of his sonne our Lord only sauiour Iesus Christ And euen as the good old mâ—n Simeon of whom S. Luke maketh mention after that he had séene according to the promise made vnto him Iesus Christ whome hee had wayted for and desired of long time blessing and praysing God did say Lorde thou lettest goe nowe thy seruante in peace according to thy word for so much as mine eyes hane séene thy saluation the whiche thou hast prepared before the face of all people a lighte for the lightening of the GeÌ„tiles the glory of thy people Israell Euen so we after that wée haue knowen the sonne of God oure mediator and Aduocate after that we haue séene him with the eyes of our saith with the good old Simeon yea he whiche is the Christ and anoynted of the Lorde let vs gyue thankes with ioy and gladnesse to the great liuing God and let vs sing very Christian songs prayses and himites in the holye company of the faithful and let vs depart from thys life willingly with a glad hearte at what time soeuer it shall please this good heauenly father yea and being in good healthe lette vs desire with S. Paule to be separated from this body to be leste in peace with Simeon to the ende that we maye lastly come to that only and eternal ioy of Angels and of men whych is Iesus Christ after whom the faithfull doe languishe with a burning zeale to enioy his so amiable company with all the Saincts God the author of euery good thing and blessing the father the sonne and the holy Ghost make vs partakers of this holye grace vnto whome bée prayse euerlastingly So be it Hebr. 13. Remember those which are afflicted as being your selfe of the same bodye and subiecte to endure as much The end of the Catechismes ¶ Heere followe certayne consolatorie sentences concerning the loue of God towards man and of the benefits of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe bestowed vpon vs taken out of holy scripture for the comfort and confirmation of the afflicted in mind whome Sathan by all his cunnings would drawe into desperation and he that would escape comforte of thys small collection must haue the Bible by hym and turne to the sentences heerein vvritten and not onely reade the sentences heere cyted but also that vvhich goeth next before it and that also vvhich follovveth next after is * ⎠* FIrst God is the God of loue and peace 2. Cor. 11. God deliuereth vs froÌ„ ouil Esa. 3. a. 63. ye know the he appeared the he might take away our sins in him is no sinne Ioh. 3. b but God setteth out his loue toward vs séeing that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs Ro. 5. b. for those which he hathe predestinate to be made like to the image of his son to the end he should be the first born amongst very many brethreÌ„ Ro. 8. f. and that which I liue now in the flesh I liue in the faith of the son of God who hath loued giuen himselfe for me Gala. 2. d and walke in loue eueÌ„ as Christe bath loued vs hathe giuen hymselfe for vs to be an offering and a sacrifice of a sméet smelling sauoure to God Ephe. 5. a. Grace and Peace be vnto you froÌ„ hym that is that was and that is to come from the seauen spirites which are before his throne froÌ„ Iesus Christ which is a faithfull witnesse the first borne of the dead and Prince of the Kings of the earth vnto him that loued vs and washed vs in his bloud froÌ„ oure sins Apoc. a. b. for the Lorde doeth chastice him that he loueth euen as the father doth the childe in whome he delighteth my sonne despise not the chastning of the Lord neither fainte when thou arte rebuked for whome the Lord loueth he chastneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth If ye endure chastizemeÌ„t God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sons for what sonne is he c. Hebr. â— i. b. c. Prouer â— b. But Sion sayd the Lord hath forgotten me can a woman forgette hir childe and not haue coÌ„passion of the sonne of hir wombr though they should forget yet I will not forget thée Esay 49. d.e. I haue sound thée saith the Lord with an euerlasting loue therefore with merrie haue I drawen thée Iere. 31. a. b. What shall we then saye to these things if God be on our side who caÌ„ be againste vs who spared not hys owne sonne but gaue him for all to deathe howe shall he not with hym giue vs all things also Rom. 8. f. So we doe therefore loue him bycause he loued vs first Iohn 4. d. as my father knoweth me euen so knowe I my father and I lay downe my life for my Shéepe Ioh. 10. b. c. the false Prophete whiche woulde drawe vs from the loue and perfecte trust that we ought to haue in God ought not to be heard but slayne Deut. 13. a. b. c. Call vppon me in the daye of thy trouble and I will deliuer thée and thou shalt glorifie me Psalm 50. c. for O Lorde thou arte good and mercifull of