A DIALOGVE OF DYING WEL. First written in the Italian tongue by the Reuerend father Don Peeter of Luca a Chanon regular a Doctor of Diuinitie and famous preacher VVherin is also contayned sundry profitable resolutions vpon some doubtful questions in Diuinitie Translated first into French and novv into English VVatch and pray for you knovv not vvhen the tyme is Mar. 13. Imprinted at Antwerp by A.C. 1603. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND LADY IOAN BARKLEY ABBESSE of the English Monastery of Nunnes of the holy order of S. Benedict in Bruxels RIght Reuerend I heer present vnto your perusal this dialogue of dying wel a woork more of woorth for the goodnes then in value for the greatnes It was first written in the Italian tongue by a deuout Chanon of Luca by M. Peeter Frison a deuout Chanon of Rhemes wel knowne through his pietie vnto many of our nation it was since translated into french The remembrāce of death as Bishop fisher of blessed memory was wont to say doth neuer come out of season and this spake that good father in regard that the remembrance of death tendeth vnto a care to endeuour to dy wel a matter of moste important consideration vnto all that liue There are sundry serpents and monsters that out of filth and corruption do take their originals and so in lyke manner was that vgly monster called death out of the filth and sin of our first aunceter first engendred The agillitie arte of this moste mercilesse tyrant cōsisteth in the continual casting of deadly dartes and infynit hee throweth out euen in euery moment neuer ayming but at lyuing hartes neuer missing those hee aymeth at neither is there any armour to bee found that may withstand his hart-piersing force VVherefore seeing to auoyd death there is no remedy the remedy then that remayneth is the learning how to dy wel this lesson the ensuing dialogue teacheth only truants neglect to learne it but attentiue schollers do deepely imprint it in memory To your good Ladiship I dedicate the same vnto you the first Abbesse of your holy order reuyued in our nation whose posteritie by the diuine prouidence may come to brighten our country with their shyning sanctitie as your predecessors heretofore haue donne after that S. Augustyne had brought and taught vnto the English people the first knowlege belief in the true God and his deer sonne and our Sauiour Christe Iesus A religious man was this first Apostle of ours and of your order as also were those holy Abbesses and religious virgins so much comēded by the venerable Bede and other veritable writers in there relating their holy liues and wonderful miracles yea euen after their deathes which were true arguments of their dying wel the which they wel learned to do whyle they liued as he graunt wee also may to whose holy tuition I leaue your Reuerend Ladiship This 3. of April 1603. Your Ladiships very much deuoted R. V. THE AVTHORS PROHEME ACCORDING to the iudgemēt of Aristotle man of all mortal creatures is moste prudent for that hee alone foreseeith thinges to come and therefore differeth from the brute beast which regardeth only thinges that bee present Man therefore seeing hee must dy is by his natural wisdome enclyned to foresee his death the cogitation wherof is vnto him a thing more terrible then any other thing els whatsoeuer and it much more doth importe him He therefore that desyreth to walk wisely in this miserable lyfe must in such sorte prepare and dispose himself for dreadful death that when it approcheth neere vnto him hee be not taken vnprouyded and that for want of due consideration he lose not the chief felicitie and besydes that be assigned for euer vnto the paines of hel VVherefore beeing desirous to begin this discourse of the arte or science to dy wel for an introduction thereunto I presuppose suche an imagined narration as heer ensueth A DIALOGVE OF DYING WEL. THERE was a marchant which trauayling into a far countrie as hee wandred out of his way happened to come into a great wildernesse where he chaunced to meet with an old Eremite who through great age was euen ouerspent worne with whome after he had begōne to enter into discours he asked him what he did their in that solitarie place now so neere vnto the date of his death The Eremite answered sayd Thow shalt my sonne vnderstād that when I was in the flourishing age of thirtie yeares I forsook the deceitful world and retyred my self into this solitarie place heer to do some kynde of penance for my former synnes and to learne to dy and heere haue I continuallie dwelt in solitude these threscore and ten years Then the Marchāt said to him it seemeth too mee a thing very superfluous that thow shouldest seek to learne to dy seeing thow beeing a mortal man and alreaddie an hundred yeers old must needs dy and that verie shortly The Eremite answered this is that which I feare not without great astonishment do euerie day think vpon cōsidering that I am not redy for death and neuerthelesse I know assuredly that I must dy To this then quoth the Marchant what thing is it to know how to dy The old Ermite answered him to know how to dy is no other thing then to flie all things that may offend our lord God and with diligence to doe all that hee commādeth obseruing obedientlie all his preceptes and commandements and to be in suche wise neat and cleane in cōscience that arryuing vnto the last end of our lyfe wee may be receaued into the euerlasting rest of the cittizens of heauē At these woordes the Marchāt begining to feel in his hart some suddaine motiō to the change of his lyfe sayd vnto him againe o deere father your talk greatly pleaseth mee Tel mee I beseech yow could yow giue mee some good instructions touching this moste necessarie point of dying wel Hereūto the Ermite answered that he was