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<DATE>2011-05-23</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Susie Lorand</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Checklist: x Add TEMPHEAD, change DATE, validate x Add DIV TYPEs, validate x Review structure, use BODY or rarely GROUP x Check PB placement and completeness, ensure sequence of N="" x Proof title page(s) x Check HEAD TRAILER ARGUMENT EPIGRAPH OPENER CLOSER SIGNED SALUTE BYLINE x Check ^, oe, abq, italic I / J, _Initials, space between &amp;c. [and in blackletter, abper, abpro, abis...] x Check # @ -- UNCLEAR LB FIGURE ABBR GAP x Check q; startq endq Q x Correct errors from proofsheet x Correct illegibles from proofsheet x Check illegible page, para, line, span, word, dollar signs x Final validate Corrected [ ] illegible groups out of [ ]. Converted [ 59 ] illegible groups to GAP DESC="illegible". DONE</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B00875">
<STC T="S">25421.3</STC>
<STC T="C">S124473</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">57402363</BIBNO>
<VID>181163</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1">
<P>&para;The Pomander of prayer.</P>
<P><FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>monk kneeling to left of cross, praying to Jesus, who stands to right of cross ("Christ as man of sorrows being adored by a Carthusian"--British Library description)</FIGDESC>
<SP>
<P>Dn~e peto mi~am et non iudicium:</P>
</SP>
<SP>
<P>Fili fuge vince tace quie&s;ce</P>
</SP>
<LG>
<L>The greate&s;t comfort in al temptacyon.</L>
<L>Is the reme~braunce of cry&s;tes pa&s;&s;yon.</L>
</LG>
</FIGURE></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="illustration">
<PB REF="2">
<P><FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>"St. Bridget of Sweden" (identified by F.C. Francis in "Three Unrecorded English Books of the Sixteenth Century," The Library, vol. s4-XVII, issue 2 [Sept. 1936]: 191)</FIGDESC>
</FIGURE></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>&para;An exhortacion to the reders by a broder of Syon.</HEAD>
<P>_COn&s;yderyng the my&s;ery and infelicite of this our moo&s;t peryllous tyme / how the flode of &s;ynne hath ouer ro~ne all y^e worlde &s;o y^t charyte and peas is almoo&s;t extynct fayth dy&s;per&s;ed / hope dy&s;&s;olued / vertue &amp; pyte outlawed / &s;anctyte annulled / pre&s;thode dy&s;tay|ned / relygyon decayed. In maner no con&s;tancy in y^e peple / no fydelyte betwene neyghbour &amp; neyghbour neyther in byeng nor &s;ellyng / nor any other contract. One &s;cantly may tru&s;t another. And now &s;uche is y^e exce&s;&s;e of glotony / and &s;o the people dooth noury&s;&s;he theyr bodyes: that ab&s;tynence is bany&s;&s;hed / and le|chery exalted. Vyrgyns hath lo&s;t theyr dyamonde of &s;hamefa&s;tnes / and haue founde the rayle of boldnes / whiche is the noryce of wantonnes. Matrymony is torned the lu&s;t of the body. wolde god it were not tor|ned in to aduoutry. where vpon our moo&s;t holy fader in heuen / whiche was wonte with his &s;wete rodde to correct vs. Now &s;ore agreued and dy&s;plea&s;ed with vs / maketh his terryble &s;worde of Iu&s;tyce ouer vs. yea dayly with y^e &s;ame dooth bete vs with famyne / derth / and pe&s;tylence. with &s;odayn dethe and &s;traun|ge &s;ekene&s;&s;e in in oure bodyes. And all this is for the &s;ynne of our bodyes. And ouer all the&s;e with innume|rable mo my&s;eryes. what dyuy&s;yon is amonge the prynces and heedes of the chyrche / I reporte me vn|to you. I do feare me to the great hurte and oppre&s;|&s;yon of the people. But very a&s;&s;ured I am that
<PB REF="3"> it is to y^e great domage of grace / &amp; lo&s;&s;e of many a &s;oule what kynde chylde of god is there in this worlde y^t &s;eeth his fader &s;o &s;ore dy&s;plea&s;ed / and al&s;o his moder the catholycall chyrche &s;o &s;ore decayed / but he wolde be &s;ory / tremble / and quake / and &s;eke alwayes for re|medy how he myght agayne be recon&s;yled to his fa|der &amp; helpe to redre&s;&s;e his moder &s;o wounded &amp; dyffy|gured y^t fro the heed vnto y^e fote I wote not in what degre or &s;tate of Cry&s;tes chyrch I may &s;ay y^t there is the lyfe / the helthe / &amp; the conuer&s;acion y^t &s;holde be and hath bene in chry&s;tianite / our lorde Ie&s;u remedy it / &amp; helpe it. For onely the werke of his in&s;u&abper;able mercy it mu&s;te nedes be. for it pa&s;&s;eth the power of man / for of mannes behalfe I &s;e no remedy / but penaunce and prayer. And now the hertes of y^e people be &s;o &s;ore deie+te &amp; conuerted to the a&s;feccyo~s of this worlde. &amp; &s;o de|pely enco~bred w^t the &s;tudy &amp; be&s;yne&s;&s;e therof / y^t theyr hertes can not pray. But whyles theyr moder dooth pray / theyr hartes be full of worldly cogytacio~s / &amp; di+&s;traccio~s of mynd. They many tymes agayn&s;t theyr wylles (to the great lo&s;&s;e of the fruyt of theyr prayer) whiche yf it were pure nothynge myght re&s;y&s;te it / it wolde a&s;cende to y^e throne of god as &s;crypture &s;ayth. And fro thens it wolde not departe whyle it had op|teyned y^e petycion.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">cle. xxxv.</NOTE> For as &s;aynt Au&s;tyn &s;ayth. Impo&s;+&s;yble it is y^t the prayer of many &s;hall not be herde.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">d fratres <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">heremo <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">.xliiii. et <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;a. Ad ro+<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">. xv. luce.</NOTE> &s;pe|cyally wha~ it dooth &abpro;cede of pure &amp; meke hertes. For y^e go&s;pell of Cry&s;t dooth &s;hewe vs y^e importune pray|er w^t co~tynuall per&s;euerau~ce / albeit y^e thyng &s;eme im|po&s;&s;yble y^t we a&s;ke of god <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">le.xxxv.</NOTE> / it wyll at y^e la&s;te in lyne the eare of y^e mercy of god &amp; opteyne co~fort / as he &s;hewed in the parable of .iij. loues. And not with&s;tandyng
<PB REF="3"> that we be not his frendes: but wretches &amp; &s;ynners: and therefore by rea&s;on of our &s;ynne he &s;eeth in vs no cau&s;e to haue pyte on vs. yet contynuall prayer wyll vaynquy&s;&s;he him / &amp; inclyne his mercy &amp; charyte to re+leue our nece&s;&s;ytees &s;aty&s;fy: and our reque&s;tes.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luce. xviii</NOTE> As he &s;hewed hym&s;elfe in the &s;ymilytude of the wydowe &amp; the vnryght wy&s;e iudge / whyche for the wydowes importune and contynuall cry and clamour was co~|pelled &amp; fayne to gyue &s;ente~ce with her.<NOTE PLACE="marg">p&s;. xc clam<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">+uit adme. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters"></NOTE> So god wyll do / for &s;o he promy&s;ed vnto his people. with what &s;o|euer &s;ynne / temptacyon / &s;ekene&s;&s;e / lo&s;&s;e of goodes / or other aduer&s;yte of the worlde we be vexed / call and pray per&s;euerauntly and we &s;hall haue conforte.<NOTE PLACE="marg">luce. xviii.</NOTE> But he byddeth vs to pray and cea&s;e not. But alas for &s;o|rowe y^t prayer is in maner gone. I mene the contynu+ally affeccyon / mynde / &amp; de&s;yre to god &amp; godly thyn|ges / w^t habundaunce of dedes of pyte &amp; almes / accor|dyng to theyr abylite. For who hath the&s;e he co~tynu+ally dooth pray as this treaty&s;e folowyng more lar|gely dooth declare. And &s;heweth al&s;o what is prayer and how we &s;holde order our prayer. &amp; our &s;elfe in the tyme of prayer. And howe we &s;holde make our pety|cyon / w^t many other great co~modytees &amp; benefytes whiche cometh by prayer. And &s;pecyally remedyes agayn&s;t wandryng myndes &amp; vayne cogytacyons in tyme of prayer / whiche premy&s;&s;es con&s;yderyng / &amp; &s;e+yng how charyte of y^e people is now very colde.<NOTE PLACE="marg">eccle. xxix.</NOTE> And almes which hyd in the bo&s;om of y^e poore was wont to pray in&s;tauntly / but now hath cea&s;ed / for lytell is gyuen in y^t re&s;pecte as it hath bene. Therfore I was very glad y^t this treaty&s;e fortuned to come to my han+des / &s;yth I founde it bothe good / deuout / fruytfull / &amp;
<PB REF="4"> catholycall / thynkyng how many hertes of the peo|ple &s;holde be moche conforted therin / dyde cau&s;e it to be imprynted. And &s;o moche more rather y^t the draw+er and auctour of it / is one of the deuout fathers of y^e Cartherhous of Shene. who&s;e vertue and lernynge is well approued. wherfore deuout reder I coun&s;ell the to bye this &s;wete treaty&s;e / &amp; exercy&s;e thy &s;elfe orde+rynge thy &s;elfe there after. And I doubt not but thou &s;halt do moche honoure to god / &s;uffrage to all cry&s;ten people / and to thy &s;elfe moche profyte and edyfyeng. whiche almyghty god graunt to all the reders ther|of.</P>
<CLOSER>AMEN.</CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<HEAD>&para;Here foloweth the table and chapytres of this pre&s;ent treaty&s;e.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>&para;The prologue of the treaty&s;e folowynge.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;The preface.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;The dyffynycyon of prayer. Capitulo. i.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;That we &s;holde oft tymes v&s;e prayer. Ca. ij.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;Of the profyte that cometh by prayer. Ca. iij.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;Of .iij. thynges nece&s;&s;ary to be con&s;ydered afore y^e begynnynge of prayer. Ca. iiij.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;How there is two maners of prayers: of y^e whych one is called vocall / &amp; the other mentall. Ca. v.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;Of .ij. thi~ges nece&s;&s;aryly req~ired to prayer. Ca. vi.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;Of certayne thynges that wyll gyue a man occa|&s;yon to prayer. Ca. vij.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;How in tyme of prayer &s;omtyme the mynde is mo+che di&s;traught by rea&s;on of worldly be&s;ynes. And remedyes for the &s;ame. Ca. viij.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;Of other maner of di&s;traccio~s. And the cau&s;es: and
<PB REF="4"> remedyes of the &s;ame. Ca. ix.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;How a man may order hym&s;elfe in tyme of prayer Ca. x.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;How after prayer wyll folow te~ptacyons of vayn|glory. And how they may be e&s;chewed &amp; auoyded by dyuers remedyes. Ca. xi.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;Howe the fynall intente of our prayers &s;holde be y^e laude &amp; pray&s;e of good. And how we may lawfully de&s;yre in prayer all other thynges nece&s;&s;ary / refer+rynge them to this ende. Ca. xij.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;For whome we &s;holde pray. Ca. xiij.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&para;How he y^t wyll haue his prayer a&s;ce~de to god mu&s;t make it .ij. wynges. Ca. xiiij.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<TRAILER>&para;Thus endeth this pre&s;ent table.
<FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>"Salvator mundi" (identified by F.C. Francis in "Three Unrecorded English Books of the Sixteenth Century," The Library, vol. s4-XVII, issue 2 [Sept. 1936]: 191): Christ blessing with right hand and holding orb surmounted by cross in left hand; top left, God the Father (?); top right, a dove representing the Holy Ghost (?)</FIGDESC>
<HEAD>Re&s;pice in facie~ <ABBR EXPAN="Christi">xp~i</ABBR> tui</HEAD>
</FIGURE></TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="illustration">
<PB REF="5">
<P><FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>"Christ with the instruments of the Passion" (identified by F.C. Francis in "Three Unrecorded English Books of the Sixteenth Century," The Library, vol. s4-XVII, issue 2 [Sept. 1936]: 191)</FIGDESC>
<P>&para;The pardon for .v. pater nr~. v. aues &amp; a crede w^t pyteous beholdynge of the&s;e armes is .xxxii. M. &amp; .lv. yeres.</P>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L><HI>O</HI> man vnkynde</L>
<L>Bere in thy mynde</L>
<L>My paynes &s;merte</L>
<L>And y^u &s;halt fynde</L>
<L>Me true and kynde</L>
<L>Lo here my herte.</L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="prologue">
<PB REF="5">
<HEAD>&para;The prologue of the treaty&s;e folowynge.</HEAD>
<P>_WIth y^e grace of god I intende in this tre+aty&s;e folowynge to &s;hewe howe a man ought to order hym&s;elfe in tyme of pra|yer / and what &s;holde be y^e fynall intent therof / &amp; for what thynges I thynke it moo&s;t expedient for to pray. But fyr&s;t of all I &s;hall de|clare what is prayer after y^e dyffinycion of &s;aynt Au|gu&s;tyn / and this in the fyr&s;t chapytre. In the &s;econde chapytre that a man &s;holde oft tymes v&s;e prayer. In the thyrde chapytre of the prouffite y^t cometh therby In the .iiij. chapytre of .iij. thyng&abis; nece&s;&s;ary to be co~|&s;ydered tofore the begynnyng of prayer. After this I &s;hall &s;peke of two maner of prayers / that is to &s;ay / of mentall prayer / &amp; vocal prayer. The which &s;aynt Bo+naue~ture deuydeth in to two partes / that is in to pu+re vocall prayer / &amp; myxte vocal prayer. which is one and whyche is the other / it &s;hall be declared in theyr places. But my &s;pecyall intent &amp; meanynge is moo&s;t of the myxte prayer. For that (as I &s;uppo&s;e) is moo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary for to be v&s;ed of &s;uche per&s;ones for whome I wryte this treaty&s;e. But &abper;aduenture &s;ome men wyll meruayle why I dyd not wryte this matter in latin &s;tyle (for then it myght haue bene vnder&s;tande of ma+ny per&s;ones: as well of alyens as of this lande) but in engly&s;&s;he / the whiche but fewe / that is to &s;ay one|ly engly&s;&s;he men / or &s;uche as haue ben co~uer&s;aunt in englande do vnder&s;tande. The cau&s;e is this. I was de&s;yre bothe of lerned and of vnlerned to wryte this treaty&s;e. Not for the lerned (for they vnder&s;tande &s;crypture / and knowe this matter better tha~ I) but
<PB REF="6"> for the vnlerned that lacke knowlege of holy &s;cryptu+re / to in&s;truct them in the order of prayer. That is to &s;ay / to &s;hewe them for whome / or what thynges it is moo&s;t expedyent to pray / and what &s;holde moeue them to pray deuoutly / and gyue them occa&s;yon to perceuer therin / with &s;uche other as &s;hall be contey|ned in the &s;ayd treaty&s;e folowyng. &para;Now I haue made an&s;were to &s;uche poyntes as may be obiected of &s;ome quycke wytted per&s;ones. I wyll be&s;eche the deuout chry&s;tyans for whome I haue taken this la|bour / and wryten this matter at theyr de&s;yre to the honour of god / and to the profyte of theyr &s;oules and myne / to loke vpon it &s;ub&s;tancyally. And not be con|tented with redynge it ones ouer / but kepe it with the~ contynually / v&s;yng oft to rede it ouer / vnto &s;uche tyme as they be very perfyte therin / for I tru&s;te the after that they rede it the better they &s;hall lyke it. &para;And lyke as a Pomaunder whan it is chau&s;ted &amp; made warme with contynuaunce in a mannes han|de gyueth a fragrant and &s;wete &s;mell / &s;o I tru&s;t this Pomaunder of prayer (for &s;o I wyll this treaty&s;e be named) yf it be ofte tymes loked on and redde wyth good purpo&s;e to practy&s;e &s;uche thynges as &s;hall be co~+teyned therin / wyll gyue a fragraunt &s;mell of &s;pyry|tuall conuer&s;acyon and lyuynge to the deuout reders of it. The whiche yf it &s;o do / I pray the~ to gyue laude and pray&s;ynge to god therfore. And contrary wy&s;e where any thynge is amy&s;&s;e a&s;crybe it (I pray the~) to my in&s;uffycyency and ignoraunce / whiche lacke bothe lernynge and eloquence. &para;Fynally I be&s;eche all them &s;pecyally that &s;hall profyce by this poore tre+aty&s;e / to pray for me a wretche / whiche hath be&s;tow+ed
