PREPARATION TO DEATH, A book as devout as eloquent, compiled by Erasmus Roterodame.  
Phil. 1.  
MIHI VIVERE Christus est, & mori lucrum.   

THE PREFACE. DESIDERIUS ERASMUS OF ROTERODAME, to the right noble lord Thomas, earl of wylteshyre, and of Drmanie, sendeth greeting.  
TO THE VERY perfit conclusion of Christ's lore, your lordship calleth me, most noble Earl, and yet more noble in the study of godliness, than in the ornaments of fortune, in that ye provoke me to add to my former books some little thing, teaching how a man ought to prepare him to death. For this is of man's life the last part (as it were) of the play, whereof hangeth either everlasting bliss of man, or everlasting damnation. This is the last fight with the enemy, whereby the soldier of Christ looketh for eternal triumph, if he overcome: and everlasting shame, if he be overcome. As tonching myself. I have been hole in this business this great while, where as your exhortation was, as who saith, a spur to him that runneth. How be it at that time I studied for mine own private comfort. But your goodness coveteth, that also this fruit through us might be made common unto many. Would god, that the lord of his goodness will grant to your most holy requests, and to mine endeavour a prosperous end, at least I will not wrestle against his will, through whose instinct, I suppose this mine obsequy and service to be demanded of your lordship.  
¶ Far ye well. At Friburge, the Lalendes of Decembre, the year of our lord, a thousand, five hundredth, thirty and three.   

A BOOK OF ERASMUS OF Aotcrodame, how every man ought for to prepare himself, to die.  
OF ALL DRADFULL things, death is most dreadful, saith a certain Philosopher, of great 
Aristotle  fame, but which had not herd that heavenly Philosopher, which hath taught us, not only with words, but also with evident examples, that a man perisheth not by death of body, but is drawn insunder, and that the soul is led forth as it were out of a prison most painful, in to blessed rest: and the body also shall live again, to be partaker of the glory. He had not heard this principle of the spirit: Blessed be the dead, which die in the lord. He had not herd Paul lameting 
Apoc. 14.  and sighing: I covet to be dissolved, and be with Christ. And, Christ to me is life, and death is lucre. But it is nothing to be 
Phil. 1.  marveled at, if they, which believe, that the hole man perisheth by death, nor have not this hope, which only the faith in Christ worketh in us, either bewail the death of other, or fear and abhor their own. This is rather to be marveled, that there be so many such as I am, which, when they have learned and do profess all Christis philosophy, yet so fear death, as though either they do believe, that nothing of man remaineth after the breathe expired, or as though they mistrust the promises of Christ: or else as though they utterly despair of themselves. The first property of these three is, of beastly persons, such as Sardanapalus was. The second is of infidels, which have no trust in Christ, and the third is of them that be ignorant of god's mercy. In this behalf they seem like to heathen persons, that be ignorant of god. For he is ignorant of god, that knoweth not him to be of infinite mercy. This without question, that the common sort of men do thus fear at the naming of death, cometh partly of the unsteadfastness of faith, partly of the love of worldly things. He knoweth of no trembling, which in full trust saith with the spostle: Whether we live, we 
Rom. 14.  live to the lord, or whether we die, we die to the lord. Wherefore whether we live, or whether we die, we be the lords. But that the lord once hath received into his protection, can not perish. Out of this fountain springeth the voice of the prophet, witnessing his unfearful mind, If I should walk in the mids of the shadow of death, 
〈◊〉 22.  I will not fear evils, because thou art with me. For the faith full lord never forsaketh them; which yield them holly to his grace, but keepeth them as the most tender part of his eye. For he is lord both of life and death, to whom nothing is dead, but all things live, which cleave to him by faith. Of the weakness of faith is gendered the love of temporal commodities. For if with our hole heart we believed the things that god hath promised us by his son Jesus, all the delectations of this world should soon be little regarded, and death which setteth us ever unto them with a paynefulle (but yet a short) passage, should be less feared. The wise man crieth: O death, how bitter is thy memory? But what addeth he? To 
Eccle. 41.  a man having peace in his substance. He saith not, having riches, For many good men have possessed richesse: but to him that hath his quietness in them. That that is spo ken of riches, the same is to be understand of honours, pleasures, wife, children, kinsfolk, friends, of beauty, youth, good health, briefly of all kind of commodities, which death plucketh from both good and evil. The more ferventely we love a thing, the more painfully we be plucked from it. If thou be in love with any thing, thou 
Horace  shalt leye it down against thy will, saith & certain wise pagan. Now, he is in love with these temporal things, who so ever resteth in them, as in proper and perpetual goods, where as these are but borrowed & transitory, to be laid down not only patiently, but also thankfully, so oft as he demandeth them again, which gave them. For in these worldly goods a man to set his rest, this is to enjoy them, which he ought to use, and that also by the way, and as it were in his passage: as the apostle advertiseth the Corinth's, It remaineth brethren, 
2. Cor. 4.  that they that have wives, should be as not having, and they that weep, as not weeping, and they that joy, as not ioyenge, and they that buy, as not possessing, and they that use this world, as though they used it not. For the fashion of this world passeth away. We be wayfaring men in this world, not inhabitants, we be as strangers in Inns (or to speak it better) in bouthes or tents, we live not in our country. This whole life is nothing else but a running to death, and that very short, but death is the gate of everlasting life.  
¶ Amongst the jews because contracts 
〈◊〉 25.  and purchases were expired and ended by a certain day, by the order of their laws, how much shorter the space of time was, so moche was the price of things the lighter. Than how moche more aught all these transitory things be of little regard, that are in danger of so many chances, which though no casualty plucked away, yet death plucketh away all from all men? Add hereunto, that they, which run at a game, see how much space they have left behind them, and how much remaineth to the mark: And in times past they that looked for the jubilee, knew how long they might enjoy that that they had bought. But there is no mortal man, which certainly knoweth, that he shall live until the next day. We run, but having death in our feet, yea carrying it about on all our body. We have received our life freely of the lord, but conditionally, that we surrender it at every moment, when he demandeth it. How though it chanceth us to live until extreme age, which to how few it chanceth, every man knoweth, O lord god, what is the hole life of man, but a very short running place, wherein will we will we not, we run continually, sleep we, wake we, be we in wealth or in woe? The continual course of the world carrieth us away like a boisterous flood, although we seem to ourselves, or to other, to stand still. Than if prices of world lie things be esteemed by the shortness of time, how moche more vile ought the things to be, which have not so much as one hour certain? Now the things that we little regard, we little force though they be plucked away from us, as they which be not at home, but in strange countries, if any commodity appeareth unto them in the way, or in their inns, they cast not their mind greatly thereto, because they must leave forth with the thing that delighteth them, and if any incommodity chance them, they bear it easily, thinking thus, Here I dine, my sup is ordained in an other place. The things that be seen (saith Paul) be temporal, 
2. Corl. 4  and though that be not seen, be eternal. And this is a great part of the Christian philosophy, which prepareth us to death, that by the contemplation of things eternal and heavenly, we may learn the despising of temporal and earthly.  
Plato judged the hole philosophy, none other thing but a meditation of death. He 
Plato.  called a meditation a preparation, & as who should say, an exercise to death, none otherwise than a young warrior, that shall in time coming fight with his enemy, exerciseth himself at a tilt. Which is a right wholesome saying, if that which is spoken of the philsopher philosophically, be taken of christian men christenly. For not the contemplation of mathematical forms, abstract from the mattiers, nor yet the imagination of Idee, which Plato devised, causeth us to die well, but if with the eyes of faith, we consider in our minds the goods passing all man's wit, which god hath promised by his son Jesus to them that trust unto him, & the evils which he hath thretnid to infidels & disobedient. Thone shall fear us from sinning, the other shall provoke us to do well. I grant an eternal verity in certain human learnings, but such as procureth to no man the true felicity. But here the promiser is everlasting, everlasting is he, by whom he promiseth, everlasting be the things promised, everlasting felicity they bring to the believers, & everlasting infelicity to the despisers. This meditation of death is the meditation of the true life. And it causeth not only, that the philosopher promiseth, which is that the soul should departed from the body with less heaviness, but also that with cheerfulness of heart, it should leap merrily, as it were out of a dark and painful prison, into blessed liberty, & into that light so lovely, which is void of any night or darkness: For the body, which is corruptible, accombreth 
Sap. 9  the soul, and the earthly habitation, depresseth the mind, revolving many things. And therefore crieth the prophet, lead out of prison my soul, that it may confess thy name Lord. 
Psal. 141.   
The sum of man's felicity is to contemplate and praise his maker, redeemer, & governor. To this end is man created. This felicity of man is oftentimes disturbed by the weakness of this body, which we carry about, subject to so many necessities, to so many evils, to so many perils. In like wise also saint Paul, accumbered with the carnal habytation, pytyfully sighing crieth. O I unhappy man, who shall deliver me from 
Rome. 7.  this body of death? For he saw them in high bliss, which dwelled in the house of the lord, pray sing him world without end. Of this affection be men of the right holiness, of whom though the bodies keep in earth, yet their treasure, heart, and conversation is in heavens. But few men have this perfection and strongenes of mind: It is not given to all men to say with Paul, Christ to me is life, and to die is a lucre. And, I covet to be dissolved, and be with Christ. We being ourselves weak, prepare this consolation to them that be weak, unto whom yet th'examples of the perfit livers be, as who saith, pricks and provocations, to obtain the strength of the spirit. Wherefore this meditation of death is through out all the life to be exercised, and ever among the spark of faith is to be stirred up, that it may increase and gather strength, to whom charity annexed, shall draw unto it hope, which never maketh his master ashamed. But we have none of these ourselves, but they be the gifts of god, with continual prayers and vows to be vowed for: if they lack, and if we have them, to be augmentid that they may increase. The stronger that faith accompanied with Hope and Charity is, the less is the trembling. For that most part of us thus abhoire from the mention of death, it cometh commonly of the unsteadfastness of faith. But on the promises of god ought man to have most certain trust. For he is only he, which of nature true, can not deny himself. To whom the noble psalmograph singeth, Euerlastingely lord thy word abideth. In heaven & world 
In aeternia dne pmanet. etc.  without end is thy troth. which also in the evangel pronounceth of himself, Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not 
Coelum & terra transibunt. etc.  pass. What hath he promised? He hath promised victory of death, victory of flesh, of the world, and of the devil: He hath promised remission of sins, he hath promised an hundred times as much in this world, & everlasting life in the next. But in what wise hath he promised? By our own rightwiseness? No truly, but by grace of faith, which is upon Christ jesus. And to the intent we should be the surer, he hath annulled & canceled that first 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉  handwriting, which Adam unhappily had described unto us, nailing it to the cross: and hath given us his handwriting of grace which he hath scaled with his own blood, and hath confirmed it with innumerable testimonies of prophets, apostles, martyrs, and virgins, which with their blood also have subscribed. And the universal church of Christian men, and holy fathers also have subscribed. He hath more over added the earnest penny of the spirit, that our trust should waver in no part. And the goodness of god not contented with these, hath vouchsafed to show unto all men an evident and notable example in his only begotten son. For that he hath overcome, undoubtedly he overcame for his membres sakes, on whom he wholly bestoweth himself. For what were we silly worms of our selves? Christ is our justice, Christ is our victory, Christ is our hope and sureness, Christ is our triumph and crown. He was borne a child, but (which Esai omitted not) to us he was borne, to us he was given. In likewise for us he taught, for us he healed diseases, cast forth devils, for us he hungered and thirsted, for us he was blasphemed, for us the time of death approaching, he was stricken with heaviness and weariness of life, for us he sweat blood, for us he was bound and beat, for us he died and revived, finally for us he sitteth on the right hand of the father. Whiles he took upon him all evils due unto us, he delivered them unto us, that we should overcome them. Now that he hath broken their strengths, & hath added the strongenes of spirit, according to the measure of our afflictions. He hath showed us the way how to overcome, he hath added a desire of fighting, to the fighters he ministereth help. So he overcometh in us, if so be that we tarry in him. We tarry by faith and charity. If ye ask where this chyrograph or handwryting that assureth us, remaineth: I answer in the canonical scriptures, in which we read the words of god, not of men. To these no less credence is to be given, than if god had spoken them unto thee, with his own mouth, yea I dare boldli say somewhat more largely. For if god had spoken unto the by some created likeness, perchance, according to th'example of certain good men, thou wouldest have doubted, whether there were any deceit in the thing. But all this doubt the perpetual consent of the catholic church, hath clean take away from us. Than in this handwriting to study all our life, is the best preparation to death. As th'apostle saith, that by patience and consolation 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉  of scriptures we may have hope. Again; if a man demandeth, how and when Christ overcame these, I answer, he overcame the flesh, and showed us the manner of overcoming, where as he fearing and abhorring death, according to the nature, which he took upon him, saith to the father, But yet not as I will, but as thou wilt. And in another place he witnesseth of himself, saying, I came not to do my will, but his that sent me. Nothing is so horrible to man's nature, that by the help of Christ is not overcome, if we commit and submit us hole to God's will: and in our most grievous storms of tribulations have all times in mind the saying of the good father and king david, It is the lord, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  let him do that seemeth best in his eyes. These words be not magical, but they be stronger than all enchantementes, which who so ever pronounceth with his heart, and continueth with this trust, he can not despair, though the hole rout of evils with all the devils in hell should invade him. almighty is he, that fighteth for us, and which speaketh in the Psalm, with him I am in tribulation; I will pluck him out, and I will gloryfyen him. When thou hearest, with him, do not praise thine own strength, but have an eye to the power of the helper. When thou hearest, I will pluck him out, be not desperate of mind, though thou be somewhat long in tribulations. He will do without doubt, that he promised: and he knoweth when it is expedient that thou shouldest be lighted of thy evils. When thou hearest, I will glorify him, be thou assured, that as thou were fellow with Christ of the Cross, so thou shalt be fellow with him also of glory. But remember what went before, He cried to me. It is thy part to cry & to cry to the lord, not to the succours of this world, not to thy strengths and good deeds, but to the lord, which only may deliver the from these evils. Nothing is frailer than man, and yet no man can express, with how many and how outrageous evils and fearful mischiefs he is besicged. For to omit thunders, earthquakes, see rages, ground openynges, wars, robberies, witchcrafts, who can reckon up all forms of diseses? And amongst these how many be there, so horrible, and so paynefulle, that a man shall quake for fear, to hear them but named: of the which sort be the falling sickness, the palsy, the flayinge of the bladder, the fransye. I will not speak of the often invasions of Pestilences, which daily springe not only new and new, but also worse and worse against all the remedies of the physicians: so that it is most truly spoken of the Poet. ¶ mill modis leti miseros mors una fatigat.  
