The Right Way to Heaven, Catechism 1 – Part
A SHORT CATEchiſme, which is not onelyonly to instruct the ſicke, but alſo to refreſh his memorie with the great myſterie of our Redemption. For the better underſtanding and retaining whereof, in his latter dayes he ought to make confeſſion of his faith, before the aſſiſtance of the faithfull: whereof one of them (in the Miniſters abſence) muſt queſtion him, as followeth.
The Miniſter.
F. S. N. EƲery man that rightly knows himſelfe, and is not ignorant of his owne condition and qualitie: certainly he ought to acknowledge, that although he was created after the image and likeneſſe of God, nevertheleſſe he is conceived and borne in the ſinne of old Adam, whereby he is made a poore and miſerable ſinner▪ ignorant, inconstant, and full of iniquitie; and conſequently ſubject unto all miſeries, afflictions, adverſities; and finally unto death: all which ſinne hath cauſed: which God not willing to leave unpuniſhed, daily afflicts us for (or to ſpeake more properly) hee chaſtiſeth us in this world, that he might not condemne us with the world. Wherefore, F. S. N. be patient in your ſickneſſe, and you ſhall poſſeſſe your ſoule in ſpirituall ioy. Acknowledge your ſins, and accuſe you your ſelfe before the Majeſtie of God, whom you must looke up unto and behold by faith, making confeſſion thereof with heart and mouth before this whole aſſiſtance: for it is written, that wee believe with the heart unto juſtification, and confeſſe with the mouth unto ſalvation. Hearken then unto the questions, which I will now propound unto you, and anſwer them faithfully, according to that underſtanding which you have received of the Lord. Which if you cannot anſwer by reaſon of your weakeneſſe, and hinderance of your ſickneſſe, I will anſwer for you, and it ſhalbe ſufficient for you to give us to underſtand your heart, and conſtancie of your faith, in which you muſt live and die.
Go to then, I demand of you, wherefore and to what end were you created in this world?
The Sicke.
To know God.
The Miniſter.
Was it neceſſary for you… know God?
The ſicke.
Yes verily: For ſeeing he is my ſoveraigne good, without the knowledge of him, I had been more miſerable then the bruit beaſts.
The Miniſter.
Seeing you know God, you well know that he is power, wiſedome, and infinite goodneſſe, one God alone in three perſons, Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost. He is that one God, whom Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob worſhipped in ſpirit, and truth, hee is that one God Eternall, who created heaven and earth, and all things that are therein, not ſuch the knowledge of God which you have?
The Sicke.
Yes.
The Miniſter.
But can ſuch, and this ſimple knowledge of God conduct and guide you ſtraight to eternall life?
The Sicke.
Very hardly: For it is life eternall, to confeſſe and know one onelyonly God, and him whom he hath ſent his onelyonly eternall Sonne, our Lord and Saviour Ieſus Chriſt.
The Miniſter.
Why is it neceſſarie for you to confeſſe and know the Lord Ieſus Christ?
The Sicke.
Becauſe in Ieſus Chriſt I muſt recover all that I have loſt in my ſelfe, by reaſon of the ſinne of old Adam, in whom I am borne and conceived. Wherfore it hath been behooffull for my ſalvation, that Ieſus Chriſt true God and true man, being clothed with our fleſh, ſhould give unto me of his free grace all that which I had loſt in Adam.
The Miniſter.
It is very well ſaid. Behold why Ieſus Chriſt was conceived by the Holy Ghoſt, borne of the Virgin Mary, to purge and ſanctifie you. For abſolutely contrary hereunto him, you are conceived and borne in ſinne, and of ſinfull parents. Why do you not confeſſe, that without Ieſus Chriſt you had remained a poore miſerable ſinner in eternall death?
The Sicke.
Yes aſſuredly. But I believe and confeſſe that that good Ieſus Chriſt hath reconciled me unto God his Father.
The Miniſter.
But how hath he reconciled you unto God his Father?
The Sicke.
By his Death and Paſſion in the ſhedding forth of his precious Bloud, for to deliver me from all eternall paines. This good Ieſus Chriſt hath ſuffered for me under Pontius Pilate many afflictions, injuries and troubles: Ieſus Chriſt it is, that was crucified for me. As accurſed upon the tree of the Croſſe, to free me from the curſe eternall, wherunto Adam had obliged me. This my Saviour Ieſus Chriſt was truly buried, to burie all my ſinnes with him, to the end they might not be imputed unto me before God. It is my Lord and Saviour Ieſus Chriſt which went downe into hell, ſuffering extream temporall anguiſh, to deliver me from the eternall.
The Miniſter.
All this that you have now confeſſed of Ieſus Chriſt, was it ſufficient to ſave you?
The Sicke.
No: According as the holy Scriptures ought in every thing to be fulfilled: For what had it profited me, that Ieſus Chriſt was borne, crucified, dead, buried, and went downe into hell for me only, unleſſe he had riſen againe. Wherefore I believe and confeſſe, that my Lord, my Head, and Saviour Ieſus Chriſt is riſen againe from the dead, to make me to riſe againe with him, as one of his meaner members unto life eternall.
