doth sende them for thy benefite the enriching of thy crown knowing that it is impossible to come by so great a reward as we look for without great paines and trauail And truelye great reason is it that Christians like good souldiers should folow their 〈◊〉 Christe tracing his steps and walking the same waye he went before and entred into his glorye REMEDIES against the sinne and tentations of Enuye ¶ Cap. 25. IT NOWE remaineth to set thee downe some remedies against the temptations of enuie or malice wherewith the fiende is in like maner wont to assault tempt vs For as holy writt doth witnes Through the malice of the deuil death first entred into the world This made the Iewes to seeke our Lorde and Sauiour his death and by this vice haue manye murders and innumerable wicked actes been committed in the world This is also that moste cruel beast which Iacob said had deuoured his sonne Ioseph And therefore must thou carefully foresee that this venemous vipre beginne not at any time to nourishe her-selfe in thy soul but forth-with at the very first brunt to kil and cast her out vsing for that purpose these instructions and aduises folowing FIRST consider howe this sinne of malice or enuie which is according to S. Austin a griefe and sorowe at others felicitie is more hurtful and vnprofitable then any of the other for albeit other sinnes doo hurt the soul yet afforde they I knowe not what kinde of miserable taste and pleasure to the fleshe but this vrle vice doth both hurt the soule and afflict the fleshe sith it sealdeth the heart pineth the body withereth the face appaleth the countenauce and comelye sanguine hewe briefly it tormenteth ouerthroweth the whole mā being like to the worme that consumeth the wood whereof she commeth And thē is it that the enuious mā findeth him-self in worst case most wretched whē th' other whō he maliceth is best at case and happiest SECONDLY consider howe by shaking off this so fretting and fruitlesse a vice and by being in the sta'e of Gods good grace thou art a partaker of al such good things as others doo possesse sith charitie doth make them thine and therefore oughtest thou to be ioyful that others enioye goodes and liue so happilye rather then to be sorowful or any whitt greeued therat For by reioysing with charitie thou art made happye in their happines and by malitiouslye repining therat thou losest thy part and they remaine stil with their prosperitie which albeit they lost yet shouldest not thou recouer it THIRDLY what-soeuer helpeth against pride doth like-wise helpe against Enuie as proceeding for the most part out of the other fithens the proude man bearing impatientlye that any other should be his better or pheere and felowe with him he maliceth those whom in any respect he deemeth to be his betters or more happy then he is See therfore thou indeuoure thy selfe to plucke this poisoned roote out of thee and not to set thy loue vppon the temporal thinges of this world which are so miserable spare and scant that if thy neighbour haue them thou must goe without them and many times must lacke that which an-other might conueniently leaue But if on other side thou set thy minde of spiritual and heauenly things no man can bereaue or barre thee of them yea looke howe much the number of suche is greater that enioye and possesse the same goodes thou doest and so much shal thy happines increase and growe the greater And by this meanes shalt thou be so farre off frō malicing of any man as thou shalt hartilye desire that eche one might gaine the goodes which thou possessest woting wel that so should thy ri ches blisse be not a litle multiplied FOVRTHLY if the desire of thine owne excellencie make thee malice thy neighbour for being thine egall or more high in dignitie then thou art consider that in doing thus thou losest that thou so gretly seekest for sith herein thou debasest thy selfe geuest others occasiō to cōtēne thee perceuing this thy cankred vile nature which thus dishonestly thou thy selfe discouerest But if contrari-wise thou striuedst to master thy self to reioyce at thy neighbours wel-fare as at thine owne then shoulde thine estimation and credite growe muche greater sith euery good man woulde esteeme thee better and highly commend this charitie and noble minde of thine wherof by thus doing thou geuest the world an apparant and plaine testimonie Thy spiritual profite should herewith be in like maner greatly increased for either wold God geue thee the same goodes and graces thou reioysest at in thy neighbour or at least wise reward thee plentifully for the merite of thy charitie And therfore doth S. Chrisostome saye that the vertue of charitie is very great and meruailous which without spoyling any man doth rob and take al sithens by reioysing at other mens wel-fare and goodes we make them ours and winne possessiō of al that which others doo possesse FIFTLY al such meanes as help to excite and stirte vp Charity towards al shal likewise help greatlye to subdue and vanquishe this vice as for example to