Only death with his cruel dart,  
By thousand means make man to smart.  
¶ How is it possible, that we so weak both of bodies & of minds, can be able to match & be good enough for so many outrageous storms? utterly we were undone, though the burden of sin were away, if the hand of the lord helped not our imbecillytye. Now remaineth an other mischief, that is to wit the world, which bringeth to good and godly persons, no small battle. I call the world, the old man, with his acts and concupiscences. How be it under the name of world, ye may, not unconuenientely understand men given to this world, which never have ceased, nor never shall cease, with their uttermost power, to war against Christ and his disciples.  
But unto this battle Christ armeth us, saying, Be bold, I have vanquished the world. But how far strange he was from the 
joan. 19  concupiscence of worldly things, he declareth, when he saith, The son of man hath not where to rest his heed. For therein 
Luc. 9  every man resteth his heed, wherein his mind is in quiet, and as it were sleepeth. And how violent and crooked this world is, they know, which earnestly go about to live virtuously in Christ Jesus. He took upon him our concupiscence, but none otherwise than he took sin, suffering for us punishment, which was due for our affections and acts. But all engines and ordinances that this world had, it threw upon our lord, as shame, slander, awaits, might, torments, deaths. What did not this world, to the intent it might utterly quench the name of Christ? And so he liveth and flouryssheth both in heaven and in earth. Our lord hath overcome, not that we should now sleep, but that we should not despair. He hath delivered unto us our enemy, not utterly dead, but broken & vanquyshable, to th'intent that we by our fighting may have a crown of glory prepared for us. If thou askest, how this world may be vanquished, John the inward disciple of Christ teacheth. This is, quoth he, the victory which overcometh the 
joan. 5.  world, your Faith. Fight than faithfully, casting all thy trust in the lord: nor doubt not, but through his favour and aid thou shalt be a conqueror.  
¶ Now resteth sin, wherein unhappily we were borne, and after baptism more unhappily fallen into again, an heavy burden, and such a burdeyne as causeth also the soul to sink down to the bottom of hell. This burden which was to us importable, our lord vouch safed to take upon him, as Esay prophesied, The correction of our peace upon him, and by his wound we be 
Cap. 53.  healed. Also th'apostle, God made him, which did no sin, to be a sin forus, that 
2. Cor. 5.  we might be made the justice of god through him. Sin is thovely thing that gendereth hatreds betwixt god and man, as Esay testifieth. But the merciful father, when 
Psal. 59  no sacrifice could be found sufficient and strong enough to wash of the sins of mankind, sent his son, a lamb without blemish or spot, with this most pure oblation of sacrifice, reconciling the world unto him. A man will here say: If by Christ sin is taken away, how is it than, that all the life of man is thus replenished with sin? For now I speak of good men to. He took not clearly away sin, but he broke the strengths of it, not that there should be no sin in us, but that it should not reign in us, as it reigneth in them, which have not fixed the anchor of their hope, in the lord Jesus, but serve and follow their sensual appetites. And therefore Paul advertiseth us to beware, that sin reign not in our mortal body. There is left unto us a matter, wherein to fight, but yet armours & weapons be ministered unto us, with which we being defensed may overcome. So we be made the justice of God, not by our own works, but through the grace of god. By whom? By him, whom he made a sin for us, and of sin condemned sin.  
¶ Yet remaineth Satanas, the parent both of sin and of death, & prince of these darknesses, whose power and malicious crafts never ceasing, the children of light fere, crying with a trembling heart to the father, Ne nos inducas etc. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from that evil might. This is that tempter and accusor of brethren, which after the saying of saint Peter, runneth about as a roaring lion, seeking 
1. Pet. 5.  whom he may devour. But the lord hath not only overcome, but also hath taught us to overcome the assaults of this evil also. He oftentimes assailed our lord, for that may be gathered of Luke's words, which saith, And he departed from him for a time, but he departed always vanquished. How vanquished? With the bucklar of scriptures repelled, with the sword of god's word stricken through. Wherefore so oft as he maketh suggestion, and attempteth us to the thing, which is merely contrary and repugnant to the will divine, expressed in the sacre and holy volumes: cast a foin at him with the sword of god's word, and according to the ensample of, king david, with five most clear and radiant stones, gathered out of the river of scriptures, fell the knave down to the ground. But before we join hands with this giant Solyath, let us first cast from us the armours of Saul, which is the cote armour of pride, that is the trust of worldly wisdom, the confidence of our strength and merits, which lad us rather than arm us, let the staff of faith be sufficient for us, which comforteth & steyeth us in this our peregrination, and the five words, which Paul speaketh in the church. If he be to busy, and call upon the to importunely, bid him avaunt Satanas, and stand aback. It 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  is more right to obey god, calling to everlasting felicity, rather than thee, enticing to eternal destruction. Here doth faith play the chief and principal part. And therefore saith Peter, Whom resist ye strong in faith. give credence to scriptures, and 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5.  repose thy whole trust in Christ, and victory is at hand. But there is a kind of devils, which is not cast forth, but by prayer & fasting saith Christ. To here thou hast other two weapons. It is probable, and a thing likely, that Satanas, where as he so oft had assaulted our lord in vain, in the cross assayed and moved all his crafts, subtleties, and engens, when he saw him approaching to his death. For this is the last conflict and battle, by the proof and chance whereof, either eternal triumph is hoped and looked for, or a perpetual shame is awaited. For he saith, The prince of this world came 
joan. 14.  unto me, and in me he found nothing. Nor it is no doubt, but that which he enterprised upon the lord, he dare enterprise also upon the membres of the lord. But in likewise as he was vanquished of him, so through him he shall be vanquished in us. For when he assaileth them, in whom Christ by faith and charity doth inhabit and dwell, he maketh battle with Christ himself, in whom so long as we persever and abide, he shall take a fouler fall, and be more shamefully vanquished of us, than he was overcome of our lord himself. All things can I do, 
Omnia possum in co qui me confortat.  quoth the Apostle, in him, which enstrenghteth me. Satanas', with whom our conflict is, is called the prince of this world, not that he hath any authority or jurisdiction over any part of the creature, but because in a manner he reigneth in those, which be lo verse of this world. But he which protecteth and defendeth us, is lord of heaven & of earth, which with his only beck can do more than all the swarms and rabyll of devils, with all their instrumentis & limbs. Only he could enter the house of that 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉  strong one, and bind him hand and foot, and bereave him of his vessels.  
¶ What temptations do yet remain? Death death I say, at whose mention all things wax heavy. This neither with force can be shifted of, neither with fleeing eschewed, neither with craft and subtle means dallied away. The first affection of nature is, that every thing should defend itself. But death against this affection of nature, threateneth destruction, which so much is the more detestable and to be abhorred, that it divideth. two. which be most conjoined and knit together. For there is no straiter copulation or knot, than is of the body and soul. This horror and fere also, our lord of his most tender mercy, hath mitigate and assuaged unto us. First in that he for our sakes, disdained not the horror and trembling of death: and death itself, yea and that slanderoous and shameful, and also bitter, to take upon him. Nor he would not, that any of his saints, & of the holy men, were they never so excelling in virtuous living should be free, and be enfraunchysed against death, not Abraham the faithful, not Moses' familiarly beloved, not david a man according to his heart, not any of the prophets, not John Baptist, of whom remaineth so noble a testimony of our lord himself, not his mother sin gularly beloved, not so much as that one of his disciples, whom before all the rest, he loved entirely. Even from the first man, until the consummation and end of the world, it was ordained and by fatal destiny prefixed, every man once to die. And therefore the greeks call death in their language moros, which cometh of the verb miro, that is to say, to allot, because it is allotted, distributed, and appointed to all men alike and indifferently, to kings, bishops, dukes, earls, barons, knights, esquires, gentylle men, yeomen, and beggars. What impatience is it than, a man not to find in his heart to suffer that evil, which is common to such, so great, and so many? Dost thou flee, with all the holy men to submit thyself, and surrender that thing, which will thou or will thou not, must be rendered and repaid to nature? He that of nature was immortal, for the became mortal. And dost thou, which art borne to die, and haste deserved death so oft, require besides all other men to be had immortal? Wherefore recount thou here with thyself, how many, and what fellows of this sort and condition thou hast: and so doing thou shalt bear more evenly and with a more quiet mind, thin allot and state. Otherwise if thou do, undoubtedly thou shalt seem no less proud and presumptuous, in disdaining that thou shalt die, than if a man would dysdayn, that he is borne, or that he is created a man, and not an angel. This is the first assuagement of death, which in my conceit, is not small. And it shall be made stronger, if we justly account with ourselves, what manner things though be, which we have left here behind us. For many fear death, only having regard to the commodities, which they leave here behind. Than come in mind, the sweet sight of the son, the most goodly ordinance of the firmament, the pleasant hew of the springing world, plays, feasts, wife, children, house, gardens. But thou must open the other eye, wherewith thou mayst behold, how moche more of evils and incommodities thou leavest behind, than of pleasures and commodities: and in very those, which appear good and commodious, how moche calamity and bitterness is migled therewith. Revolve in mind all the degrees of life, consider how foul the conceiving is, how perilous the bearing, how miserable the delivering and birth, in how many dangers of hurts the infancy is, in how great jeopardy of injury and wrong is childhod, how spotted with vicious living is youth, with how many cares distract is the man's age, in what misery and wretchedness is old age, and this thing seriously revolved in memo rye, I stand in doubt, whether a man can find any one person so happily borne, that if god would grant unto him to begin and come up again, by the same steps, even from his conception, through out all the hole process & course of his former life until age, to enjoy like pleasures, and to suffer like displeasures, would take this proffer, annexed to such condition. What notable blindness is it than, so greatly to be troubled, when that thing is to be surrendered, which if it were lawful for us to begin a new, we would refuse? I omit now the evils in which this life is so wrapped, that certain heathen men judged nothing to be yeven to man of the God's, to speak after their manner, more liberally & bountifully, than that they have added unto him a power & liberty to be reave himself of his life, so oft as shallbe seen unto him: And that noble poet doubted not to pronounce, no living thing more wretched than man. Than if th'authority of the heathen prophet be light, Ecclesiastes that godly & 
Ecclesiast.  holy person feared not to write, that Better is the day of death, than of the birth.  
Thus moche have we spoken of evils, now of goods and pleasures, recount with thyself, how many cares and thoughts, riches do bring, from which now thou canst not be plucked away: how much more gall than honey the wife bringeth, for whose love thou fearest now death: how much business and care of mind breedeth the bryn ging up of thy children? how much grief and disworship do their manners cause? Add to all these, the mind of man always decaying & drawing downward to worse and worse. For though not in all, yet surely in the most part of men, the saying of Austyn is true. Qui maior est etate, maior est iniquitate. He that is greater in age, is greater in 
●●●●●yn  wickedness.  
