of him Secondly that his passion and obedience is as certainely ours as if we our selues had paid the punishment of our sinnes and made satisfaction to God Mâ— What difference is there between the Supper of the Lord and the Popish Masse Schol The supper of the Lord doth witneâ— vnto vs that we haue perfect forgiuenes of all our sinnes for that onely sacrifice of Christ which he himselfe once offered vpon the crosse and then that we are by the holy Ghost ingrafted into Christ who now according to his humanitie is onely in heauen at the right hand of his Father and will there be worshipped of vs. But in the Masse it is denied that â—â—e quicke and dead haue forgiuenes of sinnes for the once suffering of Christ vnles Christ be still euery day offered for them by the Priests and then it is taught that Christ is bodily vnder the appearance of bread and wine and therefore ought to be worshipped in them And so the very foundation of the Masse is nothing else but a denying of that onely sacrifice and suffering of Iesus Christ Ma Who ought to come to the supper of the Lord Schol Onely they that are truely sorie that they haue offended God by tâ—eâ—â— sins and do beleeue that they are forgiuen them for Christs sake and that whatsoeuer infirmities they haue they are reuered by his passion and death and who desire more and more to goe forward in faith and vprightnes of life But hypocrites and they that do not truly repent do eate and drinke vnto themselues conâ—emnation Ma May they also be admitted to this supper who declare themselues by their confession and life to be vnbeleeuers and vngodly men Schol In no wise for by that meanes the couenant of God is prophaned aâ—◠〈◊〉 wrath of God prouoked against the whole congregation Wherefore the Church by the commandement of Christ and his Apostles vsing the keyes of the kingdome of heauen ought to keepe backe such from the supper vntill they repent and amend their manners Ma What are the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Sch The preaching of the Gospell and Eclesiasticall discipline whereby heauen is opened to them that beléeue and shut against vnbeléeuers Ma How is the kingdome of heauen opened and shut by the preaching of the Gospell Schol When by the commandement of Christ it is openly preached to all and euery one that beleeuerâ— that all their sins are forgiuen them by God so often as they lay bold vpon the promise of the Gospell by a true faith Contrariwise vnto all vnbeleeuers Hypocrites it is denounced that the wrath of God and euerlasting condemnation lyeth vpon them so long as they continue in their sins According to which testimonie of the Gospell God will iudge aswell in this present life as in the life to come Ma How is the kingdome of heauen shut and opened by Eclesiasticall discipline Schol When by the commandement of Christ they who are in name Christians but in doctrine and life shew themselues strangers from Christ after they haue bene once or twice admonished and will not depart from their errours or sinfull liuing are presented to the Church or to those who are appointed to that office by the Church and if they obey not their admonition are by forbidding them the Sacraments shut out from the assembly of the Church and not receiued againe till they professe amendment Ma Seeing we are deliuered from all sinnes and miseries without any desert of our owne by the only mercy of God for Christs sake to what end should we do good workes Schol Because after that Christ hath redeemed vs by his blood he doth also renew vs with his spirit according to his owne Image to the end that hauing receiued so great benefits we should all our life long shew our selues thankfull towards God and that he might be glorified by vs. Secondly that we also euery one of vs may be assured of our faith by the fruites thereof Lâ—st of all that by the vprightnes of our life we may gaine others to Christ Mâ—i Cannot they then be saued who being vnthankfull and continuing securely in their sinnes are not turned from their wickednes vnto God Schol By no meanes For as the scripture witnesseth neither vncleane persons nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor theeues nor coueteus persons nor Drunkards nor Rulers nor Oppressors shall Inherit the Kingdome of God Mâ—i Of what parts consisteth true Repentance or turning to God Schol Of the mortifying or killing the old man and quickning of the new man Mâ— What is the mortification of the olde man Schol Truely and from the hart to be sorie that by thy sinnes thou hast offended God and more and more to hate and siye from thy sinnes Mai What is the quickning of the new man Schol True reioycing in God through Christ and a forward desire to frame our life according to Gods will and to exercise all good worâ—s Mai What works are good Schol Onely those which are done of a true Faith according to the Law of God and are referred onely to his glorie and not those which are deuised by our selues vpon a good intent or commandement by mens traditions Mai What is the law of God Schol The Lorde spake these wordes saying 1. I am Iehoua thy GOD which brought thee out of the land of Aegipt from the house of bondage thou shalt haue none other Gods but mée 2. Make not to thy selfe any grauen Image nor draw any likenes of those things which are either in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the water vnder the earth thou shalt not fall downe before them nor worship them for I thy Lord and God strong and Iealous auenging the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children and that to the third and fourth generation of them that hate mee and shewing mercie vpon thousands in them that loue me and keepe my commandements 3. Take not the Name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not let him goe vnpunished that taketh his Name in vaine 4. Remember to kéepe holie the Saboth day sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke but the seuenth day shall be the Sabaoth of the Lord thy God Thou shalt doe no worke neither thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter nor thy seruant nor thy handmaide nor thy cattell nor the stranger that is within thy gates for in sixe dayes the Lord made the heauen the earth the Sea and all things that are in them and rested the seuenth day therefore the Lorde blessed the seuenth day and hallowed it 5. Honour thy father and thy mother that thou mayest liue long vpon the Land which the Lord thy God shall giue thée 6. Thou shalt not kill 7. Thou shalt not commit Adultery 8. Thou shalt not steale 9. Thou shalt not beare false witnes against thy neighbour 10. Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife nor his
I doe owe vnto God for that deliuerance Ma How doest thou know thine owne miserie Scho By the law of God Ma What doth the law of God require of vs Schol That doth our Sauiour teach vs in the 2â— of Matt Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde This is the first and greatest commandement and the second is like vnto this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe On these two commandements hangeth the whole law and the prophets Ma. Art thou able to â—â—epe all tehse things perfectly Schol. In no wise for by nature I am prone to the hatred of God and my neighbour Ma Did God then make man so bad and corrupt Schol No truely God created him good and according to his owne Image that is endewed him with true righteousnes and holines that he might rightly know God his Creator loue him with all his heart and liue in blessednes with him for euer Ma From whence then ariseth this corruption of mans nature Schol From the fall and disobedience of our first parents Adam and Eue in Paradice where our nature was so corrupted that we are all conceiued and borne in sinne Ma But are we so corrupt that we are not at all fit to doe well but apt vnto all euill Schol Yea truely vnlesse we be regenerate by the holy Ghost Ma Doth not God then deale Iniuriously with man when he requireth that of him in his law which he is not able to performe Schol Not at all for God so created man that he was able to performe it but man inticed by the diuell by his owne disobedience depriued himselfe and all his posteritie of those gifts of God Ma What then will God let goe this disobedience and backsliding of man without punishment Schol No surely but he is most grieuously angry both with our naturall sinnes and with those sinnes which we our selues do commit and doth punish the same in most iust iudgement both with temporall and Eternall punishments euen as himselfe prenounceth Cursed is euery one who continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to do them Ma What is not God mercifull also Schol Yes truely he is mercifull but so also he is iust Therefore his iustice requireth to haue that punished with euerlasting punishment of soule and body whatsoeuer is committed against the maiestie of so soueraigne and almightie a God Ma Seeing then we are by the iust iudgment of God in danger of temporall and euerlasting punishment Is there any way or meanes left whereby we may be deliuered from these punishments and be reconciled to God Schol God will haue his Iustice satisfied wherâ—â—ore we must néedes make satisfaction either by our selues or some other Ma Are we able to satisfie by our selues Schol Not one whit but rather daily do encrease our