our prayers with cleannesse of heart vprightnes of action and in the vnity of thy true Church and Catholike Faith that so they may ascend into thy sight as a sweet sacrifice of incense for our health help and other things necessarie for our bodies and soules for the true mortification of our flesh and the right direction of our whole life that hereafter it may bee pleasing and acceptable vnto thee and so by faith in Iesus Christ bring vs to euerlasting blisse And we offer the same for the health and help of all other persons that thy blessed will is to haue prayed for within the Church and without in speciall and in generall And for whom and whatsoeuer else thy wisedome knoweth necessary and our frailetie cannot aske that may be most conuenient for vs to receiue and best becommeth thee to giue That it may please thee of thy gracious goodnes to grant vnto vs true and vnfained repentance for our former sinfull life patience in all our temptations and tribulations ghostly and bodily protection and defence against our enemies visible and inuisible constancie and perseuerance in all vertue goodnes help and reliefe in all our needs and necessities succour and comfort in all our woe and distresse ease and deliuerie out of all our troubles calamities afflictions that we are in or may any way happen vnto vs. O most tender God deare Father we beseech thee also of thy mercy and forgiuenes of sinnes for our selues and all others and mitigation of thy iustice towards vs now and in the houre of our death and last iudgement particular and generall Open vnto vs O Lord we most humbly beseech thee the plentifull streame and fountaine of the bloud of CHRIST IESVS which for our sake and for our saluation issued most aboundantly out of his grieuous wounds hanging on the Crosse Drowne vs in them hide vs in them wash vs in them write print them deepely in our hearts that all our sinnes may bee so bathed in his bloud buried in his death and hid in his wounds that they neuer more be seene to our confusion in this world or to our condemnation in the world to come But put them al into his most dearly beloued wounds and cast them into the bottomelesse depth of his mercie and merits We call and cry dayly vpon thee for thy fatherly assistance that we may conquer al our enemies Heare vs therefore O Lord in that mercie which hath no measure and looke not vpon vs with the eyes of Iustice neither draw against vs the sword of iudgement for then wee are vtterly lost and perish for euer But subdue all power of Satan and sinne in vs and giue vs strength to resist patience to endure and constancie to perseuer And if men assault or tempt vs to any euill good Lord giue vs wisedom to discern them feare to follow them and zeale to defie them And rule thou euer as Lord and King ouer vs and ouer all that wee haue ouer body and soule ouer heart and minde ouer worke and word for Iesus Christ his sake we heartily craue it euen in fauour at thy Fatherly hands And furthermore wee commend vnto thee O Lord in these our Prayers the whole Catholike Church Renue in it wee beseech thee puritie and sinceritie of life and conuersation from the which in these euill and latter dayes it is vtterly declined and wanting in all sorts of persons as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill And grant vnto euery member therof from the highest to the lowest from the Prince vnto the People that they may correct and amend in themselues that which is amisse Nourish and keep among them vnitie peace mutuall charitie to loue thee aboue all and their neighbours as themselues Make their hearts so meeke and gentle good Lord by thy working power that they may gladly and vnfainedly freely and frankely heartily and wholly forgiue all men that haue hated or hurted them by word or by deede Such as doe erre and goe astray in the path of Perdition call back and bring againe into the way of Saluation and vnderstanding Extinguish all Sects Schismes Innouations Diuisions Opinions Heresies wherby and wherewithall thy Church in these euill and latter dayes hath beene wonderfully molested and troubled and as it were euen rent and shaken in pieces and conuert all those to the knowledge of thy true ancient Catholike Apostolike holy and Christian Faith which as yet goe astray and wander out of the right way O Lord of thy gracious goodnes fetch them home as sheep of thy pasture to thine owne Fold and Family preserue and keepe them euer safe in the lap and vnitie of thy Catholike Church And grant vnto them true vnderstanding to know thee diligence to seeke thee wisedome to finde thee conuersation to please thee and euermore faithfully to serue thee vnto their liues end Comfort and lift vp O Lord all those that are troubled vexed in minde or in body and teach them to see their owne happinesse through tentations and troubles and that the readiest way to Heauen is euen to goe thither by Hell and that euery paine heere is as it were a preuention of the paines of Hell and euery ease in paine a foretaste of the ease and ioyes of Heauen And finally grant that wee may all with quiet mindes and good conscience patiently passe the time of this our painfull pilgrimage heere on earth peaceably spend and end our dayes in thy seruice and so at the last come to thy heauenly Kingdome life euerlasting thorough Iesus Christ the Author of life In whose holy name wee are bold to lift vp our hearts hands and voices praying vnto thee as hee hath taught vs saying Our Father which c. All glory and praise bee onely giuen vnto God A Prayer for Morning MOst gracious God and deare Father we yeeld vnto thee from the bottome of our hearts most humble thankes in that it hath pleased thee not onely to