A Manual for True Catholics, Instructions
Here followeth the means and manner how our forefathers in the time of Popery prepared themſelues and others to dye, conſiſting firſt of the confeſſion of their faith, and ſecondly of the prayers which were made by them, & for them in their laſt ſickneſſe, by which it may appeare that though they were miſled by the crafty Romiſh Clergy, in diuers errours and ſuperſtions, yet in the great point of the meanes of ſaluation, they were of our religion and were ſaued by it.
INterrogationes quae fieri debent morituris dum adhuc vſum rationis habent, & loquendi, vt ſi quis minus diſpoſitus fuerit ad moriendum, de meliori informetur at que in eodem confortetur. Illae autem interrogationes debent fieri, fecundum Anſelmum Epiſcopum hoc modo,
Primos queratur ſic.
Frater 1 laetaris quod in fide Chriſti morieris.
Ille reſpondet, Etiam.
Frater 2 penitet te non tam bene vixiſſe ſicut debuiſſes?
Reſpondeat etiam.
Frater, habes animum emendandi ſi ſpatium viuendi haberes?
Reſpon. Etiam.
Frater credis te non poſſe niſi per Christi mortem ſaluari?
Reſp. Etiam.
Credis quod prote mortuus est Dominus Ieſus Christus fillius Dei?
Reſp. Etiam,
Agis ei gratias ex toto corde de hoc.
Reſpo. Etiam.
Age ergo ei (dum ſupereſt in te anima) ſemper gratias, & in hac ſola morte, fiduciam tuam conſtitue: in nulla alia re fiduciam habe, huic mortite totum committe, hac ſola te totum contege: totum immiſce te in hac morte, totum confige, in hac morte te totum inuolue.
Et ſi dominus Deus voluerit tu iudicare, dic, Domine, mortem Domini mei Ieſu Christi obijcio inter me & iudiciū tuum aliter tecum non contendam.
Et ſi tibi dixerit Deus, quia peccator es. dic, Domine mortem Domini mei Ieſu Chriſti pono inter te & peccata mea: ſi dixerit tibi quod meruiſti damnationem, dic: Domine, mortem Domini mei Ieſu Chriſti obtendo inter te, & mala merita mea, Ipſum que , & digniſſimae, paſſionis meritum offero pro merito quod ego debuiſſem habere, & (heu) hon habeo:
Si dixerit deus quod tibi eſt iratus, die, Domine mortem Domini mei Ieſu Chriſti pono inter me & iram tuam.
Deinde dicat ter, In manus tuas Domine commendo ſpiritum meum, et ſi id ipſum non potest loqui dicat conuentus vel aſtantes, In manus tuas domine commendamus ſpiritum eius.
Et ſecurus moritur, nec videbit mortem in eternum.
Et in alio vetuſto codice.
SEquntur ſigna ſex quibus homo poteſt confidere de ſalute.
1 Si credit ea quae ſunt Chriſtianae fidei quantum ad omnia ab Eccleſia determinata.
2 Si gaudet & laetetur quod in fide Chriſti morietur.
3 Si cognoſcat ſe grauiter Deum offendiſſe.
4 Si dolet ſe tam grauiter Deum offendiſſe.
5 Si proponit a peccatis abſtinere ſi vixerit.
6 Si credit & ſperat venire ad ſalutē aeternam non proprijs meritis, ſed Ieſu Chriſti.
Et dicit Anſelmus quod hae ſex queſtiones proponi debent homini costituto in mortis articulo, & addit.
Deinde dicatur infirmo: ſi Sathan tibi obijciat aliquid, opponas merita Chriſti inter te & ipſū, & his peractis ſine dubio ſaluabitur.
Iſta conſolatio & preparatio ad mortem, in vetuſtis codicibus aſcribitur Anſelmo, qui vixit ante annos 500, in ipſa adulta fere aetate Papiſmi. Si vero dubitaret quis, quomodo patres noſtri in hiſce poſterioribus, multo que peioribus temporibus ſalutem aeternā poſſent adipiſci, graſſante Papiſmo & vigente poteſtate tenebrarum.
Reſpondeo eandem fere preparationem, & intterrogationes fuiſſe in vſu & aeſtimatione, In denſiſſimis Papiſmi tenebris: peſſimo nimirum illo tempore Concilij Conſtantienſis ante annos nimirum 200. ſic enim reperio ſcriptum in alio vetuſto codice, multis abhinc annis deſcripto.
Omnis Chriſtianus ſiue ſecularis, fiue regularis modo ſubſequenti de ſua ſalute inquirendus et informandus eſt.
