Wherefore we must be lyable to some punishmeÌ„t for euery idle word so that if a man of full age conuerted from idolatry be baptized and by and by after killed before he commit any other sinne then the speaking of one idle word onely shall this man be tormented for euer and euer so long as God shall be God And shall the Father of mercyes giue this vnmercifull sentence Doubtlesse if any man can do a thing worthy of stripes for doing it deserue only to be beaten with few stripes this maÌ„ may hope for this mercy but for greater theÌ„ this he cannot hope seeing that Christ saith that some accouÌ„t is to be giuen for that idle word Some punishment therefore he must suffer but not eternall consequently not in hell but in Purgatory for he must be beaten with few stripes not with many or euerlasting stripes 4. The second Principle is taught vs in the Apocalips cap. 21. to wit That nothing defyled shall enter into the kingdome of heauen consequently a man defiled with one onely idle word and so dying shall not enter into the Kingdome of heauen vntill he be cleansed in Purgatory-fyre For he who buildeth â—tuble vpon the foundation shall be saued yet so as by fyre saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 3. But saith S. Ambrose wheras S. Paul saith yet so as by fyre he sheweth indeed that he shall be saued but yet shall suffer the punishment of fyre that being purged by fyre he may be saued and not tormented for euer as the Jnfidels are with euerlasting fyre Serm. 20. in Psal 118. Most agreeable to this doctrine be the words of our Sauiour Be at agreemeÌ„t with thy Aduersary betyme whilst thou art in the way with him least perhaps thou be cast into prison Amen I say vnto thee thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repayest the last farthing Matth. 5. That is vntill thou shalt haue made satisfaction for euery one of thy least sins according to the expositioÌ„ of S. Hierome who telleth vs This is that which he sayth Thou shalt not go out of prison vntill thou shalt pay euen to thy little sinnes In c. 5. Matth. 5. The third Principle is that although our sins both mortall and veniall be forgiuen vs whensoeuer we are truly penitent for them yet all the paine due to these our sins is not always forgiuen togeather with the sins This may be demonstrated by many examples in the Scripture For breuity sake I will specify only two The first it this Originall sinne is forgiuen vs by baptisme yet the paines which are inflicted for originall sinne be not wholy taken away by baptisme but euen those innocent infants vnto whom by baptisme original sinne was forgiuen do suffer the punishment of death due vnto them for no other cause but for that very originall sinne which was forgiuen them by baptisme for that I say they endure death because by one man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death and so vnto all men euen vnto innocents death did passe Rom. 5. The second example is this Dauid did so truly repent him of his sinne of adultery murther that God told him by the Prophet Nathan Our Lord hath taken away thy sinne 2. Reg. 12. Behold heere the sinnes of Dauid forgiuen and yet presently God tels him Neuerthelesse because thou hast made the enemyes of the Lord to blaspheme for this thing the sonne which is borne vnto thee dying shall dye Behold heere a punishment inflicted vpon Dauid euen for this thing for which God had pardoned him 6. Out of this Principle it clearly followeth that there is a Purgatory For seing that as we haue proued there remaineth many tymes some punishment due to the sinne which is forgiuen and seing that a man may dye before he hath suffered this punishment due by iustice vnto him it doth necessarily follow that this punishment must be giuen him in the world to come not in hell because the sinne is forgiuen but yet in the prison of Purgatory out of which he shall not goe vntill he hath payd the last farthing 7. But heere it may be demanded how this doctrine agrees with the saying of God When the wicked maÌ„ shall be conuerted from his impiety I will not remember his iniquities Ezech. 18. I answere that God is said not to remember them in his wrath vengance by remitting the eternal paine due vnto them So he did not remember the sinne of Dauid but did take it away from him yet neuerthelesse for this thing he took from him by an vntimely death his sonne whose life he begged so earnestly The matter may fitly be declared by this similitude If a man should owe me a millioÌ„ of pounds should beg of me to forgiue the debt I might be most truly said to grant his request though I should forgiue the debt on this conditioÌ„ that he should pay me only twenty shillings as it were for a fine Now we know our sinnes be our debts for one mortall sinne only a man is lyable to euerlasting torments but if this man being truly penitent beggeth pardon of this his sinne God is so mercifull that he will forgiue and forget it yet withall he is so iust that in place of it he will impose some small fine as I may say though this fine be far smaller then twenty shillings in comparison of a million of pounds for one pound a million of times doubled will come to be a million but a Purgatory euen of a million of yeares though it should be neuer so often doubled or redoubled can neuer come to make a summe of yeares equall to the yeares contained in the Eternity of paines due to this sinne before it was forgiuen This I haue set downe at large that all may see how mercifully God doth deale with vs wheÌ„ for one act of true pennance he exchangeth an Eternity of paines into the temporall punishment of some yeares in Purgatory for this caÌ„not be but a great mercy thogh this Purgatory were to last neuer so many yeares in number because the yeares of Eternity be without number CHAP. III. The first Motiue to pray for the Soules in Purgatory which is The greatnes of the sensible Paines they suffer 1. NAture doth teach vs that the most forcible Eloquence to mooue compassion is that which setteth forth the greatnes of our misery The miseryes which these poore soules suffer are reduced to two The one Paena sensus which is the sensible paine they feele caused by the excessiue bitternes of their torments The other is called Paena damni which is that inexplicable anguish of mind and grief arising from the liuely apprehension of the losse of God which for a tyme they are to sustaine To which we may add the long continuance of their torments From these three we will draw the motiues which if they be well pondered may make the hardest Pharao-like hart in the world to take some compassion on