defend and preserue vs this night from all our enemies both ghostly and bodily but also of thy fatherly pitie to giue vnto these our earthly and languishing bodies such sufficient sleepe and rest as hath satisfied the earnest desire of our weake and feeble nature And as thou of thy mercy hast safely brought vs to the beginning of this present day and shewed vs the light thereof so we humbly beseech thee O God grant that our soules may bee spiritually lightened with the brightnes of thy Word and sacred mysteries whereby we may walk in the steps of Christianitie and leade a life agreeable to our vocation in Christ Iesus our Lord. Assist vs also with thy grace and holy Spirit O God that wee may neuer shrinke from thee for any earthly torments but diligently apply our selues to the performance of thy will and giue our selues wholly therevnto hauing a strong and stedfast faith in the truth of thy promises Indue vs with wisedome from aboue that we may dayly
Law to doe them Quest 4. Good Lord if this bee true then what a miserable case are all wee in beeing wicked and cursed creatures Answ Truely our state indeede is wretched and damnable and but that God of his infinite goodnes hath prouided a salue for this sore we should vtterly perish and then were 1. Cor. 15. 19. we of all men most miserable Quest 5. Do you beleeue then that there is a salue for so grieuous a wound and a remedy for so great a mischiefe Answ Yea verily I firmely beleeue and know it or else I could not with so cheerefull and patient a minde beare this crosse which God hath now laid vpon me Quest 6. I pray you what remedy is there against the sting of sinne and the curse of the Law Is there any thing in the world that can pacifie Gods wrath and mooue him to such mercy as may cause him to take away this deadly curse and giue vs a blessing Answ Yea God bee thanked that there is I can tell you so much though I be not Booke-learned yet I haue heard it and I doe vndoubtedly beleeue it because Gods Word doth teach it That when there was no means to be found for man to be saued neither in heauen nor earth it pleased our heauenly Father of his meere mercy to send his only begotten Sonne Rom. 8. 3. into the world to the end that all that beleeue in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting So that that which was impossible to the Law in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh I doe therefore beleeue that this Sonne of God Iesus Christ hath quite taken away the curse of the Law Col. 2. 14. and nayled it vpō the Crosse Quest 7. These are good words indeed and generally spoken to all sinners but how can you apply this to your selfe Answ Because I know assuredly that I am Christs and haue the testimonie of the Holy Ghost in mee comforting mee and bearing witnes to my Spirit that I am the child of God and therefore may boldly cry Abba Father Gal 4. 6. c. Quest 8. Then I perceiue if you bee thus faithfully minded as you do professe that you are not afraid to dy neither is death so dread full vnto you as it is to many in these sinfull dayes Answ Although indeed death seemeth detestable to the most part of men especially to impenitent sinners and such as haue the wealth of the world at will Yet notwithstanding I see no reason why any wise man should feare that which cannot be auoided but rather all things considered aright they haue cause to couet it with the holy Apostle Saint Paul who desireth to be loosed and Phil. 1. 23. to be with Christ which is best of all because death is the doore to eternall life for we connot liue for euer but first we must dye And therefore the godly man after he is mortified heere by crosses and griefe of sicknes may cheerefully sing and say with the same Apostle Christ is to mee Phil. 1. 21. both in life and death aduantage And most comfortable to a good conscience is that sentence of Ecclesiastes A good name is better then a Eccl. 7. 3. good oyntment and the day of death then the day that one is borne The Preacher spake not this without booke nor without reason for then we change sicknes for health woe for wealth transitorie vanities for perpetuall ioyes and earthly trash for heauenly treasure c. Quest 9. You are in the right of it and haue hit the naile on the head in this point keepe you there and my life for yours But because I finde you in answering both wise and willing it incourageth mee to bee bold in questioning Doe you beleeue all the Articles of the Christian Faith which the true and Catholike Church doth hold at this day and all other Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the very and liuely Word of God the foode of your soule and the perfect way to eternall life and that there is sufficient matter contained in them to establish your minde and conscience to saluation according to the consent of Christs Apostles in the Primitiue Church Answ I constantly and vnfainedly beleeue all this you haue said to bee true and grounded vpon the Word of God as vpon a sure foundation which shal neuer faile nor fall And therefore it is called the Word of Life the Word of Rom. 3. 16. Grace the Word of Truth and the power of God to Saluation to euery one that beleeueth Quest. 