¶ The doctrynalle of death.  
  

¶ This treatise is called the doctrynale of death and is to be read afore a man or a woman when it seemeth that they be in the article of death.  
REde this as it followeth afore the seek person ye shall understand that none shall have the kingdom of heaven but such as fighteth for it/ and specially against their body the time of temptation and sickness. The soul and the body are of contrary nature and of contrary condition/ and betwixt them is continual battle. If your soul take patiently the bodily sickness/ and as heartily as it can thank god thereof/ for ye have deserved this pains & moche more in punishment of sin/ than your soul prevails against your flesh and gettest the victory/ and in reward thereof ye shall have the crown of glory. ¶ Rmembre how oftentimes your flesh hath drawn your soul after it to sin by delectation/ therefore now our lord hath sent you a time for to recompense for those many offences Wherefore now late the soul draw the flesh to it and offer it to god as a sacrifice brenning with painful sickness in satisfaction of that inordinate pleasure that it hath had in the flesh from the time that it was joined thereto/ patiently and thankfully take the pain & than the pain is profitable to you/ & more sweet in th' acceptation of god then ever fleshly pleasyre was accept unto you from the time ye ware borne/ then ye shall have thereby the love of god/ remission and forgiveness of sin. Increase of grace/ and the great help of our lord at the hour of death/ & ye shall have perpetual joy for that ye have so patiently taken this temporal pain for the love of him. ¶ Now learn once to have a patient heart/ learn meekly to here the yoke of god/ do one prycypall act for the love of him that bore the cross of most bitterest pain for your love. Remember he assayed your burden/ he feeled it/ he is ready to reward you for it/ he hath laid it on your back/ than think that ye will bear it/ show you his obedient servant/ and if ye bear it of love ye shall find it the more lighter/ and ye shall feel that his mercy shall lessen your burden & Inwardly refresh you by his grace with joyfulness of spirit as he saith himself. All ye that have laboured & have borne great burden for me come to me & I shall refresh you/ show yourself now a true child and disciple of our lord which saith that who will be my disciple he must forsake his fleshly desire and take upon him the cross of tribulation. ¶ Now the cross is on your back now bear it mightily after your saveyour your flesh desireth health an rest/ ye must forsake this desires and confirm your will to the will of god which knoweth what things is most to your avail/ and by this short pain hath ordained if ye apply you obediently to take it that ye shall be delivered thereby from many a sin which ye have long time continued in/ and a little pain in this life avoided great pain after this life/ and a short pain here recompensed for a long pain there/ and by the pain that ye suffer in this life ye shall not only have forgiveness of sin but ye shall have great Joy after this life. And the pain why he he suffered after this life it deserved only forgiveness of sin but no more Joy they shall have therefore. Wherefore understanding that ye must have pain for sin according to the rightwiseness of god/ be glad that ye have the less pain which is more proyffytable to you than that great and long pain should be. This ye think is a great pain but in regard of that pain which is a voided by this graciously taking it is in manner no pain. The dear beloved souls of our lord they had great pain afore they departed out of this life and they desired so to have for they knew the profit and fruit which they should have thereby which they have now & are put in full surte that they never shall have sufferance of pain after this. Remember this blessed fellowship which hath gone afore you/ and be glad that ye may be fellowship with them/ trust it verily ye shall have great comfort of them against your ghostly enemy if ye Joy fully follow them. I wot well your flesh grugeth with pain but that shall not lose your merit/ for it is natural to the flesh so to do/ the merit is in your soul that ye think ye have deserved it and have a will to suffer it as long as it pleased god ye shall have it and say in your soul/ lord I thank the for this rightwise pain which I suffer blessed be thou that sends me reason and teaching to take it patiently/ thy name be blessed everlastingly and with all the force that ye may apply your body to suffer pain like as our saviour applied his body to the cross for you. And when ye feel that ye draw to sickness have will to say gramercy my lord like if ye received a precious gift of him/ & if your pain be so great that ye think not upon thankings at that time/ soon after when ye feel the pain assuaged than heartily thank him that he will make you partner with him in passion For as saint Poule saith/ like as we are partners with him in passion/ so we shall be partners with him in joy and consolation. ¶ Remember also the great reward that ye shall have for patiently taking of this