greate kindnesse vnto all theÌ„ which call vpon thée Psal. 80. â— The Lorde is ful of compassion and mercie flowe to anger and of greate kindnesse he will not alwayes chide nor kéepe his anger for euer Ps. 103. a. The Lord is gratious merciful flowe to anger and of great mercie The Lord is good to al his mercies are ouer al his works Psalm 102. At what time soeuer a sinner doth repeÌ„t him of his sin from the bottome of hys hart I wil put all his wickednes out of my remeÌ„braunce saith the Lorde Ezechiel 18. g. A sorrowfull spirite is a sacrifice vnto God dispise not O Lord humble and contrite harts Ps. 51. Séeke the Lord whilst hée may be souÌ„d cal vpoÌ„ him whilest he is néere let the wicked forsake his wayes the vnrighteous his own imaginations returne to the Lord he will haue mercie vpoÌ„ him to our God for he is very ready to forgiue Esa. 55. b. c. Then shall ye crie vnto me and yée shall goe and pray vnto me and I will heare you and yée shall séeke me and find me bycause ye shal séeke me with all your hearte and I wyll bée founde of you sayth the Lorde and I will turne awaye youre captiuitie Ierem. 29. c. Grace be vnto you and peace from God the father and from oure Lorde Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for our sinnes to deliuer vs from this presente wicked world according to the will of God dure Father to whome be glorie for euer So be it Galath i. a. Amend your liues for the kingdome of God is at hande Math. 4. c. I am not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance Math. 9. b. Come vnto me all ye that are loden and wéerie and I will ease you Math. â—â— d. If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christe the righteous and he is the reconciliation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world 1. Iohn 2. a. * ⎠* The Ende 2. Cor. 12.13.14 Hebr. 1.10 14. 2 Cor. 5. d. Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 15. g. Ephes 1.19 Ephes 2.1.13 Coloss 1.20 2.14.15 Iohn 3. Baâ—â—c 3. 2. Cor. 1. Eccles 41. Psal. 52.72 Psalme 68. Math. 7. Eccles 7. Luc. 12. Math. 24. 2. Pet. 3. 1. thess. 5. Psal. 2. Iohn 8. Math. 7. Esay 40. Rom. 7. Note Hebr. 11. Psalme 51. Psal. 142. Math. 3. Tit. 3. Ephes 2. Psal. 51. Rom. 8. Rom. 1. Math. 1. Philip. 2. Acts. 3. Math. 27. Esay 53. Apocal. 1. Hebr. 9. 1. Pet. 1. Rom. 6. Marke 16. 1. Cor. 15. Actes 1. Coloss 3. Hebr. 7. Math. 25. Psalme 61. Rom. 8. Math. 25. Ephes 1. Math. 4. 1. Cor. 11. An excellent gifte Rom. 5. 1. Cor. 15. Marke 16. Rom. 3. Math. 24. Esay 40. Genes 1. 1. Tim. 2. Tit. 3. 1. Tim. 1. Actes 4. Apocal. 1. ☞ 1. Iohn 2. Math. 17. Rom. 1. Philip. 1. 1. Pet. 2. Rom. 3. Iohn 14. Math. 26. Psalme 30. Rom. 8. Esay 55. Math. 11. 1. Iohn 5. Rom. 3. Iohn 14. Math. 26. Psalme 30. Marke 16. Deut. 18. Psalme 2. Esay 53. Genes 3.3 Math. 9. Iohn 10. Luc. 22. Hebr. 1. Ionh 5. Esay 53. Apocal. 1. Rom. 7. Rom. 3. Iohn 14. Marke 26. Psalme 30. Iohn 10. Actes 4. Rom. 8. Rom. 10. Hebr. 11. Iohn 5. 1. Iohn 2. Psalme 22. Rom. 3. Iohn 14. Math. 26. Math. 26. Math. 18. Iohn 14. Iames. 5. 1. Cor. 11. Psalme 74. Math. 26. Psalm 102. Iohn 14. Hebr. 7. Math. 6. Rom. 11. Rom. 8. Iohn 1. Psalme 30. Psalme 71. Psalme 51. Iohh 14. Math. 6. Hebr. â—â— Iohn 8. Eccles 18. Genes 1. Psalme 51. Ephes 2. Rom. 5. 2. Cor. 11. Psal. 31. Rom. 10. Genes 1. Psalme 26. Genes 1. 1. Iohn 1. Luc. 1. 1. Iohn 5. Genes 18. Iohn â—7 Rom. 5. Psalme 51. Luke 24. Psalme 21. Rom. 1â— Math. 1. Luc. 12. Ephes 2. Psalme 51. Rom. 8. Rom. 5. Math. 26. Hebr. 7. Actes 3. Bray 53. Math. 26. Marke 16. 1. Cor. 15. Actes 1. Coloss â— 1. Iohn â— Rom. 8. Iohn 5. Rom. â— 1. Iohn 5. Ephes 5. Math. 4. 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 10. Psalme 51. Luke 17. 1. Tim. 1. Actes 4. Apocal. 1. Math. 26. Math. 10. Marke 11. Math. 5. Math. 16. Luke 23. Hebr. 9. Genes 3. Esay 38. Esay 55. 〈…〉 Math. 6. Psalme 38. Esay 38. 1. Cor. 15. Apocal. 1. Note this blasphemie Luke 2.
vayne glorye and would perswade vs that we haue deserued Heauen and eternall life by our workes vnto whome we muste answere in this sort O thou horrible enchanter thou bearest me in hande that I am a Saincte to the ende thou mightest make me a Diuell Who is he that doth that which is commanded him to doe none no not one wher are then my deserts I wil shew thee Sathan my Lorde Christ hathe taken from mee all my sinnes and hath nayled them to his crosse and hath cancelled the obligation which was againste me yea he hath done more for me he hathe giuen mee all his deserts to witte his obedience iustice righteousnesse and innocencie as to a member of his bodye wherefore I being a member of his body can no more bee damned than my Lorde Christe may Now when hee seeth himselfe thus aunswered and proued a lyar by the sacred Scriptures of God whiche are the onely