The perfect practice of all conteynd in this Books pag. 166. FINIS THREE AND THIRTY most godly deuout Prayers or Salutations to be recited in honour of the Sacred Life Passion of our Blessed Sauiour sweet Iesus for faithfull Soules departed After ech wherof must be said the Psalme Miserere The Preamble or Introduction O Most sweet Lord Iesus most mercifull pardoner of our sinnes and Sauiour of our soules we hūbly beseech thee by all the mercies that euer thou hast shewed to sinners from the first instant of thy birth vnto this presēt houre that thou wilt not refuse the prayers of vs poore sinners for this Soule or these Soules but be pleased to deliuer them from all paine graunt thē eternall rest through thy bottōles mercy for that to saue vs thou didst assume our poore humanity THE I. PRAYER WE salute thee Eternall word and wisdome of the Father beseech thee by that infinite charity which drew thee from the bosome of thy eternall Father to chose the pure immaculate Virgin to be thy mother as also through that admirable worke thou wroughtest in her sacred wombe when thou didst cloath thy Glorious Diuinity with our base flesh and in that sort becamest our brother and didest giue thy glorious mother vnto vs for an Aduocate and mother for which cause we hūbly haue recourse vnto her hoping what our owne merites cannot obtaine to impetrate by her confident wherof we conuert our selues to thee ô sweet Mother of mercy and by that inestimable treasure which was inclosed in thy Virginal wombe which neither heauen nor earth could containe O daughter of the eternall Father mother of the sonne and spouse of the holy Ghost we beseech thee that thou wilt vouchsafe by thy intercession to open vnto vs the same diuine treasure and beseech thy beloued sonne that throgh the loue he bore thee he will receiue our petitions for this Soule or these Soules and forgiue thē in whatsoeuer they haue offended and by his holy birth by which he hath broken Adams chaines wil be pleased to vnloose these poore Soules from the chaines of their sinnes Miserere mei Deus c. THE II. PRAYER WE salute thee O most sweet Lord Iesus fountaine of mercy and bright Mirrour of al vertue beseech thee throgh the extreme pouerty and other afflictions that thou didest endure in thy holy birth and tender infancy as also by thy great humility penance fasting watching praying and other austerities that thou didest liuing here vpon earth for the space of 33. yeares by thy painful foot-steps going bare-foote and bare head throgh the hunger thirst cold and heate labour wearines the other miseries thou sufferedst euery hower and moment during thy life for our saluation that immense charity wherby thou didest offer all those thy suffrings to thy celestiall Father for the satisfaction of our sinnes that thou wilt mercifully pardon these Soules all the offences they haue commited against thee in pride vain-glory couetousnes sensuality vaine cares of temporall things vanities impure thoughtes wordes and actions throgh the merits of all thy sufferances labours and most holy life and conuersation Miserere THE III. PRAYER WE salute thee ô Eternall comfort sweet solace of our soules and beseech thee by that infinite loue mercy thou hast awayes shewed to sinners so immense that no vnderstanding is able to comprehend it by that loue which made thee who art an incomprehensible treasure to permit thy selfe to be sold for thirty pence by that infinite charity wherewith thou didest giue thy selfe in the diuine Sacrament to thy Apostles vnder the species of bread and wine to vs all as a pledge of our saluation through this thy liberality we beseech thee ô bread of Angels and Sauiour of soules the giuer and the gift that thou wilt mercifully pardon these Soules all the offences they haue commited against thee by vnworthy receauing of this holy Sacramēt without due contrition right confession and entire satisfactiō forgiue thē ô Lord throgh thy infinite mercy Miserere THE IV. PRAYER WE salute thee ô bread of Angells and comforter of sorrowfull hartes beseech thee by thy profound humility with which thou didst bow downe thy knees at thy disciples feet washed them as also through that holy Sermon thou didest make vnto them and the sorrowfull wordes thou spakest saying My soule is sorrowfull vnto death vntil now you haue not prayed pray for whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you O louing Lord through this thy promise we beseech thy blessed Father through thee his only deere beloued sonne that he wil remēber the great anxiety thy sacred humanity did indure when it beheld all those intollerable torments death it was to vndergoe by the bitter anguish therof we beseech him and thy sacred selfe mercifully to pardon these Soules all they haue offended in vaine solace and admit them into thy eternall glory Miserere THE V. PRAYER WE salute thee ô most mercifull Lord Iesus sweet sheepheard of our Soules who for our redemption hast drunke the chalice of thy bitter passiō besech thee by that painful agony which thou didst willingly endure when kneeling and prostrate on the ground thou didst pray three seuerall times to thy celestiall Father saying Father if it be possible let this Chalice passe from me yet not my will but thyne be done at which time thou didest sweat water bloud through the bitternesse of thy anguish and an Angell came frō heauen to cōfort thee saying Arise go forward coragiously you shal appease your Fathers wrath you shall breake Adams bandes redeeme mankind after which thou wentest to thy Disciples finding them a sleep saidst do you sleep now Arise let vs go for he that betrayeth me is at hand O deere Lord through that thy willing resignation to suffer death to fulfill the will of thy heauenly Father and through thy dolourous agonye and blouddy sweat we beseech thee mercifuly to pardon these poore soules all the offences they haue committed against thy diuine pleasure or the Obedience of their Superiours and through thy holy feruēt prayer receiue our humble prayers and petitions for them Miserere THE VI. PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus beseech thee by that inflamed charity wherwith thou didest go to meet the traitor Iudas asking him the rest whō they soght they answering Iesus of Nazareth thou answeredst I am he through the power of which wordes they all fell two seuerall times downe to the ground after which giuing them power to rise thou didest meekly receiue the kisse of the traytor Iudas saying to him Friend whereto art thou come dost thou betray the sonne of man with a kisse We thanke thee O most sweet Sauiour for all these mercies and beseech thee throgh the merits of them to forgiue these soules whatsoeuer they haue offended in detraction
Mediator betweene thy heauenly Father vs sinners and represent to thee that cruelty wherwith the cursed Iewes stretched forth thy sacred leggs so violently with a cord that all thy veines sinewes were broken and nayled thy holy feet vnto the crosse with great and boystrous nayles throgh thy great patience suffering them to do to thee whatsoeuer they would as if thou hadst said I lye heere to the end I may accomplish my Fathers will and redeeme mankind O what great and excessiue paine caused euery stroke of the hammer vnto thy hart and also to the tender hart of thy blessed Mother O deerest Sauiour we render thee infinite thankes for that most intollerable torment which thou didst endure in that dolourous nayling of thy sacred feet and that immense loue charity wherwith thou didest suffer it most hūbly beseeching thee therby to pardon these soules all they haue committed against thee by sitting or lying sleeping or waking knowing or not knowing or in what sort soeuer through thy painfull lying on the crosse and extreme torments shame and ignominy Miserere THE XIX PRAYER O Most sweet Lord Iesus we humbly salute thee and represent vnto thee that pittifull rearing vp of the crosse wherby thy cruell enemies did miserably shake thy sacred body vsing many clamours opprobries and iniurious despites against thee letting the crosse fall after they had raysed it violently downe into the hole they had made for it in the ground through the force wherof all thy woundes were renewed and most cruelly rent and torne out of which as from riuers flowed forth thy precious bloud in great aboundance O deerest Sauiour with what infinite Charity diddest thou hang there to make satisfaction for all sinnes past present and to come for which we render thee immortall thankes and humbly beseech thee to let one drop of that thy precious bloud which thou didest then shee l descend vpon these Soules for a full satisfaction of all the sinnes they haue committed in the whole course of their life Miserere THE XX. PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus who knowest the desires of our harts before they be declared