vvil vvoorke great effectes in suche as vse this An other sort of meditating of the passion of our Sauiour by way of reioyesinge AS vve vse most commonlie to contemplate the passion of our redemer vvith compassion to break our hartes vvith contricion and true repentance so may vve to the same effect thinke there of vvith great Ioye and comfort And that for thre respectes to vvitt for the redempcion of mankynde for the reparacion of the dekaye of Angels and for the aduauncement of the honour of God VVho by the death passion and resurrection of his sonne our Sauiour hath not only set vs free from the bondage of Sathan but hath also vnited angels and mankynde in that heauenlie societie And thus to his passing great honor and glorie hath geuen a most expresse demonstracion of his infinite mercie clemencie and loue tovvardes vs. A matter of great loye consolacion and comfort to vs. For eache man accompteth it a great cause of Ioye to be in great fauour of his temporall prince Muche more glad and Ioyfull may vve be that the king of heauen and cōmaunder of the vvorlde doeth so tenderlie loue vs as he did vonchesafe to offer vp him selfe in sacrifice to his father for vs and vvith his precious bloudde to redeme vs. Thus vve may thinke meditate and consider of his most bitter passion vvith great comfort and ioye For if vve deeplie and duelie vveighe the matter our hartes shall melt vvith feruor of desire to reuerence serue and loue him vvhiche so dearlie haith bought vs. Yea vve shal be so caried avvay vvith sincere affection tovvardes him as vve shall cleare forget our olde man and rest onlie so resolued in Christ crucified as vve shall delite in nothing but in him and in doeing that vvhich is his vvil and pleasure to be doen vvhere vpon many good effectes vvil folovve It vvill breed in vs a speciall lothesomenes hatred and disdaine against all filthie vvoorkes vvoordes and thoughtes It vvill chase avvay the coldenes of spirit the tedious slothefulnes of mynde and inflame our deuocion and setle in vs a perfect resolucion of minde and vvill to serue God loue God and honor God vvith all integritie and bring vs to the highe tovvre of perfect contemplacion Of six matters of meditacion to saue vs from relapse or falling again in to sinne after we be reconciled to God EMong many good thoughtes and consideracions that help to preuent sinne good men of experience in spirituall exercises haue noted six speciall meanes The first is often to meditate and thinke of death that there is nothing more certain than that vve must ones die that nothing is more vncertein than the hovvre of deathe Therfore saith holie Scripture Remembre thy ende and thou shalt not sinne for euer VVherby is ment that the memorie of deathe if it be often exercised vvil vvorke in man suche compunction as he shall not dye vvithout perfect repentance And so by a consequence obtein suche remission as his sinne shall not burden him for euer And Seint Augustin sayeth that nothing more vvithdravveth a man from sinne than often to remember that he must dye And Seynt Basil the great being asked vvhat is philosophie ansvvered that the definition of the principal philosophie is nothing else but a meditacion and continuall thinking of deathe An other remedie is to think often of Christ his passion as many good men haue founde by experience Therfore sayeth Seynt Augustin let man be ashamed to svvell vvith pride sithe Christ his creator and redemer vvas so humble as to suffer death for him The third helpe is the remembrance of sinnes comitted and by God forgeuen Therfore vvhen thou art tempted to sinne consider vvith thy selfe vvether thou hast bene culpable of that sinne before or no. If thou hast not bene so then impute it to the grace of God that thou vvast so preserued But if thou hast offended therein before and by the sacrament of pennance God hath forgeuen thee then thinke that he hath doen more for thee than if he had made the lorde of the vvhole vvorlde For Seynt Augustin sayeth that it is a matter of greater importance to Iustifye a sinner than to creat heauen and earth of nevv The fovverth preseruature is often to thynke and meditate of the last Iudgement or day of dome VVher vpon Seynt Ierom vvriteth thus vvhether I sleep or vvake or be other vvayes occupied that voice and crie euer soundeth in my eare Arise you that are dead and come to Iudgement And good reason he had to be carefull therein For as Seynt Barnard sayeth God at that day will call for acompt and reckeninge of euerie time and moment that vve haue spent in earthe The fift mean is to thinke and meditate of the paynes of hell vvhiche are so great and intollerable as one spetk of that fyre as