<PB REF="6"> this laboure to the honour of god and theyr edyfy|eng / that I may worke in myne owne lyfe the&s;e in|&s;truccyons that I haue gathered &amp; wryten for them And I &s;hall praye for them by the grace of god / who euer be with them.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<HEAD>&para;Emanuel. &para;The preface.</HEAD>
<P>_OF late tyme I haue ben in&s;tauntly de&s;y|red of certayne &s;pyrytuall fre~des to wry|te &s;ome treaty&s;e that myght be inducty|ue and al&s;o demon&s;tratyue (to &s;uche de|uout per&s;ones as lacke lernyng and knowlege of ho|ly &s;crypture) howe &amp; vnder what maner they myght order them &s;elfe in prayer. To the performacyon of this charytable de&s;yre and reque&s;t I knowe my &s;elfe vnworthy and vnable / bothe for lacke of &s;peculacy|on and practy&s;e therof. Not with&s;tandynge I wyll de&s;yre my &s;olycytares in this matter to call with me to our &s;auyour Ie&s;u Cry&s;t / &s;aynge as one of this dy&s;|cyples dyde. Domine doce nos orare.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luce. xi.</NOTE> That is to &s;ay Lorde or may&s;ter teche vs to pray. This done I &s;hall &s;tudy with dylygence / &s;ome thynge to &s;aty&s;fye theyr de&s;yre / as it &s;hall plea&s;e our fore&s;ayd may&s;ter Ie&s;u to gyue me grace.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<PB REF="7">
<HEAD>&para;The dyffynycyon of prayer. Ca. i.</HEAD>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">.cc. xxxix. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">e.</NOTE>_FIr&s;t I thynke it very expedient to &s;hewe you y^e dyffynicion of prayer that ye may y^e better knowe what it is. Saynt Au&s;tyn &s;ayth. Quid autem e&s;toratio: ni&s;i a&s;centio ai~e de+terre&s;trib&abus; ad cele&s;tia: inqui&s;itio &s;u+perno&abrum;: inui&s;ibilium de&s;iderium? As who &s;holde &s;ay. Prayer is nothynge elles but an a&s;cencyon of the &s;oule from erthly thynges to heuenly thynges that be aboue / &amp; a de&s;yre of thynges inuy&s;y|ble. &para;we may take this dyffynycion that whan we pray we &s;hold not wylfully &s;uffer the affeccion of our myndes to re&s;t on worldly creatures / but we &s;holde haue our de&s;yres eleuate vnto god omnipotent in he|uen. And this appereth well in the begynnynge of y^e prayer the whiche Cry&s;t dyde teche to his dy&s;ciples: where as we &s;ay. Pater no&s;ter qui es i~ celis: &s;ancti|ficetur nomen tuum.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="4 letters">thei. vi.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> O our fader the whiche arte in heuen / &s;antyfied be thy name. This worde. In celis (as &s;ayth the glo&s;e ordynary) is put there bycau&s;e y^t we &s;holde in tyme of prayer eleuat our myndes vnto y^e &s;pirituall heuyns / where as is y^e fader omnipotent moo&s;t excelle~t in his glory. we &s;holde &s;o order our &s;elfe in prayer that we myght truely &s;ay with the apo&s;tle &s;aynt Poule.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters">d philip. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">x.</NOTE> No&s;tra autem co~uer&s;atio in celis e&s;t.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para;That we &s;holde oft tymes v&s;e prayer. Ca. ij.</HEAD>
<P>IN many &amp; dyuers places of holy &s;crypture we be exhorted and prouoked to frequentacyon of
<PB REF="7"> prayer. It is wryten.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ad col. iii.</NOTE> Orationib&abus; in&s;ta~te vigila~tes in eis in gratiaru~ actione. V&s;e you to pray in&s;tau~tly / not &s;lepyngly / nor &s;louthfully / but quykly &amp; deuoutly gyuyng thankes and pray&s;ynges to god. &para;It is al|&s;o wryten. Subditus e&s;to dn~o: et ora eum.<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. xxxv<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> Subdue thy&s;elfe man to thy lorde god / &amp; make thy prayers to hym. &para;Al&s;o. Non impediaris orare &s;emper.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle xvii<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> Lete nothyng be impedyment to the / but that thou may&s;t be euer in prayer. &para;Al&s;o our &s;auyour Cry&s;t in the go+&s;pell of Luke. Oportet &s;emper orare et no~ deficere.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luce. xviii</NOTE> ye &s;hold euer be prayeng &amp; neuer cea&s;e. &para;And y^e apo&s;tle &s;aynt Poule. Sine interce&s;&s;ione orate.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Ad the&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> v.</NOTE> That is to &s;ay Pray you and cea&s;e not. &para;And al&s;o ad Timotheum. Volo ergo viros orare in omni loco. I wyl that men be prayeng in euery place. But bycau&s;e the&s;e wordes &s;oundeth to be veray &s;treyte / yf we take the lytterall &s;ence of them. For it is very harde / and almo&s;t impo&s;&s;i+ble for any man euer to contynue in actuall prayer. A certayne holy doctour expoundyng &s;ayeth.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Beda &s;up+lu cam ca. xvii.</NOTE> Nu~&abquam; de &s;init orare ni&s;i qui de&s;init bn~facere. As long as a man is doyng any good dedes: &s;o longe he is prayeng. And except he cea&s;e from doyng good dedes: he cea&s;eth not to pray. This expo&s;ycion maketh the wordes before|&s;ayd ea&s;y / &amp; co~forteth the reders or herers of this. yet not with&s;tandyng I wyll exhorte euery deuout chyr+&s;tyan to gyue the~&s;elf to vocal prayer as nygh as they may co~uenyently &amp; expedyently. For doubtle&s;&s;e ther|of wyll come grete profyte and manyfolde fruytes / of the whiche by the grace of god parte I &s;hall bryefly and &s;hortly touche</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para;Of the profyte y^t cometh by prayer. Ca. iii.</HEAD>
<PB REF="8">
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters">omeli<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">lxxviii.</NOTE>_THe holy doctour &s;aynt Iohn~ Chry&s;o&s;tome &s;aith. Magnu~vere bonu~ chari&s;&s;imi or~o. &amp;c To bryng you in moche latyn it is grete la+bour to me / &amp; but lytell profyte or none to y^e reders. For my purpo&s;e is &s;pecially to wry+te to &s;uch &abper;&s;ones as be vnlerned / &amp; not to the~ y^t be ler|ned. wherefore here after I &s;hall leue y^e latyn &amp; &s;peke y^e &s;ence therof in engly&s;&s;he / tru&s;tyng y^t it &s;hal be more co~+pendyous to me / &amp; more acceptable to the~ for whome I wryte. &para;This doctour Chri&s;o&s;tom &s;ayth. Prayer is a thi~g of grete vertu &amp; goodne&s;&s;e. For if ye take gre|te &abpro;fyte by co~munycacion w^t a man y^t is approbate &amp; &s;inguler in <ABBR>vtues</ABBR>. How moche more (&s;aith he) &s;hall y^e &abper;&s;one haue y^t in his prayer &s;peketh to god / the which is the lorde &amp; gyuer of all vertues?<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">e. xxx. de <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">. e.</NOTE> Saynt Augu&s;tyn &s;ayth y^t prayer dooth call the grace of y^e holy goo&s;t to a ma~nis &s;oule / it putteth away all hardnes of hertt yt maketh fa&s;tynge &amp; ab&s;tyne~ce to be dulcet &amp; delectable to a ma~nes &s;oule. And lyke as a ma~ can not make a &abper;|fyte refeccyo~ or meale w^tout drynke / &s;o fa&s;tynge w^tout prayer can not &abper;fytely noury&s;&s;he y^e &s;oule. Prayer cau+&s;eth a &abper;&s;one y^t is in deedly &s;yn~e / &amp; in y^e &s;tate of da~pnaci+on to ry&s;e fro his &s;yn~e / &amp; to be made y^e chylde of &s;aluaci+on. Prayer (as &s;ayth Ludolphe y^e carthu&s;ian in a cer+tayn &s;ermon) is a vertue ine&s;tymable / &amp; of &s;uffycyent efficacy to i~petrate &amp; gete all thyng y^t is good / &amp; to re|pell &amp; w^t&s;tande all thynge that is not good. By prayer we obtayne pacyence in all &s;ekene&s;&s;es / dy&s;ea&s;es / and aduer&s;ytees. By prayer we may &s;ubdue all euell af|feccyo~s. By prayer we may perceyue the &s;ubtyltees and dy&s;ceytes of our goo&s;tly enmyes / &amp; be able to re|&s;y&s;t and auoyde them. By prayer we may gladly &s;uf|fre
<PB REF="8"> &amp; &s;tro~gly bere w^tout tedyou&s;nes all penyte~cyall la+bours &amp; afflyccyo~s. By prayer we may be able to pro+fyte in the &s;wete excercy&s;es of &s;pyrytuall lyuyng. By prayer we may refreyne y^e be&s;tyall &amp; carnall appety|tes of our bodyes. By prayer we may e&s;chewe y^e dele+ctacyon of vayne thoughtes. By prayer we may &s;ta+bly&s;&s;he our hertes in co~&s;tant purpo&s;e &amp; &s;pu~all &s;tre~gth to y^e plea&s;ure of god. Prayer is moche &abpro;fytable at eue+ry nece&s;&s;yte / for by it we may remoue &amp; expel fro vs al wycked &s;pyrytes / &amp; call for our helpe &amp; con&s;olacyon y^e gloryous aungels of heuen. For as &s;aynt Bede &s;ayth Lyke as a thefe dooth fle away wha~ he hereth y^e cla|mour or noy&s;e of his re&s;y&s;tenes: &s;o doth our goo&s;tly en+mye y^e deuyl wha~ he hereth y^e clamour of prayer. And lyke as theyr neybours come at theyr callyng to help them y^t be in dau~ger of theues / &s;o do y^e good au~gels of god come to helpe vs agayn&s;t our enmyes whan we cal to the~ by prayer. The manyfolde affliccio~s of kyn|ge Pharao by y^e prayer of Moy&s;es were euer w^tdraw+en &amp; take~ away. wha~ y^e chyldre~ of I&s;raell murmured ayen&s;t god in de&s;ert &s;o~tymes he puni&s;&s;hed the~ w^t fyre / &s;o~tyme w^t brennyng &s;erpe~tes / &amp; &s;o~tyme by other mea+nes / of y^e which it were to long to &s;peke now / but euer whan Moy&s;es prayed for the~ our lorde w^tdrewe his &s;worde of ve~geau~ce fro the~. By prayer kynge Dauyd was delyuered fro y^e &abper;&s;ecucio~s of Saul &amp; Ab&s;olo~. By prayer Helyas obtened of god y^t it dyd not rayne by y^e &s;pace of .iij. yeres &amp; .vi. moneths / &amp; than he prayed a|gayne for to haue rayn / &amp; it plea&s;ed god to &s;end &s;ufficy+ent therof for y^e &abpro;duccio~ of fruytes &amp; other nece&s;&s;aries By prayer Helyze&abus; dyd rey&s;e fro dethe to lyfe y^e chyld of the Sunamyte w^t whome he had his ho&s;pitalyte.
<PB REF="9"> It wolde a&s;ke a longe &s;pace to &s;peke of all the myra|cles and other thynges that the prophetes and other good men of the olde lawe / and y^e apo&s;tles with other true chry&s;tyans of y^e newe lawe hath optened of god by the vertue of prayer. wherfore I wyll lete them pa&s;&s;e / prayeng you my &s;pyrytuall frendes to be co~ten+ted with the&s;e fewe / the whiche I haue now &s;hortly touched. And for a breue conclu&s;yon of this matter I &s;hall brynge one auctoryte of the go&s;pell y^t dooth &s;uffy+cye~tly expre&s;&s;e what &abpro;fite come~th by prayer / though there were no mo in all holy &s;crypture but onely it. Our may&s;ter Chry&s;t in the go&s;pell of Marke &s;ayeth. Quecu~&abque; orantes petitis:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Capitulo. xi</NOTE> credite <ABBR EXPAN="quia">qr</ABBR> accipietis: et eue+nient vobis. That is to &s;ay. what &s;oeuer ye right wy+&s;ly de&s;yre of me by prayer / beleue that ye &s;hal haue it and ye &s;hall haue it after / your de&s;yre / or elles moche better / &amp; more for your profyte. Therfore &s;eynge that prayer is of &s;o grete dygnyte / &amp; &s;o acceptable to god lete vs not forgete to pray / but lete vs occupy our &s;elfs therin / as moche as we may conuenyently. But per+aduenture &s;ome men of the worlde wyll &s;ay. Prayer is ordeyned to co~templatyf and relygious per&s;ones: for they haue nothyng elles to be occupyed w^t / wher|fore lete them pray. But we that be men of y^e worlde haue other be&s;yne&s;&s;e to do / and therfore we may not be euer rennyng to y^e chyrche to make our prayers. It &s;hall be &s;uffycye~t for vs to pray on the holy dayes. I feare me le&s;t there be many of this faculte nowe of dayes / more is y^e pyte. And I thynke y^t the cau&s;e ther+of is blyndne&s;&s;e of hert ingendred by cu&s;tome of &s;yn~e. From y^e whiche to be delyuered our moder holy chyr|che dooth pray &s;ayeng. A cecitate cordys libera nos
<PB REF="9"> domine. I knowe not what it &s;hold auayle to exhort &s;uche per&s;ones to prayer / except they wolde fyr&s;t pur+ge theyr &s;oules from this blyndne&s;&s;e by contricion / co~+fe&s;&s;yon / &amp; &s;aty&s;faccion / yet notw^t&s;tandyng yf they wol+de fall to prayer / by the vertue therof / they myght ob+teyne grace to ry&s;e the more quyckely from theyr &s;yn+full lyuyng. But my purpo&s;e as now is to wryte &s;pe|cially to &s;uche deuout per&s;ones / as I tru&s;t wyl not to theyr knowlege re&s;t in deedly &s;yn~e / for all the tempo|rall lucres of this worlde. And I tru&s;t of that dy&s;po&s;i+cyon there be ryght many. who&s;e nomber I be&s;eche our lorde to multyply &amp; encrea&s;e. The&s;e deuout &s;oules I wyll coun&s;ell oft tymes to v&s;e prayer / &amp; not to make &s;uche excu&s;es as the other per&s;ones before&s;aid do. For as &s;ayth &s;aynt Iohn~ Chry&s;o&s;tome in his fore&s;ayd ho+myly it is no &s;uffycient excu&s;e to &s;ay they may not be euer at the chyrche to pray For a man that is well dy+&s;po&s;ed may pray in any place where &s;oeuer he is. For it is neyther the place nor the tyme y^t is impedyment to prayer. &para;If a man neyther lyft vp his handes to+warde the heuens / nor knele on his knees / nor make tun&s;yon on his bre&s;t / yet &s;hall he make a parfyte pray+er / yf he rendre to god onely a feruent &amp; deuout myn|de. That man that is come of noble blode &amp; ryall pro|geny may be at lyberte to frequentate y^e chyrche and other &s;ecrete places at his plea&s;ure for his deuocyon. And therfore may he the more quyetly gyue hym&s;el e to vocall prayer. And not onely wha~ he is &s;ecrete / but al&s;o wha~ he is in co~pany he may v&s;e to pray / though his prayers be than the &s;horter. As (for an example) whan he &s;ytteth at dyner / or &s;ouper / or whan he is &s;o~+tymes at other hone&s;t recreacio~s: he may lyft vp his
<PB REF="10"> hert vnto god &s;ayeng in his mynde / though he &s;peke nothyng w^t his mouthe. Ie&s;u haue mercy vpon me / &amp; forgyue me all my &s;ynnes. Ie&s;u gyue me grace to be thy true and faythfull &s;eruaunt. Ie&s;u make me to lo|ue the with all my hert / &amp; all my &s;oule. with &s;uche o|ther as it &s;hall plea&s;e god to put in his mynde / &s;omety+mes &s;ayng one / &amp; &s;omtymes another. And yf it plea&s;e hym to &s;peke with his mouthe he may &s;o~tymes &s;aye. Aue benigne Ie&s;u. And &s;omtymes. Aue maria. w^t &s;uche other &s;horte prayers as &s;hall come to his reme~|brau~ce / the whiche &s;aynt Augu&s;tyn calleth Or~ones iaculatories / y^t is to &s;aye / prayers iaculatory: or redy at y^e hande. And they be very profytable &amp; expedyent to obteyne grace. Thus may the man of wor&s;hyp oc|cupy him&s;elfe in prayer. Other men y^t be of inferyous degrees whyther they be marchauntes / yomen / or craftes men or of what co~dycyon &s;oeuer they be they can not be excu&s;ed / but they may v&s;e moche prayer yf they wyll. For yf they be ryding or goyng in iourney they may haue &s;pace ynough therto / yf they be at ho+me at theyr occupacyo~s or &s;ellyng of theyr ware / yet may they v&s;e &s;uch &s;hort prayers as I haue before&s;aid in theyr &s;hoppes or other places where they be. For god regardeth more y^e hert &amp; mynde of him y^e prayeth tha~ he doth y^e place where he prayeth. The prophete Hieremy beyng in y^e foule pry&s;on / &amp; &s;tandyng in clay &amp; dyrt / made his prayers to god. Danyell in y^e lake of lyons dyde al&s;o pray to god. Ionas beyng in y^e bely of a grete fy&s;&s;he dyde not forgete to pray. The thefe han+gyng on the cro&s;&s;e at the ryght hande of Cry&s;t made his prayer in fewe wordes. Iob &s;ytting on y^e do~ghyl dyde offer vp his prayers to god. And all they by the
