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
bitter death vnto him for a full pardon and remission of all their sinnes O Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world we beseech thee throgh thy seauen words which are full of mercy and mystery that thou wilt mercifully pardon these poore soules whatsoeuer they haue offended in the seauen deadly sinnes or any branch of them Miserere THE XXVII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus the vanquisher of death descending with the banner of thy crosse into hell O how were those Prisoners which so many yeares with longing desires had expected thee comforted when as they saw thee and knew thee to be God and man their Lord and redeemer and that Adam said I see heere that hand that framed me O deerest Sauiour we beseech thee through the Ioy those holy soules had when thou didest lead them out of that Infernall Prison and by that vnspeakable gladnesse thou hadst when thou beheldest the first happy fruit of thy death and passion through al thy merits that thou wilt lead forth these poore soules out of all captiuity Miserere THE XXVIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus foūtaine of loue and mercy and represent to thee how Longinus furiously opened thy side with a speare which transpeirced euen thy Sacred hart of out which flowed both water and bloud O deerest Lord we humbly thanke thee for this most liberall effusion of thy precious bloud and humbly beseech thee by it to receiue these poore Soules into thy sacred woundes and hart and cleanse them with thy precious bloud and by the fiue woundes of thy handes feet and hart all the other sacred woundes of thy most precious body mercifully to pardō all their sinnes Miserere THE XXIX PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus the innocent sacrificed Lambe represent vnto thee how thy wounded body was takē downe frō the Crosse laid in the lap of thy sorrowfull Mother from which crosse thou wouldst not descend vntill thou haddst accomplished the worlds redemption O deerest Lord through that thy infinite mercy and all other merites of thy bitter passion we humbly beseech thee to vnloose these poore soules frō all the chaines wherewith they haue bound themselues by their sinnes we humbly beseech thee also O Sacred Mother of God through the sorrow and tender compassion thou hadst to see the wounded body of thy deerest sonne lying dead in thy lap that thou wilt offer his and thy merites for these poore Soules vnto the eternall Father to obtaine a full pardō remissiō of all their sinnes Miserere THE XXX PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus and offer vnto thee thy holy buriall how after all thy labours and miseries thou didest rest in thy graue We humbly beseech thee to giue these soules rest in the holy City of heauen forgiue them who haue so often times withdrawne their soule from thee by the distraction of temporall thinges and not suffered thee their peacefull king to rest in their hartes Miserere THE XXXI PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus the ioy of Angels and saluation of men and represent to thee thy glorious resurrection and ioyfull apparitions to thy holy Mother deere friends through which we humbly beseech thee O conquerer of death that thou wilt with thy diuine power shew thy selfe to these poore Soules finish all their bitter paines Mise THE XXXII PRAYER WE salute thee ô soueraigne King of glory and represent to thee thy Glorious Triumphant Ascension and Assumption of those Soules which in Limbo so long time had expected their Redēption most humbly beseeching thee sweet Sauiour that thou wilt be pleased through thy infinite goodnesse to lead these Soules into thy eternall glory where for euer they may behold thy diuine and heauenly face O good Iesus and deere Sauiour we beseech thee by thy holy conuersation and painfull passion to pardon them all their sinnes and bring them into thy eternall rest and fruition of thy glory Miserere THE XXXIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô eternall increated Sonne of God full of grace and mercy the reward of all those that hope in thee most humbly beseeching thee mercifully to forgiue vs all our omissions of intention in these prayers let thē not be throgh our coldnes lesse meritorious to these poore Soules but receiue them according to the worthinese of the sacred mysteries mentioned therin through that infinite loue wherewith they were accomplished and the worthinesse of the person that wrought them by all which we humbly beseech thee to deliuer these poore soules frō all paines and reioyce them with thy heauenly presence for all eternity Miserere The Conclusion O Most sweet Lord Iesus soueraigne Lord life of our soules we humbly beseech thee to encline thy eares to our prayers deliuer these Soules or this Soule from all paines and admit them into thy eternall glory Let thy preciou◠bloud thy deep woundes thy cruell torments thy bitter passion innocent death thy Nobl◠Soule and the prayers and merits of thy sacred Mother and all the holy Angels and Saintes be vnto them a full satisfaction for all their sinnes negligences and omissions and suffer no◠their Soules whom thou hast redeemed with thy preciou◠bloud any longer to be separated from thee O Redeemer o◠the world we hūbly offer these prayers for them to thy ttanspeirced Hart beseeching thee to grant them the fruition of thy eternall Glory Amen FINIS
A REMEMBRANCE FOR THE LIVING TO Pray for the Dead Made by a Father of the Soc. of Iesus By the Prayers of the Holy Cath. Church the wholesome Sacrifice of the Altar by Almes giuen for their Soules it is not to be doubted but the DEAD are holpen that they may be dealt withall more mercifully by our Lord then their Sinnes haue deserued S. August Serm. 32. de verb. Apost tom 10. Permissu Superiorum Anno 1641. TO THE Deuout and Charitable READER LORD sayth holy Dauid Psal 8. What is mā that thou art mindfull of him The Hebrew word Enosch which Dauid in this place vseth to signify Man doth most properly signify a most miserable forgetfull Creature So that in the language of Scripture a Man a Creature most miserable and most forgetfull is all one This forgetfulnes is chiefly in things of the other life which though they be neuer so important neuer so much inculcated yet they find either no place at all or the very least last in our thoghts I did not therefore without particular reason entitle this briefe Treatise A Remembrance for the liuing to pray for the dead for I thinke deare Reader that if thou hast the hart of a Man and not a stone in place of a hart that this Remembrance will stir thee vp to affoard farre more assistance to these distressed Soules in Purgatory then thou didst vse to doe meerly for want of due Remembrance Reflection and Consideration of this matter I haue in this Treatise made much vse of a litle Book lately set forth in Latin of the same subiect for I found in it diuers points briefly touched which seemed to me most worthy of longer Consideration I haue done my best to obserue that method and vse that plainesse of style which might most help my Reader to carry away my whole discourse Sweet IESV who didst loue all Soules so dearly that thou didst powre out the last droppe of thy sacred bloud for