very willing to make him partaker of such gaine as alredy himself had gotten by his study in that science there-withal asked him what trade hee liued by hee answered that hee was a Marchant whervnto the Ermite added that the arte of a Marchant is to sel his marchādise deer and to buy good cheape yf thow then desire quoth hee to make a good market and to buy a treasure incomparable and far beyond all estimation for a litle price behold heauen which is so great and glorious and buy it with thy temporal goods giuing them to the poore for thee loue of God Then thee Marchāt beeing desirous to bee further satisfied asked him againe saying o deere father and my good maister I pray yow tel mee yf so be that you had a scholler whome you loued wel or a sonne whome you deerely affected what arte principallie would you teache him The Ermite answered setting a syde all secrets all artes all experimentes and all sciences in the world other arte would I not
our Ladie be their in presence and staÌ„d before the eyes of the sick also that their bee holy water with the which let all the chamber and the sick person be sprinckled because it auayleth greatly against the power of the deuil Also that their be red the gospels of Christes passion and specially that of S. Iohn or some other thing of the bible and that hee be put in mynde of the saintes and principallie or his aduocates and patroÌ„s to whome in his lyfe tyme hee hath had particuler and special deuotion let their also be warning geuen that in the chamber wheare the sick lyeth their be no reasoning of worldlie matters nor lowd speaking but onely so much as is needful for behoof of the sick for then is tyme to pray and not to prattle also that none weep their that great sylence be kept and that their be in the chamber no great multitude of persons they ought also to prohibite that the sick person be not much molested with the visitinges of his freindes and kinsfolkes and speciallie when his sicknes encreaseth and that there is in him no great hope of lyfe And thus I make an end of this secoÌ„d chapter in the which I haue declared the preparation called the approching which ought to be made in tyme of sicknes And it conteyneth 4. rules the first is called constancie or patience the second deuout receyuing of the sacraments of the Churche the third a wary and good prouision against the deuils temptations the fourth a good election or choyse of one or two faithful freinds that may haue diligent care of the sick And now in a few woordes I wil dispatche the last preparation declaring that which is to be done in the passage and very last end of this present lyfe THE THIRD CHAPTER wherein is declared in few woordes the last preparation which hee ought to make that is come vnto the very end of his lyf IN this third chapter wee are to speak of the preparation which ought to be made when a man is neerest the end of his lyfe as when hee beginneth to enter into his agony and draweth onward to his last gaspe This chapter conteyneth foure short rules the which after the example of our lord Iesu Christe wee ought to obserue in this last passage of our lyfe for wee ought to know that as the lyfe of our Sauiour hath bene geuen vs for a rule and for the instruction of our lyfe so also his death hath bene set before vs to teach vs how to dy Therefore S. Gregorie saith that Omnis Christi actio nostra est instructio that is to say all the actions of Christ are instructions for vs. As our lyfe then shal be best when it shal be lyke to that of our redeemers who was verie man and verie God so also our death shal be verie laudable and holy when it shal haue those conditioÌ„s which that death of our blessed Mayster had who being on the hard wood of the crosse neere vnto death diligentlie obserued fower rules before his blessed soule departed from his sacred bodie The first â—ule THE first rule was that spoyled naked hee ascended the holie crosse forsaken almoste of all where hee would dy poor reseruing no worldly thing for himself So wee ought at the least now at the last after the example of our Sauiour to renounce effectually euerie superfluous and vayne possessioÌ„ all worldlie carnal loue leauing that to-great affectioÌ„ which wee weere wont to beare to wyfe and children careing no more neyther for riches nor for honours of the world to the end that wee bee not troobled by any thing but in this laste period of our lyf to think wholy vpon almighty God The second rule THE second rule obserued by our lord on the crosse was that hee prayed for himself and for his enemies repeating as he prayed vnto his father the woordes of the Psalme Deus Deus meus respice in me quare me dereliquisti that is to say O God my God look vpon mee why hast thow forsaken mee and afterward this verse of the Psalme In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum that is Into thy handes o Lord I commend my spirit So ought wee to pray first for our selues after for enemies And at that tyme a man put in such heauines and peril of his saluation ought neuer to cease to cal for help of our moste mercyful lord God and of his blessed mother of all the Angels Patriarches Prophets Martyrs CoÌ„fessors Virgins and matrons soliciting them with great grones and deep sighes to help him in this perillous battayle and in so great necessitie and to inuite them that they vouchsafe to accompanie his soule and guide it into the eternal tabernacles to enioy the diuine essence and to reioyce with them in euerlasting peace The third rule THE third rule obserued of our redeemer Iesus Christe was that hee with bowing of his head in such manner as hee might took leaue of his moste deer mother and of his moste hartie freindes which were their present about the crosse and recommeÌ„ded his blessed mother to her