The perfect practice of all conteynd in this Books pag. 166. FINIS THREE AND THIRTY most godly deuout Prayers or Salutations to be recited in honour of the Sacred Life Passion of our Blessed Sauiour sweet Iesus for faithfull Soules departed After ech wherof must be said the Psalme Miserere The Preamble or Introduction O Most sweet Lord Iesus most mercifull pardoner of our sinnes and Sauiour of our soules we hūbly beseech thee by all the mercies that euer thou hast shewed to sinners from the first instant of thy birth vnto this presēt houre that thou wilt not refuse the prayers of vs poore sinners for this Soule or these Soules but be pleased to deliuer them from all paine graunt thē eternall rest through thy bottōles mercy for that to saue vs thou didst assume our poore humanity THE I. PRAYER WE salute thee Eternall word and wisdome of the Father beseech thee by that infinite charity which drew thee from the bosome of thy eternall Father to chose the pure immaculate Virgin to be thy mother as also through that admirable worke thou wroughtest in her sacred wombe when thou didst cloath thy Glorious Diuinity with our base flesh and in that sort becamest our brother and didest giue thy glorious mother vnto vs for an Aduocate and mother for which cause we hūbly haue recourse vnto her hoping what our owne merites cannot obtaine to impetrate by her confident wherof we conuert our selues to thee ô sweet Mother of mercy and by that inestimable treasure which was inclosed in thy Virginal wombe which neither heauen nor earth could containe O daughter of the eternall Father mother of the sonne and spouse of the holy Ghost we beseech thee that thou wilt vouchsafe by thy intercession to open vnto vs the same diuine treasure and beseech thy beloued sonne that throgh the loue he bore thee he will receiue our petitions for this Soule or these Soules and forgiue thē in whatsoeuer they haue offended and by his holy birth by which he hath broken Adams chaines wil be pleased to vnloose these poore Soules from the chaines of their sinnes Miserere mei Deus c. THE II. PRAYER WE salute thee O most sweet Lord Iesus fountaine of mercy and bright Mirrour of al vertue beseech thee throgh the extreme pouerty and other afflictions that thou didest endure in thy holy birth and tender infancy as also by thy great humility penance fasting watching praying and other austerities that thou didest liuing here vpon earth for the space of 33. yeares by thy painful foot-steps going bare-foote and bare head throgh the hunger thirst cold and heate labour wearines the other miseries thou sufferedst euery hower and moment during thy life for our saluation that immense charity wherby thou didest offer all those thy suffrings to thy celestiall Father for the satisfaction of our sinnes that thou wilt mercifully pardon these Soules all the offences they haue commited against thee in pride vain-glory couetousnes sensuality vaine cares of temporall things vanities impure thoughtes wordes and actions throgh the merits of all thy sufferances labours and most holy life and conuersation Miserere THE III. PRAYER WE salute thee ô Eternall comfort sweet solace of our soules and beseech thee by that infinite loue mercy thou hast awayes shewed to sinners so immense that no vnderstanding is able to comprehend it by that loue which made thee who art an incomprehensible treasure to permit thy selfe to be sold for thirty pence by that infinite charity wherewith thou didest giue thy selfe in the diuine Sacrament to thy Apostles vnder the species of bread and wine to vs all as a pledge of our saluation through this thy liberality we beseech thee ô bread of Angels and Sauiour of soules the giuer and the gift that thou wilt mercifully pardon these Soules all the offences they haue commited against thee by vnworthy receauing of this holy Sacramēt without due contrition right confession and entire satisfactiō forgiue thē ô Lord throgh thy infinite mercy Miserere THE IV. PRAYER WE salute thee ô bread of Angells and comforter of sorrowfull hartes beseech thee by thy profound humility with which thou didst bow downe thy knees at thy disciples feet washed them as also through that holy Sermon thou didest make vnto them and the sorrowfull wordes thou spakest saying My soule is sorrowfull vnto death vntil now you haue not prayed pray for whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you O louing Lord through this thy promise we beseech thy blessed Father through thee his only deere beloued sonne that he wil remēber the great anxiety thy sacred humanity did indure when it beheld all those intollerable torments death it was to vndergoe by the bitter anguish therof we beseech him and thy sacred selfe mercifully to pardon these Soules all they haue offended in vaine solace and admit them into thy eternall glory Miserere THE V. PRAYER WE salute thee ô most mercifull Lord Iesus sweet sheepheard of our Soules who for our redemption hast drunke the chalice of thy bitter passiō besech thee by that painful agony which thou didst willingly endure when kneeling and prostrate on the ground thou didst pray three seuerall times to thy celestiall Father saying Father if it be possible let this Chalice passe from me yet not my will but thyne be done at which time thou didest sweat water bloud through the bitternesse of thy anguish and an