The Miniſter.
Conſequently, it is written, that he aſcended up into heaven, being now ſet downe at the right hand of God his Father. But what doth this his aſcention benefit you?
The Sicke.
My Lord, my Head, and Saviour Ieſus Chriſt is aſcended up into heaven, to cauſe me to aſcend thither after him: for where the Head is, there are the members alſo. And I believe that being ſet downe at the right hand of God his Father, he is my Advocat, intereeſſor, and onelyonly Mediator with him, aſſuring me exceedingly, that none can hurt me, ſeeing that Ieſus Chriſt is my Advocate and Iudge both together. Wherfore I have no occaſion to feare the day of his judgment, when he ſhall come to judge the quick and the dead. For I believe and confeſſe in ſtedfaſt faith, that there is neither judgment nor condemnation to them that are faithfull members of Ieſus Chriſt.
The Miniſter.
Who hath given you the grace to understand and know all theſe things?
The Sicke.
It is by the grace of the Holy Ghoſt, one only God with the Father, and the Sonne, by whoſe means we receive all the goods and gifts which are offered us in Ieſus Chriſt.
The Miniſter.
Seeing you have already confeſſed that you are a member of Ieſus Christ, it thence followeth that you are withall incorporated into his Church, which you muſt believe to be Holy, Catholique, and Ʋniverſall.
The Sicke.
I do aſſuredy believe the Holy Catholique Church, waſh… and cleanſed with the Precious Bloud of Ieſus Chriſt, for the which in the greateſt humility I render him thanks, that he hath affoorded me the grace to be one of the meaneſt members of his Church, being baptized into his Name, he hath made me to live in the communion, unity, and love of the ſame, by having inſtructed me in his holy Word, and fed me with his true Body, ſteeped in his precious Bloud, into the hope of eternall life.
The Miniſter.
Well, go to, ſeeing you are ſo well founded upon the lively Rocke, which is Ieſus Chriſt, in knowing ſo well your ſelfe, you must confeſſe and acknowledge the principall good which you have received from this good Ieſus Chriſt.
The Sicke.
It is very reaſonable: for I would not be ingratefull in not acknowledging the goods and gifts which I have received from God. Wherefore I confeſſe, that I poore miſerable ſinner have offended without end and without ceaſing the goodneſſe and juſtice of God, having tranſgreſſed all thy holy Commandements. In the doing wherof I have deſerved death and eternall damnation. Nevertheleſſe appealing to Gods mercy, I cry him mercy, and do believe and confeſſe without all manner of doubt or wavering, that full and perfect forgivenes of all my ſinnes is graunted me by the ſole merit of the Death and Paſſion of my Lord and Saviour Ieſus Chriſt, in the effuſion of his precious Bloud, wherein I aſſure my ſelf to be ſufficiently and entirely waſhed and purged: which is the moſt tranſcendent good and contentment that I could ever have received: and ſuch is my faith, wherein I will live and die by the helpe of the grace of Gods Holy Spirit.
The Miniſter.
Seeing you have received ſo great a good from God by the means of his Sonne Ieſus Christ, it is fitting alſo that you do his commandement. For even as he hath pardonned you, and remitted all your ſinnes: in like manner muſt you pardon heartily all thoſe which may have offended you. Otherwiſe you walk not according to God.
Sick.
In this thing I have knowne the Law of Ieſus Chriſt, to be the ſingular, ſacred, and perfect Law: commanding us to love our neighbours, friends, and enemies as our ſelves. Wherefore I alſo intreat all thoſe to whom I have done wrong, or ſaid wrong, to pardon me as heartily, as I pardon all them that have offended me, deſiring to do duplicate page duplicate page them all good offices of love and kindnes, as to my good brethren and friends.
The Miniſter.