debt Ma Can any creature in heauen or in earth make satisfaction for vs Schol None at all for first God will not punish any other creature for that sinne that man hath committed Secondly that which is but an onely creature is not able to endure the wrath of God against sinne and to deliuer others from it Ma Then what manner of mediator and deliuerer must we seeke for Schol Such a one as is true man and perfectly iust and yet notwithstanding more mightie then al creatures that is one who is also true God Ma Wherefore must he needs be true man and perfectly iust Schol Because the iustice of God requireth that the same nature of man which sinned should also pay the punishment of sinne but he that were a sinner himselfe could not pay for other men Ma Wherefore ought he also to be true God Schol That by the power of his Godhead he might be able to sustaine the burthen of Gods wrath in his flesh and to recouer and restore vnto vs the righteousnes and life that we had lost Ma But who is that mediator which is both true God and true perfect man Schol Our Lord Iesus Christ who is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnes satisfaction and perfect redemption Ma Whereby knowest thou this Schol By the Gospell which God first reuealed in Paradice and afterwards did publish by the Patriarkes and Prophets shadowed out in Sacrifices and Ceremonies and last of all accomplished by his onely begotten sonne Ma Is saluation then restored by Christ to all men that perished in Adam Schol No not to all but onely to those who are ingrafted into him by true faith and do lay hold vpon all his benefites Ma What is true faith Schol It is not onely a knowledge by which I do stedfastly assent vnto all things which God hath reuealed vnto vs in his word but also an assured affiance and trust kindled in my heart by the holy Ghost through the Gospell by which I rest vpon God making sure account that forgiuenes of sinnes euerlasting righteousnes and life is bestowed not onely vpon others but also vpon me and that freely by the mercy of God for the merit and desert of Christ alone Maister What are those things which a Christian man must of necessitie beleeue Schol All those things which are promised vnto vs in the Gospell the sum whereof is briefly comprised in the Apostles Creeds or in the chiefs heads of the Catholike and vndoubted faith of all Christians Maist What is that Creed of the Apostles 1. I beleeue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth 2. And in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord. 3. Which was conceiued of the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary 4. Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried descended into Hell 5. Rose againe the third aay from the dead 6. And ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almightie 7. From thence he shall come to Iudge the quicke and the dead 8. I beleeue in the holy Ghost 9. I beleeue the holy Catholike Church the communion of Saints 10. I beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes 11. The resurrection of the flesh 12. And the life Euerlasting Maist Into how many parts is the Creed diuided Schol Into thrée parts The first is of the euerlasting Father and of our Creation The second is of the Sonne and of our Redemption The third is of the holy Ghost and our Sanctification Maist Seeing there is but one onely substance of God why doest thou name those three the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Schol Because God hath so reuealed himselfe in his word that these thrée distinct persons are one true and euerliuing God Maist What beleeuest thou when thou saist I Beleeue in God the Father Almightie Schol I beléeue the euerlasting Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who created of nothing the heauen and the earth and all things that are therein and doth vphold and gouerne the same by his euerlasting counsell and prouidence to
and is yet there for vs and shall be till he come againe to iudge the quicke and the dead Maist What then is not Christ with vs as he promised vnto the end of the world Schol Christ is true God and true man therefore according to his manhood he is not now vpon earth but according to his Godhead his grace and his spirit is at no time from vs. Maist Are not the two natures of Christ by this meanes pulled asunder if the manhead be not wheresoeuer the God-head is Schol Not a whit for séeing the Godhead cannot be contained in any compasse and is present in all places it followeth necessarily that it is without the nature of man which it hath taken and yet neuertheles is in it also and remaineth personally vnited vnto it Ma What fruit doth Christs