them graunt I beseech thee euen by this excesse of thy Charity that we may not be so vncharitable to those very Soules whom thou didst loue so tenderly as to neglect their complaints to slight their sufferings and to leaue them without due assistance in their miseries A Remembrance for the Liuing to pray for the Dead The Preface BEsides many who erroneously think there is no such matter is a Purgatory and consequently that it is a vaine thing to pray for the dead there be many who either for want of sufficient instruction in that which they belieue or by inconsideratiō of what they belieue do passe ouer this important busines of praying for the dead so coldly as that they think they do inough to help their owne ye a Christs owne Brother if they do but say God rest his soule which is a most vnmercifull manner of proceeding For if we saw our litle Brother falne into the fier we should neuer be so hard-harted as to see him broile there and perswade our selues it were charity inough to throw a little drop of water into the fier somewhat to asswage his torments And so I know not how it comes to passe that many flatter themselues with the name of good-natur'd kind-harted Creatures who notwithstanding take so litle to hart this extreme necessity of their Brethrē that their thoughts are busied about nothing lesse then relieuing them The intention therefore of this presēt Treatise is first though very briefly to rectify the vnderstanding of those who thinke and belieue amisse of Purgatory Secōdly more at large to stirre vp in the will of all faithfull belieuers an ardent desire to redresse the vnspeakable miseries of these distressed Soules CHAP. I. PVRGATORY proued by all kind of sacred Authority 1. FIrst I must put my Reader in mind that it commeth all to one to proue that Prayers do profit the Dead to proue a Purgatory for prayers can neyther profit those dead who are in Heauen nor those dead who are in Hell and are past our help Those dead then who can receaue profit by our Prayers must neyther be in Heauen nor in Hell but in a third place which we call Purgatory where being detayned to suffer for their sinnes not fully satisfied for do stand in need of the help of their liuing brethren To pray for these soules we hould it Piety Impiety to deny them this reliefe 2. This we prooue first by the authority of the old Testament In the second Booke of the Machabees Cap. 12. it is recorded how the most pious and valiant Judas Machabaeus hauing to this end made a gathering of twelue thousand drachmes of siluer did send this mony to Jerusalem That sacrifice might be offered for the sins of the dead And this Scripture addeth A holy therfore wholsome thought it is to pray for the dead that they may be freed from their sinnes Hence it is cleare that the Iewes did hold prayer for the dead consequently a Purgatory seeing that they did all contribute for the making vp of this great summe of money to procure that sacrifice might be offered for the sins of the dead And this pious custome of praying for the departed is vntill this very day kept and obserued by the Iewes Lastly chiefly this custome is recommended by Scripture as holy wholsome 3. The Protestāt wil perhaps say that these two Books of the Machabees be not Canonical Scripture I answere that a thousand and almost three hundred yeares ago these books were defined to be canonicall by the Councell of Carthage in which S. Austin himselfe being present did subscribe to this definitiō of the Councell The words of the Councel can 47. are The Canonicall Scriptures be these Genesis Exodus c. the 2. Books of the Machabees And S. Austin saith l. 18. de Ciuit. c. 36. The Books of the Machabees not by the Iewes but by the Church are held for Canonicall And S. Hierome in Prolog Although the books of the Machabees be not in the Canon of the Iewes yet by the Church they are reckoned among the historyes of diuine volumes If therefore we wil receiue the Canon of Scripture from the Church our question is at an end if we will not we may make questions without end So we see Luther himselfe calleth into question the authority of the Apocalyps saith in Praefat noui Testam that he esteemeth this booke neyther written with a Propheticall nor Apostolicall spirit yet our Gospellers who are so well skilled in the spirit scarce esteeme more any one booke of scripture But by the way I would aske of them how if the Apocalyps be true Scripture Luther can be a true Saint For in the end of the Apocalyps cap. 22. it is said If any man shall diminish from the words of the booke of this Prophecy God shall take away his part from the booke of life But Luther tooke away all the words of this Prophecy saying it was not
murmuration vnprofitable friendship or any other offences beseech thee by that infinite loue and charity wherwith thou didest desire to haue pardoned Iudas that thou wilt haue mercy vpon these poore Soules and pardon them all the sinnes they haue committed against thee Miserere THE VII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus and represent vnto thee that Patience wherwith thou didest suffer thy selfe to be furiously apprehended by the wicked Iewes who seized vpon thee as thou hadst beene some theefe or wicked malefactour and bound thy sacred handes so cruelly behind thee that the bloud sprung forth of thy nayles then wert thou forsaken of all thy friendes and lefte in the cruell handes of those impious and most inhumaine slaues who pulling haling thee gaue thee many cruell buffets spurnes and blowes and in that manner led thee vnto the house of Annas the high Priest who imperiously examininge thee of thy Disciples and doctrine thou answeredst I haue taught openly in the tēple whither all the people resorte and in secret I haue said nothing why askest thou me aske those that heard me for which one of the seruantes that stood by gaue thee so cruell a blow on the race that thy teeth loosened in thy head saying answerest thou the high Priest so Others spurned thee strooke thee on the necke and spit vpon that diuine face which celestiall spirits are neuer satisfied to behold O dearest Lord Iesus we render infinite thankes to thy immense charity for all these thy sufferinges and humbly beseech thee by them by those merciful eyes wherwith thou didest behold S. Peter that thou wilt with the same eye of pitty looke vpon these soules loose them from all their chaines and forgiue them all their sinnes through the manifold tormentes thou didst endure that night Miserere THE VIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Sauiour sole comfort of sinners and represent vnto thee how furiously those cruell Tygers led thee boūd to Cayphas before whō thou stoodest like a meeke Lambe and heardest the false witnesse they brought against thee How thou wentest about to seduce the people and taughest them false doctrine That thou saidst thou couldst destroy the temple in three dayes readify it Then Cayphas adiured thee by the liuing God to tell him if thou wert Christ the sonne of the liuing God vnto whom thou answeredst thou saiest that I am Whereupon he rent his cloathes and said He hath blasphemed what need we any more witnesses at which they all cryed out he is worthy of death and furiously running vpon thee vnmeasurably spit in thy face