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
prophete My god my god why hast thou forsaken me This is the cause The wordes of my synnes hathe put me tarre from my helthe and conforte Heuynes is than for a truthe a laudable commendable passion as saynt Austyn sayeth whan it procedeth of a ryght loue or good cause As whan a man is heuy for his owne synnes or for the synnes of other persones Also heuynes is taken profitably whan it is taken for the satisfaction of our synnes And therefore saynt Paule sayeth Que secundum deum est tristitia penitētiam in salutem stabilem operatur That heuynes whiche is accordynge to the wyll of god doeth worke penaunce into our stable and sure helthe And therefore Christe to do satisfaction for the synnes of all men toke vppon hym the moost heuynes that might be and yet it excedyd nat the order and rule of ryght reason Also he suffered payne in his body for the synnes of all mankynde Whiche payne and sorow excedyd the sorowes of euery person contrite And no maruell that his sorow was so greate for it procedyd of a more depe or inwarde knowledge and wysdom and also of a more perfyte charitie and loue than the sorowe of any otherman And these be the causes whereby the sorow of contricion is encreased Also he suffered sorowed for all our synnes as the prophete sayeth Vere dolores nostros ipse portauit Truely he bare oure sorowes and suffered for vs. Also Christe toke all the causes of our heuines and therfore his heuynes and sorow was the moost It foloweth in the texte Vigilate et orate ne intretis in temptationem He sayd vnto his thre disciples whom he founde slepynge watche and praye that ye be nat ouercum by temptacion He watcheth that doeth good werkes and that kepeth hym selfe diligently that he fall nat into any heresy or derke and erroniouse opinion Spirius quidē promptus est caro autem infirma The spyryte is prompte and redy to do well and to promise great thynges but the flesshe is infyrme fraile to do good or to suffre payne And Christe spake this for the proude folysshe persons whiche thynke that they may do what so euer they wyll And hereunto saynte Hierom sayeth As moche as we trust of the feruour and redynes of our mynde spyryte so moche we shulde feare of the infirmitie and frailtie of our flesshe It foloweth Et positis genibus orabat dicens Pater si vis transfer calicem istum a me Iesus knelynge prayed to his father sayenge Father yf thou wylte thou may take this payn and passion from me Our lorde here prayed after his sensuall wyll to that that the reason of Christ dyd here expresse the affect and desyre of his sensualitie as the aduocate of sensualitie for this tyme. And therefore whan he added in his prayer Verumtamen non mea voluntas sed tua fiat This nat withstandyng thy wyll be fulfylled and nat myne He dyd expresse that this affection in hym was subdued to ryght reason that is to his reasonable and godly wyll by the whiche he wolde the same thynge that god his father wolde from whom by this wyll he was nat diuided It foloweth Et cum surrexisset ab oratione et venisset ad discipulos suos inuenit eos dormientes And whan he rose from his prayer and cam to his disciples he founde them slepynge This corporall slepe was a fygure sygne of the slepe of infidelitie wherwith they shulde be shortely greued and oppressed Peraduenture sum person may maruell how that they myght slepe heryng of the dethe of theyr maister Christe We may answere thus They were very heuy for his dethe and heuines wyll induce and moue a man to slepe Also it was than well forwarde in y e night And thoughe they all dyd slepe yet he blamed Petre rather than the other Fyrst for bycause he boosted and sayde Though all other forsake the I wyl neuer forsake the. Therfore he was worthy more to be rebuked Also bycause he was the capitayne and chefe of thapostles and therfore Christ rebuked hym for them all saynge to Peter thus Sic non potuisti vna hora vigilare mecum What Petre mayst thou nat watche one houre with me As yf he had sayd How wylt thou dye with me that canst nat watche one houre with me And in that that he sayeth one hour he signifieth to vs that the burden and tyme of temptacion is very shorte in the respecte of the remuneracion or rewarde in glory And note how that Christe dyd pray thre tymes one and the same prayer and after euery tyme he cam to his disciples and founde them slepynge He dyd thryse pray the same prayer to signifie to vs as saynt Bernarde sayeth that we shulde dyrect all our prayers to the father to the sonne to the holy goost that we might haue spirituall strength of the father wysdom of the sonne and a good wyll of the holy goost Or therefore he prayed thryse that we shuld excercise the thre powers of our soule in prayer that is that our reasonable power shulde be diligent in meditacion our affection and concupiscible power shulde be feruent in desyrynge and our wrathfull power shulde be stronge in auoydynge all euyll Christe also after euery tyme of his prayer cam to his disciples and founde them slepynge At the fyrst tyme he rebuked them as we sayd before At the seconde tyme he suffred thē And at the thyrde tyme he commaunded them to slepe sayenge Dormite iam et requiescite Slepe now rest And this was to signifie thre maner of slepys And that the fyrste whiche is the slepe of synne correspondynge to the fyrst slepe of the disciples is to be