ascention into heauen bring vs Schol First that he maketh intercession in heauen vnto his Father for vs. Secondly that we haue our flesh in heauen whereby is a certaine Pledge we may be assured that hoe who is our Head will lift vp vnto him vs that are his members Thirdly that he sendeth vnto vs his Spirite as a Pledge betwéene vs by the working whereof we séeke not things on Earth but things that are aboue where hee sitteth on the Right hand of GOD. Mâ—ist Why is it added Hee sitteth on the Right hand of God Schol Because Christ did therefore ascend into heauen that he might there declare himselfe the head of his Church by which his Father gouerneth all things Mâ—i What doth this glorie of Christ our Head auaile vs Schol First that by the holie Ghost he powreth vppon vs his members heauenly gifts and then that by his power hee doth protect and defend vs against all enemies Maist What comfort doeth Christs comming againe to Iudge the quicke and deade bring thee Scholl That in all miseries and persecutions I lifte vp my head and waite for him who did before stand in my stead before Gods Iudgement seate and did take away all curse from me to come from heauen as a Iudge to throw all his and mine enemies into euerlasting paines and to receiue mee with all the Elect vnto himselfe into heauenly ioyes and euerlasting glorie Maist What belieuest thou of the Holie Ghost Scholl First that hée is true GOD and coeternall with the euerlasting Father the Sonne then that hée is also giuen to me that through Faith hee may make me partaker of Christ and all his benefites may comfort me and abide with me for euer Maist What belieuest thou of the holy Catholike Church of Christâ— Scholl I belieue that the Sonne of God doth by his Spirit and by the Word gather vnto himselfe out of all mankinde from the beginning of the world vnto the ende a congregation chosen vnto euerlasting life agréeing in true Faith and doth maintaine the same and preserue it and that I am a liuely member of that congregation and shall so for euer abide Maist What meaneth the Communion of Saints Schol First that all and euery one of she beléeuers haue fellowship with Christ and all his benefits as being members of him Secondly that euery one who hath receiued gifts ought to imploy them readily and chearefully for the common profit a nd saluation of all Mâ—ist What beleeuest thou concerning forgiuenes of sinnes Schol I beleeue that God for the satisfaction of Christ hath quite put out of his remembrance all my sinnes and euen that corruption also wherewith I must striue all my life long and doth fréely giue vnto me the righteousnes of Christ so that I shall neuer come into iudgement Mâ—â—st What comfort doth the resurrection of the flesh minister vnto thee Schol Not onely that my soule shall straight way after it is departed out of the body be taken vp vnto Christ the head thereof but that this flesh of mine also being raised vp by the power of Christ shall be vnited againe to my soule and shall be made conformable vnto the glorious body of Christ Maist What comfort receiuest thou by the Article of Euerlasting life Schol That because in this present life I feele the beginning of euerlasting ioy in my heart I shall after this life enioy full and perfect blessednes wherein I shall praise God for euer which blessednes neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor any heart of man can conceiue Maist When thou beleeuest all these things what benefit commeth to thee thereby Schol That in Christ I am righteous before God and heire of life Euerlasting Maâ—st How art thou righteous before God Schol By faith alone in Iesus Christ so that although mine owne conscience doe accuse me that I haue most grieuously offended against all the commandements of God and haue not kept any one of them moreouer also that I am prone to all euill yet notwithstanding so that I do embrace these benefits with true affiance of mind without any merit of mine owne of the meere mercy of God the perfect satisfaction righteousnes and holines of Christ is imputed and giuen vnto me as if I had neither committed any sinne neither were there any blot or corruption cleauing vnto me Yea as if I had my selfe perfectly performed that obedience which Christ hath performed for me Maist Why doest thou say that thou art righteous by faith Schol Not because by the worthines of my faith I please God but because the onely satisfaction righteousnes holines of Christ is my righteousnes in the sight of God and I can lay hold vpon and apply the same vnto my selfe by no other meanes but by faith Maist Why cannot our good workes be righteousnes or any part of righteousnes in the sight of God Schol