to longe space yf I sholde reherce syngulerly by hymself euery grete notable vice that is comynly dayly vsed in the worlde But you my spyrytuall frendes that be more conuersaunt in the face of the worlde than I am / maye se perceyue moche more abusion / that I cease to speke of now bycause I wyll not tary so longe in this matter But yf I shall speke any thynge coÌ„cernyng the mynistres of crystes chyrche that shold be adorned with grace and vertues to the example of other / I feare me that among parte of them is also moche abusion who herde euer of more symony who herde euer of more sellyng of benefices vnder colour of pensioÌ„s who herde euer of more auaryce regnyng amonge seculer prestes than is in these days To speke of them that be reguler / who sawe euer relygioÌ„ more remyshly kept who sawe euer so many apostates that haue forsaken theyr relygyoÌ„ be now insecular habite And for a coÌ„clusyon to speke generally of persones of euery faculte who herde euer of more heresy open suspected than is in these dayes Take hede dyligent reder consyder / whither the wordes of saynt IohnÌ„ before rehersed / may now be veryfyed or not / where he sayth Mundus totê° in maligno positus est The worlde is all set on synne I thynke there is no man that ê“foundly effectuously dooth coÌ„syder this generall mysery that is vsed thrughe the moost parte of all the worlde / but it shall gyue hym occasyoÌ„ to pray deuoutly for amendement therof And this for the seconde parte ¶ Thyrdely to consyder how grete nede the soules that be in the paynes of purgatory haue of prayer / wyl also submynyster plenteous habouÌ„daunt mater of deuocyoÌ„ For there they be wtout coÌ„solacyon or coÌ„fort / in grete derkenesse mysery / suffryng paynes ineffable and contynually callyng cryenge for mercy / for to be releued with deuout prayers other charytable dedes of good crystieÌ„s yet lyuyng in this worlde Oh what hert is so hard that wyll not be mollefyed with coÌ„passyon vpon those poore soules that there be in paynes intollerable It passeth the capacyte of all men lyuiÌ„g to expresse the gretenes of the paynes with the whiche they be greuously tormented After the mynde of some doctours theyr paynes be egall in comparyson to the paynes of hell Except that the paynes of hell be ê‘petual / the paynes of purgatory temporal There they be somtymes in extreme coldnesse / somtyme in inextynguyble hotenesse That hotenesse after the opynyoÌ„ of som catholycall men / as ferre excedeth the hotenesse of this elementary materyall fyre / as the hotenesse of this fyre passeth the hotenesse of the fyguratyf fyre paynted on a walle yf ony suche comparyson may be made I wyll speke no more of this mater / for I can not expresse / neyther in generall nor in specyal what horryble paynes the soules that be there suffre / and shal do vnto suche tyme as they haue made condigne satysfaccyoÌ„ for theyr trespaces coÌ„mytted / not suffyciently punysshed in this lyfe Excepte they be released by the deuoute prayers as I sayd before by other good dedys of charitable cristyaÌ„s lyuyng yet in this worlde wherfore euery deuout persone before the begynnyng of his prayer call to mynde the ineffable paynes that these soules do suffre / thynkiÌ„g yf he were therwith theÌ„ how glad he wold be to be released by the merytes of suffrages prayers This doyng I suppose that there is no man so colde nor so dull / but he wolde styre hym to the warmnes feruour of deuocyon ¶ Now haue I shewed you after my poore maner of certayn meanes the which well consyderyng before the begynnyng of prayer wyll excytate moeue your hertes to the feruent swetnes of deuocyon yet I intende by the helpe of Iesus breuely to suê‘adde put one thynge more / so to make an ende of this mater But peraduenture some men wyll thynke that I am suê‘fluous in this poynt for it wolde be very long tedyoê° to