nat departe thoughe the disciples went from thens for she was so kindled in the fyre of loue she was so burned with a ferueÌ„t desyre she was so wounded with inpacient loue y t nothyng was pleasant to her but onely weapyng So that she myght well saye the wordes of the prophete Dauid Fuerunt mihi lacrime mee panes die ac nocte My teares ware to me my breade or meate bothe by the nyght and the day whan it was sayd to me dayly where is thy god She had lost her mayster whom she loued so syngulerly that besydes hym she could loue no body nor trust to them She was so drowned in his loue he was so moche in her mynde that in a maner she was inseÌ„sible to al other thyngê Whyles she thus weapt for the absence of Christes body she oftymes inclyned and bowed downe her body lokyng in to the sepulcre where as the body was leyd she had lost y e lyfe of her soule therfore she thought it better for her to dye than to lyue for she peraduenture deynge myght fynd hym whome she myght nat fynde lyuyng And thus weapyng I say she loked oftymes into y e graue for as saynt Gregorie sayth It is nat sufficient for a louer to loke ones for the feruour of loue encreaseth the desyre of searchyng or lokyng And at last whan she so loked she dyd se with her bodely yen .ii. Angels sittyng in whyt garmeÌ„tê which sayd to her why dost thou weap thou hast no cause to weape but rather to ioye of Christes Resurrection he is nat here he is arysen Than she supposyng that they ware men and nat Angels sayd to them shewyng the cause of her weapyng they haue takeÌ„ away my lorde and I knowe nat where they haue put hym for she se the stone takeÌ„ away and therfore she thought that somme other body had stollen the body of Christ and borne it to somme other place And whan Mary Magdalen dyd thus contynue in her sorowe and weapynge and nothynge regardynge the Angels her mooste louynge mayster Christe coulde absente hym selfe no lengar from her Than she turned her selfe about that she myght se Iesus for byfore that her backe was towarde hym and that was to signifie y e doutfulnes of her soule for she belyued nat that he was rysen from death vnto lyfe therfore her backe was towarde the face of our lorde But yet for asmoche as she loued hym thoughe she douted of his Resurrection therfore she dyd se hym and dyd nat knowe hym She se hym but nat in his glorious forme or body for as yet she dyd nat belyue that he was rysen And so he appered to her after that maner in his body as he was in her mynde and soule And than Iesus sayd to her Mulier quid ploras quem queris woman why weapest thou whome dost thou seach he doth nat aske this of any ignorance but y t hearyng her answer he myght more conueniently instructe her in the fayth And as saynt Gregory sayth He asked the cause of her sorowe to kyndle and augment or encrease her loue and desyre that whaÌ„ she shuld name hym whom she loued her loue shuld be more ferueÌ„t towardes hym And note here that Iesus appered to her in the likenes of a gardiner that very conueniently For he was to her a spiritual gardyner for he labored to plucke out the thornes and weades of infidelite and vices and to sow and plante in the garden of her soule the grene seades of fayth and vertue by the vertue of his feruent loue Suche office suche operation suche exercise and suche interpretacion of her name is conuenient for begynners or penitentes For it is coÌ„uenient that a penitent vse hym selfe as a gardyner that is that he pull out by the rootes al vices and plante in his soule vertues and also that he haue contricion accordyng to the fyrst interpretacion of this name Maria As we shewed in the chapitre next byfore this And than this blyssed woman as in a maner dronke in loue answered to Iesus as to a gardyner Domine si tu sustulisti eum dicito mihi êªc Syr if thou hast takeÌ„ hym away tell me wher he is that I may go and take hym A meruelous boldnes of this womaÌ„ for she was nat afrayd of y e syght of a deed body and wold also attempte to beare a deed cors the which far passed her power But she thought that she could do it for there is nothyng to hard to a louyng soule And than our lorde Iesus hauyng coÌ„passion of her great sorowe and willyng no lenger to suffre her to weape called her by her proper name Bifore that he called her by a coÌ„meÌ„ name sayng mulier womaÌ„ thaÌ„ she knewe hiÌ„ nat but now whaÌ„ he said Maria furthwith she was turned both hert soule as she was byfore turned iÌ„ body as a good shepe knew y e voice of her and so she reuyued sayd to hym with vnspekable ioy O Raboni O mayster for so she was wont to call hym byfore his passion y u art he whome I saught and anon she ranne to hym and fallynge downe to his feet with great loue and deuocion wold haue embrased them and kyssed them as she was wont to do byfore by an vnperfyte affection to his manhode but our lorde as a spirituall gardyner willyng to plante true fayth in her hert and to lyft vp her soule to his godhed and heuenly thynges sayd to her Noli me tangere touche nat me in that erthly maner with thy bodely handes whome as yet thou hast nat touched with true fayth of hert And so he enstructe her in the true fayth of his godhed and resurrection Let vs now lerne of this Mary to loue Iesus to trust in hym to seache hym without ceasyng to feare none aduersities to receyue no consolacion or coÌ„forth but in Iesus to despise al thynges but Iesus A prayer O Moste swete mayster o moste swete Iesu howe good art thou to them that be clene in hert howe swete art y u to them that loue the. O howe happy ar they that seache the and fynde the howe blyssed ar they that trust in the It is truth that thou louyst all them that loue the thou neuer forsakest them that trust in the lo lord this Mary thy true louer of a good siple mynd she saught the and truly she fouÌ„d the she was not forsaken of the but she had more of the than she looked for I beseach the lorde graunt me to loue the to seache the and to trust in the y t I may deserue to fynde the and to be loued of the and neuer to be forsaken of the. Amen ¶ Howe Iesus appered to his disciples Thomas beyng also present The .vii. Chapitre THe .viii. day of his Resurection our lorde Iesus appered to his disciples Thomas beyng preseÌ„t with them For the fyrst day of his
the Iues that they of theyr owne auctoritye wolde bynde Christe nor yet conuicte before the iudge thoughte that they hadde some greate cause agaynst Christe and therfore he asked of them what cause they layde agynste hym And then they answered Si non esset hic malefactor non tibi tradidissemus eum If this persone were not a mysordred lyuer we wolde not haue delyuered hym to the As if they hadde sayde after Symon de Cassya we be not moued of enuye nor yet styrrede of haytred Nor yet we haue bene hastye in this dede before that we delyuered hym to the we dyscussed hys cause we se his euyll dedes we knowe his myscheuous tongue there is nothynge that compellethe vs to delyuer hym vnto the to be iudged coÌ„dempned by the but his euyl dedes Also addyng this we haue examined him in our wise and lerned counsell and there we haue founde hym worthy to dye wherfore it is not nedeful to haue any further examinacyon Thus these malicyous Iues dyd iustify them self before the iuge that they myght the more spedely coÌ„dempne the innocent Pilate soÌ„what moued or despleased with theyr answere bicause he knew that they accused Christ for enuy onely that they had to Christe and therfore thynkyng that they wold not shewe what cause they had against hym for bycause he had offended against theyr law therfore I sayd Pilate wold not punish him but remitted hym to theyr punisshmeÌ„t which was onely to be beaten not to inner deth And so Pylate sayd to them Accipite eum vos et secuÌ„dum legem vestram iudicate eum Take you christ and iudge him after your lawe as if he shuld say If your examinacyon be sufficient then iudge you hym and condempne hym for I wyll condempne no man without a cause proued before me And this also he spake mockynge them for he knewe well that they myght condempne no man to deth then the Iues sayd to hym Nobis non licet interficere quemquam we may sley no man for that auctoritie was taken from them by the emperour of Rome And here sayth saynte Austen If he be so a mischeuous person as ye say why may ye not sley hym if ye may not sley hym for your solempne feeste of pasche why do ye crye and saye crucifye hym crucifye hym Pylate perceyuing by theyr wordes that they wold not be coÌ„tent with any small punisshement of Chryste but that they wolde haue hym slayne he wolde nedes heare the cause why he shulde dye And then they perceyued that Pylate was angrye began to accuse Chryste falsely in many thynges of the whiche onelye thre we rede in Luke And so the Iues sayde Hunc inuenimus subuertentem gentem nostram c. we founde thys persone subuertynge our people from our lawe Also forbyddyng the peple to pay tribute to the emperoure And saynge hym selfe to be Chryste and our kynge But these accusacyons were al false And therfore they sayde Inuenimus we haue founde hym for that was onely in theyr owne malicyous hartes for it was not truthe in dede but onelye theyr owne ymagynacyon and inuencyon For he whiche came to fulfyll the lawe and not to breke it dyd not subuert the people from y e lawe Nor he dyd not subuert them but rather coÌ„uerted them to goodnes whom he taught y e truth nor he dyd forbyd y e people to pay tribute to y e emperour for he said openly pay or reÌ„der tho thyngê to y e emperour whiche be his and gyue to god that apperteyneth to hym â–ª And also he payd tribute for hym selfe and also for Peter and where he sayd hym selfe to be Christe the kynge he sayd truthe but yet he wolde not take vpon hym his kyngdome in this worlde and so he was falsely accused and that not withstandynge he wolde not answere one worde for his excuse And therfore Pylate sayd to hym Non audis quanta aduersum te dicunt testimonia Doyst not thou heare what and howe many accusacyons they brynge agaynst the And Iesus answeredâ— not one word in the presence of the Iues in so moche that Pylate moche merueyled therat And specyally seynge that the Iues vnresonably and with great turmoyle and with importunitye requyred his death but Christ for all that wolde not answer remembrynge the sayenge of the wyseman Vbi non est auditus non effundes sermonem Speake not where as is no conuenient audience Then Pylate entred in to the motehall bycause he myght more quietely examyn hym frome the turmoyle and noyse of the people and there lityll regardynge the firste accusacyon whiche was concernyng theyr lawe nor yet the seconde accusacyon for he reputed that to be false for parauenture he had hard before howe Christ said gyue to the emperour that is his therfore he onely examined hym in the thyrde cause saynge Tu es â—ex iudeorum Arte thou the kyng of Iues as if he shulde say is it true that the Iues saye of the that thou woldest vsurpe and take vpon the the name of a kynge contrarie to the decree and statute of the emperour of Rome for the emperour had taken froÌ„ the Iues y e name of a kyngdome that they shulde haue no kyng and that was to breke theyr pryde and to take from them all occasyon of rebellyon Then Iesus said to Pylate A temetipso hoc dicis an alii tibi dixeruÌ„t de me Spekes thou this of thyne own mynd or other persons haue spoken this to the of me shewyng by these wordes y t Pylate dyd not folowe the order of y e lawe as if he shuld say if thou knowe y t I haue taken vpon me the name of a kyng shew openly y e signes or actes of my rebellyon if onely thou herest this of oder ê‘sons make ordynary inquisition cause theÌ„ to bryng in witnes Then pylate answered I am no Iue and therfore I speke it not of my self thy people thy bisshoppê haue delyuered y e vnto me whiche shulde defeÌ„ce the but it semeth that y u hast greatly offeÌ„ded theÌ„ that they so obstinatly do accuse the what hast y u done Iesus answered RegnuÌ„ meuÌ„ noÌ„ est de hoc muÌ„do my kyngdom is not of this world so he denyes not to be a kyng for he is y e kyng of kingê and lorde of lordes if my kyngdome were of this worlde my ministres and seruantes wolde feyght for me defend me then Pylate said Ergo thou arte a kynge And Iesus answered Tu dicis Thou sayst so as if he sayd it is as thou sayst for I am a kynge and that thou shuldest knowe the condicyon of my kyngdome for that cause I was borne temporally into this worlde and for that cause I came into this worlde that I might bere testimony and witnes to the truthe and who so euer is the chylde or louer of truth he hereth my voyce Of these wordes
we maye take that there be .ii. thynges requyred to the kyngdom of Christ the first is truth y t it be hard and the second is obedience that is y t the truth herd be fulfylled Then Pylate sayd Quid est veritas what is truth Pilate dyd not here inquire the diffinition of truth but what is that vertue of truth thorough whose perticipation and vertue men be taken and made of the kyngdom of god The solution of this question Pylate wold not abyde to here for seynge that he was not of the kyngdom of christ nor wold intricate hym self with spuÌ„all thynges therfore he had no cure or desire to here it and also he cared not for it bycause he shuld shortly coÌ„dempne the truth And also bycause he herd a great murmur trouble of the people without forth feryng some busynes or insureccyon bycause he differred y e deth of Christ so longe and for these causes he hasted hym to the Iues and sayd to them Ego nullam causam inuenio in homine isto I fynde no cause of deth in this man Here as Chrisostom saith Pylate dyd substancyally alledge for christ that he nother knewe or coulde fynd any cause of malice in hym And then the Iues for asmoche as they fayled in theyr proue for wante of resonable causes wolde haue preuayled by theyr multitude cryeng and at laste they brought agaynst hym this accusacyon He hath troubled al the people from Galilee vnto this cytye wyllynge so to aggrauate theyr accusacyon bycause it appared contrarie to the peace of the emperour vnder whome Pylate was the hyghe iudge in Hierusalem that therby Pylate shulde be the more moued agaynst Christe But you wycked Iues howe dyd he moue the people to sedicyon and warre that euer preached and taughte peace and came to make peace bytwixte god and man But spyrytually we maye saye that he moued the people and troubled them frome theyr synfull lyfe by hys holsome monicyon teachynge them the way of vertue and truth Of the whiche mocyon and also trouble the prophete Dauid sayethe Commouisti terram et conturbasti eam Thou hast thou hast moued the erth that is erthly persons and thou hast trobled it that is put them from theyr erthly and synfull lyfe cure and heale good lorde his woundes for he is moued to goodnesse and vertue And Pylate then herynge them speke of Galilee and knowynge that Iesus was of Galilee he sent hym to Herode as ye shall se in the next article ¶ A Lesson IN this article we may lerne this lesson that we shulde beware that we accuse not our sauiour Christ falsly or of false-thynges They accuse Christe of false thynges whiche impute or put any false thyng vpon hym as the Iues paganes and heretykes do For the Iues put vpon Christe that he was the naturall sonne of Ioseph the carpenter and that he was a gloton and a drynker of wyne that the deuyll was in hym and that he subuerted the people whiche all were false The paynyms impute to hym that he was a pure man and not god and that it was inpossible that god shuld be incarnate The heritykes put to christ that he had no true bodye but onely a fantasticall body and that he was no very true man but onely apparent c. There be other y t accuse god falsly as these euyl false christians which accuse god as the cause of theyr synnes saynge God hath made me of that compleccyon that I must nedes synne the constellation or coniunccyon of suche planetes or sterres made me to synne and god made the sterres therfore he made me to synne Thou dost falsly impute thy synne to god True it is that god made the sterres and also the of that compleccyon for he create all thynges and they were good But all these can not compell the to synne for it is onely the malice and frowardnes of thy wyll c. Also a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shulde remember how he that is the very truth dyd pacyently suffer to be falsly accused for vs that he myght founde and grounde vs in the truthe ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde for me be falsely accused in many false thynges before the iudge Pylate teache me to auoyde the disceyres of wicked men and truly to professe thy faith with good werkes Amen ¶ Howe Christ was sent to Herode The .xxiii. article THe .xxiii. article is the sendynge of Christe to Herode For whan Pylate herde that Iesus was a man of the countrye of Galilee and so vnder the power of Herode whiche was the captayne and the reuler of Galilee vnder the emperour hauynge this occasyon to delyuer his handê of Christe sent hym to herode whiche was the ruler of Galilee and at that tyme he was also in Hierusalem Pylate wyllynge herby to do honour vnto Herode that he beynge the capteyne of Galilee shulde delyuer or condempne Christe beynge a man of his countrye so wyllyng that euery man shulde be examined and iudged of his owne iudge accordyng to the lawes of the Romanes and whan Iesus was thus sent there was a greate coÌ„curse of people folowynge hym O blessed lady Marie howe wente thou in suche a multitude who helped the in that great thronge of people Surely thou was then the example of sorowe and heuynes to all that loueth the or Christe thy sonne and whan Herode dyd se Iesus he had greate ioye therof not that he thought to wynne ony thynge therby but for that he was curious to se a straunge man and suche a man whom he had longe desired to se that is from the decollacyon or behedyng of saint IohnÌ„ the Baptiste for that tyme Christe beganne to preache openly and to do many miracles whiche al Herode herynge was moch desirous to se hym and to se hym shewe some wonderous signe or miracle not for any deuocyon but for curiositie and to proue hym what he coulde do for he thought that Christe had ben a iugler or any gromancyer and for this cause he desired to se no miracle of our sauiour Iesus This sendynge is conueniently accompted amonges the articles of Christes passyon for it is a great displeasure for any man to be sent from one iudge to an other how moch more then was it paynfull to this most swete and innocent lambe our sauyour Iesu Herode asked of Christe many questyons as we shal se in the next article Also there were CC. passes from Pylates house vnto Herodes house by the whiche space bothe goynge and comynge he suffred many despytes and rebukes ¶ A Lesson IN this article we may lerne this lesson that is to suffer pacyeÌ„tly if we be shamfully sent from one iudge to an other for the loue of Christe seynge that our sauyour Iesus was so serued And specially religyous ê‘sons which shuld be the folowers of Christe shulde not be troubled if somtyme for obedience they be sent from
