MANVALE Catholicorum A Manuall FOR True Catholickes LONDON Printed for Leonard Becket and are to be sold at his Shop in the Temple neere the Church 1611. ENCHIRIDION PIARVM PRECVM ET Meditationum Ex vetustiffimis Manuscript pergamenis descripta Ex Bibliotheca W. Crashavi Theol Bacchal verbi Div. Mnistir apud Temp. Lond. A HANDFVL OR Rather a Heartfull of holy meditations and Prayers Gathered out of certaine ancient Manuscripts written 300 yeares ago or more By WILLIAM CRASHAW Batchelour of Diuinity and Preacher at the Temple TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE LORD HENRY THE Noble Earle of NORTHHAMPTON Lord priuy Seale Lord Warden of the Cincque Ports and one of his Maiesties Honourable priuy Counsell RIGHT Honourable our Aduersaries amongst their many obiections against vs and our Religion vse this for one that if wee refuse their Church and condemne their faith wee condemne to hell all our forefathers But it followeth not for in such fundamental points as necessarily concerne saluation as matter of merit and meanes of Iustification c. our fathers in former times were not of the Romish faith but of our Religion excluding disclayming renouncing all their owne merits and cleauing only to Gods mercy and the merits of Iesus Christ for their saluation This was the faith of the ancient Church c. Saint Basillius in homel in Psal 114. Basil saith Eternall rest remaines for them which haue fought a good fight in this world yet not for the merit of their workes but through the rich mercies of God in whom they trust Saint Hillary saith our Hillarius in Psal 51. workes suffice not to merit eternall life but our hope is in the mercy of God for euer and euer Saint Augustine saith Augustinus concione 1 in Psal 70. Tua peccata sunt merita Dei sunt supplicium tibi debetur et cum praemium venerit sua dona coronabit non tua merita Sin is ours Merit is Gods Punishments are our due but if rewardes come God crownes his owne gifts not our merites Gregory moral lib. 9. ca. 14. Saint Gregory a Pope saith If I doe well I shall haue eternall life not by my merits but Gods mercy And long after euen in Bernardus sermone 15. in Psal 90. the darkest times deuote Bernard saith A mans whole merit is to put the whole affiance of his heart in him that hath saued the whole man and therfore in another place he concludes My merit is the mercy of the Lord. All these Bellarmine cannot Sermone 61. in Cant. meritum meum miseratio domini deny and himselfe produceth some of them or all but shapes such answeres to them as it would satisfye an indifferent man euen to read him in that pont And this was not the faith Bellar. to 4. lib. 5. de lust cap. 6. of the principall Fathers only but by the mercy of God it was deriued euen vnto the inferiour and vulgar sort not of the Cleargy alone but euen of the Laity also If the monuments of elder ages were extant vncorrupted it is more thē maruailous how cleerly this truth would shine that our forefathers were not damned though they beleeued not as doth the present Romish Church Nay further that they were saued by the same faith by which wee are at this day though they were misled by some errours and nusled in some superstitions for which being sinnes of infirmity or rather of ignorance we hope the Lord was mercifull vnto them knowing that euen Dauid himselfe cried to God to clense Psal 19. him from his secret sinnes But such hath beene the craft and malice of Popish policy that partly the oldest bookes are embezilled and extinguished and those that remaine are so altered corrupted and depraued from that they were that there now remaines not one of many of the testimonies which the former ages yeelded to this truth Notwithstanding the prouidence of God hath not failed his Church for do what they could yet he who said the gates of hell Math. 16. should not preuaile against the true faith hath taken order in spight of all plots to the contrary that so many testimonies shall be preserued as shall sufficiently witnesse to the world that our faith flourished in former ages My purpose is if the Lord will to gather vp such Antiquities though they be scattered and almost lost in these old worme eaten Manuscripts wherein they lye buried which as Gods prouidence hath deliuered from the force and fury of the inquisitors fire so it is al Christians duties to preserue them to posterity I haue here begun with a Handfull or rather a Hartfull of holy prayers meditations worthy to be worne in the hand and borne in the heart of euery Christian by which it may euidently appeare that the faith and Religion of the former ages foure fiue hundred yeares ago was euen the same by which we looke to bee saued at this day Let this haue leaue right Honorable to come abroad out of the corners of obscurity into publicke view in the light lustre of your renowned name who are knowne to bee a reuerencer of Antiquity a Mecaenas of learning a practiser of piety an enemy to the idolatry superstitions ambitious practises traiterous deuices and Machiauellian plots of Iesuites and a detester of such