comming by grace into our soules whereby to be fortified against our three ghostly enemies the world the flesh and the Diuell And to this purpose say The petition COme Lord IESVS come prepare an Altar in my
finally for the last and principall point of this dayes holy exercise I recommend to you aboue all the rest that you employ it principally to make a verie serious reuew of the present state of your soule and what accompt you could giue to that dreadfull Iudge were he then instantly to demand of you the reckoning for your stewardship and for all the talents both of nature grace and fortune which he hath lent you till that present day to be employed for his greater glory and for your owne souls health Call to mind how faithfull you haue been herein and what satisfaction you were able now to render him for all your thoughts words and deeds what progresse you haue made in vertue and what vnruly passions or sinfull habits you haue maistred or rather haue you not been guilty and much to blame for the contrary in them all In fine you must make a verie carefull and diligent examen of Conscience and especially wherein you haue most offended God that Month. Endeauour to stirr vp true sorrow and repentance for them and make a firme purpose to amend for the future and to auoyde the occasions of your sinne and finally to embrace the meanes which may be most efficacious to obtayne such vertues as be verie effectuall to thaâ— end for by true preparation to an entire and contrite Confession you rightly dispose to the next dayes holy Communion and to receiue thereby the happy effect and grace of those diuine Sacraments which will much strengthen your soule to begin the next Month with new feruour you will be exceedingly enabled also to amend your former faults to serue God much more faithfully for the tyme to come But if vpon this diligent reuew and strict examen of your selfe you shall perceiue anie spirituall amendment of your former life giue then most harty and humble thanks to God and beseech his diuine assistance that you may still amend If yet some not acquainted with this deuotion shall demand for their further fatisfaction wherefore this manner of spirituall Retreate is to be practised I answere that one but indifferently versed in the holy practise of that other longer spirituall Exercise of eight or tenn dayes space will verie easily perceiue the inestimable and heauenly treasure which is to be reaped by this the true abridgment of the other and which contayneth in briefe what the other doth much more amply at large and therefore it were exceedingly to be wished that all Christians who haue good leasure and oportunity would make vse of so powerfully a conducing helpe to their owne eternall saluation as sometymes to take the longer spirituall exercise of eight or tenn dayes space it being a most singular meanes to obtayne Gods heauenly grace to liue as we ought in that present vocation to which his diuine Prouidence hath called vs it is also a verie soueraigne remedy to cure our euill inclinations and to subdue our strongest and most vnruly Passions it greatly helpeth vs to roote out our euill habits and is the truest phisick whereby to purge our soules from sinne and to establish it in the state of grace it is a singular good meanes to renew the former feruour of all our good purposes and to rectifie all the affections of our minde All which celestiall benedictions as they are sufficiently experienced to be reaped by those longer spirituall Exercises so they may well expect a proportionable share who shall monthly make vse of the shorter or of one day as an abridgment of the same deuotion especially they being made as a preparation to death and a disposing our selues to that happie state wherein we would desire to be found at the summons of a dreadfull Iudge Finally your intention for this holy exercise must be to learne thereby Gods blessed will and to craue his grace for a constant resolution to accomplish the same resoluing by that heauenly helpe to amend your former faults for the best purposes not put in execution are but as blasted flowers which neuer giue fruit it being in the practise only wherein the true profit of all solid deuotion consists and Heauen it's glorious reward is obtayned by deeds and not by anie purposes or desires alone yea the speediest way to the happy science of true perfection is to studie little and to doe much for the much studie to know perfection and the little labour in the practise thereof is the true cause that so few obtayne it Faile not to make your confession as if it were to be your lâ—st and so manifest to your ghostly Father the true state of your conscience that he may be able to giue you counsell as well to amend your faults committed as also to preueÌ„t them for the tyme to come for hereby you will be the better prepared for your following Communion to receiue much grace thereby This your good day of a spirituall Exercise being ended you must be carefull not to precipitate your selfe too suddainly into your former worldly affaires without first rectifiing your intention to the glory of God for auoiding of all willfull sinne proposing euer here with all a carefull memory of Gods diuine presence in all your actions for as one newly come out of a sicknesse doth not rashly expose himselfe to the ayre but by degrees for feare of a more dangerous relapse so ought not our hart recollected by holy deuotion and prayer ouer suddainly to diuert it selfe vnto exteriour world ly actions least our good purposes be stifled euen in their birth or first conception Consider therefore first well with your selfe what you are that day to goe about and with whom to deale and conuerse for therevpon you must firmely propose and that with a true Christian resolution to doe nothing vnworthy of Gods all-ouerseeing view nor of the true child of so louing and celestiall a Father I hauing formerly spoke at large of Prayer and now here of holy fast the two principall satisfactory workes I must not omit in the next place to say also a word or two of the third which is Of the Satisfactory worke of Almes PRayer is good with Fasting and Almes rather then to lay vp treasures of gold because Almes deliuereth from death purgeth sinne and maketh to finde mercy and life euerlasting saith Tobias c. 12. by which we see so well declared both the excellency the fruit and necessity of this great vertue as it ought verie powerfully to excite vs to the practise of the same which by S. Paul is called a sweet odour and a most acceptable Host to God Phil. 4. yea it preuents our soules descending into Hell Tob. 4. The reason is giuen by the Holy Ghost himselfe who tells vs that as water quencheth fire so Almes doth extinguish sinne Eccl. 3. ô how exceeding a comfort will it be to those thrice happy soules to heare it pronounced in their behalues at the last dreadfull day come yee blessed of my Father possesse yee the Kingdom
the good resolutions and affections which he hath giuen you 2. Craue his grace to put them in execution 3. Implore the assistance of the Blessed Virgin and holy Saints Pater Aue. Credo The second Meditation About makeing our last will and Testament Preparation 1. Place your selfe in Gods diuine Presence 2. Beseech him to inspire you 3. Conceiue your souueraine Iudge as thus calling vpon you render an accompt of thy Baylifship Luke 16. Consideration A Will or Testament is only a protestation of iustice by which is giuen to euery one their due The body to the earth and wormes debts vnto creditours the inheritance to lawfull heires our almes to the poore and our soule vnto God to whom we being to render a most strict accompt for the vse of all the Talents which he hath lent vs to be employed for the increase of his glory as also for euery moment of our life and for each thought word and deed therein O what a folly and madnesse is it to differ this important reckning to the last day of our life when the paine of our sicknesse the feare of this accompt the weaknesse of our senses other powers and finally the great importunity of manie then ordinarily about priuate interests will hardly permit vs to doe anie thing as we ought either for the glory of God or for our owne soules good nor yet to our frends satisfaction but frequently with such confusion and so verie vnperfectly as we leaue thereby occasion for quarrels and verie much strife causing breach of charity amongst our nearest friends when we are dead and no small preiudice also to our soules To preuent all which great euills I conceiue it a good expedient that we in tyme of health make vse sometymes of this good Exercise that in rendring thereby familiar these holy Affections of a spirituall Testament we may be inspired also how to dispose a forehand in good tyme of our temporall trust according to true iustice and piety Affections and Resolutions DEare IESV who in thy last Testament gauest all entirely to me dying poore and naked vpon the Crosse for my Redemption without reseruing what might haue couered thy naked wounded body yea all and to the very last drop of thy most precious blood In humble gratitude whereof I here bequeath to thee my life my death my body my soule and all the powers and operations of them both And as the chiefest legacy which thou bequeathed'st to thy Apostles was that new Commandment of mutuall loue Iohn 11.34 In honour and homage of which I here humbly craue thy grace to fortifie me in that holy vertue of Charity whereby I most cordially embrace in vnion of that thy most louing Commandement all against whomsoeuer my corrupt nature may or euer hath conceiued anie auersion And as vpon the Crosse thou there did'st recōmend thy sacred Mother vnto thy beloued Apostle Iohn 19. in him vs all vnto her so I here Lord Iesv now recōmend most hūbly vnto thee all the necessities of thy deare Spouse our holy Mother the Cath. Church of all my dearest frends and greatest enemies to assist and protect them in all their necessities both of body and soule and to bring vs all finally to that eternall Blisse there to praise to loue to glorifie thee for euer This Lord IESV is my present will and Testament which I here willingly signe both with