buffeted and beat thee cruelly striking thee on thy holy necke and face and head blindfolding thee and giuing thee cruell blowes and saying in derision and scorne Prophesy ô Christ who it is that stroke thee for all which sufferances paines most in human iniuries we render thee infinite thankes O most sweet Lord Iesus and humbly beseech thee by the merits of thē to forgiue these soules if at any time they haue detracted and through all thy tormentes pardon them whatsoeuer they haue committed against thee Miserere THE IX PRAYER WE salute thee ô sweet Iesus almighty power in comprehensible wisdom of God represent vnto thee how these raging dogges led thee furiously vnto Pilate demaunding the sentence of death against thee he then sent thee to Herod who greatly reioyced at thy comming hoping to haue seene some miracle wrought by thee but thou didest not answere him one word but stoodst like a milde lābe holding thy peace which Herode seeing he caused thee to be mocked scorned and cloathed in a white garment like a foole setting in derision a crowne vpō thy head and spiting in thy face striking thee and saying All hayle king of Israel After which he sent thee back to Pilate saying he thought he had sent him a wise 〈…〉 saw he was a very foole O sweet Sauiour how many 〈◊〉 did they to thee by the way casting stones and filth at thee O eternall wisdome of the Father how art thou derided how art thou defiled and iniured O deerest Lord we render infinite thankes to thee for all these thy cōtumelies scornes iniuries and hūbly beseech thee by them to pardon these soules all their vnthankefulnese for thy bitter passion and all want of charity towards their neighbour Miserere THE X. PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus eternall God true man and represent vnto thee the great humility wherwith thou stoodest before Pilate meeke and silent ready to suffer all shame and confusion outrages iniuries they could do against thee Pilate said vnto thee what hast thou done that all the world is thus offended against thee as also many other questions he asked thee vnto which thou didest not answere any thing then Pilate said he found no cause of death in thee but they all cryed and exclamed against thee saying Thou wert a breaker of the law calledst thy selfe the sonne of God vnto whome thou answeredst Thou hast said that I am for this cause came I into the world that I should giue testimony of the truth after which Pilate said againe to the Iewes I find no cause of death in this man but they with furious clamors said He is worthy of death Pilate then answered I wil correct him and dismisse him O good Iesus ô sonne of the liuing God ô soueraigne king of glory we render thee infinite thankes for all these thy sufferings and humbly beseech thee by them to pardon these poore Soules all the offences they haue committed against thee through false bitter angry or vaine wordes Miserere THE XI PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus and represent vnto thee thy shamfull vncloathing when the cruell souldiers with furious hast pulled off thy garments thou meekly helpedst them it being thy desire to suffer for vs who hauing striped thee naked bound thee to a Piller with such vnhumane cruelty that thy bloud gushed forth at thy nayles and they scourged thee so barbarously with whips wherin were Iron hooks laying stripe vpon stripe and wound vpon wound that they rente tore thy sacred body all ouer and lefte not so much as one whole peece of skin vpon thee then they vnbound thee turning thy breast forward bound thy handes ouer thy head and scourged thee againe so cruelly on that side that all thy sacred flesh being rent off thy bones and bowells were discouered then they vnloosed thee from the Pillar and in that lamentable manner all-ouer wounded and imbrewed with thy bloud they put an old purple robe in scorne vpō thee O deerest Lord I render thee infinite thankes for all these thy sufferings and intollerable shame torments and humbly beseech thee by all the merits of them and of thy sacred wounds and all the dropps of thy most precious bloud that thou wilt haue mercy on these poore Soules and pardon all their sinnes
offences which they haue committed against thee Miserere THE XII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus souerain king of Angels and shining crowne of the Saintes and represent vnto thee how those cruel miscreats after they had so inhumanly scourged thee set vpon thy sacred head a Crowne of sharpe and pricking thornes which they strooke with cruell blowes into thy head and kneeling downe before thee in scorne saluted thee saying All haile king of the Iewes after which they pulled of the Crowne of thornes and set it on againe with intollerable tormentes to thee spitting on thy diuine face which was all ouer imbrued with bloud swelled disfigured and deformed giuing thee cruell buffets scorning and deriding thee O deerest Lord Iesus O most mercifull Father and Sauiour we represente vnto thee all these paines and do giue thee infinite thankes for all these thy sufferings and those most cruell torments thou enduredst in thy sacred head most humbly beseeching thee by thē mercifully to pardon these poore soules all they haue offēded by their head either in hearing seeing speaking eating drinking or vaine attyring of their heads or by euill vsing the three powers of their soule forgiue it thē sweet Lord throgh thy infinit mercy Miserere THE XIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus eternall king of glory and represent vnto thee the intollerable shame and torment thou didest endure when Pilate led thee out to the people wearing the crowne of thornes and purple garment said Behold the man and the cursed multitude seeing thee so miserably disfigured wounded rent and torne had no compassion on thee but most vnhumanly cryed out take him a way take him a way crucify him crucify him O deerest Lord we render infinite thankes to thee for these thy cruell torments shame and ignominies and beseech thee to present now thy selfe with them and all thy other merites vnto thy heauenly Father for these soules for their eternall reconciliation and cloath them with thy merites and so present them to him as a fruite of thy better passion Miserere THE XIV PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus God of infinit Power and Maiesty and represent vnto thee how Pilate going to his Iudgment seat caused thee to be broght againe before him where thou stoodst hūbly with declined head eyes said to the Iewes I haue corrected him will you that I dismisse him but they al cryed out crucify him crucify him then Pilate said Will you that I dismisse Barabbas and crucify Iesus they all cryed out yes let him be crucified for he hath deserued the shamfull death of the Crosse then Pilate washed his hands and said I am innocent of the bloud of this iust man but they all cryed out let his bloud be vpon vs and vpon our Children O deerest Sauiour O foūtaine of all goodnesse O Father of mercy and God of all consolation we call vpon thee with all our hartes and with our soule powers forces and affections most humbly beseeching thee that thou wilt vouchsafe to let thy precious bloud come as truly vpon these poore soules to the forgiuenes remission of all their