apostacy gluttony lechery drunkennesse false inditing of any man wrōg imprisoning striking hurting or hindering any in his body good fame or in his cattle theft robbery extortion vsurie deceite vsing of false weights or measures letting of Gods seruice or of any good doing mispēding of holy daies wasting of time haunting of vaine plaies or iests example of euill liuing bringing vp of new fashions maintaining of sinne or any false quarrell receiuing in the state of mortall sin employing viciously any bodely or ghostly gift of God not refraining the custom of sin nor the circumstances as time place or persons Sinnes of omission that is The leauing of good deeds which we ought to doe Not louing praying and thāking God oft for his gifts and benefites not giuing attention to our praiers not conforming our workes and our wil to Gods wil not dooing al our good déeds to a good intente which is to please God and so come to blis not disposing vs to receiue grace and if we receue it not vsing it as we should do not forgiuing others for charity and Gods sake not resisting strongly against temptation not appeasing them that are at debate not teaching and instructing the ignorant not correcting thē that doe amis not being faithful vnto God and our Christian brother to our power not yeelding a good déede for an other if wee may not comforting them that be in sorrow sickenesse or pouertie not amending our sinnes spéedily but lying or dwelling in them presūptuously in trust of mercy Against which presuming wée reade in Eccl. 5. Non adijcias peccatum super peccatum dicas misericordia Dei magna est Adde not one sin on heape vppon an other and say the mercy of God is greate S. Greg. hath this saying Cum miser homo c. When the wretched mā falleth into any gréeuous sin the Diuell perswadeth with him that hée should not repent nor confesse his sinnes affirming it was but a light and smal sin or but purposed in his heart hee preacheth vnto him of mercy and promiseth him long life and biddeth him goe forwardes a while longer in his sin and all is to the end that we may bring him to care but litle for God and so at length to perish through impenitence or desperation Ready and approued remedies against capitall sinnes AGainst the swelling and enflaming of pride apply vnto your selfe the practise of humility which chiefly consisteth in knowing of our selfe in obaying our superiours spiritual and temporal in not making our selfe better than our equals Neither ought we to dispise or disdain our inferiours And therefore to beat downe stoutnesse and hawtinesse of mind and wil let vs looke vpon examples of Iesus Christ his humbling to the death of the crosse and the lowly patience of his saints and martired seruāts Thus comparing our imperfections with their perfections let vs cast downe our selues and acknowledge our selfe vile voyd of any thing to be honored or praised for Against the heate and distemperaunce of wrath and desire of reuengement the very same remedy serueth that cureth pride Against the wicked repining of enuy had against the prosperity of others or other wise reioising at their harm haue recourse vnto charitie which enuieth not at all to stablish that vertue in you be feruent in praier and vnderstande well the meaning of that ordinarie petition Adueniat regnum tuum which kingdome in vs is the vse possessing of charitie whereby all our wils and mindes are subiected and referred to Gods will which ought to rule raigne in vs wherby our faith and suffering of aduersities troubles and annoyances are made effectual and fruitfull to vs and without no good worke is any thing auaileable Against the heate of lechery and gréedines of gluttony wherby they are both counted vile and beastly allay the one and moderate the other with the temperate playster of Christian fasting which subdues the flesh to the spirit and with reléeuing and assisting of the poore oppressed soule it worketh also health to the body and benefite to the common wealth Against the hated iniuriousnesse of Auarice whereby a man offendeth God as wel in keeping as in coueting set iustice against wrong doing the vertue of liberality against sparing in good purposes and mercy against a cruell and vnpittifull mind Against slouth or slownes in well dooing which is the vice of them that bee coldly affected towards God luke-warm in religion negligent in their souls health and such as be in despair or delay and defer that which they ought to doe for the loue of God or their soule encounter resist this sin armed with the vertue of hope which maketh a man to attempt thinges that be hard aboue his meanes so they pertaine to God and the fulfilling of his holy will Hope is our ankar the which holdeth vs fast to a good purpose as the shippe is staied by the materiall ankar A prayer deuout and thankfull for daily help and preseruation O My soueraigne Lord Iesu the very Sonne of Almightie God and the moste cleane and glorious virgine Mary that sufferedst bitter death for my sake and al mākinde on the Good-Friday and rose again the third day I beseech thée lord haue mercy vpon me that am a wretched sinner but yet thy creature And for thy precious passion saue me and keep me from all perilles bodely and ghostly and specially from al things that might turne vnto thy displeasure