my heart and hand Vouchsafe thou to strengthen and confirme the same by putting to it the seale of thy heauenly grace that no sinfull malice may euer change this holy resolution Conclusion 1. Thanke God for your good Affections and Resolutions 2 Implore his grace to make good vse of them 3. Craue Pardon for your negligence in Prayer Pater Aue. Credo The third Meditation Of Confession and Satisfaction which we ought to make to God for our sinnes Preparation 1. Place your selfe in the presence of God 2. Beseech him to inspire you 3. Conceiue your selfe as a guilty criminel before your iust and Soueraigne Iudge Considerations FIrst calling to mind Gods innumerable benefits and rendring him humble tankes for the same it is fitting in the next place to acknowledge our manie grieuous offences and crauing most humbly Gods diuine pardon to resolue vpon due satisfaction for them And to this end it is verie requisit to make a good Confession and that with more then ordinary diligence and with as careful preparation as if it were to be our last conceiuing our selues as if in the case of K. Ezechias when God sent the Prophet Esaie to warne him to prepare for death who presently therevpon be thought himselfe for the state of his Conscience and as one awakened at that message of death he said I will recompt to thee all my yeares in the bitternesse of my soule Isaie 38. Doe you now the like and prepare your selfe by true repentance for your offences past with a firme purpose to amend resoluing to make restitution if cause require it as also to depose all ill will and enmity to put away all imminent danger of mortall sinne And finally stirr vp your heart to true feruent deuotion by these enfuing affections and resolutions or the like Affections and Resolutions THou hast created me ô God to loue and serue thee who are most worthy of all seruice and loue My obligation to thee is infinit and yet how often and how greeuously haue I offended thee by thought word and deed by my corporall senses and by all the powers of my sinfull soule yea by the abuse of those verie creatures which thou so carefully hast ordayned for my vse Ah how enormous is my ingratitude and infidelity O my most deare Redeemer IESV I cast all these my detestable sinnes into that immense Ocean of mercy still flowing from thy most precious blood purify me thereby o Lord and confirme my present resolution rather to dye then by the like to offend thee any more O that my heart could melt into true sorrow griefe for my detestable sinne and into teares of blood to wash away my haynous crymes What cane I doe great God in reparation of so infinit a wrong but only to offer vnto thee that inexhaustable treasure of the sacred Passion of thy diuine Sonne IESVS which I here presentto the glorious Trinity in satisfaction and expiation of all my sinnes committed from the instant of my first vse of reason vntill this present tyme. In vnion of which deare ransome I here entyrely now giue my selfe to thee I accept and most willingly embrace all the paines both in body and soule which thou hast allotted me either for this world or the next Admit thereof sweet Lord I beseech thee and of this my present resolution The Conclusion 1. Thanke God for your good Affections and Resolutions 2. Craue grace to put them in execution 3. Begg humbly pardon for all negligence or irreuerence in your prayer Pater Aue. Credo The fourth Meditation Of
the holy Communion Preparation 1. Place your selfe in the presence of God 2. Beseech him to inspire you 3. Endeauour by internall feruent Acts of Faith Hope Charity and of other vertues to prepare your nuptiall garment as an inuited guest to the solemne feast of the great King of Heauen and Earth Considerations THe holy Communion being a soueraigne meanes whereby we prepare our selues to a happy death it will be requisit to take one day in this Exercise to dispose our selues with all due preparation and deuotion to this holy action and that with as much care and diligence as if it were to be our last and at the dreadfull houre of death The manner of this important Exercise may be taken out of Granada his Memorial or from some other good treatise concerning the same And in particular endeauour to produce some feruent eiaculations from your heart of thanks-giuing and loue accompaniing them also with these ensuing acts or the like Acts of Oblation I Most humbly offer vnto thee deare IESV this holy Communion as if my last in thankes-giuing for all the effects of thy diuine loue and in particular for that thy great Charity in giuing thy life that I might liue eternally Secondly in satisfaction for the dishonour which hath been done by all the sinne committed from the beginning of the world which shall be till the end Thirdly I entirely resigne my selfe to thee my deare Redeemer in thankfull gratitude for hauing giuen thus thy selfe to me by this ineffable manner in the most blessed Sacrament I most humbly craue thy powerfull intercession ô immaculate Virgin mother and glorious Queene of Heauen Intercede also for me ô yee beloued Apostles of IESVS O happy Magdalen S. Mary of Egipt and all yee glorious Saints that I may pertake of your humility feruour and loue where with yee happily performed your last Communion of this celestiall food Vouchsafe good Lord that being vnited now to thee by grace I may neuer more be separated from thee by anie mortall sinne Conclusion 1. Thanke God for your good Affections 2. Craue grace to make good vse of them 3. Begg humbly pardon for all your negligence in Prayer Pater Aue. Credo The fifth Meditation Of the Sacrament of Extreme-Vnction Preparation First place your selfe in Gods diuine presence 2. Beseech him to inspire you with his grace 3. Conceiue your soule and body now vpon the point of separation and all worldly concernements at an end Consideration BEcause we are not certaine of being in capacity to apply our selues to God when this Sacrament shall be giuen vs therefore it is verie expedient here to designe one part of this exercise whereby to render him that duty which we should then be obleiged to doe And by this meanes to prepare also our selues aforehand to make good vse of this Sacrament by the practise of these following acts Affections and holy Acts of thankesgiuing and adoration O Louing IESV I adore thee as the Author and institutor of this holy Sacrament and as the liuing source of all the grace therein contayned and in all the other Sacraments which thou hast pourchased for vs by the effusion of thy owne most precious blood and thereby hast merited all the happy effects of grace receiued by vngratefull Man Grant me ô mercifull Lord the gracious fauour to receiue this needfull Sacrament at the end of my life or in case I be depriued thereof that my soule may then receiue by thy fauorable goodnesse the grace which it should haue had by this holy help of Extreame Vnction Lord IESV who a little before thy bitter death vouchsafed to receiue that gratefull vnction from holy Magdalen as also by Ioseph and Nicodemus when they lay'd thy sacred body in the Sepulcher grant that I receiuing this holy Sacrament and my last vnction in honour and vnion of those acceptable vnctions I may receiue the diuine vnction of the holy Ghost in that measure of heauenly grace as shall be needfull for my soule in the last dreadfull houre of my death Endue me deare Lord with all â—â—tt dispositions for the fruitfull receiuing of this Sacrament and worke in me I beseech thee those happy effects of grace there signifi'd by the exteriour ceremonies thereof Behold me prostrate at thy feet before all thy celestiall Cittizens huÌ„bly confessing the sinnes of my whole life and crauing pardon with a repentant heart wherewith I offer here to thee in sacrifice all my corporall senses togeather with the spirituall powers of my soule Annoint me sweet IESV with the holy and sacred oyle of thy diuine grace and mercy Accept in satisfaction I beseech thee that blessed vse which thy sacred humanity thy immaculate Mother and all thy other thrice happy Saints haue made of all their said senses and powers in stead of my ill vse of them and grant me thy grace hereafter to vse them to thy greater honour and glory Conclusion 1. Thanke God for your good Affections and Resolutions 2. Implore his grace to put them in practise 3. Craue pardon for your negligence in prayer Pater Aue. Credo The sixt Meditation Of our agonie and houre of death Preparation 1. Place your selfe in the presence of God 2. Beseech him to inspire you with his grace 3. Conceiue your selfe now speechlesse ready to expire and vpon the very point of separation from all worldly designes possessions and frends for euer immediately to appeare at Gods dreadfull Iudgment to giue a most exact accompt of all the thoughts words and deeds of your whole life And therevpon to receiue your finall doome to an endlesse Blisse or misery Considerations 1. COnsider how different are the thoughts of a dying MaÌ„ from those which he hath vsually in tyme of health and make a firme resolution to begin thence forward to doe that presently which certainly you shall then wish to haue done 2. Consider this day as if the last of your life and therefore labour to behaue your selfe with diligence and deuotion to negotiate therein your eternall saluation And for this effect you ought to apply all your thoughts and endeauours of this day to contemplate and adore IESVS-CHRIT as if in the last day of his life in this world and to doe all your actions therein with the like disposition and intention the best you can wherewith he accomplish't his last actions whilst he remayned here vpon Earth Beseech him to endue you with some proportion of the affections and dispositions required to dye in that spirit of diuine loue of Patience Charity Humility and Conformity wherewith he rendred vp his blessed soule into the hands of his heauenly Father vpon the Crosse Affections and Resolutions LOrd IESV I adore there in that verie article of thy bitter death and agonie in vnion whereof togeather with that holy agonie of thy deare Virgin Mother and of all thy blessed Saints I here offer to thee my last expiring breath most humbly beseeching thee that the article of my death