new sonne which hee gaue her By this hee gaue vs example to do the lyke to wit that when the sick person seeth himselfe to bee neer death it is very conuenient that hee recommend his family as his wel-beloued wyf and his deere children to some freind that may counsel and help them After this all his seruants and how shold called together let him take leaue of them aske them forgiuenes for the il examples hee hath geuen them and make them some good exhortation And yf that hee be a father let him giue his fatherly blessing to his derely beloued children saying vnto them my children yf ye wil be good and haue the feare of God before your eyes your principal and heauenly Father wil neuer forsake yow Be diligent to keep his commaundements The blessing of the Father of the Sonne or the holy Ghoste of our blessed Ladie and of all the Saintes in heauen be with yow Then taking euery one of them by the hand and kissing them and imbracing his louing wyf and children hee shal say O my deere wyf I pray thee honour and feare our Lord God aboue all thinges I leaue thee these our children haue diligent care of them vntil this tyme they haue bene ours now they shal be thyne yf thow wilt continew in good lyfe thow shalt neuer waÌ„t the help of God Be of good cheer do not not weep for our Lord wil be with thee Then shal hee exhort his children that they be obedient to their mother and feare and reuerence her as they ought After this he shal take leaue of them all causing them to go out of his chamber that hee may remayne alone with his faithful and chosen freindes which are to haue care ouer him euen to the last end of his lyfe The fourth
example of S. Paule S. Martin diuers holy men of such a man so as hee be confirmable to God his holy wil and pleasure we ought to haue a good and holy opinion because hee hath his desires agreable vnto charitie Hereunto replyed the Merchant yf this be so then are but few saued because few they be which desire not to haue long lyfe to triumphe heer in ioy and to get worldly riches and honours Therefore these things ye tell mee seeme vnto mee verie strange and difficil To this answered the good Ermyte saying my sonne I graunt thee that few are saued but yet that which I tell thee is true and taken out of the doctrine of holy diuynes which to auoyd tediousnes I name not nor yet goe I about to proue at length this my saying because it is a thing verie palpable and wel knowne to deuout holy persons The third question THE third question was whether wee ought to haue an ill opinion of them that at the last end of their lyf do lose the vse of reason many tymes do vtter vaine and il speeches The Ermite answered with distinction saying that of these wee ought to say as of them which in health become mad and dy in their madnes who yf they weare in state of grace when they loste the vse of reason so dyed they are saued but yf then they wear in mortal sinne and so dyed they be without all doubt damned in hel And note for our purpose that the iust iudge our Lord Iesus Christe suffereth somtymes some great sinners in their last sicknes to lose the vse of reason in iust iudgement to the intent that as in their lyfe tyme they haue not bene myndful of almightie God so in their death they should not remember themseluee This is that which S. Augustine said Hac animaduersione percutitur peccator vt moriens obliuiscatur sui qui dū viueret oblitus est Dei that is to say with this punishment the sinner is stricken that dying hee forgetteth himself which whilest hee liued did forget almighty God Such men as these hauing liued beastly and without reason for their woorthie punishment ought to dy as brute beastes without any good preparatiō therefore without confession and communion and without any signe of contrition oftentymes with blasphemies and ill woordes they passe out of this miserable lyfe to the more miserable and euerlasting paine of hell On the contrary parte it happeneth somtymes to some iust and holy persons that in the end of his lyfe through the great mercie of God being in state of grace hee loseth the vse of reason and becometh frantick and speaketh many soule and vnseemely woordes God who is mercyful suffereth this to fall vnto him for his profit and of compassion to the end hee feele not the great payne of his sicknesse and that the deuils may not haue occasion to afflict him with temptations after the losse of the vse of reason God almightie of his benignitie vseth this mercy with him that hath bene good and is of nature fearful and frayle deliuering him by this mean from the grief of the sicknes which hee doth not feele so much when his bodie is without vse of reason and making him vnable to receyue the deuils temptations because he that is without vse of reason doth not sinne And say hee or do hee what hee wil yea though hee vtter woordes against God in that tyme it is not imputed vnto him for sinne but it is inoughe for him whē hee had his vnderstāding that hee had true cōtrition for his sinnes and was in the grace and fauour of God The fourth question THE fourth question was whether wee ought to thinke il of them that dy of sodayne or violent death The Ermyte answered that according to the iudgement of S. Augustine Mors mala dicenda non est quam bona vita praecessit that is to say That death is not to be esteemed il which a good lyfe hath gonne before Alwayes when a man hath lyued wel and at the point of death is without deadlie sinne such a death ought to bee esteemed good because Preciosa in conspectu Domini mors sanctorum eius that is to say precious in our Lords sight is the death of his saintes So as let a man dy of what kynde of death soeuer it bee eyther of fire or water or swoord or pestilence or poyson or sodaynly or lingringly alwayes his death is said to