And with all the powers of heart I thanke thée most mercifull Lord for the great mercies which thou hast shewed me in the great dangers that I haue beene in as wel in my soule as in body And also for that thy grace and endles mercy hath euer kept me spared me and saued me from the houre of my birth vntill this time I beséech thee Lord that thy mercy may kéep me for thée alway And I cry thee mercy with all my whole heart for my great offences for my great vnkindnes and for my wretched and sinfull life and in that I haue shewed my selfe so vnable to leade my life as thy seruant I cry thee mercy and beséech thée to forgiue me I thanke thée also moste entirely my most gracious Lord for the benefites and grace which thou hast giuen me so largely in this worlde before many other who haue better deserued then I. But most gracious Lord I confesse and acknowledge vtterly that all the same commeth of thée for the which all worship praising and thankes be to thée now and euer Non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam A prayer to bee saide when thou preparest to make confession of thy sins to God CReator of heauen and of earth King of kinges and Lorde of Lordes who hast made me of nothing to thy Image and likenesse and hast redéemed me with thy owne blood whō I a sinner am not worthy to name or cal vpon most humbly I pray and beséech thée that thou
wouldest mercifully looke vpon me thy naughty seruant and haue mercy vpon me that haddest mercy on the woman of Canaan and on Mary Magdalene that sparedst the Publicane and forgauest the theefe hanging vpon the crosse To thee O most holy father I confesse my sinnes which if I woulde hide from thee O Lorde I can not Spare me O Christ whome I haue much offended in thinking speaking and dooing and in euery manner wherein I fraile man and sinfull might sin by my fault by my owne faulte through my great default Therefore O Lord I beseech thy mercy that cammest downe from heauen for my saluation that liftedst vp Dauid from his fall of sinne spare me O Lord spare mee O Christ that sparedst Peter whē he denied thée Thou art my Creator and my Redéemer my Lord and my sauiour my king and my God Thou art my hope and my trust my guide and my help my comfort my strength my defence and deliuerer my life my health and my resurrection my light and my desire my assistance and my refuge I pray and beséech thée helpe me and I shal be safe gouerne me and defend me strengthen mee and comforte me confirme and make mee glad lighten mee and vifite me raise me being dead because I am of thy making and workemanship O Lord despise me not being one of thy housholde seruants although lewd vnworthy and a sinner but whatsoeuer I am good or bad I am alwais thine To whome shal I flie except I goe to thée If thou doest cast me off who shall receiue mee If thou doest despise me who shal look vpon me Uouchsafe therefore to know mee one vnworthy flying vnto thee though I be vile and vncleane seeing if I be vncleane thou canst purge me if I be blind thou canst make me to sée if I bee sicke thou canst make mee whole if I be dead and buried thou canst raise me again For thy mercy is greater then my iniquitie thy godlines is greater then my vngodlines thou canst forgiue more then I can commit and release more then I can offend Dispise me not therefore O lord neither looke on the multitude of my iniquities but according to the multitude of thy mercies haue mercy on me be fauourable vnto mee a great sinner Say vnto my soule I am thy saluation who didst say I will not the death of a sinner but rather that hee may bee conuerted and liue Turne me O Lord and bee not angry against me I pray and beséech thée O most merciful father that for thy mercies sake thou wilt bring me to a good end and to the happinesse of true repentance by due contrition and pure confession of all my sins Amen A prayer before confession to God MOst holy and mercifull Lord Iesu Christ the only hope of my souls health receiue this the confession of my sins which I will make vnto thee and giue me I beseech thee due sorrowing of heart and grace to bewaile them with the tears of mine eies and that hereafter both day and night I may mourn for my negligences offences with an humble and pure hart Let my praier approch in thy sight O Lord if thou shalt be displeased with mee whom shall I séeke to helpe me who shal pitty mine iniquities Be mindfull of mee O lord who calledst the Cananean and the Publican to repentance and receiuedst Peter when he wept O lord my God receiue my praiers the Sauior of the world good Iesu that gauest thy selfe to the death of the crosse to saue sinners respect me miserable sinner that am calling vpon thy name neither respecte thou so much my euilnes that thou forget thy own goodnes And if I haue committed that wherby thou maiest cōdemne me thou hast not lost that whereby thou mayest saue me Spare me therfore thou that art my Sauiour and haue mercy on my sinfull soule vnloose her bonds and beale her wounds Lord Iesu I desire and beséech thée shew me thy countenance I shall be safe send forth thy light and thy trueth into my soule that I may sée in this grosse body the number quality greatnes of my offences which I ought nowe to confesse to thee with answerable sorrowing bitternes of hart Grāt thou