Because that righteousnes which is able to abide the iudgment of God must be most perfect and in all points agreeing with the law of God but our best workes that we do in this life are imperfect and euen defiled with sinnes Maist How sayest thou that our good workes deserue nothing whereas God promiseth that he wil giue vs a reward for them both in this life and in the life to come Schol That reward is giuen not of desert but grace Maist Doth not this doctrine make men secure and prophane Schol No for it cannot be but they who are ingrafted into Christ by faith should bring forth fruits of thankfulnes Maist Seeing then faith alone maketh vs partakers of Christ and all his benefits from whence proceedeth this faith Schol From the holy Ghost who by the preaching of the Gospel doth kindle the same in our hearts and doth confirme it by the vse of the Sacraments Maist What are Sacraments Schol They are holy and visible signes and soules ordained of God to this end that he might thereby more fully declare and seale vnto vs the promise of the Gospell to wit that he doth fréely giue forgiuenes of sinnes and life euerlasting not onely to all in generall but euen to euery one that beléeueth
great comfort of my body I most entirely beséech thee O most mercifull father to shew the like kindnes towards me this day in preseruing my body and soule that as mine enemies may haue no power ouer me so I likewise may neither thinke breathe speake or doe any thing that may be displeasant to thy fatherly goodnesse dangerous to my selfe or hurtfull to my neighbour but that all my enterprises may be agréeable to thy most blessed will which is alway good and godly doing that that may aduance thy glorie answere to my vocation and profite of my neighbour whom I ought to loue as my selfe that whensoeuer thou callest me from this vale of miserie I may be found the childe not of darknes but of light and so for euer raigne with thée in glorie which art the true and euerlasting light to whom with thy dearely beloued Sonne Iesus Christ our alone Sauiour and the holy Ghost that most swéete comforter be all honour and glorie Amen ¶ A prayer for the night O Lord God and my heauenly father for as much as by thy diuine ordinance the night approacheth and darkenes beginneth to ouerwhelme the earth and time requireth that we giue our selues to bodily rest and quietnes I render vnto thee most hartie thanks for thy louing kindnesse which hast vouchsafed to preserue me this day from the danger of mine enemies to giue me my health to féede me and to send me all things necessarie for the comfort of this my poore néedie life I most humbly beseech thée for Iesu Christs sake that thou wilt mercifully forgiue me all that I haue this day committed against thy Fatherly goodnes either in word deede or thought and that thou wilt vouchsafe to shadowe me this night vnder the comfortable wings of thy almightie power and defend me from Sathan and from all his craftie assaults that neither he nor any of his ministers haue power ouer either my body or my soule but that although my body through thy benefite enioyeth swéet and pleasant sléepe yet my soule may continually watch vnto thée thinke of thée delight in thée and euermore praise thée that when the ioyfull light of the day returneth according to thy godly appointment I may rise againe with a faithfull soule and vndefiled body and so afterward behaue my selfe all the time of my life according to thy blessed will and commandement by costing away the workes of darknesse and putting on the armour of light that men séeing my good workes may thereby be prouoked to glorifie thée our heauenly Father which with thy onely begotten Sonne Iesu Christ our alone Sauiour and the holy Ghost thy most sweet comforter liuest and raignest one true and euerlasting God world without ende Amen A prayer to be said for all such as lye at the poynt of death O Most louing Sauiour and gentle redeemer which camest into this world to call sinners vnto repentance and to seeke that which was lost thou seest in what case this our brother lyeth here visited with thy mercifull hand all weake feeble sicke and readie to yeeld vp his soule into thy holy hands O looke vpon him most gentle Sauiour with thy mercifull eye pittie him and be fauourable vnto him He is thy workemanship despise not therefore the worke of thine owne hands Thou sufferedst thy blessed bodie and thy precious blood to be shed for his sinnes and to bring him vnto the glorie of thy heauenly Father let it not therefore come to passe that thou shouldest suffer so great paines for him in vaine He was baptised in thy name and gaue himselfe wholy to be thy seruant forsaking the Diuell