be holy and pretious when hee dyeth in the state of grace Wee haue example of this in many holy confessors martirs which in respect of the world haue dyed ignominious and shameful deathes and neuerthelesse they are now happy with God in heauen And thesame also happened to our Lord Iesus Christe to whome as yf hee had bene the prince of thieues was allotted by the wicked and obstinate Iewes the infamous death of the crosse And for the contrarie hee saith that alwayes of wysemen that death is iudged il when one dyeth in mortal sinne although hee haue a quiet and honourable death to the sight of the world and bee in disgrace with almightie God and alwayes by holy men that death is iudged the wurst because as Dauid saith Mors peccatorum pessimae the death of sinners is the most euil All deathes then be ill when men dy in deadly sinne and contrariwise euerie kynde of death is good and holy when a man dyeth in the fauour of almightie God The fift question THE fift question was whether it be lawful to desire a man when hee dyeth that after death hee wil appeare vnto thee and tel thee his estate The Ermite answered that hee foūd to this question two contrarie answears giuen by the Doctors The one is of the Angelical Doctor S. Thomas In quodlibeti who saith that when there is not ioyned withal any curiositie or infidelitie but onely a careful desire to know the state of him that dyeth then is it lawful to require such a thing The other answear cōtrarie is of Henry de Ascia who saith that it is not a thing lawful because it can hardly come but of avayne curiositie and peraduenture of infidelitie to be assured of the lyfe to come and besydes that hee putteth himself in peril to be deluded of the deuil who many tymes appeareth in forme and shape of the dead and reuealeth false things And therefore wee read in the gospel that Abraham would not permit that any reuelation or apparition should be made vnto the brethren of the wicked riche man who prayed him to send some one that was dead vnto them that yet liued to aduertise them of his miserable state To whome Abraham answered Habent Moysen Prophetas audiant illos that is to say They haue Moyses the Prophetes let them heare them But it seemeth vnto mee that when a man is not moued neyther of infidelitie nor of curiositie but onely for
instruct him in then in the arte to dy wel because it excelleth euerie other science thesame being more necessarie more profitable and more worthie then the others as without the which a man cannot purchase paradise nor escape the horrible paynes of hel These other artes do teache to dispute to talke to measure to number to sing and suche like exercises which are all of litle value and only vsed of men whyle they liue in this miserable and transitorie lyfe but the arte to dy wel teacheth thee to get paradise where each science and all kynde of knowledge is to bee found By thee liberal artes thow shalt get wordlie glorie and earthly substance which moste speedely passeth a way but by the arte to dy wel is gotten the glorie of heauen which endureth for euer by this arte is our soule saued and wee haue this life onlie to the end to learne the arte to dy wel To this our lord Iesus Christe doth inuite vs in many places of the gospel as where hee saith Math. 25. Estote parati quia nescitis diem neque horam that is to say Bee ye in a reddines because ye know not the day nor the hower Againe Luc. 12. Estote parati quia qua hora non putatis filius hominis veniet that is Be ye prepared because the sonne of man wil come what hower ye think not To come to this knowlege the saincts and true philosophers haue taken great trauail and paynes because this science alone helpeth more then all the other together In this day and night the holie fathers did exercise themselues and now euerie good religious person and true deuout Christian putteth all his studie to learne to dy wel yea hee is not a true christian neyther can be called a wiseman which doth not procur some meanes to learne this so worthie and so necessarie a science without which none can dy wel nor consequently be saued For as sainct Bernard saith venientem mortem nemo bene excipit nisi qui se ad ipsam dum viueret bonis operibus preparauit that is No man doth wel receyue death but hee that while hee liued did prepare himself for it by good woorkes The passage of death beeing then more perilous then any other thing for as muche as that therein either is lost the soueraigne good and eternal damnation purchased or els the blessed perpetual felicitie is thereby wonne and the euer during payne of hell is thereby auoyded wee ought with all carefulnes and diligence to prepare our selues for that passage in which the whole conclusion and end of all our doings consisteth because hauing made this passage as it requireth with behooful meanes wee become happie for euer whereas contrariwise doing euil wee do foreuer lose the ioyes of paradise If a iudge were to giue senteÌ„ce in a case whereon depended thy whole substaÌ„ce or yf thow weare to yeeld accoÌ„pte of some administratioÌ„ or office of great importance thow wouldest not fynde repose either night or day thow wouldest not sleep one hower soundlie nor eate one morsel of meat with pleasing taste thow wouldest neuer laugh nor vse any recreation vntil such tyme as thow wert freed from that perillous estate and businesse Alas then how great is the ignorance of miserable wordlings which beeing to make this so painful and dangerous a passage wherevpon dependeth all our good do arryue and come thereunto like vnto brute beastes without any preparation at all When an imprisoned malefactor â—ath receaued sentence of death and knoweth hee cannot escape oh how many waylings and how many lameÌ„tings maketh the wretche in that time seeing