pain. For as saint Poule saith/ all the pains that we may suffer are not able to have that Joy which we shall have for pain/ but only by the grace of god which hath ordained that a little pain well taken here shall have Inestimable Jope there. Ye shall have god himself for the good labour of your sufferance & the same glory that he hath. That is to say/ ye shall clearly see the same godhead and blessed divinity that he seeth/ & have everlasting glorious fruition with most sweet & brenning love of the same/ and be in fellowship with his blessed mother and all the angels and saints of heaven in mirth and Joy with endless bliss so great that never ear died here/ never eye died see/ never heart died think the least part of that Joy. ¶ O what pain will the dampened souls which are now in hell suffer so that they might avoid that outrage & horrible pain that they have & everlastingly shall have/ if they might avoid that perpetual pain by any temporal pain that they might suffer/ if they had licence to torn again to this life all earthly pain should be sweet to them/ and all pain of this world should be in manner as no pain to them/ all that pain they should have avoided if thy had graciously taken pain in this life afore that they departed/ and they that been in heaven have so great Joy for the pain that they suffered in this life blessedly that they thine he if that they were here again they would suffer an hundred time more pain than ever they died therefore now apply you to suffer thankfully this pain that ye may have there the great inestimable Joy which groweth of good sufferance. Now give good example to those that are about you that they may see by your meek taking of pain that ye are the faithful child of god/ & that they may learn of you like wise to do in time coming/ and than your reward shall be doubled/ for ye shall not only than for yourself he rewarded/ but also for them which are byttred by you. ¶ Have also in the sight of your soul your saviour Lryste Jesus and see the great effusion & shedding of his blood and most painful death that he suffered for you which never died sin/ but suffered for your sin that ye should never be dampened if ye will ask mercy & be confessed of your sin/ & he purchassed grace by the sacrament of baptism that if ye had died than when ye were first christened ye should never have had pain after this life/ but for those sins that ye have done from that time ye must suffer pain in this life or in that other life bant if the sin be done away by the sacrament of confession/ therefore follow now the example of your saviour in so much he suffered for your sin the most grievous pain apply you to suffer that ye may/ for all that ye may suffer is no thing comparable to that he suffered for you/ & than trust verily ye shall be heartily welcome to him for ye have well followed him/ these pains patiently taken shall deliver you from the most outrage pain of hell/ & ye may so blessedly take them which giving thankyngꝭ to our lord for them that ye shall never have pain in purgatory/ but these pains with the virtue of the sacraments of the church shall be to you perfit purgation. Our lord of his infinite mercy grant you abundance of his grace so to take your sickness as may be most profitable to your salvation. Amen.  
AFter that ye have showed to the seek person how they shall patiently take the sickness to the plesyre of god and their great merit/ if ye see that of likelihood it is a deadly sickness and that they be like to depart out of this world/ than first of all counsel them to receive the holy sacraments of the church which they are bond to receive when they are like to die/ which are the sacrament of confession/ the sacrment of the body of our lord/ and after this counsel them to receive the sacrament of annealing/ and say to them this Ye shall understand that all sickness & pain cometh of sin/ for if there had never been sin there should never have been no pain/ and the remedy against sin is grace which our lord hath ordained to be received by the sacraments of the church/ therefore the sovereign medicine both for soul and body are the sacraments of the church/ wherefore if it pleased god that ye shall have your health again ye shall have it the sooner and the better/ for without the special help of god there is no medicine that may help nature/ & if it please his grace that ye shall not die at this time ye shall have the more gracious continuance of life that ye holily dispose you to die. And if it please god to take you out of this life ye shall go surely armed with his grace and have specyali help of our lord and depart like a true christian man ¶ Also I counsel you that ye neither desire to go out of this world ne abide in it but that ye offer you holy to that will of our lord as the obedient child of him which was obedient to the will of his father when he suffered death for you/ and of both rather orther yourself to die then to live/ then ye shall not be deceived for it is the moste surest way/ many a man is deceived the time of their death by hope that they have to continue in this life/ for as long as they trust verily to