thinke howe we are al brethren as-touching our flesh descending from the same parentes Adam and Eue and as for the spirite al created of one Lord regenerated by one verrue redeemed by one price and hy the selfe same Redeemer We haue al of vs one mother the holye Catholike Churche the same faith the same Sacramentes and al of vs hope for the same blisse where eche ones good shal-be common to al and that of al to eche one Wheras therfore so many so great causes of vni tie charitie be enuy ought to beare no griefe at others good no mirth at others miserie yea rather ought we al of vs to reioyce at others their weldoinges and lament their harmes and euils as if they were our owne perfourming therby what S Paule prescribeth to reiovce with such as reioyce and to weepe with them that weepe But if haply al these causes of vnion sufficed not to make thee recken thy neighbours goodes as thine owne he seeming stil but a stranger and a forener in thine eye how he neuer did thee any good but rather harme and iniurie Remember howe thou being a greater straunger and farre more vnwoorthy Christe hath bestowed so many so gret benefits vpon thee wherof he wil haue thee to make a recompence with other benefites not done to him-selfe sith he standeth no neede of thy good turns but bestowed vpon thy neighbour seeme he neuer so vnknowen and vnwoorthye to thee for looke what good thou doest to such a one and this Lorde wil accept it as doone vnto him-selfe SIXTLY consider howe to vanquishe this venemous vice of enuie the lawe of nature common to al ought at least to moue thee
our Lorde and Sauiour wherein amongst other things thou shalt meditate conformably to the story of the Gospel cal chiefly to minde these three points to wit that most profound humilitie wherewith he washed his disciples feete the institution of the moste holy Sacrament those moste sugred speeches he lastly preached to them ABOVT the first consider that humilitie inough to astonishe a man wherewith that most high and puissant prince into whose handes his eternal father had geuen the rule of al thinges bowed him selfe to washe and clense his disciples feete and amongst the rest those filthie feete of Iudas the Traitour neither yet did his puissance nor his wisdom nor his holines nor his greatnes eche being incomprehensible let him to do this so base a worke that we should folowe the example that he left vs therin not only to humble our selues to our betters but also our equals inferiours TOVCHING the second point cōsider that most feruēt loue our sweete Redeemer bare vs to the ende wherby he being now to depart from vs deuised this ineffable means how to 〈◊〉 stil with vs for our consolation profite and refection in this most holy Sacrament and like as he could not leue vs any gift more pretious then this so ought we not to seke or desire any other then this disposing our selues eftsons to receaue this moste sacred foode that being eftsons vnited to him we be made partakers of the inestimable fruites which are by meanes therof imparted to vs. CONCERNING the third amongst the other wordes of that longe and moste loftie sermō he made to his disciples take for thee that his newe precept of charitie so highly cōmended of him wherein he saide that his disciples should be discerned and withal note the patience thou must haue in the manifolde tribulations and persccutions which thou must needes suffer in this world wherewith the soule is purged gaineth great and inspeakable meede TVESDAY THOV maiest on Tuesday at thy wonted houre meditate three other points wherof let the first be of our Lordes prayer which he made three times in the garden of Gethsemani Beholde here the anguishe and anxietie that sacred foul of his felt which he him selfe saide was sorowful and heauie to death that is to say that the sorow he felt was inough to procure his death And note the remedie we must flee to when we hap to be thus afflicted and made heauy which is a zeale and perseuerance in praier as he vsed three times praying so muche the longer as his affliction increased and grew more greuous through the most vehement apprehension he had of his future tormentes now at hand which made him sweate great drops of bloud Take therfore this refuge of praier in al thy tribulations as Saint Iames doth also admonishe thee and seeke not after any other faithlesse vaine remedies THE SECOND point for this dai is our Sauiours imprisonment whervnto he willingly offred him selfe to loose thereby the giues and fetters of our folies Here maiest thou weighe that insuperable patience wherwith he willingly consented to be bound iniured and stroken with diuers blowes buffets without any moue making or resistance yea he founde fault with Peter who did what he could to defend him saying The 〈◊〉 that my father hath geuen me wilt thou not that I drinke it the vertue and meaning wherof thou oughtest to marke wel and lay vp in the tresure of thy hart therwith to releeue and defende thy selfe in al thy griefes and persecutions for whence soeuer they