corrupte the trueth thoughe ye loue falshed And thoughe Pylate spake thus not knowynge the truth that he sayd yet that same was prophecied before by the prophet Dauid in the lvii psalme which speaketh of the passyon of Christ and diuers other before whiche haue this title or inscription Ne corrumpas tituli inscriptionem Destroy not or chaunge not the inscription of the title And therfore saynt Gregorie sayth this tytle was immutable not for that Pylate wrote it but for that the truthe sayde I am the kynge of Iues that is of the faythfull people and of suche as confesse knowlege god to be theyr lorde ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne that whan so euer we be inpugned or troubled by the deuyll lette vs flye to this title and lay it agaynst hym that is Iesus nazarenus rex iudeorum Iesus of Nazareth kynge of the Iues whiche is called the title of tryumphe or victorie for it manifestlye expressethe the victorie of Christe that he had agaynst the deuyll And therfore the deuyl perceyuynge this title fyxed vpon the crosse moued the Iues to requyre of Pylate that it myghte be chaunged but Pylate wold not as we sayd before And amonges all the actes of the passyon of Christe the deuyll most abhorreth and fereth this victorious title â–ª as the deuyll shewed and confessed to a certen deuoute persone by compulsyon in a certen visyon ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde be diffamed scornfully with the superscripcyon of the victorious title graunt to me that I may strongly lyfe and teyght vnder the banner and victorious title Iesus nazarenus rex iudeorum That my ghostlye enemyes afrayde by the syght or hearynge therof shuld not darre to come nyghe vnto me Amen The illusyon and mockynge of Christe crucifyed The .lvi. article THe .lvi. article is the mockynge of Christe crucified and here note that Christe was .viii. tymes mocked on good fryday Firste was in the house of Cayphas â— Seconde in the house of Herode Thyrde in the motehall of Pylate And the other v. was when Christe was vpon the crosse the first of them and the .iiii. in order was in the superscription of the title of y t which we spake in the last article an other was done of the men that passed by there as Christ was hyngynge vpon the crosse The thyrd was done by the princes scribes and seniours of the Iues. The .iiii. was done by the saugiours and of these .iii. last we shall speake in this present article Of the first of these .iii. which is the .v. in order the euangelist sayth Pretereuntes blasphemabant eum The people that passed by that waye dyd blaspheme Christe and this they dyd for .iii. causes as sayth Symon de Cassia First for theyr blyndnes and ignorance or want of knowlege of the truth and no meruell though they that passed by dyd blaspheme hym for they dyd not tarye or abyde to se and knowe the inuisible truthe so the Iues do passe by and do not abyde in the knowlege or searchynge of the scripture that therin they myghte fynde and knowe Christe thoughe Christe sayde to them Scrutamini scripturas Searche your scriptures for they beare witnes of me Secondly this was done spoken to shewe theyr incoÌ„stancy or instabilitie in good werkes for they passyng by do leaue or do not continue in good werkes before god as in meditacyon prayers werkes of charitie for the pure loue of god and so they pray not to god that he wolde lyghten theyr vnderstandyng that they myght fynde the founten of truth thoughe for a lytyll tyme they pray yet they do not continue for they be pretereuntes that is passyng by and not abydynge in any goodnes And thyrdly they shewe herby that they receyue not the prophet of his redemption for they passe by hym whome they haue crucifyed so that nother they haue compassyon of Christes paynes and passyon nor yet wyll take parte of the fruyte of our redemption which we haue by Christes passyon for they abyde not with hym but passe by mouyng or shakynge theyr heades vpon hym as if they had the palsey or trimblynge in theyr membres These .ii. last causes do morally toche those christians that wyll not gyue them to prayer to good werkes wherby they mighte obteyne the knowledge and the loue of god and also those that wyll not remember the passyon of Christe and therfore leese the fruyte therof for they passe by without fruyte mouynge theyr heades and saynge Vah qui destruis teÌ„plum dei et in triduo reedificas illud salua temetipsum Vah is an interiection of displeasur or of derisyon and vpbraydynge as they myght saye A strawe for the that wyll destroy the temple and in thre dayes buylde it agayne these folisshe people vsed or spake the same wordes that those false witnes spake before in Cayphas house O sayde they scornynge Christ if thou coulde do that that is destroy the temple and buylde it agayne in .iii. dayes why doste not thou saue thy selfe if thou be the sonne of god descende from the crosse and saue thy selfe And not onely those that passed by dyd thus blaspheme Christ but also the princes of the prestes mockynge hym with the scribes and seniours dyd say Alios saluos â—ecit seipsum non potest saluum facere And this is the seconde illusion of this article and the .vi. in order these princes and seniours sayde he saued other but he can not saue hym selfe And in these wordes as saynt Bede sayth they confesse thoughe they dyd not so intende that Christe saued other and so theyr owne sentence condempned them for if he saued other he mighte also haue saued hym selfe if it had pleased hym The seniours sayd farther Si rex israel est descendat nunc de cruce et credimus ei If he be the kyng of Israell let hym descende from the crosse where as he is fast nayled and then we wyll beleue to hym To these folisshe and blasphemous wordes as holy pope Leo saith all the elementes and in a maner all creatures make answere and with one senteÌ„ce condempne you for heuen erth the sonne the mone the sterres declaryng you to be vnworthy theyr ministery and seruyce do shew to all the worlde your malicyous blyndnes that wold not knowe your creatour and kynge and that they shewed I say by a terrible and ferefull erthquayke and by the eclipse of the sonne contrarie to the order of nature and with many other merueyles as we shall shewe herafter in the thyrde parte Morouer the scribes sayd Si filius dei es descende de cruce If thou be the son of god descende from the crosse I say to you ye shulde haue sayde thus bycause thou arte the sonne of god therfore thou wylte not descende from the crosse for thou was incarnate and toke our nature for that thou woldest be crucified and suffer deth for
kyssyng his wondes wherwith she culde not be saciate and what tyme the bodie was taken downe this blessed Lady toke his heade and his shulders in to her lappe and Mary Maglene toke his feet remembryng what grace and comforth she founde by them and all the residue that stode about greatly lamentyd and morned his death ¶ The lamentacion and mournyng of our Lady SAynt Bernard speakyng of this lamentacion of our Lady sayth She lifted vp her handes on height embrasynge and kyssynge the body of her sonne but her sonne dyd not embrase her agayne for his armes ware to stiffe or starke therunto And then that blessid virgyn seyng she culd haue none other solace dyd kysse with a great and faruent desire his woundes and the blode that ran from his woundes In so moch that the face of this sorowfull Lady was made all blodie with the blode of her sonne slayne which thyng in it selfe was very pitifull and moch lamentable to behold that is that so noble a bodie shuld be so shamefully entreated as though it had ben the most vile carion and yet in truth that bodie myght neuer fall to corrupcion for the godhed was continually ioyned therunto which keapte it from al corrupcion And for this cause this article is nowmbred among the articles of Christes passion though this bodye when it was deed felt no payne but yet this blessid virgyn at this time suffred the payne for she was there present with other deuote women And then Ioseph meakly desired our Lady that she wolde suffre y e body of her sōne to be anoynted and wrapped in the lynen clothes and so to be buried but she refusyd to be so shortly departed from her sonne when they wold haue buried hym she wold haue retayned hym and so there was a godly and a pitiouse cōtencion bitwixt them And at last though not gladly yet reuerently she suffred them to take the bodie at theyr pleasure Then this blessid virgyn weapt without comforth and so such aboundaūce of teares flowed from her ien that it myght be supposed ▪ that all her bodie ware turned to watre She washed her face with tearis and also the deed bodie of her sonne specially his woundes and also the stone vpon the which the bodie was layd when it as washed And it is sayd that her teares don yet appere and may be seen vpon y t same stone which is in the entraūce of the churche of the holy sepulcre She washed and dried his blody woūdes and kyssed them and oftymes she beheld his most holie face his woūdes and his heade and there she see the prickynges of the thornys and how the heare was pulled from his berde and also his heade she beheld his face I say how it was defoyled with blode and the spittynges of the Iues and so she culd not be saciat with seyng and weapyng her sorow myght be perceiued but it culd not be declared as it was but she felt it to the extremitie ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons THe fyrst lesson of this article is that the faythfull people receyuynge the bodie of our lorde in the sacrament of the aulcer be compared to them that toke hym of the crosse and it is more to take him in the sacrament of the aulter than downe from the crosse for they that toke hym of the crosse toke hym onely in there armes and handes but we receyue hym in to our mowthes and hertes And as they dyd weappe that bodye in a fayre lynon cloth so shulde we receyue hym in to a pure hert and clene conscience The secōd lesson is that when we be com to that perfection that we be deed to the world and to all synnes so that our bodie be deed as saynt Paule sayth of Abraham and Sara then we may sumwhat release of the rigor of our penaunce and crosse so our lorde wold not discend from his crosse in the tyme of his lyfe but when he was deed he suffred his body to be taken downe The thyrd lesson is that we shuld gladly take Christ of the crosse with Ioseph Aslong as the synner continueth in synne as moch as is in hym he byndeth Christe and nayleth hym fast to the crosse For our synnes ar the cause why Christ was crucified But as shortly as we be turned by true penaūce vnto christ we lowce him take him of the crosse and receyue hym bytwyxt our armes and hādys as Ioseph dyd And as ye see that he which hath an other man bitwixt his armes may doo with hym what it shall please hym if the other man resiste not so the penitent synner embrasing Christ in his armes of loue may doo with Christe and get of hym what so euer he requireth to his soules health For Christ wyll not resiste the penitēt For he is more redy to giue grace than the other is to receyue it And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld ofte remembre these lessons and pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me a wretched synner after thy death wold haue thy bodie taken downe from the crosse by Ioseph and Nicodemus and so be anoynted and dressed with swete oyntmētes and spices wold be wrapped in fayre lynen clothes graūt to me worthely to receyue thy blessed very leuyng bodie in the sacrament of the aulter as if I shuld take hym of the crosse and so to anoynte hym with the oyntmentes of vertues that I may continually keape hym in a pure hert and chaste bodie Amen ¶ Of the buriyng of Christes bodie the .lxv. Article THe .lxv. and the laste article is the buriynge of the bodie of Christ For after it was taken of the crosse and dressyd with spices and swete oyntmentes and also wrapped in fayre lynen clothes as we sayd before then they went aboute to bury hym And the time passing Ioseph meakely desired our Lady that she wold suffre the bodie to be buried before that the saboth day shuld entre for then it shuld be vnlawfull for them to doo any such labour or busynes And then our lady very gently and discreatly ordred hyre selfe to them and so crossyng and blessing that body though with great sorow yet reuerētly she suffred them to take the body and bury it And as the Euangelist sayth Erat in loco vbi crucifixus est ortus et in orto monumentum nouum c. In the place where Iesus was crucified there was a garden aud in that garden a new sepulcre or graue cut or hewen out of a rocke of stone and it apperteyned to the same Ioseph And in this new tumbe they buryed the bodie of Iesu And here sayth Simon de Cassia that Christ praynge dyed and after his death he was put in a garden that by his prayer and death there myght sprynge to vs the plantes of vertues of his inuisible garden and that therby we myght deserue to entre the garden of heuenly pleasures moch more pleasaunt than that
the nyght y t they myght more diligently cōsidre the heuenly mysteries ¶ Of the seconde Myracle THe seconde Myracle was cuttyng or rentyng of the vayle of y e temple which was immediatly after the death of Christ Of the which Mathew sayth thus Ecce velum templi scissum est in duas partes a summo vsque deorsum Behold the vale of the temple was rent in to .ii. partes fro the top vnto the bottom This vayle deuidyd the part of the temple that was called holye from that part which was called holiest of all as we myght say in our church it deuided the body of the church from the quere And this veyle was rent for many causes Fyrst for the contamination or as we say suspension of that holiest place of all other For where before no man myght entre in to it but the highe byshop ons in the yere now it was made open and so was gyuen to the power of the Romanys to be contaminate and defoiled by them Secondly for to signifie the reuelacion and declaring of misteries For as Origen sayth In the passion of our lord when the veyle was rent the secreat misteries was poblished and opened which vnto that tyme was reasonably hydde and couered Thyrdly for the separacion dispersion and diuision of the Iues. And hervnto saynt Hillary saith therfore the veyle of y e temple is rent for that after this the people of the Iues shuld be deuided in partes and shortly after they ware disperpled ouer all the worlde Also the honour and glorie of the temple with the custodye of aungelles ware taken away Iosephus saith that there ware stirrynges mouinges and voyces hard in the temple saiyng cryenge Let vs departe from this place Fourthly to sygnifie y e openyng of heuyn which vnto that tyme was shut And herto saynt Hierom saith The veyle of the temple was rent that is heuyn is openyd Fyftly to signifie the curaciō of our synnes Herunto Theophilus sayth The body of Christ is y e temple whose veyle and garment is his fleshe and this veyle or fleshe was rent for y e curing of our sinnes Or thus Our fleshe or bodie is the veyle of our temple that is our soule the vertue and poure of this fleshe was rent in Christes passion from the toppe vnto the bottom that is from Adam the fyrst man vnto the laste man that shal be in the ende of the worlde for Adam was made hole by the passion of Christ and his fleshe is not now vnder the curse of god or of the lawe and after the general resurrection we all shal be honored with incorrupcion inmortalitye ¶ The thyrd Myracle THe thyrd Myracle was the erth quake and therfore the euangelist saith Et terra mota est And the erth was mouyd or dyd quake And that was for .iii. causes Fyrst to shewe that it was not worthy to receyue in to it this lorde And therfore Hillarius sayth the erth dyd quake for he was not able to take this deed body in to it Seconde cause is for the malyce of the Iues. Herunto Symon de Cassia saith It was cōuenient that the erthe shulde quake when the maker of the erth dyd suffre death in his corporall bodie The erth dyd quake at the gyuyng of the law to make them afraied to whom he gaue the law and which shuld breake the law The erth dyd also quake at the death of Christ that his vniust death shuld be knowen or felt thorowe out all the world Thyrd cause was to instructe the myndes of all faithful people that they shuld feare god and know and beleaue that the iuste person suffred death for the vniuste the godly for the wicked the holy person for synners and the son of god suffred death in his mortal bodie for the redempcion of man ¶ The forth Myracle THe Fourth Myracle was the rentynge or breakynge of the stonys For the euangelist sayth Et petre scisse sunt And the stonys ware rent or broken And that was for iiii causes Fyrste for therby was verified the sayng of the prophet Zachary Scindetur mons oliuarum ex media parte sui ad orientem et occidentem The mount of Oliuete shal be rent or broken for the myd parte of it from the Este to the West Second cause is to signifie the great vertue of the worde of god And here vnto saynt Hillary sayth The worde of god and the powre of his eterne vertue doth diuide and breake all strong hard or myghty thynges Thyrd cause was to confoūd the Iues. For as Simon de Cassia sayth The breakyng and rentyng of stones is na open crye and an accusacion of the insensible thynges agaynste the Iues that the gyuer of life and maker of all thynges is vniustly dampned The Iues dyd crie with lowde voice crucifie hym but now the stonys on theyr maner dyd crye by theyr partes broken as by theyr open lippys that the Iues did wrong and so wher as the reasonable men wold not answere for the truthe in this false condempnacion of Iesu the stonys rent or broken in theyr maner spake The .iiii. cause was to enflame the hertes of synners For as the same Symon sayth The stonys rent or broken in theyr maner dyd prouoke the hard hartes of men that they shuld be broken by contricion and also remembre hym that suffred such paynes and passyon for them ¶ The .v. Myracle THe .v. Myracle was the openyng of the sepulcres or graues And therfore theuangelist sayth Et monumenta aperta sunt And y e supulcres or graues ware openid And this was for .iii. causes Fyrst to shew that the prison of hell was openyd for as saynt Hillary sayth Then was the clausures of death openyd Secondly for the example of our resurrection For this was a token or signe that deed men shuld rise agayne accordyng to the sayng of the prophet Ego aperiam tumulos vestros I shall open your grauys Thyrdly for our spirituall instruccion For hereby we be lerned that we shuld open the sepulcres of our conscience by true and playne confession that the carion and filthynes of our synnes may be seen and cast out And here note that the myracle before the death of Christ was shewed aboue in the heuyns For by fore his death Christe was in a maner onely knowen in heuyn But the myracles after his death ware shewed and done in the erth for then began the knowlege of Christ to be spred abrode vpon the erth ¶ The .vi. Myracle THe .vi. Myracle was the risyng agayne of deed men And therfore theuangelist sayth Et multa corpora sanctotum qui dormierant surrexerunt c. And the bodyes of many sayntes which ware deed arose and cam out of theyr graues after Christes resurrection and cam into the holy citie of Hierusalem and apperyd to many This testimony of the risyng of deed
Resurrection he appered to his disciples what tyme Thomas was there absent And whan Thomas was comme to theyr compaigney the disciples sayd to hym Vidimus dominum we haue sene our lorde and oure mayster and than Thomas sayd excepte I see the sygnes or the pryntes of the nayles in his handes and put my fynger in the holes and also put my hande into his syde I wyl nat belyue These wordes ware nat spoken of any malyce but rather of ignorance and of a great sorowe heuynes for that he had nat sene our lorde and therfore his louyng and godly maister Iesus wold nat leaue his louyng discyple in that blyndnes and heuynes but for to comforth hym and for to reforme his fayth it pleased hym to appere agayne Therfore whan his discyples ware gadred to gyther in y e mount of Syon where as he kept his mauÌ„dy or supper and also Thomas beyng with them the good shepherd and herdman Iesus diligent to comforth his lytell small flock cam vnto them the gates dores and wyndowes beyng shyt and so stode in the myddest of them that he myght be sene of them all and sayd to them Pax vobis Peace be to you And note here that there can neuer be peace in a comynalty except the prelate be in the myddest so that he be nat enclyned more to one part than to the other A pillar can neuer susteyne and bear vp the house if it be set nygh to y e wal and nat in the myddest and therfore the erth which is set in y e myddest of the world is vnmoueable to signifie that euery prelate or herde shulde nat be moued by any parcialite more to one persone than to an other Our lorde Iesus dyd oftymes shewe peace vnto his disciples dyd also coÌ„mend it and perswade them to haue it for without peace we can nat haue god the prophete to witnes whaÌ„ he sayth In pace factus est locus eius His place and abydyng is in peace Than Iesus said to Thomas Infer digitum tuuÌ„ huc et vide manus meas Put in thy fynger here se my haÌ„des put forth thy hande and thurst it in to my syde and be nat vnfaythfull but belyue Than Thomas toyched the signes of Christes wouÌ„des so byleued nat onely with his hert but also confessed it with his mouthe and sayd Dominus meus et deus meus Thou art my lorde after thy humanite for thou hast redemed me with thy preciouse blode thou art my god in thy diuinite for thou hast create me I doute in nothynge nowe but I am sure that thou art rysen from death to lyfe Than Iesus said to hym Quia vidisti me Thoma cre didisti beati qui non viderunt et crediderunt Thomas thou dost belyue bycause thou hast sene me blyssed be they that belyue and haue not sene In these wordes is not only affirmed the fayth of Thomas but also our fayth is moche commended and blessed and the errour of the heretikes confounded which sayd y t Christ had no true body And here se the goodnes and mercy of oure lorde howe that he wolde appere and shewe hym selfe with his woundes to saue one soule Also note here that the infinite wysdome and goodnes of god suffred Thomas to doute that the resurrection of Christ shuld be prouyd by euident and manyfest argumeÌ„tê or signes therfore Thomas douted y t we shuld not dout Herunto sayth saynt Gregory It was not of chaunce but of the ordynauÌ„ce of god that y e welbeloued disciple of Christ Thomas was absent whan Christ dyd fyrst appere that he hearyng of his resurrection shulde dowte he so dowtyng shuld feale and touche the places of the woundes of Christ and so fealyng shuld beleaue and that to expell al dowtfulnes from our hertes And so in fealynge or puttynge in his hande into the syde of Christe he cured in vs the woundes of our infidelite Also the incredulite or doutfulnes of Thomas dyd more profyt vs vnto oure faythe that the prompte and redy beleaue of the other disciples for by his dowtyng and fealyng our mynd is stablyshed in fayth all dowtes set a parte Mary Magdalen dyd lesse profyt to me by her swyft redy fayth than Thomas by his longe dowtyng for he touched the pryntes of his woundes and vtterly expelled from my soule the wounde of doutfulnes Our lorde of his great goodnes reserued the pryntes or signes of his woundes in his body after his resurrection Not for that he could not cure theÌ„ for he y t destroyed the power of death myght also haue cured put away those signes of death if it had pleased hym but he wold reserue them for dyuers causes Fyrst to confirme our fayth as ye se in Thomas Secondly for to shewe to his father whan he wyl pray for vs. And thyrdly to shewe them at the day of dome to the daÌ„pned people to theyr confusion And these tokens of his woundes ware in no thynge to the deformitie of his glorious body but rather as Crisostom sayth to his great beautie for they shone more bryght than the sonne And as saynt Austen sayth the tokens of the wouÌ„des that holy sayntes haue suffred here for Christe shall in heuen appere in theyr bodyes not to theyr deformite but to theyr glory as a starre in the firmament as a presiouse stone in a rynge as a flowre in the medowe ond as the red colour in a rose which be to the fairnes and beauty of these thynges and so be tho pryntes of theyr woundes in theyr bodyes to theyr glory and dignitie O thou louyng soule behold now thy lorde and consydre his wonte goodnes meaknes and feruent loue howe he sheweth his woundes to Thomas and to his other disciples to put away all blyndnes ignorauÌ„ce froÌ„ theyr soules for theyr profyt and oures also Our lorde stode there with them a lytel whyle speakyng comfortable wordes of y e kyngdom of glory And his disciples stode with hym iÌ„ great gladnes hearyng his godly wordes beholdyng his face full of fauour beauty and glory Beholde them howe they stande about hym And stande thou reuereÌ„tly with ioy beholdyng them a far of if paraduenture our lord moued of pytie and mercy wyl cause the to be called thoughe thou of thy selfe be not worthy that compaygny At last Iesus sayd vnto them that they shuld goo into Galile and there he wold appere vnto them accordyng vnto his promisse And so he blessed them and departed froÌ„ them And they remayned in great comforth but yet moche desyrous to se hym agayne A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe which shewed vnto Thomas y t douted of thy resurrection the places of the nayles and the spear hathe reuoked hym from errour by the puttynge in of his fynger into the holes of thy haÌ„des and of his hande into thy syde grauÌ„t to me that I hauyng euer the
latin Aureola a circle or a litle crowne which is a special ioy of y e soule giueÌ„ to maÌ„ for sum excelleÌ„t act don iÌ„ this life it is only giueÌ„ to martirs for their martirdoÌ„ to virgins for virginite kept for y e loue of god to doctors or prechers for theyr tethyng y e truthe of god And thus it apereth manifestly how y t in the blessyd passioÌ„ of Christe doth shine as in a most pure glas all the beatitude of man all the plentiousnes of grace glorye All glory I say that is bothe thessenciall glory of the soule that consisteth in the vision tencion or surety fruicion of the deity that ben called the .iii. dowries of the soule And also the consubstanciall glory that is the .iiii. dowries of the body also the accidentall glory Wherfore sithe in Christes passion is thexcellent manifestacion or declaracion of his most high power moost high wisdom most high goodnes therfore this passioÌ„ is to all y e seruauÌ„tes of god a mater cause of moost excellent ioy gladnes And therfore though men ioy consideryng them selfe to be redemed by this glorious passion haue great profite therby also aungels ioye knowynge theyr ruine repared by the same passion consideryng this thynge as to theyr owne ioye profite Yet I beleue so it is that both aungels men do more ioye be glad without comparison referryng all these thynges to god and hoolly or all to gyder extendynge theyr cogitacions myndes to the glory of god than they dyd considerynge theyr owne glory profite that they haue by the sayd passion Moreouer as here appereth the most high inestimable charite shewing of the goodnes of god outwardely to the great confort of aungell man so I beleue so it is that bothe auÌ„gell man in theyr moost excellent full maner don shew their loue with great ioy gladnes glorifieng and praysyng and louyng god for that excellent gifte eternally without ende in glory ¶ In this passion also doeth shyne the vertues theologicall the giftes of the holy goost the beatitudes of the gospell also the fruites of the spirite The .iiii. Chapiter FYrst in this passion appere the vertues theologicall For this passion of our lorde is y e streÌ„gth fouÌ„dacioÌ„ of all christen faith It is therection reysynge vp of our hope also it is thinflamacion kyndelynge of our loue charity for here he dyd offre hym selfe for vs. SecoÌ„dly in this passion don shine as in a glasse the giftes of the holy goost the gift of wisdom vnderstandyng y e gyft of couÌ„cell strength of science of pitie also of the feare of god of the whiche we shall speke herafter in dyuerse singuler chapiters Thirdly in this passion don appere y e .viii. beatitudê for this passion is theyr fouÌ„tayn begynnyng theyr allectiue exemplar Who may be called so pore in spirite as Christ y t hyng naked vpoÌ„ the crosse Who may be named so mylde as Christ the which as a milde laÌ„be was led vnto the deth whaÌ„ he was scourged bet buffeted scorned falsly slauÌ„dered wolde nat ones open his mouthe to contrary them Who was so mournyng as he Whiche with teres and a loude mournynge voice prayed for his enemies and he for his reuerence as saynt Paule sayeth was herde of god But than he more mourned our synnes than his owne payne as we shall shew hereafter He had more compassion of vs than of hym selfe Who fardermore do so moche hunger and thurst iustice as Christe whiche by the payne of the crosse dyd satisfye for our synnes and so dyd reconsile vs vnto his father hungeryng and thyr stynge the helthe and saluacion of our soules And in token herof he sayd hangynge vpon the crosse Sitio I thyrste and desyre the helth of mannes soule Who also was so mercifull as Christe the very true samaritane the which where as the preest and Leuite passed by the wounded men nat regardynge hym wasshed his woundes with wyne and anointed them with oile byndyng vp his woundes and layeng the wounded man vpon his bâ—est that is vpon his owne body suffryng deth for our sinnes so led him vnto thostry of holy chirch c. And where I pray you was there so muche puritie and clennes of herte as in Christe which as an innocent lambe was offred vpon the crosse for vs wasshyng and clensynge our vnclene synfull hertes with his precyous blood And who also was so peaceful as Christe whiche was our peace and corner stone ioynynge into one people of god the Iues and the Gentiles whiche also by his passion dyd pacify vs vnto god in his bloode Moreouer who so verely suffered persecucion for iustice as Christe which for his iustice that he preached and shewed vnto the Iues was crucified truely he myght well be called blessed for the worldly and deuelysshe people cursed hym or spake euyll of hym and made many false lyes and slaunders of hym These be the .viii. beatitudes the whiche Christe taught in the gospell and gaue vs example in his owne persone how we shuld fulfyll them Fourthely in the passion of Christe don clerely appere the .xii. fruites of the spirite Of the which saint Paule sayth Fructus spiritus est charitas gaudium c. The fruites of the spirite ben these charitie ioye peace pacieÌ„ce loÌ„ganimitie goodnes benignitie mildenes or gentilnes fayth For in this passion restyth the foundacion and strength of our faith as concernynge his obiecte or subiect It foloweth in the wordes of saint Paule continence good maners and chastitie All these do manifestly shyne in this passion dethe and crosse of Christe as we shall declare more at large hereafter And therefore it conueniently foloweth in saynt Paule Qui christi sunt carnem suam crufixerunt cuÌ„ viciis et concupiscentiis Who so be the childeren of Christe they do cruâ—isy and subdue theyr bodies and also all vices and inordinate concupiscence This sayd saynt Paule to shewe manifestly vnto vs that these .xii. fruites do hange vpon the moost holy tree of the crosse suche persones do take gader them there whiche conforme them self vnto Christe crucified For by vertuouse operacions in folowynge the lyfe and pacience of our sauiour Iesu Christe men be made vertuouse for suche beholde the lyfe and dethe of our lorde with diligence remembre it by ofte and feruent meditacion and also haue pleasure therein and folow it as theyr frailtie wyll suffre them And so they be made apte to the reparacion of thorder of vertues as we sayd before and shall say more hereafter ¶ By the passion of Christe we haue the efficacitie and vertue of all spirituall goodnes The fyfte Chapiter BY the fruitfull and gloryouse passion of Christ there is ministred vnto vs habundantly the matter of all spirituall goodes For where is or shulde be
