waxe fainte herein specially towards the faithfull for as much as thou our heauenly father art good and sufferest thy Sun to rise both on the good and euil and rainest on the iust and vniust I beséech thee let vs follow this thy liberal example that wee may shew our selues to be thy true sons that thy name be not dishonored or thy honor vioalated who liuest and raignest true and almighty God now and for euer Amen For the vnity of the Church MErcifull God who hast called vs by one and the same hope of our calling euē as there is one Lorde one faith one baptisme one God and Father of vs al or more rather as thou the Father art one God with Christ thy beloued Sonne in the holy Ghost so ought we to be one in thée I therefore do beséech thée that all that beare the name of Christian men may bee of one mind in the true catholike faith and that we may be careful to maintaine the vnitie of the Church in the bonde of peace to vnite our hearts in charitie Take from vs all carnall affection enmity hatred and swelling of mind and curiositie of foolish and vnprofitable questions that beget nothing but strife Breake the power of the diuel with the malice and deceit of men who indeuour to disseuer that band of vnity Assist vs O mercifull God that as many as haue departed frō the sound vnderstanding of the scriptures according to the interpretation of the holy Ghost whome our Sauior left to be the comforter directer of his church and of a reprobat mind haue brought in errors heresies strifes they may throughe thy grace returne to the acknowleding of thy trueth Likewise defend vs from the tumultuous spirits of errors and schisme that the church be not troubled and the harts of the ignoraunt seduced by sugered wordes So shal we of one agréement and with one mouth honour thee the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Amen For the preseruation of the Church O Father of all mercy conserue I beséeche thée thy vniuersall Church the congregation of all true faithful people against the gates of hell against all the deceiptful snares of the Diuell and against all malice and rebellious madnesse of the worlde saue thy Arke and al christians therin that it perish not in the raging sea and tossing waues I beseech thee Suffer thy Church that it may remain vnshaken vpon that foundation and firme corner stone wheron it was by thee erected O lord God of might and vertues turne towards vs looke downe from heauen and visite this thy vineyard Make that perfect which thy right hand hath planted and which thou hast chosen vnto thy selfe that the boughes branches thereof may spread increase fence it with thy shield receiue vs thy shéep in to thy protection that we bee not by any aduersary of the same taken out of thy hand Mercifully protect vs from al such as séek the ouerthrow of sound doctrine and the stablishing of Idolatrous heresie Remember not Lord our offences who in time past diddest remit thy peoples iniquity Conuert vs Lord our Sauiour and turn away thy wrath from vs. Perfourme this for the loue of thy name least the holinesse thereof bée violated and dishonoured Graunt this I beséech thee for the loue of thy most beloued Son our onely hope and Sauiour Amen Another prayer for conseruation of the church ALmightie God who gauest victorie to Gideon with a handfull of men to ouercome his enemies And thou O Christ our Sauiour as thou sauedst Peter from drowning when hee walked on the Sea and Paul the Apostle from the bottome of the Sea hauing escaped danger of shipwrack thrée times so preserue vs in this storme and tempest of our enemies here ready to swalow vs vp and strengthen vs with thy right hand that in our victory thy name may be to all men most holy and glorious A prayer at the trauaile of childe-birth OUr most mercifull and gracious father in Christ Iesu our Lorde who hast promised to our forefathers the children of Israell that if they would hearken to thy voice in obeying thy will and commaundements ther shoulde none mis-carry with their fruite or otherwise bée barren wee thy vnworthy seruants and their sinful ofspring acknowledging the wickednes of life and the calamity of our age to be such that we may iustly say with Ezechias This is a troublesome time children are at the point to be borne and the mothers wante strength to deliuer them good Lord we most humbly and deuoutly beséech thée with thy clemencie and mercifull helpe to respecte this thy handmaides wretched estate which for disobeying thy holy wil thou hast inflicted vpon the daughters gf our first parent Eue that this our sister may obtaine at thy mercifull hande the fauour of safe and spéedie deliuerance and her fruit to come vnto the new birth of baptisme and regeneration that she ouercomming by thy mercifull goodnes the paines and trauell which thy pleasure is she shoulde suffer she may liue and laud thy holy name and say with thy beloued seruants holpen in this case Thus hath the Lorde dealt with me at such time as he looked vppon me thou O Lorde vouchsafing to wipe her teares and to make her a glad mother Graunt this mercy vnto her we beséeche thée who hast promised to be their assured helpe and comforter that put their trust in thee A prayer for making a good end O GOD most holy thou hast appointed to man a tearme of his life which hee can not passe for he hath his prefixed time the number of his moneths is in thy hande thou hast remembred euery day of our life which passeth away so swift as if our selus did flye away all our years are