<PB REF="10"> merites of theyr prayers was herde of god / and they obteyned theyr de&s;yres to theyr grete co~&s;olacyon and confort. Here may ye &s;e y^t god dooth accept the douout prayer of man in what place &s;oeuer it is &s;ayd. Ther|fore my intyerly beloued frendes: lete vs exercy&s;e our &s;elfes in prayer as moch as we may / neuer deferryng it for the tyme nor for the place. For euery tyme / &amp; eue+ry place is apt &amp; conuenyent for prayer. For yf we gy+ue our &s;elfe thus to prayer / I tru&s;t in the goodne&s;&s;e of god we &s;hall ta&s;te of the hol&s;ome &amp; &s;wete fruytes y^t co|meth therof / of the whiche parte I haue &s;hortly tou|ched here before.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para;Of .iij. thynges nece&s;&s;ary to be con&s;ydered afore the begynnynge of prayer. Ca. iiij.</HEAD>
<P>_AFter the mynde of the mellyfluous doctor &s;aynt Bernarde in his boke of &s;entences: it is nece&s;&s;ary for euery per&s;one to co~&s;yder thre thynges tofore the begynnynge of theyr prayer. Fyr&s;t what thynge they in+tende to a&s;ke in prayer. Secondaryly of whome they a&s;ke. Thyrdly them&s;elfe that do a&s;ke. &para;As to y^e fyr&s;t partye I &s;aye / it is nece&s;&s;ary to con&s;yder before theyr prayer / what thynge they intende to a&s;ke in prayer / lee&s;t peraduenture they &s;holde a&s;ke that thynge that &s;hold be contrary vnto charyte / as the dethe of theyr enemyes / domage of theyr neyghbours / or other &s;u|che. He that &s;o prayed de&s;erueth not for to be herde of god.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ca. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters">.</NOTE> For he in the go&s;pell of &s;aynt Luke / the &s;yxt cha|pytre doth exhorte vs for to loue our euyll wyllers or
<PB REF="11"> enmyes / and to be benefycyall to them y^t do hate vs / and to pray for them that wrongfully do &abper;&s;ecute vs. But yf we pray for the remy&s;&s;yon of our &s;ynnes / for y^e grace of y^e holy goo&s;t / for vertue / for &s;piritual wy&s;dom for faythe / for trouthe / for iu&s;tyce / for mekenes / for pa+cyence / &amp; for &s;uche other / than almyghty god of his in+fynyte goodne&s;&s;e wyll quykly here vs / &amp; graunt our de&s;yre. For of them y^t in prayer a&s;keth &s;uche thynges almyghty god &s;peketh by his prophete E&s;ay &s;ayeng.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ca. lxv.</NOTE> wha~ they be &s;pekyng I &s;ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">l here them / &amp; tofore the &amp; begyn to crye I &s;hall gracyou&s;ly here the~. &para;Secon|daryly we mu&s;t co~&s;yder of whom we a&s;ke any thyng by prayer for y^e &s;aluacyon of our &s;oules. For we ought to haue afore our eyes as the onely graunter &amp; gyuer of our peticion. That is to &s;ay god omnypote~t. And in hym we mu&s;t con&s;yder .ij. thynges / his infenite good+ne&s;&s;e / &amp; his &s;uperexcellent mage&s;ty. His goodne&s;&s;e by the whiche he wyll frely graunt vs oure de&s;yre. And this &s;hall cau&s;e vs to haue a grete co~fydence &amp; tru&s;t in hym. His mage&s;ty by the whiche he may graunt / &amp; gyue what &s;oeuer it &s;hall plea&s;e hym. And this &s;hall cau&s;e vs to gyue honour and reuerence to hym / as it be&s;emeth the creature to gyue to hym that dyde crea|te &amp; make hym. &para;Thyrdly we mu&s;t con&s;yder our &s;el|fes who &amp; what we be that do a&s;ke any thyng of god by prayer / y^t is to &s;ay / y^t we be wretches of y^e worlde and greuous &s;ynners / de&s;eruyng to obtene nothyng that we pray for / as of our owne merytes: but onely by the grete mercy &amp; goodne&s;&s;e of god. And this wyll cau&s;e vs to humylyate &amp; meke our &s;elfes in the &s;yght of god / and than we may be &s;ure that he wyll not dy|&s;py&s;e our prayers.<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;. C.i.</NOTE> For the prophete &s;ayth. Our lorde
<PB REF="11"> hath loked on meke men: &amp; he hath not di&s;py&s;ed theyr prayer.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para;How there is two maner of prayers: of y^e whi|che one is called vocall &amp; the other mentall. Ca v.</HEAD>
<P>_WE rede by a holy doctour of .ij. maner of prayers: of the whiche one is called vo|call prayer / &amp; the other is called me~tall prayer. Vocall prayer is y^t / the whiche is &s;poken by mouyng of the tongue &amp; of the lyppes: &amp; by pronouncyng of y^e &s;ou~de. Of this pra+yer &s;peketh the &abpro;phete in y^e .iij. p&s;alme / &s;ayeng. Vo|ce mea ad dn~m clamaui: et exaudiuit mede mo~te &s;cto~ &s;uo. I cryed to our lorde w^t my voyce / &amp; he herde me from his holy hyll. And al&s;o in y^e .xvij. p&s;alme. In tri|bulatione mea inuocaui dn~m: et ad deu~ meum clama+ui. Et exaudiuit de templo &s;cto~ &s;uo vocem meam. &amp;c In my trybulacion I inwardly called our lorde / &amp; I cryed to my god / &amp; it plea&s;ed hym from his holy te~ple to here my voyce. &para;After the mynde of &s;aynt Bona|uenture in his thyrde que&s;tyon vpon the .xiiij. dy&s;tin|ction / in the .iiij. boke of y^e may&s;ter of y^e &s;entences: vo|call prayer may be deuyded in to .ij. partes / y^t is to &s;ay in to pure vocall prayer / &amp; in to myxte vocall prayer. Pure vocall prayer is whan a man &s;peketh the wor|des with his mouthe w^tout any affeccyon or deuocio~ of y^e mynde &abper;teynyng therto. And this is but of &s;mall meryte &amp; lytell effect / yf there be no intencyon actuall nor virtuall goyng tofore / but yf it haue an intencion goyng tofore / y^t is to &s;ay yf a man at y^e begynnyng of his prayer lyft vp his mynde to god w^t good purpo&s;e
<PB REF="12"> to pray deuoutly / than is this prayer merytoryous / though his mynde afterwarde by fraylte be not mo|che theron / it is &s;uffycye~t to excu&s;e a man of his duty.</P>
<P>&para;Myxte vocall prayer is that the / whiche is &s;poken with y^e mouthe / &amp; procedeth fro the herte w^t ardaunt deuocyon &amp; feruent affeccyon of the mynde. This ma+ner of prayer is very good &amp; &abpro;fytable / and gretely ac+cepted in the &s;yght of almyghty god. And vnto &s;uche &abper;&s;ones y^e perceyue theyr deuocyon to encrea&s;e by &s;pe|kyng of y^e &s;wete wordes in prayer / this myxte prayer is comynly y^e be&s;te / and this I thynke dooth fortune moo&s;t oft in good deuout people of y^e worlde (for who|me I &s;pecyally wryte this treaty&s;e) the which haue a good mynde to &s;erue god. But yet they haue not ex+peryence of the delectable &s;pirituall lyfe / nor dyde ne|uer ta&s;te the &s;wete delicious wynes of the lyfe co~tem+platyfe / whiche god hath re&s;erueth vnto &s;uche per&s;o+nes y^t be as it were &s;eque&s;trate from the worlde / &amp; the affeccyons thereof / and thrugh the mortyfycacyon of &s;en&s;ualyte be made by the grace of god moche &s;pyry|tuall. &para;The mental prayer (of the whiche here after I intende to &s;peke / as it &s;hall plea&s;e my may&s;ter Ie&s;u for to gyue me grace) I thynke is y^e be&s;t / yf it me v&s;ed &s;obrely and dy&s;cretely. For elles it is &s;o laborous and &s;o vyolent / y^t within &s;hort &s;pace it wyll brynge a man vnto &s;uche debilitacion and weykene&s;&s;e of brayne y^t it wyll ca&s;t hym in greate daunger of &s;ekene&s;&s;e / or &s;ome other great inconuenyence.</P>
<P>&para;Mentall prayer is that the whyche is offred to al|myghty god with perfyte feruour of &s;pyryte and de|uocyon
<PB REF="12"> of the mynde / without any &s;ounde of wordes &s;poken by the mouthe This prayer is of grete effecte and profytable yf it be v&s;ed dy&s;cretely as I &s;ayd befo+re. In &s;ome ca&s;e y^e myxte vocall prayer is better to &s;o|me per&s;ones than is this. But yf we &s;hall &s;peke &s;ym|pliciter and without any &s;uche re&s;pect I thynke this mentall prayer is the be&s;t. For vocal prayer bothe pu+re &amp; myxte maye be &s;poken and &s;ayd whan y^e mynde is occupyed w^t vayne cogytacyons of thynges &s;ayd or done in y^e worlde / the whiche perteyneth nothyng to theyr prayer. But this mentall prayer is of &s;o no|ble and &s;oo pure nature / that it wyll not at that tyme admyt any other thought that &s;holde be impedime~t or lettynge to it. For whan a man prayeth mentally / his mynde is onely therupon / or vpon due cyrcu~&s;tau~|ces perteynyng therto. And yf any other thought by chaunce do occupye his mynde / for that tyme he cea|&s;eth to pray mentally. This prayer is of great excelle~|cy ad dignite / and is the very true and faythfully am+ba&s;&s;adour betwyxt god and mannes &s;oule. For there can none aduer&s;yte lete hym but he wyll go y^e ryght way to y^e cele&s;tyall palays / where as the kynge of all kynges: &amp; lorde of all lordes dooth contynually tary / &amp; there effectuou&s;ly with due honour and reuere~ce &s;he|we the cau&s;es of his comynge. yea / and this heuenly me&s;&s;ager ordereth hym&s;elfe &s;oo wy&s;ely and &s;o amya|bly that the moo&s;t hygh and almyghtye&s;t kyng and emperour wyll not lyghtly denye hym any maner of thynge that he de&s;yreth. But what &s;oeuer he chary|tably a&s;keth / this moo&s;t heuenly kynge gracyou&s;ly graunteth. On this maner prayed Anna the wyfe of Helcana / as it is expre&s;ly manyfe&s;t by y^e byble in y^e
<PB REF="13"> fyr&s;t boke of y^e kynges. whan Hely the pre&s;te dyde be+holde her face largely perfu&s;ed with teares of deuocy+on. She prayed to god bycau&s;e &s;he had ben al her lyfe without any fruyte procreate by the &s;ede of man / y^t it wolde plea&s;e his mercy &amp; goodnes to graunt her a &s;o+ne y^t myght be his true &s;eruaunt. &para;As &s;he prayed in this maner Hely &s;eyng her lippes moue &amp; heryng no voyce thought y^t &s;he had ben inebryate w^t drynkynge to moche wyne. It may well be that &s;he was dron|ken / but not of this materyall wyne made of grapes by the craft of man / but &s;he was dronken with &s;pyry|tuall wyne of deuocyon the whiche came fro the wy|neceller of heuen. wherof the holy goo&s;t / y^e thyrde per+&s;one in trynite is the tauerner / or vyntener. Of howe bly&s;&s;ed is he / or &s;he that may be inebryate with this wyne? I be&s;eche you all my &s;pyrituall fre~des to pray for me a wretche / that I may haue grace &s;oo to order my &s;elfe y^t I may de&s;erue &s;ome thynge to ca&s;te of this wyne / to the laude and pray&s;e of hym that is bothe wyne &amp; vyntener. I mene of this deuout &amp; &s;wete me~+tall prayer / of the whiche to &s;peke a lytell more I hol+de it expedyent. wherfore I wyll exhorte &s;uche per&s;o+nes that by grace can &amp; may practy&s;e the~&s;elfe therin to v&s;e it with dy&s;crecyon. And yf they perceyue them &s;elfe &s;trong of nature &amp; may well away therwith / to v&s;e it oft / but not longe at ones. yf they &abper;ceyue them|&s;elf weyke or feble in brayne / it is good for them to v&s;e it but lytell. It is a prety craft to pray mentally. And there be (as I &s;uppo&s;e) but fewe that be co~nyng ther+in. This arte perteneth moo&s;t &s;pecyally to co~templa|tyf per&s;ones: &amp; other deuoute &s;eculer per&s;ones y^t haue &s;uffycie~t knowlege of &s;crypture &amp; &s;pyrituall thynges.
<PB REF="13"> To other vnlerned per&s;ones it is moo&s;t profytable to v&s;e the prayer of mouthe / gyuyng therto y^e deuocion of mynde as moche as they may. And this for a co~clu|&s;yon (as &s;ayth &s;aynt Thomas) it is expedyent for eue+ry per&s;one to exerci&s;e and v&s;e y^t maner of prayer / whi|ther it be mentall or vocall / in the whiche they fynde moo&s;t &s;wetene&s;&s;e and increa&s;e of deuocyon.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para;Of .ij. thynges nece&s;&s;aryly requyred to pra|yer. Ca. vi.</HEAD>
<P>_YF that the prayer of man &s;hall be plea&s;au~t &amp; acceptable in the &s;yght of god / it mu&s;t ha+ue .ii. &abpro;pryetes: y^t is to &s;ay / deuocion &amp; con+tinua~ce. &para;Fyr&s;t I &s;ay our prayers mu&s;t be offred to god w^t deuocyon / and with in|wardly affeccyo~ of hert &amp; mynde / or elles it is no mer+uayle though we be not herde of hym to whome we pray. For yf a man &s;holde make his &s;upplycacion to a grete prynce of this worlde in any nece&s;&s;ary cau&s;e / ey|ther for hym&s;elfe or for his frende / &amp; dyd not &s;peke effe+ctuou&s;ly nor hertely in the &s;ayd cau&s;e / but &s;louthfully &amp; as it were &s;lepyngly pronunce his wordes / &s;o that the prynce myght well &amp; euydently &abper;ceyue that his hert dyde nothyng agre with his wordes: it is to be &s;uppo&s;ed y^t he wolde deny his peticion or &s;upplicacio~. So lykewy&s;e whan the excellent prynce of heuen the whiche knoweth the hert &amp; thought of euery &abper;&s;one / dooth perceyue that in the tyme of prayer our hertes be not con&s;onaunt with our wordes: it is no maruell though he regarde not our peticio~s or prayers. wher+fore it is very expedyent yf our prayers &s;hall be acce|pted
<PB REF="14"> of god / y^t we e~deuer our &s;elfs to pray with fervor and deuocion. &para;Of certayne thinges that &s;hall giue vs occa&s;yon to deuocion in tyme of prayer I &s;hall &s;he|we you hereafter by the grace of Ie&s;u. But fyr&s;t I in+tende &s;ome thynge to &s;peke of the contynuaunce that we &s;holde haue in prayer.</P>
<P>&para;Our &s;auyour Cry&s;t in the go&s;pell of Mathe. dooth prouoke vs nt onely to prayer &s;ayeng Petite et ac|cipietis: querite et inuenietis: pul&s;ate et aperietur vo+bis. That is to &s;ay. A&s;ke and ye &s;hall haue / &s;eche &amp; ye &s;hall fynde / knocke &amp; I &s;hall ope~ to you. In the&s;e wor+des we may haue a grete co~fidence &amp; tru&s;t to obteyne what&s;oeuer we ryght wy&s;ly de&s;yre by prayer. For he y^t bydded vs a&s;ke wyll not deny. If he wolde haue denyed / he wolde not haue bydden vs a&s;ke. And ther+fore &s;ayth &s;aynt Augu&s;tyn (Sermon equite de verbis dn~i in eua~geliu~ &s;edin Matheu~). He that counceyleth thus to a&s;ke / wyll he deny? as who wolde &s;aye / no. But &abper;aduenture &s;omtymes he wyll not graunt our petycyons by &amp; by / but dyfferre vnto another tyme. And y^t for dyuers cau&s;es? y^e whyche yf I &s;holde nowe recyte / they wolde a&s;ke a longe tyme / therfore I wyll lete them pa&s;&s;e all / excepte one y^t is moo&s;t for my purpo&s;e. &para;After the opynion of dyuers doctours &s;o~|tymes almyghty god deferreth to grau~t y^e petycyo~s of his &s;upplycauntes &amp; &s;eruau~tes: bycau&s;e he wolde y^t they &s;holde co~tynue &amp; per&s;euer in prayer. For per&s;e|ueraunce in prayer &amp; in euery good dede is worthy to to haue a grete rewarde / &amp; therfore it is wryte~. Qui per&s;euerauerit v&s;&abque; in finem hic &s;alu&abus; erit.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">athe .x.</NOTE> who that in goodne&s;&s;e dooth per&s;euer vnto the ende / he &s;hal be &s;aued. And al&s;o of y^e per&s;eueraunce in prayer it is wry+ten.