that assuredly he must foorthwith be put to death In this case are all men liuing found to bee against whome as soone as euer they be borne in this miserable and transitorie lyfe the seuere sentence of death is pronounced And so do wee all stand in this world as the malefactor standeth in prison condemned to death readie to goe vnto execution Of whome as it is said that hee lieth in prison vpon his life so of vs all may it truly bee spoken that wee are in this prison of the world and ly vpon our lyues which beeing considered oh how much ought wee to weep and how much ought wee to be careful and diligent to prepare our selues for death When the marchant had vnderstood all these things being then brought into great perplexitie he said vnto the Ermite o father and maister I harteâ—… desire that you wil vouchsafe to instruct mee further in this so woorthie and necessarie arte of dying wel that I may thereby know by this your charitie that you haue chosen mee for your sonne and disciple and yf in this moste healthful science you haue any secret or worthie point I beseech you for the loue of God before you pas from this our mortal lyf vnto the lyf euerlasting to discouer vnto mee thesame Then the Ermite answered him saying my sonne welbeloued scholler now do I know that our Lord is hee that maketh thee to speak and therefore I wil not denie thee thy request Know thow then that I beeing an hundred yeares old am assured that the end of my lyfe cannot but bee neere wherefore hauing studied for the space of seauentie yeares to learne this science of dying wel It hath pleased almightie God to reueal vnto mee sundry secret especial poynts of thesame the which I wil coÌ„municate and shew vnto thee for the coÌ„moÌ„ good of all them that wil learne to dy wel to the end that by thy meanes they may bee published vnto the world and especialy to such godly and deuout myndes as aboue all other things desire to obteyne through the grace of God the glorie of paradise yf euer then to any sacred sermon thow didest giue attentiue eare instantly then I pray thee that vnto this present discourse thow wilt more then euer bee heedful and attentiue and for the time not to interrupt my speech And this beeing said the Ermite began his discours as followeth THE DIVISION OF HIS NARATION THe doctrine of dying wel conteyneth three chapters and twelue golden rules The first fowre in the first chapter are called rules of health for that whyles wee are in health they teache the meanes to dispose our selues for death The other fowre are called in the second chapter rules of infirmitie which wee ought to obserue for dying wel in our sicknes The fowre last are called in the third chapter rules of extremytie because wee are by them instructed in fowre principal pointes which wee ought to obserue at the last end of our lyf to the end to passe securely the passage of death The first chapter sheweth the long preparation that a man is to make during the tyme of his health The second chapter sheweth the disposition more neerer which a man is to make in the tyme of sicknes The third conteyneth the last preparation which a man is to make euen
shalt easely get patience in all thy troubles for euerie man in trouble is greatlie comforted when he thinketh that by death all aduersitie is ended and that after death great rewardes are prepared for all those that bee truely patient By this feare is engendred in the soule of a reasonable creature which is the beginning of the amendment of lyf for who is so sencelesse that considering wel and diligentlie the circumstāces of death doth not from top to toe tremble and quake And yf thow wilt say vnto mee I cannot feare death then must I answear thee that it proceedeth of these causes eyther that thow arte not a reasonable creature or that thow arte without vnderstanding or els that thow art ignorant how to consider and think on it wel It is no sinne to feare death because this feare is natural and was in our Sauiour Christe in as much as hee was man and wee fynde that the wise and natural philosophers had an apprehension of death but out of doubt it should bee a moste grieuous enormous sinne yf for such feare one should desyre to continew alwayes remaine in this miserable lyfe yea against God almightie his wil and pleasure And the feare of death in this manner is reproued in holy scriptures It is good then to feare death when such feare induceth thee to the feare and loue of God but it is a verie il thing to feare it when thow art therby disposed to gaine-say the holy wil of God I speak to thee of this laudable and profitable feare and thereto I inuite thee seeing without it holy men haue not profited in the perfection of christian lyfe I refuse and greatly blame that other vnmeasured feare of carnal and wicked men If thow take a custome to remember death in all thyne acts and deeds thow wilt become so timerous to displease almightie God that thow wilt cast from thee all slouth and sluggishnes and that this is true is apparant because yf thow shouldest think that to morrow thow must needs dy suddeynlie thow wouldest bee made wel disposed to all good woorkes Oh how much almes how many prayers how great contrition and what number of teares sobbes and sighes wouldest thow make and powre out Fasting would not bee hard for thee nor to pardon thine enemies nor yet to make restitution of euil gotten goods And therefore when thow art tempted with slouth or that wel doing grieueth thee take this spur of the remembrance of death and therewith prick thyne asse forward driuing him on and saying together with Salomon Eccl cap. 9. bestirre thee to doe good for thow arte to go out of hand where thow cāst not woork any more for thy profit and commoditie S. Gregorie saith valde se sollicitat in bone opere