10. Doe you detest and abhor all Idolatry Heresies errors schismes innouations and opinions which in any point do dissent or disagree from this liuely Word of GOD and the ancient Catholike and Primitiue Church Answ As these enormities of themselues are detestable and damnable euen so I do from my very heart detest and abhorre them all and most ardently I imbrace the Truth of Gods Word with all due reuerence to the same as to the heauenly will of GOD therein specified and reuealed to vs by his Seruants the Patriarks and Apostles of God and his Sonne Christ Iesus our Sauiour the Head of the Church And I am desirous to die a member of the same Church beeing the bodie and Spouse of Christ Quest 11. And do you euen in heart reioyce to liue and die in this Christian Faith and in the vnitie of this true ancient Catholique and Apostolique Church militant heere on earth which is and shall be the Communion of Saints the triumphant Church of God in Heauen Ans I reioyce in nothing so much for I know that out of the Church there is no saluation or safetie Those in old time that were found out of Noahs Arke being a Type of the Church perished by water but they which are not of the Catholike Church of Christ shall be tormented in Hell fire which shall neuer bee quenched Quest 12. Good Lord mee thinke it is a fearefull thing that the wicked should enter into euerlasting paine and vnquenchable fire And the words which are vsuall in the Scriptures are able to make any man tremble euen at the heart as Hell Mat. 8. 12. fire the bottomelesse pit vtter darknes vnquenchable fire perpetuall paine c. where shall bee weeping and Mar. 9. 44. gnashing of teeth where their worme dyeth not and the fire neuer goeth out Mee thinks this word neuer is a long one for if there were any hope that euer the wicked might feele any release or easement of their paine or that the damned might haue any end of their torment yea if it were but after a thousand or a thousand thousands of yeeres there were some comfort to be expected in time to come though it were long first yet time would once make an end and weare
lose by rigour For like as too great noise hurteth the eare too much meate hurteth the body too much raine hurteth the ground euen so weake wits and fearefull consciences may soone bee surcharged and oppressed with ouer-hard questions especially when the minde is disquieted with troubles and the body grieued with sicknesse The second Dutie of the Pastor THe second Dutie of the Pastor is to vse faithfull and hearty prayer for the sick For as he is the mouth of God vnto the people euen so hee is the mouth of the people vnto God by his zealous sute and by powring out pure prayers vnto his Maiestie in their behalfe Therefore Saint Iames saith Is any Iam. 5. 14. man sicke among you Let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him and anoint him with oyle in the Name of the Lord and the Prayer of Faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and if he haue committed sinnes they shall bee forgiuen him I will not take vpon me simply to prescribe any man a forme of Prayer but as the Spirit of God shall mooue him and according as time and occasion shall serue so let him with â— groning Spirit frame his prayers vnto him that is able to helpe and can saue both bodie and soule Neuerthelesse I haue thought good to set down a forme of some for the further instruction of the vnlearned But before Prayer I think it not amisse to reade any one of these three selected Psalmes as preparatiues to Prayer which I haue collected receiued at Dauids own mouth most meete for that purpose The first Psalme OVt of the deepe haue Psal 130. I called vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my voice O let thine eares consider well the voice of my complaint If thou O Lord straitly markest iniquities O Lord who shall stand or who shall be able to abide it For sure and certaine it Psal 1. is that the vngodly shall not bee able to stand in iudgement neither the sinners in the Congregation of the righteous O Lord rebuke me not Psal 6. therefore in thine indignation neither chasten me in thy displeasure Haue mercie vpon mee O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale mee for my bones are vexed My soule also is sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou punish me Turne thee O Lord and deliuer my soule O saue mee for thy mercies sake For in death no man remembreth thee and who shall giue thee thankes in the pit I am wearie of my groning euery night wash I my bed and water my couch with my teares My God my God looke Psal 22. vpon mee why hast thou forsaken mee and art so farre from my health and from the words of my complaint O my God I crie in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season also I take no rest But thou art hee that tooke me out of my mothers wombe thou wast my hope when I hanged yet vpon my mothers brests I haue beene left vnto thee euer sithence I was borne thou art my God euen from my mothers wombe O go not from me then for trouble is hard at hand and there is none to helpe me I am powred out like water all my bones are out of ioynt my heart also in the middest of my bodie is euen like melting Wax My strength is dried vp like a pot-sheard and my tongue cleaueth to my gummes Turne thee therefore Psal 25. vnto mee O Lord and haue mercie vpon me for I am desolate and in misery The sorrowes of my heart are inlarged O bring thou me out of al my troubles Looke vpon mine aduersitie and miserie and forgiue me all my sinne How long wilt thou forget Psal 13. me O Lord for euer How long wilt thou hide thy face from me How long shall I seeke counsel in my soule and be so vexed in my heart The paines of hell came Psal 18. about mee the snares of death ouertooke me But in my trouble will I call vpon the Lord and complaine vnto my God So shall hee heare my voice out of his holy Temple and my complaint shal come before him it shall enter euen into his eares O Lord let it be thy pleasure Psal 40. to deliuer mee Make haste O Lord to help me For innumerable troubles are come about mee my sinnes haue taken such hold vpon mee that I am not able to looke vp yea they are more in number then the haires of