MANVALE Catholicorum A Manuall FOR True Catholickes LONDON Printed for Leonard Becket and are to be sold at his Shop in the Temple neere the Church 1611. ENCHIRIDION PIARVM PRECVM ET Meditationum Ex vetustiffimis Manuscript pergamenis descripta Ex Bibliotheca W. Crashavi Theol Bacchal verbi Div. Mnistir apud Temp. Lond. A HANDFVL OR Rather a Heartfull of holy meditations and Prayers Gathered out of certaine ancient Manuscripts written 300 yeares ago or more By WILLIAM CRASHAW Batchelour of Diuinity and Preacher at the Temple TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE LORD HENRY THE Noble Earle of NORTHHAMPTON Lord priuy Seale Lord Warden of the Cincque Ports and one of his Maiesties Honourable priuy Counsell RIGHT Honourable our Aduersaries amongst their many obiections against vs and our Religion vse this for one that if wee refuse their Church and condemne their faith wee condemne to hell all our forefathers But it followeth not for in such fundamental points as necessarily concerne saluation as matter of merit and meanes of Iustification c. our fathers in former times were not of the Romish faith but of our Religion excluding disclayming renouncing all their owne merits and cleauing only to Gods mercy and the merits of Iesus Christ for their saluation This was the faith of the ancient Church c. Saint Basillius in homel in Psal 114. Basil saith Eternall rest remaines for them which haue fought a good fight in this world yet not for the merit of their workes but through the rich mercies of God in whom they trust Saint Hillary saith our Hillarius in Psal 51. workes suffice not to merit eternall life but our hope is in the mercy of God for euer and euer Saint Augustine saith Augustinus concione 1 in Psal 70. Tua peccata sunt merita Dei sunt supplicium tibi debetur et cum praemium venerit sua dona coronabit non tua merita Sin is ours Merit is Gods Punishments are our due but if rewardes come God crownes his owne gifts not our merites Gregory moral lib. 9. ca. 14. Saint Gregory a Pope saith If I doe well I shall haue eternall life not by my merits but Gods mercy And long after euen in Bernardus sermone 15. in Psal 90. the darkest times deuote Bernard saith A mans whole merit is to put the whole affiance of his heart in him that hath saued the whole man and therfore in another place he concludes My merit is the mercy of the Lord. All these Bellarmine cannot Sermone 61. in Cant. meritum meum miseratio domini deny and himselfe produceth some of them or all but shapes such answeres to them as it would satisfye an indifferent man euen to read him in that pont And this was not the faith Bellar. to 4. lib. 5. de lust cap. 6. of the principall Fathers only but by the mercy of God it was deriued euen vnto the inferiour and vulgar sort not of the Cleargy alone but euen of the Laity also If the monuments of elder ages were extant vncorrupted it is more thē maruailous how cleerly this truth would shine that our forefathers were not damned though they beleeued not as doth the present Romish Church Nay further that they were saued by the same faith by which wee are at this day though they were misled by some errours and nusled in some superstitions for which being sinnes of infirmity or rather of ignorance we hope the Lord was mercifull vnto them knowing that euen Dauid himselfe cried to God to clense Psal 19. him from his secret sinnes But such hath beene the craft and malice of Popish policy that partly the oldest bookes are embezilled and extinguished and those that remaine are so altered corrupted and depraued from that they were that there now remaines not one of many of the testimonies which the former ages yeelded to this truth Notwithstanding the prouidence of God hath not failed his Church for do what they could yet he who said the gates of hell Math. 16. should not preuaile against the true faith hath taken order in spight of all plots to the contrary that so many testimonies shall be preserued as shall sufficiently witnesse to the world that our faith flourished in former ages My purpose is if the Lord will to gather vp such Antiquities though they be scattered and almost lost in these old worme eaten Manuscripts wherein they lye buried which as Gods prouidence hath deliuered from the force and fury of the inquisitors fire so it is al Christians duties to preserue them to posterity I haue here begun with a Handfull or rather a Hartfull of holy prayers meditations worthy to be worne in the hand and borne in the heart of euery Christian by which it may euidently appeare that the faith and Religion of the former ages foure fiue hundred yeares ago was euen the same by which we looke to bee saued at this day Let this haue leaue right Honorable to come abroad out of the corners of obscurity into publicke view in the light