live they never dispose them perfitly to die/ and so death taketh them undisposed to the damage and hurt of their soul. ¶ Also say I counsel you as much as ye may to enforce yourself to have sorrow and displeasure for the manifold offences in diverse sins whereby ye have disposed god/ or have a will to be sorry therefore which perfit will to amend your life and serve god the better as long as they shall live if it please god that ye shall return to your health again. And ye shall not have sorrow ne will to sorrow for fere of death ne for fere of pain/ but ye shall will to be sorry for that ye have be so vokind and so grievously hath offended so gentle & loving a lord which hath made you and given you all that ever ye had in goodness from the time ye came in to this life/ and which would suffer death for the great love he had for your salvation and hath ordained everlasting Joy for you be sorry that ye have offended his grace/ & because ye would not be deceived from him. If ye see that the seek person is like to continue a good space or it come to death/ than it is expedient to read afore them some holy matter of the love of our lord/ or of his great mercy/ or the command mentes of god/ or some confessyonall/ that is to say some book which teched a man how he should confess him/ for that shall bring many matters to their mind which peradventure they were never confessed thereof in their life/ or some holy prayers to stir them to the more devotion. ¶ Also see that there be plenty of holy water & that it be oft-times cassed about the house of the seek person. Also set in the sight of the seek a crucifix and also an image of our lady if ye can have it other n piicture or in carved work. & oftentime biddeth them remember the passion of our saviour whereby they shall have remission of sin/ and special defence from their ghostly enemy/ and bid them heartily beseek oftentimes that blessed mother of mercy/ to pray for them & that she will be with them at the hour of death. And also if he be lettered say with him the seven psalms and the tyranny and the psalms of the passion/ or holy aniemes and responses and hymns of the trinity or of our lady or of other feasts. ¶ Also see that the holy candle be brenning specially when ye see he draweth nigh to death/ & bliss him oftentimes with it and if ye have any holy relukes lay them upon him. And when ye see that he gived up the spirit cry and bid those which are about you cry the father the son and the holy ghost help your servant. Jesus Jesus Jesus by the virtue of thy passion help thy servant/ blessed virgin mary and mother of mercy help thy servant. Jesus have mercy of thy soul/ all the court of heaven we beseek you in the charity of our lord pray for his soul/ the grace of the holy ghost and the merits of Christ's passion be with the Amen  
ALso if ye think the time will serve thereto it is expedient to show to the seek person the temptations which which commonly the devil assailed that soul at that hour of death that it may be more stronger to resist his malice at that time for than he is most ●erse to tempt them/ he woie well if he get them not than he shall never have them/ wherefore with all his deceit and sutelnes he laboured to deceive the soul and bring it in desperation if he may/ and specially he will tempt them in their faith and make them to believe that it is false/ and therefore say to them/ see that ye he fast in the faith of christ/ for the devil will tempt you therein and make you to believe if he can the that faith that ye have believed on is false/ and that ye have been deceived all your life thereby/ for he knoweth that the faith is the ground of all virtue and that no man is saved without the faith/ for this cause say to them/ see that ye be fast in the faith of christ for your ghostly enemy will now do that he may to make you to forsake your faith/ he will say that ye have been deceived all your days in the faith/ for it may not be that three persons should be one god. ¶ Also he will say that christ was not very god and man & that he was not borne of a virgin & that he is not verily in the sacrament of the altar/ wherefore I exhort you in good understanding that ye may not be saved without faith that ye keep fast the faith that ye have taken at the foute stone & defy the devil with all his falsehood and say in your heart ye will die in the faith of christ which god hath declared with so many & great miracles proper to himself that he hath showed it true like as himself is true/ therefore think that ye would suffer all the martyrdoms & pains that the body of man might suffer rather than ye would forsake the faith which god hath ordained to your salvation/ wherefore put your hole confidence in god whose power is able to defend you again all the malice of the devil and will not fail his faithful child/ and trust verily that your mighty faith shall affray the fiend/ and with the power of god and special assistance & help of that faith full virgin which by the merit of her faith died conceive the son of god without knowledge of man And with the help of saint michel & your good angel with his fellows ye shall