my head and my heart hath failed mee For thine arrowes sticke Psal 38. fast in mee and thy hand presseth mee sore There is no health in my flesh because of thy displeasure neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sinne For my wickednesses are gone ouer my head and are like a sore burthen too heauie for me to beare I am feeble sore smitten I haue rored for the verie disquietnesse of my heart Lord thou knowest all my desire and my groning is not hid from thee My heart panteth my strength hath failed mee and the sight of mine eyes is gone from mee Take thy plague away Psal 39. from mee O Lord I am euen consumed by the meanes of thy heauy hand For when thou with rebukes doest chasten man for sinne thou makest his beautie to consume away like as it were a moth sretting a garment euery man therefore is but vanitie O spare mee a little O Lord that I may recouer my strength before I goe hence be no more seene O tarry thou the Lords Psal 27. leisure be strong he shal comfort thine heart put thou thy trust in the Lord. Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the c. The second Psalme O Lord God of my saluation Psal 88. I haue cryed day and night before thee O let my prayer enter into thy presence incline thine eare vnto my calling For my soule is full of trouble and my life draweth nigh vnto hell Vp therefore O Lord Psal 44. why sleepest thou Awake and be not absent from vs for euer Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our misery and affliction Rise vp for our succour and redeeme vs for thy mercies sake My soule is athirst for Psal 42. God yea euen for the liuing God when shall I come to appeare before the presence of God O remember not the sins Psal 25. and offences of my youth but according to thy mercie thinke vpon mee O Lord for thy goodnes For thy name sake O Psal 69. Lord bee mercifull vnto my sinne for it is great Hide not thy face from thy seruant for I am in trouble oh haste thee and heare mee Thy rebuke hath broken my heart I am full of heauinesse I looked for some to haue pitie on mee but there was no man neither found I any to comfort mee Therefore I will cry vnto Psal 77. God with
qui tantum penare potest quantum Deus bonus est that is let that man onely distrust or despayre whose sinne exceedeth Gods goodnes But the Diuell himselfe and all our iniquitie is lesse then Gods mercie and therefore the greatest sinners in the world ought not to despayre if they repent seeing his mercy is aboue all his workes for of his mercie there is neither number nor measure nor end The mercy of the Lord embraceth vs on euery side The sentence of Ezechiel is sure and sealed vp in Heauen That God will not haue the Ezec. 18. 32. death and damnation of a sinner but rather his life and conuersion Wherefore wilt thou perish O Israel And wherefore wilt thou despayre O sinful flesh Come to God Come to his beloued Sonne Christ Iesus the Master calleth thee he offereth thee his mercy hee promiseth thee forgiuenes Come thou early come thou late if thou come at all whether it be at noone day or at night thou shalt haue thy penny as well as hee that came in the morning The thiefe on Christs right hand was called the last houre and came and cryed to Christ that hee Luk. 23. 42 would remember him He knocked so hard at the doore of Gods mercy that Christ promised him that day to haue the doore of Paradise opened vnto him and to enter in with himselfe This gate shall bee open to vs if we doe as hee did For it is shut to no man but of himself neither is it open to any but by Christ Iesus If wee beleeue in this Christ Iesus that he is a Sauiour and that hee dyed for our sinnes and did rise againe for our iustification we need not to dread either death or damnation the gates of hell shall not preuaile against vs because Christ is our foundation our corner-stone to leane vnto our buckler shield to defend vs from our enemies our head our good Shepheard the Bishop of our soules our only Master and mercifull Redeemer Let vs therefore be of good cheere Let vs trust in his mercy whose merits haue purchased our saluation with God the Father And so we may with safety of our soules depart from worldly troubles to heauenly rest from death to life from damnation to saluation which God of his goodnes vouchsafe to giue vs in Christ Iesus our Sauiour to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour power and praise world without end Amen THE SECOND PART OF THIS Booke pertaining to the SICKE THe first dutie of the sicke person visited by God is to confesse his Faith and to make open protestation of the same before his Pastor and the rest that stand by at his end that they may be witnesses with him and testifie after God hath receiued his soule into eternall rest that hee liued and dyed the Child of God the true Seruant of Iesus Christ his Sauiour and as becommeth a charitable Christian and one of the houshold of Faith The confession of the Faith I beleeue in God the Father Almightie c. The summe of this Beliefe confessed I Am fully perswaded and vndoubtedly I doe confesse and acknowledge before God and all you heere present that euery point and Article of this my beliefe is true and necessarie vnto saluation for without Faith wee cannot Heb. 11. 