but as smoke shadow all flesh is grasse which soone withereth it is as the flower of the fielde that soone perisheth Teach me therefore that I may now at length knowe and thinke vppon my ende which is so néere at hand My dais be but as a hand bredth Teache mee O Lorde to bée mindefull of death and to learne to die sith in this pilgrimage wee haue no long dwelling place O Lord let my end be foreknowen vnto me that in this world I may liue ende my life vnto thee and accept the day of my return and of our reuealing of our lord Iesus Christ thy beloued sonne by my readines in holy conuersation and godlines Suffer me to make my ende with perfect vse reason and in true confession of my sinnes with contrition Let me not speake like one that is mad nor vtter any blasphemous words against thée my good Lorde or contrarie to my saluation Uouchsafe to protect me also frō sudden death and from eternal damnation that I be not ouertaken by death before I am fully prepared in performing of true repentance And whē the same houre shall come make me strong and without feare to beare the Temporal
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
reasonings For faith and loue in his holy and most excellent sacrament surmoūt worke high in secret manner aboue al reason O the eternall God and Lord of infinit power doth great things in Heauen and in Earth that may not be searched For if the works of God were such that they might be lightly vnderstanded by mans reason they were not so marueilous so inestimable as they bée A tripled reason shortly and particularly yeelded of some decay of Christian duty obserued in xii sundry states or degrees of persons First why be there many children not truely obedient to their parents One cause may bee for that the parents themselues be not only not giuen to obey the wil of God and the counsaile of the holy Ghost in his Church who is the spirituall Parent and Nurse of the faithfull but are rather enclined to follow their owne fancy fleshly delight which are the nurs and wel-spring of the greatest diobedience Secondly because they bée negligent in giuing sound godly instruction with needfull example of kindly loue Thirdly because it is the iust iudgement of God that men many times be annoied or punished in the same manner that themselues offēded Why be there so few parents that tender the soules health of their children before worldly wealth First neglecting the bond of nature which ought to bée of more force than the law of friendship they fall too short of the duety of common christiā charity so as that which they should seeke and vouchsafe to any christian brother be he neuer so much a stranger they omit euen to their owne children at home An other cause is for that they who haue so much delighted in fleshly and earthly things haue so litle taste and sauouring of ghostly spirirituall thinges that they are more ready for to séeke anye worldly commodity then to procure them purged and stripped of vice much lesse to be clad inriched with vertue and goods of grace Thirdly for that they consider not the dignity of the soule and but superficially or negligently regard the iustice of God in rewarding of vertue and punishing of vice And this through want of faith Then how happeneth it that there are so fewe Christians found faithfull in the truth sith the faith of Iesus Christ is most holye and true This may come of presumption and blindnesse of minde wrought by the spirit of errour as when some presume ouer much that because god hath created vs to saluation therefore we can not be damned and because he hath redeemed vs with his precious bloud therefore we can not but be saued Likewise some do presume of their good workes and others of onely faith An other cause is for that they do not duely regard the wholesome precepts counsailes of our Sauiour in his word Also want of deuotion in the sacraments which our Sauiour left vnto his people for their Spirituall health comfort and remedy when they delight in base and vile things refusing that which is excellent and eternall VVhy be ther so few conuerted to godly life by true penance or repentance The greatnesse and ouermuch heaping of their sinnes is the cause that they doe not féel the waight and gréeuousnesse of them no more then he that is oppressed with sicknes wotteth where hée hath most neede to be cured Moreouer an euil custome wil hardly be lefte vile and filthy delectatiōs which haue beene so long sweet wil not yet become sower without crosse and affliction Obstinacy of minde and a purpose to perseuere in the former delighted sinnes wil not be expressed or remoued by threatninges preaching nor good counsaile VVhy doth there follow so litle fruit of preaching Because of some imperfections in Preachers some preaching for vain-glory to shew their eloquence get praise of men some to spread their singular conceit and opinion and few that preach simply for the honor of God and true health of soules sealing their words with example of their owne good workes Secondarily through default of the hearers who either are indurate by light regarde and lacke of grace or else distracted by diuersity or contrariety of doctrine Thirdly for the electes sake that hereby they may know themselues aduanced vnto the height of grace and glorie when they sée others cast off by their fault or neggligence Why bee there so fewe counted good and virtuous men among them that bee learned First because of a corrupt and false intent which they haue in their study