haue ony holy relukes laye them vpon hym And whan ye se that he gyued vp the spiryte crye and bydde those whyche are aboute you crye the fader the sone and the holy goost helpe your seruauÌ„t Jesu Jesu Jesu by the vertu of thy passyon helpe thy seruaunt blessed virgyn Marye and moder of mercy helpe thy seruaunt Jesu haue mercy of thy soule all the courte of heuen we beseke you in the charyte of oure lorde praye for his soule the grace of the holy goost and the merytes of Crystys passyon be with the Amen ALso yf ye thynke the tyme wyll serue therto it is expedient to shewe to the seke persone the temptacyons w t whiche coÌ„monly y e deuyl assayled y t soule at y t houre of deth y t it may be more stronger to resyste his malyce at that tyme for than he is moost â—erse to tempte them he woie well yf he gete them not than he shal neuer haue them wherfore with all his deceyte and sutelnes he laboured to dysceyue the soule and brynge it in dysperacyon yf he maye and specyally he wyll tempte them in theyr fayth and make them to beleue that it is false and therfore saye to them see that ye he faste in the fayth of Cryste for the denyll wyll tempte you therin and make you to byleue yf he can y e y t fayth that ye haue byleued on is false and that ye haue ben dysceyued all your lyfe therby for he knoweth that the fayth is the grounde of al vertue and that no man is saued without the fayth for this cause saye to them see y t ye be faste in the fayth of Cryst for your gostely enmye wyl now do that he may to make you to forsake youre fayth he wyl saye that ye haue ben disceyued all youre dayes in y e fayth for it maye not be that thre persones sholde be one god ¶ Also he wyl saye that Cryste was not very god and man that he was not borne of a virgin that he is not verely in the sacrament of the auter wherfore I exorte you in gode vnderstoÌ„dynge that ye may not be saued without fayth that ye kepe faste the fayth that ye haue taken at the foute stone defye the deuyll with al his falsehode and saye in your herte ye wyll dye in the fayth of Cryste whiche god hath declared with so many grete myracles propre to hym self that he hath shewed it true lyke as hymselfe is true therfore thynke that ye wolde suffre all y e martyrdomes paynes that the body of man myght suffre rather than ye wolde forsake the fayth whiche god hath ordeyned to your saluacyon wherfore put your hole confidence in god whose power is able to defende you agayne all the malyce of the deuyll and wyll not fayle his faythfull chylde and truste verely that your myghty fayth shal affraye the fende and with y e power of god and specyall assystence helpe of that fayth full virgyn whiche by the meryte of her fayth dyde coÌ„ceyue the sone of god without knowlege of man And with the helpe of saynt mychell your good angell with his felowes ye shall make the fende a ferde of you ¶ It passeth the power of the fende to compelle ony soule wylfully to erre in the fayth and what so euer temptacyon comed in your myn de contrarye to your fayth haue wyll to byleue as the chirche of god byleueth and as our sauyour Jesu Cryste teched the chyrche to byleue and all the false suggestyons of the deuyll and thoughtes contrary to the fayth shall noo thynge hurte you for there is neuer synne in the mynde dampnable excepte it come of the wyl nor in none other power of the soule Byleue fayhtfully suche techynge prechynge as ye haue had by the chirche and what so euer cometh contrary to that in your mynde thynke it is false and cometh of the deuyll fader of all falsehode Werfore I exorte you that lyke as ye haue begonne youre lyfe in the perfyte fayth of the chirche so ende it in perfyte fayth and obedyence for all the we le of your lyfe now hyngeth of the ende ¶ Yf they be lerned saye the crede afore them in latyn Yf they vnderstonde no latyn saye it in Englysshe after this fourme I byleue in god fader almyghty the maker of heuen erthe and in Ihesu Cryste the sone of hym our oonly lorde whiche by the werke of the holy goste was conceyued borne of the vyrgyn Marye and suffred passyon vnder Pylate and was crucefyed deed and beryed the thyrde daye he rose from deth to lyfe and ascended to heuen there he sytteth at y e ryghte honde of the fader almyghty and from thens he shall descende to Juge quycke dede I byleue also in the holy ghoste and in holy chyrche and in all y e sacrament therof also I byleue in foryeuenes of synne that euery man shal ryse from deth to lyf and that the good people shall haue euerlastynge lyfe and Ioye Amen ¶ And speke this with an hye voyce that it maye be well herde yf ye thynke y e tyme shal be suffycient afore the deth reherse the crede dyuers tymes that the seke maye be made stronge in y e fayth