Now ſith it is ordained by God that all men ſhall die, we cannot reſiſt his ordinance: rather we ought evermore to conforme our ſelves to his holy will. Wherefore my brother, you muſt not think it ſtrange, if I declare unto you the ſame which the good Prophet Eſay declared unto King Ezechias, ſaying unto him from the Lord, Set thy houſe in order, for thou ſhalt die, & not live. This good advice ought to ſtirre you up thorowly to ſet your ſelfe in good order, ſpiritually, in your conſcience. And that is firſt of all to convert and turne you unto God, to bewaile your ſinnes, as that good King did: To implore his mercy, in begging pardon at his hands, and ſaying alwayes in your heart, Lord God, be propitious and mercifull unto me poor miſerable ſinner, for thy Sonne Ieſus Chriſt his ſake my Lord and Saviour. And then you muſt not forget your houſe and familie, which you ought ſo well to ſet in good order, and ſo to diſpoſe of by a good teſtament and laſt will, that it may remaine in peace and tranquillitie after you. But the better to give you to underſtand how to diſpoſe aright and to ſet in order your houſe, it is, that you give unto every one what belongeth unto him, without defrauding of any man: that you leave your wife endow'd with what is due to her, your children and kinsfolkes in good agreement and charitie: that after your deceaſe they may have no occaſion to fall to diſſention and diviſion. This being done, you muſt quite forget all worldly eares, and affection to the world, which paſſeth away withall the concupiſcence thereof. But he that doth the will of God, abideth for ever. Touching your children, you are only their naturall father for a time: but God is perpetually their Spirituall Father, having them in his holy keeping and protection, to preſerve and ſuſtaine them, to keep and deliver them from all evill, whilſt they will but walk in his wayes. Beſides in that you are a Chriſtian, regenerate in the holy Sacrament of Baptiſme; long ſince you knew that we have not here any Citie of continuance: for we looke for a better then this; which is eternall. Wherfore I pray you in the Name of God, that you diſquiet not your ſelfe for any affection you may have to this world: For here we are all but ſtrangers, as our fathers, when as then the Lord God ſhall have ordained and decreed that you muſt diſlodge, flit, and go before us, will not you conform your ſelf unto his holy will and ordinance? As on the other ſide, if he ſee it expedient for your ſalvation to prolong unto you your life, as he did to that good King Ezekias, would you not content your ſelfe with whatſoever it ſhall pleaſe him to do with you? Yes aſſuredly: for he is Lord and Maſter, you are but his ſervant. He is your Creator, you are his Creature, and the work of his hands. For this cauſe then will he diſpoſe of you according to his will. VntoUnto the which alone you ought to conforme and humble your ſelfe, ſaying from your heart.
LOrd God, thou knoweſt my neceſſitie, if it ſhalbe thy good pleaſure to prolong and lengthen my life, thy will be done, if it be thy good pleaſure alſo to call me hence unto thee, even thy will be likewiſe done. For thy creature (Lord) hath no other will but thine.
Now brother, comfort your ſelfe with God, who if he hath ordained to call you, your Calling ſhall be happy: For you muſt believe and hope in firme faith, that he will make you riſe againe in your owne body unto glorious immortalitie, to make you raigne with him in life eternall, which is purchaſe and given you by the vertue of the precious Bloud of our Lord and Saviour Ieſus Chriſt: In whoſe name the Lord God bleſſe and protect you, and make his face to ſhine upon you, and be mercifull unto you. The Lord turn his face towards you, and preſerve you in all happines. Amen.
THis done, if it appeare he growes worſe and worſe, and draweth on towards death, and tending to his appointed end, forthwith in his deadly agonie, we muſt not faile to repeate with a lowde voice before him the Christian Conſolation which is heere below promiſed. This doing, GOD graunt him grace well and and faithfully to die in him. Amen.
HEB. XIII. Remember them that are afflicted, as being your ſelves of the body of the Church, and ſubject to undergoe the like afflictions.
A PRAYER AGAINST the Apprehenſions of Death.
PSAL. XVIII.IIII.
The ſorrowes of death compaſſed mee round about, and the flouds of the ungodly men made me afraid.
O Lord my gracious Saviour, when ſorrowes preſſe us, and death threatens us, we looke up unto thee, that art our life. Death thought to have daunted thee in the garden of Geth-ſemane: in ſuch ſort, that thou knoweſt well what the diſtreſſes are which it brings unto men. But as thou ha…t vanquiſht and overcome it, graunt me alſo the grace to vanquiſh & overcome it, to beare patiently affliction, to ſubmit my ſelfe to the will of my heavenly Father. Thou haſt ſeene how the wicked did compaſſe thee about, as the flouds of waters. But now thou art in the happy haven of thy celeſtiall glory. But being there on high, deſpiſe not, …or ſleight nor thy Church, which is as yet in the midſt of the waves, and ſtormes of the world.
Gather us alſo unto that happy life: draw us unto that wiſhed port: ſtill the furie of the winds which trouble the earth: for Lord, thou art our Lord, we are thy people.
A Continued Sequell, OR, An Vnintermitted Courſe of Comforts.
MOunſieur d' Ambeſaignes a Domestique Gentleman, of the late Mounſieur the Marqueſſe of Mouſſay being ſicke in the Caſtle of Plouer in Bretagne, Madame the Marqueſſe of Mouſſay ſent to fetch Mounſieur Pallory of Richelieu, Paſtor and Author of this Booke, to be comforted by him: and as they expected from houre to houre his death, for hee was in an agony from Munday evening the ninth of March, 1626. Vntill the morning of Thurſday the tenth, in that ſort, that hee was required after diverſe conſolations, to redouble (during the ſpace of that night) prayers hourely and oftener for him.
And becauſe there are but two prayers in this preceding Booke to be ſaid when the Sicke is in anguiſh, the firſt whereof is in the leafe 231. The other in the leafe 344. To ſatisfie the devotion of certaine good men, the Authour hath cauſed to bee added theſe prayers following, which he then ſaid, unto this ſecond Edition, to ſerve hereafter unto the comforters who ſhall aſſiſt the Sicke.