make the fiend a feared of you. ¶ It passeth the power of the fiend to compel any soul wilfully to err in the faith and what so ever temptation comed in your mind contrary to your faith/ have will to believe as the church of god believeth and as our saviour Jesus christ teched the church to believe/ and all the false suggestions of the devil and thoughts contrary to the faith shall no thing hurt you/ for there is never sin in the mind damnable except it come of the will nor in none other power of the soul. believe fayhtfully such teaching & preaching as ye have had by the church/ and what so ever cometh contrary to that in your mind/ think it is false and cometh of the devil father of all falsehood. wherefore I exhort you that like as ye have begun your life in the perfit faith of the church/ so end it in perfit faith and obedience/ for all the weal of your life now hyngeth of the end. ¶ If they be learned say the creed afore them in latin. If they understand no latin say it in english after this form. I believe in god father almighty the maker of heaven & earth/ and in Ihesu christ the son of him our only lord which by the work of the holy ghost was conceived & borne of the virgin mary/ and suffered passion under pilate and was crucified/ deed/ and buried/ the third day he rose from death to life and ascended to heaven & there he sitteth at the right hand of the father almighty/ and from thence he shall descend to Juge quick & deed. I believe also in the holy ghost and in holy church and in all the sacrament thereof/ also I believe in forgiveness of sin & that every man shall rise from death to life and that the good people shall have everlasting life and joy Amen. ¶ And speak this with an high voice that it may be well heard/ & if ye think the time shall be sufficient afore the death rehearse the creed divers times that the seek may be made strong in the faith & to fraud the devil which loved not to here the crede & fleed from the sonde of the voice specially when it is said to the intent that it should confunde the devil. ¶ Also say to the seek/ remember the great faith of the patriarchs Abraham Ysaac & jacob which they had in god our saviour christ of whom they prophesied/ & for their faith they were specially beloved of our lord & preserved from great peril/ & after the passion of our saviour they were brought out of the prison called limbo in to the kingdom of heaven. Also remember the faith of the apostles Peter Poule saint james saint johan with all their fellows. Also remember what pains Innumerable martyrs died suffer because they would not forsake their faith/ & in their martyrdoms our lord showed so many great miracles that that enemies of that faith were turned to the faith. Also remember the innumerable men & women which have keeped this faith truly in their life & died therein for whom god daily showed miracles all those did please god by faith/ & without faith no soul may please him. Remember the profit of the faith it obtained all thing of god profitable to the soul as he saith himself all thing are possible to a faithful soul.  

¶ The second temptation is against the virtue of hope by desperation.  
When the soul at the article of death is troubled sore with great sickness/ than the devil will put in their imagination all the great sins that it hath done/ and so in their great trouble bodily & ghostly he purposed that they shall no thing consider but pain & sin whereby they should fall in desperation saying the great abomination of their life. And specially he will labour to confunde them in such sins as they were never confessed of which for negligence they died forget Wherefore ye shall say to the seek/ see that ye put your full hope in the mercy of god/ for of all sins ye should specially offend god if ye had not a full belief and hope of his mercy. And trust ye verily that ye have forgiveness not only of those sins of which ye be confessed but also of all those of the which ye would have be confessed of if they had comen in your mind/ know ye verily that the mercy of god is Infinite it passed your mind to think how great it is/ wherefore I waren you trust verily in the full mercy of god/ and if ye had never done good deed in all your days but as many sins as there are drops of water in the see/ or corns of sand in the world/ and if there come but two of them to your mind the time of confession under understanding ye would be confessed of them all if ye might have them all together in mind and have will for to be sorry for them ye shall have forgiveness of them all/ and if your speech fail you yet if ye ask mercy in your mind and have will to be confessed if ye might ye shall never be dampened for them. wherefore see that ye have displeasure in your heart that ever ye died break the command mentes of god & sinned deadly/ and have very purpose if ye might live a thousand year that ye will no more break his commandment and that ye would rather suffer all the torment of the world than ye would sin deadly and deserve to lose the glory of our lord god and the kingdom of heaven/ thus meek your heart and ye shall have grace. Our lord saytn in