to confonde y e deuyll whiche loued not to here y e crede fleed from y e sonde of the voyce specyally whan it is sayd to the entente y â— it shold confunde the deuyll ¶ Also saye to the seke remembre y e grete fayth of y e Patriarkes Abraham Ysaac Iacob whiche they had in god our sauyour Cryst of whome they ê“phecyed for theyr fayth they were specyally byloued of our lorde preserued from grete peryl after the passyon of our sauyour they were brought out of y e pryson called lymbo in to y e kyngdome of heuen Also remeÌ„bre y e faythe of y e apostles Peter Poule saynt Iames saynt Iohan w t all theyr felowes Also remeÌ„bre what paynes Innumerable martyrs dyde suffre bycause they wold not forsake theyr faythe in theyr martyrdoms our lorde shewed so many grete myracles y t y t enmyes of y t fayth were torned to y e fayth Also remeÌ„bre y e inumerable men wymeÌ„ whiche haue keped this fayth truly in theyr lyf deyed therin for whom god dayly shewed myracles al those dyd plese god by fayth wtout fayth no soule maye please hym Remembre the profyte of y â— faith it opteyned al thynge of god proufytable to the soule as he sayth hymselfe all thynge are possyble to a faythfull soule ¶ The seconde temptacyon is agaynste y e vertue of hope by disperacyon WHan y e soule at the artycle of deth is troubled sore w t grete sekenes thaÌ„ y e deuyl wyl put in theyr ymaginacion al y e grete synÌ„es that it hath done and so in theyr grete trouble bodely ghostely he purposed that
¶ The doctrynalle of dethe ¶ This treatyse is called the doctrynale of dethe and is to be rede afore a man or a woman whan it semeth that they be in the artycle of deth REde this as it foloweth afore the seke persone ye shall vnderstonde that none shall haue the kyngdome of heuen but suche as fyghteth for it and specyally agaynst theyr body the tyme of temptacyon and sekenes The soule and the body are of contrary na ture and of contrary condycion and betwyxt them is contynuel bathayl Yf your soule take pacyently the bodely sekenes and as hertly as it can thanke god therof for ye haue diserued this paynes moche more in punysshement of synÌ„e than your soule preuayles agaynst your flesshe and gettest the vyctorye and in rewarde therof ye shal haue the crowne of glorye ¶ Rmembre how oftentymes your flesshe hath drawen your soule after it to synne by delectacion therfore now our lorde hath sente you a tyme for to recompence for those many offences Wherfore now late the soule drawe the flesshe to it and offer it to god as a sacrefyce brennynge wyth paynful sekenes in satisfaccyon of that inordinat pleasure that it hath had in the flesshe from the tyme that it was Ioyned therto pacyently and thankefully take the payne than the payne is prouffytable to you more swete in th acceptacoÌ„n of god thenne euer flesshly pleasyre was accepte vnto you from the tyme ye ware borne thenne ye shall haue therby the loue of god remyssyon and foryeuenes of synne Increace of grace and the grete helpe of our lorde at the houre of deth ye shall haue per petuell Joye for that ye haue soo pacyently taken this temporell payne for the loue of hym ¶ Now lerne ones to haue a pacyent herte lerne mekely to here the yocke of god do one prycypall acte for the loue of hym that bare the crosse of moost bytterest payn for your loue Remembre he assayed your burden he feled it he is redy to rewarde you for it he hath layde it on youre backe than thynke that ye wyll bere it shewe you his obedyent seruaunt and yf ye bere it of loue ye shall fynde it the more lyghter and ye shal fele that his mercy shal lessen your burden Inwardly refresshe you by his grace w t Joyfulnes of spyryte as he sayth hymself All ye that haue laboured haue borne grete burden for me come to me I shall refresshe you shewe your selfe now a trewe chylde and dyscyple of our lorde whiche sayth y t who wyll be my dyscyple he muste forsake his flesshly desyre and take vpon hym the crosse of trybulatyon ¶ Now the crosse is on your backe now bere it myghtely after youre saueyour your flesshe desyreth helth an rest ye muste forsake this desyres and conferme your wyll to the wyl of god whiche knoweth what thyngê is moste to your auayle and by this shorte payne hath ordeyned yf ye applye you obedyently to take it that ye shal be delyuered therby from many a synne whiche ye haue longe tyme contynued in and a lytell payne in this lyfe auoyded grete payne after this lyf and a shorte payne here recompensed for a longe payne there and by the payne that ye suffre in this lyf ye shal not only haue for yeuenes of synne but ye shal haue grete Joye after this lyfe And the payne whi he he suffred after this lyfe it deserued only forgyuenes of synne but noo more Joye they shall haue