by wordes and represent to thee that great charity wherewith hanging on the crosse thou didest pray for thy enemyes saying Father forgiue them for they know not what they do which mercifull prayer of thine was of such force that it conuerted many of them that were guilty of thy bloud O true comforter of all sorrowfull hartes we beseech thee throgh the merit of that thy Prayer that thou wilt vouchsafe now to pray to thy heauenly Father for these poore soules that they may be as fully pardoned of all their sinnes offences as those who were then receiued into grace through the merit of thy precious bloud Miserere THE XXI PRAYER WE salute thee ô soueraigne Lord Iesus sweet Father of mercy and represent to thee how hanginge betweene two thee us the one wherof blasphemed thee the other besought thee to be myndefull of him when thou camest in thy kingdome whom thou didest bountifully pardon and receiue into thy mercy in such sort as he was the first vnto whom thou didest promise paradise throgh which bottomlesse mercy we beseech thee as also throgh the merits of thy precious bloud which thou impartedst to the Theefe to let the same precious bloud descend now vpon these soules vnto a full forgiuenesse of their sinnes and through thy infinite mercy bring them into thy euerlasting glory Miserere THE XXII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most Blessed Lord Iesus sweet solace of the sorrowfull and offer vnto thee all that internall suffering thou haddest seeing thy deere Mother standing vnder the crosse ouerwhelmed in a sea of deadly anguishes through loue and compassion towardes thee whom thou didest commend to thy beloued Disciple S. Iohn which greately renewed her griefe and bitter sorrow for thy death O deerest Lord through this loue and care thou haddst of thy sweet Mother in thy torments we humbly commend vnto thy mercifull goodnesse these soules beseechinge thee to deliuer them for all paines and torments through thy merites and the merites of thy blessed Mother Miserere THE XXIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus soueraign shepheard of thy holy Church and faithfull forgiuer of sinnes and offer vnto thee that sorrowfull Prayer thou madest vnto thy heauenly Father when thou saidest my God my God why hast thou forsaken me he hauing left thy holy Humanity destitute of all help and comfort in those thy bitter angushes and tormēts for all which we humbly thanke thee beseech thee by them and the merits of thy sacred Prayer that thou wilt mercifully heare our humble prayers which we now present to thee for these poore soules deliuer them through thy infinite mercy and merits from all their paines tormēts Miserere THE XXIV PRAYER WE salute thee ô sweet Iesus fountaine of liuing waters and represent vnto thee how thou saidst I thirst which thirst must needs be excessiue great for that there was not left one drop of bloud in all thy whole body but chiefly didest thou thirst for our saluation for which we humbly thanke thee as also for the bitter gall eysell thou didest take and the secret sorrow thou hadst remembring that thy bitter death shold be lost on so many soules all which we humbly offer to thee ô most sweet Sauiour and beseech thee that thou wilt let thy precious bloud descend on these poore Soules to refresh them and to deliuer them from all their paines Miserere THE XXV PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus inestimable treasure of the diuine riches and represent vnto thee how in the end of thy life thou calledst to mind all the holy workes thou hadst done all thy life and in one summe offeredst them all vp to thy celestiall Father saying It is consūmate we most humbly beseech thee to offer that inestimable treasure of thy merits which neuer diminisheth vnto thy heauenly Father for these Soules and therewith pay all the debts of their sinnes and all other they are charged with Miserere THE XXVI PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus giuer of life to all creatures and soueraigne commaunder of life and death and represent vnto thee thy lamentable hanging vpon the Crosse all deformed with bleedinge woundes a deadly palenesse at the time of thy death when casting downe thy heauēly eyes which were dimmed with tears and began to breake with the anguishes of death and declining thy head which was compassed about with thornes to shew thy Obedience to thy heauenly Father and reconcile thy Church to him thou rendredst thy sacred soule crying with a lowd voyce Father into thy handes I commend my spirit O crucifyed Lord as thou didst commend thy sweet spirit into thy Fathers handes so we commend these poore Soules into thyne beseching thee to reconcile them vnto thy heauenly Father and offer thy precious bloud and
bitter death vnto him for a full pardon and remission of all their sinnes O Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world we beseech thee throgh thy seauen words which are full of mercy and mystery that thou wilt mercifully pardon these poore soules whatsoeuer they haue offended in the seauen deadly sinnes or any branch of them Miserere THE XXVII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus the vanquisher of death descending with the banner of thy crosse into hell O how were those Prisoners which so many yeares with longing desires had expected thee comforted when as they saw thee and knew thee to be God and man their Lord and redeemer and that Adam said I see heere that hand that framed me O deerest Sauiour we beseech thee through the Ioy those holy soules had when thou didest lead them out of that Infernall Prison and by that vnspeakable gladnesse thou hadst when thou beheldest the first happy fruit of thy death and passion through al thy merits that thou wilt lead forth these poore soules out of all captiuity Miserere THE XXVIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus foūtaine of loue and mercy and represent to thee how Longinus furiously opened thy side with a speare which transpeirced euen thy Sacred hart of out which flowed both water and bloud O deerest Lord we humbly thanke thee for this most liberall effusion of thy precious bloud and humbly beseech thee by it to receiue these poore Soules into thy sacred woundes and hart and cleanse them with thy precious bloud and by the fiue woundes of thy handes feet and hart all the other sacred woundes of thy most precious body mercifully to pardō all their sinnes Miserere THE XXIX PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus the innocent sacrificed Lambe represent vnto thee how thy wounded body was takē downe frō the Crosse laid in the lap of thy sorrowfull Mother from which crosse thou wouldst not descend vntill thou haddst accomplished the worlds redemption O deerest Lord through that thy infinite mercy and all other merites of thy bitter passion we humbly beseech thee to vnloose these poore soules frō all the chaines wherewith they haue bound themselues by their sinnes we humbly beseech thee also O Sacred Mother of God through the sorrow and tender compassion thou hadst to see the wounded body of thy deerest sonne lying dead in thy lap that thou wilt offer his and thy merites for these poore Soules vnto the eternall Father to obtaine a full pardō remissiō of all their sinnes Miserere THE XXX PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus and offer vnto thee thy holy buriall how after all thy labours and miseries thou didest rest in thy graue We humbly beseech thee to giue these soules rest in the holy City of heauen forgiue them who haue so often times withdrawne their soule from thee by the distraction of temporall thinges and not suffered thee their peacefull king to rest in their hartes Miserere THE XXXI PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus the ioy of Angels and saluation of men and represent to thee thy glorious resurrection and ioyfull apparitions to thy holy Mother deere friends through which we humbly beseech thee O conquerer of death that thou wilt with thy diuine power shew thy selfe to these poore Soules finish all their bitter paines Mise THE XXXII PRAYER WE salute thee ô soueraigne King of glory and represent to thee thy Glorious Triumphant Ascension and Assumption of those Soules which in Limbo so long time had expected their Redēption most humbly beseeching thee sweet Sauiour that thou wilt be pleased through thy infinite goodnesse to lead these Soules into thy eternall glory where for euer they may behold thy diuine and heauenly face O good Iesus and deere Sauiour we beseech thee by thy holy conuersation and painfull passion to pardon them all their sinnes and bring them into thy eternall rest and fruition of thy glory Miserere THE XXXIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô eternall increated Sonne of God full of grace and mercy the reward of all those that hope in thee most humbly beseeching thee mercifully to forgiue vs all our omissions of intention in these prayers let thē not be throgh our coldnes lesse meritorious to these poore Soules but receiue them according to the worthinese of the sacred mysteries mentioned therin through that infinite loue wherewith they were accomplished and the worthinesse of the person that wrought them by all which we humbly beseech thee to deliuer these poore soules frō all paines and reioyce them with thy heauenly presence for all eternity Miserere The Conclusion O Most sweet Lord Iesus soueraigne Lord life of our soules we humbly beseech thee to encline thy eares to our prayers deliuer these Soules or this Soule from all paines and admit them into thy eternall glory Let thy preciou◠bloud thy deep woundes thy cruell torments thy bitter passion innocent death thy Nobl◠Soule and the prayers and merits of thy sacred Mother and all the holy Angels and Saintes be vnto them a full satisfaction for all their sinnes negligences and omissions and suffer no◠their Soules whom thou hast redeemed with thy preciou◠bloud any longer to be separated from thee O Redeemer o◠the world we hūbly offer these prayers for them to thy ttanspeirced Hart beseeching thee to grant them the fruition of thy eternall Glory Amen FINIS
A REMEMBRANCE FOR THE LIVING TO Pray for the Dead Made by a Father of the Soc. of Iesus By the Prayers of the Holy Cath. Church the wholesome Sacrifice of the Altar by Almes giuen for their Soules it is not to be doubted but the DEAD are holpen that they may be dealt withall more mercifully by our Lord then their Sinnes haue deserued S. August Serm. 32. de verb. Apost tom 10. Permissu Superiorum Anno 1641. TO THE Deuout and Charitable READER LORD sayth holy Dauid Psal 8. What is mā that thou art mindfull of him The Hebrew word Enosch which Dauid in this place vseth to signify Man doth most properly signify a most miserable forgetfull Creature So that in the language of Scripture a Man a Creature most miserable and most forgetfull is all one This forgetfulnes is chiefly in things of the other life which though they be neuer so important neuer so much inculcated yet they find either no place at all or the very least last in our thoghts I did not therefore without particular reason entitle this briefe Treatise A Remembrance for the liuing to pray for the dead for I thinke deare Reader that if thou hast the hart of a Man and not a stone in place of a hart that this Remembrance will stir thee vp to affoard farre more assistance to these distressed Soules in Purgatory then thou didst vse to doe meerly for want of due Remembrance Reflection and Consideration of this matter I haue in this Treatise made much vse of a litle Book lately set forth in Latin of the same subiect for I found in it diuers points briefly touched which seemed to me most worthy of longer Consideration I haue done my best to obserue that method and vse that plainesse of style which might most help my Reader to carry away my whole discourse Sweet IESV who didst loue all Soules so dearly that thou didst powre out the last droppe of thy sacred bloud for them graunt I beseech thee euen by this excesse of thy Charity that we may not be so vncharitable to those very Soules whom thou didst loue so tenderly as to neglect their complaints to slight their sufferings and to leaue them without due assistance in their miseries A Remembrance for the Liuing to pray for the Dead The Preface BEsides many who erroneously think there is no such matter is a Purgatory and consequently that it is a vaine thing to pray for the dead there be many who either for want of sufficient instruction in that which they belieue or by inconsideratiō of what they belieue do passe ouer this important busines of praying for the dead so coldly as that they think they do inough to help their owne ye a Christs owne Brother if they do but say God rest his soule which is a most vnmercifull manner of proceeding For if we saw our litle Brother falne into the fier we should neuer be so hard-harted as to see him broile there and perswade our selues it were charity inough to throw a little drop of water into the fier somewhat to asswage his torments And so I know not how it comes to passe that many flatter themselues with the name of good-natur'd kind-harted Creatures who notwithstanding take so litle to hart this extreme necessity of their Brethrē that their thoughts are busied about nothing lesse then relieuing them The intention therefore of this presēt Treatise is first though very briefly to rectify the vnderstanding of those who thinke and belieue amisse of Purgatory Secōdly more at large to stirre vp in the will of all faithfull belieuers an ardent desire to redresse the vnspeakable miseries of these distressed Soules CHAP. I. PVRGATORY proued by all kind of sacred Authority 1. FIrst I must put my Reader in mind that it commeth all to one to proue that Prayers do profit the Dead to proue a Purgatory for prayers can neyther profit those dead who are in Heauen nor those dead who are in Hell and are past our help Those dead then who can receaue profit by our Prayers must neyther be in Heauen nor in Hell but in a third place which we call Purgatory where being detayned to suffer for their sinnes not fully satisfied for do stand in need of the help of their liuing brethren To pray for these soules we hould it Piety Impiety to deny them this reliefe 2. This we prooue first by the authority of the old Testament In the second Booke of the Machabees Cap. 12. it is recorded how the most pious and valiant Judas Machabaeus hauing to this end made a gathering of twelue thousand drachmes of siluer did send this mony to Jerusalem That sacrifice might be offered for the sins of the dead And this Scripture addeth A holy therfore wholsome thought it is to pray for the dead that they may be freed from their sinnes Hence it is cleare that the Iewes did hold prayer for the dead consequently a Purgatory seeing that they did all contribute for the making vp of this great summe of money to procure that sacrifice might be offered for the sins of the dead And this pious custome of praying for the departed is vntill this very day kept and obserued by the Iewes Lastly chiefly this custome is recommended by Scripture as holy wholsome 3. The Protestāt wil perhaps say that these two Books of the Machabees be not Canonical Scripture I answere that a thousand and almost three hundred yeares ago these books were defined to be canonicall by the Councell of Carthage in which S. Austin himselfe being present did subscribe to this definitiō of the