1 CRedis omnes principales articulos fidei, & inſuper toti ſacrae Scripturae per omnia, ſecundum ſanctorum Catholicorum & orthodoxorum, ſanctae Eccleſiae doctorum expoſitionem & deteſtatis omnes hereſes & errores at que ſuperſtitiones, ab Eccleſia reprobatas: ac laetaris inſuper quod in fide Chriſti, ac vnitate matris Eccelſiae, ac obedientia morieris?
2 Cognoſcis te Creatorem tuum ſaepe & multipliciter, at que grauiter offendiſſe.
3 Doles ex toto corde de omnibus peccatis contra Dei maiestatem amorem & benignitatem, de malis commiſſis & bonis omiſſis, & gratias neglectis, non ſolum timore mortis conturbatus, vel paenae cuiuſcū que ſed magis ex amore Dei?
4 Petis frater omnibus iſtis veniam a Ieſu Chriſto, optans per illum cor tuum illuminari ad cognitionem obliquorum, vt de illis valeas ſpecialiter paenitere?
5 Proponis te vereaciter velle emē dare ſi ſupervixeris, et nunquā plus mortaliter peccare ſcienter, ſed potius omnia quanticunque chara dimittere imo etiam vitam carnalem perdere antequam Deum plus velles offendere.
6 Rogas inſuper Deum vt det tibi gratiam hoc propoſitum continuandi & non recidiuandi.
7 Indulges, ex toto corde, omnibus qui vnquam aliquid nocumentum verbo, vel facto tibi intulerunt, vel aliquo modo offenderunt, ob amorem & venerationem Domini tui Ieſu Chriſti, a quo & tu veniam ſperas▪ Petis etiam fideliter indulgeri & remitti tibi ab ijs quos tu offendiſti quouis modo?
8 Vis ablata reſtitui integraliter in quantū teneris iuxta tuarum facultatum valorem etiam vſus que ad omnium bonorum tuorum c…ſſionem incluſiue, vbi alias, ſatisfactio fieri non valeret?
9 Credis quod parte mortuus ſit Christus & quod aliter ſaluari non potes, niſi per meritum paſſionis Domini noſtri Ieſu Chriſti: & agis etiam de hoc Deo gratias ex corde, quantum valeas.
Quicun que autem ad praedictas interrogationes ex conſcientia bona, & fide non ficta, vere poterit affirmatiue reſpondere, ſatis euidens argumentum ſalutis habet, ſi ſic deceſſerit, quod de numero ſaluandorum erit.
QVeſtions to bee propounded to ſicke perſons, whilſt they hauehave the vſe of reaſon, and power to ſpeake, to the end that if any be not ſo well diſpoſed to dye, he may bee better informed and prepared. And the queſtions be theſe, according to Anſelme the reuerend Biſhop.
1 Let him be asked thus,
Brother doſt thou reioyce that thou ſhalt dye in the faith of Chriſt?
Anſ. I do.
2 Brother, doſt thou ſorrow and grieue, for that thou haſt not liued ſo well as thou oughteſt?
The anſwere, I do
Brother: haſt thou a hearty purpoſe to liue better, if God giuegive thee time to liue?
Anſ. I hauehave.
Brother doſt thou beleeue that thou cannot be ſaued, but by the death of Chriſt?
Anſ. I do.
Doſt thou beleeue that Ieſus Chriſt the Sonne of God dyed for thee?
Anſ. I do.
Doſt thou giuegive thankes to God therefore from thy whole heart?
Anſ. I do.
Well then good brother, whilſt thy ſoule is yet in thy body giuegive him hearty thankes▪ and ſettle all thy aſſurance vponupon his death alone: hauehave no confidence in any thing elſe: truſt thy ſelfe wholly to his paſſion: couer thy ſelfe wholly with it, faſten thy whole ſelfe on his croſſe: caſt thy whole ſelfe into this ſea.
And if thy Lord God ſay hee will iudge thee; anſwere thou, Lord I obiect the death of my Lord Ieſus Chriſt betwixt me & thy iudgement, otherwiſe I will not contend with thee.
And if God ſay to thee thou art a ſinner, anſwer: Lord it is ſo, but I ſet the death of my Lord Ieſus Chriſt betwixt thee & my ſinnes: If hee ſay that thou haſt deſerued damnation, anſwer. It is true Lord, but I place the death and merits of my Lord Ieſus Chriſt betwixt thee and my ill deſeruings: and I offer vp him & the moſt worthy merites of his paſſion, for the merits which I ſhould hauehave had, but (alas) hauehave not.