Finally set on thy right hand the pleasures and commodities of this life: and on thy left hand the incommodities, and consider the shortness of the hole time that we live here. Infancy is not felt, childhood slippeth away ere we be ware, youth is taken up with sundry cares, age creepeth upon us ere we perceive it. what is the hole sum of this life, but a minute to that eternity, whereto we be assumpte, if we live well: and plucked down, if otherwise? Of these things an earnest contemplation is no light remedy against the horror of death.  
An other is (which is stronger also than this) that the lord dying for thee, hath caused, that death, which heretofore was the passage to hell, is now the gate to heaven: and which in times passed, was the beginning of everlasting punishments, is now the entering to everlasting joys: so that now to them that trust in Christ, death is not only no damage, but also a great avail and lucre. And to the end that no part of man should be missed, he himself arrysing again with holy men a great multitude, hath made us to have a most assured hope, that the time shall come, when our bodies shall revive in the last day, and than glorified, shall take again every one his gest the soul to be from thenceforth a solas, and no lengar a burden. But of death forthwith we shall have a place to speak more at large.  
Now to accomplish the matter that we be in hand with, one evil is yet left to speak of, more terrible and more horrible than all these gathered together into one heap, I mean hell, from whence (they say) no man can return, which swalloweth up all together, nor never yieldeth again, that it hath ones devoured. This is the puddle & dungeon of desperation, and (as the apocalypse speaketh) the second death. Let every man think with himself, what manner of life that is, where is of all evils the greatest, that is to say immortality, where a great part of punishment, is the fellowship of devils and wicked men, where is fire never to be quenched, to which ours, if it be compared, is very ice. Add, that fire is there the lest portion of sorrows, which sorrows nevertheless be so great, that of man's wit they can not be compassed, no more than can the joy & felicity of them that be good. In evils be they never so grievous, never so long, yet some comfort and assuagement bringeth hope, as it were a certain little star shining afar of, in most thick and profound darkness, but hell with extreme evils hath extreme desperation annexed thereto. wherefore the horror of this passeth all horror: which yet our most merciful redeemer, to th'intent he might mitigate and make less painful unto us, vouchsafed to take it upon himself. That in the garden he was so dismayed, and so taken with extreme peynfulnes of heart, that he sweat blood, was the infirmity of our nature. And that he, nailed to the Cross, crieth, My god, my god, why hast thou forsaken me? 
〈◊〉 27. 〈◊〉 21.  far from my health, be the words of my sins, seemeth to feel in his mind the horror and fear of torment and pain perpetual. For what remaineth to them that be destitute and forsaken of god, but extreme desperation? Nor it ought not to seem wonderful, that he took upon him this most heavy affection, which also took upon him the sins of all men: so that either of these two evils invincible to our strengths, by his mercy he made vincible. Nor these things do not minish the dignity of our redeemer, but declare his unspeakable charity towards Mankind. Under the figure of him speaketh david in the Psalms, The sorrows of death have compassed me about, and the bloods of wickednesses 
Psal. 17.  have troubled my mind, and the snares of death have prevented me. We deserved hell, he an innocent took the fear upon him for us, to th'intent that if like affection should invade our minds, either by reason of the prcuitie in our own conscience of our wickedness and manifold sins, or by reason of the weakness of our nature, we should not cast away ourselves nor to be falls hearted: but fixing our eyes on Christ, may, yea in despairing have good hope. Though the flesh despair, though reason despair, yet let faith even from Helle cry to the lord, Like as Jonas, what time he was utterly in despair, cried out of the Whaales bealye, and was herd. For that also showeth the psalm, where as it followeth by and by, In my tribulation 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etc.  I called on the lord, and to my god I cried, and he heard me out of his holy temple. The temple of god is the church or congregation of good men, this is the tower of faith, Zion the city of our strength. Hither he that will cry even from the deep pit of hell (the spark of faith yet quick) he is herd. Therefore when all the powers of man be drowned down unto hell, yet let faith cry with most blessed Job, Although 
 he killeth me, I will trust in him. For this is with the faith master Abraham, against hope to trust in hope. These than so great evils, the goodness of our lord, hath not only mitigated and brosed, so that though they vex and fear us, yet quench us they can not: but also the extreme damages, he hath turned into exceeding and great lucre. For what doth sin hurt them, the which do cleave unto Christ? what? but where that sin abounded, now aboundeth also grace, and that he loveth more, to whom more is forgiven. What availeth Satanas' uncessingly vexing the members of Christ Jesus? What? but that he doth increase their rewards, and maketh their crowns more glorious? Yea more over, the very cuyls, which according to the state of our mortality be common as well to the good as to the bad, the goodness of our lord hath turned them, either into our lucre, or into our medicine (how be it this is also a lucre) he turneth them into our lucre and advantage, when we being clear from sin, bear them patient lie, giving thanks to the lord for all. And into our medicine he turneth them, if any thing remaineth in us to be purged, either by cutting, or usture, or by bitter potions. Of the which sort be, sickness, poverty, age, lack of father, lack of children, and other innumerable, with which the hole life of man is round about beset. These, if they draw us to murmur, grudge, desperation, or blasphemy, be the instruments of Satanas, and for remedies be made poisons. But if for this only thing they be suffered, because they can not be eschewed, for which consideration, many that knew not Christ, constantly suffered torments and death: they be the afflictions of nature. But if we take them as it were of the hand of a loving father, obediently and with giving thanks, recompting with ourselves, how moche more sharper punishments we have deserved, and how fell and cruel pains Christ being an innocent, suffered for us sinners, now they be none afflictions, but wholesome remedies, or increasementes of heavenly rewards. On the tone behalf, thanks are to be given to the most tender and gentle father, which 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉  chastiseth every child, that he receyucth in favour, other wiles with short and soft remedies healing our sores, that he might spare us in the world to come. On the other behalf, the bountyfulnes of our captain is to be magnified and praised, which ministereth unto his soldiers a matter of virtue or manhood, to the intent he might crown them more royally. On either side is great lucre, whiles perchance it seemeth a small lucre, when a man is sick of a capital and mortal sickness, drinketh bitter potions, and with a light and short pain doth both escape the peril of death, and enjoyeth a perpetual sweetness of health: or when the sowldiour for the conflict of one little hour, attaineth great riches for all his life, and high honours. And by this means also, our lord most merciful, draweth all things unto him, if only we life up our eyes to that sign, which is set up on height. He attracteth and draweth unto him all our evils, and turneth them into our profit and his glory, of which he maketh us partakers, that be graced in him by faith. I pray you, what win they, which in their adversity turning their eyes from Christ, grudge and murmur against god? Surely that grief, which of necessity is to be borne, they double, nay ten times fold so much they make it unto themselves, and the medicine by evil taking thereof, they turn into pestiferous & mortal poison for themselves. This undoubtedly is the high and effectual philosophy, and the meditation of death, in which if a man when he is hole and sound, be diligently exercised, death shall not oppress him unprepared.  
Of these that have been spoken, may be gathered. iiii. sundry sortis of death, a spiritual, 
iiii. kinds of death.  a natural, a transformatorie, and an eternal. The death natural, is a severance of the soul, from the body. The spiritual, is a severance of god, from the mind. For like as the soul is life to the body, so is god life to the soul. This death spiritual hath engendered the natural death (as much as to the necessity attained) as is the religious opinion of the old divines. Of both these two deaths is gendered the death eternal, or if ye will so call it, the death of hell, when the death spiritual, and the death natural come together. For after the death of the body, there is no place of repentance.  
There remaineth a death, by which we 
The death transformatorye.  be transformed from the image and form of the old Adam, into the image of the new Adam, which is Christ our lord. This is a separation of the flesh from the spirit. Nor here is no small wrestling, nor so much as any hope of victory, if the spirit of Christ helped not the weakness of our flesh. But the grace of him, in us hath slain the old man, so that now we be led not with our spirit, but with the spirit of god: nor we ourselves live not, but Christ liveth in us. This most happy death, whether it hath chanced to any man fully, in this life, I can not say. Nevertheless the goodness of our lord vouch safeth to supply of his own, that that our imbecillytie can not do. This death is to be coveted, and with all our devoir practised and meditate through out all our life. Like as saint Paul writeth to the Corynthians: Always bearing 
2. Corl. 4  the mortification of jesus Christ in our body, that also the life of jesus might be manifested in our bodies. To the same he exhorteth the Colossenses: mortify your membres, 
Col. 3.  which be upon earth. He biddeth not pluck out the eyes, or chop of the hands, or cut away our privy membres, but what membres? It followeth: Fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil concupiscence, and covetise. The common sort of men mourn for them, the which die, but blessed Paul to the Colossia ns rejoiceth this death. Ye be (saith he) dead: and your life is hid with Christ in god. This death is mother of the spiritual life, likewise as sin is the father of the spiritual death, and also of the death infernal.  
But in these kinds of death, the most part of men behave themselves preposterously, and clean contrary to that they should do. At the mention of the bodily death, how tremble we for fere? They of old time hated Cypress, for no other cause, but that it was wont to be had in buryals, and also the herb smallage, because graves were hanged about with it: And at this day there be many, which at the savour of frank incense stop their noses, and use fell curses and execrations, for because (as I suppose) at buryals' fumigations be made of it. But the spiritual death is more horrible, than six hundred deaths of the body: and to this wilfully and with great courage we run, gloryenge and boasting, when we have done wickedly, & rejoicing in things most ungodly. We be dismayed, and beside ourselves, when we be in jeopardy, that the soul should depart from our wretched body, which should live moche more happily out of this prison: but how moche more justly ought we to be dismayed, when we be in peril, lest god the life eternal, will forsake our soul? The house wherein any hath died, is called contagious, pestiferous, and funestall, and we stop our noses when we pass by it: But the wise man judgeth it far better to go to the house of mourning, 
Eccle. 7.  than to the house of feasting. In mournings we be naturally heavy and sad. But this heaviness, because it is after a godly fashion, worketh in us a steadfast health & salvation. Whiles it warneth us of the last time, and of the things ensuing the same, and calleth us back to repentance, nor suffereth us not to sin eternally. They be happily present at a mourning, which so bewail an other man's bodily death, that they begin to be moon themselves, which be stricken with a more grievous death: whether than is better to devour a bitter potion, that by the pain of one hour, thou mayst gain perpetual health of thy body, or else in a feast to drink pestiferous and venomous sweet wines, which with their short pleasure may bring to the drinker sudden death? But of these things many men are so clear careless, that in bawdy cornars they sing and make merry as drunk as mice: Some make their avaunt, and rejoice, which by fraud and disobeyed have citeyned to riches: & some triumph, which with wicked crafts, be risen to honours and promotions. Do not the commun people call the wallowing in stinking lusts and delicious fare, a life? But though that thus live, be twice deed. First because they be void and destitute of the spirit of god. Secondly because that even now all ready they be the children of damnation and of the everlasting fire. For like as the life of good men, deed in the flesh, is hid in god, and shall appear and show itself, together with Christ: so in these which have given themselves to the flesh, the death eternal is hid, and shall appear in the last judgement. Only hope doth sever the sinner in this life from hell. For as long as the breath is in man, so long he hath hope of pardon & forgiveness. How be it we had need to take right good heed, lest our hope which cometh not of faith and charity, deceive us. Thus some man flattereth himself: I am young, I will take the pleasure of this world: when I come to age, then will I fall to goodness. But O thou hard heart, who hath promised that to come to age? Another saith: while I am in the flowers of my age, I will follow my lust and pleasure, when I am married, than I will begin to be thrifty. But O thou flatterer of thyself, how knowest thou, whether thou shalt live until to morrow? There is perchance some man that thinketh thus: I will at last make myself a friar, or a monk, and than I will bewail my life evil spent, In the mean while I will use the pleasure of this world. Admit that life be granted thee, who hath promised thee, that thou shalt have this mind and will, to forsake pleasures & embrace repentance? Can every man that will, give to himself this mind? Only the grace of Christ is cause that a man can repent, and come again to his heart. But he freely and at his own liberty giveth it to whom he willeth, and when he willeth. Certes, as touching the sinner, he is now all ready in hell. Is it not a prodigious blindness, that a man being in so horrible state, will prefyxe himself a day, when to recent him of his living? the which man if he should fall into a pit, or be cast in prison, would think all the haste of them that should alucke him out, to slow. Out of the pit he would forthwith cry for man's help, & when he is set in so great evils, will he not 〈◊〉 continent desire god's help, which only raiseth the deed? Who so ever than in this life will diligently practise the traniformatorye death, and vehemently abhor the death spiritual, and the death infernal, shall less fear the death of the body when it approacheth, which doth not sever us from god, but hath joined us nearer to god, and maketh an end for evermore of all afflictions, with the which this life is on every side vexed, and setteth us over to everlasting rest. Thou wilt say, It setteth over to rest, but the souls of good men. Troth it is. For the death of sinners is most evil. Than while thou livest, and 