remeÌ„bre so many thinges euer tofore the begynning of prayer As to this obieccion I make this answere If a man shold consyder euery thyng at the large as it is wryten it wolde aske a longe space But the effect of theÌ„ with a quycke memory may be so shortly coÌ„preheÌ„ded that they shall not be tedyous / nor ony thyng greuous to ony suche whom it shall please to put them in practyse But yet for more compendyousnesse I wyl that all be not remembred at one tyme / and but somtime one / and somtyme another / and so I thynke they wyll be tedyous to no man ¶ Another meane that wyll gyue you occasyoÌ„ for to pray deuoutly / is tofore che begynnyng to thynke that eyther tofore your prayer be accomplysshed / or els as shortly as ye haue made an ende therof that ye shall departe out of this world / and be presented to the right wyse iuge / there to make a streyte accompt and rekenyng of al the tyme of your lyfe past But peraduenture som wyll say why sholde I thynke so For I trust to lyue many yeres longer As to that I say not nay / but it may so fortune Notwithshandyng you beyng on lyue at the begynnynge of prayer / yf it shall please god / ye may departe tofore ye haue made a ê‘fyte ende therof And yf I wold affirme this parte to be true there is no man lyuing that may truely affyrme the contrary Therfore I holde it moche profytable thus for to thynke And so doyng I trust it wyll gyue you grete occasyon to deuocyon ¶ How in tyme of prayer somtyme the mynde is moche dystracte by reason of wordely besynes And remedyes for the same Ca. v. iii LIke as example by euery thyng that is heuy of the self / or laden with ony thyng that depresseth the berer / sooner more easely it may descende downe the hyll / than it may ascend vp the mouÌ„t Prayer is an ascencyoÌ„ of the mynde to god as Damascene sayth Li. iiii ca xxiii ps xii Accordyng also to the wordes of the prophete in his psalme sayng I haue lyft vp myn eyes vnto the mountes That is to say I haue made my prayer to the holy sayntes in heuen / as meanes to god / of whom I trust helpe and socoure For my socoure and helpe is of god / the whiche made heuen and erthe wherfore euery thynge that is heuy vnto the soule / dooth depresse the spyryte and letteth parfyte deuocyon / and causeth many often tymes distraccyon of mynde in tyme of prayer Accordyng to the sayng of the Sapience Sapiâ—â—ie j. The body that is corrupte doth greue let the soule / and the sences do depresse hym / whose mynde is occupyed aboute many thiÌ„ges For vndubted in tyme of prayer / there the mynde is moche inclyned / where about in other tymes
/ his presentacion in to the temple / his fast and temptacyon / his dethe and bytter passyon / his resurreccyoÌ„ / ascention / with other soleÌ„pne festes in the yere And for eche say the prayer aboue rehersed And this done serue our lady lykewyse / begynnynge at her concepcyoÌ„ / natyuite / salutacyoÌ„ / visitacyoÌ„ / purificacyoÌ„ / assumpcyoÌ„ And after this the apostles / martyrs other holy sayntes as theyr festes caÌ„ be called to remembrauÌ„ce / or as they appere be reprynted afore theÌ„ in theyr ymages set vp in chyrches This ordre vsed shall call in the mynde from worldly besynes so distraccyoÌ„ auoyded it shall kyndle deuocyon / encreace the meryte and fruyte of prayer ¶ Of other maner of dystraccyoÌ„s And of the causes and remedyes of thesame Ca. ix THere be other distraccyons of mynde in tyme of prayer / the cause wherof is synne For lyke as in bodyly sekenes he is in grete ieopardy that dooth abhorre all meates what so euer he receyueth he casteth vomiteth it out agayn so in lykewyse he is moost ferre from deuocyon whose soule is moost sore wouÌ„ded with many dyuers mortall synnes For very tedyous vnsauery is prayer and al spyrytual thynges to such a persone For yf ony tyme he begyn to pray / anone he hath done / for he