reproued The seconde that is naturall slepe is tollerable and to be suffered And the thyrde whiche is the slepe of contemplacion and glory is to be desyred of all people ¶ Here foloweth a lesson or instruction OF this artycle we may take this lesson that whan we wolde pray deuoutly that we shuld go to sum secret place from the noise or cumpany of men Also that we commyt all our tribulacions heuynes paynes and infirmities vnto the wyll of god as Christe dyd after his prayer thoughe it so be y t we praye and desyre to be delyuered from theym as Christe dyd yet let vs submyt our wyll to the wyll of god Also let vs put all our tribulacions and paynes as it were into the herte of Christe desyrynge and prayenge hym that he wolde performe and make our pacience perfite in the vnion of his passion and so offer them to y e laude and glorye of his father For hereby oure tribulacions and paynes shall be greately dignified For as the passion of Christe brought great fruite and conforte bothe in heuyn and in erthe so our paynes and tribulacions what so euer they be yf they be in the foresayde maner commytted and commendyd in the vnion
his mother This thyrde worde or sentence of Christe Mulier ecce filius tuus woman beholde thy sonne this I say was a worde of great dilygence loue and pitie for as moche as Christe beyng in so great anguisshe and sorowes of death wolde yet remembre his moste heuy and sorowfull mother and prouyde her of a sonne or minyster to attende vpon her to her comforth And herin he taught vs to haue compassyon of the afflyccyon of our parentes and to prouyde for them in theyr necessities O swete lorde Iesu thy crosse and passion doth torment the greuously but the compassyon of the mothers sorowe is no lesse payne to the and no meruell O good chylde if thou sorowe if thou suffer and haue compassyon of the heuynes of thy mother of her separation from the of her commendation to a straunger And here doctours done say and specyally Bonauenture that the sorowe that Christe had in the compassyon of his mother was more intense and more greuous to hym then the sorowe of hys awne payne and passyon THe mother of Iesu stode by the crosse She stode for she neuer fell by synne she stode to the great glory and prayse of al women where as his discyples that shulde haue ben men of gostly strengthe vertue dyd flye awaye and leaue theyr maister alone She onely abode with hym constantly in all his greuous panges and paynes wherin was fulfylled the prophecy of Esaye sayenge in the persone of Chryst complaynynge Torcular calcaui solus et de gentibus non est vir mecum I onely haue troden in the prease of the crosse there was nat one man with me hauyng compassyon vpon me but my mother alone she had compassyon and stode by me And nat onely she stode bycause she dyd nat flye but also for that in so great heuynesse of herte she dyd nothynge vnseamyngly or vnreligyously but ordred her selfe in most godlye behauour without any misorder in cryenge or cursynge and suche other lyke thoughe she suffred in her herte all those paynes that her sonne Iesus suffred in his bodye outwardlye And as we sayd before here she felte and suffred all the panges that she escaped at the byrth of her sonne Iesus Of these .ii. birthes or chyldynges speaketh the prophet saynge Antequam parturierat peperit masculum Before Mary the mother of Iesus hadde any panges or thrawes she brought forth her sonne so that she had her sonne without sorowe then it foloweth in the prophet Nun quid parturiet terra vna die aut parietur gens simul Shall the erth brynge forth with payne all her fruyte in one day or all the people shal be brought forth or borne in one day Note wel these saynges Firste the prophet spake of the birth of Christe which was without sorowe or payne to his mother and with great ioy But nowe at her seconde chyldynge where as at the passyon of her sonne Iesus she brought forth all the electe chylderne of god at one birth she had great panges and manyfolde sorowes And here note that this blessed mother of mercy dyd helpe or assist the father of mercyes in this moste hyghe werke of mercye and so with Christe dyd regenerate and redeme al mankynde and this generation was to the great sorowe and payne of them both and herunto Albert sayth though Marye dyd beare her sonne Iesus in greate ioye and without all payne yet after warde whan she dyd regenerate al the faithful people in faith that was with moch sorowe and of this it appereth that Christ dyd communicate vnto his mother this hygh werke of our redemption for she suffred with hym his passyon in her soule as we sayd before And note me well here for I do not say that our blessed lady dyd redeme vs bycause Christ of hym selfe was insufficient for to say so it ware heresye But I say it pleased our sauyour Christ to haue his mother present at his passyon and there to suffer with hym in soule as he suffred in bodye that so consequently as he is called the father of mercy so she myght be honored and called the mother of mercy and also for other considerations as foloweth First that our redemption might reanswere vnto the first condempnation for in our firste losse and perdicyon both Adam and Eue dyd syn notwithstandynge if Adam had not synned we had not ben condempned and therfore the onely synne of Adam was the cause of our perdicyon but for asmoche as Eue dyd persuade moue and counsell Adam to