weapon wherewith to put him to flight he then yeeldeth all lost therfore we may easily see how needeful it is to be armed against Sathan with the most blessed word of God wherwith to quenche all his fierie dartes and to repulse all his assaults Wherfore I haue turned this exhortation into our english tongue the whych was written in the French by a reuerend worthy learned and godly father to a noble martiall and Christian Gentleman of France his good Lorde and friende wherewith in the time of his quietnesse he might fitte his armoure and weapons in suche sort as by battayle he might valiantly fighting obtayne a glorious and victorious Crowne For as your honor knoweth he that will be a good Souldioure must enter timely into the warres therefore I saye I haue turned into the Englishe the same exhortation for the profite of the Churche of God heere in Englande And albeit that the wordes be not many they be of singular valew and effecte the whiche I haue published vnder your honors name doubting not but that you will take my poore trauel in this behalfe in good part I haue added in the ende of it a Table of certayne consolatorie passages of Scripture whiche I haue gathered out of the old and new Testament for confirmation of oure faith in the moste sweete and comfortable promises of the almighty For when we shal come to the battayle the which we must once sighte eyther in the time of our health or else in the article of deathe for none is crowned that fighteth not and a Christian life is a continuall warre by the grace of God thys shorte exhortation shall greatly helpe as manye as shall make the same familiar vnto them towardes the obteyning of the victorie agaynste the aforesayde trayned experimented cunning mightie and cruell enimie In London the twentith of Marche Anno Domini 1579. Your honours humble euer to commaunde I. S. To the faithfull Reader saluation FRiende Reader take in good parte the exhortation the vvhich I haue heere vvritten for the great comfort and profit of al persons vvhich feare God vvherevvith to serue them at neede vvhen it shall please the Lord to call them But note you that to vse thys vvell that of these three letters B. S. N. the firste letter signifieth brother if the partie be a manne the seconde Sister being a vvoman and the third signifyeth the propre name of the person vvherby he must be named For vve may not then honor them by names of vvorldlye honour and dignitie but to stand firmely against Satan in the vertue of the Lorde We must name thē by their proper names vvhiche they haue receyued at the holye Sacramente of Baptisme This doing thou shalt obey God vvhome I beseech to be merciful vnto thee in the secret day of his comming ¶ To my Lorde my Lord of Senarpont Knight of the Kings order Captayne of fiftie men at armes and his Lieutenant generall in Picardie MY Lorde hauing oftentimes considered the beginning the continuance and the ende of mās life I haue plainelye knowen as by an ordinarie experience that men are more curious and carefull for the entertaynement and conseruation of this their life than to prepare themselues to a more happie ende according to God for man being in this bodily prison as blinde and not perfectlye regenerated do the better loue the darkenesse of suche an earthly prison than hee doth the heauenlye lighte for the whiche cause it is written that hee that is of the earthe speaketh of the earth As beeyng like the sonnes of Agar whiche soughte the wisedome of this worlde the whiche is foolishnesse before god Howe manye bee there at this day vnto whome the remembrance of death is very vnpleasaunt yea rather detestable so delighting themselues in their worldly pleasures that they seeme to haue forgotten God not caring any thing at all for Religion nor for the vengeance and iudgement of God terrible and fearefull to all those which haue their names written in the earth being scraped out of the booke of life VVherefore my Lord to the end you walke not in the large way which bringeth to destruction being taught by the wise man saying In all thy workes see thou doe remember thy latter dayes and thou shalt neuer sinne I haue thoughte good to drawe out of the holye Scriptures a Christian exhortation to bee recited with a loude voyce before euerie faithfull person the whiche approcheth to this bodily death couered with a casuall life passing on to one muche better and more happie For hauing this done I will attribute to my selfe nothing for I am but earth and durt yet notwithstanding I do not thinke to haue laboured in vayne considering that the Lorde Iesus Christ do the admonishe vs that we shoulde be alwayes readie not knowing the houre for the day of the Lord wil come suddainely as a theefe in the night O how happie then shall