that liuest rainest god for euer euer A prayer to be sayd after the confession of our sins to God O Lord I beséeche thee let this my confession be accepted with thee which I haue nowe made before thée by calling to minde and rehearsing of my sinnes and whatsouer there is wanting in me either of due contritiō and sorowing or of pure and dutifull confession let thy godlines and mercy supply it and according thereunto vouchsafe that I may bee receiued ful and perfectly absolued in heauen who liuest and raignest world without end Amen A prayer before the holy Communion TO come to the Table of thy most sweete banket O holy Lord Iesus Christ I doe feare and tremble that am a sinner nothing presuming of my own merits but trusting in thy mercy and goodnesse for I haue a hart and body spotted with many crimes togither with a mind and tongue not warily kept Therfore O holy Deity and dreaded Maiesty I poore wretch attached with many causes of sorrow and griefe of mind haue recourse to thée the fountaine of mercy vnto thee I hasten to be cured I flie vnder thy protection And whom I am not able to bear as a iudge I hope to finde a Sauiour to thee O Lord I shew my wounds before thée I wipe away my shamefastnes I wote my sinnes bee many and great for which I am afraide but I hope of thy mercies which are infinite Looke vnto me with the eies of thy mercy Lord Iesus Christ King eternall God and man crucified for man heare mee hoping in thee haue mercy on mee that am ful of sins and wretchednes thou which neuer wilt cease to let runne the fountaine of thy compassion Remember O Lord thy creature which thou redéemest with thy owne blood It repenteth me that I haue sinned and I am in desire to amend the works of my life Therefore most mercifull father take from me all my iniquities and sinnes that I being purified in minde and body I may worthely taste of that which is most holy and grant that the same that I vnworthy intende to receiue may be the remisson of my sins the perfecte purging of my offences the expelling of filthie cogitations the renuing of good godly intentions and a most firme defence of my soule and body against the snares deceits of my enemies Amen A praier to be saide after the holy Communion I Giue thee thankes holie Lord almighty Father god eternal that hast vouchsafed to feed me a sinner thy vnworthy seruaunt for no merites of mine but of the vouchsafing of thy mercy And I beséeche thée that this holy Communion be not vnto me a guiltinesse vnto punishment but rather a wholsome intercession to forgiuenesse
thinges committed to thy charge that I léese nothing or suffer it to perish by my sloth and negligence O Lorde kéepe mee in health and comforte my strength giue me vnderstanding wit to go forward with the worke of my Maister or Mistres and by thy gracious help for to increase their substance that by my diligence they may bee replenished with thy blessing And further that whatsoeuer I shall do at any time the same may turne to the glory of thy most holy name and to the wholesome exercise of my faith through Iesus Christ thy beloued son which liueth with thee and raigneth in the vnity of the holy Ghost worlde without end Amen The praier of one in a troubled conscience LOrde reproue mee not in thy fury thy arrowes are fixed in me and thou hast laide thy hande vppon mee There is no helth in my flesh because of thy wrath there is no quiete in my bones because of my sinnes My heart is sore troubled my strength and valour hath failed mee the light of mine eies is not with me sorrows haue compassed me without number my iniquities are gone ouer my own head they are multiplied as the haires of my head gréeuing oppressing me as a sore burden The sorrowes of death haue compassed me and the troubles of hell are come vpon mee My conscience and my heart are both against mee O Lorde deliuer me hasten to helpe me and bring my soule from the terrors of hell forgiue me my sins which my enemy the diuell heapeth vppon me like a mountaine so as the same standing before my eies I may not beholde the brightnesse of thy grace Let thy mercy therefore appeare vnto me I beseech thee and let me not be destitute of thy fauour Comfort me O God that I may haue the inioying of a quiet conscience for all this is inferiour to thy greatnesse and mercy if thou wilt Why art thou sorrowfull my soule trust in God the helth of my countenance and he shall take thée out of temptation and bring thée at liberty through the innocent death of our Lorde Iesus Christ which is the holy and vnspotted sacrifice for our sinnes Amen The prayer of a sicke person ALmighty God and heauenly Father forasmuch as thou hast commaunded vs saying Call vpon me in the day of trouble I will heare thee and thou shalt honour me therefore I doe call vpon thée in this my great distres through Iesus Christ thy beloued Son forsake me not a wretched sinner And if this my infirmity extend not vnto death help me that by thy mercy I may recouer my helth and glorify thy power and vertue which thou hast shewed vppon me But if it be thy good pleasure more expedient and méete for me to die then to remaine in this sorrowfull vale and troublesome life let thy godly will be done in Earth as it is in Heauen And giue me grace I beséeche thee that I may commit my selfe to thy will