Councell The words of the Councel can 47. are The Canonicall Scriptures be these Genesis Exodus c. the 2. Books of the Machabees And S. Austin saith l. 18. de Ciuit. c. 36. The Books of the Machabees not by the Iewes but by the Church are held for Canonicall And S. Hierome in Prolog Although the books of the Machabees be not in the Canon of the Iewes yet by the Church they are reckoned among the historyes of diuine volumes If therefore we wil receiue the Canon of Scripture from the Church our question is at an end if we will not we may make questions without end So we see Luther himselfe calleth into question the authority of the Apocalyps saith in Praefat noui Testam that he esteemeth this booke neyther written with a Propheticall nor Apostolicall spirit yet our Gospellers who are so well skilled in the spirit scarce esteeme more any one booke of scripture But by the way I would aske of them how if the Apocalyps be true Scripture Luther can be a true Saint For in the end of the Apocalyps cap. 22. it is said If any man shall diminish from the words of the booke of this Prophecy God shall take away his part from the booke of life But Luther tooke away all the words of this Prophecy saying it was not
cannot but know Now if I belieue that the vniuersall Church did shine with this custome of offering sacrifice for the dead as in prudēce I must how can I in prudence thinke that the vniuersall Church euen in that her golden age was stained with such a profane Errour as Protestants hold this to be It is saith the same S. Austin Ep. 118. ad Januar insolent madnes to dispute against that which is practised by the whole Church all the world ouer And why so Because he that will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as a Heathen or Publican Matth. 18. Because the gates of hell cannot preuaile against her Matth. 16. Because the is the pillar foundation of truth 1. Tim. 3. The Church then being the foundation of truth may we not well cry out with S. Paul O mad-men who hath be witched you not to obey the truth Gal. 3. For was not Iohn Caluin thinke you bewitched when he spake these words Before a thousand and three hundred yeares saith Caluin aboue an hundred yeares ago it was by custome receiued that prayers should be made for the dead but they all I confesse were ingulfed in an errour lib. 3. Iustit c. 5 Thus Caluin as boldly as if it were cleere that for thirteene hundred yeares togeather none of thē all vnderstood the Scripture so well as he But by his leaue I think I may be of the contrary opinion I am very confident that S. Austin had as good a wit studied as much was assisted as much by the holy Ghost and consequently vnderstood the Scripture as rightly as M. John Caluin yet this profound Doctour and great Saint writeth these very words which I do most faithfully trāslate out of him By the prayers of the holy Church and the wholsome sacrifice and by the almes which are giuen for their soules it is not to be doubted but the dead are holpen that they may be dealt withall more mercyfully by our Lord then their sins haue deserued for this deliuered from our Fathers the vniuersall Church doth obserue that for those who are dead in the Communion of the body bloud of Christ Prayer should be made when in the Sacrifice it selfe they in their place are remembred and that that Sacrifice should be remembred to be offered vp for them But when works of mercy are offered vp for their sakes who can doubt but that they auaile them for whom prayers are not in vaine offered vp to God It is not to be doubted in any case but that these things do profit the dead Serm. 32. de verb. Apost Thus writeth S. Austin repeating ouer ouer againe in so few lines It is not to be doubted who can doubt It is not to be doubted in any case that these things do profit the Dead This being so cleare all other authorityes may seeme superfluous He who desireth more testimonyes may read in Bellarmine de Purgatorio the words of S. Athanasius Basil Nazianzen Cyril Chrysostome Tertulliā Cyprian Ambrose Hierome others we also shall haue frequent occasions to cite many other places CHAP. II. Purgatory proued by Reason grounded in Scripture 1. AS it is a great Argument against Atheists who deny a God rewarder of good punisher of euil that all the world but they acknowledge such a God so it cānot but be a strong argument against Protestants who deny Purgatory that all Heathens Iewes Turkes and all ciuill nations do vse Prayer for the dead The reason why all agree so vniuersally in this point must needs be groūded in the light of naturall Reason which as it teacheth that there be some men very good who deserue nothing but reward others very bad who deserue nothing but punishment so it teacheth that there is a third kind of men who with the good they do worthy of reward do also some ill worthy of some though not eternall punishment consequently it will belong to higher Powers to giue these men due chastisment which as we see they escape often in this life it must therfore be giuen them in the next S. Austin thought this to be so manifest that he saith in Euchir c. 109. Jt is not to be denyed but that the soules of those who are departed are much relieued by the pitty of their liuing friends when either the Sacrifice of our Mediator is offered for them or Almes are giuen in the Church in their behalf because there is a certain state of life neither so good but that they may haue need of these helps after death nor yet so euill but that these offices may profit them And on the contrary there is another state of men so good that they need not this help and of others so euill that they cannot be helped by it when they are dead Wherfore heere in this life all merit is gottē wherby after this life a man may be relieued or not 2. The answer which Protestants vse to make is very weake for they say that although some men liue so that they do not deserue Hell and yet liue not so well but they deserue some punishment yet these men say they shall not go to Purgatory but by the onely vndergoing of the paines of death they shall be sufficiently punished for their sinnes This answere for two reasons is apparently false First for that the vndergoing of death is a punishment due vnto all men for originall sinne For saith S. Paul Rom. 5. by one man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death and so vnto all men death did passe euen vnto sucking babes who for no other cause vndergoe this punishment Secondly we see the paines of death equally shared among the good and bad and in the floud of Noë all mē suffered the same death of being drowned yet the sinnes of many were most vnequall 3. This proofe drawne from naturall Reason is exceedingly illustrated and confirmed by three principles certaine in holy Scripture The first is that there are some sins only veniall and not lyable to eternall torments and yet lyable to some torments That seruant saith S. Luke cap. 22. who knoweth the will of his Lord and doth not according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes but he that knoweth it not and doth things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes Hence it is euident that there be some men who do things worthy of stripes which they shall not escape but yet they shall be beaten with few stripes But if these stripes be to be layd on for all Eternity as all stripes be which are payd in hell they will not be few because being euerlasting the number of thē will be without number will any one call these stripes few Or can any man perswade himself that a God who is all mercy will in this vnmercifull manner punish the speaking of one idle word yet Christ himselfe saith that we shall be accountable for euery idle word we speake Matth. 12.