especially who vnder a pretence of Religion doe cloake and conuey impieties against God and against his annointed The God of heauen confirme that blessed worke of his in your Lordship more more to the glory of his name the benefite of this Realme and to your owne saluation in Christ Iesus So praieth Your Lordships deuoted in Christ W. CRASHAW The Contents 1 A Holy and orthodox Confession of the Trinity the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost 2 A godly confession of sinnes and prayer for pardon and for eternall life 3 A godly meditation of mans misery and Gods mercy together with a deuout prayer 4 The manner of preparing sicke persons to death in the ancient times euen in Popery De Deo Patre pia orthodoxa Confessio A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus Hely Hely Deus meus Cuius virtus totum posse Cuius sensus totum nosse Cuius esse summum bonum Cuius opus quicquid bonum Super cuncta subter cuncta Extra cuncta intra cuncta Super cuncta nec elatus Subter cuncta nec substratus Extra cuncta nec exculsus Intra cuncta nec inclusus Super totus presidendo Subter totus stustinendo Extra totus complectendo Intra totus es implendo Super nullo sustentaris Subter nullo fatigaris Extra nusquam dilataris Intra nunquam coarctaris Mundum mouens non moueris Locum tenens non teneris Tempus mutans non mutaris Vaga firmans non vagaris Vis externa vel necesse Non alternat tuum esse Heri nostrum cras pridem Semper tibi nunc idem Tuum decus
mundus Est iucundus Suam perdit animam Prore leui Atque breui Vitam perdit optimā Ergo caue Ne tam suaue Iugū spernens domini Et abiecta Legerecta Seruias libidini Si sint plagae Curam age Vt curentur citius Ne secrescant Et putrescant Pergas in deterius Ne desperes Nam cohaeres Christi esse poteris Si carnales Quantum vales Affectus excluseris Si formidas Ne diffidas Sed medelam postula Noxam plange Corpus ange Dilue piacula Siviuorum Et funclorum Christum times Iudicem Debes scire Quod perire Non vult suum supplicem Preces funde pectus tunde Flendo cor humilia Penitenti Et gementi Non negatur venia Exorando Et laudando Iesum Christum memora Nam delere Potest vere Quaecunque facinora Et si quando Te temptando Durus serpens laeserit Suspiranti Et oranti Iesus Christus aderit Quod si forte Mortis portae Te vicinum senseris Crede tamen Quod iuuamen Per eum receperis Hunc require Qui lenire Solet corda tristium Certus esto Quod est presto Votis se precantium Ipse multos iam sepultos Fecit reuiuiscere Hic auersos Et subuersos Potest Deo iungere Ipsum ama Ad hunc clama Mentem tuam eleuae Vt sustentet Et presentet Te ad caeli gaudia Ipsum Cole Vt de mole Criminum te liberet Hunc appella Ne procella Vitiorum superet Ipsum posco Quem cognosco Posse prorsus omnia Vt euellat Et repellat Cuncta quae sunt noxia Ipse donet Vt quod monet Eius verbum faciam Vt finita Carnis vita Laetus hunc aspiciam Pater Deus Fili Deus Deus alma charitas Per eterna Nos guberna Secla Deus Trinitas An Orthodoxall Confession of God the Father FIrst and last one God diuine All mens God as well as mine In thy vertue all things framing In thy knowledge all containing In thine essence chiefest good Working all what e're is good All supporting all excelling Without all yet in all dwelling All supporting vndeiected All excelling vnaffected Without all yet not excluded In all neuer yet included Ouer all in Domination Vnder all in sustentation Comprehending all without thee Filling all things round about thee Nothing vnder thee can raise thee Nought aboue thee can debase thee Nought without giues thee dimension Nought within giues thee extension Mouing all thy selfe abiding Placed without circumscribing Changing time thy selfe most stable Varying all Inuariable Force necessity nor art Alter thee in any part Time past present and to come Are one with thee both all and some All the glory now thou hast Vndiminisht aye must last Onely thou art all foreseeing Onely giuing all their being As thy wisedome did foreshow Thou framd'st the elements below A holy and orthodoxall Confession of God the Son Iesus Christ the Sauiour of Mankind SOnne thy Fathers peere in all with him Consubstantiall His figure and his splendor pure Creator made a creature Thou our humane flesh putst on Thou our cause hast vndergon Temporall yet time defying Euer liuing yet once dying God and man without illusion Both in one without confusion Thy Fathers like in Deity But not in fleshlie verity God humanity assuming The same preseruing not consuming The Godhead in this vnion yet Of his Godhead lost no whit God to God and not to 'th other Was Father but Mary to both was mother Thus both natures kept their station In this wonderous Combination Preseruing in the Essence true What was and thence producing new This our Mediator is Our leader to the land of blisse Circumcis'd babtis'd by Iohn Suffered buried and vpon The third day whence he had descended He rose and so to heauen ascended Whence he shall come when time doth cal Tho Iudg'd himselfe to iudge vs all Of Christ againe HE whom Gods power for mankind would