they be whiche shall put themselues into his safegard VVherefore my Lord I do present you this little Christian exhortation very humbly beseeching you to keepe the same to serue you at youre neede at what time it shall please the Lorde God to call you I know well that when the same tyme shall come you shall haue good meanes to haue with you some man learned and furnished with holy letters to declare vnto you the worde of life yet for all that not knowing the time nor the place ne yet the oportunitie that we may haue I dare boldly say without beast that hearing thys exhortation redde with a loude voyce being in mortall agonie it maye be vnto you as holesome as the Christian consolation of the best learned Doctor of the Religion for they might preach no more vnto you than the Prophets and Apostles doe preach vnto you in the sayd exhortation the which I beseech you to receyue with as good heart as I do desire the supreme gouernour to giue you the grace my Lorde to glorifie him as well in your life as in your
which beléeueth beléeue then without any doubte that Iesus Christe taking to him oure flesh became very man wherefore he dyed for you hauing borne all your sinnes in his body to blotte and put them out Present vnto God the pretious deathe of his sonne Iesus Christ and by the merit of the same death and passion aske him mercie in saying from the bottome of youre heart in great humilitie and repentance LOrd God Almightie be merciful to me poore wretched sinner for the loue of thy sonne Iesus Christe my Lord and Sauiour And for the merite of his deathe and passion it maye please thee to receiue my soule the which I recommend into thy hands B. S. N. Put your strong trust in God for séeing that he is for you none shall be against you for Iesus Christ which is the Lamb without spotte hathe ouercome all for you he offered himselfe once onely for you and by the same only oblation hathe wholly wiped out all youre sinnes he hath made of none effecte your folly imustice abhomination with thys good Lord Iesus Christ God the father hathe giuen you all things B. S. N. Fortifie your selfe in Iesus Christ the whiche calleth you and iuuiteth you by his Prophets Apostles and Euangelistes to addresse youre selfe fréely to him saying all you which haue thirst come to the great fountayne Come to me all ye that laboure and are loden and I will ease you B. S. N. Beléeue stedfastly that Iesus Christ hath set you frée from all your sinnes and hath reconciled you to God his father to whome in great humilitie and repentance say you from the bottome of your heart LOrd God Almightie be mercifull vnto mee poore wretched Sinner for the loue of thy sonne Iesus Christ my Lorde and Sauioure And for the merit of his deathe and passion it may please thee to receiue my Soule the which I recommende into thy hands B. S. N. Be of good chéere for vndoubtedly he will receyue youre soule as his for the loue of his sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde whiche is the Sauioure and Redéemer of all those which beléeue in him Moyses and all the Prophets haue borne witnesse that all people shal receiue saluation and blessing by Iesus Christ The Apostles and Euangelistes witnesse that Iesus Christe is not come to call the iust but the sinners te repentance and to giue his soule for the Redemption of many for hée hath shedde his bloud for the remission of sinne Beléeue then and doubt not at all for Iesus Christe hathe made the purgation of all youre sinnes hauing promised that all those which shal beléeue in him and in his father which hath sent him shall haue eternall life and shall not come at all into iudgemente but shall passe from death into life Go to now B. S. N. reioyce in Iesus Christe for he hathe loued you and washed you from al your sinnes in his bloud Take this strong faith wherewith to fighte valiantlye against the aduersarie haue none other buckler to defende youre selfe withall but this pretious bloud of Iesus Christ the which by the vertue of his deathe and passion hathe reconciled you to God his father vnto whome from the bottome of your hearte in great humilitie and repentance presente this Prayer LOrd God Almightie shew mercie vnto me poore wretched sinner for the loue of thy sonne Iesus Christe my Lorde and Sauiour and for the merite of his death and passion it may please thee to receyue my soule the whiche I commend into thy handes B. S. N. Holde fast this hope and stedfast fasth that thy good God full of all mercie will receyue youre soule as his into his handes for the loue of his sonne Iesus Christe for there is none other name vnder the Heauen giuen to men by the which we maye be saued and there is no saluatiō in any other than in Iesus Christ arme you then well wyth this good