of Christes passion they shall be so frutyfull that they shall bryng ioye to the aungels in heuyn meryte to the good persones lyuynge in erthe forgyuenes to the synners and great refresshyng and conforte to the soules in purgatorye And this is bycause Christe reputeth and accompteth all thynges done to any of his seruauntes whether it be good or euyll as done to hym selfe And therefore he sayeth in the gospell Quod vni ex minimis meis fecistis mihi fecistis What so euer ye haue done to one of the leest of myne ye haue done it to me And in an other place he sayd to his disciples Qui vos recipit me recipit et qui vos spernit me spernit He that receiueth you receiueth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me And so our sauiour Christ taketh all our paines and tribulacions committed to hym as I sayd before as his owne and oâ—â—rech them to his father as his owne with lyke effect and fruite as is sayd before Therefore euery good and faythfull person ought moche to ioye in his tribulacions and paynes For what so euer he suffre Christe doeth confesse that he suffreth the same in hym and with hym ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesus Christe sonne of the lyuynge god whiche at mydnyght thy passion drawynge nygh wolde take vpon the feare heuynes for me moost wretchyd synner graunt me continually faythfully to referre all my tribubulacions heuynes paines vnto the the god of my hert y t thou wolde vouchesafe to bere them with me in the vnion of thy passion and heuynes That so by the merites of thy moost holy passion they myght be made to me fruitfull and profitable Amen ¶ Of the blody swet of Christe The seconde article THe seconde artycle is the flowynge of the bloode of Christe into the erthe by the maner of swet or of the blody swet of Christe flowynge from his bodye into the erthe For the seconde tyme that Christ prayed for anguysshe he swet blood and the aungell descendynge from heuyn aâ—â—ered to hym and conforted hym It foloweth therfore in thâ— gospell Factus in agonia prolixius orabat et factus est sudor eius sicut gutte sanguinis decurrentis in terram Christe was in a great agony and therfore he prolonged his prayer And in this prayer for his great agony his swet was as droppes of bloode runnynge downe from his body into the erthe Here do our doctours say that whan our lorde Iesus Christe dyd so prolong his prayer his most holy hert was greatly enflamed so coÌ„sequently all his hole body most holy most innocent In so moche that thrughe that greate feruour of prayer and his excessyue loue and moost feruent desyre that he had to suffre and to dye for our helth And of the other parte thrugh the vehement angwyssh and agony that he had in his manhode in the remembraunce of his moost greuouse paynes and shamefull dethe that he shulde suffre and thrugh the stronge reluctacion and stryuynge of sensualitie naturally abhorrynge that dethe and therfore myghtely fyghtynge agaynst it for these causes I say the poorys of his body were open and so flowed out the blood for his swet That vehement angwysshe and excessyue loue constreyned the bloode to cum out of the vaynes agaynst nature as Bede sayeth in so moche that many droppes of blood ranne downe by his clothes and fell vpon the erthe The loue of god in the herte of Christe dyd ouercum in that agony his natural feare and the feare of his manhode and so the bloode of Christe so quyckened and conforted by this loue was styrred and moued as yf it wolde haue cum all furthe of the body at that tyme thrugh that excessyue loue as yf he wolde nat or might nat haue abyden the tyme of his dethe appointed whan all that blood shulde be vtterly sheddyd And so I say thrughe this vehement loue the droppes of blood dyd issue and fall from the vaynes of his body And as the inwarde cause of swet after naturall phisiciens is the naturall hete dissoluynge that is hote and moyst in the bodye so the supernaturall cause of this bloody swet myght be the feruent hete and burnynge of his excessyue loue redowndyng from the herte of Christe into al his hole body there dissoluynge the vaporouse moisture Phisiciens also say that it is possible that a man may swet naturally thrugh the vehemeÌ„ce of loue In lyke maner as our doctours say Christe swet blood aboue nature thrugh his vehement feruour of charitie for thaÌ„ the more he approched to his dethe the more he burned in loue for the feruente desyre of our helthe O how bytter and paynefull was this dethe of Christe in it selfe sythe the onely imaginacion therof dyd so greatly chaunge thorder of nature for it drew from all the partes of his bodye droppes of bloode as yf he had swet whiche blody swet shulde signifie and note to vs the helthe of his misticall body that is the catholicall chyrch Hereto sayth saint Bernarde By the erthe moisted with the bloody swet of Christ is signified that erthely men shulde be redemyd by the bloode of Christe By the whiche blood also he shulde reduce vnto lyfe all the worlde ded in synne Woo be to that wretchyd hert that wyll nat be moisted and made softe with this blood or swet Beholde thou wretche the great tribulacion of this most mylde gentyll louynge herte in what angwyssh it was whan all his bodye on euery parte swet blood O thou my stony herte quake and tremble and breke in pecys and moyst thyne iyen with blody teres for as thou mayst se thy creatour and maker is all wet in bloode for the and that with suche plenty that it ranne downe vpon the erthe And surely his body outwardly wolde neuer haue bene so wet with bloode yf his herte inwardly had nat ben broken with sorowe and heuynesse Therefore the prophete sayeth in the persone of Christe Contritum est cor meum in meipso My herte is broken within me The herte of our mooste louynge Iesus thus inwardly broken or cut the outwarde skynne also was broken so that his blood myght abundantly flow out vpon the erthe And this bloody swette was very naturall and true bloode of the moost purest body of Christe But as we sayd before it was nat shed naturally for it is agaynst nature to swet blood ⸪ ⸫ ¶ Doctrines or holsom lessons IN this artycle we may take thre holsum and profytable lessons Fyrste by the apparicion of the aungell c. We be enfourmed that the holy aungelles of god do assyst vs and also conforte vs in our prayers Hereunto sayeth the prophete Dauyd Preuenerunt principes coniuncti psallentibus The prynces or holy aungelles do preuent them that prayse god or praye to hym with theyr helpe and also be ioyned vnto them in theyr praysynges And in an other place he sayeth In
malycyous Iues. Alas we wretches what shall we do leauynge so gracyouse a father we forsake all our goodes and folowe the and nowe we perceyue for a suerty that we shal be pryued of thy presence and wante thy confortable wordes and dedes for we be assured nowe that the Pharyseys wyll sley the. O howe ofte suppose you dyd they looke backe towardes theyr moost mercyfull mayster seynge and beholdyng with bytter sorowe theyr lorde so cruelly ledde of the malicyouse Iues as we shall declare in the next article ¶ Here foloweth .vi. causes of the fleyng or departynge of Christes disciples OF these disciples the prophet speaketh in the person of our lorde sayenge Dispersa sunt omnia ossa mea All my boones are disperpled or deuyded that is all my apostles whiche as bonys in a mannes bodye shulde haue ben most stronge and yet they are fled and fallen And that for .vi. causes The fyrst cause was that the doctrine of Christe god and man was forgoten then of them and therfore the prophet Dauid sayth Factum est cor meum tanquam cera liquescens so medio ventris mei My herte is made as wax meltynge in the mydle of my body that is My doctrine is vanysshed throughe the heete and fyer of my passyon and that in the myddle of my bely that is in my apostles that be moost nyghe vnto me The seconde cause was the ceasynge of myracles Of the whiche also it folowethe in the forsayde .xxi. psalme Aruit tanquam testa virtus mea My vertue and power is as drye as a shell And that was bycause he suffred hym selfe to be taken and so put to most cruell and shamefull deathe and wolde nat helpe hym selfe and shewe his power as he had done dyuerse tymes before But nowe he wold nat so do therfore his power of in shewynge of myracles semed to be consumed and dryed by the heete and fyere of hys passyon and hereunto speakethe the prophet saynge Ibi abscondita est fortitudo eius There was hyd his power or strength that is in his crosse or passyon And note that the sayde not his power was lost but his strength was hyd in his passyon as we shall declare in the thyrde parte of this treatyse in the .iiii. fruyte The thyrde cause was the silence of Christe for at his passyon he wolde nat speke for hym selfe Therfore saith the prophet Adhesit lingua mea faucibus meis My tong cleuyd faste to my iawes or chekes for he wolde nat speake to his owne excuse and therfore the prophet Esay long before this tyme sayd of hym Quasi agnus coram tondente se obmutescet et non ape riet os suum He shal be as domme as a lambe whan he is shorne and he shall nat open his mouthe And this prophycie was verifyed in Christe as it is playnly wryten in the gospell Et non respondit eâ— ad vllum verbum ita vt miraretur preses Christe answered nat one worde vnto Pylate whiche meruayled moche therof The .iiii. cause was that they were in a maner sure of the deth of Christ but they were in a dispeyre or mistrust of his resurrectioÌ„ And therfore the ê“phet Dauid saith in y e person of Christ Et in puluerem mortis deduxisti me Thou hast brought me in to asshes or in to the dust of deth And this he spake after the opinyon of the Iues. As it appereth in an other psalme Estimatus sum cum descendentibus in lacum I am estemed and accompted by the Iues with them that descende in to the lake and pytte of eternall perdition and neuer to retourne agayne The .v. cause was the crueltie of the Iues and therfore the prophet saythe in the persone of Christe Circumdederunt me canes multi Many dogges haue compassed me that is the Iues barkynge and bytynge by detraction as dogges The .vi. cause was the congregation of euyll persones and therfore it foloweth in the psalme Consilium malignantium obfedit me The congregation and counsayle of euyll persones haue obsessed and beseaged me and that very obstinately and fro wardely vnto my deathe Of this compeigney and counsayle speaketh the prophet Dauid in an other psalme sayenge Astiterunt reges terre et principes conuenerunt in vnum aduersus dominum et aduersus Christum eius Rewlers of the worlde and princes ben cume to gyther in counsayle agaynste our lorde and agaynst his sonne Christe And for these causes the apostles flodde and forsoke our lorde Whereat wonderynge and meruaylynge the prophet Hieremy saythe Quomodo disper si sunt lapides fanctuarij Howe is this that the holy stoones ben disperpled that is the apostles of Christ whiche shulde haue ben as holy stones strong stable firme in the faith loue of Christe but they fled Percutiam pasto rem et dispergentur oues gregis I shall smyte or take the herdeman and the shepe of the flocke shal be disperpled abrode Here folowethe .ii. lessons THe fyrste lesson is that we shulde be well ware that we neuer flye from Christe He flyeth from Christe that for any feare of man or by the temptation of the deule or by any passyon or corrupte affection forsaketh the truthe or iustice for Christe is truth and also iustice And generally in euery mortal or deedly synne a man flieth from god The seconde lesson is this that thoughe these persones that seame to be our frendes or neyghbours and louers flye from vs in the tyme of our aduersytie and necessitye yet lette vs beare it patiently remembrynge that the apostles fled from our sauyour Christe in his aduersitie and trouble ¶ A prayer O Iesu that dyd suffre all thyne electe and chosen disciples to flye from the receyue thou me thy fugitiue seruaunt for thy greate vertue and omnipotent power And suffre me nat to wandre from the thorughe the libertie of my frowarde wiâ—â— Amen ¶ Of the leadynge of Christe The .viii. article THe .viii. article is of his leadynge For after that they had taken and bounde hym and after that his disciples fledde the Iues led Christ towardes the house of Annas As it is in the gospell of IohnÌ„ And this ledynge was moche laborouse and paynefull to Christe Also it was rebukefull and violent It was violent for he was led with a great cumpanye of armed men and theyr captayne with them It was also rebukefull to Christe for he was led with his handes bounde as a thefe or an euyll persone And so the Iues sayde to Pilate Yf this persone that is Christe were nat a malifactour or an euyll doer a myslyuer we wolde nat haue delyuered hym to thy handes and power This ledynge was also laborouse paynfull and sorowfull to hym And that bothe to the herte inwardely and also to the bodye outwardely Fyrste it was sorowfull inwardely For where euer herde you of any man that wolde nat be heuy in hert and
remembraunce in our mynde puttyng vpon our hed a crowne of thornes that is not to differ but spedely to take vpon vs with a pure conscience an hard and paynfull lyfe as in abstinence watche labour and other werkes of penaunce for god as Christe wolde beare vpon hys hed the thornes of our synnes for our loue ¶ Second is that we shuld labour to be crowned with the thornes of temptations For euery temptacyon that doth impugne vs is as a thorne prickynge the hed of our soule whiche temptation if a man ouercome he prepareth and byeth a precyous gemme to his crowne and as many temptacyons as he ouercummeth so many precyous stones he addeth to his owne crowne of glorie And therfore the spouse sayth in his canticles Sicut lilium inter spinas sic amica mea inter filias As the lylye florissheth among the thornes so doth my faithfull frende amonge the doughters of thys worlde by pacyence meaknes and charitie ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wold be crowned with thornes make me so worthely to be compuncte by the thornes of penance that I may deserue to be crowned of y e in thy heuenly kyngdom ¶ Howe the saugiours put a rede in Christes ryght hande The .xxxiiii. article THe .xxxiiii. article is the puttyng of a rede in Christes ryght hande for his regall sceptre signifyenge therby that his kyngdome whiche he vsurped callynge hym selfe a kyng was voide and weyke as a rede but they dyd not remember that Christe sayde My kyngdome is not of this worlde that is transitorie and this was the thyrde acte of theyr scornfull illusyon These .iii. that is a purpull robe a crowne or a deademe and a sceptre be the ornamentes of a kyng the whiche thre these cruell saugiours gaue vnto Christe to his greate contumelie and illusyon and therby they wolde shewe that Christe was a false treytour agaynste the emperour bycause he wolde haue vsurped and taken vpon hym as they sayde to be a kynge agaynst the ordynaunce of the emperour But that they dyd to the coÌ„fusion and rebuke of Christ he turned it to his owne glorie excellency herunto saynt Hierom saith Christe helde the rede in his hand to write the sacrilege of the Iues and to shewe hym selfe to be that person that shuld write his elect people in the boke of lyfe And saynt Hillary saith Therfore oure lorde wold hold the rede in his right hand that therby he might shewe that he wyll kepe maynteyne his seruantes though they be frayle weyke and he wyll replenyssh them with al goodnes ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we shulde diligently remember that we of our selfe be frayle weyke and voyd of all goodnes except we be susteyned maynteyned with the ryght hand of god euyn like as a rede which is in it self voyd and weyke or shortly broken but holden in the hande of Christe it is strengthed ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde haue a rede to be put in thy ryght hand scornfullye for a royall sceptre I beseche the so to strength myne imbecillitie and fraylty with the ryght hande of thy power that thy kyngdome maye be continually confirmed and stablisshed in me Amen ¶ Howe the saugiours scornfully saluted Christe The .xxxv. article THe .xxv. article is the scornful worshippyng salutynge of Christe for after that the saugiours hadde arayed Christe with the ornamentes of a kynge they kneled downe before hym and mocked hym saynge Aue rex iudeorum Hayle kyng of the Iues as if they