<PB REF="14"> Ecclia&s;t. Melior e&s;t finis orationis: &abquam; principi&s;i.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ca. iii.</NOTE> The ende of prayer is better than the begynnynge. wherfore our may&s;ter Cry&s;t &s;ayth.<NOTE PLACE="marg">luce. xviii.</NOTE> Oportet &s;emper orare et non deficere / ye &s;holde per&s;euer in prayer and not fayle them. Thus dooth our &s;auyour Ie&s;us &s;pe|kyng in holy &s;crypture / exhorte vs to the co~tynuau~ce and per&s;eueraunce in prayer. And he dooth not onely councel vs by his &s;wete and confortable wordes: but al&s;o he prouoketh vs therto by famylyare examples Of the whiche one we rede in the .xviij. chapytre of y^e eua~gely&s;t Luke. where he &s;ayeth. Iudex quida~ erat in quida~ ciuitate. &amp;c. There was a iudge in a certay|ne cyte the whiche dyde not feare god nor man / vnto whome came a certayne wydow of the &s;ame cyte / de+&s;yryng hym that &s;he myght haue ryght of her aduer+&s;ary. He deferred and wolde not regarde her wordes of a longe &s;ea&s;on. But yet at the la&s;te bycau&s;e of her importunyte he remembred hym&s;elf &amp; &s;ayd. Though it be &s;o that I drede neyther god nor man / yet for her per&s;eueraunt in&s;taunce and de&s;yre I wyll &s;e that her aduer&s;ary &s;hall do her no wronge / lee&s;t peradue~ture at the la&s;t through her importunyte &s;he wyll be vnto me moche tedyou&s;e. This afore&s;ayd parabole &s;pake our &s;auyour Ie&s;u Cry&s;t for to prouoke vs vnto the co~+tynuance of prayer. And in lyke wy&s;e as the iudge dyde dyfferre by a longe &s;pace / and yet at the la&s;te dy+de conde&s;cende vnto the de&s;yre of y^e wydowe bycau&s;e of her contynuyng in&s;taunce. So wyll the moo&s;t glo|ryous &s;ader of heuen &s;omtyme dyfferre for to graunte &s;uche thynges as we doo de&s;yre of hym by prayer. But yf that we wyll per&s;euer alway / and call to him contynually / at the la&s;t he wyll graunt our petycyo~s
<PB REF="15"> bycau&s;e of our importunite. &para;Al&s;o of this matter we haue another parabole in the go&s;pell of Luke.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">cc. xi.</NOTE> where our &s;auyour Cry&s;t &s;ayth. Quis ve&s;tru~ habebit ami|cu~. &amp;c. whiche of you hath a frende &amp; gooth to hym at mydnyght &s;ayng to hym. My frende I pray you len+de me .iij. loues of breade / For I haue a &s;trau~ger come~ to me / &amp; I haue no breade to &s;et on y^e table before him. And he beyng w^tin &s;ayth an&s;weryng on this maner. I pray you dy&s;ea&s;e me not / for my doores be &s;het / &amp; I and my &s;eruau~tes be all in bed. I can not now ry&s;e &amp; lende them you. yet he is not contented with this an|&s;were / but taryeth &s;tyll contynually knockyng &amp; cal|lyng / and wyll not retorne to his hous tyll he &s;pede of his purpo&s;e. I tell you trouthe (&s;ayeth oure may&s;ter Cry&s;t) yf he wyll not ary&s;e bycau&s;e he is his frende / yet for his improbite or his i~portunyte / at the la&s;t he wyll ary&s;e and lende hym as moche breade as is ne|ce&s;&s;ary. &para;Se here my go&s;tly fre~des how our louyng lorde &amp; may&s;ter Ie&s;us cry&s;t &s;heweth to vs this para+bole to &abpro;uoke vs to the &abper;ceuerau~ce of prayer / who&s;e cou~cell &amp; prouocacyon yf we folowe / vndoubtedly as this ma~ cau&s;ed his frende to ry&s;e at mydnyght &amp; len|de hym breade. So wyll almyghty god (though he deferre for a tyme) gyue vs al thyng nece&s;&s;ary / yf we call to hym w^t co~tynuau~ce &amp; &abper;fourmaunce of prayer.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para;Of certayne thynges that wyll gyue a man occa&s;yon to pray deuoutly. Ca. vii.</HEAD>
<P>I Promy&s;e here tofore y^t I wolde &s;hewe you ol &s;uche thynges y^t wyll gyue you occa&s;yon to de+uocion in tyme of prayer / wherfore by the gace of Ie+&s;u
<PB REF="15"> now I &s;hall do my dylyge~ce to &abper;forme that &abpro;my&s;&s;e &para;It is a &s;pecyall helpe to deuocyon before your pra|yers to make a due preparacyon. Therfore it is wry|ten. Ante or~onem &abpre;para ai~am tuam. Before thy pra+yer prepare thy mynde / or thy &s;oule therto.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;i. xviii. ca.</NOTE> But &abper;ad|uenture &s;ome men be ignorant / &amp; knowe not howe to prepare them / therfore I &s;hall &s;hewe them after my &s;ymple rea&s;on the maner therof. &para;Fyr&s;t whan ye in+tende to praye / tofore the begynnyng of your prayer: call to mynde parte of the many &amp; grete benefytes w^t the whiche god of his goodne&s;&s;e hath &s;uffycyently in dued you. As the benefytes of your creacyon / how he created and made your &s;oule to his owne &s;ymylitude or lykene&s;&s;e. Of your rede~pcyon / howe it plea&s;ed the &s;econd per&s;one in trynite to come fro the glory in heue~ vnto this vale of my&s;ery / &amp; here to &s;uffer grete penu|ry and paynes all the tyme of his lyfe / and at y^e la&s;te moo&s;t bytter pa&s;&s;ion &amp; dethe on the cro&s;&s;e / for y^e redem|pcion of you and all mankynde. Of your &abpre;&s;eruacyon / how that god of his &s;inguler gracyou&s;ne&s;&s;e hath pre|&s;erued you from the fyr&s;t day of your natyuite to this pre&s;e~t tyme / gyuyng you meate &amp; drinke and clothes &amp; all other thinges nece&s;&s;ary and expedient for you to haue. And be&s;ydes the&s;e many tymes he hath dely|uered you from the ieopardy of corporal dethe. where as yf ye had ben deed at y^t tyme / &abper;chaunce your &s;oule &s;holde haue ben in grete daunger of dampnacion / by the rea&s;on of deedly &s;ynne / in the whiche &abper;aduenture at &s;uche tyme ye were culpable. Of your &abpro;my&s;ed glo+ryficacion / how god of his charitable benignite hath prede&s;tynate you to be perpetuall inheredytare of y^e kyngdome of heue~ / where as ye &s;hall haue the fruy|cyon
<PB REF="16"> and clere &s;yght of his deyte / the whiche &s;hall be more Ioye to you than my pen can wryte / herte can thynke / or mouthe can &s;peke. Remembrynge the&s;e w^t &s;uche other / as it &s;hall plea&s;e god at that tyme to put in your mynde / gyue laudes and thankes to him / not onely for them: but al&s;o generally for all his other be|nyfytes the whiche be innumerable. whan ye haue thus done / remember how vnthankfull and how vn+kynde you haue ben to hym / that dyde neuer before gyue hym due thankes for all &s;uche his grete benyfy+tes / but moo&s;t vnkyndly forgetyng them haue offen+ded his mage&s;ty by the rea&s;on of innumerable &s;yn~e / the whiche ye haue co~mytted by all y^e tymes of your lyfe / Be&s;eche his grace tha~ of mercy and forgyuenes knowlegyng your &s;elfe to be a wretched &s;ynner / and of &s;o grete fraylte that ye be neyther able of your &s;elfe to pray deuoutly / nor to do any other good dede acce|ptable to hym. De&s;yre hym mekely and louyngly y^t he wyll vouche&s;aufe to dyrect your prayer / &s;o that it may be acceptable to hym / &amp; &abpro;fytable to your &s;elfe &amp; all other thynges nece&s;&s;ary to be prayed for / &s;ayng w^t the prophete dauyd.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;al. cxi.</NOTE> Dirigantur domine or~o mea: &s;i+cut incen&s;um in con&s;pectu tuo. Good lorde I be&s;eche the that my prayer may be dyrected &amp; a&s;cended in the &s;yght of the / lyke to the &s;wete odour of encen&s;e. Thus ordryng your &s;elfe as I haue nowe &s;ayd / I tru&s;t in y^e mercy of god that ye &s;hall make a conuenyent &abpre;para|cyon goyng before your prayer. And this take ye for y^e fyr&s;t thyng that &s;hall gyue you occa&s;yon of deuocio~ &para;The &s;econde thynge y^t &s;hall cau&s;e you deuoutely to pray is to remember fyr&s;t what nede &amp; nece&s;&s;yte ye ha+ue of prayer as co~cernyng your owne per&s;one. Seco~|dayly
<PB REF="16"> what nede generally all the worlde hath. And thyrdly what nede y^e &s;oules haue y^t be in the paynes of purgatory.</P>
<P>&para;Fyr&s;t I &s;ay it &s;hall moeue you to pray deuoutly yf ye intyerly wyll co~&s;yder what nede you haue of pra|yer / as concernyng your &s;elfe. For yf ye examyn your con&s;cyence depely / con&s;yderyng dy&s;cretely how your fraylte is moche i~clyned to pryde / to wrathe / to enuy to &s;louthe / to glotony / to auaryce / to lechery / &amp; to the &s;pyces &amp; brau~ches of them. And on the co~trary parte how &s;lowe ye be to vy&s;yte y^e &s;yke &abper;&s;ones / to co~fort the~ that be de&s;olate &amp; lacke con&s;olacion / to gyue almes to y^e poore peple. &amp;c. And how tedyous it is for you to he+re y^e worde of god priched / to here your ma&s;&s;e &amp; other dyuine &s;eruyce. And how &s;o~pnolent &amp; &s;lep<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> ye be ther+a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> / w^t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters">ches ther <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">y <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">s: I doubte not but ye &s;hall wel perceyue y^t you had grete nede of prayer for your owne &abper;&s;one / &amp; that &s;hall moeue you to pray deuoutly &para;Secondaryly I thynke that it wyll cau&s;e you to pray deuoutly yf ye con&s;yder what nede all the worl|de hath of prayer. For as &s;ayth &s;aynt Iohan the apo|&s;tle in his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> epy&s;tle.<NOTE PLACE="marg">C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> Mundus tot&abus; in maligno po|&s;it&abus; e&s;t. That is to &s;ay. all the worlde it &s;et on vnhap|pyne&s;&s;e &amp; my&s;chefe. Not &s;o to be vnder&s;ta~den y^t euery per&s;one in the worlde is &s;o yll dy&s;po&s;ed. But that ma+ny: &amp; it is to be feared le&s;t the moo&s;t parte be moche &s;et to folowe y^e concupy&s;cence of vyce &amp; &s;ynne. we knowe by dayly experie~ce y^t in the people of the worlde <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">tue doth gretely decay / &amp; vyce doth dayly encreas &amp; mul|typly. who is nowe lyuynge that euer &s;awe or herde of me newe inuencyons of pryde and vanytees than is in the&s;e dayes? who herde euer of moo dy&s;ceytes
<PB REF="17"> and fraudes among kyn&s;folkes and neybours? was the &s;ynne of the fle&s;&s;he euer more v&s;ed / &s;ythe y^e tyme y^t Sodome &amp; Gomorre were dy&s;troyed than it is now? was there euer greter &s;wering &amp; bla&s;phemy than is now? It is taken but for a tryfle to &s;were by y^e precy|ous woundes &amp; body of our &s;auiour Ie&s;u Cry&s;t / &amp; by the ma&s;&s;e / and by the gloryous &s;acrament of y^e auter. Alas for pyte / it wolde a&s;ke to longe &s;pace yf I &s;holde reherce &s;yngulerly by hym&s;elf euery grete notable vi+ce y^t is comynly &amp; dayly v&s;ed in the worlde. But you my &s;pyrytuall frendes y^t be more conuer&s;aunt in the face of the worlde than I am / maye &s;e &amp; perceyue mo|che more abu&s;ion / that I cea&s;e to &s;peke of now bycau|&s;e I wyll not tary &s;o longe in this matter. But yf I &s;hall &s;peke any thynge co~cernyng y^e myni&s;tres of cry|&s;tes chyrche y^t &s;hold be adorned w^t grace and vertues to the example of other / I feare me y^t among parte of them is al&s;o moche abu&s;ion. who herde euer of more &s;ymony? who herde euer of more &s;ellyng of benefices vnder colour of pen&s;io~s. who herde euer of more aua|ryce regnyng amonge &s;eculer pre&s;tes than is in the&s;e days? To &s;peke of them y^t be reguler / who &s;awe euer relygio~ more remy&s;hly kept? who &s;awe euer &s;o many apo&s;tates that haue for&s;aken theyr relygyo~ &amp; be now in&s;ecular habite? And for a co~clu&s;yon to &s;peke general+ly of per&s;ones of euery faculte. who herde euer of mo|re here&s;y open &amp; &s;u&s;pected than is in the&s;e dayes? Ta+ke hede dyligent reder &amp; con&s;yder / whither y^e wordes of &s;aynt Iohn~ before reher&s;ed / may now be veryfyed or not / where he &s;ayth. Mundus tot&abus; in maligno po+&s;itus e&s;t. The worlde is all &s;et on &s;ynne. I thynke the+re is no man that &abpro;foundly &amp; effectuou&s;ly dooth co~&s;y+der
<PB REF="17"> this generall my&s;ery y^t is v&s;ed thrughe the moo&s;t parte of all the worlde / but it &s;hall gyue hym occa&s;yo~ to pray deuoutly for amendement therof. And this for the &s;econde parte.</P>
<P>&para;Thyrdely to con&s;yder how grete nede the &s;oules y^t be in the paynes of purgatory haue of prayer / wyl al+&s;o &s;ubmyny&s;ter plenteous &amp; habou~daunt mater of de+uocyo~. For there they be w^tout co~&s;olacyon or co~fort / in grete derkene&s;&s;e &amp; my&s;ery / &s;uffryng paynes ineffable and contynually callyng &amp; cryenge for mercy / &amp; for to be releued with deuout prayers: &amp; other charytable dedes of good cry&s;tie~s yet lyuyng in this worlde. Oh what hert is &s;o hard y^t wyll not be mollefyed with co~+pa&s;&s;yon vpon tho&s;e poore &s;oules that there be in pay|nes intollerable. It pa&s;&s;eth the capacyte of all men ly+ui~g to expre&s;&s;e y^e gretenes of the paynes with y^e whi|che they be greuou&s;ly tormented. After the mynde of &s;ome doctours theyr paynes be egall in compary&s;on to the paynes of hell. Except that y^e paynes of hell be &abper;petual / &amp; the paynes of purgatory temporal. There they be &s;omtymes in extreme coldne&s;&s;e / &amp; &s;omtyme in inextynguyble hotene&s;&s;e. That hotene&s;&s;e after y^e opy|nyo~ of &s;om catholycall men / as ferre excedeth y^e hote|ne&s;&s;e of this elementary &amp; materyall fyre / as the hote|ne&s;&s;e of this fyre pa&s;&s;eth the hotene&s;&s;e of the fygura|tyf fyre paynted on a walle. yf ony &s;uche compary&s;on may be made I wyll &s;peke no more of this mater / for I can not expre&s;&s;e / neyther in generall nor in &s;pecyal what horryble paynes y^e &s;oules y^t be there &s;uffre / and &s;hal do vnto &s;uche tyme as they haue made condigne &s;aty&s;faccyo~ for theyr tre&s;paces co~mytted / &amp; not &s;uffyci+ently puny&s;&s;hed in this lyfe. Excepte they be relea&s;ed