lustre of your renowned name who are knowne to bee a reuerencer of Antiquity a Mecaenas of learning a practiser of piety an enemy to the idolatry superstitions ambitious practises traiterous deuices and Machiauellian plots of Iesuites and a detester of such especially who vnder a pretence of Religion doe cloake and conuey impieties against God and against his annointed The God of heauen confirme that blessed worke of his in your Lordship more more to the glory of his name the benefite of this Realme and to your owne saluation in Christ Iesus So praieth Your Lordships deuoted in Christ W. CRASHAW The Contents 1 A Holy and orthodox Confession of the Trinity the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost 2 A godly confession of sinnes and prayer for pardon and for eternall life 3 A godly meditation of mans misery and Gods mercy together with a deuout prayer 4 The manner of preparing sicke persons to death in the ancient times euen in Popery De Deo Patre pia orthodoxa Confessio A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus Hely Hely Deus meus Cuius virtus totum posse Cuius sensus totum nosse Cuius esse summum bonum Cuius opus quicquid bonum Super cuncta subter cuncta Extra cuncta intra cuncta Super cuncta nec elatus Subter cuncta nec substratus Extra cuncta nec exculsus Intra cuncta nec inclusus Super totus presidendo Subter totus stustinendo Extra totus complectendo Intra totus es implendo Super nullo sustentaris Subter nullo fatigaris Extra nusquam dilataris Intra nunquam coarctaris Mundum mouens non moueris Locum tenens non teneris Tempus mutans non mutaris Vaga firmans non vagaris Vis externa vel necesse Non alternat tuum esse Heri nostrum cras pridem Semper tibi nunc idem Tuum decus
aeterna per tua merita Domine Iesu Christe qui cum Deo patre spiritu Sancto viuis reg-Deus in secula Cum autem eius vires deficient animam emissurum videatur commendetur anima per aliquem astantium hoc modo Commendatio animae morientis COmmendo te omnipotenti Deo charissime frater et ei cuius es creatura committo proficiscere anima Christiana de hoc misero mundo In nomine Patris omnipotentis qui te creauit In nomine Iesu Christi filij eius qui pro te passus est In nomine Spiritus Sancti qul in te fusus est Egrediente aute animatua de corpore splendidus Angelorum caetus tibi occurrat omnium sanctorum caetus te accipiat appareat tibi mitis clemens Iesus Christus qui inter assistentes sibi te iugiter interesse decernat vt locus tuus in pace sit habitatio tua in Hierusalem coelesti Ignores omnino quid horret in tenebris quid stridet in flammis quid cruciat in tormentis Cedat tibi nequissimus Sathan cum satellitibus suis nec in aduentu suo te vincat sedcoram angelis dei contremiscat as in aterna noctis chaos immane diffugiat at exurget Deus dissipentur omnes inimici eius sicut deficit fumus ita deficiant Iusti autem exultentur exultent in conspectu Dei Confundantur igitur erubescant ante te tar tareae legiones ministri satanae iter tuum impedire non audeāt Liberet te à cruciatu Christus qui pro te mori dignatus est constituet te Christus filius Dei inter paradisi sui amena semper virentia i am inter oues suos verus te ille pastor agnoscat Ille ab omnibus peccatis tuis absoluat atque ad dextram in electorum suorum sorte te constituat vt redemptorem tuum facie ad faciam videas cōstitutum agmina beatorum contemplationis diuinae gaudio potiaris in secula saeculonum Amen Certaine Praiers vsed by our Fore-fathers in the darkest times of Popery in the time of a mans sickenesse some to bee made for the sicke and some by the sicke person gathered out of the same ancient books When the sicke person feeles his strength to faile then let him commend his soule to God in this Praier O Most high and soueraigne God whose goodnesse and mercie is infinite ô most glorious Trinity which art loue and mercie and goodnesse it selfe haue mercy on me most miserable sinner for vnto thee and vnto thy hands I commend my spirit ô Lord my most louing God father of mercies shew thy mercy on me thy poore creature and forsake mee not in my last neede but stand with me Lord and helpe my succourlesse soule saue my poore and desolate soule that it bee not deuoured of the infernall dogges O most louing Lord sweet Sauiour Iesus Christ the sonne of the liuing God I beseech thee for the honor and by the vertue of thy most blessed passion command that I may be receiued into the number of thy Saints and seruants O my Sauiour my Redeemer I here yeeld vp my selfe wholly to thee O grant mee thy grace and thy glory vochsafe me pardon of my sin and giue me a portion of thy glory But ô my deere Lord I chalenge not a place in heauen for any worthines of my owne merits for I am but dust ashes a most wretched finner but for the vertue of thy most blessed passiō by which thou diddest