Mors peccatorum pes sima.  art in thy flowers, do thy devoir, that thou mayst be of the right wise men. For rightwise is also he, which with his heart acknowledgeth and damneth his own unright wiseness, and fearing the perpetual fire, fleeth to the saynctuarie of the mercy of god, & to wholesome remedies of penance. But they, which in all their life, even as though they were immortal, follow their sensualle lusts, being utterly deaf, and will not here the voices of god so oft & so lovingly provoking to repentance: what marvel is it, though they be troubled, when extreme necessity calleth upon them? Than have they enough to do with their sickness, which suffereth them to do nothing else: with the physicians, with their heirs, with them to whom they bequeatheth, and with waiters for preys, with creditors & debtors, with wife and children, with stewards and servants, with friends and foes, with durges and burial, with confessions, dispensations, and censures, with restitutions and making amendis, with sundry doubts of conscience, finally with the articles of the faith. Farther, with the world, whom because he hath loved over moche, he leaveth with evil will: more over with the self death of the body, whereunto he is unprepared, finally with the devil, which than layith about him with all his engines and falsities: with hell, which than objecteth and layeth before him the most ugly and bradfull furies. But to so great a rout of business, that moment of time sufficeth not, but all diligence must be taken, that to that extreme and most grievous conflict a man come most light and void of all business. Some man will ask, by what means this may be. Let us here Ecclesiastes, giving good ounsaill: Remember (saith he) thy maker in the days of thy youth before the time of thy affliction cometh. Let us here also Ecclesiasticus: Before the doom get rightwiseness unto thee, before sickness, seek physic, and before doom examine thyself, and in the sight of god thou shalt find mercy. Before sickness humble thyself, and in time of infirmity show thy conversation. This is ooutles a right wholesome counsel, yea though the day of death were known unto us. How moche more the thing is to be done, sith every day to every man is to be counted the last. While we live and be in health, let us discuss, as much as we may, and rid our manifold business, and ere sickness doth fix us to the bed, let us dispose for our household. The first duty is to remember our maker, that by pure confession and repeutance we may come again into his favour. Let us examine our conscience, cutting of, what so ever we find there hated of god, that when sickness driveth us to the bar to here our judgement, we may find mercy. Who that in prosperity life up their stiff and stubborn necks against god, do we not see how they cast down and humble themselves, if any strong & sharp disease threateneth them to die? But how moche more pleasant and thankful were it to god, if of our own motion we did that thing betimes, whereunto sickness compelleth when it is late? Let us prostrate ourselves with the publican, and with the sinful woman mentioned in the gospels, in the sight of god, with tears, alms deeds, prayers, & other good works, pacifying God's wrath and in time of sickness such shallbe our death, as was our life. Some do abhor from making their testament, as though in it were some evil luck of death. But the making of thy testament good fellow causeth not the to die the sooner, but safelier. In this behalf heppyer is the condition of them that be called religious persons, because they be free and void of all cares touching testaments. But they, which have children or brethren, or else any other heirs, let them provide, that there grow no contention betwixt brethren and allies in the partition of the goods. They that have no heirs, let them provide, that they leave not to them that come after, matter and occasion of suit and riotous rapine. briefly, so let them, when they be in health, order, dispose, and dispatch these mattiers, that they have no need in their sickness to busy and vex themselves with such manner unseasonable cares. More over if any man be wrapped in any perplex and doubtful cases, as of matrimony, of censures of the church, of vows, of restitutions, or reconciliations, let him rid himself of such, when he is hole and sound, nor let him not reserve any intanglynges until his last bay. They do well, which when they lie buying, command their executors to make for them restitution of their evil gotten goods: but they do far more wisely, which when they be in health, do that thing themselves, which oftentimes is committed to thexecutors in vain. Again they do well, which at the point of death, forgive all men their offences, and pray likewise, that they may be forgiven, if they have offended any person: but it is far more thankful to god, and more sure to the quietness of conscience, if they do the same when they be in health, not for fear of death, but for the love of Christ. They do well, which bequeatheth part of their goods, to the relief of the poor: but it were a sacrifice moche more thankfuller to god, if after the rate of thy substance, wouldest thyself relieve thy poor neighbours. For it cometh not always to the needy, which the deed assigned unto them: and if it cometh, it is now an others and not thine, which is b●●owid. What, there be many diseases of that sort, that they give no space of disposing: nor I will not now recite the sudden and unthought on chances, which albeit they oppress not all persons, yet all must look for them, because they may hap to all. Like as it chanced to the foolish man in the gospel, which promised himself long and sweet life: It was said unto him, This night thy soul shall be fet fro the. Al pray that they may escape sudden and unprovided death. For every where these words a man may here, From sudden and unprovided 
A subitanea & in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  death, deliver us lord, What is it, that these do pray for? Is every sudden death detestable? No certes: For The rightwise man, with what so ever death he be prevented, is in rest. For it can not be an evil death, beit never so sudden, before whom went good life. Why rather pray we not thus? from an evil life deliver us lord. But why be we not ashamed to call an unprovided death, which daily thrusteth itself into all our senses? from our childhood, what other thing here we, than gronynges of them that die? What other thing see we, than corpses carried out? than pomps of mourners, than gravestones, tombs, and titles of deed men? That if we be little moved 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉  with the deaths of strangers, how oft doth death pluck us by the ear more near, by the funerals of alyans and kynssolke, which touch us by nigh necessitude of nature: and of our friends, whom interchangeable love hath glued unto us more straightly, than the bonds of nature do join any kinsfolk. And if this also be to little, how oft hath it monished our own selves of our own frailty? For who is there of us, that hath not sometime be brought into the danger of death, either by tempest, or robbery, or battle, or ruin, or pestilence, or sickness? What way so ever thou turnest thee, death lieth in await. The house is a sure refuge to every man: but how many be oppressed suddenly with fallings of houses? The earth is of the. iiii. eel mentes most massy and sure, and yet doth it not otherwiles sink and swallow up hold cities? The very air, wherewith we breathe and live, oftentimes is death, like wise as meat and drink is. Finally hunger and thirst, do they not daily menace death, if thou takest not a remedy? Farther, so oft as man is named, he is monished of death? For mortal creatures and men be of all one signification. What other thing than do they, which pray to escape from death unprovided, but accuse their own improvydence? For to unprepared persons every death is unprovided, yea to him that is an hundred years old. Callest thou that unprovided, which thrusting and shooting itself upon all thy senses, dost not see?  
So unprovided was the blood to the wicked persons, which scorned No the beadyll and summoner of justice, while 
Luc. 17.  he prepared his Ark, eating, drinking, joining marriages, as though that thing should not come to pass, which God did threaten.  
So unprovided fell the destruction to the sodomites, which mocked Loath, what time he departed from their City. The same should have chanced to the ninivites, had they not repent at the preaching of jonas. Who so ever knoweth that god is angry with him, at every moment let him look for vengeance, nay let him eschew it rather by example of the ninivites and of david. Full terrible and dradfulle is the ire of the lord, but if we cast down ourselves with all humility to repentance, in his ire he will remember mercy. The ninivites at the preaching of the stranger jonas, were converted to penance. But we being deaf at so many preachings of our lord, desire and pray to be delivered from unprovided death. By so many examples and parables of Noah, of Loath, and of them, whom the fall of the tower in Siloa, oppressed unwares, he crieth upon our forgetful slothfulness, that we should be ready at every hour. He addeth the similitude of the night thief, of the faithful steward, of the. x. virgins, and so oft he crieth on us: Watch, for ye know not the day, nor 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  the hour, and cometh there than any death to us unprovided? Yea there cometh, but to the reckless & unprovided persons, or (to speak the thing better) to the deaf, blind, and unsensible, which neither do here our lord crienge upon us, neither see the thing, that offereth itself to their eyes, neither feel that which on every side prieketh them. They pass not on that our lord seemeth to speak of the last day of the world. For the last day of each man's life, is his last day of the world. At the end of the world the universal and general judgement shall be openly solemnysed, but the whiles the souls of each one, so soon as they leave the body, receive their judgement, all though it be unknown to us. And either day our lord would have to be unknown to us a like. In this behalf also declaring his most tender love toward us. For where as we now see the unsufferable violence, oppression, and extortion of rich and wicked persons, what would they do, if they knew that they should live any long while? On the other side, the weak in faith, as be the most part of men, if they knew certainly, that they should live till they be old, would differre until that time, the study of a more exact life. Again, if they were certain, that but a few days of their life remained: they would live full of pensiveness and sadness, and should become more slache to many profitable businesses of the common wealth. Now the providence of the divine majesty, hath so tempered the matter, that unto all men death is so certain, that each one knoweth no less certainly, that they shall die, than they know that they were borne: and that neither the highest nor the lowest persons can flatter themselves with fain hope. Again, the day of death is so uncertain, that the lord would not have it know to his bestbeloved. By means where of it cometh to pass, that the wicked do less hurt the good men, and the good men so abstain from evil works, as though they should die the day following, & so do and exercise good deeds, as though they should live long. What then mean these men, which run to prognosticators, which divine by the inspection of a man's hand, of the stars, of the man's nature, of his birth, of the belly, and babylonical numbers, and witchcrafts, to th'intent they may know the space of their time? The Ecclesiastes crieth, A man knoweth not his end, but as the fishes 
〈◊〉  be taken with the hook, and the birds be caught with the snare, so be men taken in an evil time, when it cometh upon them suddenly: and will we know our end of them, which know not their own end? Shall men learn that thing of vain people, maugre Christis heed, that Christ the eternal verity would not have known, because it is not expedient that it were known? whether both the example of wicked Saul, please Christian men? For what did the witch help or profit him, but that he should twice die?  
though persons also be not evil, which desire of god some certain kind of death, and pray that they may lie sick certain months, to th'end they may bestow, at the least way, that time upon repentance and confession. More holy is the request of them, which desire that death, whereby they may least trouble their friends. For this cometh of charity. But it is of a more steadfast and sure faith, to commit unto god as well the kind of the death, as the space of the sickness. He knoweth what is most expedient for us, and will give, that is best for us. The forms of death be innumerable, and am onge them some be horrible, either in that they kill suddenly, which thing happeneth to some men even in the feasting, or in that they have sharp and long torments, as is the palsy, and the yschiacc, or in that they have an abominable sight, as they which choked up with tough flcum, wax black: or in that they take away the use of the tongue, and the holenes of mind, as the apoplexis, the frenzy, and certain fevers, and other peculiar forms, which make men to tumble, and break their necks, or to leap into a well, or strangle their throats with some cord, or thrust themselves into the guts, with some knife or sword. For there be diseases, which do corrupt the inward weselles of the mind, which persons be commonly called in the latin tongue demoniaci, that is to say, possessed with devils. But neither by these things a man is not to be judged, sith that Chrysosto thus doth most lovingly comfort a certain monk, which was possessed with a devil. How be it though kinds of death, which have a manifest colour of wickedness, is a good christian man's part to desire to escape, and to abhor it. Contrary wise, some we see have so gentle a death, that they seem to sleep, and not to die. But what fashion of death so ever chanceth, no man is thereby to be esteemed. No, not so much as of them, which by the laws are for their myscheious deeds, put to execution, though they chance to have a shameful death, we may not judge temerousely. For it may be, that he, which for treason, is hanged, drawn, and quartered, passeth into the company of angels, where as another, the which dying in a grey friars cote, and religiously buried, departeth down unto hell. It is the lord, which judgeth of these things. By sundry wyses god: exerciseth and purgeth his servants: but (as I said) no evil death is that to be thought, which good life spent before. otherwiles, they that die most easily, go to everlasting punishments: and contrary wise, they that be miserably tormented, flee into rest. Some wish to have full confession before they die, last anneyling, and the receiving of their maker, not with an unlike mind as it appeareth) that in old time some prolonged the time to be christened, till their last day, and the baptist, which should baptize them, was not called for, until that the phisytion confessed little help in his science. Why wish we but ones that thing to chaunche, which daily ought and may be done of us? For it is best counsel, that every man before ere he betake him to sleep, diligently examine his conscience: and if he find any crime committed that day, let him knock his breast, and calling for the assistance of god, purpose certainly to live a better life. Nor there is no cause why any man should here say, I am letted with sundry business, I have no leisure. To a thing so necessary the fourth part of an hour sufficeth. It is not long to say, I have sinned, Have mercy. And this is sufficient, so it be spoken with the heart. No man committing himself to sleep, is sure to awake. How great danger is it than, in that state to sleep, in which if death oppress us, which is brother germane to sleep, we shall perish for evermore? So great peril may be eschewed with one short thought. This is daily to be done to god: but to the priest, vicar of god. iii. or. iiii. times or ofter in the year with pure confession to purge the conscience, should bring moche tranquillity, and it shall cause that the person, when he dieth, shall not be troubled with the scrupulosytie of confession.  