S. Greg. qui semper cogitat de extremo fine that is he maketh himself verie diligent in good woorks that alwayes thinketh on his last end And Seneca not disagreing from this our purpose saith nothing helpeth so much to temperance in all things as the often thinking vpon death wheer with thow maiest direct thy whole lyfe euen as the gouernour of a ship doth direct his vessel who desirous to bring it wel home into the hauen setteth himself at the sterne in the end therof so putting thy self by consideration into the end of thy lyfe thow shalt guide thy soule to the hauen of health Set thy self then continually to consider the end of thy lyfe and yf their commeth vpon thee a desire of worldlie riches say within thy self I must dy shortlie and I may dy euen this hower it standeth mee vpon therefore to take heed that for transitorie gayne I doe not lose my soule and euerlasting blisse If thou bee tempted with ambition and worldlie glorie run immediatlie to the remembrance of death say to thy desire If I am to dy shortlie and paraduenture to day or to morrow what need haue I to think how to make my self great in this world where I am to abyde so litle and short a time So in euerie other carnal desyre and in euerie other temptation that may come to thee eyther of hatred or of enuie or of pryd or of gluttonie alwayes thow shalt help thy self with the remembrance of death And their shal be no sinner so great that with this onlie remedie wel vsed and practised shal not be able to leaue sinne and to do trew pennance with perseueration And note that this remedie although it bee profitable to all yet is it much more profitable to beginners and to those that be nouices in the way of our Lord then to others that be wel forward or come to perfection Therefore as a holie father saith for those that haue gotten an habit in sinne and for the beginners in spiritual lyfe the remembrāce of death is no lesse necessarie and needful then daylie bread vnto the lyfe of the bodie yea it is wrytten that without such remembrance hardlie any one can bee saued for the scripture saith Ecclesiast ◠2 without feare no man is iustified which feare is wont to proceed of the remembrance of death Seeing then that thow knowest sufficientlie the medecine for all thy spiritual infirmities yf thow do not put it in practise vsing it when thow haste need the fault shal be thine And yf thow wilt be a diligent obseruer of this vniuersal remedie at the last end of thy lyfe that may be trewlie sayd of the which a bishop called Theophilus said vpon his death bed vnto the abbot Arsenius Blessed art thow Arsenius which haste alwayes had before thine eyes this last hower of death The Marchant hauing with much attension heeded these the Ermites woords and not without great cōtentation receaued thereby the aforesaid fruites beeing filled with a kynd of spiritual sweetnes hee said vnto the Eremite Father of two thinges I do much meruaile the first is that so few by this so easie way of the remembrance of death endeuour themselues to get so many marueylous spiritual commodities the second is how it cometh to passe that many think and remember themselues of their lyues last hower yet notwithstanding do not attayne to one of the least of these fruits and marueylous commodities To this answered the olde Ermite I shal not be able my sonne without teares to answere thee if I assoyle thy propounded questions seeing so great a multitude of christians to bee damned which so easilie might saue themselues for I am by fraternal charitie constrained to this grief and compassion of the ignorance and negligence of the world To the first then I answere that the world is so ful of so great ignorances and blyndnes and the health of soules so litle or nothing cared for that one ducat of gold or one carnal contentation is more estemed then a thowsand heauens The least thought or care that worldlings haue now adayes is of their saluation Therefore it is not to bee marueyled at that so
peril at all After that hee procureth the phisition to giue him too much hope of lyfe and lykewyse all them of the howse And his fteindes and kinsfolkes to comforte him saying Sir bee of good cheere for ye shal amend verie shortlie And yf any religious man come to visit him they warne him or tel him that for nothing in the world he put any feare in him or tel him that hee is in peril to dy All these bee woorkings of our ghostelie enemie Therefore a wyseman so soone as hee feeleth himself sick saith I wil confesse my self and receyue the blessed sacrament and prepare my self for death and after let God woork his holy wil of mee as it pleaseth him for that I am his creature But note that when hee hath made this good determination the deuil doth not yet ceasse to make him delay so good a deed and beginneth to moue his wyf yf hee bee maried and his kinsfolkes to leaue them some of his worldlie substance and they talk to him of many hard thinges and all worldlie In the meane while the sicknes encteaseth and the sickman saith dispatche these businesses I wil in any wyse bee confessed In suche case I would aduyse thee to haue an eye to the principal which is the health of thy soule for the malice of the deuil layeth many snares to catche thee Say not I wil first dispatche my worldlie busines and then confesse mee because it is the deuil that maketh thee to speak so but say I wil first confesse me and prepare for my soule and after I wil dispose these other things of the world because this busines of the soule doth to say the truth importe mee much more then a thowsand worldes And doubt not when thow shalt be confessed thow shalt haue in thee the grace of God and bee better able then to dispose of thy worldlie things with more iudgement and better meanes Now marke wel my sonne for