a good man sayed Doeth more greue a sinner than the greuous panges of childebyrth can torment a vvoman if she should trauail a thousand yeres before her deliuerie Yea sayeth seynt Ambrose if all men borne from Adam vvere liuing and preachers and should striue to shovv their best eloquence to describe expressely but one of the least paynes of hell yet could they not doe yt The reason is for that it is infinite and excedeth the capacitie of mannes vvit to comprehend euen as on the contrarie parte faith can not conceiue hope can not reache vnto nor charitie comprehend vvhat and hovv many thinges God hath prepared for them that loue him The sixt remedie is to consider and meditate of the Ioyes of heauen VVhere for taking litle paynes in this lyfe vve are sure of suche felicitye as can not be expressed by tongue nor comprehended in the vnderstanding of man A certein paynim being of great authoritie vnder one of the persecutors of Christians obseruing hovv vvilling Christiā men vvere to endure all tormentes yea and death also for Christ his sake demaunded of a presoner expecting death vvhat great revvarde he looked for to recompence his patience It vvas ansvvered thus suche rewarde is looked for as no tonge can tell nor ear hath heard nor the hart of man can measure Then sayd the pagan if it be so I vvil be of your Religion So he became à Christian and aftervvard a martire If a paynim vvas so touched vvith only ones hearing of those Ioyes hovv ought vve to be moued that haue heard so many testimonies therof by so many denout martyres and confessors Of the miseries and Inconueniences that man doeth fall into by relapse and sinning again after reconciliacion to God VVhen a man hath rightlie professed Christ in the Catholique Churche and aftervvarde falleth again he is in vvorse state than euer he vvas and brought in to extreme miserie For first he hath lost the fruit of his former pennance and of all confession contricion and satisfaction for his sinnes past and forgeuen For as the prophet sayeth if the Iust man diuert from his Iustice all
INSTRVCTIONS for the vse of the beades conteining many matters of meditacion or mentall prayer vvith diuerse good aduises of ghostly counsayle VVhere vnto is added a figure or forme of the beades portrued in a Table Compiled by Iohn Bucke for the benefite of vnlearned And Dedicated to the honorable good Lady ANNE LADY Hungarforde sister to the Duchesse of Ferria Imprinted at LOVAIN in the yere of our Lordre 1589. TO THE RICHT VERtuous Lady ANNE Lady Hungarfoorde his honorable good Maistres Iohn Bucke VVisheth al healthe FOr so muche as man borne in to this vvorlde haithe no long time to liue Here he being as the Wy seman saithe lent not geuen to life And for that vve must render an accompt at the daye of Iudgemēt before that dredefull Iudge vvhiche is voyde of partialitie not onlie of vvoordes and vvoorkes but of eache moment of time spent here yea euen vnto the thoughtes of our hartes euerie one in his vocacion and degree And for my part calling all this to the eyes of my minde seing also all my actions hithertho to be verie base and barrain in his sight vvhiche is the true searcher of al thoughtes I began to think hovv I might employe my selfe in some vvoorke acceptable to so bountifull and benigne a patrone and lorde as haith beside my creacion and redempcion not onlie sanctified me and preserued me from my infancie but also brought me out af that darke Egiptiacal England the verie sea of heresie and placed me vnder so good and graciouse a ladie in vvhom I dailie beholde manie examples of true Religion goldie fear cōstant patience and Christian pietie Therfore finding nothing more agreable to hys diuine pleasure than is the charitable trauail in mouing the deuociō of others to the effectuall seruice of his Diuine Maiestie by prayer and meditacion and considering hovv great cōmoditie a litle direction in prayer may bring to the vnlearned and ignorāt vvhose vveakenesse I vvolde be glad anie vvaye to releue The first parte of this booke I haue thought good to put foorth suche spirituall exercises as I my selfe haue priuatlie vsed vvith great comfort in sayieng the Rosaire Croune or Psalter of our blessed laidie the virgin Marie vpon the beades The secōd part And I haue also set doun sundry meditacions and consideracions to be vsed othervvyse touching asvvel the passion of our Sauiour and our redemption as also the infinite benefites and Graces most plentifullie bestovved vpon euerie Christiā to the ende that in thinking therof a good religiouse mynde may be more diligent and attentiue to note and marke vvhat is sayd more inflamed to deuocion and more moued vvith compunction and