the World and the Flesh confesse him therefore before thy heauenly Father and his blessed Angels to be thy seruant His sinnes we confesse to be great for who is able to say my heart is cleane and I am free from sinne but thy mercies O Lord are much greater and thou camest not to call the righteous but sinners vnto repentance To them that are diseased and ouerladen with the burden of sinne doest thou promise ease Thou art that God which willest not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turne and liue Thou art that Sauiour which willest all men to be saued to come to the knowledge of thy truth Withdrawe not therefore thy mercie from him because of his sinnes but rather laie vpon him thy sauing health that thou mayest shew thy selfe towards him to be a Sauiour What greater praise can there be to a Phisition then to heale the sicke Neither can there be a greater glorie to thee being a Sauiour then to saue sinners Saue him therefore O Lord for thy names sake Againe let the Law be no corsiue to his conscience but rather giue him grace euen in this extreame agony and conflict of death to be fully perswaded that thou by thy death hast taken away all his sinnes fulfilled the Lawe for him and by this meanes deliuered him from the curse of the Law and payed his ransome that he thus being fully perswaded may haue a quiet heart a free conscience and a glad will to forsake this wretched world and to goe vnto his Lord GOD. Moreouer thou hast conquered him that had rule ouer death euen Sathan Suffer him not therfore to exercise his tyrannie vpon this our sicke brother nor to disquiet his conscience with the terrors of sinne and paines of Hel. Let not Sathan nor his infernal armie tempt him further then he is able to beare but euermore giue him grace euen vnto his last breath valiantly to fight against the diuell with a strong faith in thy pretious blood that he may fight a good fight and finish his course with ioy vnto the glorie of thy name and the health of his soule O Lord so worke in him by thy holy spirit that he with all his heart may contemne and despise all worldly things and set his minde wholy vpon heauenly things hoping for them with a strong and vndoubted faith Againe let it not grieue him O sweet Sauiour to be losened from this vile and wretched carcasse which is now so full of sorrowe trouble and anguish sicknesse and paine but rather let him haue a bent and readie will through thy goodnesse to put it off yea and that with this faith that he at the last day shall receiue it againe in a much better state then it is now or euer was from the day of his birth euen as a body vncorruptible immortall and like to thy glorious body Let his whole heart and minde be set onely vpon thee Let the remembrance of the ioyes of heauen bee so seruent in his brest that he may both patiently and thankfully take his death and euer wish to bee with thee in glorie And when the time commeth that he shall giue ouer to nature and depart from this miserable world◠vouchsafe we most humbly beseech thee O Lord Iesu to take his soule into thy hands and to place it among the glorions companie of thy holie Angels and blessed Saints and to keepe it vnto that ioyfull day of the generall Resurrection that both his body and soule through thine Almightie power being knitie againe together at that day hee may for euer and euer enioy that glorious kingdome and sing perpetuall praises to thy blessed Name Amen A Grace before meate WEe beseethe thee O heauenly Father to blesse vs and these thy meates and drinkes that we shall receiue from thée and make vs thankfull for all thy heauenly Creatures which wée daily receiue from thée through Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour Amen A Grace after meate FOr this thy bountifull goodnes in féeding vs at this time wée hartily thanke thee O most mercifull Father desiring thée so to feede our Soules likewise with that meate and drinke which perisheth not but abideth in Euerlasting life that we being fed both in bodie and soule at thy mercifull hands may alwayes doe that which is acceptable in thy sight through Iesus Christ Amen Grace before meate HEauenly Father graunt that our bodies being fed with these thy Creatures wee may serue thée in feare and reioyce before thée with trembling and in all things stand in awe of thy Maiestie lest thou be angrie and wee perish For the feare of the Lorde is the beginning of wisedome and blessed are they that walke therein through Iesus Christ our onely Lorde and Sauiour Amen Grace after meate FOr that wée haue receiued at thy hands O God thy most holie and euerlasting Name be blessed and praised from this time foorth and for euermore Amen