which is not to the end of vertue but for liuing and worldly worships sake Also because of pride and swelling of minde or otherwise because of a naughtie affection which many haue in earthly fleshly things whereby they are not giuen to deuout praier and seruice of God bt rather becom vnmindefull of the ende of learning and true wisedome VVherefore in time past were not the greatest part of Cleargye-men counted good and vertuous seeing they were hired vnto vertue as others be to their labour For that perhaps they tooke not their order of a pure intention and with due preparation to receiue the gifts of the holy Ghost Secondly because some attended more to the cares and affairs of the world and following the appetites of the flesh then to the charge and dignity of their sacred vocation Thirdly for that percase there did want in them the true loue of GOD and their neighbour and ouer that an earnest purpose to fast and pray to saue soules of their owne charge which Christe hath redeemed to be saued Howe commeth it that there were so fewe wealthy and great men found to be vertuous or of worthy valure One cause was for that they thought themselues enobled and made worthy of honour or great worship by the vertue and valure of their olde anccestors Also for that it was not duly considered that Nobility was ordained chiefly for the honour of God and common vtility of his people whome they ought not to gréeue or oppresse with hard rents and fines or other cruel and vngentle dealing Also because of taking ouer-much pleasure in voluptuousnes and other vices wanton vanities wherein their great riches was most bestowed which many times they might haue better employed for the health of their soules the benefite of their common wealth and reléeuing of their néedy neighbor Why bee there so fewe true labourers crafts-men and seruants One cause is for that they séek not the kingdom of heauen but rather which waye they may make to themselues best wages at the wéeke or yeares end Also for that they consider not the dignity of the soule nor dread the iustice of God Thirdly because they sée and perceiue in a maner all other degrées faulty in their calling so as they being of the most inferior degrée can deriue litle good example from their better and superiors to draw and encourage them vnto the iust performing of their duety Or else because of a certain liberty taken of conscience when all accounts be so long deferred which maketh almost that all Maisters Mistresses Magistrates doe at this hour find their own feathers in their own wounds VVhy bee there so fewe good men of Marchaunts Because in their trade and trafficke they feare not to offend God by lying deceitfulnes and breaking the holines of the Sabaoth Also if good conscience be once wrecked or laide aside sinne is made but a light and ordinary matter Lastly for that their mind and loue is not vppon God nor care they for these spiritual things but rather to bée satisfied in carnality sensuality and couetousnes of gain VVhy bee there so fewe widowes that be chaste and vertuous women For that whiles they were married they liued carnally without any deuout mind or ghostly care Secondarily because they loued serued and obeyed the will and liking of their husbandes better then God Thirdly for that they giue not themselues to the obseruing and performing of widdowes duty in fasting praier almes sole or sober conuersation litle remembring or considering their sorrows past in the wretchednesse and miserie of Eue. VVhy bee there so fewe maydes that seeke and desire to continue in their virginity One cause is for that they litle know nor are of capacity to consider the dignity of that state Then for that they doe not giue themselues to resist carnall desires nor doe helpe or fortify their weakenes with fasting praier inuocation Also for that they doe not marke by what causes they may be comforted and incouraged therein sith they are honoured by nature and by the worthiest amongst men they are honored in scripture and preferred in grace and glory Wherefore in sundry parts of Christendome the maide of knowen honest and vertuous life when she dieth shée hath for her a hearse of blacke placed in the Quire with a guilt coronet set thervpon as an honour vnto the state encouragement to the followers and a signe of the hundred-folde fruite worthy of a Crowne The Conclusion TO conclude that thou hast perhaps these many yeares neglected the due account and sorrowing for thy sinnes here hast found proofe of thy great fault and testimony of thy folly The obstinate sinner perseuering in his custome may read here the description and calender of his conscience he that by his office or vocation hath pleadged the price of his owne bloud for the safety and conduct of others may perceiue hereby if he be not too much blinded with worldly respect how busie a toil pertayneth to the discharge clearing of himselfe O subtiltie vnsound that deceueth in thy selfe thine owne soule O folly most filthy that fighteth against thy proper health and happines No dallying with holy or ghostly thinges God will not bee mocked If heauen might be had with continuall following the desires of the flesh then the wisedom and carefull regard of the holy fathers was méere folly their straightnes of life vain and like lost labour Sero sapiunt Phryges but let vs remember our selues in time proclayming and practising with the conuerted Niniuites Sackcloth dust and ashes FINIS I. N. LONDON Printed by Iohn VVolfe 1591.