may be blest and sanctifi'd by this my true desire and good intention of vnion vnto thyne and theirs and that my life be sacrificed in those sacred flames of diuine loue wherein they haue so happily ended theirs O immaculate Virgin Mother O thou beloued disciple of our Lord and thou o happy and repentant Magdalen yee who had that speciall honour to accompanie my Lord IESVS at his dolorous death and there to assist at the foot of the Crosse whilst therevpon he pay'd the deare ransome of our Redemption vouchsafe yee also to assist me by your powerfull intercession in that last passadge to my Eternity It would be also verie expedient this day to reade the Passion of IESVS-CHRIST and the 17. chapter of S. Iohn which contaynes the last words and the prayers of IESVS-CHRIST before he came to the Crosse as also to reade the prayers of the Church for an agonizing soule for they are verie pious and efficacious Nor doe we know whether at the day of our death we shall be able to make vse of anie such preparation let vs therefore so reade them now as we ought to reade them then and with the selfsame dispositions and affections as if in that last article of our death Lord Iesv for thy great mercy sake grant me this happy grace to consecrate the finall instant of my mortall life to the honour of that sanctifi'd moment wherein thou did'st expire vpon the Crosse and that my last breath may yeald fourth a feruent act of diuine and pure loue of thee which may perseuere with my soule eternally This is sweet Iesv my true harty desire and firme resolution confirme and so strengthen it I beseech thee in holy grace as that by finall perseuerance I may performe it to thy glory and my owne eternall felicity Conclusion 1. Thanke God for your good affections and Resolutions 2. Craue grace to put them in execution Beseech him to pardon your negligence in prayer Pater Aue. Credo The seauenth Meditation Of our particular iudgment at the houre of death Preparation 1. Place your selfe in the presence of God 2. Beseech him to inspire you with his grace 3. Reflect vpon that ioyfull sentence come yee blessed c. And vpon the excessiue horrour of that other Goe yee cursed c. and prepare your selfe in tyme by a good life to auoyde the same Considerations 1. We must consider our selues now as at the point of death and Iesvs-CHRIST as if appearing to vs in quality of our soueraigne Iudge come to pronounce our finall sentence to an eternall life or death without all further appeale Lett vs yeald to him in quality thereof all honour and homage laboring by true loue repentance to renderhim propitious tovs against that dreadfull houre that houre after which no moment more of tyme will euer be giuen vs that deciding houre which will determin vs to ioy or misery for all Eternity O lett vs therefore entertayne our most serious thoughts affections and resolutions herevpon whilst that both tyme and mercy is afforded for the same 2. Consider the immaculate lambe the Saint of Saints and essentiall sanctity it selfe IESVS-CHRIST infinitly farr frō all blemish of sinne yet layde prostrate in a bloody agonie before his heauenly Father in the garden soone after at Pilats feet there charged withall the sinnes of the world becomme the voluntary suerty and the accepted caution for all sinners whatsoeuer And therefore it was that the eternall Father did so seuerely exercise his diuine and rigid iustice vpon that sacred Humanity and made it to vndergoe the iudgment which was due to wicked Man permitting his most innocent and beloued sonne to be condemned to that reproachfull death vpon the Crosse Which iudgment he accepted with most perfect submission to his heauenly Father and ardent loue to Man In honour vnion and adoration whereof here prostrate your selfe as at the feet of IESVS-CHRIST and there acknowledge adore him as the soueraigne Iudge both of Men and Angells without appeale Raise vp your soule to true loue and gratitude by these ensueing Affections or the like Affections and Resolutions O Diuine IESV I honour thee in this thy particular comming to iudge me at the article of my death And I here adore what thy eternall decree shall there dispose of me Enlighten me I beseech thee that I may so discouer the enormity of my sinnes as I may behold them now in the self-same manner as they would appeare to me at the houre of my death to the end I may by true repentance and satisfaction make here my happy peace before I fall into the finall zeale of thy dreadfull iustice when all tyme will be past for anie fauour or mercy I therefore now detest from my very hart and renounce for euer all my finfull offences and at the sacred feet of thy diuine mercy I resolue most willingly to accept what punishment soeuer thy iustice shall ordayne me nor can I hope for anie other meanes whereby to expiate my grieuous sinne but meerely by thy mercy and merits of thy most precious blood O mercifull Redeemer who did'st for my sake permit thy selfe to be ledd bound and in all disgracefull manner to that prophane tribunall of Pilate and there with all malice and scorne to be presented and iudged before him thou being thy selfe the supreame and soueraigne iudge both of the liuing dead Grant I beseech thee that all those indignities suffered for the loue of man obtayning pardon for my sinnes may graciously preserue me from that vnhappy number who shall neither loue nor praise thee during their cursed Eternity And though most vnworthy I be of this blessed effect of thy great mercy yet behold ô God our Protectour and looke vpon the face of thy Christ Psal 83. thy diuine and only begotten Sonne ◠eternall Father being adiuged to that dolorous death for my offence may begg my pardon and therevpon is grounded all my hope and humble confidence O Mother of mercy and faithfull aduocate of all who craue thy powerfull intercession sacred Virgin and Mother of God O all yee blessed Angells and Saints of Paradise vouchsafe yee to intercede for me vnto the most glorious Trinity and offer vp I beseech yee your holy sufferings for his sake in part of satisfaction for my sinne pray yee for me that he dealenot with me according to the rigour of his iustice but rather answerably to the multitude of his infinit mercy to the end that I may loue and praise him with you all world without end Conclusion 1. Thanke God for your good Affections and Resolutions 2. Craue grace to put them in execution 3. Beseech him to pardon your negligences in prayer Pater Aue. Credo The eight Meditation Of the state of our death and buriall Preparation 1. Place your selfe in the presence of God 2. Beseech him to inspire you with his grace 3. Conceiue now your soule and body separated The first to appeare
leading to Beatitude a worke well deseruing a much better contriner and farr was it truly from my thought to propose this vnto publike view which I iudged vnworthy the presentment to my particular frend for whose priuate vse it was composed but the persuasion of seuerall persons whose iudgments had great power ouer my will in some sorte constrayned me to expose it vnto all vpon that conceiued hope that it would doe good vnto manie You haue therefore here from an vnskilfull hand a rude and vnperfect draught of these good Rules for a vertuous life which I very humbly remitt vnto more able Maisters to be accomplished with their much better coulors of perfection as also to amend both the faults and methode where need shall require And although it cost me some paines to compose this Rule yet to obserue it will re quireso much the more as doing is more difficult then saying But seeing that true Christian Perfection consists not in words but in the reall performance of deeds and is gained by laborious practise much tather then by speculation or by contemplation alone therefore we must with vertuous resolution embrace the paines required to obtaine the blessed end of our Beatitude For one should but in vaine expect to satiate his desire in beholding the curious and delightfull obiects of forraine countries vnlesse he likewise would expose himselfe to the vsuall paines and incommodities required for such a iourney which by a willing and curious minde are most cherefully vndertaken and endured with pleasure and alacrity We see that both the souldier and marchant expose themselues to imminent dangers extreame sufferings in hope of some vaine deluding vanity of humaine honour or for the gaine of some poore temporall reward whereas by incomparable lesse venture and by nothing neare so great paines we are taught by these Christian Rules to pourchace a secure inheritance of eternall Felicity and obseruing the good directions which they giue they will be as an Angell Raphael to preserue vs from manie greater dangers in this perilous Pilgrimage of our present life then was yong Toby in that long dangerous iourney by his Angelicall Guide Tob. 12. You haue here deare Cath. reader a guide presented you for a much more important voyage and though it be not a liuing Angell yet is it warranted by the Lord of Angells Iesus-Christ being grounded vpon his sacred word as also vpon the doctrine of those holy Fathers and Pastors whom he hath commanded vs both to heare and obey as himselfe Luke 10. yea it hath been alwayes practised by his greatest Saints and therefore in following it we cannot erre The Angell Raphael would accept from Tobie neither treasure nor any other recompence in requitall of his paines because then actually enioying the beatificall vision of God he had the full accomplishment of all Beatiude and therefore stood not in need of his help in any thing But I a sinfull wretch and a most vnperfect creature most earnestly begg your prayers in recompence of my paines to the end that I may so guide my owne life actions by these good Rules which I haue proposed vnto others as I may also at last arriue to that Celestiall city of all Blisse Let this deare Catholike Reader be our mutuall prayer in this mortall life that we may celebrate together in the other an eternall Iubile of Ioy with praise and glory to the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost both now and for euermore A TABLE Of the chiefe contents