6. please God or bee saued And therefore I stedfastly beleeue in my heart that this in very deede is the true ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith which all good Christians ought to hold to the hazard both of liuing and life if cause require Of this our beliefe there be 4. principall parts The first concerneth GOD the Father The second God the Sonne The third God the holy Ghost The fourth the holy Church or congregation of God Of which faith I make protestation as followeth I constantly beleeue in heart that which I now outwardly confesse with my mouth viz. That there is but one true almightie euerlasting liuing iust and mercifull God of incomprehensible glory maiestie and might inuisible infinite and immortall And yet in this Godhead are included three distinct persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost vnited together in Deitie and substance inseparably of like equalitie in will might and glory without beginning without ending frō whom as from a most cleere fountaine all vertue and goodnes proceedeth to man and euery liuing creature By whom we liue mooue and Act. 17. 28. are In whom alone we are blessed and without whom we are accursed miserable and wretched Which incomprehensible and inuisible God hath reueiled himselfe vnto man many waies 1. Miraculously by his workes 2. Outwardly by his Word And 3. Inwardly by his holy Spirit First I will confesse my beliefe touching the Father Then I will proceede to the Sonne and finally to the Holy Ghost not that I preferre one person before another but because naturally man doth best apprehend and conceiue this order namely that the Father should bee set before the Sonne and the Father and the Sonne together before him that proceedeth from them both And yet neuerthelesse all the three persons bee but one God equall and coeternall First therefore I doe beleeue in God the Father the first Person in Trinitie who by his vnsearchable wisedome and infinite power hath mightily made me and all mankind yea heauen earth the Sea and all things therein contained as the light of the Firmament the Sunne Moone and Starres the Fowles of the Ayre the Beasts of the Field the fruits of the Earth and the fishes of the Sea All these of his great goodnes hee hath made blessed and increased for man to doe him seruice and that in most wonderfull and plentifull manner Yea they were all created before man was made to the end that Man at his first entry into the world should come as it were into a house ready furnished and so take full and quiet possession of all Gods creatures and become Lord and Ruler ouer them and they all from time to time to be seruiceable vnto him as to their King Onely he would that man should be obedient and shew himselfe thankefull vnto his God for these his blessings In performing which dutie I for mine own part haue too often failed God graunt that I may hereafter both know his will and by the fruits of Faith shew my selfe more dutifull towards his Maiestie euen to my liues end Secondly I beleeue in God the Son the second Person in Trinitie who of his great goodnes hath mercifully redeemed mee and all mankinde from Gal. 3. 13. Tit. 2. 14. Apoc. 5. 9. the thraldome of Satan Death and Sinne and from the torment of Hell fire due to the same being of my selfe condemned thereunto by Gods iust iudgement through disobedience and transgression Yet I firmely beleeue that I am acquitted discharged and fully ransomed from the same by my sweet Sauior Iesus Christ that did sweat water and bloud for my sinne who willingly of his owne
accord came down from the seate of his Maiesty in the highest heauens into the vile and stinking bowels of the earth where he for my sake and all his elect did not abhorre to take flesh of the pure Virgin Mary and became man and in the same flesh suffered most bitter paine and torment being condemned by an earthly iudge to the most shamefull death of the Crosse and so was buried and descended into Hell rising againe for our iustification and ascending into heauen for our glorification and to open vs the gate of saluation which before was barred and fast shut vp against vs. And my beliefe is that as before hee came as a Lambe in humilitie and mercie to seeke and saue sinners So hee shall come againe as a Lyon in the end of the world in great glory Maiesty Mat. 25. 31 accompanied with Angels and heauenly Souldiers as a righteous Iudge of the quicke and dead separating the Sheep from the Goates adiudging the one as hirelings of Hell and the other as inheritors of Heauen And this among many others is a singular comfort to me to know assuredly that no other shall bee my iudge but he that is the Sauiour of my soule and suffered for my sinnes So that in all my perplexitie perill and danger I set this Iesus a Sauiour before mine eyes as a shield a buckler and sure wall between me and my spirituall soe the Diuel and all his tyranny assuring my selfe by this confidence that neither he by his cruelty nor all the Armie of hell can euer hurt or harme me or any of Gods Elect. Thirdly I beleeue in God the holy Ghost the third Person in Trinitie who by his grace louingly preserueth and sanctifieth mee and all the Elect people of God who dayly gouerneth and directeth mee in all my wayes and godly actions who sealeth vp my saluation by the stedfast hope that I haue in Christ Iesus assuring me inwardly that all his benefits are mine and by that meanes maketh me apply the same to the comfort of my soule who also mortifieth sinne in me who openeth and expoundeth vnto mee the diuine mysteries of God and moueth me to leade a godly life This is that blessed wind which bloweth where it listeth euen the Spirit of God which of carnall maketh vs spirituall of cruell meeke of malicious charitable of couetous liberall of dissolute temperate of foolish wise of earthly heauenly of the bondslaues of Satan the deare sonnes of GOD whereby wee may boldly cry Abba Father I beleeue that this holy Ghost is the earnest penny here on earth of my saluation in heauen and that hee will neuer forsake mee no not in the houre of death and my greatest danger but that hee will comfort me continually in all woe and temptations so that although I bee tryed by the touchstone of affliction grieued with extreme paine of bodie or torinented with inward vexation of minde yet I shall not be ouercome neither shall my crosse be greater then I shal be able to beare and endure For I know assuredly that this holy Ghost wil mercifully preserue me both in body and soule vnto the comming of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to iudgment at the dreadfull day of doome and there present me holy and without blame before his Throne of grace although of my selfe vnworthy yet this sweet Comforter Rom. 8. 