Furthermore because in the article of death, the contemplation of our lords death, & of the communion of the hole church, which is the body of Christ, is a principal comfort, it were well done, in both to be diligently exercised in the life, to th'intent, the doing oft repeated, may turn into custom, custom into course, and course into nature. This shallbe if that we, our conscience being clean purged from all affection of sinning, oft receive the mystical bread, and drink of the mystical cup: sith that this sacrament commendeth and declareth unto us, two things, the one is, the most dear love of the heed toward his membres: and the other is, the most straight fellowship of the membres betwixt themselves. What so ever goodness is in the body, proceedeth from the heed Christ: and what so ever goodness is in the body, is commun unto all the members. Like as in the body of a living thing though there be divers membres, ordained to divers offices, yet the life yssuinge from the heed, is spread abroad through all the membres, with such an inseparable fellowship, that like as saint Paul teacheth, if one member be grieved, that grief runneth unto all: and if one member joyeth, the glory is of all in common. Doubtless this is that is said in the Symbol of th'apostles, Sanctam ecclesiam sanctorum communionem, The holy church, the communion of saints. For no straighter is the grace of Christ in the mystical body, than is nature in the body of a living thing. They do devoutly, which when death draweth near, do send to the monastery of the Cartusians, or friars obseruantes to pray for the sick person, but it is a stronger comfort, if the sick man thinketh, that the hole church is busy & thought full for him, a member thereof. When I say the church, how blessed and how mighty a company do I mean, which includeth prophets, apostles, so many swarms of martyrs and virgins, so many souls beloved of god. This hole company and fellowship for each member of Christ being in jeopardy, prayeth continually, and with merits and prayers helpeth the sick person. Nor it is no matter to thee, though that thou seest not the church with thy eyes: neither thou seest thy soul, by whose benefit all the membres of the body live and be moved. The church can not be poor, which is joined to so rich an heed, in which dwelleth all fullness of divinity corporally, nor the member can not be destitute, which is sustained of so many thousands of saints. The tender love and bountyfulnes of the heed toward us, principally witnesseth the cross taken for to redeem us. The memory and power of these things we do renew unto us, as oft as with faith and due reverence we do eat the flesh of the lord, and drink the blood.  
And also we be admonished, that all be one body, which do eat the same bread, and drink of the same cup. Let no man than be false hearted, although that the member be weak and diseased, considering that it hath an heed, which is omnipotent: nor let him not think to be destitute and forsaken, which is relieved, kept, and sustained with the demerits and prayers of the hole church. Wherefore who so ever, that in his life is diligently exercised, in the contemplation of these things, at his death, they shall bring unto him more comfort. For than even of their own accord, they shall run into his memory, as things familiar unto the mind and soul. Wherefore, after my mind and judgement, they devised a right good and godly thing, which parted the history of our lords death in to certain hours, as we call them: to the intent that children might be accustomed to rehearse and say every day a portion of it, with ycuing of thanks. But they, which ordained in the steed of it the service of our lady, though that they invented a thing not ungodly, yet if a man might confess the truth, they turned wine into water.  
By these skills and means it shall come to pass very well, that sudden and unprovided death shall not oppress us. The sweet children must be forsaken, the dear wife, the well beloved friends, the approwed lands, the sumptuous buildings, the ample goods. But the sowldiour of Christ hath studied to neglect all these things, whose soul doth watch as it were in the garnison of the body, and waiting every hour for the Trumpette of his captain, whereby he is commanded to begin the battle, always ready to these words, Dispose thy 
Esai. 38.  household, for thou shalt die, and not live. He hath his body not for an house, but for a pavilion, nor he hurdeth not there his treasure, but that which sufficeth for his daily sustynance, he beareth in his belt, always waking in the watches, always having armours about him, against the sudden invasions of his enemies, no hardness he refuseth, so he may please his captain, to whom he is sworn. A warfare, saith job, 
Cap. 7.  is the life of man upon earth. The mynder of this warfare is exhorted by the wise man Syrach. Son, that comest to the service 
Cap. 〈◊〉  of god, stand in rightwiseness and in dread, and prepare thy soul to temptation. The service of god is a profession of a christian warfare. To stand, is the property of a sowldiour in the field, prepared and bent to the battle. Stand in rightwiseness, not in pride, which vaunteth itself against god, but in rightwiseness. They sleep and lie down, which be the soldiers of this world. But the soldier of Christ standeth bend to every good work. The best work is, well to die in the lord. For good living giveth a great imbolding against the devil. faith hath not learned to give place to the enemy, hope can not be discomfited, charity ministereth food to the slander. But sith good life causeth boldness, why is added in dread? If thou be rightewyse, what dost thou fear? If thou be not, how dost thou stand? This dread is not that father of desperation, of which speaketh Solomon. Fear casteth down the sloth full person, and charity casteth out fear, but 
Cap. 〈◊〉  the most good keeper of innocency. The fear of the sons is holy, remaining without end. Who that standeth, saith the apostle, let him see that he falleth not. And again, Thou by faith dost stand, do not look to high, but fear. There is an holy dread of the lord, which pricketh to good work, and driveth away the man from evil: and there is a naughty fear of the servant, which enticeth him to slouthefulnesse, I feared, 
Matt. 24.  ꝙ he, and went and did hide thy talent in the earth. But fear, the fellow of justice, causeth is, distrusting our own powers, more courageously to work through the aid of the spirit, and more circumspectly to keep the gifts of god. Beside this, every rightwiseness of men, be it never so perfect, trembleth so oft as it is called to the bar of God's justice, in whose sight neither the stars be clean, and in angels is found iniquity. Why than should not we, which be weak, and dwelling in earthen tents, fear this Judgement, sith Job the allowed man of god saith: I feared all my works, knowing, that thou 
job. 4. &. 25.  spareste not the offender. If I be washed as with the waters of snow, and my hands shine as most clean, yet with filthiness thou shalt bewray me. And Paul, a sowldyoure more exercised than Job, 
1. Cor. 4  saith, I am privy to myself of no evil, but not in that I am justified. It followeth, And prepare thy soul to tentation. Sundry be the forms of temptations, by which god trieth his men of war, but the most grievous tentation of all is death. For than in good earnest, we must fight hand to hand, nor there is no skypping away, but on both sides with all our might and power, the mastery must be tried. So that to this bickering man's mind must always be prepared. For what shall an unexpert soldier do here, which never fought with his enemy, nor never assayed his strength, guiles, crafts, awaits, nor yet his own valiantness? It is a great part of victory, to make war with a known enemy. So the most doughty sowdiour, or rather captain saint Paul, That we be not environed, ꝙ he, of Satanas. For we be not ignorant of his wily thoughts. What marvel is it, if he know 
2. Cor. 2.  his wiles, which hath so oft coupled with him, exercised in all kind of perils? Than is the fire put to, which declareth what every man's work was, and upon what foundation it was laid. And here we see otherwhiles chance, which chanceth in the warfare of the world. They that in the tents seemed cowards, and trembled at the hearing of the trump, in the very battle be found most hardy: on the other side. they, which before jeopardy seemed very fierce, in the very point seem most fearful. So there be some, which when they be hole, boast their quietness and uncarefulness of conscience, and that they be ready pray pared to death, yea and covet to flee out of this wretched world, trusting on a faith (I wot not what) that Christ hath promised us life, and for our sins hath suffered, saying, that it forceth not, what our works be, whether good or evil. But I fear lest many, which while they be in health, boast this quietness and surety, do greatly tremble, when extreme peril toucheth them, and that day is at hand, when the matter is showed not with words, but with the troth. They heap up, how great iniquity is it to doubt of the promises of god: but none do more tremble than they, which doubt not of the promises of god. For he that believeth not, that hell is prepared for them which live wickedly, but that death bringeth an end of all evils, with an extinguyshment of the hole man, doth less fear ceathe. Faith than engendereth in wicked men, the dread of god, which is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of god, that 
job. 28.  is the wisdom, and to depart from evil, is the understanding. Also Esaias. Of thy fear lord we have conceived, and as who 
Cap. 29.  saith, we have travailed with child, and have brought forth the spirit of health. In Luke the third chapter, the people afeared at the preaching of John baptist, which exhorted to repentance, saying, Now the axe is set to the root of the tree, said: What shall we do? But unless they had believed John, they would not have said, What shall we do? Likewise in the acts of the apostles, the multitude feared with the preaching of Peter, conceiving a dread by their believing, with a pricked conscience, saith to Peter, & the other apostles: What shall we do, O brethren? they would not have said so, if their faith ne were, pricking their conscience with the fear of hell. This trembling in a man also that liveth well, is not gendered of a mistrust toward the promises and comminations of god, or of the not believing in the articles of the faith, or of doubting of the power of the sacraments, which they have of the death of Christ: but it riseth of inward knowledge of our weakness, which is greater than may be fully understand of us. Of singular or particular things we be not constrained to be sure, how be it we may despair of no person. As, for ensample, it is necessary to believe, that who so ever receiveth with faith the sacrament of baptism, receiveth free remission of all sins, but it is not necessary to believe, that this man baptized is free from all sins. For it may be, that in this man there is a peculiar thing, which letteth the general power of the sacrament. Likewise it is of the sacrament of penance. It is a wickedness to doubt, whether he be assoiled of his sins, which hath rightly taken this sacrament: Yet it is no point of heresy to doubt, whether this man or that man is assoiled, because of peculiar impediments, we have no knowledge. I except a singular and evident revelation, or irrefutable, authority, when there is no express authority of scriptures, or of the agreement of the church to the contrary. This doubting is not an infidelity, but a religious modesty, with his hole heart submitting himself to the will and judgement of god, yea though he will damn the man. For he shall not therefore be damned, but by this very submission he shall deserve absolution, if to the religious trembling be joined a trust that cometh of the mercy of Christ. The same is to be thought of the sacrament of the Altar. We be bound generally to believe, that the priest, duly doing his office, doth consecrate the body and blood of our lord, but it is no ungodliness to doubt, whether this man or that man did consecrate. For this is not to doubt of the sacrament, but of the peculiar circumstances, letting the virtue or reason of the sacrament. Likewise we believe of necessity, that men by faith and charity toward our lord jesus, obtain everlasting health: yet it is leeful to doubt, whether this man or that be in the same state. How be it neither of other men we ought rasihely to judge, and in ourselves hope ought to increase, together with the increase of love and faith. The same must we think of the promises and menaces of scriptures. For the matter of doubting riseth not of god, which can not lie, but of us. It is not unknown to man, how exceeding good things god hath promised, but to them that fear and love him. But who of us is there, which hath showed fear as dew to such a lord, and love, due and worthy for such a parent? Wherefore they doubt not, whether god be true in his promises, but whether we be worthy of his promises. Faith, hope, charitiie, dread, be gifts of the spirit.  
Who than knoweth, whether the faith & charity, which he hath, be of this sort of gifts, which make us the beloved of god, and whether they suffice to everlasting health? Likewise god by his son hath promised forgiveness of all sins, but ones by baptism, if it be duly taken. Who is there of us, which hath not by many ways spotted the white garment, which was freely given us in baptism? There is prepared a remedy of penance, but to them, which with their hole heart be converted to the lord. Here let every man examine himself, whether with his hole heart he be converted to the lord, whether he hath an heart truly contrite and humbled, and if he hath, whether it be after a sufficient manner. The baptist crieth: Do ye fruits worthy repentance. Who dare take upon him, that he hath in due form hated and detested his sins? God threateneth wrath and hell to the breakers of his preceptis: and how oft casting away the fere of him, break we them? Whom shalt thou find, which feareth not more the displeasure of a prince or judge mortal, than of the living god? Further, how oft chanceth it, that man loveth more a man than god, suffering for his mortal friend, that which he would refuse to suffer for Christ's sake? certes I am this opinion, that I think the faith of good men, alway to be joined together with a devout and religious trembling. I except a few, whom god would have to be counted peerless, to be as examples, to stir all men, but which, few can follow. They more certainly hope for mercy of our lord, which dread his in●● Wherefore who that thus say, believe that thou shalt be saved, and thou shalt be saved, do commit double sin. For if they lack of any manner saith, the saying is ●● and if they speak of the living faith, it is foolishly said, believe, as who should say, it were in any man's power to believe when he will, where as I stand in doubt, whether we be certain, if the gift of faith be in us. Add hereunto, that man not only to other men, but also to himself is oft rhymes unknown, where as nothing, be it never so hid, can deceive the eyes of god. The heart of man is unsearchable of us, but no corner of the heart is hid from him, which formed and made the heart. To us oftentimes that appeareth holy and good, which is wicked in the eyes of god: & pure, which is unpure. So it happeth, that man thinketh him clean from sin, when unknowing he hath a wounded conscience. Why should not this thing chance unto us. ●● that noble king in his Psalm saith? Delicta quis intelligit, ab occultis meis mun●● 
Psal. 〈◊〉  me domine. Who understandeth his offences? from my hid sins make me clean, O lord. Wherefore the most surest safeguard and sanctuary is, with a religious fear to ●● from the justice of god to his mercy, & with the Psalmografe to say, Ne intres in judicium cum servo tuo, quia non iustificabitur 
Psal. 142.  in conspectu tuo omnis vivens. enter not lord into judgement with thy servant, for no living creature shallbe justified in thy sight. No man than can stand upright in this judgement, if our merits be examined according to the straight rule of god, unless mercy be present in the judgement. And therefore there went before, in the same Psalm, In thy truth here my petition, in thy justice. 