in this rule I wil discouer vnto thee some goodlie secretes which commonlie are not set fourth of some deuout men which haue entreated of this arte to dy wel All how shold and worldlie care beeing then set a side I wil haue thee after thow haste examined thy conscience to make thy confession to a good and learned priest following the example of S. Augustine who in his last sicknes would haue none to enter into his chamber for some dayes together vntil he had made a diligent search examination of his conscience And so hee had written before to a nephew of his and perswaded him that putting a syde all earthlie care in his sicknes hee should turne himselfe wholie to God almightie with great contrition beholding the blessed woundes of our moste mercyful redeemer and bewayling detesting al his faultes past In this tyme it should be verie good to say the seaueÌ„ peniteÌ„tial Psalmes as did thesame S. Augustyne who turning his heauie pale face to the wall where the seauen Psalmes weere written and beeing froÌ„ all other care sequestred sayd them with great aboundance of teares demaunding of almightie God mercie pardon for his sinnes And after such a contrition and repentance for thy sinnes thow shalt then make thy confession with an exact examination of thy conscience and after while thow art in perfect memorie thow shalt receyue the blessed sacrament which is called in latyn viaticum that is to say a viage prouision because it is necessarie and needful in the way by which wee haue to passe from this lyf to the next With how great reuerence and deuotion so great a sacrament is to be receyued I wil not for breuities sake heere declare but wil referre thee for this matter to the examples of the sainctes and especially for the passage out of this lyfe to the glorious doctor S. Hierome where thow shalt fynde with how many teares and with how merueylous great consideration hee receyued the blessed sacrament all which is wrytten for our example When now thow shalt be communicated immediatelie thow shalt require that growing woors thow mayest haue the sacrament of extreme vnction when it shal seeme good to thy ghostly father And heer I wil tel thee a good note which is that yf thow take the sacrameÌ„t of extreme vnctioÌ„ in such manner as I haue instructed thee and yf thow pray to our Lord aswel as thow canst and oftentymes repeat thy prayer and perseuer in desire vntil death asking of God that for his infinite mercy and by the vertue of this holie Sacrament of extreme vnction he wil graunt thee plenarie remission in this lyfe of all thy sinnes that is to say that when thy soule shal be seperated from thy bodie immidiatly without touche of the paynes of purgatorie thow mayest flie to the blisse of euerlasting lyfe Iohn Gerson Chancelor of Paris and William Altissiodorensis affirme with whome agreeth also Peter de Palude that in this case the sick dying with the disposition and holy preparation before mentioned shal not feel the paynes of purgatorie but straight way shal ascend to the eternal ioyes of heauen And it seemeth Cassiobrus was of this opinion touching the plenary remission in alleaging this verse â—salm 115. Dirupisti Domine vincula mea tibi sacrificabo hostiam laudis that is thow haste broken my bandes in sonder o lord to thee wil I yeeld the sacrifice of prayse which as some hold opinioÌ„ being sayd in the end of a mannes lyf doth procure that his sinnes be remitted that is as I expound it touching the payne for as for the fault perfect contrition sufficeth Behold my welbeloued sonne how easilie a christian may obtayne plenarie remission and ful pardon of his sinnes See besydes how much it importeth to knowe this arte of dying wel and how greatlie it profiteth how to knowe to make preparation with the sacraments of holy Churche And yf thow weart at that point that thow couldest then not haue the sacrameÌ„ts in this case thy good desire with the continewance of the said prayer would suffice thee And so by the opinion of Iohn Gerson a verie Catholike doctor William Altissiodorensis thow shouldest lykewyse obtayne plenarie remission by the vertue of that prayer Yea without the sacraments actuallie receyued Therefore marke this notable saying and keep it in memorie and prayse the infinite goodnes of God who for so short and few wordes doth deliuer vs from the payne of so great a fyer The third rule THE third rule for the tyme of sicknes is that thow prepare thy self to be constant and strong against the sundrie temptatioÌ„s whear with the deuil wil trouble thee Wherefore it is to be known according to the doctrine of diuynes that the deuil is more diligent in tempting at the tyme of death then in the tyme of health for he thinking the disease to be mortal saith to himself yf I lose this soule at this instant I lose it for euer wherfore I wil not leaue to doe what
I can to winne it And so calling to him a multitude of deuils in diuers manners they procure his damnation laying wait euen vntil the end of his passage First they temp him with impatience whervnto for sorrow and payne hee is much inclined When they cannot ouercome this way they take an other and tempt him with his owne pleasing of himself and his proper reputation desirous to perswade him that hee is one of great perfection and constant in his aduersities and that hee hath done many good woorkes woorthy of great recoÌ„pence with this temptation deuout men are speciallie vexed and this temptation is much to be feared because many haue bene brought in peril by it and many damned Wherefore it behoueth them to haue recourse to humilitie and to consider our owne faultes which in deed be many and to acknowledge the mercie and goodnes of our Sauiour from whome all goodnes proceedeth without any proper merit or deseruing of ours more