sinnes as it hath done vpon the Iewes to their eternall cōdemnation Then Pilate gaue the sentence of death against Iesus O deerest Sauiour through this sentence of death which thou receiuedst with so great humility we humbly beseech thee mercifully to pardon these poore Soules in whatsoeuer they haue offended by any euill or rash iudgmēt of their neighbour either in thought word or deed Miserere THE XV. PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus most meeke bearer of our infirmities and offer vnto thee that great charity wherwith thou didest imbrace the heauy Crosse that the cruell Iewes laid vpon thy wounded shoulders the weight wherof caused thee to bow downe euen to the ground being so faint that thou couldst scarce go or draw thy breath in which pittifull plight thou wert dragged forward by the Iewes who often strooke thee on thy sacred head and cast stones filth at thee O deerest Lord through the heauy burthen of the Crosse which thou so willingly cariedst for our sins we besech thee that thou wilt deliuer these Soules from all their paines through the great wound that the heauy Crosse made in thy wounded shoulder we beseech thee to comfort them in the same holy wound and by thy painfull footsteps forgiue them their sinnefull footsteps lead them into thy eternall glory and through the sorrow of thy blessed Mother compassion thou haddest of her pardon these poore Soules whatsoeuer they haue offended by omission of their duty toward their parents either corporall or spirituall Miserere THE XVI PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus Christ who cloathest the lillyes flowers with colours and beauty and represent vnto thee thy painfull vnclothing when before so many and so great a multitude of people they so furiously pulled of thy garments which stuck so fast to thy woundes that with the force of pulling them off they tore off also thy skin and flesh with most intollerable paine and torment to thee who stoodest in that miserable plight all ouer wounded rent torne naked trembling with cold and shame in the view of all the world powring from all partes of thy sacred body streames of most precions bloud O most sweet Iesus neuer did Bridegroome goe to the chamber of his spouse with so great a loue as thou wentest towardes the Crosse O deerest Sauiour neuer did Prince go to receiue his Crowne more willingly then thou wētest to the crosse wheron those impious vile miscreāts most furiously cast thee thou most willing didst stretch forth thy holy body vpon it suffering them most inhumanly to stretch forth and to nayle thy right Hand thereunto with a rough and boystorous nayle O soueraigne Lord and sweet Redeemer we rēder infinite thākes to thy goodnesse for all these thy cruell paines and torments and beseech thee by them all to forgiue these poore Soules all they haue offēded throgh pride of cloaths or any other offence or sinne Miserere THE XVII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus deere Father of our soules and present to thee that furious cruelty wherwith those barbarous wretches drew thy other Hand with a cord vnto the hole they had made in the Crosse in such sort that thy bones were disioynted thy woundes rent wider and all thy veines and sinewes broken and then they nayled that hand vnto the Crosse as they had done the other O deerest Lord we render thee infinite thankes for that intollerable torment thou didst endure in that cruell nayling of thy Handes vnto the crosse and beseech thee by it by the sacred woundes of them that thou wilt mercifully pardon these poore Soules all the sinnes and offences which by their handes they haue committed against thee Miserere THE XVIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus mercifull
cannot but know Now if I belieue that the vniuersall Church did shine with this custome of offering sacrifice for the dead as in prudēce I must how can I in prudence thinke that the vniuersall Church euen in that her golden age was stained with such a profane Errour as Protestants hold this to be It is saith the same S. Austin Ep. 118. ad Januar insolent madnes to dispute against that which is practised by the whole Church all the world ouer And why so Because he that will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as a Heathen or Publican Matth. 18. Because the gates of hell cannot preuaile against her Matth. 16. Because the is the pillar foundation of truth 1. Tim. 3. The Church then being the foundation of truth may we not well cry out with S. Paul O mad-men who hath be witched you not to obey the truth Gal. 3. For was not Iohn Caluin thinke you bewitched when he spake these words Before a thousand and three hundred yeares saith Caluin aboue an hundred yeares ago it was by custome receiued that prayers should be made for the dead but they all I confesse were ingulfed in an errour lib. 3. Iustit c. 5 Thus Caluin as boldly as if it were cleere that for thirteene hundred yeares togeather none of thē all vnderstood the Scripture so well as he But by his leaue I think I may be of the contrary opinion I am very confident that S. Austin had as good a wit studied as much was assisted as much by the holy Ghost and consequently vnderstood the Scripture as rightly as M. John Caluin yet this profound Doctour and great Saint writeth these very words which I do most faithfully trāslate out of him By the prayers of the holy Church and the wholsome sacrifice and by the almes which are giuen for their soules it is not to be doubted but the dead are holpen that they may be dealt withall more mercyfully by our Lord then their sins haue deserued for this deliuered from our Fathers the vniuersall Church doth obserue that for those who are dead in the Communion of the body bloud of Christ Prayer should be made when in the Sacrifice it selfe they in their place are remembred and that that Sacrifice should be remembred to be offered vp for them But when works of mercy are offered vp for their sakes who can doubt but that they auaile them for whom prayers are not in vaine offered vp to God It is not to be doubted in any case but that these things do profit the dead Serm. 32. de verb. Apost Thus writeth S. Austin repeating ouer ouer againe in so few lines It is not to be doubted who can doubt It is not to be doubted in any case that these things do profit the Dead This being so cleare all other authorityes may seeme superfluous He who desireth more testimonyes may read in Bellarmine de Purgatorio the words of S. Athanasius Basil Nazianzen Cyril Chrysostome Tertulliā Cyprian Ambrose Hierome others we also shall haue frequent occasions to cite many other places CHAP. II. Purgatory proued by Reason grounded in Scripture 1. AS it is a great Argument against Atheists who deny a God rewarder of good punisher of euil that all the world but they acknowledge such a God so it cānot but be a strong argument against Protestants who deny Purgatory that all Heathens Iewes Turkes and all ciuill nations do vse Prayer for the dead The reason why all agree so vniuersally in this point must needs be groūded in the light of naturall Reason which as it teacheth that there be some men very good who deserue nothing but reward others very bad who deserue nothing but punishment so it teacheth that there is a third kind