By this it appeareth that all those who exercise these works of charity spirituall mercy frequently as all do who do much for the soules in Purgatory are so far from depriuing themselues of all satisfaction that as often as they giue their satisfactory works away they heap vp great treasures of satisfaction so that heere that which the Scripture sayth in the Prouerbs is perfectly verifyed Some men diuide to others their owne riches and become the richer therby Prou. 24. CHAP. XI That by offering our Actions for the Soules in Purgatory we haue great hope of escaping eyther all or a good part of Purgatory 1. THE proofe of this title may be in part drawne out of the precedent chapters for this act being so eminent if we regard merit and so effectuall if we regard impetration may with good groūd be thought partly to deserue as it is meritorious partly to obtaine by way of fauour as it is impetratory that our mercifull Lord should deale more mildely then the ordinary course of iustice exacts with all those who haue both made a most noble kind of satisfaction for their owne sinnes and haue with a most heroicall charity done many worthy actiōs to satisfy for the sinnes of others neyther be there wanting many conuenient reasons to perswade vs to haue this honorable conceit of the diuine goodnes 2. The holy Scripture it selfe giues vs good ground to build this opinion Charity doth couer the multitude of sinnes 1. Pet. 4. And yet more clearly Charity doth couer all our sinnes Prou. 10. And what Charity more eminent then this Almes free from sinne and from death and permit not the soule to go into darknes Tob. 4. Giue almes and all shall be clean vnto you Luc. 11. Now if these prerogatiues be to be granted to almes deeds when they are plentiful which I add because S. Chrysostome sayth Non dare sed copiosè dare eleemosyna est Not to giue but to giue plentifully is an almeesdeed if I say almesdeeds be thus priuiledged being a meere worke of mercy corporall what shall we thinke of this almes so incōparably surpassing all corporall works of mercy for it relieueth a greater misery then any corporall necessity can be and it bestoweth a gift no lesse then the possession of God himselfe Shall such an almes permit the giuer of it to go into darknes Now this almes also will make all cleare for He who giueth to the poore shall not want Prou. 27. He shall not sustaine this necessity the most grieuous a poore soule can be in because as holy Dauid saith Psal 40. Blessed is he who vnderstandeth concerning the poore and needy in the euill day our Lord will deliuer him He shall be deliuered in that day which to others is so euill 3. And indeed how can we thinke otherwise for be not these our Sauiours words As long as you haue done these things vnto any one of my Bretheren you haue done them vnto me Now if our Sauiour taketh the deliuery of the Soules of his bretheren as gratefully as if his owne soule had bin freed from Purgatory what shadow of likelyhood is there that he will not procure the deliuery of him whom he acknowledgeth to haue bin his owne deliuerer who of vs can haue the heart and our harts are hard inough yet who of vs can haue the hart to let him lye rosting in Purgatory flames who hath freed vs from this misery especially if we could effect his releasment as easily as our Sauiour can worke ours euen without breach of the very rigor of iustice to wit by offering in our behalfe his superabundant satisfactions for the supply of such satisfaction as we stand in need of that is to bestow for his own sake a Plenary Indulgence vpon vs which though it be a fauour extraordinary yet the motiue to grant it beareth proportion with such a grant and to him who hath shewed so extraordinary charity liberality and mercy it ought not to seeme strange if extraordinary charity liberality mercy be shewed by him whose bowels are made all of Charity bounty and compassion for if in punishing God obserueth this rule By what things a man sinneth by the same also he is tormented Sap. 11. As he hath done so it shall be done vnto him He shall restore soule for soule eye for eye Leuit. 29. May we not iustly thinke that in matter of fauour he doth shew greatest mercy to him who hath shewed greatest mercy to others what other sense haue those words Matth. 5. Blessed be the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy Wherfore As he hath done it shall be done vnto him As he hath offered his satisfactions for the releasment of the Soules of Christs bretheren so Christ will offer vp his superabundant satisfaction for the releasment of his Soule Soule for Soule shall be repayed to him ransom for ransom As he hath freed others so he shal be freed himselfe 4. We must not heere ouerslip in a cursory manner that euidēt text of Scripture which doth almost demonstrate that which we haue said Giue and it shal be giuen vnto you but marke well in what measure A good measure a heaped measure a measure pressed downe and running ouer they shall giue into your bosome Luc. 6. The thing which we did giue was the fruits of our satisfactiōs for supply of our Brethrēs want by which guift he was released Wherfore that our Lord may returne vs equall measure as great wants of ours must be supplyed by the fruits of his superabundāt satisfactions but that this measure be a heaped vp a pressed downe and running ouer measure we may expect to be in that ouer liberall manner made partakers of Christs satisfactions that by them our debts being to the last farthing wholy discharged we may passe without impedimēt to the reward of our charity 5. To all these so well grounded reasons we will add for a conclusion the certaine assistance which infallibly in this our necessity will be affoarded vs by all those whom we haue either released or relieued and not only all these happy soules but also all and euery one of their blessed kindred Angel-guardians Patrons c. will fauour vs in our death to requite the fauour by which we obliged them in our life so that many of the Saints by their glorious intercessions some by offering vp for vs their superabundant satisfactions will so preuayle with the mercy of God that we need not much feare all helps being put togeather to be long left forlorn in the flames of Purgatory 6. And least perhaps this feare might haue some little place left in any mans hart it hath pleased the diuine goodnes by word of mouth to confirme all we haue said S. Gertrude was one of the most renowned Saints for vertue and one of the most wonderfull Saints for the miraculous fauours which daily were done vnto her that the Church hath had This blessed Saint as Denis the Carthusian relateth
that holy and dreadfull Sacrifice which is placed on the altar is the greatest help for the soules for which it is offered See this place at large for nothing can be spoken more Catholikly 5. The Sacrifices of the old Law were esteemed by the chiefe only true belieuers of those tymes to haue such vertue to relieue the dead that when souldiers were slaine in battaile they made a gathering of no lesse then twelue thousand drachmes of siluer and sent this money to Hierusalem that sacrifice might be offered for the sins of the dead 2. Machab. 12. What esteeme then ought we to haue of our Sacrifice S. Austin l. 9. Confess c. 3. deseruedly praysed his dead Mother in these words She did not thinke how to haue her body sumptuously buried or embalmed but she desired only that her memory might be made at Gods Altar at which she neuer omitted any one day of her life to be present knowing that from thence is dispensed the holy hoast or Sacrifice wherby is blotted out the guilt of the world And this which she requested was fulfilled when the Sacrifice of our price was offered for her as S. Austin cap. 12. of the same Booke sayth it was 6. This piety which so flourished in the primitiue Church ceaseth not in the prime parts of the world to flourish in these our dayes No lesse then one thousand seauen hundred Masses vpon one and the selfe same day were in Madrid celebrated at the funerals of Margaret wife to Philip the third King of Spaine and besides a thousand Masses which this Queene by her will gaue order to haue said for her Soule the King of his liberality caused twenty thousand more to be said for her Gasman in vita Margar. Austriac p. 3. c. 3. It is not very many yeares since the death of the Archduke Albertus Prince of the Low-Countryes whose most pious wife Isabell did procure for the reliefe of his soule forty thousand Masses and for thirty dayes togeather she herselfe did heare 10. Masses daily for this her pious Lord and husband P.F. Iac. Curuoisier in Mansolaeo 7. As for fasting most remarkable is that which we read in the Scripture That after the death of Saul his sonnes the men of Iabes Galaad did take his dead body and the dead bodyes of his sonnes and buried them in the wood of Jabes and fasted seauen