Iesus Christe for he hathe done all for you he hath fulfilled the Law for you he hathe ouercome all for you Now go too B. S. N. reioyce you in God stand alwayes fast in thys liuely fayth Followe and imitate the holy Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles which are all saued in this faith who do all assure you that the aduersarie can in no wise hurt you for youre cause is wonne by Iesus Christe whiche is youre Iudge and your aduocate both togither wherefore saye alwayes in this stedfast faith Albeit I shoulde walke in the middest of the shadowe of deathe I will feare no euill for thou Lorde God art with me B. S. N. Be you also neuer wéerie to say from the bottome of youre heart in great humilitie and repentance LOrde God Almightie be mercifull to me poore wretched sinner for the loue of thy sonne Iesus Christe my Lord and Sauiour And for the merite of his death and passion it may please thee to receyue my soule the whiche I commende into thy hands So be it A singular Prayer for one whyche is greately afflicted wyth sickenesse the whiche is more lyke to dye than to liue With a little Catechisme made of purpose to instructe the sicke person and to cause him to behold by Faith the greate misterie of oure Redemption Ecclesiasticus 18. Before the sicknesse vse medicine and before thou come to Iudgemente examine thy selfe and in the presence of God thou shalte finde fauoure Nowe the Lorde admonisheth vs to pray alwayes chiefely when we are touched with his rods Wherefore all the faithfull parentes and friends which visit the sicke person shoulde not onely visit and comforte the body but also should searche and enquire for spirituall medicine for his soule whiche thing shoulde bée done by good Prayers confession of sinnes and Christian exhortation according to the word of God without the whiche man can not liue but is deade béeyng yet lyuing And to the end that all these things may be done in good order and wyth zeale first it is néedefull to prostrate themselues before the Maiestie of God and to pray vnto him begynning in this sort Our helpe is in the name of the lord c. Then to presente vnto hym the generall confession of sinnes and consequently thys presente Prayer as followeth O Lord God Almighty and father of all mercies we are aēssbled in the name of thy welbeloued Sonne oure Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe in the fauour of whome we are bold to presente oure selues vnto thée to call vpon thy most blessed name hauing oure onely resuge to thy soueraigne goodnesse the whiche we doe not desire to féele and tast in oure selues only but also in the necessitie of thy poore creature being afflicted both with bodily sicknesse and affliction and calamitie of the spirite We know O Lord that thou doest iustly visit and chastice him wyth thy roddes to cause hym to vnderstande thy fatherly affection but thy great mercies whiche thou hast
mercifull and haue pitie vpon me wretched sinner for the loue of thy sonne Iesus Christ my Lord and sauioure This done you maye not forget your house and familie the why he you ought so well to ordeyne and dispose by good festamente or other last will that it maye be after youre deceasse in peace and quietnesse but to shew you the better to vnderstand howe to giue order and to dispose of your house it is that you giue vnto euery man that whiche is his due withoute deceyuing any man that you leaue youre wife heire youre childreÌ„ and kinffolke in good agréement and quietnesse to the end that after your deceasse they haue no occasion to be diuided This done you must forget al the cares and griefes of this worlde the whiche passeth away with all his concupiseence but he that doth the will of God remaineth eternally Touching your children you are only their naturall father for a time but God is euerlastingly their spirituall Father hauing them in his holy keeping and protectioÌ„ to kéepe and nourish them and to preserue them from all euill prouided that they wyll walke in his wayes For the rest séeing that you are a Christian regenerate at the holy Sacramente of Baptisme it is long since that you did know that we haue héere no permanente citie for we looke for a better which is euerlasting wherefore I pray you in the name of God trouble not your selfe at all with anye kinde of worldly griefe for we are héere but straungers as oure fathers were when then our Lord God shall haue ordeyned that you shall dislodge and marche before vs will you not then submitte your selfe to his holy wyll and ordinance Also if he sée it expedient for your saluation to prolong your life as he did to his good Kyng Ezechias will not you be contented w it the it shall please him to dispose of you yes certainely for he is Lord and maister you are but