in this Treatise THE first Rule concerning a Pure Intention and Gods Diuine Presence Pag. 17. That the memoty of God Diuine Presence is a maine incitement to vertue and a great curb to all vice pag. 28. The 2. Rule regulating all our actions from our vprising vntill we goe to bedd page 69. A practise before our going to bedd page 87. The 3. Rule for the Exercise of Prayer page 104. Comfort and remedy against inuoluntory distractions in Prayer page 125. The practise of a daily particular examen of Conscience page 245. Concerning the holy Sacraments of Confession and Communion pag. 152. The 4. Rule shewing how we ought to heare Masse page 162. A second compendious manner of hearing Masse for the more vnlearned sorte of people page 235. An answere to two vsuall obiections against the Masse pa. 245. The 5. Rule for the exercise of certaine select vertues most conducing to Christian Perfection pag. 255. A necessary aduertisement for the profitable practise of anie vertue which we desire to obtayne pag. 259. Of Mortification pag. 266. Of Humility pag. 270. Of Conformity to the will of God pag. 278. For the practise of Patience pa. 286. We ought to suffer Persecution and affliction with ioy page 296. Of the loue of our Enemies pag. 311. How Patience may be practised in the occasion of contempt and disesteeme pag. 323. Pious practises for seuerall occasions in the day page 330. How to preuent disquiet of minde when crosses and laborious obligations befall vs and at the death of frends pag. 338. c. Against rash resolutions in hard and d fficult affaires pag. 351. How to make vertuous and true Christian visitts pag. 354. How to entertaine good thoughts when walking abroad pag. 257. What is required of vs for rightly obseruing the Fastes and Feastes of the Church where of vigilles Ember and Rogation dayes pag. 361. c. Of one voluntary dayes fast each month by way of a spirituall Exercise pag. 391. Of the satisfactory worke of Almes pag. 402. Concerning the obseruance of Sundayes and other Feastes pag. 405. Of spirituall lecture pag. 413. Of spirituall sloath and Indeuotion pag. 417. The sixt Rule regulating our Conuersation pag. 421. What conditions are required for a laudable and true Christian Conuersation page 423. The best meanes to obtayne this vertuous Conuersation pag. 429. Ciuill myrth and cheerefull Alacrity are well beseeming true Christian Conuersation pag. 437. The lawfulnesse of moderate recreation in gaming fitting sports And of their abuse pag. 442. What abuses in recreation are to be auoyded pag. 448. Concerning temperance and our comportment at the table pag. 452. Of Detraction Rash-iudgment and Obloquie c. pag. 464. Against Ieering Scoffing and all prophane discourse pag. 473. Of vicious Loquacity and ill gouernment of our tongue pag. 481. Of boasting Ostentation and â—aine-selfe-conceipt pag. 487. Of Contention and Debate pag. 490. Of Anger and Choler pag. 497. Of vaine and affected singularity and curiosity either in dressing or behaueour pag. 505. The vertue of Prudence is most necessary for regulating a true Christian Conuersation pag. 518. Whnt matter or subiect is best for entertayning a vertuous Conuersation and holy discourse pag. 523. The 7. Rule shewing the great necessity to prepare our selues for Death in tyme of health consisting of eight pious and verie profitable Meditations pag. 529. THE FIRST RVLE Shewing both the profit and necessity of a pure intention in all our actions as also the
to be preferr'd before anie other act yea though the conuersion of whole Nations and the eternall Blisse both of Angells and Men should depend therevpon for all that in respect of what concernes the glory of God belongs to an infinitly inferior order and can admit no degree of comparison no the only sacred name of IESVS religiously pronounced by the Iust and in the holy Ghost excells beyond all proportion the valew of the heighest excellency within the bounds of all created nature Wherefore considering now as well the great profit as also the precise necessity of prefixing this holy Intention both to our prayers and to whatsoeuer we doe let vs frequently in the day and at the beginning of all our chiefe actions renew our morning oblation thereof and directing our hart vnto God let vs renounce our owne proper satisfaction and will to vnite it to God's crauing humbly his diuine grace that we neuer doe anie thing contrary therevnto In fine all our thoughts words and deeds must be offered vnto God in vnion honour and adoration and in the spirit Intention and disposition of all the sacred actions of IESVS-CHRIST in whose regard they will be made acceptable and admitted in expiation of sinne Take speciall great heed that no corrupt Intention blast that happy fruit of your actions and be verie wary of the subtile poison of vaine-glory selfe-loue priuate satisfaction which is the ruine destruction of all spirituall profitt in the soule Regard not the sight nor censure of anie Man but consider that only of God who both rewards and punishes not only in this world but also eternally in the other Recall with true sorrow the many lost actions of your life past for want of true Purity of Intention and direct them hereafter in vnion of that diuine Intention whereby our Lord and Sauiour IESVS-CHRIST did honour his heauenly Father in all his actions during the whole course both of his life and death for he being our Originall Prototype diuine Model we ought thereby to frame aur actions and to imitate them the best we can Examine now well by the premisses how farr you haue been faulty for what is past and with harty repentance propose by God's grace to be more carefull for the tyme to come and endeauoring by manie feruent aspirations frequently to offer vp all your actions to God craue humbly his heauenly help that they may be both begunn ended to his greater glory and that you may be sooner struck by death it selfe then consent deliberately to offend his Maiesty by anie grieuous sinne THE SECOND PARTE Of this Rule shewing that the memory of Gods diuine Presence is a maine incitement to vertue and a great curb to all Vice PYrity of Intention can nowaise be better seconded then by the help of this ensuing part of Gods diuine Presence for who well considers that he is the beholder of whatsoeuer we doe as it must needs on the one side encourage exceedingly excite him to direct all his actions to the glory of him who is so bountifull a rewarder so likewise on the other it will no lesse deterr him from offending in his presence who can punish vs both temporally in this world and eternally in the other without all hope of appeale I haue kept thy Commandements c. saith holy Dauid because all my wayes are in thy sight Psal 118. He giues the Presence of God as the true reason meanes by the helpe whereof he kept Gods holy law This was that strong buckler which defended chast Ioseph and Susanna from those dangerous temptations wherewith they were assaulted for much better it is said shee that by not yealding I fall into your hands then that I should sinne in the sight of God Dan. 13. This was the Rule which God himselfe prescribed to holy Abraham as a principall meanes for attayning to heigh Perfection walke before me and be perfect Gen. 17. as if he had said remember I ouersee thee in all things and thy deeds will be perfect The reason hereof is most manifest for as the beholding sight of a seuere Iudge doth most powerfully restrayne vs from offending so on the contrary nothing doth so much encourage and incite the Soldier to generous acts as doth the sight of his King or Generall who can aboundantly reward him And therefore it well appeares how effectuall a meanes this holy practise of Gods diuine Presence now is for the perfect and entire accomplishment of true Christian iustice it deterring vs most powerfully from the great euill of sinne and it as strongly also spurrs vs on to doe good by the practise of vertue which are the two essentiall parts of this holy iustice and are as two wings to the soule whereof if either of them be wanting the other will little auaile her to mount vp to her heauenly Blisse By all which it appeares both how necessary this holy practise is to direct all our actiōs according to the will of God as also how needfull to curbe our vnruly passiōs to moderate the disordered affections of our minde Finally it serues as a seuere and awfull Maister to deterr the boldest sinner from offending him who hath such power not only to inflict all temporall punishment vpon him in this world but also to condemne him both body and soule to the eternall flames of Hell All which being manifest it remaines that I endeauour to declare how this diuine Presence of God may be conceiued by vs and by what meanes it ought to be practised for both which you may obserue that The first good helpe whereby to conceiue the diuine Presence of God is firmely to beleeue with S. Paul that God is not farr from vs for we line we mooue and we are in him Act. 17. Yea we so absolutely subsist by his support as should be withdraw his sustayning hand all creatures would returne to their former nothing from whence he first extracted them so that we are not only inwardly replenished with him but he also encompasseth vs on euery side for both Heauen and Earth are fill'd with thy glory Esa 6. Yea he is more intimately present to vs then is our soule because he is the very essence of our soule there giuing to it not only the operations which it makes in the body but euen the existence and proper being of them both for thou ô Lord do'st all my actions Esa 26. Nor is it I but the grace of God with me saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 15. Where attributing his actions much rather to God's operation in him then to his owne and therefore by good consequence he was there present vnto them as S. Augustin did well conceiue when he so greatly rebuked himselfe for hauing labored to seeke God abroad in his other Creatures whom he so intimately enioy'd within himselfe at home A second good expedient for this holy practise of Gods diuine Presēce is to contemplate his continuall benefitts which as the