of men who with the good they do worthy of reward do also some ill worthy of some though not eternall punishment consequently it will belong to higher Powers to giue these men due chastisment which as we see they escape often in this life it must therfore be giuen them in the next S. Austin thought this to be so manifest that he saith in Euchir c. 109. Jt is not to be denyed but that the soules of those who are departed are much relieued by the pitty of their liuing friends when either the Sacrifice of our Mediator is offered for them or Almes are giuen in the Church in their behalf because there is a certain state of life neither so good but that they may haue need of these helps after death nor yet so euill but that these offices may profit them And on the contrary there is another state of men so good that they need not this help and of others so euill that they cannot be helped by it when they are dead Wherfore heere in this life all merit is gottē wherby after this life a man may be relieued or not 2. The answer which Protestants vse to make is very weake for they say that although some men liue so that they do not deserue Hell and yet liue not so well but they deserue some punishment yet these men say they shall not go to Purgatory but by the onely vndergoing of the paines of death they shall be sufficiently punished for their sinnes This answere for two reasons is apparently false First for that the vndergoing of death is a punishment due vnto all men for originall sinne For saith S. Paul Rom. 5. by one man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death and so vnto all men death did passe euen vnto sucking babes who for no other cause vndergoe this punishment Secondly we see the paines of death equally shared among the good and bad and in the floud of Noë all mē suffered the same death of being drowned yet the sinnes of many were most vnequall 3. This proofe drawne from naturall Reason is exceedingly illustrated and confirmed by three principles certaine in holy Scripture The first is that there are some sins only veniall and not lyable to eternall torments and yet lyable to some torments That seruant saith S. Luke cap. 22. who knoweth the will of his Lord and doth not according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes but he that knoweth it not and doth things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes Hence it is euident that there be some men who do things worthy of stripes which they shall not escape but yet they shall be beaten with few stripes But if these stripes be to be layd on for all Eternity as all stripes be which are payd in hell they will not be few because being euerlasting the number of thē will be without number will any one call these stripes few Or can any man perswade himself that a God who is all mercy will in this vnmercifull manner punish the speaking of one idle word yet Christ himselfe saith that we shall be accountable for euery idle word we speake Matth. 12.
of most singular Charity most admirable Gratitude most rare Contrition most tender loue towards our Lord Sauiour But that which in a particular manner doth rayse the worth of this actiō is the most ardent charity and pious mercy towards our Neighbour which here is so resplendāt that it doth containe and surpasse all and euery one of those works of mercy which our Sauiour esteems so dearly that vnto them by name he shall giue the eternall possession of heauen when he shall come to iudge For he shall say vnto those who stand at the right and Come yee blessed of my Father and possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the making of the world for J was hungry and you gaue me to eate I was thirsty and you gaue me to drinke a pilgrime and you entertained me naked you cloathed me sick and you did visit me imprisoned and you came vnto me Matth. 25. This act I say both conteyneth surpasseth all those works put togeather For who relieueth a soule in Purgatory though he giueth not a peece of bread to the hungry yet he giueth the food of life bread of Angels to one who was tormented worse then death with the hunger of it He giueth not a cup of cold water to the thirsty but he giueth the fountaine of liuing water which runneth into life euerlasting vnto him whose thirst of it was so intollerable that no paine in the world can be compared to it He doth not lodge a poore harbourles pilgrime in a barne for a night but for the whole long day of eternity he lodgeth in the heauenly mansions a poore soule which wandred from this her home euer since her creation He giueth not a few cast-of rags to cloath the naked but he giueth the marriage garment vnto him who for want of it was cast for a time into outward darknes He doth not giue a comfortable visit vnto one who lyeth sicke of a burning feauer but him who burneth with Purgatory flames he carrieth to visit for euer God and his Angels In fine he doth not goe to the imprisoned to afford them some smal assistance but he bringeth one out of the fiery dungeon of Purgatory into the liberty of the children of God 4. Another cause there is which doth wonderfully exagerate the worth of all these things which followeth in the aboue cited Scripture For when the Blessed shall say Lord when haue we seene thee hungry fed thee our Lord shall answere them Verily I say vnto you as long as you haue done any of these things to one of these my least brethrē you haue done them vnto me O what reward shall be haue of so liberall a maiesty who hath done so gratefull a seruice as the very freeing of Christ himselfe from Purgatory if so he could be liable vnto it would be 5. The cause which may make the merit of this act to amount to an inconceptible greatnes is this that those who are truly deuoted to assist these soules receiue daily such copious showers of diuine graces that if they be not very backward in corresponding vnto them they must needs go on daily increasing the treasures of their merits For though many doubt whether the soules whilst they remaine in Purgatory do pray for him by name who doth pray for them because they not seeing God cannot know who they are who pray for them yet there seemes to be all reason that they should make in a generall māner incessant prayer to Almighty God to blesse all those who shall pray for them for this opinion is both pious and probable as Snares saith lib. 1. de orat c. 2. And Denis the Carthusian recounteth how that in a diuine reuelation these words by a seruant of God were heard to be vttered with the common voyce of the soules in Purgatory O Lord God grant out of thy incomprehensible power a hundred fold reward to all those in the world who with their prayers do help vs and lift vs vp towards the light of thy deity de indic anim circa finem Howsoeuer no man can doubt but whē they come to heauen they will both day night as efficaciously as they can recommend vnto Almighty God the necessityes of all those who were so charitable vnto them as to obtaine their deliuery out of their horrible tormēts and to purchase for them the light of God whome to see one moment sooner they know now what a good it is 6. What gratefull hart then can euer forget such a benefactour especially when without any labour at all yea with greatest pleasure content he can abūdantly requite his