If the Lord ſay further that he is angry with thee, anſwere him, Lord thou haſt cauſe, but I ſet the death and ſuffrings of my Lord Ieſus Chriſt, betwixt thy wrath and my ſoule.
Then let him ſay thriſe: Lord into thy hands I commend my ſpirit. And if he be ſo weake hee cannot, then let the company who ſtand by ſay, Lord into thy hands we commend his ſoule.
He that doth thus is ſafe and ſecure, for, he ſhall neuer taſt of eternall death.
Alſo in another old booke I find this written.
THeſe be the ſix ſignes vponupon which a man may reſt confident of his ſaluation.
1 If he beleeue the Articles of Chriſtian faith, as many as are determined by the Churche.
2 If he reioyce to dye in the faith of Chriſt.
3 If hee know that hee hath grieuouſly offended God.
4 If he bee heartily ſorry for it.
5 If he reſolue to forſake his ſinnes, if God giuegive him life.
6 If he hope and beleeue to come to eternall ſaluation, not by his owne merits, but by the merits of Ieſus Chriſt.
And Anſelme ſaith that theſe ſix queſtions are to bee asked of eueryevery one at the time of his death, and ſaith further thus.
Then ſay to the ſicke perſon: if Sathan obiect any thing againſt thee, oppoſe thou the merits of Chriſt betwixt thee and him: and thus without all doubt hee ſhall be ſaued.
This conſolation of the ſicke and preparation to their death is in ancient Copies aſcribed to Anſelme, who liued more then 500 yeares agoe, euen when Popery was almoſt growne to perfect age: Now if any man make question how our fathers were ſaued in theſe later and worſe times, when Popery preuailed in a greater meaſure; I anſwere that euen almoſt the ſame preparation, and ſame queſtions, were vſed long after Anſelme, euen in the deepeſt darkeneſſe of Popery: For in the moſt euill time about the Councell of Conſtance, ſome two hundred years ago, Thus I finde it written in ancient Booke, and it is aſcribed to Gerſon.
EueryEvery Chriſtian whether ſecular or regular is thus to be examined and informed in his ſickneſſe touching his ſaluation.
1 DOeſt thou beleeue all the principal articles of faith, and all that is contained in the whole body of holy Scripture, according to the expoſition of the Catholicke and orthodoxall Doctors of the holy Church: and doſt thou deteſt all hereſies and errours and ſuperſtitions, condemned or reproued by the Church: and art thou glad that thou dyeſt in the faith of Chriſt, and vnity and obedience of thy Mother the Church.
2 Doeſt thou know and confeſſe that thou haſt many wayes and grieuouſly offended thy God and Creator.
3 Doſt thou ſorrow from thy whole heart for all thy ſins committed againſt Gods Maieſty his louelove and mercy, art thou truely ſorrowful for the euils that thou haſt committed, and the good that thou haſt omitted, and the grace thou haſt neglected, and art thou agreiued, not ſo much for feare of death, or any puniſhment, as for that louelove which thou oughteſt to beare towards God?
4 Doeſt thou beg pardon for all theſe thy ſins of Ieſus Chriſt, deſiring that by him thy heart may be enlightned, truely to ſee and know thy ſins, that ſo thou maiſt particularly and more ſeriouſly repent of them?
5 Doeſt thou propound and reſolue truly to amend thy life (if ſo be thou liue) and neuer hereafter to ſinne ſo againe, but rather to looſe any thing how deere ſoeuer vntounto thee, yea euen life it ſelfe, then to offend thy God againe?
6 Doeſt thou alſo deſire of God, grace to continue in this purpoſe, that thou maiſt not fall againe?
7 Doeſt thou forgiue from thy whole heart all that hauehave done thee any wrong in word or deed, for the louelove of Chriſt Ieſus thy Lord and Sauiour, and as thou hopeſt for pardon from him: and doeſt thou hartily deſire to bee forgiuen of all men, whom thou haſt any way offended?
8 Wilt thou that there be ful reſtitution made according to thy power, yea though it ſhould extend to thy whole eſtate, if otherwiſe there cannot bee ſatiſfaction made?
9 Doeſt thou beleeue that Chriſt dyed for thee, and that thou canſt bee ſaued no otherwiſe but by the merites of Ieſus Chriſt: and doeſt thou giuegive God thankes for this from thy whole heart as much as thou art able.
And whoſoeuer can giuegive true anſwere to theſe queſtions affirmatiuely, out of a good conſcience and faith not fayned; It is an euident and ſufficient teſtimony of ſaluation, and let him not doubt but if he ſo depart, hee is one of them that ſhall be ſaued.