haue borne whom borne his miracles proclaimed haue Who thus proclaim'd vpon a crosse was torne To whom thus torne the godly buriall gaue This borne proclaimed torne Entombed King God power againe to heauenly blisse did bring A true and orthodoxall Confession of the holy Ghost SPirit vncreated euer Neuer made begotten neuer From the persons two proceeding Full their equall not exceeding Not preferring them in Deity Nor seuerall from them in quality In quantity all three combine In quality alike Diuine With the Father and the Sunne Neuer ending nor begun One is Father for he begot The Sonne one borne all men wot From these the spirit proceeds alone Thus one is three and three are one Each of these is God truly Yet still but one and not Gods three But in this Deity I asseuer A Trinity vnited euer In the substance is full vnity In the persons perfect Trinity But in these that I haue reckoned None in power is first or second But allas one we must adore Fixed and firme for euermore Nor in selfe for euer changed Nor from it selfe at all estranged The conclusion with a deuour and holy prayer THis is Christian faith vnfained Orthodoxall true vnstained As I teach all vnderstand Yeelding vnto neither hand And in this my soules defence Reiect me not for mine offence Though deaths slaue yet desperation I fly in death to seeke saluation I haue no meane thy loue to gaine But this faith which I maintaine This thou seest nor will I cease By this to beg for a release Let this sacred salue be bound Vppon my sores to make them sound Though man be carried forth and lying In his graue and putrifying bound and hid from mortall eyes Yet if thou bid he must arise At thy will the graue will open At thy will his bounds are broken And forth he comes without delay If thou but once bid come away In this sea of dread and doubt My poore barke is tost about With stormes and pirates farre and wide Death and woes on euery side Come thou steeresman euer blest Calme these winds that me molest Chase these ruthlesse Pyrates hence And shew me some safe residence My tree is fruitlesse dry and dead All the bowes are withered Downe it must and to the fire If desert haue his due hire But spare it Lord another yeare With manuring it may beare If it then be dead and dry Burne it alas what remedy Mine old foe assaults me sore With fire and water more and more Poore I of all my strength bereft Onely vnto thee am left That my foe may hence be chased And I from ruines clawes released Lord vouchsafe me euery day Strength to fast and faith to pray These two meanes thy selfe hast taught To bring temptations force to nought Lord free my soule from sinnes infection By repentances direction Be thy feare in me abiding My soule to true saluation guiding Grant me faith Lord hope and loue Zeale of heauen and things aboue Tcach me prize the world at nought On thy blisse be all my
aeterna per tua merita Domine Iesu Christe qui cum Deo patre spiritu Sancto viuis reg-Deus in secula Cum autem eius vires deficient animam emissurum videatur commendetur anima per aliquem astantium hoc modo Commendatio animae morientis COmmendo te omnipotenti Deo charissime frater et ei cuius es creatura committo proficiscere anima Christiana de hoc misero mundo In nomine Patris omnipotentis qui te creauit In nomine Iesu Christi filij eius qui pro te passus est In nomine Spiritus Sancti qul in te fusus est Egrediente aute animatua de corpore splendidus Angelorum caetus tibi occurrat omnium sanctorum caetus te accipiat appareat tibi mitis clemens Iesus Christus qui inter assistentes sibi te iugiter interesse decernat vt locus tuus in pace sit habitatio tua in Hierusalem coelesti Ignores omnino quid horret in tenebris quid stridet in flammis quid cruciat in tormentis Cedat tibi nequissimus Sathan cum satellitibus suis nec in aduentu suo te vincat sedcoram angelis dei contremiscat as in aterna noctis chaos immane diffugiat at exurget Deus dissipentur omnes inimici eius sicut deficit fumus ita deficiant Iusti autem exultentur exultent in conspectu Dei Confundantur igitur erubescant ante te tar tareae legiones ministri satanae iter tuum impedire non audeāt Liberet te à cruciatu Christus qui pro te mori dignatus est constituet te Christus filius Dei inter paradisi sui amena semper virentia i am inter oues suos verus te ille pastor agnoscat Ille ab omnibus peccatis tuis absoluat atque ad dextram in electorum suorum sorte te constituat vt redemptorem tuum facie ad faciam videas cōstitutum agmina beatorum contemplationis diuinae gaudio potiaris in secula saeculonum Amen Certaine Praiers vsed by our Fore-fathers in the darkest times of Popery in the time of a mans sickenesse some to bee made for the sicke and some by the sicke person gathered out of the same ancient books When the sicke person feeles his strength to faile then let him commend his soule to God in this Praier O Most high and soueraigne God whose goodnesse and mercie is infinite ô most glorious Trinity which art loue and mercie and goodnesse it selfe haue mercy on me most miserable sinner for vnto thee and vnto