Angell came frō heauen to cōfort thee saying Arise go forward coragiously you shal appease your Fathers wrath you shall breake Adams bandes redeeme mankind after which thou wentest to thy Disciples finding them a sleep saidst do you sleep now Arise let vs go for he that betrayeth me is at hand O deere Lord through that thy willing resignation to suffer death to fulfill the will of thy heauenly Father and through thy dolourous agonye and blouddy sweat we beseech thee mercifuly to pardon these poore soules all the offences they haue committed against thy diuine pleasure or the Obedience of their Superiours and through thy holy feruēt prayer receiue our humble prayers and petitions for them Miserere THE VI. PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus beseech thee by that inflamed charity wherwith thou didest go to meet the traitor Iudas asking him the rest whō they soght they answering Iesus of Nazareth thou answeredst I am he through the power of which wordes they all fell two seuerall times downe to the ground after which giuing them power to rise thou didest meekly receiue the kisse of the traytor Iudas saying to him Friend whereto art thou come dost thou betray the sonne of man with a kisse We thanke thee O most sweet Sauiour for all these mercies and beseech thee throgh the merits of them to forgiue these soules whatsoeuer they haue offended in detraction
Mediator betweene thy heauenly Father vs sinners and represent to thee that cruelty wherwith the cursed Iewes stretched forth thy sacred leggs so violently with a cord that all thy veines sinewes were broken and nayled thy holy feet vnto the crosse with great and boystrous nayles throgh thy great patience suffering them to do to thee whatsoeuer they would as if thou hadst said I lye heere to the end I may accomplish my Fathers will and redeeme mankind O what great and excessiue paine caused euery stroke of the hammer vnto thy hart and also to the tender hart of thy blessed Mother O deerest Sauiour we render thee infinite thankes for that most intollerable torment which thou didst endure in that dolourous nayling of thy sacred feet and that immense loue charity wherwith thou didest suffer it most hūbly beseeching thee therby to pardon these soules all they haue committed against thee by sitting or lying sleeping or waking knowing or not knowing or in what sort soeuer through thy painfull lying on the crosse and extreme torments shame and ignominy Miserere THE XIX PRAYER O Most sweet Lord Iesus we humbly salute thee and represent vnto thee that pittifull rearing vp of the crosse wherby thy cruell enemies did miserably shake thy sacred body vsing many clamours opprobries and iniurious despites against thee letting the crosse fall after they had raysed it violently downe into the hole they had made for it in the ground through the force wherof all thy woundes were renewed and most cruelly rent and torne out of which as from riuers flowed forth thy precious bloud in great aboundance O deerest Sauiour with what infinite Charity diddest thou hang there to make satisfaction for all sinnes past present and to come for which we render thee immortall thankes and humbly beseech thee to let one drop of that thy precious bloud which thou didest then shee l descend vpon these Soules for a full satisfaction of all the sinnes they haue committed in the whole course of their life Miserere THE XX. PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus who knowest the desires of our harts before they be declared by wordes and represent to thee that great charity wherewith hanging on the crosse thou didest pray for thy enemyes saying Father forgiue them for they know not what they do which mercifull prayer of thine was of such force that it conuerted many of them that were guilty of thy bloud O true comforter of all sorrowfull hartes we beseech thee throgh the merit of that thy Prayer that thou wilt vouchsafe now to pray to thy heauenly Father for these poore soules that they may be as fully pardoned of all their sinnes offences as those who were then receiued into grace through the merit of thy precious bloud Miserere THE XXI PRAYER WE salute thee ô soueraigne Lord Iesus sweet Father of mercy and represent to thee how hanginge betweene two thee us the one wherof blasphemed thee the other besought thee to be myndefull of him when thou camest in thy kingdome whom thou didest bountifully pardon and receiue into thy mercy in such sort as he was the first vnto whom thou didest promise paradise throgh which bottomlesse mercy we beseech thee as also throgh the merits of thy precious bloud which thou impartedst to the Theefe to let the same precious bloud descend now vpon these soules vnto a full forgiuenesse of their sinnes and through thy infinite mercy bring them into thy euerlasting glory Miserere THE XXII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most Blessed Lord Iesus sweet solace of the sorrowfull and offer vnto thee all that internall suffering thou haddest seeing thy deere Mother standing vnder the crosse ouerwhelmed in a sea of deadly anguishes through loue and compassion towardes thee whom thou didest commend to thy beloued Disciple S. Iohn which greately renewed her griefe and bitter sorrow for thy death O deerest Lord through this loue and care thou haddst of thy sweet Mother in thy torments we