<PB REF="18"> by the deuoute prayers (as I &s;ayd before) &amp; by other good dedys of charitable cri&s;tya~s lyuyng yet in this worlde. wherfore euery deuout per&s;one before the be+gynnyng of his prayer call to mynde y^e ineffable pay+nes y^t the&s;e &s;oules do &s;uffre / thynki~g yf he were ther+with the~ how glad he wold be to be relea&s;ed by y^e me+rytes of &s;uffrages &amp; prayers. This doyng I &s;uppo&s;e y^t there is no man &s;o colde nor &s;o dull / but he wolde &s;ty+re hym to the warmnes &amp; feruour of deuocyon.</P>
<P>&para;Now haue I &s;hewed you after my poore maner of certayn meanes: the which well con&s;yderyng before y^e begynnyng of prayer wyll excytate &amp; moeue your hertes to y^e feruent &s;wetnes of deuocyon. yet I inten|de by the helpe of Ie&s;us breuely to &s;u&abper;adde &amp; put one thynge more / &amp; &s;o to make an ende of this mater. But peraduenture &s;ome men wyll thynke y^t I am &s;u&abper;flu|ous in this poynt. for it wolde be very long &amp; tedyo&abus; to reme~bre &s;o many thinges euer tofore y^e begynning of prayer. As to this obieccion I make this an&s;were. If a man &s;hold con&s;yder euery thyng at y^e large as it is wryten it wolde a&s;ke a longe &s;pace. But y^e effect of the~ with a quycke memory may be &s;o &s;hortly co~prehe~+ded that they &s;hall not be tedyous / nor ony thyng gre+uous to ony &s;uche whom it &s;hall plea&s;e to put them in practy&s;e. But yet for more compendyou&s;ne&s;&s;e I wyl that all be not remembred at one tyme / and but &s;omti+me one / and &s;omtyme another / and &s;o I thynke they wyll be tedyous to no man.</P>
<P>&para;Another meane that wyll gyue you occa&s;yo~ for to pray deuoutly / is tofore che begynnyng to thynke y^t eyther tofore your prayer be accomply&s;&s;hed / or els as &s;hortly as ye haue made an ende therof that ye &s;hall
<PB REF="18"> departe out of this world / and be pre&s;ented to y^e right wy&s;e iuge / there to make a &s;treyte accompt and reke+nyng of al the tyme of your lyfe pa&s;t. But peraduentu+re &s;om wyll &s;ay. why &s;holde I thynke &s;o? For I tru&s;t to lyue many yeres longer. As to that I &s;ay not nay / but it may &s;o fortune. Notwith&s;handyng you beyng on lyue at the begynnynge of prayer / yf it &s;hall plea&s;e god / ye may departe tofore ye haue made a &abper;fyte en|de therof. And yf I wold affirme this parte to be true there is no man lyuing that may truely affyrme the contrary. Therfore I holde it moche profytable thus for to thynke. And &s;o doyng I tru&s;t it wyll gyue you grete occa&s;yon to deuocyon.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para;How in tyme of prayer &s;omtyme the mynde is moche dy&s;tracte by rea&s;on of wordely be&s;ynes And remedyes for the &s;ame. Ca. v.iii.</HEAD>
<P>_LIke as example by euery thyng that is he+uy of the &s;elf / or laden with ony thyng that depre&s;&s;eth the berer / &s;ooner &amp; more ea&s;ely it may de&s;cende downe the hyll / than it may a&s;cend vp the mou~t. Prayer is an a&s;cencyo~ of the mynde to god as Dama&s;cene &s;ayth.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Li. iiii. ca xxiii p&s;. xii.</NOTE> Accordyng al&s;o to y^e wordes of the prophete in his p&s;alme &s;ayng. I haue lyft vp myn eyes vnto the mountes. That is to &s;ay. I haue made my prayer to the holy &s;ayntes in heuen / as meanes to god / of whom I tru&s;t helpe and &s;ocoure. For my &s;ocoure and helpe is of god / the whi|che made heuen and erthe. wherfore euery thynge y^t is heuy vnto the &s;oule / dooth depre&s;&s;e the &s;pyryte and letteth parfyte deuocyon / and cau&s;eth many &amp; often
<PB REF="19"> tymes di&s;traccyon of mynde in tyme of prayer. Accor+dyng to the &s;ayng of the Sapience.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sapi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ie. j.</NOTE> The body y^t is cor+rupte doth greue &amp; let the &s;oule / and the &s;ences do de|pre&s;&s;e hym / who&s;e mynde is occupyed aboute many thi~ges. For vndubted in tyme of prayer / there y^e myn+de is moche inclyned / where about in other tymes it is moo&s;t occupyed. If grete &s;tudy / be&s;yne&s;&s;e / and care doth occupy the mynde / as to gete temporall ryches &amp; honours world&s;y &abpro;mocyo~s: or other &s;uche plea&s;u|res: no meruel yf y^t &s;oule can not be fyxed in one thing &s;pecyally yf it be iner &s;pyrytual. But prayer &s;yth it is one of the partes of co~templacio~ / yf it be pure / it hath re&s;pect onely or pryncypally vnto one thyng / which is god almyghty. To whom prayer bereth the pety|cyo~ of the hert / &amp; maketh &s;upplicacyon for helpe. But y^e hertes of them y^t be occupyed in many thinges can not longe be fyxed on one thyng / wherfore theyr pra|yer can not be long pure without di&s;traccio~ of mynd. Martha was occupyed about many thinges:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luce. x</NOTE> &amp; ther+fore &s;he was troubled in her mynde. But Mary occu+pyed about one / dyd chu&s;e the better parte. And ther+fore &s;he was quyet in &s;pyryte / &amp; all togyder conte~pla|tyue. Of the which example we may lerne / that &s;ith bothe the&s;e women were holy &amp; moche accept in y^e fa+uour of god: that the labours of them which ben pre+lates &amp; take cure of other. and be co~tent for the loue of god to leue theyr co~templacyon / &amp; to take labours &s;pi+rytual or temporall for theyr &s;ubgectes / ben moch me+rytoryo&abus;. For albeit y^t they haue di&s;traccyo~s in theyr prayer / &amp; &s;omtyme fele not &s;uche &s;wetnes &amp; flame of deuocyo~ / as they were wont to haue afore they dyde take y^t offyce on them. yet let them be &s;ure: &s;yth theyr
<PB REF="19"> labours is for god / &amp; helpyng of &s;oules / &s;o moch more ryche is theyr merytes afore god. how moch more is theyre labours &amp; cures? In &s;o moche y^t the&s;e hou&s;hol|ders al&s;o / whiche dy&s;cretly and truely doth occupye the worlde for the mayntenyng of theyr hou&s;hold / al+beit they come~ly haue dy&s;traccio~s of mynde in tyme of theyr prayer: yet they not wylling to haue &s;uche e|uagacions of mynde: yf they often call in theyr mynd to the reme~braunce of god they &s;hal not le&s;e theyr me+ryte. For as &s;aynt Thomas &s;ayth.<NOTE PLACE="marg">xxij. q<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> xxxiij. arti xi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> Holy men haue &s;o~|tyme euagacyo~s of mynde in tyme of prayer: And he &s;ayth moreouer that / y^t per&s;on dooth praye in &s;pyryte &amp; trouthe / whiche moeued of the in&s;tinceyo~ of y^e holy goo&s;t procedeth and gooth to pray. Notwith&s;ta~dyng y^t for weykenes of &s;pyryte y^e mynde afterward be wa~+dryng &amp; dy&s;tract. For whan y^e mynde of hym y^t dothe pray a&s;cendeth to god by contemplacion / than anone by cau&s;e it is feble &amp; weyke it falleth to euagacyo~s &amp; wa~deryng myndes. But holy me~ ofte~tymes calleth in theyr &s;pyryt to reme~bre what they pray / &amp; &s;o they contynue theyr deuocion. And this is one generall re+medy / &amp; as a dayly medicyn contynually to be v&s;ed of euery per&s;one agayn&s;t dy&s;traccio~s of mynde / for to co~+&s;erue theyr attencyo~ / deuocyon / &amp; meryte in prayer. Another remedy is ofte~tymes with actual intent (as moche as fraylte wyl &s;uffre) to do theyr werkes and worldly be&s;ynes to the honoure of god / actually refer+ryng them to his glory. As &s;aynt Paule &s;ayth.<NOTE PLACE="marg">j. Co. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> why|ther ye eate or drynke / or what &s;omeuer els ye &s;hal do do al to the glory of god. This exercy&s;e of mynde v&s;ed in other prayers / &s;hal encreas the loue of god in theyr hertes / wherby thyer &s;pyrytes &s;halbe more &s;trong in
<PB REF="20"> deuocio~ to auoyde grete di&s;traccyons of mynde in ty|me of prayer. And it wolde be noted of euery cry&s;ten man that be&s;yde the naturall loue which he hath to his wyfe / chyldre~ / &amp; &s;eruauntes / except in true catho+lyke faith of y^e chirch he endeuer him&s;elf by his good example of lyfe to edyfye the~ in vertue / to the honour of god &amp; profyte of theyr &s;oules / he &s;hall do lytell more to his hou&s;holde tha~ dothe the pagan or turke to his famylly. For they dayly do labour &amp; &abpro;uyde for theyr hou&s;holde / &amp; naturally dooth loue the &s;ame. But the faythfull &s;eruaunt of god an true cry&s;tyans mu&s;t do more. &para;Another remedy agayn&s;t di&s;traccio~s is this It is nece&s;&s;ary for al &s;uch hone&s;t worldly lyuers whi+che be moche troubled w^t &s;cateryng mynde in prayer to apply the~&s;elf to &s;ome ordred exercy&s;e / &s;pecyally in y^e chyrche of god. As after they haue taken holy water knele downe in &s;om place where they intende to re&s;t &amp; pray. And all worldly be&s;ynes &s;eque&s;tred all grud|ges agayn&s;t neyghbour al iniuryes / &amp; offences clene put out of mynde and remyt with meke and contryte &s;pyryte / a&s;ke god mercy for theyr vnkyndnes &amp; negli+ge~ces done &amp; co~myth &s;yth y^e la&s;t tyme they were there a~nd for all vndy&s;crete behauour &amp; impacyency to his hou&s;hold &amp; neyghbours. And thanke god for y^e pre&s;er+uacion of hym or his / &amp; all cry&s;ten people. And for al y^e benefites of god / &s;pecyally for your creacion / rede~pcio~ &amp; gloryficacyo~ / which we all tru&s;t to haue by y^e mea|nes of his &s;ones bly&s;&s;ed pa&s;&s;yon. whiche than lete vs call afore our mynde. and in &s;ure fayth depely co~&s;yde|ring y^e lame &s;ete vs mekely thank the father of heuen for his ineffable mercy / loue / &amp; charyte / y^t wold &s;ende his eterne &amp; onely beloued &s;one to &s;uffe in our nature
<PB REF="20"> &s;o paynfull &amp; ignomyneo&abus; a dethe to redeme man out of the thraldome of the deuyll. And al&s;o with all oure hertes thank our &s;ayd lord Ie&s;u cry&s;t y^e &s;one of god for his lyke loue / mercy / &amp; charyte. To whom (as &s;aynt Poule &s;ayth.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ad He+bre. xii</NOTE> Ioye &amp; glory profferd / all co~fu&s;yon dy&s;pi+&s;ed) wolde &s;u&s;tene the cro&s;&s;e / &amp; &s;uffre the moo&s;t payn|full dethe for our &s;aluacyon. If we wolde thus ordre our &s;elf in the chyrche dy&s;traccyons &s;holde haue lytell place in prayer. But yf the per&s;one be vnlettred &amp; mo+che encombred with wandryng cogytacyo~s of theyr herte / than it is expedye~t for &s;uch to haue afore theyr eyes &s;ome deuout remembrau~ce or obiect / as &s;ome py+cture of the pa&s;&s;yon of Cry&s;te / or &s;ome other &s;aynt / to whome they haue moo&s;t deuocyon. That whyle &s;en+&s;es be &s;tayed &amp; fyxed in that &s;en&s;yble deuout ymage / theyr &s;pyryte may more lyberally a&s;cende to god or to the &s;aynt to whom they pray. And for y^t con&s;yderacy+on ymages of &s;ayntes be &s;et vp in the chyrches as bo+kes of lay me~. That they redynge in the~ / theyr actes &amp; Ie&s;tes &s;uffred for almighty god may be &s;tyred to de+uocyon / and for to honoure god in his holy &s;ayntes. &para;Some v&s;eth agayn&s;t &s;uche dy&s;traccions lytell bo|kes / in the whiche is conteyned pyctures of the arty|eles of the lyfe and pa&s;&s;ion of our lorde Ie&s;u / and tor|nyng ouer theyr leues dooth wor&s;hyp our lorde / &s;ay|eng for euery article a Pater nr~ / an Aue &amp; a crede. and this exerci&s;e is good for the~ whiche be vnlerned. &amp; I councell them y^t can haue no &s;uche bokes to reme~bre the &s;ayd articles by the fee&s;tes of the yere. begynni~g at the natyuyte of oure lorde god / his circumcy&s;ion / his epyphany / his pre&s;entacion in to the temple / his fa&s;t and temptacyon / his dethe and bytter pa&s;&s;yon / 
<PB REF="21"> his re&s;urreccyo~ / &amp; a&s;cention / with other &s;ole~pne fe&s;tes in y^e yere. And for eche &s;ay the prayer aboue reher&s;ed. And this done &s;erue our lady lykewy&s;e / begynnynge at her concepcyo~ / natyuite / &s;alutacyo~ / vi&s;itacyo~ / puri+ficacyo~ / &amp; a&s;&s;umpcyo~. And after this y^e apo&s;tles / mar|tyrs: &amp; other holy &s;ayntes as theyr fe&s;tes ca~ be called to remembrau~ce / or as they appere &amp; be reprynted a|fore the~ in theyr ymages &s;et vp in chyrches. This or|dre v&s;ed &s;hall call in the mynde from worldly be&s;ynes (&amp; &s;o di&s;traccyo~ auoyded) it &s;hall kyndle deuocyon / &amp; encreace the meryte and fruyte of prayer.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para;Of other maner of dy&s;traccyo~s. And of the cau+&s;es and remedyes of the&s;ame. Ca. ix.</HEAD>
<P>_THere be other di&s;traccyons of mynde in ty+me of prayer / y^e cau&s;e wherof is &s;ynne. For lyke as in bodyly &s;ekenes he is in grete ieo+pardy y^t dooth abhorre all meates: &amp; what &s;o euer he receyueth he ca&s;teth &amp; vomiteth it out agayn: &s;o in lykewy&s;e he is moo&s;t ferre from de+uocyon who&s;e &s;oule is moo&s;t &s;ore wou~ded w^t many &amp; dyuers mortall &s;ynnes. For very tedyous &amp; vn&s;auery is prayer and al &s;pyrytual thynges to &s;uch a per&s;one For yf ony tyme he begyn to pray / anone he hath do|ne / for he is &s;o weyke in &s;oule y^t he can not contynue. He ca~ not ta&s;te nor dyge&s;t &s;pyrytuall thynges / bycau+&s;e in hym&s;elf he is all &s;ynfull and bee&s;tly. No maruell though y^t per&s;one be dy&s;tract in prayer / who&s;e herte is &s;ore wounded &amp; auerted fro god &amp; fro the lyfe of gra+ce: I councell hym to &s;eke for remedy betyme. Go to y^e lauatory of helth / and w^t contryte herte make clene &amp;