the psalter that he never despised a contrite & a meek heart. And the prophet Ezechyel saith that in what hour a sinner taketh sorrow for his sin he shall be saved. And saint Bernard saith that the pity of god passeth without all measure the wretchedness of man/ for he is ever ready to forgive the sin if we have will to be sorry therefore and ask mercy with confession. One of the greatest sins is to believe that god is not merciful/ for in that a sinner doth all that is in him to spoil god of one of his most greatest virtues which is called mercy/ & as long as your soul is in your body ye shall have mercy if ye ask it/ therefore see that oft-times ye life up your heart to god & ask him mercy And when the person which is in the artykell of death may not speak/ bid them hold up the finger or stir it in token that they asken mercy with heart. And if they have sight to look upon the crucefyxe/ say thus to them. Behold how you lord god bowed his neck to kiss you/ his arms casted abroad to half you/ his hands are open to reward you/ his heart also is opened to love you/ all his blessed body is offered to the father in sacrifice for you yhat ye shall by the virtue of this oblation have remission of sin/ and if ye heartily ask mercy ye shall have forgiveness by the virtue and merits of his passion though ye never have done good deed whereby ye deserve to have forgiveness/ for this cause he suffereth passion that all sinners should have help thereby which will ask mercy. And every man as long as the soul is in the body is in the state that he may have grace. ¶ Remember how that saint Peter denied christ and asked grace & had it. ¶ Also saint Poule died pursue that, christian people for to kill them/ and afterward he asked mercy and was made the chosen vessel and the lover of god. ¶ Also saint Mathewe and zache were sinfully occupied/ and yet afterward by a repentance of heart they came to great grace. ¶ Also mary Mawdeleyne by asking mercy and repentance of heart is now above many virgins in heaven/ notwithstanding she was a common woman in this life ¶ Also mary Egypcyen a common woman and now by mercy is an holy saint. ¶ Also the thief which hang on the right side of our lord asked mercy and had it and was that same day put in possession in the glory of god. ¶ Adam. david. ysachy/ & Manasses, with many more/ thus by contrition and asking of mercy had forgiveness of their sins/ wherefore sithen that ye have thus many witnesses of the mercy of our lord I require you in god that ye put full confidence in the me rites of Christ's passion & ask mercy & ye shall have it.   

¶ The third temptation is to angrenes and Ire against the virtue of patience without which virtue pain is not profitable.  
Say to the seek person thus. your ghostly enemy the fiend will tempt you to grudge with your sickness and to think that your pain is to great and for to grudge against god because he suffered you to continue in so great and so long pain/ for the fiend konweth well that by grudging against god the soul lesed the great virtue of patience which shall be most necessary to them when they shall be brought afore the great judge for to resceyve the sentence of salvation or of damnation. Wherefore against this temptation see that ye remembrewell that all the pain that ye suffer cometh of the rightwiseness of god/ and that almighty god is the principal worker of all the pain that ye feel/ like as ye have wrought sin so he werked now pain/ for of right sin must have pain. ¶ Now remember how oftentimes ye have been disobedient to god and done against his law and commandments/ and with all your heart appiye you now to make amends by patient & Joyful suffering of pain afore ye depart out of this world for a little pain thankfully taken satisfied for great sin/ & much more your great pain shall deliver you from many and great sins. ¶ Now show yourself the very obedient child of god/ and thank him heartily of his gracious visitation/ and beseek him that ye may have grace to suffer patiently with obedient heart a little while for his love which suffered the great pain & passy on for you with most bitterest death on the cross. Our lord saith we shall keep our soul with patience/ & there is understanding that we may lose it by Inpacyence. The kingdom of heaven saith saint Gregory is not opened to such as grudged with the works of god/ alcontryte heart is ready to suffer all pains & sickness Joyfylly/ & if offered himself to pain to satisfy for sin/ wherefore trust verily that if ye take meekly this pain it shall stand you for great part of your purgatory/ & it may be so Joyfully taken with intent to please god & satisfy for sin that this shallbe your hole purgatory/ & ye shall never come in purgatory after this/ by the rightwiseness of god great sin deserved great pain/ and long sin long pain/ but the patient taking of pain through the mercy of god maketh great pain lie tell pain/ and long pain short pain. Wherefore say to our lord/ a merciful lord I beseech the punish me here and spare me everlastingly that I never come in the endless pain but suffer me good lord to creep under the wing of mercy.   