humbly commend vnto thy mercifull goodnesse these soules beseechinge thee to deliuer them for all paines and torments through thy merites and the merites of thy blessed Mother Miserere THE XXIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus soueraign shepheard of thy holy Church and faithfull forgiuer of sinnes and offer vnto thee that sorrowfull Prayer thou madest vnto thy heauenly Father when thou saidest my God my God why hast thou forsaken me he hauing left thy holy Humanity destitute of all help and comfort in those thy bitter angushes and tormēts for all which we humbly thanke thee beseech thee by them and the merits of thy sacred Prayer that thou wilt mercifully heare our humble prayers which we now present to thee for these poore soules deliuer them through thy infinite mercy and merits from all their paines tormēts Miserere THE XXIV PRAYER WE salute thee ô sweet Iesus fountaine of liuing waters and represent vnto thee how thou saidst I thirst which thirst must needs be excessiue great for that there was not left one drop of bloud in all thy whole body but chiefly didest thou thirst for our saluation for which we humbly thanke thee as also for the bitter gall eysell thou didest take and the secret sorrow thou hadst remembring that thy bitter death shold be lost on so many soules all which we humbly offer to thee ô most sweet Sauiour and beseech thee that thou wilt let thy precious bloud descend on these poore Soules to refresh them and to deliuer them from all their paines Miserere THE XXV PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus inestimable treasure of the diuine riches and represent vnto thee how in the end of thy life thou calledst to mind all the holy workes thou hadst done all thy life and in one summe offeredst them all vp to thy celestiall Father saying It is consūmate we most humbly beseech thee to offer that inestimable treasure of thy merits which neuer diminisheth vnto thy heauenly Father for these Soules and therewith pay all the debts of their sinnes and all other they are charged with Miserere THE XXVI PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus giuer of life to all creatures and soueraigne commaunder of life and death and represent vnto thee thy lamentable hanging vpon the Crosse all deformed with bleedinge woundes a deadly palenesse at the time of thy death when casting downe thy heauēly eyes which were dimmed with tears and began to breake with the anguishes of death and declining thy head which was compassed about with thornes to shew thy Obedience to thy heauenly Father and reconcile thy Church to him thou rendredst thy sacred soule crying with a lowd voyce Father into thy handes I commend my spirit O crucifyed Lord as thou didst commend thy sweet spirit into thy Fathers handes so we commend these poore Soules into thyne beseching thee to reconcile them vnto thy heauenly Father and offer thy precious bloud and
By this it appeareth that all those who exercise these works of charity spirituall mercy frequently as all do who do much for the soules in Purgatory are so far from depriuing themselues of all satisfaction that as often as they giue their satisfactory works away they heap vp great treasures of satisfaction so that heere that which the Scripture sayth in the Prouerbs is perfectly verifyed Some men diuide to others their owne riches and become the richer therby Prou. 24. CHAP. XI That by offering our Actions for the Soules in Purgatory we haue great hope of escaping eyther all or a good part of Purgatory 1. THE proofe of this title may be in part drawne out of the precedent chapters for this act being so eminent if we regard merit and so effectuall if we regard impetration may with good groūd be thought partly to deserue as it is meritorious partly to obtaine by way of fauour as it is impetratory that our mercifull Lord should deale more mildely then the ordinary course of iustice exacts with all those who haue both made a most noble kind of satisfaction for their owne sinnes and haue with a most heroicall charity done many worthy actiōs to satisfy for the sinnes of others neyther be there wanting many conuenient reasons to perswade vs to haue this honorable conceit of the diuine goodnes 2. The holy Scripture it selfe giues vs good ground to build this opinion Charity doth couer the multitude of sinnes 1. Pet. 4. And yet more clearly Charity doth couer all our sinnes Prou. 10. And what Charity more eminent then this Almes free from sinne and from death and permit not the soule to go into darknes Tob. 4. Giue almes and all shall be clean vnto you Luc. 11. Now if these prerogatiues be to be granted to almes deeds when they are plentiful which I add because S. Chrysostome sayth Non dare sed copiosè dare eleemosyna est Not to giue but to giue plentifully is an almeesdeed if I say almesdeeds be thus priuiledged being a meere worke of mercy corporall what shall we thinke of this almes so incōparably surpassing all corporall works of mercy for it relieueth a greater misery then any corporall necessity can be and it bestoweth a gift no lesse then the possession of God himselfe Shall such an almes permit the giuer of it to go into darknes Now this almes also will make all cleare for He who giueth to the poore shall not want Prou. 27. He shall not sustaine this necessity the most grieuous a poore soule