come whether of the world or the deuil al is the cup which thine euerlalting father geueth thee for the welfare of thy soule THOV MAIEST also meditate the thirde point howe the faithfullest master that euer was being abandoned and forsaken of al his disciples and accompanied onely with those cruel officers was ledd to the houses of those sacrilegious bishops Annae and Caiphas where they begonne a fresh to renewe their villanous outrages their haukinges and spittings their blowes and buffets their mocks and mowes with other their greuous vexations wherewith he passed ouer al that night abiding euery thing with incomparable patience that thou in like case shouldest indeuour thy selfe to imitate him WEDNESDAY ON WEDNESDAY meditate the ignominious progres and wearisome iourney our Sauioure made on the morowe being conducted from one Iudge to another and pause a while in eche of their houses to weigh the wordes he spake and the iniuries that were done him but chiefly cal to minde those wordes he answered Pilate withal asking him if he were a king which were these My kingdome is not of this world which if thou mashe and ruminate wel wil make thee knowe the blindnes of worldly men who with so great carke and care desire to reigne and to enioye the prosperitie pleasures and pompes of this world wherof the true and only king confesseth in these wordes that his kingdome consisteth not that thou shouldest thereby frame thy selfe to contemne the world which he so litle regarded learne to liue like a pilgrime and straunger therein making no accompt of the pompes riches credite therof which be so vaine and transitorie CONSIDER likewise the scornes done to him in Herodes house that vniust Iudge who to make him be mocked caused him to put on that white fooles cote and thus hauing fooled and doulted him sent him afterwardes backe againe to Pilate in the which voiage he suffered suche paines and spiteful reproches as thou wel maiest thinke of Learne here to holde thy peace when thou art despised mocked or otherwise curiouslye questioned thou maiest see likewise what paines and trauaile thou must prepare thy selfe to take when neede shal require for his sake thy neigh bours sithens he hath thus both for thee and al their sakes made so many wearisome iourneys THVRSDAY ON THVRSDAY at thine accustomed time and place thou shalt meditate firste the cruel scourging of the sonne of God in Pilates house who weening thereby to appease the rage and furie of the Iewes caused him to be whipped and beaten most bitterlye Beholde then howe they pul off his clothes stripp him naked who adorneth the fieldes with al their beautie and howe they binde those handes to the piller which created earst the heauens and being thus naked and fast tied howe the cruel executioners beginne then with might and maine to laye on that virginal flesh fleaing the tender skinne of the immaculate Lambe and causing that moste sacred bloud to issue and spin out of al the partes of his body in so great quantitie as it wet and couered the ground he stoode vpon yea in suche sort was that most daintie and beautiful fleshe fleane and wounded as thereby was rightly fulfilled the prophecie of Isay saying We reputed him as a leper and as one smitten of God and humbled In the middest of al these grieslye griefes the
those most sweet woundes wherto sinners may flee a great deale more securely to eschewe the perils and persecutions of this world then they could doo in olde time to their assigned cities And herein shal that wounde in our Sauiours side chieflye helpe thee figured by the windowe God cōmaunded Noe to make in the side of the Arke by the which al the beastes that shoulde scape the floud were to enter in eucn so now al such as finde them selues indaungered in the terrible sourges of this tempestuous world if so they couet to scape drowning let them haue recours to those moste sacred sores and wide woundes let them enter at this open windowe and therein shal they be most secure and finde them selues in true peace and tranquilitie MEDITATE afterwardes with how great deuotion the Redeemer of the world was taken downe off the roode and laide in his mourning mothers lap who with a right ruful coūtenance fastned her eyes vpon him Thinke here what streames of teares his beloued disciple S. Iohn the blessed Magdalene with the other godly women plentifully powred out vpon him Beholde and ponder wel with what zeale and feruencie both they and the two worthy men Ioseph and Nicodemus annointed wrapt him in his winding-sheet and afterwards bore and laide him in the sepulchre which was in the garden and endeuour thou to clense thy hart through lye from al corruption of sinne from al filthe of fond desires and thoughts that so thou maiest as in a new sepul chre lay vp therin this most pretious treasure And see thou faile not this day to beare the woful mother companie in her lonolines and sorowe wailing with her and taking compas sion of her griefes that thou afterwar des deserue to participate of the ioyes in the