ouer by diuers wayes and meanes they endeuour themselues to make him think that hee shal not dy of this infirmitie and this they do to the end hee go not about to prepare and fortifie himself against them and that they may take him at vnawares But yf thow wilt bee wyse and prouident thow shalt prepare thy selfe in euerie least sicknes as yf thow weart out of all doubt thow shouldest dy of that disease And yf they see they cannot deceyue thee this way then they set hand to greater blowes and with false arguments beginne to cal thee back from the truthe of the christian faith In this case yf thow be not verie warie thow art like to bee catched in their nettes therefore I giue thee warning that thow giue not eare to their deceitful arguing nor dispute with them in any wyse because so thow shouldest bee sodeynlie bound and takeÌ„ The best remedie in this straight wil bee with tongue hart to say the articles of our faith that is the Creed to confesse thow beleeuest all that our holie mother the Catholyke Churche beleeueth and so cause the gospels to be red vnto thee with this temptation the learned are more troubled then the vnlearned therefore it is good to submit our vnderstanding vnto obedience of faith and not to search out the truthe therof by reason but with humilitie to referre our selues to the iudgement of our fore-fathers and the Catholyke Churche Yf in this temptation of infidelitie thow shalt make due resistance then with their last battayle they wil tempt thee with desparation perswading thee that in this lyfe thow haste not vsed thy selfe in such wyse as thow deseruest to be saued and to put thee besyde all hope they wil bring to thy memorie all thy defects and wants and tel thee thy confessions haue not bene good nor thy communications meritorious and that thow hast not done euerie thing for the loue of God but for feare of hel and for thyne owne profit Then it wil be tyme to runne to the infinite mercie of our louing and sweet lord God and remember thy self that his sonne for our saluation did become man and as man suffered hunger and thirst paynes and torments and finallie vpon the crosse for our saluation an opprobrious and shameful death Thow shalt answere then to the enemie it is true thow doest not deserue paradise nor diddest woork in all thy lyfe by which thow couldest merit so great blisse but thy merciful lord is hee that of his infinite mercie and goodnes hath merited for thee and purchased thee paradise when hee died on the crosse for thy redemption Yf thow say this they shal remayne confounded like hellish beastes not knowing what more to do against thy saluation except God permitting it they appeare vnto thee in verie horrible and feareful shapes to geue thee some payne and to make thee afeard to the intent they may more easilie take thee in their malitious trappes whylest thy mynde is occupied with such trouble and greef But yf thow wilt runne for refuge to the help of our blessed Ladie and of thyne angel and of thy heauenle aduocates they wil reddilie geue thee succour and peradueÌ„ture appearing vnto thee in â—ouing gratious shapes sodeynlie from their presence euery deuilish vision wil be gonne The fourth â—ule THE fourth rule of the arte to dy wel that ought to be obserued in tyme of sicknesse is the election or prouision of two or of one faithful welbeloued companion or freind eyther seculer or religious which in the end of thy lyfe may be present with thee and assist thee whose office shal be principally about three things The first is that hauing committed the charge of thy soule vnto such in this extremitie they wil make thee some spiritual exhortations comforting and perswading thee to patience and constaÌ„cie to the end thow mayest haue the greater reward in heauen for conforming thy self to God his holy wil pleasure in this and euerie other affliction Also they shal exhort thee that all care and all loue of transitorie thinges of this world set a syde with all thy hart thow bee attentyue to the health of thy soule thanking our lord God continually for his innumerable benefites bestowed vpon thee Secondly that whilest they assist thee they do make thee many good and profitable demaundes First they ought to demaund yf thow firmelie beleeue all the articles of the christian faith and that our holy mother the Churche beleeueth and holdeth moreouer they ought to aske thee yf thow haue greef and sorrow for all thyne offences committed against God asking pardoÌ„ with an humble and contrite hart and yf thow purpose neuer to offend him more yf for his loue thow willingly pardonest all those that haue offended thee And they shal also put thee in remembrance that yf thow haue taken away the good name or the goodes of any person that thow actualy yf it be in thy power do without delay restore it And after they shal exhort thee to put all thy hope and set all thy loue in our moste mylde and louing redeemer beseeching him with feruent desire that hee wil giue thee perfect faith hope and charitie and that for the merits of his holy passion and for his infinite mercie hee wil giue thee the euerlasting glorie of heauen And yf the sick-man should not to these demandes answere like a good christian then his chosen freindes before mentioned shal with all diligence do their endeuour to remoue from him euerie il apprehension and disposition of spirit perswading him with louing sweet woordes how much it is needful at this tyme to prepare himself to receyue deuoutly all the sacraments of the Churche and wholie and thorowlie to do according to the demaundes and questions aboue specified To the office of this faithful and deuout freind or freinds it shal also belong to prouyde that the sick do not dy without the sacramentes and that the images of the Crucifix and of