which alwaies is best Kéepe me firme in the Catholique faith to the end that I be not seuered from thee and thy vnity but receiue my soule into thy kingdome through the same thy beloued sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Another prayer of the sicke O Mighty and omnipotent God which art mercifull and ful of pitty and long suffering forgiue me my sinnes and put away my iniquity Uouchsafe beséech thée to comfort my soule against whatsoeuer temptation and afflictions helpe me that my faith doe not faint or wauer in thee nor my hope haue any distrust nor my charitye waxe cold nor that my frailty be ouercome with the fear of death And when the extreame houre of my life shall come then send me forth in peace I beséech thee because mine eies haue seene thy health which thou hast made ready before the face of all people as a light to lighten the Gentiles and as a renowne for all thy people of Israel In this my Sauior I beléeue in him doe I trust I beséech thée O Lord let me not be confounded sith thou art my help and my strength beholde mee with the eies of thy pitty and turne thy fatherly fauour towards mee through Iesus Christ thy sonne who by his most sacred passion and death obtained for vs eternall redemption Amen A prayer of such as be present at the extreame sicknes or death-pangs of any O Most holy and omnipotent God that preseruest our life euē at the point of death wee do beseech thee vouchsafe to cast the eies of thy mercy vppon this sicke person to reléeue him both in body and soul and to forgiue him al his sins accept we beséech thée the oblation of the most innocent death of Iesus Christ thy beloued Son in place of satisfaction for all his iniquities For in the confession of his name hee was baptized deliuer him now therefore from the pains and griefes of his body shorten his griefe and affliction conserue him against the accusation of his own conscience and against whatsoeuer temtations of the enemy that hée may striue manfully by the faith of the holy Church and ouercome him Sende vnto him thy holy Angelles that they may bring him to the felowship of al Angels and of the elect in Christ Iesus our Lord. Amen A prayer in time of plague or common mortality ALmighty God wee doe grant and acknowledge that we haue often and gréeously offended thee by our diuerse and manifold sinnes forasmuch as wee haue all swarued from thée and therwith are become vnprofitable neither we nor our fathers kéeping thy commaundements With a right sorrowfull spirite wee beseech thy infinite mercy for Iesus Christe thy beloued Sonnes sake that thou wilt not deale with vs according to our sinnes but haue mercy vpon vs according to thy great goodnesse and fauour Be mercifull to vs of thy fatherly good wil take from vs this fearefull cogitation of pestilence infectiue sicknes and suffer vs not thus to perish by thy dreadfull disease Rebuke vs not Lorde in thy fury nor consume vs with the wicked vngodly Lorde I beséech thée let thy displeasure cease leaue vs shew vnto vs thy mercy and deliuer vs bée mindfull of thy goonesse and pitty for thy names sake Thou O Lord art good and thy iudgements be right but we haue sinned and stirred vp thy displesure against vs forgiue I beséech thee the iniquity of my people and take from vs this pestilent infection for the bitter passion of thy sweet Sonne Protect vs from thy wrath from euill and sudden death and from eternal damnation But if thy good pleasure bee such that thou wilt needes visit our iniquities with this temporall punishment so fauour vs I beséech thee that bearing thy fatherly hande laide vppon vs wee dispaire not in thy chastisement For when we are iudged we are so corrected by our Lord that wee be not condemned with this worlde And more profitable it is to suffer here temporall punishment then eternall in
all euill and lifting vp my eies and addressing my praiers vnto thee Drawe my féete out of the snare and hide me vnder the couert of thy winges A prayer out of the Psalme called Saint Barnards verses Lighten mine eies least at any time I sléepe in death that mine enimy neuer say I haue preuailed against him Be mindful of thy mercies O Lorde and of thy commiserations which haue beene since the world began Remember not the follies and offences committed in my youth Be mindfull of me according to mercy and for thy goodnesse O Lord. Into thy handes I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of trueth I haue saide and spoken it openly O Lord make my end knowen vnto me And what the number of my daies is that I may knowe what is wanting vnto me Giue me a good signe that such as hate me may see thy fauour and thereat may bée confounded forasmuch as thou O Lorde hast holpen and comforted me O Lord let it be so séeing I am thy seruant and the sonne of thy handmaid Thou hast ridde me of my thraldome I will offer vnto thee the sacrifice of praise and shall call vpon the name of the Lord. They perished who fled from me and there is none to seeke after my soule I cried to the Lord saying thou art my hope my portion in the land of the liuing Glory be to the Father c. Another praier by such as be present at the perill of child-birth MOst mightie Creator mercifull God wee thy séely wretched creatures descended of Eue her ofspring most suppliantly