sorovve for synnes committed And thies meditations a man muy diuide in to seuen partes according to the dayes of the vveeke to the ende that a thankfull hart Dailie beholding as in a glasse the bountifull guiftes of God maye take occasion to hate synne and to loue God so good a benefactor and patrone And because many vvel disposed parsones vvolde fayne vvalke accordīg to the vvil of their lorde and Creator yet doe they vvander astray by vvant of good instruction rather than vpon malice The thrid parte I haue collected out of deuout authors certein lessons an directiōs shevveing not oulie good meanes to auoyde synne and to frame the vvhole course of lyfe according to hys rule and commaundement vvhiche sayeth Hoe fac viues Doe this and thou shault lyue but also profitable signes and argumentes vvhereby one muy perceiue vvhether he standeth in the state of God his grace and fauor The fovverth parte or no. Lastlie I haue added some rules to knovv from vvhēce cuell thoughtes do proced eand meanes to auoyde them vvith a figure or portrature of the beades conteining your Lady shippes vsuall Meditacion vpon them Thies vvith suche lyke being the sclēder fruit of my barrain vvyt hauing no better crop to put in to the barne I haue published for the benefit of the vnlearned vviche can not skill of curiouse discourses penned by great clerkes And I haue presumed to dedicat this fruit of my poor talent vnto your Ladyship my honorable and most bountifull Maistresse by vvhose example of Christian lyfe and conuersacion I haue bene muche edified and animated as to other Christian exercises so to this vvoork novv here set foorthe VVhiche I hope shall fynde better enterteinment for that it passeth vnder the fauour of your honorable countenance And good reason I haue so to think for to omit other places times and proofes testifyeing your vertues synce your comyng in to thies Countries you haue geuen suche demonstracions of true Religion by the fruits of your good lyfe as for your pittifoll hart and charitable compassion vvith the effect of almoise and vvoorkes of mercie I may vvel compare you to Paula vvhom Seint Ierom so highlie commendeth The tovvne of Louain and other places in time of plague famin vvarre and heresie can testifie your pietie The naked then by you clothed the hungrie then by you fedde the sick of daungerouse diseases than by you visited comforted and releued the dead then by you buried the captiues then by you ransomed yea the simple seduced soules then by your meants reconciled to God and his Churche are suffficient testimonies and prooses of your zeale to vertue and of your perfection in Catholique Religion and vvill plead for you before God and man that as the vvhole course of your lyfe hitherto haith bene accompted among the most honorable in vertue so vvil your temporall ende be in dede aright famouse in all good memorie and your second lyfe in heauen verie gloriouse among holie Confessors for as Seynt Ierom truelie sayeth seldome or neuer dieth that man an euell death vvhich vvillinglie exerciseth the vvoorkes of Charitie And hys reason is for that suche persones haue many intercessors among good and vertuouse poor people and verie vnlike it is and almost impossible that none of theyr prayers shoulde not be herd And thoughe good Madame you haue endured many afflictions and greuous aduersities yet haue you no cause therfore to be discouraged for they are euident signes of the fauor that God beareth tovvard you It is à peculiar propertie of God to punish them vvhom he loueth Examples therof vve haue infinite in holy scripture and othervvhere Holy Iob dyd neuer vvillinglie eat morsel of bread alone vvithout company of some one or other poor and needy persone yet vvere his plagues and afflictiōs so terrible and his diseases so lothesome as vve tede not of any greater VVho vvas more pittifull to the poor and nedie than olde Tobie vvhiche buried the dead fed the hungrie and supplied the vvantes of many visited and comforted his felovves captiues Yet dyd he bear the burden of many heuye crosses And vvhen he dyd stand in most nede of al comfort he lost the vse of his sight But vvith thies and suche examples of Scripture you are vvell acquainted I vvill