disordered Passions and Affections which most incline you to sinne And principally make good reflexion vpon those faults committed against your resolution made that day in your morning prayer as also vpon such affected veniall sinnes as frequently are cōmitted by deliberate free cōsent Of which sort are idle vnprofitable words Trifling vntreuthes Slight Contempt or auersion Small Calumnies murmuratiōs against Superiours or others Sloath to refist distractions in Prayer Negligence and cooldnesse in frequenting Sacraments and all other deuotions doing all rather by custome and without fruit for want of uertuous endeavour Vanity secret self-esteeme Too-much inclination industry to seeke our owne ease commodity neglecting our Christian Perfection Selfe-loue in our actions and the like But I must seriously here recommēd to you this verie vsefull aduertisement for your examen before confession wherein although you must be serious very diligēt yet free from anxious and ouer scrupulous disquiet of minde First carefully examine whether since your last Confession your Conscience accuse you of no mortall sinne and if it be guilty but of veniall then lett your Examen and Confession also be chiefly concerning your daily and most habituall faults which you are most bound to amend of which kinde those are which cause greatest remorse to your Conscience which hinder your progresse in vertue and are most contrary to the vocation and state of life wherein you liue or those finally to the Confession of which you find most repugnance and wherevnto you haue greatest affection and inclination For it is well to be obserued that by this manner of examen and Confession of these our principally affected sinnes takeing as by taske to amende them the grace of the Sacrament is much more aboundantly obtayned then if by a long scrupulous search teadious Confession we should labour to find out all our meanest frailties and least veniall sinnes for thereby we so spend the whole force of our spirit as that small attention can be had to make with true repentance good resolutions of amendment according to which not withstanding it is that we receiue grace in this holy Sacrament not according to the tyme or toyle which we employ in too vnquiet examens or in long and scrupulous Confessions wherein though it be not needfull to confesse all our veniall frailties yet we must be truly sorrow full for them all and purpose to amende them which is the chiefest point and best disposition to a profitable Confession declaring our sinnes not as by custome only and after one set forme still repeating the same and in such generall tearmes as the greatest Saints aliue are not free We must therefore accuse our selues only of such things in particular as most require correction expressing them so humbly clearly and briefly as we can assuring our selues that the longest Confessions are not alwayes the best but those which are made with most repentance truest purpose of amendment Fourthly stir vp your selfe to true hearty Contrition for all your sinnes craue humbly pardon of God for them proposing with a firme resolution by Gods grace to amend and to confesse them with true sorrow at the next fitting tyme. Endeauour by this meanes to put your selfe in that happy state wherein you would be content to be found at the houre of your death which may be done by these fowre briefe ensuing acts First by an act of holy Faith firmely beleeuing whatsoeuer God hath reuealed to his holy Cathol Church and as for such is by her proposed to vs to be beleeued Secondly by an act of diuine Hope founded in Gods great goodnesse and faithfull promisses and in the sacred meritts of IESVS-CHRIST Thirdly by an act of true Charity in louing God aboue all things and our neighbour as our selues And finally conclude with an Act of Contrition detesting all sinne because it is iniurious to so great and good a God which detestation of sinne and hearty repentance as by verie powerfull motiues may be stirred vp by these ensuing considerations First by well pondering who he is that offendeth to witt a poore abiect Man a contemptible worme yea verie dust and ashes 2ly Who he is that is offended to witt God omnipotēt infinitly good iust mercifull who hath both created continually preserues vs powring downe innumerable benefits vpon vs most vngratefull Creatures Thirdly to consider the ill effects of sinne whereby if mortall we loose Gods grace which is the life of our soule and of being the children of God we become children and slaues of the Diuell we forfeit Heauen become liable to the euerlasting flames of Hell the greatnesse horrour whereof is most extreamely formidable euē to imagine but by a serious thought And lastly to consider for how vnworthy a gaine and small a content in satisfying some fonde curiosity or sensuall and vnruly passion we renounce our eternall Blisse Out of all which considerations may well be framed this following Act of Contrion or some such like as we shall find most moouing to our hearts for that effect An act of true Contrition My Souueraigne Lord God most mercifull Redeemer for that I loue the aboue all things whatsoeuer it grieues me from the bottome of my heart for hauing offended thee I firmely porpose neuer to offende thee any more but to auoyde the occasions of my sinne to confesse and to fulfill the sacramentall pennance which shall be enioyn'd me for the same I now offer vp my life and death my body and soule with all the operations of them both in satisfaction for all my grieuous sinnes I most humbly craue that I wholy trusting in thy infinit great goodnesse and mercy and by the sacred merits of the most precious blood thou wouldest pardon me as I doe all who any way haue iniuried me and vouchsafe me thy holy grace to amend an finall perseuerance in the same vntill my end These our deuotions before bed being ended we must retire our selues in that deuout recollection from al company the best we can to our quiet repose without dissipating our hart by any further needlesse discourse or idle conuersation but beginning now to vndress our selues and to put off our cloathes we must call to minde how Death will shortly bereaue vs of all wordly things as honours wealth frends pleasures and what else soeuer we enioye we must make here a true vertuous act of perfect conformity to Gods heauenly pleasure as a most willing surrender of all which is ours to be freely disposed of by him both now and in all eternity saying O when shall I deuest my selfe deare IESV and put off the old man with all my euill acts and sinfull habits to the end I may be renewed in spirit and may put on the new man which according to God is created in Justice and Holinesse of truth Thessal 4.24 Consider that a day will come for your vncloathing neuer to reuest your selfe when your last infirmity
The petition O My soueraine Lord IESVS I wholy and entyrely remit my selfe body and soule with all the powers of them both to thy heauenly disposition yea I abandon and sacrifice them all to thy diuine pleasure as well for life as for death Grant I beseech thee that I may neuer haue anie other desire nor will but thy only good pleasure in all And that as thou hast vouchsafed to dye for the loue of me so I may both liue dye purely for the loue of thee and that liuing or dying I may neuer willfully offend thee anie more Amen What is meant by Kissing the Altar at Rogamus ac petimus c. The Declaration THe Priest saying those words kisseth the Altar thereby to signifie that he presumes not to demand anie thing for his owne deserts or merits but for the merits only of IESVS-CHRIST who as it said before is represented by the holy Altar Of the three ensueing Crosses made vpon the Host and chalice The Declaration THe three Crosses made at those words haec dona †haec munera †haec sancta sacrificia †The first signifies the sacrifices offered by the Patriarches and Prophets vnder the law of nature The 2. those offered by Aaron and the Priests vnder the written law And the 3. signifies those vnder the law of grace The signe of the Crosse is made at each one of theÌ„ to shew that they were all made acceptable to God only because they represented that wherein his most dearely beloued sonne our Sauiour suffer'd when he was crucified vpon mount Caluary from which only all Sacraments and sacrifices both now doe euer did and alwayes shall deriue all their force and value At the first Memento The Declaration IN this Memento we remember those liuing persons for whom we intend and are most obleiged to pray and to offer this holy sacrifice And as by it we vnite our selues in Charity to the liuing so by the same with due honour and reuerence we also vnite our selues with Gods chiefest Saints in Heauen the most blessed Virgin the Apostles the primitiue prelates and successors of S. Peter togeather with diuers others Gods chiefe fauorites now in eternall Blisse beseeching his diuine protection by their gratefull intercession and also testifying thereby in this great sacrament of Charity the Communion and inseparable coniunction between the Militant and Triumphant Church of God For which effect by a holy aspiration eleuate your hart to God and say The petition LOrd IESVS I here offer vp to thee thy beloued spouse the Cath. Church togeather with thy Elect from all Eternity by whose powerfull mediation I most huÌ„bly craue thy holy grace that liuing here in imitation of their vertues and in vnion with all the world by perfect Charity I may offer vp my selfe entirely to the glorious Trinity as a gratefull oblation in vnion honour and adoration of that most blessed sacrifice of my soueraine Lord and Sauiour IESVS-CHRIST vpon the Crosse Be mindefull good Lord I beseech thee to comfort the afflicted to reward my benefactors to forgiue all my enemies grant perseuerance to the iust repentance to all sinners true peace and charity amongst all Christians extirpate all schisme and heresie and that especially in our poore afflicted Kingdome where that contagious Peste of soules at present so greatly aboundes grant this deare Lord for thy most bitter Passion sake to the exaltation of thy holy Faith and increase of thy eternall glory Amen At hanc igitur c. when the Priest extendes his hands