beséech thée of thy infinite goodnes mercifully to looke on the wretched state miserie which of thy dreadful iustice in mixing alwayes sorrowes with ioyes thou hast inflicted vpon womankind for our said first parent her disobedience and namely the state sorrowful beeing of this our sister thy seruant here languishing and oppressed with the paines of womans trauaile and wretchednesse O good Lorde thy omnipotent wisedome foreséeing that some would sinne much did bridle them with infirmitie of bodie to the end that it may bee founde more profitable for them to be low brought with suffering gréeuous pains then to remaine in helth to their more hasard of sinne and damnation But séeing in all sicknes there bée thrée things that be greuous and specially to vs thy creatures of more weaknes and infirmitie by nature that is to say the feare of death the griefe of the bodie and the losse or leuing of these worldlie pleasures therefore thy mercifull goodnes hath so disposed our state condition in this life that no woman or man can be in great paine and long continue therein so as by thy iust and mercifull prouidence either he shall be able to beare our paines or els that the same shal be but short therfore it may please thée of thy great mercies that as the aire is clensed made cléer after vehement storms so after this sharpe and long showre of teares and wofull panges there may followe a calme of ease of affliction to this our sister and faire wether both of thy gratious fauour and of our mindes quietnesse that are pensiue and carefull for her For by the testimony of thy holy word thou delightest not in destruction with thy own mouth by the holy Ghost thou hast saide that thou wilt conuert the sorowing of thy seruants into reioycing Bee then our good Lord and our comforter in the day of our tribulation Suffer not wee beséech thée this our sister to bée tempted or oppressed with paines and calamity aboue her strength and patience to beare it but mercifully and spéedily helpe and deliuer her both from paines and perill So shal we euermore pronounce and say Blessed is God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ the Father of mercies and God of all consolation who comforteth vs in all our trouble Amen The Lords prayer briefly expounded Our Father By benefite of Creation through thy omnipotencie By priuiledge of condition through thy prouidence By pietie of adoption thorough thy charitie By reparation of blisse through thy onely begotten Which art in heauen By omnipotent power gouerning By grace lightening By mercie directing By glorie appearing Halowed be thy name Of vs by honest conuersation In vs by a cleane conscience Foorth out of vs by a good name and fame Aboue vs by Angelicall presentation Thy kingdome come That is Heauen by reuelation Holy Church by assumption The faithfull soule by iustification The holy scripture by instruction Thy will be done In simplicitie of heart by humilitie In charitie of bodie by abstinence In holinesse of prayer by frequentation In veritie of woorke by discretion Giue vs this day our daily bread Of humane necessitie Of spirituall doctrine Of the blessed sacrament Of eternall felicitie And forgiue vs our trespasses as we c. Not retaining mallice in heart Not vpbraiding in word Not doing euill for euill Not refusing to do good And let vs not be lead into temptation Sodaine which dismaieth Importune which wearieth Deceitfull which beguileth Uiolent which oppresseth But deliuer vs from euill Of worldly aduersitie which disquieteth Of mans crueltie which vexeth Of the Deuils subtletie which preuaileth Of euerlasting calamitie which tormenteth Amen that is all thus bee done By attention of heart By sinceritie of word By diligent practise By continuall desire Read and vnderstand Remember practise As thinges are prooued to be liuing by moouing by sense of sight or feeling and by liuely working so is it knowne whether the soule of any man liueth in Christ by these three tokens IF the soule be moued with the spirite of Christ that is to the holie desire of heauenly things and to the contemning of the delectable things of the world 〈◊〉 the soule haue a féeling of those thinges which pertaine vnto Christ and as it were a suffering with Christ that suffered If the soule worketh vertuous works in following of Christ. They that be lead by the spirit of God bée the sons of God Fides sine operibus mortua est These bee sixe signes of a Christian. INnocencie and cleannesse Penitence and the true performing thereof Lowlinesse and humilitie of spirite Obedience and the feare of God Pitie and brotherly loue Feruent charitie The 12. abuses of the world which are thought to bee the sinnes which deserue with the iustice of God that Antichrist the most wicked of all men should preuaile and trouble the whole world to the perill of innumerable soules OLde men and graue persons without the wisedome of true and mature patience Yong men of lesse knowledge and authoritie without reuerence and obedience Rich men without almes and mercifull works The poore giuen to proud apparell and without humilitie The Pastors or Teachers without good déedes where Christ himself wroght first and then taught hee saith Qui fecerit sic docuerit ille saluabitur The people hearing the word of God preached and yet waxe