resurrection SVNDAY ON SVNDAY meditate the ioyes of our Sauiours ioyful resurrectiō wherin consider these three pointes Firste how our Redeemer hauing now perfected the worke of our redemption and ouercome our sinful death with his moste sacred death his blessed soul descended into Limbo to visite and enfraunchise those holy fathers who so many a yeare had with longing desire looked for him with whē he staide to their inestimable cōfort til the houre of his resurrectiō which was on Sundaye morning at what time his most happie soule reentring and reuniting it self to his blessed bo die he became most beautiful bright glittering impassible and immortal albeit berore he were disfigured with the blowes woundes and tormentes of his passion and being thus risen vp and by his own power issued out of his closed sepulchte the first thing be did afterwardes as we may with godly zeale beleeue was that he visited his most blessed mother Thinke then nowe what that blessed virgin felt seing her entierly beloued sonne stand before her aliue sounde and whole so glorious and triumphant as he then was whose death had so 〈◊〉 perced her soul with most vehement sorowes What inestimable ioye felt she in beholding his sweete and amiable countenaunce the beautiful brightnes of the wounds he had before receaued those gratious and louely eyes wherwith he looked vpō and in hearing those sugred sweet wordes wherewith he greeted her How great was the ioye and comfort of her soule when she vnbethought her of the exceeding glorye his former iniuries and infamies were turned to what surpassing beautie the deformitie of his woundes was changed to and finally howe great a calme and happie quietnes al the former stormie tempestes were now conuerted to Learne thou hereby not to faint or to be discouraged when thou art persecuted tempted and afflicted but with faith to expect our good Lord his houre who after a tempest sendeth faire wether after troubles quietnes and vseth according to the proportion of tribulations to visite afterwards with roy consolations THE SECOND point thou shalt meditate vpon this day is the singuler comfort those deuout Maries receaued when they sawe their beloued master whom euen now they sought to annoint as dead thus glorious and reuiued again And consider especiallye the tender heart of that most vertuous woman Mary Magdalene being wholly mested and dissolued into teares through the zealous loue she bare our Sauiour and thereby would not depart but stoode stil at the sepulchre til suche time as she merited to see and finde her Lorde and to receaue comfort of him whom she so gretly longed for Wherin thou must note and marke wel how next to his holy mother our Lord appered first to her that loued him most that perseuered moste and that sought him moste to th ende thou know learn therby that then the same Lorde wil appere and comfort thee when with like teares loue and diligence as she did thou shalt inquire seeke and sorow after him THOV maiest in like maner meditate the thirde point hauing spare time howe this moste desired master appered to his disciples who after his resurrection he eftsons visited comforted confirmed in their faith but chiefly ponder the sweete speeches he vled to those he went in companie with to Emaus who with great griefe were talking of his passion whom he did afterwardes exceedingly comfort and inflame shewed himself vnto the in the breking of the breade Wherby thou maiest gather that if thy conuersation talke be suche as 〈◊〉 was to wit of Christes passion thou shalt not lacke his presence and companie and shalt be illuminated to better know and loue him and this chiefly in the breaking that is in the sacred Sacrament of the aultar THOV MAIEST likewise at some other time meditate on this day his holy and miraculous ascension howe fortie daies being now past ouer 〈◊〉 his resurrection in which time he appered estsones his disciples reioycing comforting teaching thē what they ought to doo the fortie day he lastly appered to them being at table and founde fault with their incredulitie and afterwards hauing sufficiently informed them howe they ought to preache he and they with his mother went al together to the mount Oliuet whence that most worthy and glorious triumpher hauing nowe blessed and bid them al farewel mounted vp in al their sightes to heauen carying with him the riche spoiles of holy Saintes who with the troupes of Angels gaue laudes and praises to him singing with inspeakeable ioye and exultation and thus was he in this so solemne a triumphe and reioycing receaued into heauen where he sitteth on the right hande of his almightie father Consider here howe it pleased our sweete Lorde to ascende into heauen in the presence of those that truelye Ioued him to th ende they shoulde both with their eyes and spirite folowe him and desire to ascende with him knowing right wel in what a solitarines they were after to remaine for lacke of his presence which folowing and longing after him auaileth muche for the obteining his diuine grace Heliseus desired his master Helias as holy Scripture telleth