ouer the Host and chalice The Declaration THe Priest extends his hands ouer the Host and chalice to represent to vs the cursed Iewes sacrilogiously laying their hands vpon our Blessed Sauiour whem they tooke him in the garden and bound him with cordes by which they dragged him with all cruelty to seuerall Courtes And hauing scourged and crowned him with thornes they finally condemned him to a reproachfull death vpon the Crosse The Priest holds his hands ouer the Host and chalice to signifie that he ioynes himselfe to that offering and substitutes it in his place and ours since it is vnlawfull for him to sacrifice and destroy himselfe And herein he also imitates the custome of the old law where the Priestes euer extended their hands ouer the sacrifice before it was offered Prepare here your hart to true gratitude and compassion saying The petition O Mercy surpassing all other bounds except the infinit goodnesse of a God who to redeeme his disloyall and most rebelliously vngratefull seruant condemned to death his only begotten and most dearely beloued sonne I am the delinquent ô heauenly Father and must I be ransommed at no lesse a price then with that deare and precious blood of thy most innocent and beloued sonne my grieuous sinne hath iustly deserued eternall punishment from thy wrath and must this most innocent and vnspotted lambe be made a sacrifice to satisfie the rigour of thy iustice by so costly an expiation of my most execrable sinne ô infinit mercy o ineffable goodnesse and loue without all paralell vouchsafe that this precious ransome prooue not frustrate in me thy most vnworthy creature Amen At the fiue ensueing Crosses made ouer the Host and Chalice The Declaration THese Crosses made ouer the Host and Chalice represent to vs the preparation of the heauie Crosse by the wicked Ministers who layed it vpon the wearie and wounded shoulders of our blessed Redeemer to be borne by him to mount Caluary These Crosses are in number fiue to put vs in minde of the cruell torments which our louing Sauiour suffered in his â—â—ue senses and principally by his fiue most precious wounds as also to professe thereby that all the force and efficacy of our Sacraments and sacrifices are deriued from the Crosse and Passion of IESVS CHRIST For with the signe of the Crosse we consecrate the body of our Lord and whatsoeuer is consecrated in the name of CHRIST is consecrated with this signe saith S. Augustin serm 181. de temp Craue here true patience and conformity saying The petition O Louing and diuine Redeemer of my soule wert thou my God crucified for my sake and shall I refuse to beare my Crosse and follow thee o grant me grace to imitate thy blessed patience and conformity in gratefull acknowledgment of thy manie dolorous and reproachfull sufferings in paying so costly a ransome for my sinne Vouchsafe I beseech thee that I may ioyfully embrace all afflictions and Crosses either in body or minde which thy diuine and fatherly disposition from all Eternity hath ordained mee for my greater good Amen At the Consecration and Eleuation The Declaration THe Priest being now come to the principall action of this sacrifice to the end to follow the example of IESVS-CHRIST in what he both said and did at the institution thereof he first blesseth and consecrates the bread and wyne by the selfsame words which IESVS-CHRIST himselfe did vse Which done he eleuates in those consecrated
species a holy sacrifice to God the Father and shewes it to the people to be adored putting vs in minde how our blessed Sauiour was lifted vp vpon the Crosse for our Redemption And by the eleuation of the Chalice is represented to vs the effusion of his most precious blood flowing from his sacred wounds vpon the Crosse The Eleuation of these two seuerall and separated species is a continuall memoriall of CHRISTS holy Passion and of that dolorous separation of his most sacred body and soule vpon Mount Caluary For all which we must offer vp to God the Father with firme Faith this great sacrifice and holy Passion of his onely begotten sonne in satisfaction for our owne finnes and for the sinnes of all others both liuing and dead it being after consecration one of the most essentiall partes of this diuine seruice and signifies that holy oblation wherein IESVS-CHRIST offred himselfe to his Eternall Father vpon the Altar of the Crosse in expiation of our sinnes Here salute the body of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST at the Eleuation of the holy Host saying The Petition HAile ô true body borne of the Virgin Mary which truly suffered and was really offered vpon the Crosse for man and from whose pearced side flowed water and blood Vouchsafe to be receiued by me at the houre of my death ô most mercifull IESV sonne of the liuing God haue mercy on me At the Eleuation of the Chalice The petition HAile o most precious blood flowing from the side of my Lord IESVS-CHRIST wash away the foule and sinfull staines of all my past and present offenses cleanse sanctifie and prepare my soule to thy eternall Blisse Amen Of the three Crosses made vpon the sacred Host immediately after the Eleuation THese Crosses made vpon the consecrated species immediately after the Eleuation represent to vs the manner in particular how that most sacred Host was immolated vpon the Crosse for our Redemption whereof we are put in minde by the frequent makeing of the holy Crosse At the second Memento The Declaration BY this second Memento we are aduertised that whilst the body of our B. Sauiour remayned in the graue his soule descended into Hell a place in the Earth called Lymbus Patrum to deliuer the soules of the Fathers who had long expected their happie enlargement from thence Forget not here your dearest freinds deceased And say The petition LOrd IESVS as thou vouchsafest to reioyce the long thirsting Fathers in Limbo by the diuine visit which thy most glorious soule made them there so now extend I beseech thee those infinit merits of thy most sacred Passion towards the solace also of those thy poore suffering creatures in Purgatory there crying for helpe but especially haue mercy I beseech thee vpon my dearest freinds kindred and benefactors and in particular vpon N. N. and vpon all those for whom I haue most obligation to pray transferre them speedily from those tormenting flames to thy celestiall Beatitude there to enioy loue and praise thee for all Eternity Amen At nobis quoque Peccatoribus The Declaration THe Priest somewhat raising his voyce and knocking his breast at nobis quoque peccatoribus represents to vs the repentance of these Iewes who had been accessary to the cruell death of the sonne of God together with the good Centurion who at this dolorous Passion perceiuing so many great and wonderous signes of his diuinity mooued with sorrow admiration he strucke his breast and verie boldly cryed out before all those enraged enemies truly this was the sonne of God Math. 27. Dispose now your hart to Contrition and to true compassion saying The petition O Stony and most obdurate hart so little sensible of those sharpe sufferings of my Lord Sauiour for my most wicked sinne O touch it Lord IESV with true remorse that in the sense and fealing of thy loue on the one side and of the horrour and detestation of my offending thee on the other I may in the humble spirit of that repentant Publican and from the bottome of my hart cry out to thee Lord be mercifull to me a most wretched sinner Luke 18. I haue sinned Lord and I detest my sinne as the vnhappie cause of all thy dolorous and most grieuous sufferings but thou ô IESV the sonne of Dauid haue mercy on me Amen Marke 10. The reason why the Priest makes here againe three Crosses ouer the Host and Chalice when he saith cum ipso †in ipso †per ipsum †The Declaration IT is to signifie that this sacrifice is auaileable for three seuerall sorts of persons for those in Heauen to an increase of their glory for those in Purgatory to releeue their sufferings and for those vpon Earth for an encrease of grace and remission of their sinnes At omnis honor gloria The Declaration THe Priest eleuating the Holy Host chalice together a little from the Altar at Omnis honor gloria and then immediately deposing them againe vpon the corporall and couering the chalice with the Pall represents to vs the takeing of our blessed Sauiours body from the Crosse which being most reuerently wrapped in a pure cleane linnen sheete signified by the corporall was placed in the sepulcher by those deuout persons Ioseph and Nicodemus Here crauing true purity both of hart and soule say with pious affection The petition GRant me deare IESV I beseech thee in all my thoughts and deeds true purity of hart from all sinfull affection whereby my soule may become a pleasing sepulcher to receiue thy precious body blood together with thy heauenly grace to strengten in me the vertue of true humility whereby to mortifie what euer may be displeasing to thy heauenly Maiesty Amen At the little Preface before the Pater noster The Declaration BY this short Preface the Priest in true Humility of hart acknowledges his owne great vnworthines that he would not pre sume to call God his Father were he not expresly commanded by IESVS-CHRIST in this his owne Prayer of the Pater noster which he here saith at the holy sacrifice of the Masse to put vs in minde of those deuout and feruent prayers which the blessed Virgin the Apostles and the holy wo men made during the tyme that our soueraine Redeemer remayned in the sepulcher Here we must vnite our prayers together with those of the a fore-named Saints and with the whole militant Church saying The petition LOrd grant me grace I beseech thee that I may rise from the loathsome sepulcher of my former ill custome of sinne to a new vertuous life whereby I may be led to the happie fruition of thy beatificall vision there to adore and praise thee togeather with thy heauenly Father in vnion of the Holy Ghost and with the blessed companie of all thy celestiall spirits in Eternall Beatitude Amen What is meant by the Priests deuiding the Consecrated Host The Declaration THe Priest deuides the holy Host to signifie the separation of the