is so weyke in soule that he can not contynue He caÌ„ not taste nor dygest spyrytuall thynges / bycause in hymself he is all synfull and beestly No maruell though that persone be dystract in prayer / whose herte is sore wounded auerted fro god fro the lyfe of grace I councell hym to seke for remedy betyme Go to the lauatory of helth / and with contryte herte make clene hole confessyon Take with him so moche more huge contricion repentauÌ„t sorowe How moche more by his synÌ„e he hath deserued dampnacion / hath prouoked the wrathe / yre / indygnacion of the hye god omnypotent Lete him neuer presume / but thynke himself vnworthy to come in to the chyrche / to appere in the presence of god with an vnpenitent herte But rather with the publycan for his synne iuge himself vnworthy to loke vp to heuen / bete that brest and herte with his fyst which hath so greuously offended / crye with the publycan Mercy lorde god / mercy / mercy A more sure remedy or more holsome playster for his sores can he haue none For lyke as it is a noble playster or medycin that healeth not onely the wounde / but also taketh a was the skar whiche comynly is left in the flesshe / so coÌ„tricion is a noble medycyn for the soule For it may be so grete and parfite / that it not onely cureth the sinÌ„e / but it maketh the synÌ„e to be in suche detestacyon / that it dooth awaye pryntes / fantasies / ê“nytees / yll customes / feblenes / other vnclene mocions to synÌ„e / whiche synÌ„e dooth leue behynde it in the soule / or at the leest dooth so mynisshe them that moche they do not trouble the spyrite For albeit that the contrycion of some is suffycient to the remyssion of theyr synÌ„es / yet it is not alway so ê‘fyte to take these foresayd paynes effectes away and that causeth or is occasion of fantasies in tyme of prayer For whan they wolde be moche deuout / and pra moost hertely yea / somtyme in heryng masse / than the fantasyes of theyr synnes is so brymÌ„e in theyr eyes ymagynacion / that they haue no deuocyon to prayer And somtyme they leue theyr prayer / be so wery of suche cogitacions that they feare themself lest theyr synnes be not forgyuen / or that god dooth forsake them / is sore dyspleased with theÌ„ and it is not so For as saynt Gregory sayth Synnes remyt past / whan they be brought to memory / they neuer hurt the soule / excepte they please them self As whan the soule hath delectacion in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of theÌ„ But yf suche persones wold consyder theyr owne selfe well / how they neuer dyd take suche payne penaunce / nor had so ê‘fyte contrycion sorow for theyr synnes that it was able to put away all fantasyes therof / they sholde se that of very iustyce it were expedyent for them to haue suche temptacyoÌ„s For where they haue agaynst the wyll of god wylfully abused theyr owne wyll in suche synnes / it is the grete goodnes of god that wyll suffre theÌ„ to theyr payne agaynst theyr wylles to be tossed and vexed with the fantasies of the same synnes / to theyr meryte and crowne in heueÌ„ / coÌ„fusyon to theyr goostly enmy whiche hath no ferther power on them / than without peryll to exercyse trouble them onely with fantasyes / whiche comynly is called the teÌ„ptacyoÌ„s of holy men And therfore let them neuer leue theyr prayer nor place for them So holy scrypture admonyssheth sayng If the spyryte of him that hath power ascende vpon the That is as the glose sayth Eccle. x. If a myghty temptacyoÌ„ assayle the dymyt not leue not thy place for it For the cure helthe whiche cometh therby in the soule / shall put away and make ceas the gretest synÌ„es For vndubted god dooth suffre the to be tempted with suche fantasyes for the mortificacyon of thy senses purgacioÌ„ of thy synÌ„es for due ê‘fyte satysfaccioÌ„ of the same ¶ Remedyes agaynst such faÌ„tasies For these forsayd