shuld say thou wold haue ben a kynge but thou mightest not And here sayth Bede They worshypped hym scornfullye as god bycause he sayde falslye hym selfe to be god as they thought Also they saluted hym scornfully as a kynge bycause he sayde hym selfe to be a kynge and this they dyd that theyr illusyon myght reanswere to the accusacyon of the Iues for the Iues accused Christ in both these .ii. Also these saugiours dyd these thynges to Christe of a detestable dampnable mynde for they crowned hym with sharp thornes and afterwarde scornfully worshypped saluted hym and that to the great confusyon of Christ And therfore sayth Symon de Cassia The ministers of Pylate to aggrauate and multiplye the vylenes shame put vpon christ dyd knele before hym and besydes that that they mocked hym after the maner of chyldren they illuded hym with great threttes so that nothyng wanted to the despysyng and the shame of christ and in the remembrance of this despisyng vpon good Friday we do not knele downe when we pray for the Iues and though the gentyles dyd thus mocke Christe yet it is imputed to the Iues for they were the autours and the cause of this illusion After this scornfull salutacyon they smote hym as ye shall se in the nexte article This fourthe acte of the mockynge of Christe was figured in Noe when he slepte in his tabernacle his sonne Cham dyd laughe hym to scorne Noe dothe signyfye Christe whome the Iues his owne chyldren dyd mocke and scorne Also it is figured in Heliseus the prophete whiche ascendynge vnto the hyll of Bethell the chyldren that dyd se hym dyd say and crye mockynge hym Ascende calue ascende calue Ascende or come vp thou balde man ascende thou balde man And of this mockyng speketh the ê“phet Dauid sayng Omnes videntes me de riserunt me Al that se me dyd mocke me also y e ê“phet Esay saith BlasphemaueruÌ„t sanctum Israel They haue blasphemed the holy of Israell that is the Messias and sauiour of the worlde ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne this lesson that we shulde be ware y t we do not falsly worship or salute Christ which we do as Bede sayth when we beleue in hym but yet we despise hym with our euyl and froward dedes when we confesse Christ with our mouth and denye hym in our dedes as sait Paule saith Also they falsly worshyp or salute Christe whiche when they pray or be in the seruice of god occupye theyr mynde wylfullye with any thyng contrarie to the honour of god Also they which in the churche she we signes of greate deuocyon and afterwarde do greuous iniuries to Christe in hys membres ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde be scornfully worshypped and saluted of the saugiours knelyng and saynge Haile kyng of the Iues graunte to me that I may worshyp the my verye lorde and god in spirite and treuth and reuerentlye to salute the the onelye kynge of all kynges Amen ¶ Howe the saugiours smote Christe with theyr handes The .xxxvi. article THe .xxxvi. article is the smytynge of Christe for these saugiours wyllynge to mocke Christe aswell in dedes as in signes and wordes Dabantei alapas they smote hym with theyr palmes or handes that was to shewe in dede that y e honor which they had done to hym before was onely to
the with an vniuste and false sentence to delyuer the frome the iudgement of iustyce and payne of eternall dampnacyon he payed for that he neuer had he suffred payne for oure synne And here remember what lamentacyon his frendes then made when they herde this horrible and moste vntrue sentence gyuen agaynste Christe And in the remembraunce of that sentence and deth of Christe whiche in scripture is called Alpha and Oo the begynnynge and the endynge and bycause that Christe was that daye taken frome vs by his death Therfore the churche euery yere in that day vseth to omitte and leaue the begynnynge and endynge of the houres of the seruyce After this condempnacyon the saugiours toke oure sauyoure Iesus c. as in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson BY this article we may lerne to be ware that we neuer worthely deserue the iust sentence of deth nother of the soule nor of the bodye And also as Christe suffred for vs a false and a wicked sentence to be gyuen agaynst hym by a frayle man so in lyke maner we shulde not feare the wicked iudgementes of men gyuen or spoken agaynst vs but pacyeÌ„tly suffer them for the loue of god And herunto sayth saynt Poule Mihi autem pro minimo est vt a vobis iudicer aut ab humano die I do lytyll regarde to be iudged of you or of any mannes day ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde pacyently and innocently suffer the vniust sentence of deth and that of the most shamefull deth of the crosse graunt to me that I neuer deserue the iust sentence of deth in soul or in bodye and that for thy loue I feare not the wicked iudgementes of men and also that I neuer iudge any persone wrongfullye Amen ¶ Howe Christe bare his crosse The .xliii. article THe .xliii. article is the bearynge of his crosse for after that Pylate had gyuen senteÌ„ce of deth agaynst the innocent Christ Iesus then the saugiours toke hym and pulled of the purpull or scarlet robe and put on hym his owne garmentes And here saythe Symon de Cassia When Christe shulde be crucifyed then the saugiours toke from hym that garment wherin they had derided and mocked hym and nowe they beganne not mockyngly or in sporte but in verye dede to put hym to the payne and deth of the crosse and therfore they put vpon hym his owne garmentes that therby he myght be the more knowen and so goynge to his deth in his owne clothes it shulde be the more to his confusyon and shame And at this tyme without any doubte Christe suffred a newe payne and that was moste greuous for that olde purpull robe was harde baken and cleued faste to his backe in the wouÌ„des whiche he suffred before at his scourgynge and therfore this robe myght not be pulled of his backe but to his most greuous payne for they rent and pulled the flesshe frome his bodye with that cote and so put Christ to a newe intollerable payne agayn Then they byndynge his handes and necke with a rope therby shewed that he was coÌ„dempned vnto the deth and so drewe hym out of his propre citie as a misdoer and they layde the great heuy and grosse tree of the crosse vpon his moste soore and tender sholders that he shulde beare it vnto the place where as he shuld be crucifyed And for asmoche as that tree was reputed and thought of the Iues to be a prophane and vnclene thynge and also that deth of the crosse shamefull for the scripture sayth Ma ledictus omnis qui pendit in ligno He is a cursed that is hanged vpon a tree therfore no man durst beare that tree not yet touche it And for this cause they leyde it vpon Christe that he dampned shulde beare his owne crosse This was a great ioye and sporre to the wicked men but it was a great misterie to vs christians And therfore saynt Barnarde sayth O here is spectacle or thynge done that was neuer sene before neuer herde nor done before that a thefe or a malefactour shulde be compelled to beare the gallowes or tree wherupon he shulde be hanged but onelye now in Christ And here sayth saynt Austen The mylde lambe Iesus taketh and beareth his owne crosse vpon his sholders goynge with great payne and sorowe vnto the place of his passyon and herin was fulfylled the saynge of the prophet Factus est ptin cipatus super humeum eius His dignitie and power is made vpon his shoulder his crosse is his dignitie and power wherby he dyd ouercome the power of the deule and for his obedience vnto the deth god dyd exalte hym as saynte Poule sayth And as greate men beare diuers thynges in token of theyr diuers dignities As kynges a crowne bisshoppes a myter other men a gartar c. so Christe in the remembraunce of his dignitie bare the crosse and so thou serchynge shal not fynde or perceyue that Iesus reigneth in any person but by payne herdnes and therfore these delicates carnall persons whiche wyl suffer no payne but folowe all pleasure ben the enemyes of the crosse of Christe as saiÌ„t Austen saith In this acte was fulfylled y e figure of Isaac whiche bare the stickes wherwith he shulde haue bene offered to god in sacrifice Also this acte was figured in the wydowe of Sareptha that gatherd .ii. stickes Also our sauyour Christe is signifyed by that clustre of grapes that was borne vpon a tre bytwixte ii men for Christe was hanged vpon a tre bytwixt two theuys Also this Christe is signifyed by Helyseus whiche kut downe a tre and went with it to searche for the yren whiche was fallen in to the watre and at that searchynge the yren swame aboue the water where as the tree was so our sauiour Christe saught for man kynde whiche was fallen in to the deape water of troubles and drowned synne and in hell but by the tree of the crosse of Christe it swame vp agayne and so was recouered agayne Of this article saynt Anselme sayth O my soule behold and se howe thy lorde god is in al thynges here despised and compelled to bowe his backe vnder the heuye burden of the crosse and so to beare his owne confusion and shame O merueylouse spectacle to beholde doste thou not se hym beholde his dignitie and power is shewed vpon his sholder this is the rodde or tree of equitie the tree of his kyngdome and power And thus when Iesus had gone a lytyll forth bearynge his heuy crosse he was so feynt wery partly for feblenes and tendernes of his bodye and partly for the great afflicacyon and payne that he had suffred all the same day and nyght before that he was fayne to go softly and also to lay downe the crosse from hym or els as some sayth he fel downe vnder the crosse there to reâ—t hym and ease hym self But those moste cruell tormentours
in to this worlde without synne departed not hens without most greuous paynes and passyon what paynes then be they worthye to haue whiche were conceyued and borne in synne and all theyr lyfe haue continued in synne Herunto saythe saynte Gregorie As ofte as I remember the deth of our sauiour the pacyence of Iob and the death of Iohan the Baptiste I say to the O synner therby I consider what paynes shall they suffer when god reproueth syth tho whome he loueth and hathe chosen suffer so greuous paynes Fourthlye this ledynge was moche paynfull to Christe For the place whether he wente was moche fylthye and stynkynge It is called in Ebrew Golgoltha that is by interpÌ„tation Iocus Caluarie The place of the skull for Caluaria is called y e skull of a mannes hed when the skynne flesshe the heire is all gone this place was so called bycause all they that were condempned to deth were headed or hanged there To that place they broughte hym bycause men shulde suppose that he was a misordred person There was also many boones of deade mennes bodyes and specyallye the skulles of the heedes spredde abrode ouer all that place and that made it abhominable to beholde and also stynkyng And for this cause this leadynge was moche paynfull to Christe and the space that Christe went bearynge his crosse was .vi. C.lxvi passes And from the fote of the mount of Caluary vnto the top where as the crosse was fixed in the erth were fyfty passes And in this ledynge Christ fel. v. tymes vnder the crosse vnto the erth and when they had brought hym to that place the saugiours pulled of his clothes c. as in the next article ¶ Here folowe .iii. Lessons OF this article we may lerne .iii. lessons First is as Christ was led wyllyngly vnto his passion with all pacyence as a shepe vnto his deth so shuld we wyllyngly and with pacyence be led vnto the obedience of the preceptes of god and of our prelates in the place of our lorde by the whiche obedience our propre wyll is slayne or subdued this desyred the prophete saynge Deduc me in semita mandatorum tuorum c. Lede me lorde in the path of thy commaundementes for that I haue desyred The seconde lesson is that we shulde folowe Christe goyng to his passion wepyng the miserie of our awne frayltie with the women for as Theophilus sayth The frayle soule signified by the woman if it with a contrite herte wepe by penaunce it foloweth Christe The thyrde lesson is that pylgryms that go on pylgrymege for penaunce or deuocyon and religious persones for obediens goynge by the way if at any tyme they be wery they shulde remember this ledynge of our sauiour Iesus and his werynes c. And a man to coÌ„forme hym self to this article he shuld remember with howe great shame Christe was ledde vnto hys deth for our greate glorie and so lette hym wepe with the holye women at lest in the desyre of his hert and theÌ„ pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu which forme wolde be led vnto Golgoltha to be there crucifyed lede me in the pathe of thy commaundementes that I may folowe the steppes of thy passion with the holye women and wepe vpon my selfe the miserie of my frayle coÌ„dicyon ¶ Howe Christe was spoyled of his clothes before the crosse The .xlv. article THe .xlv. article is the pullyng of Christes clothes before y t he was crucified for wheÌ„ Iesus was come to y e place where as he shulde be crucifyed the saugiours pulled of his clothes before the crosse And as Marke sayth Dabant ei bibere vinum mirrhatum They gaue hym to drynke bytter wyne for it was mixte with gall as Mathew sayth and when Iesus had tasted of it he wolde not drynke for he wolde not mortifye or hurt his tongue wherwith he intended to praye for his enemyes and to make his testament And in this was fulfylled the saynge of the ê“phet Dederunt in escam meam fel. c. They put gall in to my meate and they gaue me to drynke asell or vynacre This poynt of the pullyng of Christes clothes doth conueniently make a specyall article for it is no lityll payne for a man to be stripte naked before all the people for so they dyd to Christ for he was all naked without any cloth the which thing was neuer done before to the most vyle persons for comonly at the lest they left theyr shyrtes to hyde theyr nakednes And in this pullyng of his clothes his wouÌ„des that he had before with theyr beatynges and scourgynges ware renewed to his great sorowe and payne for his inner garment dyd cleue fast vnto his backe And herunto sayth the prophet Super dolorem vulnerum meorum addiderunt They added wounde vpon wounde and so sorowe or payne vpon payne vnto me O blessed mother what sorowe was this to the when thou se hym so cruelly handled thou wente to hym with spede and tyed thy veyle aboute his bodye This most louely lorde Iesus wold be naked that thou synner myght beholde howe pitiously that most pure bodie of his was arayed for the he was naked for the whiche dyd create the and beynge eterne god was cladde with beautie and streÌ„gth he was naked to whome we synge and saye with the prophete Confessionem et decorem induisti amictus lumine sicut vestimento Thou arte cladde with praysynges and beautie thou arte cladde with light as with a garmente This lorde god is made a spectacle to all the worlde a wonder to many persones and a mockynge stocke to the people for at hym they shoke theyr hed Thou our hed our ioy and our honour and glorie good Iesus arte thus despysed this article is different from the .xxx. article for there he was naked before Pylate and his ministers and here it was openly before all the people There they toke from hym the white garmeÌ„t that herode put vpon hym to mocke hym here they spoyled hym of his owne clothes there he was stripte naked to be scourged here to be crucifyed there he was clad agayne here they toke all his clothes frome hym Of this nakednes saynt Ambrose saythe Christe naked ascended his crosse and there he shewed hym selfe vnto vs that we myght knowe howe we were made by god and nature he hange vpon the crosse as Adam was in paradise for as our first Adam dyd inhabyte paradise naked so the seconde Adam our sauiour Iesus dyd enter in to paradise naked And as some say there was a stone vpon the whiche our sauyour Iesus sat naked vnto such tyme the crosse was prepared and made redy and there sittyng he suffred many rebukes both by spyttynges smytynges and many blasphemouse wordes speakynge to hym And whan the crosse was made redy then most furiouslye they toke Christ c. as in the next article A lesson as in y e. xxx article ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche
wounde of his first or left fote that dyd cure and heale oure euyll cogitacyons affeccyons Scripture speakyng of our olde and corrupt man sayth Cuncta cogitatio cordis humani prona est ad malum omni tempore All the cogitacyon and desyre of mannes herte is prone and redy to euyll at all tymes But nowe of man renewed and healed by Christe may be veryfyed this sayenge of the wyseman Desiderium iustorum omne bonum The desyre of iuste men is all good Of these iust men also speaketh the prophet Ezechiell saynge Pedes eorum pedes recti The feete of them be ryght feete for the affeccyons and desyres of good men be not croked frowarde or turned to euyll and that is by the efficacitye and vertue of this wounde of the first or lefte foote of Christe ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that as ofte as we be impugned with euyll cogitacyons affeccyons or vayne desyres we shulde forthwith flye vnto the wounde of this foote of Christ for from thens as from a most pure and holsom foūteyn there floweth to vs an holsom medicine wherwith all the fylthe of our cogitacyons all our corrupte affeccyons and desyres and breuely all our euyl and synne is wasshed and so purified and healed This perceyued wele saynt Austen in hym self when he sayde in his contemplation those wordes that be writen in the lesson of the .xlviii. article A man to conforme hym selfe to this article shulde oftymes kysse the wounde of the lefte foote of Christ with the remembraunce of this lesson and pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me wolde haue thy moste holye feete persed with a great grosse hard nayle and so to be fastened vnto the crosse graunt to me y t when so euer I am impugned or troubled with euyl cogitations sinistrall affeccyons and desyres I may runne to the wounde of thy left foote and there to fynde and receyue holsome medicynes for my saluacyon Amen ¶ The naylynge of the seconde or ryght foote of Christ The .li. article THe .li. article is the nailyng of the right foot of Christ By the wounde of this foote our good desyres which of them selfe be feble and imperfyte be strengthed and made perfit For as saynt Paule sayth We be not sufficyent of ourselfe as of our awne vertue to thynke any good thynge but our sufficiencye therin is of god wherfore thoughe our cogitacyons wylles affeccyons desyres be somtyme good of theyr owne kynde and nature yet they be of no value or merit in the syght of god excepte they be dyed or put in the blode of the feet of Christe therfore the prophet sayth Vt intinguatur pes tu us in sauguine Thy foot or affeccyon must he dyed and put in the blode of Christe or els all is without fruyte of eternall rewarde And herunto sayth the glose vpon these wordes Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos They haue delued or digged my handes and my feete he sayth not Transfixerunt or vulnerauerunt They hath nayled or wounded but foderunt they haue delued or digged for the erth that is delued is apte to brynge forth fruyte So Christ digged in his handes and fete brought to vs the fruyt of lyfe and no meruell for he ranne after vs all the dayes of his lyfe with great thyrst and moste feruent desyre of our health ▪ ¶ A Lesson IN this article we lerne how to offre and to put al our good thoughtes wylles affeccyons and desyres into the frutfull wound of the ryght foote of Christ and that with great thankes ioynynge our desyres vnto his desyres at all tymes as it ware by a louynge kysse that therby they myghte be performed and so myght brynge forth good fruyte So Mary Magdalene dyd kysse the feet of Iesu and therby she receyued so plentuouse frute that all her affeccyon and loue were turned in to teares of contricyon compassion and deuocyon and if at somtyme we can not haue good desyres at the lest let vs haue a wyll to haue good desyres as Dauyd sayth My soule hath coueted to desyre thy iustificacyons at all tymes and if we so do then god shall accepte our wyll for a dede A man to conforme hym selfe to this article may oftymes kysse the wounde of the righte foote of the crucifix with the remembraunce of this lesson and then pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche dyd make a founteyne of thy grace sprynge to vs from the holsom and most swete woūde of thy right foote graunt to me that I may fasten and ioyne all my good desyres to that same thy wounde with a louely kysse and to make them conformable and agreynge to thy holy desyres Amen ¶ Howe the crosse with Christe vpon it was raysed vp The .lii. article THe .lii. article is the areyryng vp or lyftyng vp of Christ vpon the crosse for after some doctours Christe was nayled to the crosse the crosse lyeng vpon the erth and after that he was nayled therunto they lyfted hym vp with the crosse and this lyftyng vp and puttynge of the crosse in to the stamp or fote that was fixed in the erth was one of the most greuous paynes of Christ and that was bycause all the weyght of his bodye dyd rest vpon hys handes and fete nayled and therfore when they had areysed vp the crosse and put it downe with violence in to the stampe or foote it dyd so shake the bodye that it rent the woundes of his handes feet in so moche that greate plenty or ryuers of blode dyd flowe or runne out of those woundes and founteynes of our sauiour O blessed Iesu howe swetly and pleasantly was thou conuersant with men Howe greate gyftes dyd thou gyue to men and that in most abundance howe harde and sharpe paynes haste thou suffred for them thou haste suffred harde wordes harder strokes and beatynges and most harde tormentes of the crosse and that in euery parte of thy bodye Man was seake in his heade that is in his intention that is when he dyd any thynge for an euyll intent whiche intention is as it were the heade of the soule Man was also seake in hys handes when he dyd euyll werkes or imperfyte he was also seke in his fete when he had vnclene affeccyons and desyres he was seake in his herte for he had euyl and vayne cocitacyons he was also seake in his hole bodye for he lyued a worldly lyfe after the pleasures of the worlde and of the bodye And for these causes good Iesu thou wolde be wounded first in the heade that thou myght cure all our euyll and peruerse intencyons thou wold be woūded in thy hādes to heale al our sinful remisse operations In thy fete to purge all our vnclene worldly affeccyons thou wolde be wounded in thy hert to clense all our euyll and vayne cogitacyons And also thou wolde be scourged and wounded
to hym his dieat Seconly he wyl cast hym in a sweat Thyrdly if these be not sufficyent he wyll let hym blode to correcte the euyll humors And fourthly he wyl gyue hym a pocyon to auoyde all the euyll mater that is the cause of his sekenes So our lorde Christe that he myght cure vs from the infirmitie and seakenes of synne he fyrste kepte a dyeat for he fasted .xl. dayes Secondly he swet blode for vs. Thyrdly he was let blode in all the partes of his bodye when as he shedde his blode without weyght or mesure so that his bodye hangynge vpon the crosse was as drye as a fyrebrand Fourthly and last not content with all the other medicynes he toke a most bitter pocyon when for to cure oure synfull sekenes he toke vinegre and tasted therof and therfore he sayd conueniently Consummatum est All thynges be fulfylled that I shulde suffer for the helthe of man And thus after that he had suffred in all the membres of his bodye the sharpe dartes of moste bytter paynes and passyon he myghte well say the wordes of the prophet Repleuit me amaritudine inebriauit me absinthio He hath fulfylled me with bitternes he hath made me dronke with wormewod and so in his passyon he dranke a bytter pocyon and that to cure vs. ¶ A Lesson OF this article we maye take this lesson that in the ende of euery good werke that we do whiche hath diuerse actes and partes we shulde gather them togyther as it ware in a soÌ„me and so offer that good werke to god and so comonlye we vse in all the seruyce of the churche for euer in the ende we conclude with a collecte whiche is so called for asmoche as in that prayer all the office or seruice said before is as it ware virtually gadred and conteyned in that orison or collect as in a summe And so this worde Consummatum est is as it were the collecte of the hole passion of Christ vnto his death And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld remembre breuely as it were in a summe all the forsayde artycles of Chrystes passion and so gyue thankes to all myghtie god for them and pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche offeryng the consummacion of thy hole passion as it ware in a â—ume â—o god thy father for we dyd say Consummatum est it is ended â–ª grant to me that I may dewly consummate and ende all the good werkes and paynes that it shall please thy grace to werke in me and by me and so ended to offre them with due thankes vnto god the father by the. Amen ¶ Of the yeldyng vp of his soule or of the death of Christe The. lxii article THe .lxii. article is the death of Christe for when Christe had sayde It is ended then he criynge agayne with a greate voyce sayd or no necessite but for our example 〈…〉 tuas coÌ„mendo spiritum meum Father I commend my spirite in to thy handes This was the .vii. and last worde that he spake vpon the crosse And by this sayng he wolde declare vnto vs that the soules of holy sayntes be in y e handes of god after theyr departyng from the bodye wher as before y t tyme all the soules ware in the hande power of hell And by this his commendacion he commendeth to his father all his electe people for we be his membres as saynt Paule sayth Omnes vnum sumus in Christo iesu We be all one in Christe iesu Which in the dayes of his mortalitie offerynge prayers to his father with a greate crye and teares was hard for his reuerence And this worde sayd and prayer made he bowed downe his heade and so gaue vp his spirite In criyng weapyng and praing As the glose sayth we that be erthly or made of y e erth do dye or giue vp our spirite with out any voyce or at most a softe or small voyce But Christ y t camme from heuen he at his death exalted his voyce and cried with a great and lowde voyce He that is not moued with this voyce is more heuy than the erth more harde than y e stone and more close and stynkyng than dead menes graues for all these ware broken moued and open by this voyce And note here that amonge al the paynes that Chryst suffered this payne of death was most sharpe and paynefull for as the Philosopher sayth Death is the moste terrible of all terrible or fearefull thynges and that is for the naturall inclinacion that the soule hathe to the bodye But there is a more speciall cause in Christe for as Damasten sayth His godhed was vnit and knyt bothe to the soule and also to the bodye and therfore that separatioÌ„ of his soule from his body was most paynfull to hym Chryste enclined and bowed downe his heade to shewe vnto vs. iiii thynges that is Fyrste the greuouse and heuy burden that was laid vpon him A man that is ouercharged or oppressyd with a heuy burden is wonte to stowpe and bowe downe his heade But Christe was oppressid with the heuy burden of our synnes as sait Petre sayth Peccata nostra ipse pertulit in corpore suo super lignum Christe bare our synnes in his bodye vpon a tree that is the crosse Also Christe sayth by the prophet Conuolute sunt iniquitates et imposite collo meo The iniquites or synnes be folden or lappid vp to gether and laid vpon my necke and therfore no meruel though he bowid downe his heade to shew vnto vs what heuy burden he bare Secondely he enclined his heade to shewe his pouertie for Iesus the son of god at his death was so pore that he had no place where to reste his head and therfore he bowyd it downe Thyrdly to shewe to vs that meaknes is the way to glorie euerlastyng Herunto Hugo sayth We shall returne vnto the heuenly cuntre by the waye of meakenes And the wiseman sayth Viam sapientie monstrabo tibi c. I shall shewe to the the way of wisdom and I shall lead the by the pathes of equitie which when thou arte ones entred in to thy feet shall not letted nor thou runnyng shal haue any let or obstacle This waye is the vertu of meakenes for as Christ sayth Qui sehumiliat exaltabitur He y t meaketh hym selfe shal be exalted as y e ê“phet sayth Non habitabit in medio domus mee qui facit suê‘biam The prowde person shall not dwell in my house Forthly Chryste enclyned his heade to gyue thankes to his father for the victorie he had for by his death he distroyed death And hereunto saynt Paule sayth Absorpta est mors in victoria Death is destroyed by the victorie and triumphe of Chryst And in the same place Deo gracias qui fe cit nos vincere in domino nostro iesu Christo Thankes be to god that hath
gyuen to vs the victorie ouer death by our lorde Iesu Christe And note here after summe doctours that the same houre that our fyrste adam dyd synne our seconde adam Chryste gaue vp his spirite and so the same houre that the fyrste adam by his synne subdewed hym selfe and al his posteritie to death the same houre this second adam by his death distroyed death eternall so that none of his electe chylderne shal be subdued there vnto And the same houre that paradise was shyt frome our fyrste adam the same houre Christe openyd paradyse to vs. ¶ A compassion and a contemplacion of the death of Christe SAynt Bernard entreatynge this artycle sayth on this maner I am sory and haue coÌ„passion vpon y e my lorde kyng mayster and father yea my good brother and most belouyd Iesu more amyable and to belouyd aboue all women whose arowe or dart hath not turne backward thyne arowes ben very sharpe thy doctrine is valiant and myghtie thy sermon and worde is quicke and leuely of moche efficacitie and vertue more persynge than any two edged swerd entryng thorough euen to the deuidyng a sonder the soule the spirite Also thy shyld neuer declined from the batell for thou haste crowned vs with the shylde of thy grace and of thy good wyll The spear of thy prayers neuer turned bac void for y u prayed for thy enemies y t they shuld not perish How more then dost thou praye for thy fryndes and saruauntes Thou art stronger than the lion yea thou art y e lion of the tribue or stocke of Iuda that haste ouercumme the raumpyng lion that runnyth all ouer searchyng whom he myght deuoure Thou art more swyfte than the egle For thou as a giant had great ioy to runne in the waye to fulfyll the misterie of thy incarnation vnto the tyme y t thou as an egle dyd prouoke thy byrdes to flye Thou spred the wynges of thyne armes abrode vpon y e crosse and fliyng ouer vs thou toke vs lefted vs vp and bare vs vpon thy sholders with greate strenght vnto thy holie habitacle vnto the houshold of thy father where for the fedyng of thy shepe and draÌ„me that was loste and by thy passion founde agayne thou madest a great feast and ioyfull to thy fryndes and neyghboures thy holy aungels makyng to them greate ioy for the conuersion of a penitent synner And though thou be suche a myghtie and noble ê‘son yet thou wast condempned vnto the most shamefull death and so thy spirite commendyd in to the handes of thy father and thy heade enclined and bowed downe thou gaue vp thy spirite O all ye that desyre to ioy in our lorde cumme I beseach you and sorowe with me Take hede and behold our myghtye and strong Dauid how he is all to rent with wheppys behold hym whom we most desire and whom the aungelles desire to behold how he is slayn in our batell Wher is thy red rosy colour where is thy beautie where shall thou fynde fayrnes in thy broused bodye Behold our dayes haue decayed and fayled the dayes I say of our most benigne Iesu which onely is the day without all derknes And his bones haue waxed drye as a fier brande he is cut downe as the grasse and his hart hath wydred away he was lyfted vpon the crosse and very greuously hurt and broused And though he was thus shamefully and vilenously arayed outwardly yet he kepte his beautie and fayrnes in wardly Therfore faynt not for hym in thy trobles for the Iues and gentylles that see this person hangyng vpon the crosse which in hym selfe was more beautyouse than all the chylderne of men they I say onely beholdyng outward thynges see hym hauyng nother beautie ne yet fairnes for his face was more lyke to a lepre than a clene man and all the disposicion of his bodie was then very deforme and foule to beholde yet of that deformytie of our redemar dyd essew and flew out the price of our beautie of our inwarde beautie I mean In parte we haue shewed vnto you now the deformitie blaknes or fowlnes of the bodie of moste amyable Iesu but his inward beautie there is no man that can declare for in him restith and inhabiteth the hole diuinitie or godhed let vs therfore be contented to be deformed in our bodie outwardly with our sauiour Iesu shamefully deformed let vs conforme our selfe in our bodye to the body of our true vine Christ that he myght reforme the body of our mortalitie vnto the bodie of his clernes and glorification O death most to be belouyd O passion of Christ most to be desired O meruelouse misteries what is more meruelouse thaÌ„ that death shuld gyue lyfe wondes shuld cure and heale blode shuld purifie and that sorowe shuld enflame and kyndle loue The openyng of his syde doth cople ioyne hert vnto hert Also what is more meruelouse than that the sonne in the eclipse or darked by clowdes shuld shyne more clere and bryght the fier extincte doth more enflame and kyndle the hert the shameful passion doth glorifie and make gloriouse thirst or drines maketh one dronke Nakydnes doth cloth with the garmentes of vertue the handes fast nayled doth louce vs his feet nayled done make vs to ruÌ„ne Christ yeldyng his spirit doth gyue to vs lyfe he diyng vpon the tree doth call vs to heuen the sonne of god is lead to death he is smiten buffetid and beat that is our victorie he is crowned with thornys that cam to breake the thornys of our synnes he was bownd that lowseth them that be bounde he was hanged vpon a tree that reyseth them that be fallen downe the well of lyfe hath vinegre offeryd to hym for his drynke health is wounded lyfe dieth pitie is scourged for the synner wisdom is mocked lyke a fole treuth is slayne as a lier Iustice is dapned for a wicked person mercy is vexed for an infidell swetnes is made dronke with gall life is deade for the deed man All this is the sayng of faynt Austen By the premisses ye may perceyue that Christe suffred death he iuste and ryghtuouse for vs vnryghtuouse he suffred death for vniuste persons by vniuste persones with vniuste persons for vniuste causes and vnder vniuste iudges and also with vniuste paynes and tormentes Beholde therfore thou deuote soule in to the face of thy sauiour Christ and see in hym how he dyd beare and suffre the payne of the crosse that thou shuld folow hym in bearyng the crosse his bodie was naked for our example that we shuld make our confession openly or plainly and nakedly to our gostlyfather without all clokyng or hydyng and excusyng of our synnes his armes was spred abrode vpon the crosse redy to embrace the in a token that he wyl gladly receyue the vnto his grace if thou forsake thy synne he was fast nailed both in handes and feet that thou shuld perseuer and continue in his