<PB REF="21"> hole confe&s;&s;yon. Take w^t him &s;o moche more huge con+tricion &amp; repentau~t &s;orowe. How moche more by his &s;yn~e he hath de&s;erued dampnacion / &amp; hath prouoked the wrathe / yre / &amp; indygnacion of y^e hye god omnypo+tent. Lete him neuer pre&s;ume / but thynke him&s;elf vn+worthy to come in to y^e chyrche / &amp; to appere in the pre+&s;ence of god with an vnpenitent herte. But rather w^t the publycan for his &s;ynne iuge him&s;elf vnworthy to loke vp to heuen / &amp; bete that bre&s;t and herte w^t his fy&s;t which hath &s;o greuou&s;ly offended / &amp; crye with y^e pu|blycan. Mercy lorde god / mercy / mercy. A more &s;ure remedy or more hol&s;ome play&s;ter for his &s;ores can he haue none. For lyke as it is a noble play&s;ter or medy|cin y^t healeth not onely the wounde / but al&s;o taketh a was the &s;kar: whiche comynly is left in y^e fle&s;&s;he / &s;o co~+tricion is a noble medycyn for the &s;oule. For it may be &s;o grete and parfite / y^t it not onely cureth the &s;in~e / but it maketh y^e &s;yn~e to be in &s;uche dete&s;tacyon / y^t it dooth awaye pryntes / fanta&s;ies / &abpro;nytees / yll cu&s;tomes / fe|blenes / &amp; other vnclene mocions to &s;yn~e / whiche &s;yn~e dooth leue behynde it in the &s;oule / or at the lee&s;t dooth &s;o myni&s;&s;he them y^t moche they do not trouble y^e &s;pyri+te. For albeit that the contrycion of &s;ome is &s;uffycient to the remy&s;&s;ion of theyr &s;yn~es / yet it is not alway &s;o &abper;fyte to take the&s;e fore&s;ayd &amp; paynes &amp; effectes away and y^t cau&s;eth or is occa&s;ion of fanta&s;ies in tyme of pra+yer. For whan they wolde be moche deuout / and pra moo&s;t hertely. yea / &s;omtyme in heryng ma&s;&s;e / than y^e fanta&s;yes of theyr &s;ynnes is &s;o brym~e in theyr eyes &amp; ymagynacion / that they haue no deuocyon to prayer And &s;omtyme they leue theyr prayer / &amp; be &s;o wery of &s;uche cogitacions: y^t they feare them&s;elf le&s;t theyr &s;yn+nes
<PB REF="22"> be not forgyuen / or that god dooth for&s;ake them / &amp; is &s;ore dy&s;plea&s;ed w^t the~. and it is not &s;o. For as &s;aynt Gregory &s;ayth. Synnes remyt &amp; pa&s;t / whan they be brought to memory / they neuer hurt y^e &s;oule / excepte they plea&s;e them &s;elf. As whan the &s;oule hath delecta+cion in reme~brau~ce of the~. But yf &s;uche per&s;ones wold con&s;yder theyr owne &s;elfe well / how they neuer dyd take &s;uche payne &amp; penaunce / nor had &s;o &abper;fyte contry+cion &amp; &s;orow for theyr &s;ynnes that it was able to put away all fanta&s;yes therof / they &s;holde &s;e that of very iu&s;tyce it were expedyent for them to haue &s;uche tem+ptacyo~s. For where they haue agayn&s;t y^e wyll of god wylfully abu&s;ed theyr owne wyll in &s;uche &s;ynnes / it is the grete goodnes of god y^t wyll &s;uffre the~ to theyr payne agayn&s;t theyr wylles to be to&s;&s;ed and vexed w^t the fanta&s;ies of the &s;ame &s;ynnes / to theyr meryte and crowne in heue~ / co~fu&s;yon to theyr goo&s;tly enmy whi+che hath no ferther power on them / than without pe+ryll to exercy&s;e &amp; trouble them onely with fanta&s;yes / whiche comynly is called the te~ptacyo~s of holy men. And therfore let them neuer leue theyr prayer nor pla+ce for them. So holy &s;crypture admony&s;&s;heth &s;ayng. If the &s;pyryte of him y^t hath power a&s;cende vpon the That is as the glo&s;e &s;ayth.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle. x.</NOTE> If a myghty temptacyo~ a&s;&s;ayle the dymyt not &amp; leue not thy place for it. For the cure &amp; helthe whiche cometh therby in the &s;oule / &s;hall put away and make ceas the grete&s;t &s;yn~es. For vndubted god dooth &s;uffre the to be tempted w^t &s;uche fanta&s;yes for the mortificacyon of thy &s;en&s;es: purga|cio~ of thy &s;yn~es &amp; for due &amp; &abper;fyte &s;aty&s;faccio~ of y^e &s;ame. &para;Remedyes agayn&s;t &s;uch fa~ta&s;ies. For the&s;e for&s;ayd co~&s;yderacio~s it is expedyent for &s;uch &abper;&s;ones neuer to
<PB REF="22"> leue theyr prayer / but go forth always &s;pekyng holy wordes. For albeit they fele no &s;wetnes in theyr wor+des: yet y^e go&s;tly enmy feleth therof grete payne / co~fu+&s;io~ / &amp; &s;hame. And if they &abper;ceyue the~&s;elf &s;ore altered in theyr bodyes by &s;uch thoughtes / arme the~&s;elf w^t y^e &s;y+ne of y^e cro&s;&s;e &amp; make co~tynually inuocacio~ to y^e pa&s;&s;io~ of our lorde for &s;ocour &s;ayng. Lorde thy bytter pa&s;&s;io~ be betwene me and this temptacion. Some as they myght (theyr hertes fyxed in y^e wou~des of our lorde) hath cryed &amp; named co~tinually y^e holy name of Ie&s;u &amp; hath founde remedy / &amp; theyr te~ptacion hath cea&s;ed For lyke as euery thing is cured by his co~trary / &amp; ex+perience &s;heweth y^t taking &s;tyckes fro y^e fyre / it &s;hall be &s;one extynct &amp; que~ched. So take away the cau&s;es &amp; v&s;e the contrary vertues of the&s;e te~ptacions / &amp; all o+ther di&s;tractio~s in prayer / &amp; they &s;hall cea&s;e. The cau+&s;es of di&s;traccions in prayer is not onely y^e grete enor+me lines as here&s;y / homicide / v&s;ury / &amp; other like / but al&s;o grete multytude of venyall &s;yn~es &amp; generally all mortall &s;yn~es be occa&s;yo~ &amp; cau&s;es of dy&s;traccyon.<NOTE PLACE="marg">. cor. iij</NOTE> For albeit venial &s;yn~es taketh not grace away fro y^e &s;oule yet where they be in cu&s;tome &amp; grete habou~dau~ce the &s;oul ca~ not w^tout grete labour attene to fele y^e &s;wetnes of deuocyon. for y^e &s;en&s;es hath &s;o delyted in the~ as out+ward &amp; &s;e~&s;yble ple&s;ures: y^t it can not &s;auour nor ta&s;te notably y^e inward &s;wetnes of y^e &s;piryt / which y^e &s;pirit &s;ore de&s;yreth. Among all mortall &s;ynnes I note .vi. y^t &s;pecyally dy&s;po&s;eth to di&s;traccio~s: y^t is pryde / e~uy / yre glotony / lechery / &amp; coueti&s;e. Pryde inclyneth to vayn glory / &amp; ypocri&s;y / &amp; to thoughtes of elacio~ of hi~ &s;elf. for y^e proud &abper;&s;ones mynd is &s;o be&s;y y^t where&s;o euer he go or byde / &s;tande or &s;yt he &s;peketh to hi~&s;elf. And therfore
<PB REF="23"> he can do none otherwy&s;e in payer but whyles his to~gue &s;peketh one worde his herte thynketh another And ofte~tyme he ymagineth y^t neuer was nor neuer &s;hall be. &para;Remedy for the&s;e we maye &s;oone haue / yf we in tyme of prayer wyl take good hede &amp; cu&s;tody of our herte / &amp; dy&s;pi&s;e all vaynglory &amp; pray&s;e of creatu|re. abhorre ypocre&s;y / &amp; meke our &s;elf to god. &amp; prepare our hertes &s;pecyally in the begynning of prayer. For lacke of due preparacion in y^e begynnynge / &amp; for y^t we are neglygent in orderyng our hertes to our prayer / cau&s;eth vs to haue lytell deuocion in our hertes / nor &s;wetnes in our prayer. And contrary wy&s;e good or|dre in the begynnynge expelleth dy&s;traccyo~s: &amp; indu+ceth feruour of &s;pyrite. Example we may take of y^e ho+ly woma~ Iudith / which as &s;crypture &s;heweth wha~ &s;he &s;hold make her prayer to god / &s;he dyde ca&s;t away all her gay aray / &amp; dyde clothe her &s;elf with &s;acke.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iu. ix.</NOTE> ca&s;t du&s;t vpon her heed / and fa&s;ted &amp; watched in grete pe|naunce. &para;Of quene He&s;ter we rede al&s;o / y^t not onely &s;he dyd all the&s;e w^t grete wepyng &amp; waylyng. as it is ope~ in the boke of He&s;ter / but al&s;o &s;he fyled her heed w^t du&s;t &amp; donge.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">e. xiiij</NOTE> And yede to euery place where &s;he had by her pryde &amp; myrth dy&s;plea&s;ed god. &amp; there &s;he tea|red her heere in dete&s;tacyo~ of her &s;yn~e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Omeli. xxiij.</NOTE> &para;Mary mag+dalene al&s;o whan &s;he yede to here y^e holy worde of our lordes prechi~g (as &s;aynt Gregory &s;ayth) &s;he dyd take w^t her &s;o grete co~trycyo~ / y^t &s;he made a &s;acrefyce of eue+ry parte of her body / wherwith &s;he had offe~dyd god If &s;he had this preparacio~ of hert whan our lorde dy+de &s;peke vnto her. no le&s;&s;e ought we to haue wha~ we &s;hall come in &abpre;&s;ence &amp; &s;peke to god whiche vndoubted we do as doctours &s;ayth / wha~ we pray to him. Tha~
<PB REF="23"> al y^e malyce / &amp; impacyency &s;holde be fer fro vs / which cau&s;eth dy&s;traccyons of mynde in prayer / nothynge more. For Mary for the loue whiche &s;he had to god &amp; her neyghbour was worthy to here the&s;e wordes of our lorde / the grete multytude of her &s;ynnes be forgy+ue~ / bycau&s;e &s;he loueth moche / lete vs euer reme~ber y^e wordes of our &s;auiour.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lu. vij</NOTE> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ma. vi et. xviij</NOTE> Except ye remyt eche other w^t your hertes&punc; your fader in heuen wyll not remyt nor forgyue your &s;ynnes. All the&s;e examples of the&s;e holy women ben wryten in the holy &s;crypture of god / and left for our exa~ple &amp; erudycion. Lete vs therfore with Mary magdalene whan we &s;hal come to pray / wepe &amp; wayle our &s;ynnes. Call to our remembraunce with quene He&s;ter the tymes / the places / the per&s;ones / and the partes of our body. And al&s;o the wordes / y^e dedes &amp; the thoughtes / in the which we haue offended the hye god omnipote~t / &amp; there teare our heere / y^t is to be actually &s;ory for them &amp; haue them in dete&s;tacio~ / and be dy&s;plea&s;ed with our &s;elf / which &s;o vnkyndly haue offended our moo&s;t louyng &amp; mercyfull fader in heue~. And I pray&s;e it moche whan y^e meke &amp; contrite herte &s;peketh to god in the moder tongue / pray&s;yng his ho+ly name / or a&s;kyng mercy for his &s;ynnes. Nothynge tha~ &s;holde be &s;o moche afore our eyes / nor w^t moche oc+cupy our hertes as heuen / whiche my&s;erably we ha+ue lo&s;t by &s;yn~e. And hell to the which we haue bou~de our &s;elfe by &s;yn~e / and y^t perpetually except we ame~de our co~uer&s;acion. Lete vs therfore for cloth / clothe our &s;elfe w^t &s;acke / as Iudith dyde / y^t is to &s;aye. Meke our &s;elfe in our hertes: &amp; euermore reme~ber how vnwor|thy we be to come to y^e pre&s;ence of god &amp; &s;peke to hym And in this exa~ple of this holy woman we may lerne
<PB REF="24"> &amp; perceyue how lytel it plea&s;eth god / or &abpro;moteth pra+er to come to y^e chyrch in gay apparel or clothing / ex|cept we v&s;e our &s;elfe warely therin. For nothyng mo+re di&s;tracteth y^e mynde / &amp; hurteth prayer &amp; deuocyon tha~ y^e inordynate &amp; curyous affeccio~s &amp; thoughtes of &s;uche vanitees. &para;I wyll not &s;ay but it is co~me~dable on y^e holy day to a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">orne our bodies hone&s;tly / &s;o y^t our myndes be not alienate fro god therby. Lete vs al&s;o w^t quene He&s;ter ca&s;t du&s;t &amp; do~ge vpo~ our hedes. That is to reme~ber not onely howe we be mortall / du&s;t / a&s;|&s;hes / &amp; erthe. &amp; to the~ torne agayne we &s;hall. But al&s;o ca&s;t dong on our heed / y^t is knowlege of our &s;elf y^e mo&s;t vyle &s;lynking &amp; vnkynd &s;yn~er y^t lyueth. If y^u loke ma~ &s;treight afore thyn eyes / &amp; iuge not thy ney&yogh;bour / for in ea&s;e it is not lawfull for y^e. &amp; I &s;uppo&s;e that y^u maye well thynke &s;o on thy &s;elf / whom onely in herte thou knowe&s;t &amp; no other. Many bycau&s;e theyr con&s;cyence murmures not / they thy~ke the~&s;elf &s;ure / but y^t is a fals &s;uerty. For as &s;aynt Poule &s;ayth. I know no &s;yn~e in my co~&s;cye~ce / but yet in y^t I am not iu&s;tyfied. But the day of our lorde &s;hall &s;hewe &amp; declare what euery ma~ is / wha~ our my&s;erable &s;oule &s;hall be brought afore y^e tribunall of y^e hye iuge god almyghty / there to abyde y^t moo&s;t terryble &s;ente~ce of y^e iu&s;tice of god almyghty. Eyther to euerla&s;tynge lyfe or endles payne. If we wold dayly exerci&s;e our &s;elf in this maner of &abpre;paracio~ to our prayer not onely we &s;hold auoyde grete di&s;tra|ctyons of mynde but al&s;o we &s;holde do due fruyte of penaunce for our &s;ynnes. Some there be whiche be moche lete in prayer by fanta&s;yes and dyuers thou|ghtes and cogytacyons and yet they be not moche intryked nor fyled wyth mortall &s;ynne. And the
<PB REF="24"> cau&s;e of theyr dy&s;traccyo~ is &s;uppo&s;ed to be grete habu~+dau~ce of venyall &s;yn~es. For now a dayes many be gy+uen to &s;portes / games &amp; de&s;olate myrthe / &amp; &s;pecyally to delycate fedyng of meates &amp; drynkes &amp; ydle &s;peche All which be poy&s;on to deuocion &amp; moch let to prayer &amp; occa&s;io~ of fa~ta&s;ies. For al &s;uch di&s;&s;olute myrth / vayn &s;peche &amp; fedyng is &s;o plea&s;au~t to y^e &s;en&s;es y^t they &s;uffo|cate y^e &s;pirit / &amp; letteth y^e &s;oule fro reioy&s;ing in &s;pu~al thi~+ges. Auoyde this ca&s;e &amp; deuocyo~ wil folow in prayer Delyte in &s;uche vanytees / &amp; not onely ye &s;hal droune deuocio~. but al&s;o ye &s;hal make your &s;elf a ue&s;&s;ell fyt for euery te~ptacyon. Many ther be clene &amp; vncorrupte in body. but for lack of cu&s;tody of theyr hert fro y^e for &s;ayd vyces hath fallen in to grete te~ptacyo~ of y^e body / &amp; &s;o hath ben &s;ore trobled w^t vnclene thoughtes / &s;pecially in tyme of prayer.<NOTE PLACE="marg">de &s;o~n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> bono. l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> il j. Ca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> xxxviij</NOTE> And al this is &s;uffred of god / for to &s;uppre&s;&s;e theyr pryde nory&s;&s;hed by &s;uche fedyng &amp; di&s;+&s;olucyon. For y^e grcte clerke <ABBR>y&s;id</ABBR> &s;ayth god &s;uffreth y^t proude &abper;&s;on bycau&s;e he wyll not &s;e him&s;elf to fall in te~+ptacion of lechery / which is &s;o manyfe&s;t y^t &s;en&s;ibly he may &s;e his owne be&s;tlynes / &amp; &s;o lerne to meke him&s;elf yet &s;ome there be y^t be cleue / &amp; bothe <ABBR>vtuous</ABBR> &amp; holy / &amp; yet be &s;ore troubled w^t &s;uche vnclene thoughtes &amp; &s;te|ringes of y^e body which trobleth the~ / &amp; &s;pecially in ty|me of prayer.<NOTE PLACE="marg">ii. Cor xij.</NOTE> &amp; this is &s;uffred of god to kepe the~ in me+kenes. So had &s;aint Poule y^e &s;timulacio~ of his fle&s;&s;he &amp; &s;ore was trobled w^t it / &amp; al was to kepe hy~ in meke|nes / le&s;t y^e grete habu~dau~ce of grace &amp; reuelacio~s &s;hold make hy~ proud. wherfore &s;uch fa~ta&s;ies &amp; vnclene cogi+tacions workith no hurt / where ther is no con&s;ent to the~for more profyte is the cu&s;tody and pre&s;eruacyon of mekenes with exercy&s;e of temptacyon to the meke per&s;on than is hurte to haue &s;ometyme dy&s;traccyon.