coÌ„syderacioÌ„s it is expedyent for such ê‘sones neuer to leue theyr prayer / but go forth always spekyng holy wordes For albeit they fele no swetnes in theyr wordes yet the gostly enmy feleth therof grete payne / coÌ„fusioÌ„ / shame And if they ê‘ceyue theÌ„self sore altered in theyr bodyes by such thoughtes / arme theÌ„self with the syne of the crosse make coÌ„tynually inuocacioÌ„ to the passioÌ„ of our lorde for socour sayng Lorde thy bytter passioÌ„ be betwene me and this temptacion Some as they myght theyr hertes fyxed in the wouÌ„des of our lorde hath cryed named coÌ„tinually the holy name of Iesu hath founde remedy / theyr teÌ„ptacion hath ceased For lyke as euery thing is cured by his coÌ„trary / experience sheweth that taking styckes fro the fyre / it shall be sone extynct queÌ„ched So take away the causes vse the contrary vertues of these teÌ„ptacions / all other distractioÌ„s in prayer / they shall cease The causes of distraccions in prayer is not onely the grete enorme lines as heresy / homicide / vsury / other like / but also grete multytude of venyall synÌ„es generally all mortall synÌ„es be occasyoÌ„ causes of dystraccyon cor iij For albeit venial synÌ„es taketh not grace away fro the soule yet where they be in custome grete habouÌ„dauÌ„ce the soul caÌ„ not wtout grete labour attene to fele the swetnes of deuocyon for the senses hath so delyted in
theÌ„ as outward seÌ„syble plesures that it can not sauour nor taste notably the inward swetnes of the spiryt / which the spirit sore desyreth Among all mortall synnes I note .vi. that specyally dysposeth to distraccioÌ„s that is pryde / eÌ„uy / yre glotony / lechery / couetise Pryde inclyneth to vayn glory / ypocrisy / to thoughtes of elacioÌ„ of hiÌ„ self for the proud ê‘sones mynd is so besy that whereso euer he go or byde / stande or syt he speketh to hiÌ„self And therfore he can do none otherwyse in payer but whyles his toÌ„gue speketh one worde his herte thynketh another And ofteÌ„tyme he ymagineth that neuer was nor neuer shall be ¶ Remedy for these we maye soone haue / yf we in tyme of prayer wyl take good hede custody of our herte / dyspise all vaynglory prayse of creature abhorre ypocresy / meke our self to god prepare our hertes specyally in the begynning of prayer For lacke of due preparacion in the begynnynge / for that we are neglygent in orderyng our hertes to our prayer / causeth vs to haue lytell deuocion in our hertes / nor swetnes in our prayer And contrary wyse good ordre in the begynnynge expelleth dystraccyoÌ„s induceth feruour of spyrite Example we may take of the holy womaÌ„ Iudith / which as scrypture sheweth whaÌ„ she shold make her prayer to god / she dyde cast away all her gay aray / dyde clothe her self with sacke Iu. ix cast dust vpon her heed / and fasted watched in grete penaunce ¶ Of quene Hester we rede also / that not onely she dyd all these with grete wepyng waylyng as it is opeÌ„ in the boke of Hester / but also she fyled her heed with dust donge â—e xiiij And yede to euery place where she had by her pryde myrth dyspleased god there she teared her heere in detestacyoÌ„ of her synÌ„e Omeli xxiij ¶ Mary magdalene also whan she yede to here the holy worde of our lordes prechiÌ„g as saynt Gregory sayth she dyd take with her so grete coÌ„trycyoÌ„ / that she made a sacrefyce of euery parte of her body / wherwith she had offeÌ„dyd god If she had this preparacioÌ„ of hert whan our lorde dyde speke vnto her no lesse ought we to haue whaÌ„ we shall come in pÌ„sence speke to god whiche vndoubted we do as doctours sayth / whaÌ„ we pray to him ThaÌ„ al the malyce / impacyency sholde be fer fro vs / which causeth dystraccyons of mynde in prayer / nothynge more For Mary for the loue whiche she had to god her neyghbour was worthy to here these wordes of our lorde / the grete multytude of her synnes be forgyueÌ„ / bycause she loueth moche / lete vs euer remeÌ„ber the wordes of our sauiour Lu. vij Ma. vi et xviij Except ye remyt eche other with your hertes â–ª your fader in heuen wyll not remyt nor forgyue your synnes All these examples of these holy women ben wryten in the holy scrypture of god / and left for our exaÌ„ple erudycion Lete vs therfore with Mary magdalene whan we shal come to pray / wepe wayle our synnes Call to our remembraunce with quene Hester the tymes / the places / the persones / and the partes of our body And also the wordes / the dedes the thoughtes / in the which we haue offended the hye god omnipoteÌ„t / there teare our heere / that is to be actually sory for them haue them in detestacioÌ„ / and be dyspleased with our self / which so vnkyndly haue offended our moost louyng mercyfull fader in heueÌ„ And I prayse it moche whan the meke contrite herte speketh to god in the moder tongue / praysyng his holy name / or askyng mercy for his synnes Nothynge thaÌ„ sholde be so moche afore our eyes / nor with moche occupy our hertes as heuen / whiche myserably we haue lost by synÌ„e And hell to the which we haue bouÌ„de our selfe by synÌ„e / and that perpetually except we ameÌ„de our coÌ„uersacion Lete vs therfore for cloth / clothe our selfe with sacke / as Iudith dyde / that is to saye Meke our selfe in our hertes euermore remeÌ„ber how vnworthy we be to come to the presence of god speke to hym And in this exaÌ„ple of this holy woman we may lerne perceyue how lytel it pleaseth god / or ê“moteth praer to come to the chyrch in gay apparel or clothing / except we vse our selfe warely therin For nothyng more distracteth the mynde / hurteth prayer deuocyon thaÌ„ the inordynate curyous affeccioÌ„s thoughtes of suche vanitees ¶ I wyll not say but it is coÌ„meÌ„dable on the holy day to aâ—orne our bodies honestly / so that our myndes be not alienate fro god therby Lete vs also with quene Hester cast dust doÌ„ge vpoÌ„ our hedes That is to remeÌ„ber not onely howe we be mortall / dust / asshes / erthe to theÌ„ torne agayne we shall But also cast dong on our heed / that is knowlege of our self the most vyle slynking vnkynd synÌ„er that lyueth If thou loke maÌ„ streight afore thyn eyes / iuge not thy neyÈbour / for in ease it is not lawfull for ye. I suppose that thou maye well thynke so on thy self / whom onely in herte thou knowest no other Many bycause theyr conscyence murmures not / they thyÌ„ke theÌ„self sure / but that is a fals suerty For as saynt Poule sayth I know no synÌ„e in my coÌ„scyeÌ„ce / but yet in that I am not iustyfied But the day of our lorde shall shewe declare what euery maÌ„ is / whaÌ„ our myserable soule shall be brought afore the tribunall of the hye iuge god almyghty / there to abyde that moost terryble senteÌ„ce of the iustice of god almyghty Eyther to euerlastynge lyfe or endles payne If we wold dayly exercise our self in this maner of pÌ„paracioÌ„ to our prayer not onely we shold auoyde grete distractyons of mynde but also we sholde do due fruyte of penaunce for our synnes Some there be whiche be moche lete in prayer by fantasyes and dyuers thoughtes and cogytacyons and yet they be not moche intryked nor fyled wyth mortall synne And the cause of theyr dystraccyoÌ„ is supposed to be grete habuÌ„dauÌ„ce of venyall synÌ„es For now a dayes many be gyuen to sportes / games desolate myrthe / specyally to delycate fedyng of meates drynkes ydle speche All which be poyson to deuocion moch let to prayer occasioÌ„ of faÌ„tasies For al such dissolute myrth / vayn speche fedyng is so pleasauÌ„t to the senses that they suffocate the spirit / letteth the soule fro reioysing in spuÌ„al thiÌ„ges Auoyde this case deuocyoÌ„ wil folow in prayer Delyte in suche vanytees / not onely ye shal droune deuocioÌ„ but also ye shal make your self a uessell fyt for euery teÌ„ptacyon Many