dayes 1. Reg. c. vlt. Vnder the name of fasts all other mortifications and austerityes are comprehēded as disciplines hayre-cloath lying on the ground c. But because some mens silken eares cannot endure so hard language as the naming of these things and others vnder pretence of health will plead inhability to performe such works I will adde some few acts of mortification which no man or woman can be too weake to exercise For example to debarre themselues of some lesse necessary recreations to abstaine from some sweet morsels for some smal space to keep silence not to see not to heare such and such curiosities But one act of Vertue there is which the weakest creature in the world may practise and it is an act of so high worth that the strōgest man in the world can scarce practice a better It is this for Christs sake to forgiue all those from your very hart who haue done any iniury or iniuries vnto you This is not my doctrine but the doctrine of S. Austin Serm. 41. de Sanctis in these words Those who desire to be deliuered from this temporall purging fire let them by continual prayers and frequent fastings large almes and especially by forgiuing them who haue offended against them redeeme their ordinary dayly sins This act which S. Austin doth so especially aboue all other commend hath a better recommendation in the word of God which doth in plaine termes promise to this act a plenary Indulgence a Iubily a full Remission of all sins in this large forme of Grant Forgiue and it shall be forgiuen vnto you Luc. 6. And againe For if you forgiue vnto men their offences your heauenly Father also will forgiue your sins vnto you Matth. 6. This pardon you may gaine for the soules in Purgatory Heare then a memorable exāple to this purpose 8 The only sonne of an honorable Widdow was murdered by a wicked fellow who being for this his murder in danger of being apprehended by the Officers had hid himselfe but the officers and the widdow had intelligēce where he lay The Officers went to the place to take him but the pious widdow did for Gods sake so truly pardon this greatest mischiefe which could haue byn done her that she did not onely certify the murderer of his danger to the end he might fly away in tyme but for this end did she furnish him also with money and gaue him the horse of her dead sonne that he might escape the better After this she retired herselfe to pray for her Sonnes soule when behold her sonne all in glory appeared vnto her and told her that for so great Charity towards his murderer God had already freed him from the fire of Purgatory which for many yeares he should haue suffered Orosius fer 6. post Cineres Thus much for this point We may also much relieue the soules in Purgatory by suffering for them such crosses as it shall please God to lay vpō vs as sicknes losse of goods of friends trouble of the mind and all kind of afflictions which are exceeding satisfactory if we accept them willingly or beare them patiently 6. A third kind of satisfaction most auailable to the soules in Purgatory is to exercise Almes-deeds which be most effectual to abolish all paine due to sin therfore most profitable to those poore soules both when they are giuen to any sort of poore men most of all when they are giuen vnto those who are voluntarily poore as all religious both men women are for they will be sure to pray deuoutly for the dead So that they receaue a double benefit both by the guift of the almes it selfe which is a worke highly satisfactory and also by the prayers of those to whom the almes are giuen who often are very great seruants of almighty God and their prayers most powerfull with him Hence is that excellent aduice of S. Ambrose l. 1. de fide resurrect who exhorteth the Parents to bestow the portions which they intended to haue giuē their children which now are dead in almesdeeds for the reliefe of their soules Excellēt also is that Counsell which some giue to rich men They aduise thē as often as they heare a poore man knocking at their doore to imagine themselues to heare the voyce of a poore soule in Purgatory begging for reliefe and if they haue any mercy in them this imagination will stir them vp to bestow some smal almes both for the spirituall reliefe of the soule in Purgatory and the corporal reliefe of their poore neighbour 10. How grateful to God and beneficiall
so incredible as this Do but belieue which will not paine your bones the least All All though it were a thousand times more is wholy forgiuen you And sinne as much to morrow if it be possible as you haue sinned in all the dayes of your life and you shall not cease for all this to be iustified if you do not cease to belieue which as they say you cannot cease to do Was there euer the like deuise to make wide the strait gate of heauen Wheras if you will obtaine a Catholick Indulgence First you must belieue but this is not all as it is with Protestants Secondly you must haue true hope Thirdly you must be in perfect Charity and in the state of grace and consequently you must haue had true and hearty repentance of all your sins you must haue a firme purpose to forsake them you must haue made an entire and contrite confession of them you must if you haue wronged any man haue made him due satisfaction and after all this you must do the thing which is required for obteyning of the Indulgence which though in some occasions it be little yet many times it is the fast of three dayes the visiting of Churches the deuout praying in them the giuing of Almes c. 16. And all this being duely performed that which is wanting to the full satisfaction of the paine due to your forgiuen sins shal be gratiously supplyed by the superabundant satisfactions of Christ our Lord applyed by his Vicar vnto you to this end So that euen after all this no one sin is by the Indulgence forgiuen you for all Catholicks teach that all the Indulgences in the world cannot forgiue the least mortall sin no nor veniall as most affirme but all that is forgiuen by way of Indulgence is the paine to which the sinner was lyable euen after his sin was forgiuen him And therfore if the sin remaine still vnforgiuen the paine due vnto it cannot by any Indulgence be forgiuen And this is a great reason why so few do obtaine a perfect plenary Indulgence of all that paine which they were liable vnto because there be but few who vse due diligence to procure all their sins euen veniall to be fully forgiuen them and therfore they do not obteine the remission of the payne due to those sinnes which remaine vnforgiueÌ„ though they obteyne the remission of the paine due to all which are forgiueÌ„ them The importaÌ„ce of this matter hath made me more to enlarge my selfe then I intended CHAP. XV. Two other meanes of higher Perfection by which we may relieue the Soules in Purgatory 1. THe first is to offer vp all our good actions thoughts words and sufferings desiring God to accept of them for the reliefe of such a Soule or Soules in Purgatory to offer them vp all I say as they are satisfactory for so they do eyther onely or chiefly profit them and so we remayne free to apply the same workes as they are impetratory for obteyning any thing we desire to pray for yet I would not haue this so vnderstood as though we were not in the first place to satisfy any obligation which perhaps we might haue of employing some part of our works for other intentions Neither would I aduise any man to performe the pennances enioyned him in confession for satisfaction of the sins of any other besides himselfe But out of these or such like cases I know not how we can better apply our actions as they are satisfactory for thus all our actioÌ„s are not lesse but more meritorious not lesse but more impetratory not lesse but more satisfactory Thus we may hope to escape all or the greatest part of Purgatory paynes Wherfore it is not against charity towards our selues to be thus liberall All these things haue bin proued in the former chapters 2. A man would thinke it were not possible to proceed any further in this charitable deuotion But Charity is so witty in her inuentions that she hath found out a way to giue more then she hath or euer had in this life You shall see this verified in a strange mannet and an vnheard of example which cannot be well vnderstood without we first let all know that whensoeuer any one dyeth in the Society of Iesus euen the meanest Brother in the house it is ordeyned by the Constitutions of the same Society that all of that house where the party deceaseth who are Priests are to say three Masses for his soule those who are not Priests three payre of beades and throughout the whole Prouince which many times consists of seauen or eight hundred persons euery Priest is to say two Masses and each one of the rest two payre of beades for the same intention And besides all these prayers euery Priest of our Society throughout the whole