<PB REF="25"> Some be &s;o dull in &s;pyrite that albeit theyr con&s;cience dooth not moche reproue them of &s;ynne / yet they be very &s;lowe to exercy&s;e them&s;elfe in vertue. And &s;uche comynly be &s;lepy &amp; &s;luggy&s;&s;he in theyr prayer. And y^e cau&s;e therof I &s;uppo&s;e is not onely heuyne&s;&s;e of com|plexyon / but al&s;o by rea&s;on of hotene&s;&s;e of con&s;cyence they thynke them&s;elfe &s;ure w^tout &s;yn~e. And &s;o put not them&s;elfe to payne to labour for the encrea&s;e of grace &amp; deuocion / whiche &abper;adue~ture they myght haue abo+ue other yf they wolde put theyr dylygece therto / for they haue le&s;&s;e impedymentes than other / &amp; that cau+&s;eth the~ &s;omtime to thynke in theyr hertes how they nede not to fa&s;t / nor pray moche / nor watche / for they haue no grete &s;yn~es. But all &s;uche which be neyther colde nor hote / but rather do begyn to be lothe&s;ome to our lorde as &s;crypture &s;ayth. I wolde adui&s;e them to marke this poynt wel. Better it is after many fyn~es remyt &amp; forgiuen &s;trongly to fyght for the loue of god &amp; for theyr owne &s;aluacyon / than in fewe &s;yn~es w^tout batayle weykely to de&s;yre heuen.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Appoc. ij.</NOTE> &para;In all the&s;e dy|&s;traccions &amp; in &s;uche otherlyke which cometh by rea+&s;on of &s;ekene&s;&s;e or inordynate thought. Remoue y^e cau+&s;e and ye &s;hall fynde remedy. But tho&s;e per&s;ones whi+che be dull in &s;pyrite I wolde coun&s;ell to v&s;e oftenty|mes depely &s;ome artycle or poynt of Cry&s;tes pa&s;&s;ion. &s;uche as moo&s;t &s;en&s;ybly may moue them to deuocion. &para;Example who may con&s;yder y^t vn&s;pekeable payne whiche the &s;one of god dyde &s;uffer for our &s;yn~es vpon the cro&s;&s;e / where neyther &s;tandynge vpon carpytes / nor &s;yttyng vpon cuy&s;&s;hyns / but hangynge with all the weyght of his bly&s;&s;ed body vpo~ boy&s;tous nayles of yren / whiche dyde teare &amp; rent his handes and fete
<PB REF="25"> wherin were mo&s;t &s;ynewes / vaynes: &amp; bones to his importable payne. And who may this in true faythe depely con&s;yder but it wyl &s;tyre &amp; moeue hym to loue and deuocion / &amp; to take paynes for theyr owne &s;alua|cyo~? For as y^e fla~me cometh of the fyre / &s;o cometh deuo+cyon of loue &amp; charyte. wherfore holy per&s;ones &s;holde be moche inwarde &amp; attent in the tyme of theyr pra|yer. For whan the fla~me of deuocyon is tendre / &s;omty+me the lee&s;t ca&s;t of the &s;yght a&s;yde / or alienacyo~ of ony other of y^e &s;en&s;es may extinct it &amp; put it out. notw^t&s;tan+ding y^t the fyre of charyte remayneth in theyr &s;oules: whiche yf they wyll labour &amp; blowe well by the exer+cy&s;e of this for&s;ayde holy poynt of our lordes pa&s;&s;yon or ony &s;uche other / they may kyndell and recouer the fla~me of deuocyo~ agayne to theyr co~fort. which fla~me yf they can not recouer / makyng theyr prayer in cha+ryte / albeit they fele y^e le&s;&s;e &s;wetnes in prayer / yet &s;o co~tynuyng they &s;hall not lo&s;e theyr meryte.<NOTE PLACE="marg">iiii. &s;en. di. xv.</NOTE> As &s;ayth &s;aynt Thomas &amp; other doctours mo.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="10" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para;How a man may ordre hym&s;elf in tyme of prayer. Ca. x.</HEAD>
<P>HEre before after my &s;imple lerning I ha+ue &s;poken of certayne meanes: y^t whiche v&s;ed tofore the begynning of prayer may excitate &amp; gretely di&s;po&s;e the mynde to y^e feruour of deuocyon in the prayers folowi~g. But it is oftentymes &s;ene y^t &s;ome men at the begynnyng of pra+yer be wel &amp; deuoutly di&s;po&s;ed. &amp; afterwarde as they procede theyr affeccyon decayeth / &amp; theyr deuocyo~ be+gynneth by lytell &amp; lytel to be colde. The cau&s;e of this
<PB REF="26"> as I &s;uppo&s;e / is the multytude of fa~ta&s;mes &amp; vayne thoughtes y^e which by the &s;ugge&s;tion of our goo&s;tly enmy / wyll enterpry&s;e to haue po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion &amp; dominion in the &s;oule of man / &amp; &s;o to exclude the feruour of deuo+cion &amp; &s;piritual affeccion. wherfore how to auoyde &s;u+che vnprofityble cogytacions I &s;hall &s;hewe you a re|medy y^e whiche I thinke is very expedient for to v&s;e &para;This remedy I haue red in a boke of reuelacions y^e which it plea&s;eth god to &s;hewe to a certayn holy co~+te~platyf fader. There he &s;ayeth he &s;awe in his co~tem+placion y^e &s;oule of a Carthu&s;ian a&s;&s;u~pted vnto heue~ of a grete co~pony of glorious au~gels &amp; fayntes / where as it was magnyfice~tly gloryfyed / for the manyfold vertuous dedes y^t he v&s;ed in the tyme of his lyfe pa&s;t. but in &s;pecyall he had one grete accidentall rewarde bycau&s;e y^t he v&s;ed in the tyme of &s;ayng his &s;eruice for euery ver&s;e y^t he &s;ayd / to reme~ber one of y^e bly&s;&s;ed wou~+des of our &s;auiour Ie&s;u cry&s;t moo&s;t ple~teou&s;ly bledi~g as hangyng on y^e cro&s;&s;e. This is y^e remedy y^t I wold haue my &s;pyrytuall frendes to v&s;e agayn&s;t y^e vayne &amp; vnprofytable cogitacyo~s y^t in tyme of prayer wyll im+portunely knocke at y^e gates of our hertes. Vnto this councelleth the holy apo&s;tle &s;aynt Peter in the .iiij. chapyter of his fyr&s;t epy&s;tle / &s;ayenge. Chri&s;to igitur pa&s;&s;o in carne: &amp; vos eadem cogitatione armamini. Seynge that Chry&s;t &s;uffred pa&s;&s;yon in his pa&s;&s;yble body / loke that ye v&s;e the remembraunce of the &s;ame as a &s;tronge armour or defence. The remembraunce of this bly&s;&s;ed pa&s;&s;yo~ may well be called a &s;tronge ar+mour. For it is &s;o &s;tronge and of &s;uche vertue / y^t agai~&s;t it there can none of our mortall enemyes (that is to &s;ay neyther the world / nor the fle&s;&s;he / nor the deuyll)
<PB REF="26"> preuayle nor haue y^e vyctory. But whan&s;o euer we be moo&s;t troubled with them / yf we cal this to myn|de / they wyll anone vany&s;he away / as doth the &s;mo+ke of fyre in the ayre.</P>
<P>&para;There is no te~ptacions: no trybulacions. nor none other aduer&s;ytees that may haue y^e better or vpper|hande of this. And therfore &s;aynt Augu&s;tyn on this maner &s;peketh of hym&s;elfe: In omnibus temptacio~|nib&abus;. &amp;c. In all temptacio~s / trybulacions / and aduer+&s;ytees I fynde neuer &s;o efficacial and &s;ure remedy as in y^e bly&s;&s;ed wou~des of our &s;auyour Ie&s;u cry&s;t. wher+fore deuout chry&s;tia~s I wyll exhorte and aduy&s;e you in all trybulacio~s: whyther they be &s;pyrytuall or cor|porall / to arme you with this impenetrable harneys of the pa&s;&s;yon of Cry&s;t. That is to &s;ay / with de memo+ry of this bly&s;&s;ed wou~des. And not onely in the tyme of aduer&s;ite / but al&s;o in pro&s;peryte. And moo&s;t &s;pecy|ally / as nowe for my purpo&s;e I wyll councell you to v&s;e this medytacyon or reme~braunce in tyme of pra|er. For very harde it is / and almoo&s;t impo&s;&s;yble for any man the whyche dooth not vnder&s;tande (at the lee&s;t) the lytterall &s;ence of his prayer / for to kepe his mynde contynully eleuate and lytte vp to almyghty god in deuocyon / and vpon the due cyrcum&s;taunces therof. wherfore nece&s;&s;yte wyll cau&s;e and co~pell hym to admyt &s;ome other cogytacyons and thoughtes be+&s;yde the &s;ence of y^e prayer. But &s;o it is that euery man &s;holde e&s;chewe and put from hym at all tymes / but moo&s;t &s;pecially in tyme of prayer vnfruytfull and vn+profitable thoughtes / and kepe his mynde &s;tedfa&s;tly as moche as he may vpon good &s;piritual thoughtes
<PB REF="27"> but as I &s;uppo&s;e there is none more &s;pu~all / nor more fruytfull than is y^e medytacyon of y^e wou~des of Cry&s;t wherfore I wyll councel you y^t be vnlerned &amp; &abper;ceyue not the lyterall &s;ence of your prayer. &amp; al&s;o I holde it profytable for you y^t be lerned in the tyme therof to let your mynde be occupyed w^t the reme~braunce of the&s;e precious wou~des. If ye thus do / tha~ &s;hall ye exclude the vayne &amp; vnprofytable cogitacio~s of worldly thyn+ges. Than &s;hall ye be moche quyet in your &s;oules fro te~ptacio~s of your gho&s;tly enmyes. Tha~ &s;hal ye be fer+ue~t in deuocio~. And than &s;hall ye offre vp to god your prayer more odoriferous / more &s;wete / &amp; more accepta+ble to hym / than is the fragrau~t fume of incen&s;e.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="11" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para;How after prayer wyl folow te~ptacyo~s of vay|neglory. And how they may be e&s;chewed &amp; auoy|ded by dyuers remedyes. Ca. xi.</HEAD>
<P>_SHortly after this maner of deuout prayer or els in y^e tyme therof your gho&s;tly enmy wyl be be&s;y to tempt you to y^e vyce of vay+neglory / &amp; &s;o (yf he ca~) cau&s;e you not onely to le&s;e y^e merite of your deuout prayer / but al&s;o be&s;yde y^t greuou&s;ly to offende god / by the rea&s;on of this dete&s;table &s;yn~e. wherfore it is nedeful to be cyr+&s;pect. &amp; wha~ ye &abper;ceyue your &s;elf to be a&s;&s;ayled w^t &s;uch te~ptacyo~s anone mekely &s;ubdue your &s;elf to god / vn|feynedly knowlegyng y^t yf ye haue prayed deuoutly it is your duty &s;o to do. And yet be nothi~g able &s;o to do as of your &s;elf / but onely it cometh of y^e grete goodnes &amp; grace of almyghty god. That we can do nothyng y^t good is / as of our &s;elfe doth wytnes &s;aynt Poule &s;ay|eng.
<PB REF="27"> No~ &s;ufficie~tes &s;umus. &amp;c.<NOTE PLACE="marg">ii. co. iii.</NOTE> we be not &s;uffycie~t as of our &s;elfs to thynk ony good thought / but all our &s;uf+fycie~cy is of god. That all thynge y^t is good cometh of y^e grace of god it appereth wel by y^e wordes of y^e &s;ame apo&s;tle in another place where he &s;ayth that he hath take~ more labour in &abpre;chynge y^t worde of god tha~ all y^e other apo&s;tles. But than he quyckly &s;omthi~g w^tdra|wi~g the&s;e wordes &s;ayth. No~ ego: &absed; gr~a dei mecu~. It was not I. but it was the grace of god w^t me. Ryght &s;o my fre~des wha~ ye be te~pted to vaynglory / eyther for &s;ayng of your prayers deuoutly / or for doyng ony other good dede / quickly make an&s;wer to your go&s;tly enmy / &s;ayng w^t &s;ai~t Poule. It was not I y^t dyd this good dede / but it was the grace of god w^t me. And by this meane keping your &s;elfs in mekenes / y^t is to &s;ay Hertely knowlegyng y^t no goodnes cometh of our &s;elf but it cometh of y^e mercy of god / ye &s;hal not onely haue the meryte of your deuout prayer / but al&s;o ye &s;hal de+&s;erue a crown in heue~ for y^e vyctory of your go&s;tly en|my / by re&s;i&s;ting of his te~ptacio~s. But it fortuneth ma+ny tymes y^t wha~ a ma~ hath by the grace of god &amp; &s;u|che m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters">nes as I haue now &s;ayd / re&s;y&s;ted a te~ptacio~ of vaynglory. by &amp; by there foloweth an other te~ptaci|on to y^e &s;ame vyce more &s;ubtylly &amp; moch more craftely than dyd the fyr&s;t. For wha~ a ma~ hath re&s;i&s;ted one te~|ptacio~ of the &s;ayd vaynglory / the deuyl wyll be redy ca&s;t in y^e mynde of the re&s;i&s;tent / y^t he hath done a noble acte / &amp; y^t he is worthy to haue a grete rewarde of god with &s;uche other flateryng cauyllacio~s / y^e whiche be more peryllous than the fyr&s;t. And after the&s;e yf they be re&s;y&s;ted / &abper;adue~ture he wyl multyply mo / in &s;o mo+che y^t he wyll trouble the deuout man &s;o &s;ore y^t he &s;hal
<PB REF="28"> vnnethe know what is be&s;t for hym to do. but I wyl aduy&s;e euery &s;wete &s;oule to be of good co~fort / &amp; &s;trong in god / takynge &s;uche importune temptacyons as a &s;courge or flagellacyon for his &s;ynnes pa&s;t / in y^e whi|che he hath greuou&s;ly offended almyghty god. And thogh he be &s;ore troubled therwith / yet let hym euer haue a con&s;tant purpo&s;e to re&s;y&s;te / as moche as &s;hall lye in hym / makynge the &s;ygne of the cro&s;&s;e in his for heed / and callyng to remembrau~ce the ble&s;&s;ed woun|des of our &s;auyour Ie&s;u chry&s;t. And than call to hym &s;ayng as dyde his dy&s;cyples. Mathei octauo. whan they were troubled with tempe&s;tes vpon the water Domine &s;alua nos: perimus. Saue vs good lorde / or elles we &s;hall pery&s;&s;he. &para;He that wyl thus do / let hym tru&s;t &s;urely to haue remedy. And truely he &s;hall not fayle therof / but quickely he &s;hal be delyuered fro the ieopardous tempe&s;t of temptacyon. or elles haue grace / &s;trength / &amp; paciently to &s;uffre them. And after this lyfe gloryfyed in the kyngdome of heuen. For he &s;ayth by the mouthe of his prophete. P&s;almo. lxxxx. Quonia~ in me &s;perauit: liberabo eu~. &amp;c. Bycau&s;e he tru&s;teth in me I wyll delyuer hym. I wyll defende hym bycau&s;e he dyd know my name. He cryed on me and I &s;hall graciou&s;ly here hym. I am w^t hym in his trybulacion / from the whiche I &s;hall take hym &amp; glo+ryfy hym. &para;Al&s;o the apo&s;tle &s;aynt Paule in his fyr&s;t epy&s;tle vnto the Corynthyens &s;peketh to the con&s;ola+cyon of &s;uche per&s;ones that be moche troubled with te~ptacyons &s;ayng. Hidelis aute~ deus. &amp;c. Almighty god is faythfull the whiche wylt not &s;uffre vs to be tempted forther than he wyll gyue vs grace for to re+&s;y&s;t. But in tyme of temptacyo~ he wyll gyue you gra+ce
<PB REF="28"> to re&s;y&s;t / &amp; al&s;o torne it to your grete &s;pyrytuall pro+fyte. &para;Al&s;o &s;aynt Bernard &s;ayth in his fyfth &s;ermon de quadrage&s;ima. Sub te e&s;t o homo appetit&abus; tu&abus;. &amp;c O man / &s;ayth he: thyn appetyte is vnder thyn owne gouernau~ce / and thou art y^e lord of it. Thy enmy may moeue thy to temptacyons / but it is in thy lybertie whyther thou wylte con&s;ente or not. whan he tem|pteth the to pryde / vaynglory / glotony / vanite / impa+cyence / lechery / or ony &s;uche other / loke y^u do not con|&s;ent. And as ofte as thou doe&s;t re&s;y&s;t / &s;o oft thou &s;halt be crowned w^t crownes of glorye. to the which bryng vs / be that on the cro&s;&s;e dyed for vs. Amen.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="12" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para;How the fynall intent of our prayers &s;hold be the laude &amp; pray&s;e of god. And how he may law|fully de&s;yre in prayer all other thynges nece&s;&s;a|ryly referrynge them to this ende. Ca. xij.</HEAD>
<P>_IT plea&s;ed almighty god of his infynit good+ne&s;&s;e to creat &amp; make man to his ymage and &s;ymilytude y^t he &amp; his po&s;teryte myght &s;up|ply the places in heuen / fro whens / Lucyfer w^t his adherentes dyde fall for theyr pryde. for the ende y^t they may perpetually giue laudes and pray&s;e to theyr maker w^t the gloryo&abus; au~gels in heuen wherfore my deuout frendes we &s;holde refer our pra+yers: &amp; all other good dedes y^t we &s;hall haue grace for to do fynally to this ende. Not with&s;ta~dyng we may lawfully de&s;yre in our prayers all thynges nece&s;&s;ary and expedyent bothe to our &s;oules / and al&s;o to our bo|dyes. Hauynge euer in purpo&s;e the fynall intent / of y^e whiche I &s;pake before. After the mynde of the &s;wete and mellyfluous doctour holy &s;aynt Bernard &s;aynge
<PB REF="29"> in his &s;ermon before &s;ayd. All thinges y^t we nede to de+&s;yre in prayer / may be co~clude in .iij. peticio~s. Of the whiche one perteyneth to y^e body / another to y^e &s;oule / the .iij. to y^e beatitude of the lyfe eternal. In y^e fyr&s;t pe|ticion y^t perteyneth to y^e body of man we may lawfull+ly de&s;yre of god all thynges y^t be nece&s;&s;ary therto / as meate / drynke / &amp; clothes: w^t &s;uche other / by y^e which we may be y^e better &s;u&s;teyned in holy &s;eruyce. In y^e &s;e+conde peticion we may de&s;yre in prayer all thyng ne|ce&s;&s;ary for our &s;oules: as for grace &amp; vertues. &amp;c. &amp; for the&s;e we &s;holde pray oft / deuoutly / &amp; feruently. In y^e thyrde peticio~ we &s;holde de&s;yre w^t all affeccio~ &amp; loue to haue the lyfe eternall. For the ende (as I &s;ayd before) y^t we may vncea&s;yngly laude &amp; pray&s;e y^t magnyfice~t lorde / y^t dyde create &amp; make vs to his lykenes. But in the&s;e. iii. peticio~s it is nece&s;&s;ary to ob&s;erue .iii. thi~ges. For in the fyr&s;t many tymes there is &s;u&abper;fluite / in y^e &s;e+co~de impurete / &amp; in the .iij. elacyon or pryde. For oft ty+mes we de&s;yre to haue &s;uper fluite &amp; more than is ne|ce&s;&s;ary of te~porall thynges. And &s;o~tyme we de&s;yre to haue vertues y^t we may make o&s;te~tacyo~ / or ho&s;te our &s;elfs therein. And &abper;adue~ture &s;o~tyme we &s;eche how to obteyne y^e lyfe eternall. Not w^t humylyte &amp; mekenes but w^t a fals co~fidence in our own meries or de&s;eruin+ges. Therfore we mu&s;t take hede whan we pray for te~poral thynges y^t we de&s;yre no more but as nece&s;&s;ite requyreth. wha~ we pray for vertues y^t we may be fre+fro i~purete / y^t is to &s;ay y^t we de&s;yre not vertues to ma|ke o&s;tentacyon &amp; bo&s;tyng therof. And whan we pray for y^e lyfe eternall / y^t we nothyng pre&s;ume of our own merytes or de&s;eruynges: but onely on the grete mer|cy &amp; goodnes of god. &para;And to my purpo&s;e y^t we &s;hold