vouchsafe to redeeme mee miserable man and to purchase heauē for me euen with the price of thy precious bloud I beseech thee therefore by thy most blessed bitter passion which thou sustainedst on the Crosse for me especially in that houre whē thy blessed soule did leaue the body that thou wouldest haue mercy on my poore soule at the time of my departure Then let him lift vp his heart with ioy and thanksgiuing and say Lord thou hast broken my bonds therefore I will offer to thee the sacrifice of praise After if his weaknesse grow so that hee loose the vse of his speech let some of the by-standers say these prayers following ouer him or more if he liue so long MErcifull God and Father wee beseech thee for the multitudes of thy mercies look fauourably vpon this thy seruant our deere brother who with true and hearty confession seeks pardon of all his sinnes at the hand of thy mercies O Lord heare vs for him and we beseech thee for him most holy father to renew in his heart what euer is corrupted by the frailty of his flesh and restore that grace which the wily and malicious enemy the diuell hath stolne out of his soule O Lord recall him to the vnity of thy Church ingraft him into the body of thy soule O Lord take pitty of the sighes and sobbes of his soule and groanes of his heart o Lord looke vpon his teares gather them in thy bottle and be good to him who hath no hope comfort nor confidence but in thy mercy and seale vp the assurance of his reconciliation with thee O most holy Father we humbly commend the soule of this thy seruant and our brother into the hands of thy vnmeasureable mercies humbly beseeching thee according to the greatnesse of that loue in which the blessed soule of thy sonne did commend it selfe into thy holy hands that for the worthinesse of that infinite loue of thine in which thou didst receiue that holy soule vnto thy selfe thou wouldst vouchsafe in this our brothers last houre to receiue his poore soule also and make it partaker of the same loue And thou most sweete Sauiour and most mercifull Lord Iesus thou that dying on the crosse was so pressed with anguish and torments for vs as made thee sound out that pittiful voyce vnto thy Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken me we beseech thee estrange not thy selfe and turne not away thy face frō thy seruant our brother now in the houre of his soules affliction when his strength faileth and his spirits are so spent that he cannot cal vpon theee heare vs O Lord heare vs for him and for that thy glorious victory in which thou didst triumph on the crosse for thy pretious passion and bitter death thinke of him the thoughts of mercy and not of iustice shed thy mercies in his soule speak cōfortably to his conscience deliuer his soule out of all spirituall distresse saue him frō the tormēts due vnto his deseruings bring him for thy own merits sake to eternal rest O Lod Iesus Christ which didst redeem vs with thy precious bloud write with thine own bloud in the soule and ingraue thy wounds in the heart of this thy seruant that in thē he may see read thy doleful suffrings thy sweet loue thy sufferings that they may be effectual to rasome him frō those sorrows
thought All my hopes on thee I found In whom all good things abound Thou art all my dignity All I haue I haue from thee Thou art my comfort in distresse Thou art my cure in heauinesse Thou art my musicke in my sadnesse Thou art my medicine in my madnesse Thou my freedome from my thrall Thou my rayser from my fall In my labour thou releiues me Thou reformes what euer grieues me All my wrongs thy hand reuengeth And from hurt my soule defendeth Thou my deepest doubts reuealest Thou my secret faults concealest Oh doe thou stay my feete from treading In paths to hell and horror leading Where eternall torment dwels With feares teares loathsome smels Where mans deepest shame is sounded And the guilty still confounded Where the scourge for euer beateth And the worme that alwaies eateth Where all those endlesse do remaine Lord preserue vs from this paine In Syon lodge me Lord for pitty Syon Dauids kingly Cittie Built by him that 's only good Whose gates are of the crosses wood Whose keies are Christs vndoubted word Whose dwellers feare none but the Lord. Whose wals are stone strong quicke and bright Whose keeper is the Lord of light Here the light doth neuer cease Endlesse spring and endlesse peace Here is musicke heauen filling Swetnesse euermore distilling Here is neither spot nor taint No defect nor no complaint No man crooked great nor small But to Christ conformed all Blessed towne diuinely graced On a rocke so strongly placed Seated sure from feare of warre I salute thy wals from farre Thee I see and thee I long for Thee I seeke and thee I groane for O what ioy thy dwellers tast All in pleasures first