a seruant he is your creator you are his creature and the worke of his hands Euen so then will he dispose of you according to his wyll wherevnto you shoulde humble and conforme your selfe saying with a good heart O Lord God thou knowest my necessitie if it be thy pleasure to prolong my life thy will be done if it please thee also to cal me vnto thee thy will bee done for thy creature O Lorde nathe none other will but thine Now my brother comforte your selfe in God who if he haue ordeyned to call you your calling shall hée happie for you must beléeue and trust with a strong faith that hée will make you to rise in your owne body in a glorious immortalitie to cause you to raigne with him in the eternall life the whiche is wonne and giuen to you in the vertue of the most pretious bloud of our Lord and Sauioure Iesus Christe in whose name the Lord God blesse conserue you and cause hys countenance to shine vpoÌ„ you and be merciful vnto you The Lord God turne his face towardes you and maineteyne you in good estate So be it This being done if they sée the sicke person to impaire and to draw néere his deathe as willing to tende to his appoynted ende forthwith in his mortall agonie fayle ye not to recite wyth a loude voyce before him the Christian exhortation the which is placed here before thus doing God will giue him grace well faithfully to dye in him So be it I Woulde desire héere to saye something more but there is I can not tell what griefe in my heart which maketh me to holde my peace in the middest of my purpose when I thinke vpon the blindnesse and horrible darkenesse of the time passed For the Monkes and Priestes refusing in this laste necessitie the comforts that the Scripture giueth and the confirmations against the feare of Death they brought forth of the one side and of the other I can not tell what trash Firste beholde the faire exhortation whiche they gaue to those which were vpon the pittes brinke to trust in the Popes Bulles wherein they did promise them forgiuenesse of their sinnes and tooke froÌ„ them all feare of the fire of Purgatorie Now all this what was it other than to leane againste a wall that was readie to fall or to trust to a broken réede Further they exhorted the poore sicke persons to communicate and to take part of the good works whiche should be done in all their order as fastings abstinences watchings Prayers and other such lyke dayne thynges and to haue theyr parte therein they myghte in no wise spare anye siluer no if they woulde saue their soule For it is in this forte that these furred pawes and hooded beastes haue accustomed to set forthe their workes of superabundance that they might sell to others leauing alwaye that whiche was prositable and necessarie to obteyne saluation And of this matter men maye yet at this daye bring forth faire obligations passed which shall giue testimonie of these things The sicke persons then being néere deathe were admonished to thinke howe greate merits they had for so muche as Heauen was due vnto them howe manye good works they had with the multitude whereof they were cleane couered in suche forte as a man coulde not knowe whether they had offended God or no. Behoâ—d there the goodly comforts which they were wont to giue to poore languishing persons and such as they do giue at this day vnder the Popes rayne And aboue all the holynesses beholde this great superstition which hath place that if any man did dye being clad wyth the habite of a Frier the Diuell should haue no power ouer hym Among the whiche manye Italians haue bin drunken with this foolishe superstition yea men of renoune and of great wisedome the whyche woulde be receyued before they departed out of this world into the familie of S. Frances and after their death would be bursed in hys habit Nowe I speake not héere at all of Obsequies Vigilles Anniuersaries Peligrimage taken in hand for the saluation of the dead nor of other suffrages of the liuing nor of merits satisfactioÌ„s and good works wherein they did put their onely hope and trust to obteyne saluation And to auoyde the paynes of Purgatorie I will not speake of the other things which these idle bellies were wont to set forth to poore sicke persons to prepare them to death I leaue to spoke of these blasphemies WheÌ„ they shaped this goodly hunne to the Virgin Marie in the Article of deathe Marie mother of grace mother of mercie defend vs from the enimie and receyue vs at the houre of death Now let vs acknowledge the inestimable benefites of oure onely God and heauenlye Father who in our dayes hath restored the doctrine of the Gospell and hathe stirred vs vp to serue him in all purenesse in true reuerence and honor and hathe drawen vs out froÌ„ the deadly darkenasse to bring vs to the knowledge