charity Ingratitude is a vice hath no place in heauē More gratfull therfore questionles will these soules be most gratfull will be all their friends acquaintance kindred their Angel-guardians and Patrons yea all the whole Court of heauen seeing that there is that perfect charity amongst the Blessed that euery one of them is no lesse glad of his neighbours good then he is of his owne this action is incomparably more gratfull vnto them in regard that the honour of the diuine Maiesty is much increased and our Blessed Sauiour so singularly pleased by it that it is as acceptable vnto him as if he himselfe in person had bin the party deliuered from the paines of Purgatory and brought to a more speedy fruition of eternall beatitude O my deare brother depriue not these poore soules of this reliefe thy selfe of these merits the whole Court of heauē of this ioy Christ of this comfort God of this honour CHAP. IX That our actions offered vp for the soules in Purgatory are not lesse but more impetratory of other fauours 1. FIRST I must intreat my Reader to call to mind that which in the last Chapter but one hath bin said cōcerning the impetratory vertue of our actions which being applyed to the soules in Purgatory according to their satisfactory vertue only reteyne notwithstanding the selfe same vertue to impetrate which they should haue had thogh they had not bin thus applyed for as I satisfy for my sins by that very Prayer by which I beg my daily bread and the obtaining of this petition is nothing hindered by this satisfaction so the worke which satisfieth for the sins of others doth not become lesse apt to mooue the Goodnes of God to the graunt of any fauour for obteyning of which this worke may also be offered Wherefore they are in an errour who thinke that they must cast all other deuotions aside and neither pray for themselues nor for their frends nor for their owne priuat or the publike necessityes if they follow our aduice in praying fasting giuing almes offering vp all their other good works for the soules in Purgatory whereas all these things may be performed without the least hinderance to the obtaining of any thing they cā request for these works only as they are satisfactory may be applyed for the reliefe of these
soules and as they are impetratory they may be offered vp for the obteyning of what we please 2. True it is that sometyms the very thing which we do desire petition in our prayers is the reliefe of the soules in Purgatory we do actually craue intreat and beg for this and vnto this our so earnest request we do ioyne other works of fasting almesdeeds c. to moue the mercy of God to heare graciously this our petitiō then we need not wonder if our prayers as they are impetratory do not impetrate for vs other fauours for we neuer did demand them so when I pray for the health of my Father this prayer of mine doth not impetrate the health of my mother and euen as when I pray for both the health of my Father and of my Mother this prayer of mine is not so efficacious to obtaine the health of my Father as it would haue bin if it had bin made for that end onely and no other so I pray for other things and also for the soules in Purgatory this prayer of mine is not perhaps so efficacious to obtain those other things as it would haue bin if it had bin made for those only and for nothing els I did say perhaps for there be many reasons as we shall see presently for which Prayer thus made becommeth very efficacious for the obtaining those other requestes which I desire to haue granted which perhaps may further the grant of them far more then praying for them alone would do 3. But for the present let vs suppose that such a prayer is lesse effectuall for obtaining of other things yet this ought not to make men more backward to pray for the soules in Purgatory for shall I neuer pray for my Mother because by the same prayer I obtaine some what lesse for my Father then I should haue done if I had prayed for him only In the choice of thes intentions for which we pray we must regard many things as the greater glory of God the necessity of our Neighbour our owne spirituall aduancement the common good of the Church and the like Now perhaps all things well considered there will scarce be found any one thinge which ought so dearly to be commended to our deuotions as praying for the dead in the which among other thinges there is also this to be noted that as S. Thomas saith in suppl 3. p. q. 21. a. 5. God doth rather accept of prayers for the dead then for the liuing because they not being able as the liuing are to help themselues do more stand in need of the help of others To the which we may ad a worthy cōsideration of S. Denis that famous disciple of S. Paul de Eccl. Hier. c. 7. p. 5. to wit that when we pray for the liuing our prayer many times as it is impetratory obtaineth nothing at all because the thing we pray for is not conuenient to be granted or because to vse his example the sins of those we pray for do hinder this effect as the sins of Saul did hinder that the prayers of Samuel could not be heard in his behalf 1. Reg. 15.16 This in praying for the dead doth neuer take place for those who are departed in Gods grace as S. Augustine in Enchir. c. 100. teacheth deserued whilst they liued that these helps of prayers might profit them after their death 4. Let vs come now to the reasōs for which as I began to infinuate our prayers are far more impetratory when we remember the dead in them then when we omit this charitable remembrance The first reason is because this praying for the dead is an act of mercy so excellent that it doth in a super-eminent manner containe and surpasse all the corporall deeds of mercy put together as hath bin demonstrated Now there is no more efficacious meanes to stir vp the mercy and liberality of God towards vs then the exercise of works of mercy and liberality For as our Sauiour saith Math. 6. Blessed be the mercifull because they shall obtaine mercy And againe Marc. 4. In what measure you shall measure vnto others it shall be measured back to goe againe adijcietur vobis and measured back with great increase Will you know with how great S. Luke telleth you A good measure a heaped measure a measure pressed downe running ouer they shall giue into your bosome Luc. 6. With what words could the largnesse of this measure haue bin more fully set forth And indeed of so good a God we could expect no other far be it from him that our liberality should rather shut thē open his hands His deeds will euer prooue his saying true Giue it shall be giuen vnto you in the measure declared vnto you in this very place 5. And we may be the more confident of this particuler act because our Sauiour taketh it as done vnto himselfe and therefore doubtles as those soules which we haue deliuered cannot but be most ready to further any iust petition which we shall make so our deare Lord who counteth himselfe to be the person released will neuer be wāting in the furtherance of whatsoeuer we shall piously desire Now to haue his good word so sure on our side must needs be of greater cōsequence for obtaining any reasonable fauour then any thing we can deuise And as far as my capacity can reach I cannot conceiue in what māner we may more efficaciously compasse the grant of