thy hands I commend my spirit ô Lord my most louing God father of mercies shew thy mercy on me thy poore creature and forsake mee not in my last neede but stand with me Lord and helpe my succourlesse soule saue my poore and desolate soule that it bee not deuoured of the infernall dogges O most louing Lord sweet Sauiour Iesus Christ the sonne of the liuing God I beseech thee for the honor and by the vertue of thy most blessed passion command that I may be receiued into the number of thy Saints and seruants O my Sauiour my Redeemer I here yeeld vp my selfe wholly to thee O grant mee thy grace and thy glory vochsafe me pardon of my sin and giue me a portion of thy glory But ô my deere Lord I chalenge not a place in heauen for any worthines of my owne merits for I am but dust ashes a most wretched finner but for the vertue of thy most blessed passiō by which thou diddest vouchsafe to redeeme mee miserable man and to purchase heauē for me euen with the price of thy precious bloud I beseech thee therefore by thy most blessed bitter passion which thou sustainedst on the Crosse for me especially in that houre whē thy blessed soule did leaue the body that thou wouldest haue mercy on my poore soule at the time of my departure Then let him lift vp his heart with ioy and thanksgiuing and say Lord thou hast broken my bonds therefore I will offer to thee the sacrifice of praise After if his weaknesse grow so that hee loose the vse of his speech let some of the by-standers say these prayers following ouer him or more if he liue so long MErcifull God and Father wee beseech thee for the multitudes of thy mercies look fauourably vpon this thy seruant our deere brother who with true and hearty confession seeks pardon of all his sinnes at the hand of thy mercies O Lord heare vs for him and we beseech thee for him most holy father to renew in his heart what euer is corrupted by the frailty of his flesh and restore that grace which the wily and malicious enemy the diuell hath stolne out of his soule O Lord recall him to the vnity of thy Church ingraft him into the body of thy soule O Lord take pitty of the sighes and sobbes of his soule and groanes of his heart o Lord looke vpon his teares gather them in thy bottle and be good to him who hath no hope comfort nor confidence but in thy mercy and seale vp the assurance of his reconciliation with thee O most holy Father we humbly commend the soule of this thy seruant and our brother into the hands of thy vnmeasureable mercies humbly beseeching thee according to the greatnesse of that loue in which the blessed soule of thy sonne did commend it selfe into thy holy hands that for the worthinesse of that infinite loue of thine in which thou didst receiue that holy soule vnto thy selfe thou wouldst vouchsafe in this our brothers last houre to receiue his poore soule also and make it partaker of the same loue And thou most sweete Sauiour and most mercifull Lord Iesus thou that dying on the crosse was so pressed with anguish and torments for vs as made thee sound out that pittiful voyce vnto thy Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken me we beseech thee estrange not thy selfe and turne not away thy face frō thy seruant our brother now in the houre of his soules affliction when his strength faileth and his spirits are so spent that he cannot cal vpon theee heare vs O Lord heare vs for him and for that thy glorious victory in which thou didst triumph on the crosse for thy pretious passion and bitter death thinke of him the thoughts of mercy and not of iustice shed thy mercies in his soule speak cōfortably to his conscience deliuer his soule out of all spirituall distresse saue him frō the tormēts due vnto his deseruings bring him for thy own merits sake to eternal rest O Lod Iesus Christ which didst redeem vs with thy precious bloud write with thine own bloud in the soule and ingraue thy wounds in the heart of this thy seruant that in thē he may see read thy doleful suffrings thy sweet loue thy sufferings that they may be effectual to rasome him frō those sorrows
torments which he hath merited by his sins thy loue that it may vnite his heart to thee in inuisible inseparable bonds so as he may neuer be seperated frō thee nor thy Saints for euer and euer And Lord Iesus Christ we beseech thee make his soule partaker of all the merits of thy most sacred incarnation passion resurrection and ascention Make him pertaker of the vertue of thy most blessed sacraments and all thy holy mysteries Make him pertaker of all the praiers good deedes done in thy whole Church Make him pertaker of al the blessings graces and comforts of all thy elect and grant that with them all he may liue in thy presence for euermore O Lord which powred out thy prayer for vs on the mount Oliuet and sweat water and bloud wee beseech thee let that precious bloud of thine which thou didst so aboundantly poure out for our saluation let it bee presented and offered to thy father to stand against the multitude of of the sinnes of this thy seruant our brother Lord be with him at his last houre