¶ The fourth temptation is to vain glory against perfit meekness.  
THe fiend when he can not overcome the soul by none of these temptations than he will tempt the soul to vain glory and say. O how strong thou art in thy faith/ and how stable thou art in hope/ and how perfit thou art in patience thou shall find but few such as y● art/ all those which are about the may be glad to see the great virtue which is showed in the. O how many good deeds thou hast done in thy days/ thou shall be remembered many a day/ therefore if any such thoughts come in your mind say ye again/ all my joy is in god/ for all virtue comed of him/ and if ever I died good deed of all my days it came of him wherefore only to him be loving and joy/ he be blessed which hath given me grace any thing to do which is to his pleasyre. If ye feel yourself tempt to vain glory/ call ye to mind how many evil deeds ye have done sithen ye were borne & misspended moche time in vain. Remember how the devil said to saint Anthony/ thou overcomest me said he/ for when I would exalt the by pride thou lowest thyself by meekness/ and when I would low the by desperation/ thou exaltest thyself/ by full hope of mercy.   

¶ The fift temptation in the artykel of death is to have the mind occupied with worldly things more than with the ghostly profit of the soul.  
Such temporal things as a man hath most loved in this life/ he shall be most tempted with to have his mind most upon it in his departing/ as riches/ fleshly pleasyre/ honour/ wife & children with other such as he hath greatly loved in this life/ & the fiend shall tempt him to be more occupied therewith Inwardly in his mind than with the ghostly we'll of his soul. wherefore it is expedient that every wise man to god and to his soul have his testament made in the time of his health that he be not letted in ordaining of the temporal things from the most perfit ordinance of his soul to have the more blessed ending that they may have a quiet time to give attendance to their ghostly physician. And again this time it is expedient that a man provided specially for a ghostly physician/ that is to say a man which is learned well in the law of god/ and can blessedly help to order the soul against the departing from the body/ for all the weal of the life hanged of that ending. If it hath been never so wretched a soul if the end be good it shall be saved/ for than in their departing they should have none Inquietation by making or by executing of their will/ wherefore when the will is made and the worldly things ordered/ than bid them torn their mind to god as much as it may/ bid them cry for help Inwardly in their heart and also with mouth if it can or may unto god and to his blessed mother & other saints the which they have had devotion to & also for mercy & grace/ and specially see that they beseech the mother of mercy and advocate for man's soul to pray for them & to be with them and help them in the departing from the body. Also bid them cry for help to saint michel & other holy angels which have had labour with keeping of them sithen the time that it was create and made of almighty god. ¶ Also if the seek may competently well speak it is a spetyall prayer at that time to say the. seven. psalms & litanies/ or some other the which they have devotion unto. & if they may not well speak it is good to say than afore them after the ordinance of the church/ special to exhort them that they have special remembrance of Jesus & his passion for salvation & help is specially promised to us in that name. Also say to them o how glad may ye be that ye shall now go from all misery of pain and of sin & come to the Joyful felicity of god where ye shall never have pain nor sorynes/ and remember that ye shall go to your own most loving and pitiful father which made you and redeemed you/ and hath ordained the kingdom of heaven full joy and bliss for to receive you/ thus speak to it of the Joys of heaven of the great mercy of god how gentle he hath be to sinners/ also speak to them of the profit of patience in pain of martyrdoms of saints and great pains which the good souls had taken upon them in this world for the love of god and their great reward in heaven/ and provide that there be no great stirring nenoyse about it to withdraw the soul from such meditation and desire as should be to the great defence of it against the fiend & procure special help of god.   

¶ Here followen certain questions profitable to such as apyreth to be in the artykell of death.  