euer studie to establish our affiance and trust in God against all tentacions And one speciall good mean therunto is a patient and quiet mynd neyther too negligent and recheles nor too anxious and carefull about our temporall affayrs As for example touching our bodily sustentacion and necessities vve must not be ouer solicitous but rest vpon this grounde that sithe it is true that the geuer of all good thinges doeth nourish the byrdes of the eyr fishes in the sea and beastes on the earth euerie one in his degree and qualitie to vvhom yet he hathe made no promis therof hovv muche more cause haue vve to hope that he vvill prouide for vs to vvhome his promys is past as appeareth in the sixt of Seynt Mathevv vvhere he deliuereth vs of all suche care an sayth in expresse vvoordes Be not carefull sayeing what shall we eat or what shall we drinke or were with shall we be couered Seek first the kingdome of God and all these thinges shal be geuen you besides And too muche care for other temporall thinges is forbidden as a very daungerous tentacion As vvell for that in this vvorlde vve are but as pilgrimes or vvayfayring men hauing here no place of certein abyding but are to remoue vpon many suddain occasions and to clogge and ouer lode our selues vvith superfluities vver mere solye As all so and specially for that suche carefullnes is seldome or neuer vvithout sinne and vvithdravveth our myndes from prouiding for thinges of mere necessite and of great importance touching our soule And it argueth in vs a greater loue and affection tovvardes thies vanities than tovvardes the vvealth of our soul Agayn vvhere they are not got vvithout great labour nor kept vvithout care they are quickie lost and notvvithout great greefe Therfore this carefullnes and loue to vvorldlye thinges is to be eschevved For as S. Gregorie sayeth That whiche is possessed without great loue or affection therto ye also lost without any great greefe Let vs then forsake the care of transitorie thinges and setle our trust in God vvho neuer failed those that put their affiance in him Examples vve haue infinite to proue the same An other preseruatiue is a mature and rype discrecion and Iudgement in vveighing and considering our sinnes For many curiouse simple men as vvell as the sinfull and vvicked vpon repentance looke so farre in to theyr lyfe only as they forget the mercie of God and fall into despare and blasphemye It is ther fore good and verie necessarie euer with all consideracions of our sinnes to call to mynde the article of our faith touching remission of sinnes and the promises of God for the same vvherof holy scripture hath great plentie As vvhere the Prophet sayeth In vvhat hovvre a sinner is sory and confesseth his sinnes they are all put out of mynde God is bothe hable and vvilling to forgeue a penitēt sinner be his sinnes neuer so great But no man can haue true repentance nor doe right pennance vvhiche doeth it not vvith a firm hope of forgeuenes and vvithout all mistrust and diffidence of the promis of God Accused ther fore at the desperat before our Sauiour vvhiche sayeth I vvil not the death of a sinner but rather that he be conuerted and liue Another good assurance vve haue to confirme our hope in god and that is his faithfull promis that he is vvillinge and reddie graciouslie to hear vs in all our petitions vvhiche are for our good For our Sauiour sayeth Matth. 7. Aske and it shabbe geuen you seeke and you shal finde knocke and it shall be opened to you for euerie one that asketh receiueth c. And we know that he heareth vs saith Seynt Iohn what soeuer we shall aske accordinge to his will Alwayes prouided that we aske in fayth nothing doubting as Seynt Iames byddeth vs For the asker of lavvfull thinges may not either mistrust gods povver and habilitie or be in despair of his mercie but that the doubte vve haue be onely in our ovvne vnvvoorthinesse or vndue asking A fouerth good staye vve haue to lean vpon and to preserue our hope and confidence And that is the faithfull promise of eternall lyfe geuen vs by God if vve liue here according to his vvill and commaundement doeing pennance for our sinnes and leaning to his mercye in faith hope and Charitie for God is most faithfull and euer keepeth his promisse vvith all men Therfore if vve vvil not be lyke to the vvaues of the fea vvhiche are caried about vvith the vvinde let vs flee from too muche care of transitorie thinges and keep in our minde and memorie the promise of God euer offering his grace to vs reddie to hear and help vs. So shall vve preserue the hoope and confidence that God requireth of vs to vvhom be all honor and glorie for euer Amen A prayer to our blessed lady made by the most holy and auncient Ephrem MOther of God vndefiled Queen of al the hope of them that despair my lady most glorious higher than the heuenly spirites more honorable than the Cherubines holier than the Seraphines and vvithout comparison more glorious than the supernall hostes the hoope of the fathers the glorie of the Prophets the praise of the Apostles by thee vve are recōciled to Christ my God thy sonne thou art the helper of sinners the hauen for them