the last Sacrament of Extreme Vnction or anneling with holy oyle and this thou must indeuour thy self to receaue with great faith and deuotion and hauing once receaued it then to make a protestation of the Catholike faith if thou canst it by heart if not to let it be read vnto thee wherin thou protestest to liue and dye beeleeuing and confessing al that our holy mother the Catholike Apostolike and Roman Church confesseth and belecueth And therefore oughtest thou not to driue off the receauing of this last Sacrament vntil the very latter ende as some verye indiscretly doo to th' ende thou maiest be of sound iudgement and haue perfect vse of reason to receaue it deuoutly and to make the foresaid protestation sincerely and aduisedly THE LAST aduise which I haue to geue in this matter is that hauing alreadie performed what hath beene tolde and taught thee in this chapter thou prepare thy selfe to attend the last conflict which is yet behinde in the houre of thy departure arming thy selfe against such temptations as are wont then commonly to assaile vs And to th' ende thou maiest the more manfully resist and vanquishe them and by vanquishing attain the crowne of conquest it shal not be amisse to tel thee before-hand with what temptations the fiends doo ordinarily disquiet the soule at her departure according as we are informed by the holy Doctours that haue writtē vpon this matter See therfore thou mark wel what I shal hereof tel thee in the Chapter next ensuing OF THE tentations that are commonly felt in the houre of death and of the Remedies against the same ¶ Cap. 28. THERE be many anguishes and anieties which the soule doth commonly feele in the perillous trans hour of death this being the moste terrible thing that can happ vnto vs in this life sith at that time the soule doth suffer on euery side and which waye soeuer it turneth doth finde great cause of corsey and extreame annoye First it suffreth in respect of the body frō which it parteth with no smal pain it suffreth like-wise in parting from the temporal thinges which it leaueth here behind and looke howe much more they were in life time loued of it and so much more doo they in that houre of death torment it It suffreth through the great dreade it hath of the straite accompt which it knoweth wel must forth-with be passed to the dreadful Iudge of euerye thing it hath done in al her life time It suffreth through the horrible vision of the deuils which in that houre appere the sight wherof is an intollerable tormēt And much more doth it suffer through the grieuous and bitter assaultes wher-with in that houre they farre more fiercelye set vpon it then euer they did tofore For like as towardes the ende of the world and time of general iudgemēt the prince of darknes shal more terribly and with greater rage and furye assault mankinde as he knoweth better howe smal a time is then remayning for him to doo the same and to infest it any longer In like maner doo the deuils nowe behaue them-selues towardes suche as be at the point of death against whē they bend al their might and maine al their sleightes and subtilties whatsoeuer sith they knowe wel that if the soule in that last houre doo escape their dreadful clookes they lose what they pretended to gaine al her life time in this world for so doo the Doctors commonly saye vpon the sentence of the Apocalips That the deuil descendeth with great rage woting wel that he hath but a smal time left So that the anxietie and bitternes of that houre shal-be so great as no man by wordes can sufficientlye exaggerate And this doo we plainlye see by an example that S. Iohn Climacus reporteth to haue happed in his time to a religious man whom he both saw and knew and saith how this mā hauing liued some-what looselve in his monasterie came on a time to the very poynt of death and then was in such sort rauished in spirite as he saw the dreadful rigour and such thinges as passe in the time of judgement and doome of euery soule and afterwardes comming to him-selfe again hauing through God his diuine and special dispensation obteined a time of penance this holy man saith how the said monke prayed al those that were there present with him amongest whom was the same Iohn Climacus that they would al of thē depart out of his sel wherein he afterwardes remained al alone vntil the houre of his death which was for the space of xij yeres after without going out at any time speaking worde to any man or receauing al that time any other foode then bread and water but continually sitting in this his sel like a man astonished and besides him-selse and hauing his eyes fixed stil in one place he perpetually reuolued in his mind the things which he sawe in his extasie or rauishment and with the memory therof bedewed his cheekes dayly with streames of bitter teares And in this maner did he continue til the houre of his death at what time the saide Iohn Climacus with al the other religious men that liued there-aboutes in