can be in because as holy Dauid saith Psal 40. Blessed is he who vnderstandeth concerning the poore and needy in the euill day our Lord will deliuer him He shall be deliuered in that day which to others is so euill 3. And indeed how can we thinke otherwise for be not these our Sauiours words As long as you haue done these things vnto any one of my Bretheren you haue done them vnto me Now if our Sauiour taketh the deliuery of the Soules of his bretheren as gratefully as if his owne soule had bin freed from Purgatory what shadow of likelyhood is there that he will not procure the deliuery of him whom he acknowledgeth to haue bin his owne deliuerer who of vs can haue the heart and our harts are hard inough yet who of vs can haue the hart to let him lye rosting in Purgatory flames who hath freed vs from this misery especially if we could effect his releasment as easily as our Sauiour can worke ours euen without breach of the very rigor of iustice to wit by offering in our behalfe his superabundant satisfactions for the supply of such satisfaction as we stand in need of that is to bestow for his own sake a Plenary Indulgence vpon vs which though it be a fauour extraordinary yet the motiue to grant it beareth proportion with such a grant and to him who hath shewed so extraordinary charity liberality and mercy it ought not to seeme strange if extraordinary charity liberality mercy be shewed by him whose bowels are made all of Charity bounty and compassion for if in punishing God obserueth this rule By what things a man sinneth by the same also he is tormented Sap. 11. As he hath done so it shall be done vnto him He shall restore soule for soule eye for eye Leuit. 29. May we not iustly thinke that in matter of fauour he doth shew greatest mercy to him who hath shewed greatest mercy to others what other sense haue those words Matth. 5. Blessed be the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy Wherfore As he hath done it shall be done vnto him As he hath offered his satisfactions for the releasment of the Soules of Christs bretheren so Christ will offer vp his superabundant satisfaction for the releasment of his Soule Soule for Soule shall be repayed to him ransom for ransom As he hath freed others so he shal be freed himselfe 4. We must not heere ouerslip in a cursory manner that euidēt text of Scripture which doth almost demonstrate that which we haue said Giue and it shal be giuen vnto you but marke well in what measure A good measure a heaped measure a measure pressed downe and running ouer they shall giue into your bosome Luc. 6. The thing which we did giue was the fruits of our satisfactiōs for supply of our Brethrēs want by which guift he was released Wherfore that our Lord may returne vs equall measure as great wants of ours must be supplyed by the fruits of his superabundāt satisfactions but that this measure be a heaped vp a pressed downe and running ouer measure we may expect to be in that ouer liberall manner made partakers of Christs satisfactions that by them our debts being to the last farthing wholy discharged we may passe without impedimēt to the reward of our charity 5. To all these so well grounded reasons we will add for a conclusion the certaine assistance which infallibly in this our necessity will be affoarded vs by all those whom we haue either released or relieued and not only all these happy soules but also all and euery one of their blessed kindred Angel-guardians Patrons c. will fauour vs in our death to requite the fauour by which we obliged them in our life so that many of the Saints by their glorious intercessions some by offering vp for vs their superabundant satisfactions will so preuayle with the mercy of God that we need not much feare all helps being put togeather to be long left forlorn in the flames of Purgatory 6. And least perhaps this feare might haue some little place left in any mans hart it hath pleased the diuine goodnes by word of mouth to confirme all we haue said S. Gertrude was one of the most renowned Saints for vertue and one of the most wonderfull Saints for the miraculous fauours which daily were done vnto her that the Church hath had This blessed Saint as Denis the Carthusian relateth
Secondly he must not slubber ouer this deuotion in a careles māner giuing his works away and little marking why or what he giues but he must take some short time to consider the Motiues set downe in this Treatise and must ponder ech motiue by it selfe vntill his will be stirred vp effectually to affoard all reliefe he is able to the distressed soules Neither is this any long busines because euen the reading attentiuely these motiues is sufficient to moue any heart to helpe such help-les soules and this is the thing we desire for we little regard the being moued to a soft and tender compassion which God know's is often very fruitles and soone vanisheth away 3. Wherfore that all may performe this with little or no difficulty we will set downe in playne and full words the manner of making perfectly all those acts which in any part of this Treatise haue bin recōmended But let no man thinke vnles he would make a meditation of this matter as he may do with great fruit in the space of halfe an houre that we would haue him make all these acts at one time but rather that he exercise now one now another more or fewer according to