In veritate tua exaudi me.  Whosoever coveteth his petition to be hard, leaveth contention: and who coveteth his petition to be hard in the troth of god, hath a distrust to his own troth, knowing that only god is true, and every man a liar: and he that requireth his petition to be hard in the justice of god, mistrusteth his own justice. The truth and the rightwiseness of god, is Christ, the minister of the evangelical grace. For by Moses was given the law, which hath disclosed our unrightwiseness, but grace is made by Christ jesus, which hath imparted and communicate unto us his rightwiseness. We so oft make a lie unto god, as we break and transgress his laws, to which we be sworn at the fountstone of regeneration: and so oft we be unjust, as we acknowledge not our duty to our maker and redeemer, nay rather, we utterly renounce him, so oft as we go back from our covenants: but although we being falsely forsworn deny and renounce him, yet he constantly is faithful, he can not deny himself, always true in his promises, To th'intent he might be justified 
Psal. 〈◊〉 Vt 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etc.  in his words, and vanquyshe when he is judged. The father heareth our petition in his troth, in which by his son he hath unto us promised forgiveness of sins: and he heareth not in our, but in his justice or rightwiseness, for by his son he justifieth every one that believeth, purifyeng our hearts with faith: Blessed be they then, which serve the lord in dread, and rejoice unto 
Psal. 2.  him with trembling. Why should not men, which be in subjection of sin, fear him, whom the armies of angels fear? It is good to fear afore judgement, that in the judgement we may find mercy. Of human histories we learn, with how great gladness, and rejoicing of heart saint Andrew 
〈◊〉 Andrew.  went unto the execution of the cross: But contraryly we find, that many, which were supposed very holy men, at the time of their death, were sore troubled with great fear, dreading the judgement of god, and damning their hole life before led. For it is showed of one, unto whom trembling at the time of his death, when his brethren, which were about him said: what meaneth it, that thou art thus afeard, sith thou hast lived all thy life so holily: he answered thus, O brethren, much divers be the judgements of men, and the judgement of god. Like words it is said, that Benet, bernard, and Austyn had. Wherefore one and the same faith, both causeth fere, and overcometh fere: it causeth, showing how great he is, whom we offend in many things: it overcometh, showing unto us Christ, whose charity purgeth our sins, & grace supplieth that our imperfectness lacketh. But as it is not always a sign of a valiant courage or faithefulnes, not to fere death (for sometime it is token of a brutish retchelesnes and lack of reason, sometime of an outrageous and gyantyshe felnes: at the approchinge of death to wax fearful) is not always a sign of distrust or of an evil conscience. otherwiles it is a mere natural affection, according to the variety of bodies, which in some is more moderate, and in other more vehement. Thus feared Ezechias death, a man which with perfect heart walked before god, but he feared, not grudging and murmuring against god, but with tears, praying it from him, and his prayer was hard. I knew certain women, which at the only mention of death would begin to tremble, & yet the self same women, when their death approached, were most strong and most constant. For that fere and quivering came not of an ill conscience, but of a peculiar weakness of the womankind, or of nature. The affections of nature if they be overcome by virtue, do increase the victory, they do not signify a mistrust. So a man shall see some wits standing in their own conceit, which do easily satisfy themselves in any manner of thing. There be again wits of base courage, in nothing contenting themselves, although they do a thing well: to whom if thou rehearse all manner comforts, yet they feel a remorse & a gnawing in their mind, drawing them to mistrust, & hereby they conjecture, that they be not yet allowed of god, because they never feel a quietness of conscience. But if we will distinct nature from virtue, neither they do greatly trust unto their quietness, which please themselves in any manner thing, neither they cast away utterly their hope, which have a mind ever suspecting the worst. This is a vice of a peculiar nature, & not of the will, which vice a man must not regard, if he can not conquer it: and take that for a thing most ratified & sure, which the spirit inwardly speaketh, though the flesh be never so much against it. I suppose that this is also natural, that men whantheir last day draweth near, be so in manner transmuted, that they allow none of all those things, which they did in their life, not because they be naught & ungodly, but because they be human and going from the perfection. How be it against these affections of nature we must fight with the strength of the spirit, all be it by them we aught to judge, neither other men, nor yet ourselves.  
But let us return to our former purpose, which was, to show by what means weak souls (as the most part be) may be comforted, whom death maketh all dismayed and fearful, in whose life was much forgetfulness, moche negligence, moche ceasing, and briefly many more evil deeds than good deeds: and if there be any good deeds, they be spotted with moche rustynesse, so that to utter them into the sight of god, were nothing else but to anger god. Either the mind is not ready at all unto death, or else it is but lightly instructed. In the very article of death, what shall we do to this man? No man is to be despaired, so long as the breath is in him. The last battle is at hand. The space is short, he needeth speedy counsel. What I say shall we counsel this man, which is thus troubled not without great cause? first if he have heirs, that shall succeed him, it were best to commit all the care touching the testament to them. First, this is a little compendiousness. If not, let him as briefly as he can dispatch this matter by a nuncupatory testament, or if there be any better way. This done let him avoid out of his sight all babblers of worldly goods, in which thing many men offend above measure, which bring forth doubts unto the sick man, that lieth a dying, of the testament, and of extern things: Sometime also they compel him to subscribe his name, and that refusing and unwillingly, detesting their importunity, by whom he can not be suffered to die. Than which friends, nothing is more unfrendly. Than, if the manner of the sickness suffereth, let him study to heal his soul before the body, by short confession, but pure and void of disobeyed, and let him take of the priest with a full faith, and with high reverence the remedy of penance, let him cry for the mercy of god, even from the bottom of his heart, and take a purpose of amendment of life, if it chanceth him to recover. Than if haply the priest be not at hand or can not be gotten, let him not forthwith (as some superstitious people be wont to do) despair in himself, & tremble: but let him with his heart confess himself to god, of his sins & unrightfulness, which of his mercy, will take the good will of the man in stead of the very deed, and that which lacketh to the external signs of the sacraments, he will vouchsafe to supply of his own, by his peculiar grace. By him doubtless all sacraments be of great virtue and operation, which be in manner signacles of the divine goodness and benefycence toward us, but the self same god, so oft as necessity requireth, doth tender the salvation of man without signs, only so that negligence and contempt of the sacraments be away, and faith, and a glad will be present. These things for this cause be spoken, for that oftentimes we see some persons sore troubled in their minds, if they think that they shall depart without confession to the priest, without receiving of the sacrament of the altar, and the last anneyling. Yea and such manner of sayings we hear spoken of very many, he died like a christian man, he was four times confessed before death, and received all the rites of the church. On the other side, we take up our hand, and bless us, if we here that any man died without them. This surely is a christian man's part, to wish, that he may lack none of the sacraments. For they be great solacies and comforts of the mind, and helpynges ges of our believe, and it belongeth to the sincerity and pureness of a Christian man, to accomplish (if he may) all justice: But it appertaineth more to a Christian man to wish for faith and charity, without which the other do nothing avail. But by these outward things we ought not to judge any person, unless we certainly know that they were omitted & not done, by contempt, or which is as ill, by negligence. Surely I doubt not, but that many neither assoiled of the priest, nor their maker received, nor aneyled, nor yet buried, after the rites of the church, have gone to everlasting joy and bliss, where as some other, after all the ceremonies of the church solemnly done, and also buried in the church next to the high altar, be carried down to hell. Let them be in stead of an example, which suddenly do perish by tempest of the see, or by punishment of laws, or else by some sudden sickness. Wherefore unto such persons must be added a confidence and trust, to th'intent that they may certainly believe, that they be no less assoiled, than if they were confessed to the pressed, nor that they receive no less spiritual grace, than if they had received the body of Christ, & the last anneyling. Only let them have (as I have said before) an ardent and brenning faith, and a prompt will and desire. That if a priest may be gotten, & the violence of the sickness will not suffer a full and an hole confession that should require many words: with an inward submission of heart let him confess himself to be all together a sinner, and desire of the priest absolution with a meek heart, and with a full confidence let him think himself assoiled. So oft as necessity excludeth us from the things that we covet, god of his goodness accepteth the desire of the mind. Wherefore they, which in this state of things do trouble and vex the man with general confession, or with often rehearsal of his confession, with painful discussing of the circumstances, with the repeating of every offence committed, whether they do a godly thing I can not tell, surely in my judgement they do a thing out of season. Than sufficeth one, & that short, but a sincere and pure confession of the principal crimes, which cometh to a man's mind, or if that can not be, a brenning affection & desire of confession. More over, if any man hath done him any offence, let him forgive the vengeance thereof with his whole heart. If he be unworthy of forgiveness, yet Christ is worthy, for whose sake thou oughtest lay down the affection of avenging. Let him not thenne here recount how greatly he hath been hurt of this man or of that man, but how many offences he himself requireth to be forgiven and pardoned of god. If he hath offended any man let him go about as much as he may to be reconciled unto him. If the other will not be at one, and forgive, let him pray god to send him a better mind. He himself in as moche as he hath done all that in him lieth, is excused before god. If good works be required, there is no wark more able to purchase the mercy of god, than for Jesus Christis sake, (and according to the example of him, which hanging on the cross, prayed for them, by whom he was put to death, and of whom he was with spiteful scorns upbraided) heartily and freely to forgive what so ever men have sinned against us. And I can not say, whether there be any work more hard and uneasy to be done: and therefore principally it is to be desired of god. But yet to this helpeth the very self sickness, which breakethe the very wild fyersenes of the human spirit, and maketh it more supple and easy to forgive.  
Here it is the parts of them that be with the sick person, to drive from him the common affection, whereby many think, that death is made to come the sooner by confession, houseling, and anneyling: And let them persuade the sick man rather (as the thing is in deed) that by these means there is more hope to recover health, either because, that a sick mind doubleth the sore, or because that not seldom the sickness of the body, cometh of the mind, or finally because that god sooner will here the requests and prayers for him that is reconciled, than for an unreconciled person. Furthermore it is their parts to get for the sick man such a priest as hath a learned tongue, that he may with his communication of words, sustain and comfort the weary sick man, and which so can moderate his words, that neither by over much flattery he deceiveth the sick person, nor by unseasonable austerity and sharpness he cast him not into desperation, Nor break 
Esai. 42.  not the broken staff, nor quench not the smo king flax. For in either behalf many men offend. Nor let them not rashly let into the sick man, all manner of priests, but these only, by whose speech he may be relieved. Those persons let them drive out of sight, the whose sight may renew the affection of sinning unto the sick man, as his companions, or of foul pleasures, or of dicing, or his mortal enemies.  