world is obliged euery weeke to say one Masse and ech one of those who are not Priests one paire of beades for those of their Order deceased out of their particular Prouinces for if the deceased be of the same Prouince then they are to say for them two a peece as eueÌ„ now hath bin said Hence it appeareth that there dyeth not any one in the Society for whom a very great multitude of Masses and prayers are not said Let vs put a probable supposition Suppose there be sixteene thousand persons in the Soâ—â—ety that one halfe of this number be Priests the rest either Students Nouices or lay-Brothers Let vs also suppose that taking one week with another there dy out of this number foure a weeke This supposed it followeth that euery one of these foure shall haue for his part alone neere two thousand Masses and as many payre of beades said for his soule out of the Prouince where he dyed besides those which are said for him in the House and Prouince in which he dyed This being so heare now a rare act of Charity 3. Father Ferdinand Monroy of the Society of Iesus a man of rare sanctity when he came to dye knowing and in that houre liuely apprehending what Comfort he might take in the multitude of Masses prayers which he knew should after his death be said for his soule according to the rule of his Order was notwithstanding so inflamed with ardent charity towards the soules of his Christs brethren suffering in Purgatory that he bequeathed vnto them by Will Testament all the Masses and other prayers which after his departure should be offered vp for his soule and so departed this life eyther directly towards heauen as is most probable or a wellcome guest to the soules in Purgatory Euseb Nierembergicus tract de Purgatorio Can charity proceed any further Let then the imitation of this example be a second meanes for them whose charity burnes so much hoater then Purgatory If a third meanes of relieuing these soules perfecter then this could be found yet all that could be done ought not to seeme too much seeing it is done
offences which they haue committed against thee Miserere THE XII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus souerain king of Angels and shining crowne of the Saintes and represent vnto thee how those cruel miscreats after they had so inhumanly scourged thee set vpon thy sacred head a Crowne of sharpe and pricking thornes which they strooke with cruell blowes into thy head and kneeling downe before thee in scorne saluted thee saying All haile king of the Iewes after which they pulled of the Crowne of thornes and set it on againe with intollerable tormentes to thee spitting on thy diuine face which was all ouer imbrued with bloud swelled disfigured and deformed giuing thee cruell buffets scorning and deriding thee O deerest Lord Iesus O most mercifull Father and Sauiour we represente vnto thee all these paines and do giue thee infinite thankes for all these thy sufferings and those most cruell torments thou enduredst in thy sacred head most humbly beseeching thee by thē mercifully to pardon these poore soules all they haue offēded by their head either in hearing seeing speaking eating drinking or vaine attyring of their heads or by euill vsing the three powers of their soule forgiue it thē sweet Lord throgh thy infinit mercy Miserere THE XIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus eternall king of glory and represent vnto thee the intollerable shame and torment thou didest endure when Pilate led thee out to the people wearing the crowne of thornes and purple garment said Behold the man and the cursed multitude seeing thee so miserably disfigured wounded rent and torne had no compassion on thee but most vnhumanly cryed out take him a way take him a way crucify him crucify him O deerest Lord we render infinite thankes to thee for these thy cruell torments shame and ignominies and beseech thee to present now thy selfe with them and all thy other merites vnto thy heauenly Father for these soules for their eternall reconciliation and cloath them with thy merites and so present them to him as a fruite of thy better passion Miserere THE XIV PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus God of infinit Power and Maiesty and represent vnto thee how Pilate going to his Iudgment seat caused thee to be broght againe before him where thou stoodst hūbly with declined head eyes said to the Iewes I haue corrected him will you that I dismisse him but they al cryed out crucify him crucify him then Pilate said Will you that I dismisse Barabbas and crucify Iesus they all cryed out yes let him be crucified for he hath deserued the shamfull death of the Crosse then Pilate washed his hands and said I am innocent of the bloud of this iust man but they all cryed out let his bloud be vpon vs and vpon our Children O deerest Sauiour O foūtaine of all goodnesse O Father of mercy and God of all consolation we call vpon thee with all our hartes and with our soule powers forces and affections most humbly beseeching thee that thou wilt vouchsafe to let thy precious bloud come as truly vpon these poore soules to the forgiuenes remission of all their sinnes as it hath done vpon the Iewes to their eternall cōdemnation Then Pilate gaue the sentence of death against Iesus O deerest Sauiour through this sentence of death which thou receiuedst with so great humility we humbly beseech thee mercifully to pardon these poore Soules in whatsoeuer they haue offended by any euill or rash iudgmēt of their neighbour either in thought word or deed Miserere THE XV. PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus most meeke bearer of our infirmities and offer vnto thee that great charity wherwith thou didest imbrace the heauy Crosse that the cruell Iewes laid vpon thy wounded shoulders the weight wherof caused thee to bow downe euen to the ground being so faint that thou couldst scarce go or draw thy breath in which pittifull plight thou wert dragged forward by the Iewes who often strooke thee on thy sacred head and cast stones filth at thee O deerest Lord through the heauy burthen of the Crosse which thou so willingly cariedst for our sins we besech thee that thou wilt deliuer these Soules from all their paines through the great wound that the heauy Crosse made in thy wounded shoulder we beseech thee to comfort them in the same holy wound and by thy painfull footsteps forgiue them their sinnefull footsteps lead them into thy eternall glory and through the sorrow of thy blessed Mother compassion thou haddest of her pardon these poore Soules whatsoeuer they haue offended by omission of their duty toward their parents either corporall or spirituall Miserere THE XVI PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus Christ who cloathest the lillyes flowers with colours and beauty and represent vnto thee thy painfull vnclothing when before so many and so great a multitude of people they so furiously pulled of thy garments which stuck so fast to thy woundes that with the force of pulling them off they tore off also thy skin and flesh with most intollerable paine and torment to thee who stoodest in that miserable plight all ouer wounded rent torne naked trembling with cold and shame in the view of all the world powring from all partes of thy sacred body streames of most precions bloud O most sweet Iesus neuer did Bridegroome goe to the chamber of his spouse with so great a loue as thou wentest towardes the Crosse O deerest Sauiour neuer did Prince go to receiue his Crowne more willingly then thou wētest to the crosse wheron those impious vile miscreāts most furiously cast thee thou most willing didst stretch forth thy holy body vpon it suffering them most inhumanly to stretch forth and to nayle thy right Hand thereunto with a rough and boystorous nayle O soueraigne Lord and sweet Redeemer we rēder infinite thākes to thy goodnesse for all these thy cruell paines and torments and beseech thee by them all to forgiue these poore Soules all they haue offēded throgh pride of cloaths or any other offence or sinne Miserere THE XVII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus deere Father of our soules and present to thee that furious cruelty wherwith those barbarous wretches drew thy other Hand with a cord vnto the hole they had made in the Crosse in such sort that thy bones were disioynted thy woundes rent wider and all thy veines and sinewes broken and then they nayled that hand vnto the Crosse as they had done the other O deerest Lord we render thee infinite thankes for that intollerable torment thou didst endure in that cruell nayling of thy Handes vnto the crosse and beseech thee by it by the sacred woundes of them that thou wilt mercifully pardon these poore Soules all the sinnes and offences which by their handes they haue committed against thee Miserere THE XVIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus mercifull