15 16. doth of his especiall grace beare witnes with my spirit and conscience and that in most comfortable manner that I am of the number of those which shall be saued and that I shall stand in the last day on the right hand of Christ and heare that cheerefull sentence to my great ioy and comfort Come ye blessed of my Father Mat. 25. 34 possesse the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world You haue beene long Pilgrims on earth but now you shal bee Citizens in heauen you haue mourned a long time but now you shall laugh for euer I will wipe away all teares from your eyes Enter at last now that the heate of the day is past into your Masters ioy All these three persons before rehearsed I beleeue to bee one God in essence whose seate is in the heauens aboue and whose footstoole is the earth beneath Vnto whom all the Powers Angels and Saints in heauen are subiect and doe their dayly seruice in setting forth his praises casting downe their crownes at his foote and ascribing all honour and glory to the crowned King that sitteth vpon the Throne and reigneth for euermore and also to the Lambe his beloued sonne and our Sauiour God grant that wee may doe him like seruice here on earth Fourthly and finally I doe beleeue the holy Catholike Church which is Gods Elect people or the Congregation of the faithfull and is called the Kingdome of Christ Iesus Of this Kingdome Christ Apoc. 21. onely is Prince of this body Christ onely is Head and of this Spouse Christ onely is the Bridegroome This Church is called the Temple of the Holy Ghost a spirituall House a holy Nation a Royall Priesthood the Citizens of Heauen the Pillar of Truth the Arke of Noah the Cōmunion of Saints Agreeing at this day in all points of Scripture Faith and Religion with the Primitiue Church of God Firmely holding and boldly confessing one God one Faith one Baptisme one Lord and Sauiour of all Iesus Christ being the sheepe of Gods pasture to whom belongeth one fould and one Shepheard which here on earth is called the militant Church and in Heauen the triumphant Church of God Out of which Arke all perish and out of which Church there is no saluation but whosoeuer is not found therein he is without all doubt damned Of this Catholike Church of God I beleeue and am fully resolued that I am a member and that GOD hath a care of me and will preserue mee safe vntill I haue the fruition of his heauenly Ierusalem This Church is knit together and vnited by faith through the operation of the Holy Ghost as members of one bodie This Church hath the pure Word of God truely and sincerely preached and the Sacraments duely and faithfully administred among them These sheep heare the voice of the true Shepheard Christ Iesus and hee knoweth them and Ioh. 10. 3. they follow him and hee will giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of his hand nay the gates of Mat. 16. 18 hell shall not preuaile nor ouercome this Church They which bee of this Church shall haue remission of their sinnes continuall peace and ioy They shall shine and glister as the Stars of Heauen they shall bee clad with white garments and follow the Lambe whithersoeuer he goeth they shall haue golden crownes clapped on their heads and shall see God face to face and haue fellowship with his Saints who continually sing praifes to the eternall King which was and is and is to come
And I beleeue that they which continue in this Church on earth shall after the Resurrection general Iudgement obtaine euerlasting life and rest from their labors which life and perpetuall peace God grant mee and all his children And from this Church I pray God I neuer at any time swarue or decline either in faith doctrine life or Religion but that I may dye liue therin And I humbly beseech God euen w th al my heart to kindle increase this Faith in me that this hope being stedfastly fixed in my heart I may towards mine end cry and call with the Saints of God and with a good Apoc. 22. 20. conscience Come Lord Iesu come quickly and hasten thy Kingdome that wee may raigne with thee in perpetuall ioy in the life euerlasting Amen The protestation of the Sicke I A wretched sinner redeemed with the precious bloud of my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ do protest here before you all that with a free and franke heart I doe pardon and forgiue all people which by any manner of meanes haue spoken thought or wrought mee iniury either in word writing or deed whatsoeuer Desiring that as I know assuredly in my heart and conscience that I am reconciled to God So in like manner I may bee reconciled to the world And therefore I most heartily pray as wel all you that bee heere present before me as others that be absent to forgiue mee wherein soeuer I haue offended you being most willing to part out of this world in the fauour of God and good men I protest and acknowledge that I haue beene a grieuous and horrible sinner all my dayes both in thought word and deede And that I haue not liued so vpright and holy before my Lord God and the world as I ought to haue done I acknowledge my