The physicians help, let him neither despise utterly, nor have to much confidence therein. Let his chief hoop be fixed in god, which as he only did first put the soul in the body, so he only taketh it out, when he will. otherwiles yet the physician is to be sent for, lest we seem to tempt god, namely in sudden diseases, that kill out of hand, which, of the phisytians be called Morbi acuti. Let the multitude of physicians be put out, not only for that, that likewise as it is said by a proverb of the greeks, That the multitude of rulers & governors destroyed the country of Caria, so many times the multitude of physicians kill many sick men, but also that their offycious and busy cure, while that one counseleth one thing, and another an other thing, and each desireth at the peril of another to be counted very wise, and by that means medicines be heaped upon me dyeines, it cometh than to pass, that the sick man hath no leisure justly and fully to regard the mattiers concerning his soul health. Doubtless, when peril cometh overfaste upon, the most valiant and strongest comforts must be given, at which time, many do flatter him, that is in the departing, ye and many flatter themselves with vulgar remedies of none effect, as when one counseleth him, to command his executors to bury him in the coote of such or such friars or monks, or to make an avow to god, that if he recover, he will be professed in the order of the monks of Charterhowse. Why is not the sick man rather monished to abstain from such manner of vows, during the time of his sickness, and that it is sufficient, if he purpose to change his life into better: and as touching the form of living, let him delyberate with himself, when he is hole and free from perturbations and fear. For 
Eccl. 5.  a foolish promise, displeaseth god. And that is foolish, which fear extorteth of a distourbed mind. An other saith, Die without dread, I within the space of a year will go to Jerusalem for thee: or, I will creep on my bare knees to saint James: or I will go into saint Patrick'S purgatory, which is in Ireland. I knew a woman of noble birth and of high prudence, which by testament devised to a priest a good sum of money, to sing mass daily, during the space of a year at Rome, as though the masses at Rome were of more holiness than the masses of England. And yet that money had been better bestowed, if she had bound that priest never to go to Rome. For I know the person very well, whom I judge rather to do sacrifice to Venus than to god. Other some exhort him to buy all the good deeds of some house of religion, or of some order. I deny not, but there is great comfort in the communion of holy men: but yet nevertheless, whether god will allow and ratify such contracts, I doubt. After my sentence it is a more ready remedy against desperation, to put before the eyes of the sick perfone, the communion or part taking of the whole church, which spreadeth very far, containing all the good men from the beginning of the world, which have pleased god: In which company be also the angels. This hole fellowship and fraternity, with their vows and prayers doth help the patient, looking for a glorious victory. Why than should he cast away his buckelar, which hath so many companies succouring him? If the prayer of one religious house, causeth the man to hope, in this numbered be all houses. I speak not this, to th'intent, that it availeth not to require the prayers of certain men, or that the prayers of few be not profitable, namely if they come of a christian and; free charity, but that to stir and pluck up the hope of the sick man, the contemplation of the universal church is of greater strength. For by this way his heart shall be more confirmed. But the most puissant solace of all, is never to remove the eyes of faith from Christ, which giveth himself wholly unto us, whom we have a suitor for us unto god, which never cesseth crying, Come to me all 
Mat. 11.  ye that labour and be burdened, and I will ease you. In the hollowness of this rock, let him hide him, into this persons wounds, let the sick man creep, and he shallbe sure from Satanas. Wherher to so ever that wily serpent plucketh away his mind, let him always have his eyes to that brazen serpent fixed on a high pole, to the contemplation of which, Paul calleth back again the Galatees, which for none other cause began to waver, than that they turned their eyes from the crucifix. The venomous bitings of the fleeing spirits shall not noye him, if faith with unmoving ears beholdeth that sign of everlasting health. Christ hanging on the cross is a sign of triumph, a sign of victory, a sign of everlasting glory. For our sakes he fought, for our sakes he overcame, for our sakes he wan the triumph, only so that we have the eyes of our faith intentive and waking hereupon. In human wars it is no little help to victory (which thing Alcibiades praiseth in Socrates) never to wink. But in this conflict, which we have with our spiritual enemy, the hole hope of the victory is in the eyes. But there is moche diversify in the two battles. For in the mundane wars it must be marked on every side with intentife eyes, what the enemy doth: but in this battle we must be blind and deaf at the assaults of the devil, and only have our eyes fixed to the sign of grace, & our ears lift up to the voice of our redeemer. Satanas' casteth tho things into our minds, which heap up the ire of god: But Christ hanging on the cross, showeth tokens of mercy. The devil barketh against us such things as would bring man down to desperation, Christ speapeth the thing that plucketh man up to hope. For faith as it hath eyes, so also it hath ears. The holy ghost requireth of the soul both these two senses, which saith in the. xliiii. Psalm, Audi filia, & vide, & incline aurem tuam. hearken daughter, and see, and incline thine ear. hearken that thy spouse biddeth and commandeth, and see what he pramyseth. And if that it shall seem inconvenient, & a thing not likely, that so great a felicity is prepared for them, which set their trust in our lord jesus, incline thine ear, that the things which pass man's wit and reason, for this self consideration thou mayst well believe, because it is the lord, which hath promised it, whose mercy is no less incomprehensible, than is almightiness. Of these ears maketh mention the. lxxxiiii. Psalm. I 
Audiam quid in me loquatur dominus.  will hear what the lord speaketh in me. hearken not, what in thee, speaketh the flesh, what the devil, what man's reason: for they speak nothing but desperation, but hear what the lord speaketh in the. For he speaketh peace unto his commonalty. The church is the commonalty of the lord, a nation peculiar, and the people of acquisition: be thou of this people, and thou shalt hear the lord speaking things of peace. It followeth, And 
Et super sanctos suos.  upon his saints, Here again man's infirmity falleth down crying, I am a damned person, Alas, I am all laden with sins, what fellowship have I with saints or holy men? But he saith not, Upon the holy men of the law or of Moses, but upon his holy 
Sanctos suos.  ones. His holy ones be they, whom he hath sanctified by his son. If thy mind be not quieted, hearken what followeth, And upon them that be converted to their heart. Do not 
Et in eos qui convertuntur ad cor.  weigh the greatness of thy crimes, only repent, and thou shalt hear the lord speaking within thee, peace. A word of peace was that which was spoken to that notorious sinful woman, Thy faith hath saved thee, go in 
Luc. 7.  peace. say with David, but say with thy heart. Peccavi domino, I have trespassed the lord. With those two words thou shalt 
2. Reg. 2.  turn the prepared and ready vengeance into mercy. Such ears had he, which saith, Sacrifice for my sin thou hast not required, but ears thou hast made perfect unto me. Of the eyes speaketh the. xii. psalm, Illuminate mine eyes, least at any time I sloumbre in death, lest my enemy should say, I have grevayled led against him. Thou seest here, that victory is in the eyes, rather than in the hands. Death obscureth the eyes of the body, but there shall be no cause why our enemy shall glory and triumph upon us, so long as faith showeth light in the mind, never moving the eyes from Christ, that was crucified. Yea this hole Psalm goth about nothing else, but by the contemplation of the divine mercy to resuscyte & raise up again, man that is in agony and in danger of desperation. And therefore it followeth, They that trouble me, ' shall joy, if I be moved: that is to say, if I waver in faith. Thou hearest a great peril, but take a sovereign remedy, But I have trusted in thy mercy. But how cometh the hope of mercy? My heart shall rejoice in thy salvatory, I shall sing in praise of the lord, which hath done me good. The saluatorie or Sa●y of god, is Christ, nor there is none other name, in which we ought to be saved: as it is said in the fourth chapter of the acts. So great virtue hath the contemplation of Christ, which was crucified for us, that desperation is turned into hope, & hope into gladness. And he which before nigh to desperation said: They which trouble me, shall rejoice, if I be moved, now saith, My heart shall rejoice in thy saluatorye. Thou hast hard victory, now here the triumph. I will sing to the lord, which hath given good things unto me. Who hath not his own good deeds to sing, let him sing the good deeds, which god granteth freely by his son. If we have trust in our own good deeds, our adversary will thereof rejoice, but if in the lord jesus we fix the shoot anchor of hope, our enemy will shrink, like as the apostle rejoicing, saith in the. viii. chapter to the Romans, If god be for us, who is against us? He also which spared not his 
Si Deus pro nobis quis contra nos.  own son, but for us all delivered him to the Jews, how will he not also with him give all things unto us? who shall make any complaint or accusation against the elect of god? God is he that justfieth, who is he that condemneth? By this policy & means it is so brought about, that suddenly things shall be turned and tossed up set down, and by the help of Christ he shall bear away the victory, which seemed desperate, and the enemy being discomfited and repelled, shall shrink away, which began right now to triumph. This undoubtedly is the victory of faith, of which saint John speaketh in the. v. Epistle, All that is engendered of god, overcometh the world, and this is the victory, which over cometh the world, our faith. But who is he, the which vanquisheth the world, but he that believeth, that jesus is the son of god, whom the father would that he should be a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind? In this degree so long as the soldier of Christ standeth, how moche so ever that our enemy the devil leapeth about, how much so ever he invadeth us, we can not be overcome. But in this supreme and last battle the enemy to his uttermost powers attempteth to bring the sick man into desperation, which is among all crimes most grievous. And therefore than in especial, resistance must be made on the contrary side, with all labour and means, so that the sick person be moved, taught, and persuaded, to all such things that may induce and bring him to hope, and confirm his mind.  
To this thing shall help the image of the crucifix laid right against his eyes, which may ever among renew the infirm mind of the sick. And also the pictures of the saints, in whom our lord would have a memorial or monument of his bounty and mercy to be notorised & published: as of mary Magdaleyne, of Peter, weeping after he had denied our lord, and of such like. After this the rchersall of places of holy scriptures, which do set forth unto us the immense mercy of god, & charity toward mankind, but namely though things, which our lord Jesus for the salvation of the world vouchsafed both to bo and to suffer. There be innumerable such places, which may bring great & strong comfort to a feeble and wavering mind. For in this article of death the devil heapeth up to man's mind all that ever may extynguyshe or put forth the spark of faith and of hope. He maketh suggestion, how great the majesty and justice of god is, which so often hath been neglected & defouled. He amply fyeth the softness and bountifulness of him, that so oft hath been neglected and rejected, detorting and wresting that self thing for a proof of desperation, which ought to nourish hope of forgiveness. He putteth in mind so many years evil spent, so many occasions omitted, which exhorted to well doing, & if any thing were rightly done, he depraveth it, and slanderously constreweth it to the worst. He tempteth also and assayeth the faith of the man, to th'intent he might doubt of the authority of scriptures, & of the articles, which that the church hath taught us, prompting into our minds, the reasons of philosophërs, and of heretics, and perplex and doubtful questions, of the creation and redemption of the world, of the immortality of souls, of the resurrection of bodies, of Christ, whether he was true god and man, of the sacraments of the church, what strength they have, of the prescience & predestination of god, wresting and writhing all things to distrust and desperation, depraving also the testimonies of scriptures to the same purpose, which thing he presumed to do also upon our lord, the author of scriptures. Beside this, these things do help our adversary in this behalf, as it were by occasion, that is to wit, the peynfulnesse of the sickness, the dread of death, the horror of hell, and the natural weakness of the mind, and heaviness of heart, which the grievous sickness causeth. Wherefore to this inclination the enemy is ready in his assawtes, working all craft, and laying all his ordinances and engines, to throw and drive to the ground, the weak and wavering person. But in like wise as with sins a man ought not to struggle, but from consideration of them to turn away his mind to the grace of Christ, so with the devil we should not dispute, but when he suggesteth and casteth into man's mind wicked and ungodly things, he must say to him, Abi retro Satana, So back Satanas. It is not leeful for me to doubt of the things, which the church, instructed by the holy ghost, hath taught, and it is also sufficient to believe though things, which I can not attain with my wit. They tell a certain thing, not out of holy scripture, but nevertheless to the matter that we go now about it is sufficiently accommodate & meet, of two, whom the devil at time of their death tempted of their believe: the one was learned in Philosophy, the other was nothing but a Christian man, rude and unlearned: he assailed the first, how he believed whether that Christ was god and man, whether that he was born of a virgin, and whether he believed the general resurrection. And began with reasons of Philosophy to demonstrate, that it was impossible to join though things in one, betwixt which there is no agreance, as betwixt fynite and infinite, create and increate. Furthermore that it is against nature, that a virgin should bring forth a child without carnal knowledge of man, nor that (according to aristotel the Prince of the Philosophers) there can be no return from privation to the habit.  