and last What full enioying blisse Diuine What Iewels on thy wals do shine Rubie Iacincth Chalcedon Knowne to them within alone In this glorious Company In the streetes of Syon I With Iob Moses and Eliah Will sing the heauenly Alleluiah Amen A holy meditation of mans mi sery and Gods mercy together with a deuout prayer VVIth longing cheere The thirsty Deere do seeke the brooke In such a kind The faithful minde For God doth looke And as the springs Refreshment brings in drought and sweat So God doth coole The thirsty soule in all her heate O Lord what floods of glorious goods dost thou bestow On those that be thine blest is he that well doth know Eternall blisse His guerdon is that Iesus maketh His rest but he Reapes mysery that him forsaketh Thou makest them glorious And victorious Who serue thee well In endlesse ioy From all annoy with thee they dwell But oh Humanity With how great vanity art thou betost To dote in care On things that are so quickly lost Why dost thou yeeld And leaue the field to sinnes inuasions Not well respecting But ill reiecting thy Gods perswasions Open thine eies And well aduise of whence thou art Thy life thy birth Thy state thy worth obserue each part From carelesnesse Thy selfe still blesse O man Gods Iewell How he placed thee And graced thee obserue and view well To what intent Hath God thee sent obserue with care To whom but pride Drew thee aside thou hadst bene heyre O mortall sonne Affliction is thy due hire That broke the band Of Gods commande through vaine desire But oh take heed Those paines exceed that rule in hell Whose fire so cruell Hath those for fuell that liue not well The man that ioyes In worldly toyes his soule orethrowes Respecting nought What Christ hath bought full deere God knowes Then neuer grudge If God thee iudge his yoke to beare Let not lust draw Thee from his law But hold it deere And soone apply His remedy vnto thy sore Least it increase To worse disease and plague thee more Doe not dispaire Thou maist be heire with Christ in ioy By casting out Corruptions roote thy soules annoy Still feare thou must But not distrust and beg thy cure For errours weepe Thy body keepe lowly and pure If to thy feare Thy iudge appeare with angry face Know he will loose Not one of those that beg his grace Pray without rest And knock thy brest humble thy minde All that bewaile Their errours fraile haue pardon sign'd And do not spare In hymme and prayer Iesus to praise For mercy still Is at his will at all assayes And when the diuell The Prince of euill attempteth thee Then if thou pray Christ will not stay to set thee free All be thou were To death most neere yet still be sure And vnderstand That his high hand containes thy cure Be he thy quest That giues all rest from restlesse woes Who so adore And him implore shall come to those For many an one Dead long agon hath he reuiued And saued more That were before of grace depriued Be all thy loue On God aboue Lift vp thy spirit That thou maist tast The Saints repast through his sole merit And honour him That he from sinne may thee deliuer That sinnes increase In thee may cease in prayer perseuer On him I call That all in all hath in his power Against all harme Be he myne arme my shield my towre And this liues length Vouchsafe vs strength to keepe his hest That at our end Wee may ascend To endlesse rest Amen Here followeth the means and manner how our forefathers in the time of Popery prepared themselues and others to dye consisting first of the confession of their faith and secondly of the prayers which were made by them for them in their last sicknesse by which it may appeare that though they were misled by the crafty Romish Clergy in diuers errours and superstions yet in the great point of the meanes of saluation they were of our religion and were saued by it INterrogationes quae fieri debent morituris dum adhuc vsum rationis habent loquendi vt si quis minus dispositus fuerit ad moriendum de meliori informetur atque in eodem confortetur Illae autem interrogationes debent fieri fecundum Anselmum Episcopum hoc modo Primos queratur sic Frater 1 laetaris quod in fide Christi morieris Ille respondet Etiam Frater 2 penitet te non tam bene vixisse sicut debuisses Respondeat etiam Frater habes animum emendandi si spatium viuendi haberes Respon Etiam Frater credis te non posse nisi per Christi mortem saluari Resp Etiam Credis quod prote mortuus est Dominus Iesus Christus fillius Dei Resp Etiam Agis ei gratias ex toto corde de hoc Respo Etiam Age ergo ei dum superest in te anima semper gratias in hac sola morte fiduciam tuam constitue in nulla alia re fiduciam habe huic mortite totum committe hac sola te totum contege totum immisce te in hac morte totum confige in hac morte te totum inuolue Et si dominus Deus voluerit tu iudicare dic Domine mortem Domini