the wildernes came to visite him who breaking downe the doore of his sel which he had walled vp and being entred in they al desired him to geue them some good word of edification before his departure to whē he replied this onely I tel you truely fathers quoth he if men wist wel howe dreadful this last transe of death and howe rigorous the sentence of diuine indgement were they durst neuer offend God nor transgresse his moste holy commaundementes Sith therfore it is so we ought eftsons to forethinke this houre and to arme and prepare our selues at al assaies for this so perillous a season Albeit wel may we hope in that most faithful God our Lorde that he wil not permitt vs as S. Paul saith to be tempted aboue our strength and that the Angels shal-be no lesse careful especially euery mans Gardian to succoure and helpe in that houre of such extreme necessitie then the deuils busie to assault and ouerthrowe vs It shal-be notwithstanding greatly profitable as I saye for eche one to fore-thinke in time the suggestions and temptations that shal in that houre be propounded them as also the remedies and wepons to defende and releeue them with that so they may more securely escape so great a peril and gaine the crowne prepared for the valiant conquerour It is therefore to be noted howe THE FIRST and principal temptation wher-with the fiends are wont in that houre to infest those that are redie to geue vp their ghost is of fayth according as S. Ambrose testifieth which is the foundation of al spiritual building that the principal foundation once failing al the whole frame may fal to ruine Their drift is therfore to intrap a man in some
errour of beliefe especially touching those articles wherwith otherwhiles in life time they assailed foūd him som-what feeble To which tēptatiō thou canst not resist better then as I told thee heretofore in the. 26. Chapter to wit by despising it scorning the deuil and not regarding to solute his reasons But if of force thou must needes aunswer som-thing let it be this I beleeue firmely what our holy mother the Churche beleeueth and that which the holy Apostles Martirs and Confessours haue beleued and taught whose faith and doctrine 〈◊〉 God whom none can deceaue hath confirmed with innumerable miracles and for the confession wherof hath so much bloud of Martirs been spilt of whose holines no man can iustly doubt Sticke fast to this aunswere and care not to satisfie his other obiections demaunds which he may propound to thee about this matter and no doubt but by thus behauing thy self thou shalt remain a Conquerour and gain the goale thou striuest for Thus reade we of a seely simple man albeit in this point wise and considerate ynough who in a much like matter de meaned him-self in like maner This good man being in conflict with the fiende shaped him this aunswer touching an importunate adoo he made to know his beliefe I beleeue quoth he al that our holy mother the Churche beleeueth Why quoth the diuel And what is that your holye mother the Church beleueth She beleeueth quoth the good man that which I beleue And what beleeuest thou reiterated he the other repeting his former answer I beleue quoth he what our holye mother the Church beleeueth Neither could the diuel albeit he questioned neuer so importunatelye about this point driue him from this his first answer and so gained he the victorie and put his foe to flight and shameful ignominie In like maner maiest thou doo if thou vse the same means of resisting this tentatiō THE SECOND suggestiō wher-with the wicked spirits are wont to molest vs in this houre is of blasphemic persuading those that are nowe at point of death to beleue or think some indecent vnseemly thing of our bles sed L. God or of his holy SS With this temptation Eusebius S. Ieroms Disciple was greeuouslye infested Hereto maiest thou resist by retorting the blasphemie vpon the Diuel him-selfe that propoundeth it in this maner I am more then assured that my Lorde God is infinitely good and woorthy of al soueraine praise and lcue and that al his holy Saintes are most perfect and replenished with al vertue and thou most wicked fiende by going about to persuade me these blasphemies bewrasest plainly thy peruerse spirite pufe vp with al impietie malice falshood and deceipt and ther by most woorthy to be of eche one despised accursed and abhorred And then turning thine eyes to thy most mild sweet maker force thy selfe to powre out of thy heart right humble blessings and praises in the best wise thou canst vnto him and by howe muche the more the detestable deceauer shal infest thee with these his abhominable and beastly blasphemies by so much the more be thou diligent and attentiue to yeeld laudes and praises to his moste holy name THE THIRD temptation wherewith the deuils doo tempt such as lye a dying especially if they haue beene great offenders is dispaire For like as in time of health they litle rought of their sinnes and through the infinit number of Gods mercies and hope to doo penance at their latter ende