AFter that ye have made the soul strong a 'gainst the common temptations which cometh in the artykell of death/ than it is expedient to question with it/ for in answering to the questions ye shall feel where it hath need of reformation and there ye may reform it. first ask are ye not glad that ye shall die in true faith of christ and with full faith of all the sacraments of the church. Are ye not sorry that ye have broken the commandments of god many times sithen ye were horn/ have ye not will now thatiyf ye might live in this life many years that ye would better keep the commandments of god than ever ye died. Are ye not sorry that ye have not lived so well as ye might have done/ ye believe that ye shall be saved by the merits of Christ's passion & by the virtue of his sacrament/ & that he hath suffered death for you in his body which was very god & man. Ye thank your savour christ Jesus which would suffer the most bitterest pain of death to redeem & save you from damnation. Ye thank him heartily & as long as ye live ye will put your full hope of salvation in the merits of his passion. See that ye ask help of Jesus Inwardly in your soul/ see that ye oftentime command the devil in the virtue of Jesus to go from you/ in whose name heaven & earth and hell doth obedience/ believe not ye in the law of god & in all the articles of the faith/ despise not ye all heresies & errors witchcrafts with all vain believe contrary to the doctrine of the church. Are not ye sorry that ye have done many good deeds more for deign glory of the world and for dread of pain than for the love of god. Ask not ye god mercy for that ye have offended him & him beseek faderly to receive your soul & to have pity of the freyll conversation that ye have been of in this life. Also would not ye rather suffer death than ye would once more sin deadly if ye should live longer/ ye pray god that he will continue this same will in you as long as ye shall live. Also forgive not ye every man and wnman which hath offended you sithen that if were borne in word or in deed. Also ask ye not forgiveness of all people & specially of your neighbours and such as ye have dwelled with in onehous to whom ye most offended. Also are ye not willy that restitution be made to every man of whom that ye have had any good wrongfully according to your power. Had ye not liefer spend in restitution all your goods than that ye would wrongfully keep any mannes good contrary unto the pleasyre of god and the loss of your salvation Also are not ye glad that ye shall depart from this wretched sinful life full of misery and of pain/ and misery of sin to your own father and lord god which loved you so specially that he would make you like to his own image/ and suffer the most bitterest death for you to bring you to his glory. Also are not ye glad to go to your own country there ye shall see god in his glory his blessed mother and all the angels of heaven/ and all your friends the which been departed out of this life in the state of grace where ye shall never sin ne never feel sorrow ne pain but ever persever in perfit joy and gladness and ever a like fresh. Beseke not ye the blessed mother of god saint Mychaell and all the saints in heaven/ and specially all those the which ye have served in this life by fasting their evyns or praying that they will be with you now at your departing. Ye cry mercy of god and of all the world that ye have offended/ ye ask help of god and of all his saints to defend you from the fiend now at the hour of your departing. Who so answered to this questions faithfully it is a token as man may have evident that they depart blessedly and are of the chosen children of god. ¶ After this bid the seek person say three times. In manus tuas domine commendo spiritum meum. redemisti me domine deus veritatis. And if he can not say it than bid him say it after you/ and if he may not speak than say ye the same verse in the place of him/ and thus with the mercy of god he shall die blessedly and be delivered for ever from the everlasting death Amen.  
AFter this if the seek may here so bid him that he pray in his mind after you. Also desire of those which are present to pray in mind or with mouth after you/ and that they desiren of our lord to grant the petitions which are made in this prayers/ and pray such as can say the psalms of the passion to say them to the intent that this soul may have a blessed passing  
¶ Here followen certain prayers.   


¶ Here followeth a prayer to the trinity.  
EAder sone & holy ghost glorious trinity one god almighty have mercy of this sinner & by the virtue of thy most holy divinity & honour of thy name forgyne him that he hath offended the by Ignorance malice or frailty of conversation in this sinful life. I commend lord his soul to thee/ which of nought died make it to thine image. O most pitiful father of mercy for the virtue of thine infinite goodness she we mercy and forgiveness to this poor soul/ & in this great necessity help this feeble & Inpotent soul which now hath most need of thine help. O most pitiful father suffer it not to be devoured with the hounds of hell/ but take it to thy possession for it is thine/ good lord thou made it therefore late never thy handewerke perish in default of thy help. We all beseek the in the merits of our saviour & his blessed mother and all the merits of thy church to be merciful father & lord to it & bring it to thy glore Amen.   