What needeth more words? The man wavered, and was convict, and the devil departed a victor. The other rude man, when the devil asked him how he believed of this and of that thing, he answered him with a compendious way, As the church believeth. Again when he objected, how doth the church believe? Marry quoth he, as I believe. How dost thou believe? As the church believeth. How believeth the church? As I believe. from this rude & unprepared man so disputations, but with simple faith stable and steadfast: the ghostly enemy departed vanquished. This answer is good enough, to confound and drive away the subtle and crafty enemy the devil. But chief it is good in obscure and doubtful causes and matters. As if the enemy will suggest, or some other captious fellow, how may it be, that in three persons there should be one god, and one essency in numbered? and also by what means they be distinct the one from the other? Let him make answer thus, Even as the church believeth. How can all one body be in divers places, all at one time? And how in the Sacrament of the altar may the true body of a man be contained in so little a space? Let him answer, as the church believeth. Again what manner of fire is in hell, & how can a bodily thing be an agent in an unbodily substance? let him answer, as the church believeth. Or if any thing is to be answered, let him answer with few words, either out of the Crede, (which daily ought to be rehearsed unto the sick man) or out of holy scripture, or else by the spirit of faith. If Satan heapeth up the greatness of his sins, let him turn him to god and say, avert faciem tuam a peccatis meis. Turn thy face lord from my sins, & look upon the face of thy son Christ Jesus. devil. The numbered of thy 
A disputaty on betwixt the devil and the sick man.  sins do pass the gravel of the see. Man. But yet the mercy of god is more plenteous. devil. How dost thou trust to have a reward of rightwiseness, which art all unrightwise? Man. My rightwiseness is Christ. devil. Shalt thou which art all beclad in wickedness, go with Peter and Paul, to ever lasting bliss? Man. No, but with the thief, to whom it was said on the cross: This day thou shalt be with me in Paradyse. devil. How hast thou this trust, which hast 
Luc. 23.  done nothing that is good? Man. Because I have a good lord, an intreatable judge, and a gracious advocate. devil. Thou shalt be haled down to hell. Man. My heed is in heaven. devil. Thou shalt be damned. Man. Thou art a barratour, and a falls harlot, no judge, a damned fiend, no damnour. devil. Many legions of devils wait for thy soul. Man. I should despair, if I had not a protector, which hath overcome your tyranny. devil. God is not just, if for thy evil deeds he giveth the everlasting life. Man. Nay, he is just that keepeth his promises: and I, long sithen, have appealed from his justice unto his mercy. devil. Thou flattereste thyself with vain hope. Man. He that is verity can not lie, it is thy property to be false of promises. devil. Thou seest what thou leavest behind, but what thou shalt have thou seest not. Man. The things that be seen, be temporal, and the things that be not seen, be everlasting, and he seeth, and more than seeth, which surely and steadfastly believeth. devil. Thou departest hence laden with evil deeds and naked of good deeds. Man. I will pray to the lord, that he will discharge me of my evils, and cloth me in his good things. devil. But god heareth not sinners. Man. But he heareth penitentes, and for sinners he died. devil. Thy repentance is to late. Man. It was not to late unto the thief. devil. The thieves faith was steadfast, thine wavereth. Man. I will pray to the lord, that he will increase my faith. devil. Thou dost falsely persuade thyself, that thou haste a merciful lord, which with so many evils vexeth and punisheth the. Man. He healeth as a loving physician. devil. Why than would he that thy death should be so bitter? Man. It is the lord, he can not will, but that thing which is good. Why should I, an unprofitable servant, refuse to suffer the thing, that the lord of glory hath suffered? devil. It is a wretched thing to die. Man. Blessed be they, which die in the lord. devil. But the death of sinners is evil. Man. He ceaseth to be a sinner, which with hope of mercy acknowledgeth himself for a sinner. devil. Thou leavest this world. Man. from heavy exile I depart into my native country. devil. Thou leavest behind the many great commodities & good things. Man. But many more evil things. devil. Thou leavest thy richesse. Man. They be other men's that I leave, I bear mine with me. devil. What dost thou bear, sith thou hast no goodness in thee? Man. That is truly mine, which the lord hath freely given me. devil. Thou forsakest wife and children. Man. They be the lords, I commit them unto him. devil. It is an hard thing to be plucked away from the dearly beloved. Man. Within short space they shall follow me. devil. From thy sweet friends thou art sundered. Man. I go to sweeter friends.  
In as much as the most wily and subtle enemy, whom he can not draw to desperation, enticeth and soliciteth them to a trust and confidence in themselves: to th'intent that whom he can not thrust down heedlong, he may brimge up on a height, and so confound them: therefore against this no small danger, the sick man must be armed, defended, and protected. Likewise also as against the danger of desperation, it is a right sure & strong defence, the more that the devil depresseth man by the conscience of his sins, the more to lift up himself with the hope of God's mercy & mystical society with Christ: so against the jeopardy of arrogancy, it shallbe a present and ready remedy, to abject and humiliate himself with consideration of his own weakness. For who so ever in Christ is strong & haute, and in himself humble and abject, can neither be thrown down of Satanas, nor yet confounded. Such a certain thing we read in the old chronicles of saint Antony the monk, whom the devil assaulted by a 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉  thousand means, and yet he could never overcome him. On a certain time, when that he had wrought and done all the policies and subtylnesse that he could devise, and all in vain, he confessed himself to be convict and vanquished, saying thus: I labour all in vain, for if I deject thee, and show the thy unworthiness, thou dost advance and life up thyself: and if I extol thee, thou humblest and depressest thyself. Wherefore according to the example of saint Antony, if the devil say, Thou art worthy to sit among the high seraphical saints in heaven, than let the sick man make answer, My worthiness is nothing, but that I acknowledge my unworthiness. devil. Moche hast thou prayed, thou hast fasted moche, thou hast led a straight and a sharp life, thou hast dealt moche to the poor people. Man. All that thou sheweste of me, the dampened Pharisces do the same. If any manner of good work hath come from me, it is the lords and not mine. devil. But thou art pure from those vices, which reign in him or in him. Man. I have then cause to give thanks to the lord, & not to love myself. For oules the lords mercy had protected me, and if that like tentation had fallen upon me, I should have committed the same, or else more grievous.  
¶ With such praty answers the sick man must be armed, short and ready against the crooked suggestions of the devil. ensamples of holy men must be called to mind, but specially of such, in whom a notable mercy of the lord hath been declared, as in david, which augmented the sin of adultery with manslaughter, and with two words he escaped vengeance: in the Nynivites, in Achab, in the prodigal son, in the publican, whose rightwiseness the lord preferred before the pharisaic all holiness: in Mary Magdaleyne, to whom the lord said, thy sins be forgiven thee: in the avoutrous woman, to whom it was said, Go and sin no more: in Peter, which thrice denied our lord: in Paul, which did persecute the church of god, binding and killing all that professed the name of our lord Jesus: in Cyprian, which of a soothsayer was made a martyr: and in many other more, which from their idolatry, from blasphemy from horrible crimes, through their faith in Christ attained mercy and crowns. To exclude desperation, & raise hope, the scriptures of the new testament be more apt than the scriptures of the old. Nor it is no wonder, Moses feared the Jews with commandments, Christ comforted all men by faith and grace. The holy scriptures have not only examples, but also sayings very many, partly which cast on men a dicde, partly which comfort the fearful. For upon these two things in manner all the books of the prophets do run, heaping up unto them that turn away from god, the vengcance of god: and again amplyfyenge the mercy of god to them that be converted to repentance. Either of these medicines is wholesome, if it be taken wisely and in place. Those that be terrible, and put men in fere, must be ministered to hole in body and sick in soul, wild and drunken in the prosperity of this world, or cast into a sleep with the delights of this world, as it were with the herb called Mandrake: to the intent that as by taking of Helleborus they may be brought into their right wits: or by taking the herb Brassica, called Cole, they may return to soberness: or mightily cried on, and plucked, they may awake. Those that cause hope of forgiveness, must be given to timorous and fearful persons, specially in the danger of death. How be it neither to the one fear must be so ministered, that there shall no hope of forgiveness be mixed to the medicine, nor to the other asswagementes and comforts must be so given, that they shall be deceived. For it is two things, to chastise and to cast down, to comfort & to flatter. Wherefore it forceth not a little, what persons do keep and sit with sick men. They ought to have always at hand sundry places of scriptures, that either by the rehearsal or telling of them, they may establish and hold up the fainting heart of the sick person. To this purpose certain prayers aptly made will help. For certain prayers go about, which be made of unlearned persons, & by unlearned persons be taught to sick folk. Hope being thus called up, yet remaineth the fear of Purgatory, the which fear some men go about to mitigate and put out with remedies, after mine opinion, nothing effectual. Some do promise to be sure & redeemed from the fire of purgatory by buying of pardons: but I fear lest this be not, to secure and comfort the sick man, but rather a mocking and a mere dissimulation. They do better which by Masses and prayers of good men, & also by alms deeds, counsel him to dymynish the pains of Purgatory. But the strongest 
 remedy of all, is to advertise the sick man, as much as he can, to stir and raise up his faith and charity toward god & his neighbour, with all his heart to forgive all men, of whom he hath been hurted and grieved, and patiently to suffer for the love of Christ Jesus the pains of the sickness, and also death, submitting himself wholly in all things to the will and pleasure of god, thinking that god will not judge two times upon one thing: and that Christ for our sins hath suffered great pains on the cross. Out of these fountains, and namely of his blood, let him fetch a refrigeration and assuagement of the fire of Purgatory. And so mistrusting himself, and trusting upon the exceeding mercy of god, the merits of Christ, and the suffrages of all holy men, with a contrite heart and religious trust let him say, In manus was domine, commendo spiritum meum, Into thy hands lord, I commend my spirit. There shallbe no disdain, though the sinner and weak man usurpeth the words of his lord. For to that purpose our heed expressed these things in himself, that we should follow him, which be his membres. That if it please any man also of the other holy men to fetch an example, let him say with saint Steven, Lord god take my spirit. Examples have a great virtue and strength to move men's minds. For they show as it were in a glass, what is comely, and what is otherwise: likewise as also in other things we be more moved with those things that we see, than that we here. Wherefore it hath no small profit to be often present at men's deaths, to th'intent that we may despise that in them we see detestable, and follow that is good and holy. For in that article of death every man's faith appeareth what it is, and every man's conscience. But here shall no example be found more perfit than that, which the lord expressed unto us in himself. For when that last night approached, against the storm of temptation, which was at hand, he armed his disciples with the food of his most holy body and Mode, monyshinge us, that so oft as we fall into casualty or disease, which threateneth death, forthwith should purge our affections with confession, like as our lord washed the feet of his disciples, and that done that we take reverently the body of our lord, which meat may make our minds strong and unvanquishable against our spiritual enemy. Our lord made no testament, but in stead of his testament was that hole fiery sermon, which John specifyeth and teleth 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉  very diligently, and the ordinance of the sacrament of the altar made in memory of his death. Of a testament these words also do sound, which were spoken on the cross, woman behold thy son, And to the disciple, Behold thy mother. Wherefore of external things we ought to speak little, and moche of the things that make to faith and charity. For the words of them that we are want to be snatched up somedeal greedily, and to be printed more deeply in the minds of the hearers, partly that no man is thought to fain in that jeopardy, partly that the mind when it beginneth to be plucked from the body, wherewith it is cumbered, oftentimes uttereth a glimmering, and a proof of that liberty and knowledge, whereunto it goth. But let us return to the example of our redeemer. After his maundy, he departed from the house into the yard, and his other disciples, there commanded to sit down, he took with him only three, Peter, John, and James of Zebedei, to th'intent that he might have the same to be witnesses of his human infirmity, which tofore in the mount he would have to be witnesses of his glory. To these he confessed th'extreme heaviness of his mind, which oftentimes is more grievous than the self death, which being commanded to watch & pray, again he departed to pray. In the corporal departing of our lord there is a great mystery. Who prepareth him to death, must depart from all Urban and domestical affections, cast away the care of the public weal, utterly do away the thought of possessions, commend his wife and children to the lord, convey away himself from the trust of his friends & kinsmen, not his most inward friends receive into the care of his mind, he must be alone from covert of house, which than will speak with the heavenly father, when extreme necessity approacheth. Three times he monished his disciples. when they slept, to wake & pray, that they enter not into temptation. He entereth into tentation, which giveth himself into the power of the tempter. But they that wake and pray, though they be stricken with tentation, yet it passeth away by & by. That which our lord spoke to the three disciples, he spoke to us all. They slept, and therefore they fell into tentation. Peter the most strongest of all denied his master, the other for scare fled away, and would have denied him much more, if they had been in like case. So in like manner in peril of death man's infirmity is overcome, unless instantly, whiles with a pure affection, unless with an unuanquyshed trust he crieth for the help of him, which only reviveth the deed. Now how a man should pray being in this state, our redeemer vouch safed by his example, to show unto us. He bowed his knees: this was not enough, he fell down flat on his face. From the ground he cried to his father so mightily, that his voice was herd of the three disciples, which were a stones cast of, beside that they were heavy with sleep. Two times he returned to prayer. three times he repeated the self same words, Not as I will, but as thou. He boweth his knees, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etc.  which submitteth him holly to God's will: be falleth flat down on his face, which holly discontenteth himself, holly distrusteth his own strength and good deeds, nor from any other where hopeth solace, than from the mercy of our lord. Nor we may not despair forthwith, though comfort be differred, again and again we must return to crying, not of the mouth, but of the heart. For if the thing that our lord did outwardly, we follow spiritually, the good angel will come and wipe of the bloody sweat from our mind, and shall either deliver us from peril, or give strength to our spirit, that we boldly may suffer death. Last of all we must with our lord all naked, ascend upon the cross, far from all earthly affections, lift up to the love of the heavenly life, that with saint Paul we may say, The world is crucified unto me, & I to the world. 
Gala. 〈◊〉  And there nailed with three nails, faith, hope, and charity, we must constantly persever, fighting valiantly with our enemy the devil, until at last, after we have vanquished him, we may pass into eternal rest, through the aid and grace of our lord jesus Christ, to whom with the father and holy ghost be praise and glory without end. Amen.  
¶ FINIS.   

LONDINI IN AEDIBUS THOMAB. BERTHELETI REGII IMPRESSORIS. EXCUS.  
ANNO. M. D. XXXVIII.  
CUM PRIVILEGIO.