made smal accompt therof so in that houre of death doo their sinnes seeme more greeuous and gretlye aggrauated to them by considering the rigor of diuine iustce wherto yt belongeth not to suffer any one sinne vnsifted and vnpunished and then is it the deuils persuade and make them beleeue that their contrition in that present houre is of no force and value as proceeding of seruile and slauish feare They like-wise in that houre represent al the enormous crimes a man hath committed al his life time as also the good he might haue done and by his negligence hath omitted and howe he neuer confessed many of his sinnes or at least wise imperfectlye and with lesse sorowe then he ought to haue done In this wise doo they so girde and gripe many heinous sinners as no doubt but a great number be by that meanes driuen to desperation This is one of the most terrible vexations wher-with such as haue wallowed securely in their sinnes are in this time assailed and is in very deed so violent and hard to be withstood as if the ineffable mercy of God did not geue special assistance and ayde in that houre very few could eschew and ouercome the same The remedie to releeue thee with is to humble thy selfe in the sight of God and to inuocate his diuine clemencie calling to minde the Passion of thy blessed and benigne Redeemer our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe whose moste bitter griefes torments and woundes thou must offer vp to his eternal father for al thy sinnes what-soeuer saying I knowe my Lorde and moste gratious God that albeit my sinnes be great enormous and innumerable yet is the satisfaction which thy moste obedient sonne my Sauiour Iesus Christe hath geuen thee both for these of mine and of al the whole world farre greater more pretious and more infinite I knowe like-wise that thine incomprehensible mercie and pietie doth farre surpasse al my miserie and impietie and therefore wil I not dispaire as Cain and Iudas did especially knowing howe this should be to adde a greater offence to my former trespasses sith dispaire is that which moste of al displeaseth dishonoureth and offendeth thee yea rather wil I hope in the multitude of thy mercies which thou haste vsed towardes other most vnworthy sinners and sure I am that thine eternal truth and infallible worde neither can ne wil euer deceaue whereby thou haste promised to pardon and receaue such as hope in thee calvpon thy mercy and vnfainedly turne to thee being contrite and sorowful for their sinnes as I am nowe This is the anker wher-vnto thou must cleaue fast and neuer to forsake thy holde albeit the deuils doo what they may to drowne thee as is aforesaid THE FOVRTH temptatiō is quite opposite and contrary to the former This being a rash and fond securitie and ouer-weening a man hath in his owne innocencie for that as Cassian saith when the wilye and coonning fiende can-not induce a man to that excessiue feare and pusilanimitie he thought to haue done and so to haue driuen him downe to desperation then doth he craftilye goe about to post him ouer to the other extreame by drawing him to a daungerous securitie and blind delite and pleasing of him-selfe counterfeiting falslye with him how he hath fought manfullye and wel prepared him-selfe to death and howe he is greatly bounde to God for so many his giftes moste plentifully bestowed vpon him
for so is moste expedient forsomuch as the thinges that are here intreated of sith they be the rules and remembrances which thou oughtest in spiritual life to leuel and guide thy worke by it behoueth at al times to reade them when thou purposest to practise thē For besides that the bare reading shal-be a laudable and meritorious exercise for thee and serue as a part of prayer the reiterating and frequētation of reading shal helpe thee to learne by heart what in action thou art bound to execute and so maiest thou afterwardes exercise thee in ech point with much more facilitie and lesse adoo a great deale And therfore albeit this litle labour maye profite eche one that with good and godlye intent wil vouchsafe to reade it yet was it principally intended for the simple and more ignorant sort and for that cause haue I thought good to annexe here in the end such thinges as many of them wot not and yet are bound to knowe Seing that if euerye Artisan thinke it meete to knowe such thinges as belonge vnto his Art howe much more is a true Christian bound to knowe what appertaineth to his profession an Arte aboue al Artes and to be prepared as the Apostle S. Peter saith to yeeld accompt of that he beleeueth and hopeth and what it behooueth him to doo to liue according to Gods wil and pleasure and to obteine euerlasting life withal Wherefore for such as be in this behalfe blame-woorthye negligent I haue here set downe such thinges as without daunger of their owne wel-doing they neither ought nor can be ignorant of that by reading these notes and short remembrances they may both vnderstande what they want and learne it here commodiously without further seeking of other bookes And as for the textes I haue here set them foorth both in the latine and vulgar tonge for euery one to learne them as best shal like thē not respecting so much the wordes as the substance and sapp conteined in the same SIMBOLVM APOSTOLORVM which in vulgare tonge is called the Creede 1. CREDO in Deū Patrem Omnipotentem Creatorem coeli terrae 2. Et in Iesum Christum filium eius vnicum Dominum nostrum 3. Qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto natus ex Maria virgine 4. Passus sub Pontio Pilato crucifixus mortuus sepultus 5. Descendit ad inferos tertia die resurrexit à mortuis 6. Ascendit ad coelos sedit ad dextram Dei Patris Omnipotentis 7. Inde venturus est iudicare viuos mortuos 8. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum 9. Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam Sanctorum Communionem 10. Remissionem peccatorum 11. Carnis Resurrectionem 12. Vitam aeternam Amen 1. I beleeue in God the Father Almightie Maker of heauen and earth 2. And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lord. 3. Which was conceaued by the holy Ghost born of the virgin Marye 4. Suffred vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified deade and buried 5. Descended into hel the third day he rose againe from the deade 6. Ascended into heauen sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almightie 7. From thence he shal come to iudge both the quicke and the deade 8. I beleeue in the holy Ghoste 9. The holy Catholike Churche the Communion of Saintes 10. The forgeuenes of sinnes 11. The Resurrection of the bodye 12. And the life euerlasting Amen A BRIEFE declaration of the. 12. Articles conteined in the Crede ¶ Cap. 30. FOR thy better remembring of these xij Articles conteined in the Creede aforesaid wherin the whole summe of our holy Catholike fayth is comprehended I haue thought good in this second impression to adioyne a briefe declaration as-wel thereof as also of such other thinges as be needful for thee to haue by hart Wherby thou maiest easily learn not onely to rehearse the bare wordes but to sucke out the sense and sapp also of that which thou beleeuest con fessest and witnessest or at least wise oughtest to doo in al thy life and actions It is therfore for declaration of this Creede or Simbole to be noted howe God being one in substance three in person al the three persons of the most sacred and souerain Trinitie are in this Creede especified and vnto eche one of them their peculier and proper Articles assigned THE FIRST Article sheweth vnto vs the first person of the Trinitie to wit the Father vnto whom is attributed the creation of heauen earth and of al things visible and inuisible al the which as he for vs hath by his Omnipotencie created of nothing so doth he forovs through his wisdome and goodnes still mainteine and gouerne them whereby we are done to wit what great loue we are bounde to beare towarde this our so good a father who hath for vs created and kept so manye thinges What trust we may also repose in him and howe greatly we ought to dreade the offending of so omnipotent a Father THE SECOND Article declareth vnto vs the second person of the sacred Trinitie which is the Sonne who touching his diuinitie is from al eternitie ingendred of his Father of the self-same substaunce with his father and coequal to him This one only and eternal sonne of God as he tooke humane nature and fleshe vppon him is called Iesus Christe that is to saye Sauiour annointed IESVS which signifieth Saurour for that he came to saue and redeeme his people from their sinnes and CHRISTE which is as much to say as annointed for that he was annointed by the holye Ghoste ful of grace and truth He is also called MESSIAS whom God had erst promised to sende into the worlde a KING BISSHOP and LORDE for that he bought vs with his most precious bloud and thereby is geuen vs to vnderstande howe much we are bound to honour loue and reuerence him THE THIRD Article teacheth vs the incarnation and temporal natiuitre of this our Lord for that being as God eternally engendred of his father without mother he for our loue descended frō heauen and tooke humane fleshe vpon him and was as man conceaued without father or operation of man in that most sacred vessel the virginal wombe of the euermore virgin Mary and was afterwardes borne in Bethlcem of this his blessed mother she remayning euermore a virgin By this incarnation of the 〈◊〉 of God we are al of vs regenerated of carnal that we were made spiritual and the children of God in Iesus Christe THE FOVRTH Article doth informe vs of the Passion death and burial of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe who hauing preched and done many miracles for the space of three yeres the Iewes of meere spite and malice accused him to Pontius Pilate their Iudge who albeit he wist wel his innocencie and cleernes frō any crime yet did he adiudge him to suffer death vpon the Roode and so was he by that means crucified dead and buried whose holy wounds passion Crosse