loue and seruice his hart was also openyd for the effusion of the price of our redemption As ye shall see in the next article ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons THe fyrste lesson of this article is that we shulde dye with Christe that is from the worlde and synne if we wyll lyue with hym in glorie eternall And here vnto saynt Paule sayth Si commortui sumus cum Christo et conuiuemus If we dye with Christe we shall lyue with Christe And in an other place Mortui enim estis et vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in deo ⧠✚ ☞ Ye be deade fromme the worlde and all vayne or transitorie thynges and your lyfe is hyd with Christ in god The second lesson is that it is very good and profitable to say deuotely those .x. psalmes coÌ„monly called the psalmes of the passion which Christ sayd in his prayer hangyng vpon y e crosse for without doute who so reades or sayes them deuoutly shal finde great conforthe Thyrdlie euery christian at his death shulde vse and keape the forsaid .v. thynges that Christ dyd at his death he dyd pray crie weape commendyd his soule to his father and gaue vp his spirite So we at our death shulde pray crye to our lorde for his helpe at leste in hert wepe for our synnes by trewe contricion commend our soule to god and to gyue vp our spirit that is with a good will to dye and so to conforme our wyll to the will of god A man to conforme hym selfe to this article may ofte remembre these lessons with y e premisses sayd in this article and pray as foloweth ¶ A Lesson O Blissed Iesu which for me dyeng vpon y e crosse dyd commend thy soule to thy father graunt to me that I may spiritually so dye to the and with the in this life that it wold please the at the houre of my death to haue my wretched soule recoÌ„mendyd to the which liues and reignys with god the father and the holy ghost world without ende Amen ¶ The openyng of Christes side and hert with a spere the .lxiii. Article THe .lxiii. Article is the openynge or wondyng of Christes hert with a spere For at y e death of Christ there ware shewed many miracles as y e derknes of the soÌ„ne y e cuttyng of y e veyle in y e temple y e rentyng or breakyng of the stonys the openyng of the monumentes or grauys the conuersion of the noble man and capiteyn Centurio the conuersion of the thefe of many other that seyng these great thynges that ware done knocked vpon there brestes in sygne or token of penaunce and returned homewardes his moste heuy mother there abidyng with a fewe women with her The Iues then bicause it was the sabboth euyn that the bodyes shulde not remayne vpon the crosse on the saboth day for that sabboth day was an high day and festfull with them they I say besought Pilate that theyr legges myght be broken and so taken downe of the crosse then camme the sawgyours and brake the legges of both the theuys And when they camme to Iesus and saw that he was deed alredie they brake not his legges for as the legges of the paschall lambe ware not broken no more ware the legges of Christ that is the true lambe of god and in that was the scripture fulfylled that saith os non comminuetis ex eo He shall not breake a bone of hym But there cam one of the sawgiours with a spere and dyd thrust Christ in to the side and forthwith there came out blode and watre This sawgior was called Longius and he was blinde or at lest his sight was but weke and what tyme he had thrust Christ to the hert with his spere y e blode runnyng downe by the speare vnto his handes he not knowing the vertue therof touched or rubbed his yen with his blody haÌ„des and so had his syght clerely gyuen to hym Also of this blode and watre all the sacramentes of y e churche haue theyr efficacitie vertue and strenght as by theyr meritoriouse cause As the mayster of the sentence sayth and all doctours And though at that tyme the deed bodye of Christ could feale no payne yet y e Iues did this thing of a great malice and to the great rebuke of Christ for they ware not â—aciate and content with the obprobries rebukes and paynes that they put hym to in his lyfe but that also they wolde put hym to more and so persew hym after his death And for that cause this wondyng of Christes syde is taken here for a speciall article of Christes passion for all y e cruelties shames and despites that be done to y e deed corpes or corse be acompted as if they ware done to the persones lyuyng As somtyme the bodyes of deed persones be drawen hangyd headyd quarteryd or burned for the correction and punishment of suche defawtes as those persones dyd in ther liues And though Christ that tyme deed felt not that wounde of his syde yet the blessyd virgyn his mother felt it for that spere then dyd perse her most sorowfull soule as saynt Bernard sayth truly O blessid mother than the swerde of sorow did perse thy soule when that cruell spere openyd thy son syde after his death His soule then was not present with his bodye But thy soule myght not be departed from it for y e soule is rather there where it louyth than where it gyuith life so not without great cause we say that thou art more than a martyr for the effecte of compassion in the dyd exceade the fealyng of all bodilye paynes ¶ Of the miracles that ware done at this tyme we shall speake in the begynnyâ—g of the thyrd parte of this myrrour boke or treatesse OF this wounde of the side of our lorde the deuote and holy saynt Bernard saith thus O good Iesu thy side was wouÌ„ded and openid that we myght haue entrance or a way to cumme to the. Thy hert was wouÌ„ded that we absolued from al outward trobles and busines myght reste and abyde therin It was also wounded that by that visible wounde we myght see the inuisible wounde of thy loue for who so euer feruently louith he is wounded with loue And how myght his burnyng loue be more clerelie and openly declared to vs but in that y t he wold not onely haue his bodie outwardly woundyd but also haue his hart wounded with a spere therfore this bodely wounde doth shewe to vs his spiritual wounde of loue Arise therfore thou spouse of Chryst as a doue buyidyng thy nest and restyng place in the deapnes of this hole or wounde there watche coÌ„tinually as a sparow fynding thy nest there hyd thy birdes of chaste loue with the turtyll Ioyne or put thy mouth to that wounde that thou may sucke or drawe the watre of helth from y e fouÌ„tayns of our sauiour This is y e wel that
they wold nat be noted as confounded O blynd malyciouse people In all theyr euyll deades agaynst Christe they go to the Iudge Pylate that theyr iniquitie and synne shuld seme as iustice bycause it is doon by auctoritie And they called hym Domine that is lorde but they wold neuer obey to hym with theyr good wyl It is the propertie of maliciouse and froward persons to prayse hym byfore his face whom they hate in theyr hertes and that is to brynge theyr purpose to passe Then Pylate sayd to them Habetis custodiam Ite custodite sicut scitis Ye haue there the watche men take them and goo and make the sepulcre as sure as ye can As if he shulde say after Rabanus It myght be sufficient to you that I haue coÌ„sentyd vnto the death of this innocent from hens fourth do what ye wyll your errour shall reste vpon your selfe And then they went and made the sepulcre sure with watch men and sealyd the stone This was doon for .ii. causes Fyrst to shew the folishenes of the Iues. And herunto saynt Hillarie sayth The feare that the Iues had of the steylynge of Christis body the watche men and the sealyng of the stone be a testimonie and a witnes of y e infidelitie and folyshues of the Iues. Was it not a great folishnes of them to watche and seale his sepulcre that a lytil before that tyme commauÌ„ded a deed man to rise out of his sepulcre the which was .iiii. dayes buried Secondly this was doon for the more sure testimony of the truthe that is of the resurrection of Christ And herof Crisostome sayth Considre and note well here how the Iues agaynste theyr owne myndes doo labour to shewe and proue the truth agaynst them selfe For this theyr acte is a manifeste and sure proue of y e resurrection of Christ And thus we may proue it The sepulcre was sealed and surely keapte w t saugioures ergo there culd be no crafte or deceyte If theyr ware no deceyte ergo Christ is surely risen for there is the sepulcre the body is gon ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons FYrst Lesson is that we shuld be the folowers of Ioseph in that that when the bodye of Christe is receyued of vs and wrapped as we sayd before then we shuld lay it or put it in a new sepulcre cut out or hewen out of a stone that is we shuld put it in our soule deckyd and beautised with the ymage of god renewed and stablisshed in Christ which is the sure stone so that we may say that is wrytten in the canticles Tenui eum nec dimittam I haue hym I holde hym and I wyll not leaue hym The seconde Lesson is this that as our lorde was tormentyd crucified deed lamentyd or mournyd and also buryed so we shuld lament hym by compassion and compunction Thyrd lesson is for riche men which by the example of Ioseph ought to couer the nakydnes of Christ in the poore men and so bury Christ in the sepulcre of his herte by charitable werkes doyng to the poore people ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me at the houre of complen wold be buryed in a sepulcre lamentyd and keapte graunt to me that thou my lord god may be buryed in the sepulcre of my hert and there lamentyd and keapt that I buried with the may deserue to com to the glory of thy resurrection Amen ¶ Here endyth the seconde parte of this Glasse or Myrour ¶ Here foloweth the thyrd parte that is the conclusion of this Myrrour Which is diuided in to .xi. Chaptres ¶ Fyrst we shall declare vnto you certen Myracles specially x. that were done som of them at the death of our lorde and som of them after his death The fyrst Chapitre ¶ Of the fyrste Myracle THe fyrst Myracle was theclipse or derknes of the son and of this the euangeliste saith thus A sexta autem hora tenebre facte sunt super vniuersam terram vsque ad horam nonam From the sexte houre vnto the .ix. houre of the daye there was derknes ouer all the worlde or erthe And this derkenes or eclipse was nat naturall but onely by miracle And that we may proue by .iiii. reasons Firste by reason of the long enduryng of the same for the eclipse of the son naturally may neuer endure by .iii. coÌ„tinual houres as this was Second reason is bicause it was so vniuersal for naturally there can be no eclipse of the son ouer all the erth for the mone that lettyth the lyght of the son from vs for the tyme of the eclipse is not of so great quantitie as is the son nor yet as the erth and therfore it can nat take away y e lyght of the son from all partes of the erth but this derknes or eclipse was ouer all the erth ergo it was nat naturall Thyrd reason is for the age of the mone the mone at that tyme was encreasyd .xiiii. dayes and so it was almost at the full mone But it is impossible that there shuld any eclipse of the son naturally in the opposicion of the mone or it beyng at the ful for then the mone is in the Est when y e son is in the West And also euery naturall eclipse of the son is the coniuncion or chaunge of the mone Forth reason is this for in this eclipse the mone at nyght turnyd and mouyd toward the Eest and the son towardes the Weste which can neuer be naturally ergo this eclipse was by miracle But for what cause god wolde shewe this miracle then doctoures done assigne .v. causes Fyrst for the compassion of the elementes which myght nat beare or suffre to see the iniurie that was done to there creatour and maker Secondly to shewe that Christ was the gouernar of all creatures And here vnto saynt Gregory sayth This wondre or miracle was shewed that it shulde be knowen that he which suffred death was the gouernar of all thynges Thyrdly It was to shewe the blyndnes of maÌ„nys reason and here vnto Simon de Cassia sayth Derknes was brought ouer all the world to shewe y e ignorance of all the world for the world wold nat knowe the son of god Forthly for the obstinacie of the Iues. For as the same Simon saith the Iues suffred horrible derkenes for they blynded in theyr hertes by malice condempned the son of god Fystly for the coÌ„templacion of many secreat misteries And therfore saith y e same Simon This darknes besides that y t it shewed outwardly it also mouyd the mindê of men to considre higher thinges for our lord wold meruelously compasse y e ien of men with thycke derknes that theyr syght shuld not be wanderyng about outwarde thynges but that they shuld entre in to theyr owne hertes there coÌ„sidre deaply such thynges as waxe don to the son of god and in the son of god and so he turnyd the day in to
men is conuenient Fyrst for theyr nombre for they ware many Secondly for theyr condicyon for they were holy and the bodyes of holy sayntes Thyrdly for the noueltye for they arose after theyr death and buriyng Also for the tyme for it was after the resurrection of Christ for he was the first that rose Fyftly for the holy place for they cam into the holy citye And also for that they apperyd to many persones ¶ The .vii. Myracle THe .vii. Myracle was the coÌ„uersion of moch people Of the which the euangelist sayth Centurio et qui cum eo erant custodientes Iesum viso terre motu et hijs que fiebant timuerunt valde dicentes Vere filius dei erat iste When Centurio which was a capteyn of a C. men and they that were w t hym watchyng and keapyng Iesus sawe the erth quake and those thynges which happened then they fearyd greatly and sayd of a suerty this was the son of god This Centurio and his compaygney confessyd Christ to be the son of god and this was don for .v. causes Fyrst for that he saw so many great myracles don which mouyd hym to this confession and fayth Second was for the callyng of the paganes or gentylles to the fayth Behold sayth Simon de Cassia a great mistery that in the Natyuitie or byrth of our lorde and also at his death the gentylles dyd preuent the Iues and cam to the faith before them For at the byrth of Christ the .iii. kynges and greate wyse men which cam from the Eest to worship Christe dyd preuent the Iues at that tyme. And now at his death this Centurio with his compaigney of Rome that cam from the Weste dyd also first beleue Thyrd reason was to reuok his errours For now Centurio dyd glorifie god that so had ordred his son to suffre death He beleuyd in to god and glorifed hym beyng sory that he had obeyd to the president Pylate in so cruelly tormentynge the son of god and openly with his mouth he confessyd Christe to be iuste and innocent whom the maliciouse Iues had falsly coÌ„dempned as vniuste and worthy death In lyke maner dyd his compaigney sayng the same with great feare wondre and so commyng to the knowlege of true fayth deseruyd forgyuenes of theyr errours and infidelitie by the merit of the prayer of Christ when he prayed for his crucifiers and sayd Father forgyue them they know nat what they doo Forth reason is for to confounde the heretikes And therefore saynt Hierom sayth Note here that Centurio a gentyll and pagane seyng Christe put to most shamefull death yet for all that seyng such Myracles confessyd Christ to be the son of god and Arrius a christen man And a prest or doctor in the