offences to be mo in number then the Starres of Heauen or the sands in the Sea for my negligence in not doing that which is good and my dayly transgressions in committing the things which are euill are infinite I acknowledge that all my life hath been such as looking my selfe now at last in the glasse of my conscience I find daily confusion and my minde and body so blemished with spots of vncleannes and filthinesse that I may be ashamed to looke God in the face or once to lift vp mine eyes towards Heauen Therefore I fall downe to the earth with the poore Publican and with lowly spirit and humble minde I aske mercie and forgiuenes of my Lord God being sorry in my heart that euer I offended this my deare Father and beeing fully purposed with my selfe if God restore my former health neuer so grieuously to offend him againe but to auoid Vice embrace Vertue yea to hate and abhorre the sinne which before I loued and wholly to conforme my selfe to the will of God in his Word I doe protest that albeit 3 I haue thus grieuously and many wayes offended God yet I doe not despayre nor distrust the louing mercy of my sweet Sauiour and Redeemer Iesus Christ But I hope by the merit of his death and Passion and not mine own merits which are nothing but a loathsome life to be partaker of the heauenly inheritance I protest furthermore that I do beleeue that this holy Passion of Iesus Christ is a sure Rocke Refuge and defence wherevnto I may boldly trust and stay my selfe And therefore in all aduersitie and trouble I set the same against my inuisible enemies as a strong Tower bulwarke or spirituall harnesse wherewithall the faithfull Souldiour and Seruant of Christ ought to bee armed Assuring my selfe that the punishment of all my sinnes is thereby fully discharged the ransome paid and the obligation whereby I was tyed to the Law cancelled and that the vertue of this Passion of Christ pertaineth not onely to others but also to me I protest before the omnipotent God and before all his holy Angels and Saints that I couet desire to end my life in that faith which becommeth a true Christian and the Child of God That is I beleeue all the Canonicall Scriptures mentioned in the Old and New Testament and set downe by the holy Prophets of God and the Apostles of his Sonne Christ as the Pen-men and writers but instinct and prompted by the holy Ghost the finger of God as the Author and Inditer which haue been from time to time and in all ages receiued and beleeued of the true Catholike Church and Congregation of Iesus Christ So that if through the tentation or suggestion of the Diuell or being oppressed with the violence or smart of sicknesse I should thinke speake or doe any thing contrarie to this my confession and protestation made I doe now beforehand vtterly debarre and reuoke the same and doe witnesse and confesse before God and you that by no means I will willingly consent or yeeld my selfe in the knowledge and vnderstanding of my heart to any such thoughts words or workes Finally I protest that I reioyce in Spirit for the sweet mercy and merits which I feele inwardly to bee offered mee by the death of Christ Iesus And I doe giue most hearty thankes vnto God the Father my Creator for his graces offerd vnto me in his deare Sonne my Sauiour by whose vnspeakeable goodnes I trust I shall dye the Seruant of God and into whose holy hands and tuition I commend my body and soule both now and in the houre of my death Amen The second dutie of the sicke Person THe second thing that is requisite in a sicke person is faithfull heartie Prayer to God either for his speedy deliuerance out of all woe and wretchednesse or else for constancie in his conflict and patience in his paine A godly metion or Meditatation before Prayer In which we craue for Grace Faith and Patience O Lord I am very sick my body is weake my strength faileth me my sinnewes shrink my hands and my feete waxe feeble mine eyes dazell and lose their sight all things are vnsauourie to me my flesh putrifyeth my breath stinketh my heart panteth and my life draweth to an end I perceiue there is but one way with me The Lord bee mercifull vnto mee and bee my guide in this my last iourney goe I must death is at doore with his dart readie to strike hee stealeth neerer and neerer towards mee he is euen now at my bed-side ready to worke his feate I cannot preuent him neither can I auoid or flye from him Therefore O Lord I make haste to runne to thee for succour which art the true Physician both of bodie and soule Heale mee O Lord and I shal be whole preserue mee and I shall be safe vnder thy protection for thou beeing my defence and shield I need not to feare the force of any foe But who am I O mercifull God that beggeth so boldly at the doore of thy mercy I am a sinner and in sinne I was begotten of my Father and
conceiued of my Mother I confesse my wretchednesse and my vncleannesse is too manifest both to thee and the world it troubleth my minde and woundeth my guilty conscience woe is mee therefore Yet spare me O Lord I humbly beseech thee destroy me not in thine anger but chastice me in lenitie And albeit I am a grieuous sinner yet I perswade my self I am thy sonne and that thou canst not but haue a fatherly care ouer me for my elder Brothers sake Christ Iesus thy beloued Wherefore arise and help me O Lord arise I say and cast me not away for euer forgiue mee all my sinnes and raise thy poore Seruant out of the dunghill that being released by thee from paine griefe and also deliuered from eternall death I may pray vnto thee faithfully during my life and after death obtaine of thee euerlasting life which thou hast prepared for me by the death and Passion of thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ my Lord and Sauiour in whom thou art well pleased and by whose stripes I am cured and trust to be saued whose holy name bee blessed and praised now and for euer Amen A fruitfull Prayer for the assistance of God in the extremitie of sicknes O Deare Father of Heauen and Gouernour of the wide world and the worker of our wealth whose goodnes is vnspeakeable and vvhose wifedome is incomparable whose mercy reacheth vnto the Clouds and vnto whose power all creatures are subiect Thou God of the quicke and the dead which hast placed me heere on earth as a pilgrime or tenant at will to remoue at thy pleasure and hast appointed mee and all men liuing our bounds which we cannot passe Haue respect vnto the worke of thy hands bow downe thine eyes of compassion O Lord visit and comfort the pensiue soule of thy poore prisoner Open thy gracious eares and heare my petition thou which art the Sauiour of my soule grant mee pardon of my sinne and patience in my paine that I neuer blaspheme thy holy name but suffer this thy scourge and punishment meekely as becommeth a good Christian and seruant of God So that in this conflict of sicknes when my flesh consumeth away my limmes waxe lame my sight faileth my heart fainteth and all my sences become nummed yea when life death struggle and warre within me for superioritie and I lye linked in woe in the paine and pangs of death receiuing no food taking no rest but being past all recouerie of health to the iudgement of man Then looke vpon me with the eyes of mercy O thou glory of Sion Thou Comfort of Israel and beauty of Ierusalem Then let thy strength help my weakenesse and thy mercy cure my misery Then deliuer poore Ioseph thy Seruant out of Prison Defend thy deare darling from the deuouring Dog Stop the mouth and weaken the force of the roring Lyon and all his diuelish practises that they neuer preuaile against me O Lord haue mercy vpon me establish my heart that I neuer faint in this my last and bitter death Remember O Lord what metall I am made of that I am but sraile flesh and filthy earth Let it bee thy pleasure therefore O gracious God to forgiue me my sinnes to remit and vtterly blot out of thy reckoning Booke the tenne thousand Talents which I owe thee I acknowledge the debt cancell therefore the Obligation for seeing I am not able to pay the debt I must needs craue a generall pardon or else perish for euer Spare mee therefore deare Father and comfort the soule of thy Seruant which repenteth his former folly and humbleth himselfe here before thy Maiestie O Lord let not the terrour of Hell the feare of death the vexation of minde the bitter torment of sicknes the losse of life or worldly wealth withdraw my soule from thee But as thou diddest create it and breathe it into my body Euen so vouchsafe of thy great goodnes to preserue it during life and after death receiue it with the soules of the righteous into thine owne hands and custody and place it in perpetuall felicitie So that at the generall Iudgement and the glorious Resurrection of all flesh I may both body and soule rise to life euerlasting and praise thee continually with the Angels Saints in Heauen through Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory world without end Amen A pithy profitable Prayer when wee are in danger of death wherein we commit our selues to God renounce the world craue pardon for our sinnes and forgiue our enemies O Lord my good and gracious God the Creator of Heauen and earth King of Kings and Lord of Lords which hast made me of nothing to thine owne likenes and redeemed me with thine owne bloud whom I a wretched sinner am vnworthy to name to call vpon or once to thinke in my heart Here I prostrate and submit my selfe before thy diuine Maiestie and acknowledge my grieuous sinnes which I haue committed against thee in thought word and deede humbly crauing pardon thereof at thy fatherly hands And I doe also for mine owne part most willingly forgiue all men that haue offended mee euen as I looke to bee forgiuen of thee my louing and mercifull God whose wrath iust iudgement I haue too often and that deseruedly prouoked against me But neuerthelesse howsoeuer I haue liued hitherto in my fraile flesh and in this body of sinne yet I trust that thou of thy gracious goodnesse wilt grant me a happy end for I vtterly renounce the world and the vanities thereof which all my life time hitherto I haue too much coueted and delighted in onely I am now carefull for my soule that it may be saued and my earnest desire is that I may dwell with the Lord in the land of the liuing which I trust to obtaine by the bloud of the innocent Lambe of God Iesus Christ and so to be partaker of the heauenly ioyes and Communion of Saints in the triumphant Church of God In the meane time vvhilest I remain in this earthly Tabernacle I beseech thee O Lord to increase my faith comfort my silly soule lighten my vnderstanding strengthen my feeble body and grant me patience in my paine that my faith neuer faile And I willingly surrender my body and soule to thy carefull disposition and as willingly leaue my goods to the world where I had them Rendring to thee most hearty thanks for the vse I haue had of them hitherto and for all other thy greater benefits and spirituall blessings as my Election Creation Saluation Sanctification Preseruation and hope of Glorification in thy heauenly habitation O Lord thy holy Name bee praised therefore and thy blessed will be fulfilled in me euery way whether it bee by life or by death let it be to thy glory and then I haue my hearts desire for I am in thy hands as the Clay is in the Potters therefore doe with me as best pleaseth thee Make