heretikes that they may be speedily conuerted from there sinne frō all impiety to a true vertuous life in the profession obseruatiō of thy most holy law And here once more ô most louing powerfull God we doe earnestly implore the speedy conuersion of our owne most deplorable country IESV grāt it for thy most bitter Passiōs sake O glorious Queene of Heauen and gracious Mother of God England for its peculiar deuotion towards thee was once iustly called thy Dowrie O interpose thy powerfull intercession most sacred Virgin to obtaine that thy due right and it s long lost greatest happinesse At the Post-Communion The Declaration THe Post-Communion signifies to vs the songs of eternall ioy made by the heauenly Choristers for the glorious Tryumph of our Sauiour ouer death Here send fourth from a gratefull hart your feruent eiaculation also of ioy and with an humble desire preferr The petition GRant vs efficacious grace o Lord so to conquer sinne in this world that we may enioy a victorious crowne of euerlasting glory in the other Amen At the next Dominus vobiscum The Declaration THis Dominus vobiscum signifies to vs that though our Blessed Sauiour be corporally ascended into Heauen yet by his faithfull promisse we are assured of the continuance of his most true and reall presence with his beloued spouse the holy Church sacramentally in the blessed Eucharist euen to the end of the world Math. 28.20 For which in gratefull thankefullnes say The petition IRender thee most humble thankes ô deare Redeemer IESV for all the gracious visits which thou hast pleased of thy meere goodnesse to make to my poore sinfull soule in this diuine Sacrament of thy most precious body and blood I most humbly craue thy heauenly grace so to adorne it with Charity with Humility with Patience and with such feruent deuotion against my next Communion as that it may thereby be made a gratefull guest at thy diuine banquet Amen At the latter Collect. The Declaration AT this last prayer or collect we must giue humble and harty thankes to the glorious Trinity for the innumerable great benefitts which we haue receiued and most particularly for hauing vouchsafed to make vs partakers of this diuine sacrifice whereby are most graciously applyed vnto vs all the merits of the life death and bitter Passion of IESVS-CHRIST if by sinne or want of due disposition we our selues be not the hinderance thereof which to auoyde begg humbly his grace and say with a religious hart The petition O Almighty and mercifull Father vouchsafe me grace that in due gratitude for all thy innumerable benefitts I may neuer by deliberate consent offend thee anie more Let this propitious sacrifice of the most precious body and blood of my deare Redeemer both obtayne pardon for what is past and so strenghten me hereafter that what on my part hath been truly purposed for thy honour may be faithfully accomplished to my owne soules health through the same Lord IESVS-CHRIST thy beloued Sonne who liueth with thee in vnity of the Holy Ghost world without end Amen At the last Dominus vobiscum The Declaration THis last Dominus vobiscum puts vs in minde of the dreadfull sound of the last trumpet when our soueraine Lord shall came in the end of the world to iudge both the quick and the dead by a finall sentence for all Eternity The petition GRant me Lord IESV I beseech thee with that blessed Saint and Doctor of the Church holy S. Hierome so liuely a feare and cōtinuall a memory of this dreadfull summons to that last iudgment day as by this wholsome feare I now auoyding sinne may not then apprehend that dreadfull iudgmēt Vouchsafe me in all my actions a continuall remembrance of the fower last things whereby I auoyding to offend thee this feare is also taken away At the Ite Missa est The Declaration AFter the conclusion of all these holy Mysteries of the Eternall Sonne of God the Priest turneth towards the people and hauing saluted them with the last Dominus vobiscum he pronounceth the Ite Missa est whereby he puts vs in minde of the most dreadfull sentence which our Lord and soueraigne iudge IESVS-CHRIST shall thunder out against the damned at that last iudgment in those fearefull words of S. Mat. 24. Goe yee cursed into euerlasting fire c. Craue humbly Gods grace to preserue and exempt you from that vnhappy number and say The petition LOrd giue me grace to practise vertue and to auoy de all deadely sinne that only and most vnhappy barr against Beatitude Vouchsafe me deare IESV true finall Repentance that so I may be deliuered from all feare of that dreadfull summons to my last Doome Amen Of the last Benediction The Declaration HEre contrariwise at this last Benediction which immediately follows you must call to minde that other most ioyfull sentence to be pronounced there by the selfesame Iudge vnto all the thrice happie elect Come yee blessed of my Father possesse yee the Kingdome prepared for you from all Eternity c. Math. 24. whereof to be partaker say in the spirit of humble hope and confidence in the sole meritts of IESVS-CHRIST The petition GRant me my most mercifull Redeemer I beseech thee that by thy heauenly grace my life and preparation to this fearefull and generall iudgment may be such as by that sentence of come yee blessed c. I may be called to the right hand with those thy glorious Elect to partake with them of that Beatitude which neuer shall haue end Of S. John his Gospel The Declaration THis holy Gospel recompts to vs the eternall birth of the diuine word that second Person of the most Blessed Trinity together with the highest and most secret Mysteries of his Diuinity shewing also to vs that in consequence of that forementioned Benediction we are to enter into his heauenly Paradise there to know blesse and enioy those sacred and all beatiyfing Mysteries for euer and euer to which ardently aspiring you may say The petition O Most louing and mercifull Redeemer I finally beseech thee as well for all here present as also for all those in particular for whom I haue promissed am most obliged to pray that by the beatificall vision of thy Diuinity and by the most glorious sight of thy blessed Humanity both so plainly mentioned tovs in that aforesaid diuine Gospel of S. Iohn we may in that Celestiall Hierusalem and in the companie of all those heauenly spirits and happie Elect praise adore and glorifie that most sacred Trinity three diuine Persons and one onely God for all Eternity Amen Here ends this present Exercise vpon the holy Masse which if perchaunce it may seeme too prolix for the practise of diuers persons I shall here add a much more easy and compendious manner of assisting at this holy sacrifice and more suteable perchaunce to their deuotion then is the other way for the more learned sorte Choose therefore deare Cath.
Reader which may suite best with your capacity and deuotion and applying the sacred merits of this diuine victime IESVS-CHRIST who is offered in this holy sacrifice for the necessities of your soule forget not myne who humbly beggs that charitable fauour in totall and aboundant recompence for all my paines here in A second compendious and easie short way of hearing Masse for the more vnlearned sorte of People IN this second manner of hearing Masse consider from the beginning thereof vntill Gloria in Excelsis the longe desires and earnest expectation which the holy Patriarches and Prophets had for the comming of our louing Redeemer IESVS who had been expected aboue foure thousand yeares to free them from that great seruitude wherein they were deteyned by the prince of darkenesse and to lay open to them the happy way to Paradise The Gloria in excelsis denounceth his blessed birth promulgated in celestiall harmonie by the Angels to the watchfull shephards whome we must imitate in humble obedience to Gods diuine inspirations and to all good admonitions and instructions giuen by our Prelats and Pastors either by good bookes or counsaile At the Gospel and Creed we may imagin to heare our Sauiour preach and consider with what power he drew the harts of men to follow him Here dispose your affection to produce holy acts of Faith and begg grace to embrace his heauenly inspirations At the Preface we may consider with what glory and great ioy the Iewes receiued IESVS-CHRIST into Hierusalem and yet but fiue dayes after they betrayed and condemned him vnto a most reproachfull death O how often after our receiuing him in the blessed Sacrament haue we as perfidiously betrayed him by immediate relapses into our former sinne Next by that silence before the Consecration we renew the memory of CHRIST his bloody Agonie in the garden his flagellation at the pillar his crowning with thornes all the reproachfull iniuries done to him before his crucifixion vpon the Crosse the which is represented to vs by the eleuation of the holy Host and chalice whereat we must imagin to see him giue vp the ghost and dye the vaile of the Temple to rende in two the rockes about Hierusalem to cleaue with the force of a strange and fearefull earth-quake accompanied with a formidable darkenesse spread ouer the whole earth by a prodigious Eclipse and all this to be caused by the great enormity of our sinne Here we must stirr vp harty sorrow for our offences with a firme purpose to amende as a good preparation for the approaching Communion At the Postcommunion we must giue thankes with the Priest and calling to minde CHRISTS glorious Resurrection we must purpose to rise to a better life and craue humbly Gods grace to performe it Finally at the Ite Missa est and last Benediction we may consider that though IESVS-CHRIST be ascended into Heauen yet he is to come againe at the last dreadfull iudgment day to pronounce that most fearefull sentēce vpon the reprobate Goe yee cursed c. or that other most ioyfull to the Elect come yee Blessed c. We must therefore endeauour that our life may be such as with an humble confidence in Gods great mercy goodnesse we may be called to the right hand of his Blessed flocke there to enioy Beatitude in all Eternity A prayer to be said at the end of the Masse ACcept o heauenly Father this diuine and gratefull sacrifice which we with humble harts and thankefull memory of that bloody sacrifice of thy deare