Behold heere good Reader our Religion practiſed in the moſt miſty times of Popery: behold heere the true, holy, Catholike and ancient way to heauen: Namely, By Chriſt and his merits alone. Heere is no truſting on mans merits, either our own or others: Here is no mention of Agnus deis, or Wodden Crucifixes, He is not bid to trust in the prayers, ſuffrages, requiems, dirges, Maſſes, Trentals, or other obſequies that ſhall be ſayd for him after his departure. He is ſent to no Angell, no nor to the Virgin Mary, for matter of Saluation: Nay all are excluded, & Chriſts death alone, euen it alone, is made the meanes of his Saluation, And the makers heereof were ſo reſolute, and zealous in this point, that they vſe ſuch variety of words, as though they could not ſufficiently expreſſe the excellency and the nececeſſity of cleauing to Chriſt alone in the matter of ſaluation.
And if any man ſuspect that this is but deuiſed by vsus, and falſely fathered vponupon Antiquity, let him know that not onelyonly we hauehave the ancient Copies, whoſe age will speake for themſelues, but euen the better ſort of Papiſts, that be learned, doe know this well enough.
A learned Papiſt of this ageGaſper vlenbergius. in lib. de Cauſis. Cauſa 14. pag. 462. editionis Colon. 1589. writeth, that in a Church in Colaine this very booke is extant (Manuſcript) and that hee hath ſeene it, and that this manner of comforting the ſicke was vſed in former ages, and confeſſeth that it containes the very treaſure & kernel of Chriſtian Religion, and ſaith further that this manner was vſed not in Germany onelyonly, but ouer all the Chriſtian world: Indeed to the Ieſuits I confeſſe, this is held a ridiculous manner of comforting the ſicke, (ſuch a ſpirit poſſeſſeth them:) Thus doth Gretzer their Champion, flout vsus Lutherans (as he cals vsus) for thus doing.
The Lutherans (ſaith hee) doIae. Gretzerus in refutat Leyſeri de hiſtor. Ord. Ieſuit. thus comfort their ſick. Relicks, Crucifixes, Agnus deis, and ſuch matters are but dead things, and nothing worth, the Scripture hath not a word of them: it is therefore very vngodly to truſt in them; but God is our hope, and God is our ſtrength truſt in him, &c. On this wiſe faſhion do theſe godly comforters comfort their ſicke perſons.
Thus in the Ieſuites iudgement it is but a ſeely courſe to trust in Gods mercy, and Chriſts merits, in points of ſaluation: Hereby it may be diſcerned of what spirit they are. But let them mocke vsus, as long as with vsus they mocke the Scriptures, Antiquity, and the better ſort of their owne ſide, for we appeale to this that hath bene ſaid, whether this manner of comforting the ſicke were not in vſe long before Luther was borne:
Now if any obiect that in the ſame bookes there is mention of the Crucifixe, and that it is appointed to be in the preſence of the ſicke perſon: I anſwere it is true, but not that he ſhould worſhip it, (as now the Ieſuits teach, and all the approued Gregori. de valent. Gretzerus, Vaſquez.Romiſh writers) but that it may put him in mind of Chriſt, which though it be a needleſſe ſuperstition, yet is it not that impiety and idolatrie, which now at this day is practiſed & maintained in the Romiſh Church, and my purpoſe is not to diſcharge thoſe times, nor our forefathers in thoſe times of errours, and ſuperſtitions, but of the idolatrie, impietie, and blaſphemy of the preſent Church of Rome. And the ſame anſwer is alſo to bee giuen to another obiection. That in the ſame booke there are praiers to the Saints and Angels: It is ſo, and from that errour thoſe ages cannot bee cleered: but with all let vsus ſtill obſerue that thoſe praiers are not to helpe them in matters of ſaluation, (as are many blaſphemous praiers now vſuall in Popery:) and that ſin in thoſe miſtie times (being a ſinne of ignorance) no doubt was pardoned vntounto them in the mercy of God, ſeeing that for their reconciliation with God, and eternall ſaluation, they beleeued to attaine it onelyonly by the merits and paſſion of Ieſus Chriſt. But let not vsus feed on their infirmities, but louingly paſſe by them, and let this content and comfort vsus, that their meanes of ſaluation which they vſed and truſted vntounto, is the ſame with ours at this day: for better teſtimony whereof, let vsus ſet downe ſome of their praiers, being ſuch as the beſt Chriſtian may vſe at this day with much comfort.