his leasure and deuotion yet it wil be best to exercise often the most perfect Now for the Readers commodity we will cite the Chapters where the matters are treated at large which here are only touched in a word 4. The first Act answerable to the third fourth fifth Chapter may be thus made O how excessiue is the bitternesse of those paynes which these afflicted soules do suffer in Purgatory What a misery is it to be banished though for a time only from the face of God! In what a sea of affliction must that poore soule be which for a long space is condemned to remaine in this pittifull state Wherfore O my Soule affoard these soules of thy Brethren all help thou canst Pray for them exercise acts of pennance for them procure the holy Sacrifice of Masse may be offred for them giue almes that they may be prayed for relieue them by all Indulgences which may be gayned for them let all thy satisfactory actions and sufferings of thy whole life be offered vp for them so far as it is sutable to Gods holy will so far as it maketh to his greater glory bequeath vnto thē all the good workes which after thy departure out of this life shal be done for thee O Lord accept of this my most harty oblation made in behalfe of my distressed Brethren 5. The secōd Act answerable to the sixt Chapter n. 2. O my God how great is thy Excellency Worth and Perfection ◠All honour and glory is due vnto thee I poore creature know not how more perfectly to procure thy diuine Maiesty to be praysed honoured and glorifyed then by doing al I am able to deliuer some soule or soules which being released by my meanes from Purgatory may honour prayse and glorify thy sacred Maiesty in the highest manner Wherfore O my Soule to this end affoard these soules of thy Brethren all the help thou canst Pray for them c. as it followeth in the former Act. 6. The third Act answerable also to the sixt Chapter nu 3. O most mercifull liberall good God how many how great benefits hast thou with vnspeakable loue heaped vpō me How shall I be able to requite this thy bounty mercy and goodnes I poore Creature know not how more perfectly to procure thy diuine Maiesty c. all as followeth in the second Act. 7. The fourth Act answerable to the sixt Chapter n. 4. How many how enormous haue bin the sins by which I haue dishonoured thee my good God! Thee O infinite Excellēcy Thee O immēse Goodnes I poore Creature know not how more perfectly to procure thy diuine Maiesty c. as before in the secōd Act. 8. The fifth Act answerable to the sixt Chapter also nu 5. O my deare Iesus thou louest the soules of my Brethren so dearely that whatsoeuer for thy sake is done vnto them thou accountest done vnto thy selfe Wherfore O my Soule to this end affoard the soules of thy Brethren c. as before in the first Act. 9. It is very good to renew these Acts often and to make euery morning some one of these oblations for this is a deuotion by which we may purchase many great commodityes and suffer no discōmodity by which our works may become more meritorious our prayers more impetratory our actions more higly satisfactory and finally by which we may haue great hope to escape eyther all or at least a great part of Purgatory 10. Neither is there any danger of violating Charity due to our selues by the practice of this deuotion but we may rather offend against charity by making slight of a deuotion which might haue bin so beneficiall to vs. For it is cleare we cā loose nothing must needs gaine much much for our selues much for our neighbour much for the glory of Almighty God to whom be all prayse glory for euer and euer Amen A TABLE Of the Chapters of this Booke Chap. I. PVrgatory proued by all kind of sacred Authority pag. 7. Chap. II. Purgatory proued by Reason grounded in Scripture pag. 21. Chap. III. The first Motiue to pray for the Soules in Purgatory which is the greatnes of the sensible paines they suffer pag. 32. Chap. IV. The second Motiue drawne from the intollerable paynes the soules suffer by being banished from the fight of God pag. 44. Chap. V. The third Motiue taken from the long tyme that these paynes do endure pag. 53. Chap. VI. That for the loue we beare to God we ought to be much moued to help the Soules in Purgatory pag 64. Chap. VII That by offering our Actions for the Soules in Purgatory we purchase many great Commodities for our selues sustaine no Incommodity pag 68 Chap. VIII That by offering our Actions for the soules in Purgatory we do not merit lesse but more p 77. Chap. IX That our Actions offered vp for the soules in Purgatory are not lesse but more impetratory of other fauours pag. 86. Chap. X. That by offering our Actions for the Soules in Purgatory we do not lesse but more satisfy for our owne sinnes pag. 96. Chap. XI That by offering our Actions for the Soules in Purgatory we haue great hope of escaping either all or a good part of Purgatory pag. 104. Chap. XII That it is not against Charity to our selues to offer our Actions for the Soules in Purgatory but it is rather against it not to offer them pag. 112. Chap. XIII By what meanes we may help the Soules in Purgatory pag. 115. Chap. XIV Of Jndulgences pa. 132. Chap. XV. Two other meanes of higher Perfection by which we may relieue the Soules in Purgatory pag. 153. Chap. XVI To what Soules in Purgatory we are chiefly to apply our satisfactory workes pag. 161. Chap. XVII