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
the good vvoorkes that he hath doen shal be put out of memorie Secondly he is resembled to a dogge that svvalovveth his ovvn filthy vomit In that he resumeth his olde sinnes that vvere ones caste ovvt by the sacrament of pennance Thirdly he falleth again in to the handes of his greatest enemie against vvhose vvill he vvas delyuered and geueth to him greater povver ouer him selfe than he had before For as Seynt Augustin sayeth he vvhiche heapeth sinne vpon sinne maketh a roope to bynde him selfe vvithall Fovverthly he is made more impotēt and lesse hable to arise agayn For as a skarre in a mans bodie is harder to be cured after the place be vvounded agayn so is a sinner after he returne to his olde folie Therfore our Sauiour sayd to the man vvhome he had healed Iohn 5. Beholde thou art made whole sinne no more lest some worse thing chaunce to thee And of this mischefe he vvarneth vs in an other place vvhere he shevveth that the vnclean spirit returneth in to the house vvhence he departed and bringeth seuen other spirites vvorse than him selfe and dvvelleth there And the last of that man be made worse than the first Fiftlie he is accompted a derider and mocker of God and abuseth the mercie and clemencie of his redemer Sixtlie as muche as in him lyeth he causeth the Angels and blessed Seyntes in heauen to be pensiue and sade for as of their charitie they reioyse at the repentance of a Synner so it may vvell be thought that they are forie for the fall of the Iust Seuenthly his soule is compared to a drie and wethered braunche cut of from the tree vvhiche receiueth no moysture nor norishement of the tree Euen so is he secluded from the benefite of all good mens prayers and from the merites of Christes passion And here vve may call to mynde à notable punishement of suche as after reconcilement haue fallen from God in to their former sinfull practizes There vvas a company of certein youg men vvhiche at the time of easter repared to the churche craued the benefit of the Sacrament of pennance vvere absolued and receiued the blessed Sacramēt of Christ his bodie and bloudde But they vvere no soner departed from that holie place thā they dyd fall again to their olde vvicked Ryot dronkinnes and filthy lyfe VVherupon they were greuouslie punished by the Iust Iudgemēt of God For they were sodeinlie smitten vvith a greuous disease and driuen in to suche an extreme vomiting as they dyd cast out of their mouthes great abundāce of corrupt bloudde vvith their ovvn excremētes verie lothesomelie contrarie to the course of nature Their corne and other fruites vvere consumed vpon the grounde and destroyed som vvith vvater and some vvith fier Serpentes and venomous beastes dyd breed abundantly in their groundes in suche sort as theyr persones were in great daungier And thus brought in miserable distresse many lamented theyr case Emong vvhome one deuout holie man vpon compassion prayed to God earnestlie for them till at last an Angell of God appearing to him dyd demaund of him vvhat punishement he deserued that dyd put in to a filthie presone the Innocent sonne of a mightie Emperour the good man ansvvered that he deserued greuous punishement Yea sayd the Angel but vvhat punishement deserueth he vvhiche in the sight of all men doeth cast the blessed bodye and blood of Christ in to a filthy myre he is to be brent as an heretique sayd the good man And euen suche felovves are all they sayd the Angel for vvhom thou hast so long prayde Therfore it is expedient for euery good Christian vvhen he hath receiued the blessed Sacrament and is reconciled to God then and euer after to take good heed of relapse and often to calle to memorye these seuen miseries and inconueniences of relapse here mencioned Certein signes and tokens Thereby a Christian after he hath receiued the blessed sacrament may probablie coniecture that he is in the fauour of God all framed to the similitude of a syk man THe first signe and token of Gods fauour is compunction or harti sorow for sinne committed For as the sicke man so long as he yeeldeth breth be he neuer so sick geueth good hope of lyfe euen so a Christian after he haue receiued the Sacramēt of our Redempoion if he cōceiue or cast ovvt sorocofull sighes for his sinnes by past in respect that therby he had offended god may vvell hope that the blessed sacrament doeth vvoork in him many good spirituall effectes for as Seynt Barnard sayeth the more seeling a man hath of sinne the greater sobbes and sighes he casteth out of his sorovvfull harte The secounde signe or token is laudable conuersacion of lyfe vvith good example For as a freshe naturall colour in a sikman is good argument of amendement so is modesty and temperance a speciall signe of Gods grace And good example is so necessarie that Seynt Gregorie sayeth sinnefull men could neuer return to true repentance if good example of lyfe vvere taken avvaye And blessed is the soule of that persone sayth Seynt Chrisostom vvhose humilitie doeth confounde the pryde of an other For as Seynt Leo sayeth so many as thou shalt vvinne by example of humilitie and charitie vvith them shalt thou possesse eternall revvarde in heauē And for cōmendacion of good exāple I haue redde of a good Abbot whiche hearing that there vvas not farre of his Abbey a notable great theefe and robber vvhiche spoyled and mordered many passing by the common vvayes had great compassion of this theefe for his sinfull lyfe and studied hovv he might reclame hym At last he thought the best vvay to be first to talke vvith him And though he knevv no mean to doe it vvithout personall danger to him selfe yet he purposed to geue a proofe And taking a Monk in company vvith hym aduentured to passe through the place vvhere the theefe haunted It so fell ovvt that the theefe met the Abbot and according to his profession spoyled the Abbot and his companion of all that they had After a vvhile the theefe hauing gotten his pray vvaxed somevvhat more colde than before for the Abbot vsed him selfe vvith all humilite in vvorde and countenance tovvardes him And the Abbot perceiuyng the rage of the theefe to be assuaged vsed the matter so as they tvvo fell in to familiar talke of common matters As of the great paynes that the theefe indured and of his continuall perill and of the commodities of securitie and suche like At last the Abbot asked him if he could be content to leaue that paynfull daungerous and disordered course of lyfe for a filthie and vncertein gayn And to goe home vvith the Abbat vvhere he should be assured of a sufficient liuing vvith great credit and honesty After some discourse vpon the Abbots vvoord the theefe yeeldeth and home he cometh vvith the Abbat to the Abbey vvhere he syndeth all thinges that the Abbot had promised and more Novv this good