al our most important requests then by thus obliging as I may say Christ our Lord to speake in our behalfe with that earnestnes which we may imagin those soules to vse whom we haue relieued 6. The R. F. Alexis de Salo writeth thus of himselfe Part. 1. § 2. One of my particuler denotions is whensoeuer I desire to obtaine any fauour for my selfe or any other to say some few prayers for the dead and J assure you J haue experienced in my selfe others strange effects Many haue found and still do find wonderfull fauours in their iourneys by offering the labour of that dayes trauell or doing some other good work for the soules in Purgatory so that in some places this is very commonly practised and many such like deuotions are of more admirable effect then men will easily belieue 7. A further reason why our prayers when we remember the soules of Purgatory in them do become of far greater efficacy to obtaine our requests is this Because as hath bin insinuated this prayer though of it selfe it hath not this greater efficacy yet what it wanteth of it selfe it procureth to be far more effectually performed by the help of those voices which it winneth amonge which the first place is to be giuen to the Word incarnate whose words cannot but be heard I did know that thou dost alwayes heare me saith this our Lord Joan. 9. The voices also of Heauens whole Court cannot but ioyne with the Word both because their affections are vnited with an
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
did with an admirable affection giue all and euery of her actions wholy vnto the soules in Purgatory not reseruing for herselfe the least fruit of her satisfactions Cōming therfore to dy she began not a litle to be afflicted in mind for feare least that hauing many sinnes to satisfy for and hauing left herself destitute of all her satisfactory workes she might be lyable to grieuous punishments But Christ himselfe did vouchsafe to comfort her with these words That thou mayst vnderstand how gratefull that charity of thine hath bin vnto me which thou didst shew towards the soules I do euen now forgiue thee all those paines which thou shouldest haue suffered And J who for one haue promised a hundredfold will now shew my liberality and I will heap vp glory vpon thee 7. This comfort may they expect who haue shewed the like mercy towards the soules of their brethren but those who haue slighted this deuotiō as superstitious or fit only for old wiues may iustly feare to haue those dreadfull words spoken vnto them Justice without mercy to him who hath not done mercy Iac. 2. 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 1. THE common and the only obiectiō which any Catholike can make against this liberality towards the soules in Purgatory is this That though our prayers or other good works offered vp to God for the soules in Purgatory be equally or rather more both meritorious and impetratory then otherwise they wold haue bin yet it cannot be denyed but that they do not satisfy for our owne sinnes which seing that they be many and great the paines due vnto them wil be excessiue and therfore if our Charity were well ordered we would not so forget our selues as to leaue our selues in this manner depriued of those satisfactions for want of which we shal be lyable to these torments which be so very terrible This obiection I haue differred to this place because now the answers vnto it out of that which hath bin sayd will be most cleare 2. I answer then first that though we did become lyable to these greater paines yet they were not so much to be esteemed as a fleabyte for gaining of a kingdom if by this our Charity towards the soules we might increase as we do most highly increase the crowne of our eternall glory See Chap. 8. I answere secondly that by the gaining of Indulgences we may preuent this pretended incommodity as we shall proue at large in the 14. Chapter 3. Thirdly I giue this direct and cleare answer that though by the works we do for the soules we do satisfy only for their and not at all for our owne sinnes yet by that rare act of Charity by which we giue these works away vnto them we do satisfy in a most high degree as hath bin proued in the 10. Chapter yea in a degree so high that by this satisfaction other helps as we did demonstrate in the last Chapter we haue great hope of escaping either all or greatest part of Purgatory 4. To conclude this Chapter in a word it is nothing against well-ordered Charity towards our selues to help these soules as much as we can but it needs must be against perfection of this Charity not to assist them to our full power for that we loose the merit of so rare a charity and the losse of this merit is a losse of the perfecter sight of God for euer If we loue either God or our selues this will moue vs. CHAP. XIII By what meanes we may help the soules in Purgatory 1. IF God hath done vs the fauor to soften our harts we shall not now desire any new motiues but rather seeke by what meanes we may chiefly relieue these poore soules For those who are thus disposed we will declare what is to be done in this matter 2. That which in the first place ought to be recommended is that if they will indeed benefit either their owne soules or satisfy for the souls of their neighbours they must put themselues in the state of grace for a dead member can neither help the body of which it is a member nor any body els And S. Paul sayth 1. Cor. 13. Although I should distribute al my goods although I should deliuer vp my body to burne yet if I should not haue charity it profiteth nothing This supposed 3. The ordinary meanes of relieuing the dead be these Prayer fasting almesdeeds As for prayer for the dead it is a thing instituted by the Apostles themselues as we proued in the first Chapter and so esteemed by the holy Church that at the end of euery houre of diuine office she teacheth vs to pray that the soules of the faythful may rest in peace for she wold not haue vs pray at any houre without remembring these afflicted soules in our Prayers It would make one wonder to see with what affection S. Austin in the two last Chapters of his ninth booke of his Confessions doth pray for the soule of his dead Mother not content with his owne prayers he doth earnestly craue and beg the prayers of all in these fiery wordes Inspire O Lord inspire into thy seruants that as many as shall read these things may be mindfull at thy Altar of Monica thy seruant that that which she dïd last of all request of me may be the more plentifully performed by the prayers of many 4. But among all kind of prayers there is none comparable to the oblation of the dreadfull Sacrifice of the Masse for in this Sacrifice the self-same Christ is offered in an vnbloudy manner vpon the altar who was offered in a bloudy manner vpon the crosse So sayth S. Ambrose in Hebr. 10. We offer alwayes one and the same Sacrifice and not one Lambe to morrow and another to day but alwayes the same one Christ is euery where heere fully and there fully And againe l. 1. in Luc. c. 1. When we sacrifice Christ is present Christ is sacrificed For as S. Austin sayth l. 4. de Trin. c. 14. The flesh of our Sacrifice is made the body of our Priest Wherfore that most ancient and glorious Martyr S. Hippolitus in his Oration de Consummatione mundi bringeth in our Sauiour thus speaking vnto our Priests Come you who dayly sacrifice my body and my bloud And Christ sayth this to all Priests for as excellently S. Chrysostome hom 2. ïn 2. ad Tim. The sacred oblation what Priest soeuer offers it is stil the same for men do not sacrifice this victime but Christ himself Wherfore the victime which in this Sacrifice is offered being true Christ the selfe same Christ being chief Priest which by his ministers and substitutes doth sanctify and offer this victime can any one wonder if all we Catholikes together with S. Cyril of Hierusalem Cath. mystag 5. Do belieue that the obsecration of