and then deliuer him from the anguish and torments which for his sins he may iustly feare Graciously receiue his soule in the houre of his departure open the gate of heauen vnto him and giue him a portion with thy Saints in glory for thy owne most glorious merite O Lord Iesus Christ who with God the Father and the holy Ghost liuest and raignest one God for euermore Amen And when the sicke mans strength beginnes to faile and the soule is ready to depart then let the soule be commended to God by one of the by-standers on this manner The Commendation of the soule to be said at a mans death I Heere commend thee to Almighty God most deere brother and I commit thee to him whose creature thou art Go forth therefore O Christian soule get thee gone out of this filthy world go forth in the name of the Almighty Father who created thee in the name of Iesus Christ who dyed for thee in the name of the holy Ghost who hath bene poured out vpon thee And when thou happy soule art deliuered out of the prison of the body the glorious quire of heauenly Angels meet thee and the company of all holy Saintes entertaine thee the louing countenance and cheereful face of Iesus Christ shine vpon thee a mercifull Iudge bee hee vnto thee that thou maist haue sentence to sit for euer amongst his Saints on his right hand thy dwellings be in peace and thy saluation in the heauenly Ierusalem for euermore farr be it from thee euer to feele or know how horrible the darknesse how terrible the flames and how intollerable the torments of hell are Sathan and all his hellish guard be they confounded at thy presence and if hee dare set vpon thee victory and triumph be on thy side shame and trembling fall vpon him from the presence of Gods Angels and be hee banished into the blacke mists and confused chaos of eternall darknesse But let the Lord arise and let his enemies be scattered and as the smoake vanisheth so let them flye away But let the iust be exalted and reioyce in the presence of the Lord let the infernall legions not dare to touch theee nor all Sathans helhounds presume to hinder thee and hee who disdained not to dye for thee be hee thy Sauiour and deliuerer from all spirituall vexation Be the gates of paradise open vnto thee thy Christ giue thee thy place and mansion in the same And he that is the true Pastor and great Sheepeheard of the Sheepe acknowledge thee for one of his true Sheepe and receiue thee into his fold Iesus Christ absolue thee from all thy sins and place thee on his right hand among his elect that there thou maist see thy Redeemer face to face in the society of blessed sed soules maist enioy the comforts of heauenly cōtemplation and the blessed vision of God for euer and euer Amen To the Reader SEe Christian brother how in the worst times they were prepared to die and commended to God if the ancient books did not proclaime this truth some would not beleeue but that they had been made in this latter time But seeing the truth cannot be denied I desire thee with me to obserue these few collections arising out of due consideration of the premisses 1. Heere is answere to that great question how our forefathers were saued euen by the same faith as we are at this day 2. How truly Christ performed his promise namely that the gates of hell should not preuaile against the true faith for so we see that in the vilest times this Faith hath beene preserued 3. Obserue how here is no touch nor once mention of Purgatory nor of any thing to be done for their good after this life 4. Here is no relation to any pardons or indulgences from the Pope 5. Here is no necessity laid downe of sending for a Priest to bring his Hoste and his Pix and his holy water and his Taper These matters it seemes are rather commanded pressed vpon the people by the Romish Cleargie then much regarded by the wiser and godlier sort of our forefathers neither are they commanded to stay till the Priest come but saith the booke let these prayers bee said and the Commendation of his soule by one of the by-standers Lastly let it bee obserued that in all these prayers and commendations and questions and these saith the booke are all that be of necessity to be said here is not one smack of Popish idolarry or superstition In these respects I haue thought it no needlesse labour to communicate these to thee deere brother I know there be store of godly prayers and meditations already extant But these are of a special vse more then others and are venerable for their antiquity And are to be the more welcome because God preserued thē in the hands of our very enemies And thogh they were mingled with other things not so good yet Hieronym ad Laetum Grandis prudentiae est aurum in luto quaerere let vs know as S. Hierome tels vs that it is no small point of wisdome to seeke out gold out of mire and clay Make vse of these and helpe mee with thy prayers and thou shalt shortly if God permit bee pertaker of more FINIS TAM ROBVR TAM ROBOR NI-COLIS ARBOR IOVIS 1610. LONDON Printed for Leonard Becket and are to be sold at his Shop in the Temple neere the Church 1611.