that are tossed vvith stormes the solace of the redempcion of captiues vouchesafe me thy seruant to praise thee Haile Lady Marie full of grace Haile Virgin most blessed among vvomen An other prayer made by Seynt Cirill PRaise and glorie be to thee o holie Trinitie to thee also be praise o holy mother of God for thou art the precious pearle of the vvorlde thou art the cādel of vnguensheble light the croune of virginitie the scepter of the Catholique faithe By thee the Trinitie is glorifyed and adored in all the vvorlde by thee heauen reioyceth Angels and Archangels are glad diuels are put to flyght and man is called again to heauen and euery creature that vvas held vvith the errors of Idols is turned to the knovvleidge of truthe by thee Churches are founded through the vvorlde thou being their helper the Gentiles come to pennance O blessed Marie vvho can be hable vvor thelie to praise or thanke thee receiue our prayers obtanie our requestes for thou art the speciall hoope of sinners by thee vve hoope for perdone of our synnes and in thee o most blessed is the expectacion of our revvardes An admonicion for the vnlearned touching the vse of the figure of the beades here after portrued THou hast here gentle reder a figure or forme of the beades vvith certein matters of meditacion to be vsed vvhen thou art disposed to recite the crovvne of our ladie vpon the beades vvhiche matters haue not bene before this tyme put into englishe meter for the beter memorie and delectatiō of deuout persons Therfore if thou hast bene here to fore delited vvith vain ballads and sonets thou may novv vpon better aduise please thy selfe vvith songes and ditties more profitable And of vvhat good trade occupacion or qualiue so euer you are vvhiles you goe about your necessarie businesse in your vocation or vvhiles you are traualing by the vvaye or in tillinge or plovvinge the grovvnd that hit may bring great increase you may not vvithstanding some tyme among call vpon our Sauiour or vpon the blessed virgin mary eyther in vvorde or in thought and vvith great comfort yea and profit also both spirituall and temporall repeat or thinke vpon the Pater noster and Aue Mary or some part ther of and of the verses or of some of them set dovvne in the table folovvinge And ther vpon may you take occasion to muse and thinke lesse or more of the matters conteyned in the verses or any of them VVher vpon you by Gods grace shall be induced in to a svvete cogitacion vvhat speciall graces God hath bestovved vpon you from vvhat euells he hath preserued you to vvhat good ende he hath created you vvhat good reward he hath prouided for you yf you come to that end and to come vnto it you are assured if you be so vvilling as you ought to be Thus shall you also take occasion to kepe your self vvell occupied auoyde idle thoughts the snares of sathan and so kepe your self in the vvay tovvardes heauen WHer as I haue seen your Ladiship accept such holy and verteus exercises and holde them in great estimacion and conster all faultes escaped by the print to verteus interpretacion taking the meaning and not the letter so I hoope your holy vse vvilbe a meane that I shall not be altogeither disliked of such vvhos handes hit cometh vnto But as I ashure my selfe all banished parsons liuing for one cause vvil not dispise good thoughtes procedinge of holy desiers and especially thos vvhos vvisdoms knovv hovv hard it is to print our languaig in a strāge countrie vvith out faultes vvich maketh me so farre presume apon all holy Catholicke persons especially such of honorable consideracion and haue so long lyued à banished lief for true religions sake as your honor hath donne this 17 Yeres In this consideracion I presume of all good Catholickes that they vvill esteme of my meaning and not the letter as I shall not cease dayly and orderly to praye for all estates trusting in IESV he vvill hear a poor pilgrome and banished parson for his righteousnes sake that hit shal please him to conuert our poor countery vvher vve maye praye togeither liue togeither and die togeither to the end vve maye be partakers of his heauenly kingdoome vvher God the father God the sonne God the holy ghost is glorefied vvher the blessed Viren is crouned vvher Angels Saints and marters reioys at our repentance for wich I daily praye to be geuen to all sinners sayinge Pater noster Aue Maria. CREDO Good reder remember me in the like I. B. Hic liber nihil mali aut erronei continet conducit autem ad deuotionem pietatem imperitiorum Anglorum GILBERTVS BVRNEFORDVS GVLIELMVS CLIDERO Angli Sacerdotes Horum duorum eruditorum fide dignorum virorum iudicio ego subscribo H. CVYCKIVS Apostolicus Regius librorum censor