that holy and dreadfull Sacrifice which is placed on the altar is the greatest help for the soules for which it is offered See this place at large for nothing can be spoken more Catholikly 5. The Sacrifices of the old Law were esteemed by the chiefe only true belieuers of those tymes to haue such vertue to relieue the dead that when souldiers were slaine in battaile they made a gathering of no lesse then twelue thousand drachmes of siluer and sent this money to Hierusalem that sacrifice might be offered for the sins of the dead 2. Machab. 12. What esteeme then ought we to haue of our Sacrifice S. Austin l. 9. Confess c. 3. deseruedly praysed his dead Mother in these words She did not thinke how to haue her body sumptuously buried or embalmed but she desired only that her memory might be made at Gods Altar at which she neuer omitted any one day of her life to be present knowing that from thence is dispensed the holy hoast or Sacrifice wherby is blotted out the guilt of the world And this which she requested was fulfilled when the Sacrifice of our price was offered for her as S. Austin cap. 12. of the same Booke sayth it was 6. This piety which so flourished in the primitiue Church ceaseth not in the prime parts of the world to flourish in these our dayes No lesse then one thousand seauen hundred Masses vpon one and the selfe same day were in Madrid celebrated at the funerals of Margaret wife to Philip the third King of Spaine and besides a thousand Masses which this Queene by her will gaue order to haue said for her Soule the King of his liberality caused twenty thousand more to be said for her Gasman in vita Margar. Austriac p. 3. c. 3. It is not very many yeares since the death of the Archduke Albertus Prince of the Low-Countryes whose most pious wife Isabell did procure for the reliefe of his soule forty thousand Masses and for thirty dayes togeather she herselfe did heare 10. Masses daily for this her pious Lord and husband P.F. Iac. Curuoisier in Mansolaeo 7. As for fasting most remarkable is that which we read in the Scripture That after the death of Saul his sonnes the men of Iabes Galaad did take his dead body and the dead bodyes of his sonnes and buried them in the wood of Jabes and fasted seauen dayes 1. Reg. c. vlt. Vnder the name of fasts all other mortifications and austerityes are comprehēded as disciplines hayre-cloath lying on the ground c. But because some mens silken eares cannot endure so hard language as the naming of these things and others vnder pretence of health will plead inhability to performe such works I will adde some few acts of mortification which no man or woman can be too weake to exercise For example to debarre themselues of some lesse necessary recreations to abstaine from some sweet morsels for some smal space to keep silence not to see not to heare such and such curiosities But one act of Vertue there is which the weakest creature in the world may practise and it is an act of so high worth that the strōgest man in the world can scarce practice a better It is this for Christs sake to forgiue all those from your very hart who haue done any iniury or iniuries vnto you This is not my doctrine but the doctrine of S. Austin Serm. 41. de Sanctis in these words Those who desire to be deliuered from this temporall purging fire let them by continual prayers and frequent fastings large almes and especially by forgiuing them who haue offended against them redeeme their ordinary dayly sins This act which S. Austin doth so especially aboue all other commend hath a better recommendation in the word of God which doth in plaine termes promise to this act a plenary Indulgence a Iubily a full Remission of all sins in this large forme of Grant Forgiue and it shall be forgiuen vnto you Luc. 6. And againe For if you forgiue vnto men their offences your heauenly Father also will forgiue your sins vnto you Matth. 6. This pardon you may gaine for the soules in Purgatory Heare then a memorable exāple to this purpose 8 The only sonne of an honorable Widdow was murdered by a wicked fellow who being for this his murder in danger of being apprehended by the Officers had hid himselfe but the officers and the widdow had intelligēce where he lay The Officers went to the place to take him but the pious widdow did for Gods sake so truly pardon this greatest mischiefe which could haue byn done her that she did not onely certify the murderer of his danger to the end he might fly away in tyme but for this end did she furnish him also with money and gaue him the horse of her dead sonne that he might escape the better After this she retired herselfe to pray for her Sonnes soule when behold her sonne all in glory appeared vnto her and told her that for so great Charity towards his murderer God had already freed him from the fire of Purgatory which for many yeares he should haue suffered Orosius fer 6. post Cineres Thus much for this point We may also much relieue the soules in Purgatory by suffering for them such crosses as it shall please God to lay vpō vs as sicknes losse of goods of friends trouble of the mind and all kind of afflictions which are exceeding satisfactory if we accept them willingly or beare them patiently 6. A third kind of satisfaction most auailable to the soules in Purgatory is to exercise Almes-deeds which be most effectual to abolish all paine due to sin therfore most profitable to those poore soules both when they are giuen to any sort of poore men most of all when they are giuen vnto those who are voluntarily poore as all religious both men women are for they will be sure to pray deuoutly for the dead So that they receaue a double benefit both by the guift of the almes it selfe which is a worke highly satisfactory and also by the prayers of those to whom the almes are giuen who often are very great seruants of almighty God and their prayers most powerfull with him Hence is that excellent aduice of S. Ambrose l. 1. de fide resurrect who exhorteth the Parents to bestow the portions which they intended to haue giuē their children which now are dead in almesdeeds for the reliefe of their soules Excellēt also is that Counsell which some giue to rich men They aduise thē as often as they heare a poore man knocking at their doore to imagine themselues to heare the voyce of a poore soule in Purgatory begging for reliefe and if they haue any mercy in them this imagination will stir them vp to bestow some smal almes both for the spirituall reliefe of the soule in Purgatory and the corporal reliefe of their poore neighbour 10. How grateful to God and beneficiall
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