¶ A prayer to the sone.  
O most sweet saviour & merciful lord Ihu christ the son of the almighty father for the merits of thy most blessed passion & honour of thy divinity command this soul to be received a 'mong thy chosen children. O sweet saviour & redeemer we thy servants grounded in the believe of thee/ commenden this soul to thy most blessed protection/ good lord forsake it not but make it partner of thy glory & consolation like as thou would vouchsafe in this life for our salvation to be partner with us in passion. All we good lord asken in thy name thy heavenly paradise for him/ not in his merits ne in our which are but ashes & powder & wretched sinners but in the virtue & goodness of thy passion we ask it whereby thou died redeem him and for the price of thy most precious blood whereby thou died open paradise for sinners which puten full hope in the of help & salvation from everlasting damnation & enmity. And if the seek man may say this verse following let him/ say it. Disrupisti dne vincula mea tibi sacrificabo hostiam laudis. Late him say it. iij. times else say/ it for him/ it is of great virtue. Than say o lord Ihu christ for the great bitterness of pain & passion that thou sufferest on the cross/ & most specially in that hour when thy holy soul departed from thy body have mercy of this soul now when it shall depart from the body that it may graciously be received of the amen.   

¶ A prayer to the holy ghost.  
O most holy spirit of the father & of the son which by heavenly inspiration of thy grace maketh, holy souls and purged them from sin have mercy of this sinner and forgive him that he hath offended against thy grace/ keep in it good lord perfit use of reason as long as the soul there shall abide in the body that it may meritoriously by thy grace perfitly resist the temptations of the fiend and avoid all his malice/ make this soul lord god fast in faith hope & charity that it may everlastingly love the & bliss the Amen.   

¶ A prayer to our lady.  
O Queen of heaven and mother of mercy under god most special help to all sinners why the faithfully called for help to thee/ good lady reconsell this soul to thy son by the merits of thy great faith charity meekness and chastity/ and with thy most acceptable prayer purchase blessed lady forgiveness and freedom from the doubt of sin that for thy love specially moste benign lady he will forgive it the manifold offences that it hath done against him and make it possessyoner of his glory. O glorious lady which never failed thy lovers in their great need/ now help blessed virgin in this most necessity that ever this soul had sithen that it was create/ for now hastily it shall for the deeds done of his life receive sentence of damnation or of salvation. I beseech the most pitiful mother the true advocate for man's soul be medyatryce for this soul at this tyme-to the great Juge our lord god. We thy servants and lovers commenden it to thy blessed keeping/ now forty motherly pity and tender heart keep it and protect it we beseech the to the honour of god and the and to the salvation of it Amen.   

¶ A prayer to the angels.  
O blessed angels of heaven. We beseech you of your great charity and also for the great love that ye ought to almighty god Cryst Jesus your maker/ and also for the great love that ye have to the salvation of man's soul that ye now help this soul passing out of this wretched world/ & mightily deliver it from all the great dangers and perils which are afore it and take it to your fellowship. Saint Mychaell whose office is for to help and to lead the souls in their departing now help this soul we beseech the and all the holy angels which hath been the keeper thereof we beseech the now help and show the office of thy keeping and assemble angels of thy holy fellowship for to repress the wicked spirits of darkness/ and to all the. ix. ordres we make supplication for this soul. Also all patriarchs prophets martyrs confessors virgins widows matrons we beseech you help new this soul/ and in special ye whom it hath most served and had devotion to in this life/ the pease of our lord Jesus Chyste/ the virtue of his passion/ the sing and token of his holy cross/ the clean virginity of his blessed mother/ the blessing of all saints/ the protection & defence of all the holy angels/ the prayers & suffrages of all the chosen people of god be betwixt this soul & all the enemies thereof in this hour of death Amen.   
¶ It is profitable to say this prayers when the soul is departed if there be none opportunity to say them afore with this hymns. Memento salutis auctor. and Rerum deus tenax vigour etc.    

¶ Here endeth the Doctrynale of death imprinted at westminster In Castons house. By me winkin de word.