churche of Christe dyd blaspheme Christe and say that he was a creature not the natural son of god Fyfth reason was for the informacion of vs christians Herunto sayth the holy pope Leo. Euery man shuld tremble and be afraed in y e remembraunce of the passion of his redemar Christ as Centurio was in y e syght therof the hard hertes of men shuld be broken as ware the stones and they that be buried in the custom of synne shuld cast away all obstacles customs or occasioÌ„s of syn and without tariyng aryse vp and com vnto the holy citie that is to the church there be reconsyled and so appere to many persones that they may se and know you truly risen from y e death of synne vnto the life of grace and so that which was doon corporally at the passion of Christe may now be doon spiritually in our hertes and soulys by the remembraunce of the same passion ¶ The .viii. Myracle THe .viii. Myracle was the very blode and very watre ranne out of Christes syde after his death For as the euangelist sayth Iudei auteÌ„ quoniam parasceue erat c. The Iues bycause it was the sabboth euen that the bodyes shuld not remayne and contynue vpon the crossys on the sabboth day for that sabboth day was an hygh day and solempne fest with them they I say besought Pylate that there legges myght be broken and so taken downe of the crosse The Iues dyd make this desire to Pylate for .iiii. causes of the which Symon de Cassia maketh mencion Fyrst for the reuerence of there festfull day It was a meruelouse supersticion of the Iues sayth he that thought y t theyr sabboth day shulde be violate and defoyled if the bodies of those which ware condempned to death shulde hyng that day vpon y e crosse but they had no conscience nor wold se the coÌ„taminacion and defoylyng of theyr owne soulys whiche for enuy condempned the innocent falsly to death Secondly it was for the vnquietnes of the people that the Iues alledged for them to Pilate y e reuerence of the sabboth day but in theyr hertes was hyd great malice for they pretendyd that they wold haue his body taken downe lesse the people shuld be truobled and vnquieted vpon the sabbot day which is a day of quietnes but it was for the great signes and miracles that ware shewed at his death and after his death and they thought that if the people shuld see the bodie hyng vpon y e crosse that therby they remembryng all these signes shuld shortly be mouyd to insurrection and agaynst them that condempned hym to death Thyrdly for that they wold haue no mo myracles shewed For they ware afrayd that if he contynued long vpon the crosse that there shulde haue ben many momyracles shewed Forthly they dyd it to auoyde perilles for they councelynge to gether decreyd wisely for them selfe corporally that the bodies of the deed persones condempned to death shulde not be suffred to hyng long for the auoydyng of many perillys that myght hap It is the custome of wyse gouernars of any coÌ„mynaltie to remoue or a voyde that person quicke or deed by whome they feare any troble to com And therfore the princes of the Iues desyred Pylate that theyr leggê myght be broken and so taken downe And then the sawgioures cam brake the leggê of the .ii. theuys that was as saynt Austen sayth y t they myght the more shortly dye and also for the commauÌ„dement of the lawe but when they cam to Iesus and se that he was deed all redy they brake nat his legges And that was for .ii. causes after Symon de Cassia Fyrst for verifiyng of the figure for here of we had a figure bifore in the paschall lambe of whom it was commauÌ„dyd that they shuld breake no bone of it Nat so to be vnderstand that that figure or commaundement was the cause that Christ bonys or legges ware nat broken but contrary wise bycause that god had so prouided that no bone shuld be broken in Christ therfore it was commaundyd and keapt in the paschall lambe that was a figure of Christe Secondly it was to
And in this solempnitie we haue example of our resurrection the hope and trust of the heuenly cuntre is offred to vs the clausures of hell ben destroyd and the gates of heuyn be openyd to vs. Therfore this is the day that our lorde hath made Ioy we and be glad therin For this day Christ hath taken away the burnyng swearde and openyd the gates of paradyse which no man myght cum before vnto that Christ cam thyther with the holy thefe sayng to y e auÌ„gelles Open ye to me the gates of iustyce and I entred in to them shall prayse god This is the day in the which the sinagoge is deed or endid and the church borne or begun This is the day in y e which we syng Alleluya that is we laude and prayse god Prayse we therfore frendes our lord god in our lyfe and in our speach with herte and mouth with our voyces and good maners for so will our lord god haue Alleluya that is his praysynges song to hym that there be no discorde in the prayse that his lite and wordes agrey in one O blessyd Alleluya or praysyngê of god that is song in heuyn where as is the temple of god and legions of auÌ„gelies There is the most hyghe concorde of the praysers There is no repugnaunce in the membres agaynst the spirit There is no stryuyng for couetise wherby shuld perish y e victorie of charitie Let vs here syng Alleluya diligently that there we myght syng it surely here in hope ther in the very presence of god here in the way there in our heuenly contre let vs here syng nat for that we haue the delectacion of quietnes but for the solace of our labour as we se that men goyng or rydyng by the way be wonte to syng to comforte theyr labour to quicken them in theyr iorney and to go forward merely And herunto saint Bede sayth O my soule arise with Christe from thy filthy sepulcre or custom of syn Areise vp thy hert vnto the hope and trust of thy resurreccion and eternall lefe Let vs now dye from syn in this present life for y e loue of god that after our resurrection we may lyue in the life to com for if we mortifie our body nowe for the loue of Christe then we shall reygne with him in euerlastyng ioy Let vs so enforce ourselfe to be present and to honoure god in these feastes in the cumpaigney of mortall men that we may deserue to be present at the eternall feastes with auÌ„gelles For what shuld it profite vs to keape these feastes temporally if we be excludyd from those eternal feastes For these present solemnities ben but a shadowe of the feastes to cum therfore we keape these feastes reuerently and yerely that we myght cum to those feastes that be continuall When any feast is here keapt at his day assigned our mynd shuld be referryd and occupied with the desire of that same feast that is in heuen continually eternall Therfore our hertes thorow the frequentacion and vse of spiritual ioy in these temporall feastê shuld be kyndled and wax feruent to the desire of eternal ioyes and so we shuld vse our meditacions here in the shadow of ioy that in very truth we may here after haue the fruicion of the true and euerlastyng ioy Amen All this is taken of saynt Gregory A prayer O Lord Iesu Christe our eterne and onely swetnes which breakyng the bondes of death hath glorified thy bodye and hath risen from deathe in glorie vnspekable I pray the and I beseach the for thy gloriouse and florishyng resurrection to graunt to me that I risyng from vices and y e death of soule may euer florishe in vertues and so walke in the newnes of good lyfe that I may sauer and folowe those thynges that be aboue and heuenly and nat tho thynges that be erthly and transitorie Also good lord by the vertue of thy clernes purge my soule from the derknes of syn that by the same vertue at the day of generall resurrection my bodye may arise vnto glory that I may ioy both in soule and body eternally with the in thy glory Amen ¶ Now Christ apperyd to his mother Mary the .v. Chapitre THe same houre that Christe rose the thre Maries that is Mary Magdalene Mary Iocobe and Mary Salome desirynge licence of our Ladie of great deuocion and loue they had to our sauioure Christ began to go with swete oyntmentes vnto the sepulcre of Christ to anoynt his bodye And our Lady remayned at home continuyng in weapyng and prayers And very conueniently these thre women ware called by one name for they ware of one wyll and mynde and lyke desire towardes Christe There be thre states of men that shal be sauyd and iche one of these dothe seke Christe and without these thre states there is no man sauyd that is begynners profiters and perfite persones or elles penitentes actiue and contemplatyue persones which thre states be signified by the thre Maries which sought our lord and that we may take by thre interpritacions of this worde Maria. The state of begynners or penitentes is noted by Mary Magdalene which was a famouse and knowen synner and afterwarde very penitent And thought somtyme by her may be signified the contemplatiue life as in the .x. chapitre of Luke Yet at this tyme she may signifie to vs the state of penitentes for the euangelist sayth of her that Christ cast out .vii. deuylles that is al vices froÌ„ her And also in the gospell of Luke she is knowen to be the capteyn and example of all true penitentes And for this cause she is conueniently called Maria that is a better see or elles after the Hebreus Maria commyth of Mara that is interpreted bitter And hereunto the olde woman Ruth sayde Non vocetis me Noemy pulchramised vocate me Mara c. Call nat me fayre but call me bitter for our Lord hath fulfylled me with bitternes And this was verefied in Mary Magdalen when byfore the feet of our Lorde she washed with her teares the spottes of her synnes So Petre beyng penitent weapt bitterly And so to euery penitent soule may be sayd the wordes of the prophet Magna velut mare contricio tua O thou penitent soule thy contricion is great and bitter as the see The state of profiters or of actiue persons is sygnified in Mary Iacoby that was the mother of Iames the selfe Iacobus is asmoche to say by iÌ„terpretacion as a supplanter or a wrestlar for it apperteyneth to actiue persons and profiters to supplante or to subdue vice also to wrestle and laboure in the spirituall exercise of vertues And herunto is also conuenient the second interpretacion of this name Maria which after y e Sire tonge or speach is called Domina A lady For sith these profiters and actiue persons be in continual datel for the pronitie that they haue to vice and the
difficultie vnto all goodnes and vertue therfore it is necessary that these profiters haue the dominion or ladishippe ouer theyr owne passions and that by reason so that they gyue no place vnto temptacions And through this stryfe or wrastlyng whan reason hath the dominion ouer sensualitie vertues be generate and gotten The state of contemplatiue and perfite persons is signified by Mary Salome which was the mother of Iames the more and of Iohan the euangelist This woman asked of Christ his kyngdome for her sonnys So perfite and contemplatiue ê‘sons ar chefely occupied about the kyngdom of god for they haue in them selfe the kyngdom of god and here do partely taste therof And hereunto Salome is called by interpretacion peacefull For there is no peace to man in this lyfe but in contemplacion And hereunto accordeth the thyrd interpretacion of this name Maria that is illuminate and therfore it may be sayd to euery contemplatiue person Surge illuminate Hierusalem quia venit lumen tuum Arise thou perfite soule and receyue lyght for thy lyght cummyth And also iche one of these thre Maries had theyr oyntmentes as ye may se in Ludolphe de Vita xâ—i 2. parte But if any person moue this question why our blessyd Ladie dyd nat go to visite Christes sepulcre as the thre other Maries dyd Herunto we may assigne thre causes Fyrst for the mother of Christe myght nat se the sepulcre of her son without great sorâ—â— and specially beyng so lately buried Second cause for she had weapt so moche the Friday and Saterday before and brought her selfe so lowe that she myght nat susteyne and suffre that laboure And hereunto sayth saynt Bernard The blessyd virgyn Marie was so feble weake that she was brought home from the crosse as halfe deed Third cause for y e forsayd women thought that the bodie of Christe was then liyng in his sepulcre and therfore they wold haue anoynted as of old custom haue ben vsed his bodie to preserue it frome corruption where as this gloriouse virgyn knewe that it shuld neuer corropte and that he was risen from death to life immortall or els shortly shuld rise And therfore she went nat with them But she sat in a secret place alone very feble and weake in all the powers of her bodie for she had greatly tormentyd her selfe with great sorowe watche and abstinence from that tyme y t she hard say that her onely and dere belouyd son was taken and scourged and afterwarde when she se hym crucified smytyng and knockyng with her delicate handes vpon her tendre breste And thus I say very feble sat alone in contemplacion and prayer and also weapyng for those misteries and paynes that her son had suffred And as she was thus in prayer and swete teares of deuotion sodenly her son Iesus cam and apperyd to her in most white clothes of glorie and in the newnes of his resurrection beautiouse and gloriouse with a glad and louely chere comfortyng his desolate and heuy mother And therwith she knelyng downe worshipped hym and then risyng vp with teares and vnspeakable ioy embraced hym and then all the bitternes of her sorowe was torned in to ioy and comforth After this they both setyng to gether our Ladie besily and curiously be held hym in his face handes and feet and in al his bodie whither he had the printes and sygnes of his woundes searchynge and askyng whether all his paynes and sorowe were clene paste and gon from hym And he sayd yea my worshipful mother all my sorowes and paynes be now past and gon and shall neuer retorne agayne to me O with how great ioy thynke you was then that blessyd Lady repleat When she se and beheld her son immortall and impassible and nat onely that he shuld liue euermore but also that he had the perpetuall dominion ouer heuen and erth and all creatures in them And so they louyngly and pleasantly commynyg and talkyng to gether made a great ioyfull pasch or solempne feast And though of this fyrst aperyng vnto his mother there be nothyng written in the gospels yet we do godly beleaue that Iesus fyrst appered vnto his mother Mary For so it was conuenyent as doctours don say that he shuld so do and that he shuld fyrste conforth and glad his mother by his resurrection which louyd hym aboue all other persones Also bycause she had more sorow of his death than any other had it was seamyng and worthy that he shuld fyrst comforthe her And the church of Rome dothe seame to approue this same for fyrste in the mornynge of Ester daye she maketh a solempne stacion at the churche of our Lady called our Lady the more Maria maior Mary the more Herby notyng that Christ dyd fyrst appere vnto his mother And where the euangelist sayth that Christe dyd fyrste appere vnto Mary Magdalen is to be vnderstondyd of these apperynges wherby he wold proue his resurrection For he apperyd fyrst of al vnto his mother nat for that he wolde therby proue his resurreccion but for to comforth and glad her with his presence and do his dutie and honour her as his mother A prayer O Mary the mother of god most graciouse virgyn comfortar of al desolate persons callyng and criyng vnto the I beseche the for that gret ioy wherby thou was coÌ„forted when thou knowest that thy son Iesus Christe was risen y e thyrd day from death vnto lyfe immortall impassible that thou wold be a comfortar of my soule that what tyme I shall arise both in body and soule at the last day of iudgement and there appere before that same son of thyn Iesus Christ and there to rendre myne accompte of al my thoughtes wordes and deades it wold please thy motherly pitie to healpe me that by the o blessyd mother and vigyn I myght escape the sentence of eternall dampnacion and graciously to cum to the euerlastynge ioy and glorie with all the electe and chosen people of god Amen ¶ How Iesu apperyd to Mary Magdalen The syxte Chapitre MAry Magdalen ful of bitternes sorow burning in loue and nat knowyng what she shuld do for w tout her maister Christ she myght nat lyue and wher he was buried she fonde hym nat and where to search for him she knew nat Wherfore of great feruore constancy she stode as if she had ben amaised for the vehemence of her loue wold nother suffre her to sit ne yet to lye therfore she stode without in the garden byfore the holy sepulcre weapyng lamentyng for her lorde Her hert was so feruently kyndled in loue she was moued with so great pytie drawen with so myghty and strong bondes of charitie that forgotten her owne infirmitie and frayltie she was nat withdrawen and letted frome the visitynge of Christes sepulcre for the darknes of the mournyng nor yet for the crueltie of the Iues but rather she abode there weapyng and searchyng for her lorde She wold