<PB REF="29"> referre all the&s;e fynally to the laude &amp; pray&s;e of him y^t dyde create &amp; make vs / it appereth well by the wor|des of &s;aynt augu&s;tin i~ his .x. omelye where he &s;ayth y^t no true cry&s;tyan &s;holde de&s;yre to haue all te~porall &amp; tran&s;itory thinges. But all the effect of his intencion &amp; prayer &s;holde be y^e eternall beatitude where as he maye laude &amp; pray&s;e his creatour &amp; maker &abper;petually w^t all glorious &s;ayntes. And whan it plea&s;eth god to gyue vs te~porall goodes accordynge to our prayers / tha~ &s;hold we gyue him due tha~kes for the~ / &amp; whan it plea&s;eth him to take the~ fro vs: yet neuertheles &s;hold we thanke him. And in this parte kepe vs indiffere~t to be co~tendted whan it &s;hall plea&s;e him to take the~ fro vs. but lete vs pray deuoutly / hertely / in&s;tau~tly y^t he neuer take him him&s;elfe nor his grace fro vs.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="13" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para;For whome we &s;holde pray. Ca. xiii.</HEAD>
<P>_IT is a laudable cu&s;tom in y^e chirche of Cry&s;t to pray for thre &s;tates or degrees: in y^e whi|che be co~teyned &s;uche &abper;&s;ones for whome it is nece&s;&s;ary to pray. That is to &s;ay y^e &s;piritual|te the temporalte / &amp; the &s;oules in purgatory. The chirche dooth not co~maunde vs to pray for them y^t be in heue~ / for they haue no nede therof. Nor for the y^t be in the paynes of hell / for to the~ prayer can not pro fyte. But we &s;holde pray for the~ y^t be in this worlde ly+uinge / &amp; for the &s;oules y^t be in purgatory. &para;Fyr&s;t we &s;holde pray for the &s;piritualte / as for our holy fader y^e pope w^t all his &s;ubgectes: myni&s;tres of the chirche / &amp; &s;pecially for y^e by&s;hop our dyoce&s;an / &amp; &s;uche as vnder him hath y^e cure of our &s;oules: Seco~darily we &s;holde
<PB REF="30"> pray for the te~poralte / &amp; &s;pecially for y^e kynges grace / w^t all &s;uche y^t vnder him be rulers &amp; gouerners of the realme. And in this parte euery man (yf he be of y^e te|poralte) ought pricipally to pray for him&s;elf. And yf he be of y^e &s;pu~alte lykewi&s;e to do in y^t parte / &amp; than for his parentes: kyn&s;folkes: &amp; bn~fanctours / &amp; than gene+rally for all other chri&s;tianes: bothe good and bad (as &s;ayth &s;aynt Augu&s;tyn in y^e begynnyng of his thyrde &s;ermo~ on y^e .xij. &s;onday after y^e trynite.) For the good y^t they may &abpro;fyte &amp; encreas in goodne&s;&s;e. For the bad y^t they may haue grace to amende. &para;Al&s;o well done it is to pray for heretykes &amp; infydels: y^t they may haue grace to for&s;ake theyr errours &amp; infidelite / &amp; be reco~&s;y|led &amp; brought to y^e veryte of cry&s;ten fayth. &amp; Be&s;ydes the&s;e our &s;auiour cyry&s;t byddeth vs pray for our enmy+es y^t do &abper;&s;ecute and trouble vs. And &s;urely &s;o we haue grete cau&s;e. For yf we take theyr per&s;ecuryons pacy|ently for y^e loue of god / they &s;hall gretely augme~t &amp; en|creas our crownes &amp; rewardes in heue~. Now to ma+ke a &s;hort co~clu&s;ion in this parte / we &s;holde pray gene+rally for all thynges nece&s;&s;ary to be prayed for.</P>
<P>&para;Thyrdly we &s;hold pray for y^e &s;oules y^t ben in y^e pay+nes of purgatory / &amp; therfore it is wryte~.<NOTE PLACE="marg">i. machab. i</NOTE> Scta~ ergo &amp; &s;alubris cogitacio. &amp;c. It is an holy &amp; a hol&s;o~ thought to pray for y^e &s;oules y^t be deed / y^t they may be delyue|red fro~ payne infilicte for theyr &s;ynnes. And &s;aynt Au+gu&s;tyn &s;ayth in his .xliiij. &s;ermon ad fr~es in Heremo. Ora ergo &abpro; defu~ctis. &amp;c. Pray for y^e &s;oules of the~ y^t be deed. And wha~ they come to y^e lyfe eternall / they wyl not forgette to pray for you. But it the&s;e dayes there be many heretykes y^t &s;aye and affyrme that there is no purgatory / in the whiche the &s;oules of them that then
<PB REF="30"> departed fro this lyfe be purged fro the fylthne&s;&s;e of &s;yn~e. But anone as they departe they go eyther to he+uen or to hell. I myght bryng in dyuers auctorytees of holy &s;crypture to confute this fal&s;e opynyon w^t / but as now I wyll lete them pa&s;&s;e / partely bycau&s;e that|of late catholycall &amp; grete famous clerkes in theyr bo+kes lately compyled: hath confuted &s;uche opynyons moche more &s;trongly than my &s;ymple lerning is able to do. And partely bycau&s;e it was my purpo&s;e in y^e be+gynnyng to wryte this poore treaty&s;e as an erudici|on of prayer to &s;uche as haue but &s;mall or none vnder &s;ta~dyng in holy &s;crypture / &amp; not as a co~futacion of he+retykes. But I wyll be&s;eche you all my &s;pu~all fre~des for whome I haue taken this laboure / in the bly&s;&s;ed woundes of our &s;auyour Ie&s;u Cry&s;te / yf ye here any &abper;&s;ones &s;peke eyther of this / or of any &s;uche other fal&s;e erronyous opynions: that ye gyue to them no creden+ce / nor argue ye not with them in the cau&s;e yf they be lerned &amp; pe vnlerned / le&s;t peradue~ture they myght &s;e+duce your intellygence by &s;ubtyll argumentes: appe+ryng to your naturall rea&s;o~ as they were true / wha~ it is the contrary. But rather withdrawe your &abpre;&s;en|ce fro theyr co~pany / dy&s;cu&s;&s;ing nothyng in your myn+de that excedeth your lernyng / but mekely and &s;tedfa+&s;tly beleue as the chyrche of Cry&s;t dooth in&s;truct you And as holy doctours and &s;ayntes in&s;pyred with the holy goo&s;t hath left here behinde the~ on this erthe for our erudicion. &para;I wyll &s;peke nomore of this matter now / but torne agayne to my purpo&s;e / de&s;yring you ouer in your deuout prayers to reme~ber the &s;oules in purgatory &amp; &s;pecially y^e &s;oules of your pare~tes kin&s;|folke and frendes / and benefactours. And of youre
<PB REF="31"> benigne charite for tho&s;e &s;oules y^e whiche I your poo+re &s;eruau~t &amp; beedman am moo&s;t bounden to pray for. And generally for all y^e &s;oules in purgatory / y^t it wyll plea&s;e almyghty god of his infynyte mercy to relea&s;e the~ fro theyr paynes &amp; take the~ to his grete glory and ioye / y^e whiche y^e &s;ame god omnipote~t grau~t to vs all immedyatly after y^t we departe fro this lyfe. Amen.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="14" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>&para;How he y^t wyll haue his prayer a&s;cende to god mu&s;t make it .ij. wynges. Ca. xiiij.</HEAD>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">er. lx. de<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">or<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE>_SAynt Augu&s;tin &s;ayth y^t who &s;o euer wyll haue his prayer fle or a&s;cend to god / mu&s;t &abpre;pare for it .ij. winges: y^t is to &s;ay / fa&s;ting &amp; almes dedes. And &s;aynt Bernard in his fourth &s;ermon vpon y^e epiphany of our lor|de affirmeth y^e &s;ame / callyng the&s;e .ij. wynges afflyc|cion of the fle&s;&s;he / &amp; co~te~pt or dy&s;py&s;yng of the worlde And though the&s;e .ij. doctours differ in y^e wordes: yet do they co~corde in the &s;ignificacion of the~. For fa&s;tyng is an afflyccion or puny&s;&s;heme~t of y^e fle&s;&s;he / &amp; gyuing almes is a dy&s;pi&s;ing of the worlde. For ye &s;hall &s;e but fewe men y^t hath grete affeccion &amp; loue to the goodes of the worlde y^t wyll v&s;e moche to gyue almes. But y^e le&s;&s;e affeccion y^t a man hath to worldly godes: y^e more large wyll he be in gyuynge almes. The&s;e doctours do &s;ay y^t whan a deuout prayer hath the&s;e .ij. winges it wyll fle into heue~ &s;wyftly / and there w^tout doubt it &s;hal gracyou&s;ly be herde. wherfore I wyll exhort eue+ry deuout &abper;&s;one dy&s;cretely to v&s;e fa&s;tyng &amp; gyuing of almes. But &abper;chau~ce &s;ome ma~ wyl &s;ay to me. I am ae+ged or gretely di&s;ea&s;ed w^t infyrmytees &amp; &s;ekene&s;&s;e y^t I
<PB REF="31"> may not fa&s;t. Al&s;o I am &s;o poore y^t I am not able to gi+ue almes / how tha~ &s;holde I &abpre;pare the&s;e .ij. wynges for my prayer? &para;As to y^e fyr&s;t I make this an&s;were &s;ayng / y^e ab&s;tine~ce &amp; fa&s;ting was not ordeyned for &s;u|che as be of grete aege / nor for &s;uche as be moche vex+ed w^t infyrmytees. But it was ordeyned for &s;uche &abper;&s;o|nes as be lu&s;ty &amp; &s;tronge to &s;ubdue &amp; cha&s;ty&s;e y^e &s;u&abper;flu+ous fyer&s;nes of y^e fle&s;&s;he / y^t by y^e meanes therof y^e &s;en&s;u+all appetites may be y^e better &s;ubgected vnto rea&s;on. Wherfore yf you y^t be aeged or vexed w^t i~firmitees ha|ue a good mynd to fa&s;t if ye were able therto. I doubt not but almighty god wyl accept your good wyl / as yf ye dyde &abper;forme y^e thing in dede. This I &s;peke of cor+porall ab&s;tinence or bodyly fa&s;tyng. But there is ano+ther called &s;pu~all ab&s;tine~ce: / y^t is to ab&s;tene fro vyces &amp; &s;yn~es / in y^e whiche a ma~ hath ben accu&s;tomed by a+long &s;ea&s;on. He y^t is olde or &s;eke may kepe this ab&s;tyne~+ce / as wel or better than he y^t lu&s;ty &amp; &s;trong. And this euery true cry&s;ten man is bounde to kepe as wel the olde as the yong / the &s;eke as y^e hole. The other y^t is to &s;ay corporall ab&s;tinence is ordeyned as for a meane or helpe to this. The other is good &amp; profitable for &s;uche as be able to kepe .ij. but this is y^e better &amp; more &abper;fite &amp; it &s;hold be ob&s;erued of euery &abper;&s;on. wherfore yf y^e olde &amp; &s;eke &abper;&s;ones kepe this ab&s;tine~ce in dede / &amp; the other in wyll / y^t is to &s;ay / y^t they wolde be glad to kepe it yf they were able / it is not to be feared but they do &s;uffy+cie~tly &abpre;pare this one wyng of prayer. And yf y^e other &abper;&s;ones y^t be lu&s;ty &amp; &s;trong in theyr bodyes do wy&s;ely &amp; di&s;cretely ob&s;erue bothe corporall &amp; the &s;pu~all ab&s;ty+ne~ce / tha~ do they al&s;o on theyr parte well &abpre;pare this one wynge of prayer. &para;As to the &s;econde where the
<PB REF="32"> &s;eke man &s;ayth he is &s;o poore that he is not able to gy+ue almes. I make this an&s;were / &s;ayng that (after y^e mynde of &s;aynt Augu&s;tyn) there is .ij.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ru<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">ia. xlii</NOTE> maner of almes the one is to forgyue the~ hertely y^t hath offended you Or (after &s;aynt Gregory) to gyue in&s;truccyon of <ABBR>vtu|es</ABBR> to them y^t be ignorant / to gyue councell to them y^t haue nede therof / to gyue co~&s;olacion to the~ y^t be co~fort+les / &amp; &s;o forth of other lyke. And this maner of almes he y^t is in pouerte (for te~poral goodes) maye gyue as largely as he y^t hath grete ryche&s;&s;e &amp; worldly &s;ub&s;tau~+ce. The other almes y^t &s;aynt Augu&s;tyn &s;peketh of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">is to gyue meate to y^e hongry / drynke to the thyr&s;ty / clo+the y^e naked. &amp;c. To giue this almes cou~celeth vs our lorde &s;pekyng by his prophete y&s;ay / where he &s;ayth. Frange e&s;urienti pane~ tuu~. &amp;c.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. lviii.</NOTE> that is to &s;ay. Breke thy brede to hym that is hongry. Gyue ho&s;pytalyte to the poore people y^t labour in iourney. And whan y^u &s;ee&s;t a man y^t is naked / giue him clothes. It belo~geth &s;pecially to y^e ryche man to gyue this almes / but not onely to hym. For the poore man y^t hath but lytell &s;ub+&s;tau~ce / yf he gyue parte of that w^t a good wyll he &s;hal haue as grete a rewarde of god / as the ryche man y^t gyueth grete &amp; large almes. And this appereth well by y^e wordes of our &s;auiour Cry&s;t in y^e go&s;pell of Luke where he &s;ayeth / y^t the poore woman y^t offred but .ij.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. xxi.</NOTE> mynutes: the whiche be a ferthyng / offred more tha~ all the ryche men dyde. And yet euery one of them by large gyftes dyde offer. And yf a man be &s;o poore y^t he hath nothyng / yet yf he haue onely a good mynde / &amp; wolde be glad for the loue of god to gyue almes yf he had worldly &s;ub&s;taunce / his mynde wyll be accepted for y^e dede. Now than it appereth will that euery ma~
<PB REF="32"> bothe poore and ryche may gyue almes both &s;piritu+ally and corporally as I haue before&s;ayd. wherfore my deuout frendes I wyll exhorte you to folowe the cou~cell of the holy man Choby / where he &s;ayth.<NOTE PLACE="marg">ca. iiii.</NOTE> Ex &s;ub&s;tantia tua fac elemo&s;ina~. &amp;c. Of thy &s;ub&s;taunce lo+ke that y^u gyue almes / &amp; torne not thy face away fro any poore man that dothe a&s;ke the / and tha~ our lorde wyll not torne his face fro the. Haue mercy and pyte on y^e poore / &amp; gyue to them almes as thy goodes wyl extende. If thou beryche &amp; haue grete &s;ub&s;taunce gy+ue than a large almes. If y^u haue but lytell yet gyue parte therof as thou maye&s;t / w^t a good wyll. If thou haue nothyng / yet at the lee&s;t loke that y^u haue a good mynde. This doyng thou &s;halt prepare for the a gre|te rewarde in y^e day of nece&s;&s;yte. For almes wyll dely+uer the from all &s;ynne / and from dethe y^t &s;hold folowe there vpon. And it wyll not &s;uffer this &s;oule to come in derkenes / but it wyll gyue the a grete hope &amp; tru&s;t of &s;aluacion / whan thou &s;halt appere to fore the face of god omnypotent. &para;Al&s;o vnto this exhorteth vs our may&s;ter Cry&s;t in y^e .xi. chapytre of Luke / &s;ayng. Da+te elemo&s;inam: et ecce omnia munda &s;unt vobis. Giue ye almes / and than all thinges be clene to you. For it is wryten. Elemo&s;ina re&s;i&s;tit peccatis.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle. iii.</NOTE> Almes doth re&s;i&s;t vyce and &s;ynne. wherfore it foloweth in the .vij. chapytre. Elemo&s;inamfacere ne de&s;picias.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ca. xxxi</NOTE> Dy&s;py&s;e not to gyue almes / but as it foloweth. Conclude ele+mo&s;inam in &s;inu pauperis. &amp;c. Pryuely put thyne al|mes in to the bo&s;om of the poore man / and tha~ it wyl pray for the to god. For as it is in the .iii. chapytre of y^e &s;ame boke. Sicut aqua extinguit igne~. &amp;c. Lyke as water dooth quenche y^e fyre / &s;o almes dooth quenche
<PB REF="33"> the payne ordeyned for &s;yn~e. wherfore my intierly be+loued fre~des I wyll aduy&s;e you to v&s;e oft tymes to gi+ue almes as I haue &s;ayd tofore. And tha~ ye &s;hall &abper;fy|tely make the &s;econde wynge of prayer. The whiche prayer &s;et about with the other wynge of ab&s;tynen|ce and this wyng of almes wyll a&s;cende &amp; fle quykly vnto the cele&s;tyall countre / &amp; there prepare for you a man&s;yon or dwellynge place / in the whiche ye &s;hall re&s;t perpetually / with all bly&s;&s;ed au~gels and &s;ayntes gyuyng reuerence &amp; honour / lande and pray&s;e vncea+&s;yngly / to the moo&s;t gloryous Trynite. Cui &s;it honor et gloria per infinita &s;ecula &s;eculorum. Amen.</P>
<TRAILER>&para;Thus endeth the treaty&s;e called y^e Pomander of prayer.</TRAILER>
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<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>&para;Imprented at London in the Fete&s;trete / at the &s;ygne of the Ro&s;e garlande / by Robert Coplande. The yere of our lorde. M.CCCCC.xxx. the .xxxi. day of October.</P>
<P><FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>printer's device of Robert Copland (McKerrow 77)</FIGDESC>
<HEAD>Robert Coplande.</HEAD>
</FIGURE></P>
<PB REF="33">
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