sonne IESVS haue offered vnto thee in perpetuall thankes-giuing praise and adoration of the most glorious Trinity to the honour of the euer-Virgin Mary Mother of God and of all the Saints whose feastes we celebrate for the remission of all our sinnes and for all our Frends Enemies and Benefactors either liuing or dead Forgiue o gracious Lord our great negligences grant vs grace to put in execution our good purposes as also to liue in thy holy grace and to dye with true finall Repentance Amen Good Reflexions to be vsed as soone as Masse is ended MAsse being ended call to minde your negligences cōmitted therein craue pardon of God for them and begg hartily his heauenly grace for your amendment and for more strength and courage to resist all sinne Renew then also the morning oblation of all your actions for that day and confirme your good purpose to auoyde that Passion sinne or frailty which puts you most in danger to offend Finally your deuotions being ended retire your hart verie gently from that holy exercise to your wordly affaires retayning as long as you can the feeling and affection of your former devotion And to this effect obserue the most sweet and efficacious aduertisments of the Blessed Bishop and Prince of Geneua in his Introduction to a deuoute life part 2. chap. 8. An aduertisement YOu haue now seene the order and exposition of these holy Mysteries in the Masse the Author whereof as is said before is IESVS-CHRIST after his celebration of the Paschal lambe the night before his bitter death and Passion when taking bread he blessed brake and gaue it to his Disciples c. Math. 26. v. 26. likewise taking the chalice he gaue thankes and deliuered it to them c. Luke 22.19 saying of each part this is my body This is my blood 1. Cor. 11. There consecrating and offering his sacred body as a continuall and true vnbloody sacrice vnder the outward formes of bread and wyne Then also instituting the sel same manner of cosecration offering to be vsed euer after by his Apostles Disciples and their successors to whom he said Doe yee this that is consecrate and offer this as now I haue done for so the command Doe yee this plainely signifies changing by the operatiue words of consecration the bread into my body and the wyne into my blood which vnlesse really and truly they doe they cannot be said to doe that which our Sauiour commanded them when he said doe yee this that is to represent his sacred death Passion by consecrating and giuing his body vnder the accident of bread and his blood vnder the accident of wyne as the Catholik Faith teacheth vs to beleeue and the Priest daily performeth in this holy sacrifice of the Masse there being only added some certaine prayers and holy rites for greater reuerence sake and to increase the peopels deuotion as are most of of the prayers the Epistle Ghosple and manie ceremonies which haue been added may also be changed by the authority of the Church as occasion shall require they being neither of the substace nor essence of the Masse it selfe whereby it well appeares how impertinently our aduersaries demande of vs when it was or where we finde that our Sauiour or his Apostles did euer say Masse seeing that the essence of this holy sacrifice doth chiefly consist in the consecration oblation and consummation Which was first so expresly performed by CHRIST
it conserues our harts in perfect peace and though diuers occasions may hinder our prayer or the practise of some charitable good worke yet we haue alwayes the good oportunity giuen vs thereby to exercise the true vertue of Patience and holy Conformity which in that encounter will be much more pleasing to God and more effectuall for our perfection then would be those our other good actions which we intended to doe because therein our owne will is principally to be found but in this is the true will of God by the denyall of our owne wherein all true ad solid Christian perfection consists At the striking of the Clocke DVring the tyme of the day let the stricking of the Clock put you in minde of that vertue which in your morning prayer you resolued to practise that day or of the vice which you intended chiefly to shunn Let it be a renewing of the purity of your intention an awakeing the memory of Gods diuine presence and of his innumerable blessed benefitts bestowed vpon you offer vp our Lord IESVS with his infinit merits vnto the blessed Trinity as the most propitious sacrifice for your sinne Or finally raise vp your hart vnto God by this or some such like aspiration blessed be the houre wherein my Sauiour IESVS became Incarnate was borne and died for my sake It is a holy practise also to make then the signe of the Crosse vpon our hart offering to him thereby all our thoughts words and deeds crauing his grace that wemay neuer offend him grieuous ly thereby At the Aue Marie bell or the Angelus Domini THis is a verse ancient and pious deuotion generally obserued throughout the vniuersall Church to admonish vs both morning noone and night to make an humble and gratefull acknowledgment of thanks-giuing vnto the blessed Trinity for the chiefest Mysteries of our holy Faith by saying those three versicles adioyned to the Angelicall Salutation and the prayer there added at the end which deuotion is ordinarily called the Angelus Domini because so it beginnes And it is to be said in the morning in humble and thankfull acknowledgment of that most glorious Mystery of the Resurrection of our diuine Redeemer at noone in honour and memory of his most sacred death and Passion And finally in the Euening in homage and adoration of his blessed Incarnation and byrth This deuotion I recommend the more earnestly vnto you for that it being at the selfsame tyme so generally practised by Gods Catholike children throughout the vniuersall world you ioyne your selfe thereby to that holy vnion of so manie blessed good soules and makeing together with them your due oblation of all humble homage gratitude it will be much more acceptable to his diuine Sonne our only and most glorious Redeemer How to preuent disquiet of minde for such Crosses and afflictions as are most likely to befall vs. REflect oftentymes vpon these crosses that by foreseeing the occasions most likely in probability to fall out you may be the better prouided to resist and defend your selfe Offer them with a cheerefull hart to God in vnion of the sacred merits of IESVS-CHRIST whereby they may be made worthy to be accepted by him in pennance and expiation of your sinne But if for all this you finde your minde begin to be disquieted with them let reason conuince you that what is now without remedy ought not by fruitlesse vexation to increase your harme whereas by a sweet and milde regard with the eyes of your soule towards God adoring his blessed will and subiecting your selfe with a cheerefull conformity to his diuine and all-disposing Prouidence you would not only preserue a most weet happy repose of mâ—nde but also by a gratefull oblation and sacrifice vnto him of that little Crosse your gaines would inestimably exceed all losse whatsoeuer could happen thereby vnto you How to moderate our griefe conceiued at the suddaine newse of the death of some deare frend MOurning for the losse of frends is not to be blamed nature being allowed to shew its sense and feeling within the limits of Prudence and Reason in so iust a cause Thus Abraham bewayled the death of Sara his beloued wyfe Iacob deplored Ioseph conceiuing him as dead The Israelits bewayled the death of Moyses 30. dayes This IESVS-CHRIST himselfe approoned by his owne diuine example sighing and shedding teares for the death of Lazarus By all which we may conclude that moderate mourning for the death of frends is not reprooued it passing not due bounds nor to the notorious preiudice of our life or health which God and nature obleiges vs to preserue for the contrary would offend both God and the soules of our departed frends who euen in the paines of Purgatory are extreamely comforted with Gods blessed will and disposition euen in those their present sufferings It is therefore much more worthy of a Man to let reason preuaile with him for the cure of that which tyme would effect to his greater harme it being also most certaine that as immoderate griefe doth but hurt to the liuing so it doth no good at all to the dead it much hurtes our selues and is verie troublesome to others We must not lament saith S. Paul as the Gentils doe who neither haue assured hope as we nor are comforted with the expectation of an endlesse Blisse whereby he forbids not a moderate sorrow but only excesse which proceeds either from selfloue or from infidelity And therefore we must take heed saith S. Cyprian least we giue occasion for Pagans to think that all is but fables which Christians beleeue of the other life as in some sort they might haue cause by seeing vs so excessiuely to deplore those whom yet by death we beleeue to haue obtayned euerlasting felicity When our labours or sufferings grow teadious and seeme ouer burthensome vnto vs causing melancholy and sadnesse of hart and how to apply the remedy IN these occasions we must call to minde the laborious and wearisome paines which IESVS-CHRIST true God and man did suffer to satisfie for our offences and thereby to pourchace our saluation For which due gratitude exacts from vs that with cheerefull conformity to his blessed will we also embrace as well the laborious actions as also what sufferings soeuer he shall please to impose vpon vs. Craue huÌ„bly by earnest prayer that Gods diuine loue may be the sole possessor of your hart for enioying that you will haue both strength and courage for all the rest But if sadnesse or melancholy notwithstanding this shall deiect your hart you must then with a generous courage raise it vpp to praise with pious feruour your Creatour and mercifull Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST and in dispite of that dull heauinesse of minde reioyce with all cheerefull gratitude for that his goodnesse hath made you capable of so noble and happie an end for which he hath also afforded you so manie great and easie meanes whereby to obtayne the same for this will driue away that