therfore Wherfore vnderstondynge that ye muste haue payne for synne acordynge to the ryghtwysnes of god be gladde that ye haue the lesse payne whiche is more proyffytable to you than that grete and longe payne shold be This ye thynke is a grete payne but in regarde of that payne whiche is a uoyded by this graciously takynge it is in manere no payne The dere beloued soules of our lord they had grete payne afore they departed out of this lyf and they desyred so to haue for they knewe the profyte and fruyte whiche they shold haue therby whiche they haue now are put in ful surte that they neuer shall haue suffrauÌ„ce of payne after this Remembre this blessyd felawshyp whiche hath gone afore you and be glad that ye maye be felawshyp with them truste it veryly ye shall haue grete comforte of them agaynst your gostely enmye yf ye Joy fully folowe them I wote wel your fleshe grugeth with payne but that shall not lese your meryte for it is naturall to the flesshe so to do the meryte is in your soule that ye thynke ye haue deserued it and haue a wyll to suffre it as longe as it pleased god ye shal haue it and saye in your soule lorde I than ke the for this ryghtwys payne whiche I suffre blessyd be thou that sendes me reason and techynge to take it pacyently thy name be blessyd euerlastyngly and with al the force y t ye may applye your body to suffre payne lyke as our sauyour applyed his body to the crosse for you And whan ye fele that ye drawe to sekenes haue wyll to saye gramercy my lorde lyke yf ye receyued a precyous gyfte of hym yf your payne be so grete that ye thynke not vpon thankynges at that tyme soone after whan ye fele the payne asswaged than hertly thanke hym that he wyll make you partener with hym in passyon For as saynt Poule sayth lyke as we are parteners with hym in passyon so we shal be parteners with hym in Joye and consolacyon ¶ Remembre also the grete rewarde that ye shall haue for pacyently takynge of this payne For as saynt Poule sayth all the paynes y t we may suffre are not able to haue that Joye whiche we shall haue for payne but only by y e grace of god whiche hath ordeyned that a lytell payne well taken here shall haue Inestima ble Jope there Ye shall haue god hymselfe for the good labour of your suffraunce the same glorye that he hath That is to saye ye shall clerly se the same godhede and blessyd dyuynite that he seeth haue euerlastynge gloryous fruycyon with moste swete brennynge loue of the same and be in felawshyp with his blessyd moder and all the angels and sayntes of heuen in myrth and Joye with endles blysse so grete that neuer eere dyde here neuer eye dyde see neuer herte dyde thynke the leest parte of that Joye ¶ O what payne wyll the dampned soules whiche are now in helle suffre soo that they myght auoyd that outrage horryble payne that they haue euerlastyngly shal haue yf they myght auoyde y t perpetuell payne by ony temporel payne that they myght suffre yf they had lycence to torne agayne to this lyfe al erthly payne shold be swete to them and all payne of this worlde sholde be in maner as noo payne to them all that payne they sholde haue auoyded yf thy had gracyously taken payne
in this lyfe afore y t they departed and they that ben in heuen haue so grete Joye for the payne that they suffred in this lyfe blessydly y t they thyn he yf that they were here agayne they wolde suffre an hondred tyme more payne than euer they dyde therfore now applye you to suffre thankfully this payne that ye may haue there the grete inestymable Joye whiche groweth of good suffrauÌ„ce Now gyue gode example to those y t are aboute you that they may see by your meke takynge of payne that ye are y e faythfull chylde of god that they maye lerne of you lyke wyse to do in tyme comynge and than your rewarde shal be doubled for ye shal not onely than for your selfe he rewarded but also for them whiche are byttred by you ¶ Haue also in y e syght of your soule your sauyour Lryste Jesu and see the grete effusyon sheddynge of his blode and moost paynful deth that he suffred for you whiche neuer dyde synne but suffred for your synne y t ye sholde neuer be dampned yf ye wyll aske mercy be confessyd of youre synne he purchassed grace by the sacrament of baptysme that yf ye had deyed than whan ye were fyrst crystened ye sholde neuer haue had payne after this lyf but for those synnes that ye haue done from that tyme ye muste suffre payne in this lyf or in that other lyfe baÌ„t yf y e synne be done awaye by the sacrament of confessyon therfore folowe now the example of your sauyour in so moche he suffred for your synne y e moost greuous payne applye you to suffre that ye maye for all y t ye may suffre is no thynge comparable to y t he suffred for you than truste veryly ye shal be hertly welcome to hym for ye haue wel folowed hyÌ„ thyse paynes pacyently taken shall delyuer you from y e moost outrage payne of hell ye maye so blessydly take them w t geuynge thankyngê to oure lorde for them y t ye shal neuer haue payne in purgatory but thyse paynes with the vertue of the sacramentes of the chirche shall be to you perfyte purgacyon Our lord of his Infynyte mercy grauÌ„te you habuÌ„dauÌ„ce of his grace so to take youre sekenes as maye be moost prouffytable to your saluacyon Amen AFter that ye haue shewed to the seke person how they shal pacyently take the sekenes to the plesyre of god and theyr grete meryte yf ye se that of lykelyhode it is a dedly sekenes and that they be lyke to departe out of this world than fyrste of al counsell them to receyue the holy sacrameÌ„tes of the chyrche whiche they are bonde to receyue whan they are lyke to deye whiche are the sacrament of confessyon the sacrmente of the body of our lorde and after this counsell them to receyue the sacrament of anelynge and saye to them thys Ye shall vnderstonde that all sekenes payne cometh of synÌ„e for yf there had neuer ben synÌ„e there sholde neuer haue ben no payne and the remedye ayenst synne is grace whiche our lorde hath ordeyned to be receyued by the sacramentes of the chyrche therfore the souerayn medecyne bothe for soule and body are the sacramentes of the chirche wherfore yf it pleased god that ye shal haue youre helth agayne ye shall haue it y e soner and the better for withoute the specyal helpe of god there is no medycyne that may helpe nature yf it please his grace that ye shall not deye at this tyme ye shall haue the more gracyouse contynuance of lyfe that ye holyly dyspose you to deye And yf it please god to take you out of this lyf ye shal go surely armed with his grace and haue specyali helpe of our lorde and departe lyke a true crysten man ¶ Also I counsell you that ye neyther desyre to go out of this worlde ne abyde in it but that ye offre you holy to y t wyll of our lorde as the obedyent chylde of hym whyche was obedyent to the wyll of his fader whan he suffred deth for you and of both rather orther yourselfe to deye thenne to lyue thenne ye shall not be deceyued for it is y e moste surest waye many a man is deceyued the tyme of they re dethe by hope y t they haue to contynue in this lyfe for as longe as they truste verely to lyue they neuer dispose them perfytly to deye and so deth taketh them vndisposyd to the domage and hurte of they re soule ¶ Also say I couÌ„sel you as moche as ye may to enforce yourself to haue sorowe and dyspleasure for the manyfolde offeuces in dyuerse synnes wherby ye haue dyspleased god or haue a wyll to be sory therfore w t perfyte wyl to amende youre lyfe and serue god the better as longe as they shall lyue yf it please god that ye shal retourne to your helth agayne And ye shal not haue sorowe ne wyll to sorowe for fere of dethe ne for fere of payne but ye shall wyll to be sory for that ye haue be so vokynde and so greuously hath offended so gentyll louynge a lorde whiche hath made you and gyuen you al that euer ye hadde in goodnes from the tyme ye came in to this lyf and whiche wolde suffre deth for the greate loue he had for your saluacyon and hath ordeyned euerlastynge Joye for you be sory that ye haue offended his grace bycause ye wolde not be disceyued from hym Yf ye see that y e seke persone is lyke to contynue a good space or it come to deth than it is expedyent to rede afore them some holy mater of the loue of our lorde or of his grete mercy or the coÌ„maunde mentes of god or some coÌ„fessyonall that is to saye some boke whiche teched a man how he sholde confesse hym for that shall brynge many maters to they re mynde whyche peradueÌ„ture they were neuer confessed therof in theyr lyfe or some holy prayers to styre them to the more deuocyon ¶ Also see that there be plente of holy water that it be oftymes cassed aboute the hous of the seke persone Also set in the syght of y e seke a crucyfyx and also an ymage of our lady yf ye can haue it other n piicture or in carued werke oftentyme biddeth them remembre the passyon of our sauyour wherby they shal haue remyssyon of synne and specyall defence from theyr gostely enmye and bydde them hertly beseke oftentymes that blessyd moder of mercy to praye for them that she wyl be with them at the houre of dethe And also yf he be lettred saye wyth hym the seuen psalmes and the letanye and the psalmes of the passyon or holy aniemes and responses and hymnes of the trynyte or of our lady or of other festes ¶ Also see that the holy candell be brennynge specyally whan ye see he draweth nyghe to deth blysse hym oftentymes with it and yf ye