synne therfore we say that we ware dampned by oure firste mother Eue so in lyke maner though we be redemed by the passyon of Christ yet for as moche as oure blessed lady was consentynge to that passyon and also sufferyde it in her soule we may saye that she redemed vs with Christe Secondlye that as Christe redemyng vs by his passion was made our father by the whiche passyon the sacrament of baptysme wherin we be regenerate taketh his efficacitie and vertue so our blessed ladye myght be called our mother bycause she suffered in her soule the same passion of Christe Thirdly that after Christ we al shulde honoure the gloriouse virgyn as our modre Fourthly for the encrease of her merite And fiftly that y e passion of Christ shuld be more bitter paynful to him thorough the presence of his modre by whom he sheweth his most hyghe charitie vnto vs. She stode also for all other departed from the stablenes of fayth but she onely and therfore it is sayde of her thus O good lorde thou haste stablished thy testament vpon the heede of Marie al waye virgin for after the death of thy son thy fayth onely remayned perfetely in the reason of the same virgyn ¶ Of the sorowe and compassyon of our ladye AS the great clerke Alberte sayth vpon these wordes of Luke Tuam ipsius animam pertransibit gladius The swerde of sorowe shal passe thorowe thyn awne soule It is the more true exposition and sentence when this pronowne deriuatyue tuam is resolued in to his primityue tui so that this is the true sentence of the forsayd wordes of Luke the swerde of sorowe that is the payne of the passyon and deth of thy sonne O vyrgyne Mary which he suffred in his bodye shall perse and passe thorowe the soule of thyne awne selfe Marie So that the sorowes whiche thou felt not at the birth of thy sonne so that therby thou dyd not knowe thy selfe a mother at his deth thou shalt fele them in moste paynfull and sorowfull maner so that thou shalte knowe thy self then to haue had a chylde and to be a mother Our sauiour Iesus her sonne was to Marie his mother as her awne herte and therfore when he was borne of her she felte as if halfe her herte had bene borne and departed from her body And as that thynge whiche is halfe without and halfe within if that parte that is outwarde be
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
embrace and halse hym He wolde be pale in face and inclyne his heed downe for feblenes with Christe and Christe cōfortably lyftynge vp his heed doth most swetly kysse hym And therfore saynt Barnarde sayth O good Iesu we beleue and so it is that who so bereth thy crosse he bereth thy glory And he that bereth thy glory he bereth the. And hym y t bereth the thou bereth vpon thy sholdre Thy sholdre is stronge and very hygh for it recheth vnto the fete of the father in heuen aboue all the orders of aungels aboue all principates potestates vertues Thither thou reducest or bryngest agayne the wanderynge shepe that dyd erre from the flocke that is mankynde the whiche by his synne was put out of Paradyse Good lorde I may compasse go about and serche both heauen and erth the see and the lande no where shal I fynde the but in the crosse There thou slepest there thou fedest there thou restest in the hete of the day In this crosse my soule is lyfted vp from the erth and there it gathereth the swete apples vpon the tree of lyfe In this crosse the soule cleuynge fast to her lorde god doth swetely synge and say Susceptor meus es tu gloria mea et exaltans caput meum Thou arte my defēdour my glory and thou exalteth vp my heed that is my soule from the consideration of all vayne transitory thynges vnto the meditacion of thyn vnspeakable goodnes shewed vnto man vpon the crosse O most amyable deth O moste delectable deth of the most noble body of our lorde Iesu Christe from whome I wolde neuer be seperate but in hym to make thre tabernacles one in his handes another in his fete and the thirde in the woūde of his syde There I wyll rest and slepe eate and drynke rede and pray and there I wyll perfourme all my besynes that I haue to do There I shall speake vnto his herte and optayne of hym what so euer is nedeful for me Thus doynge I may folow y e steppes of his most swete mother Marie whose soule y e swerde of sorowe dyd thyrle perse at the deth of her sone If I be thus woūded with Christe I may from hensforth suerly speke to her moue her in al my necessites and she wyl nat denye me bycause she seeth me crucified with her sonne Christe ¶ Here foloweth an example of this exhortation WE may take an example of this exhortation to remēbre the passion of Christ in the boke called Speculum hystoriale Vincentij of certayne singuler persones whiche had this special grace We rede there that in the partes of the Dioces called Leodin̄ a noble deuout preest called Iacobus de Vitriaco the whiche afterwarde was the bysshop of Tusculane and cardinall and this holy man se there diuerse women of so meruaylous affection and so feruent in the loue of god through the continuall remēbraunce of the passion of Christe that by that feruent loue and desyre they were so seke that by many yeres they coulde nat ryse out of theyr beddes but very seldome hauynge none other cause of sekenes or disease but onely the said feruent loue For their hertes by y e continuall remembraunce of the infinite charite of god shewed in the passion of Christe were so relented by that meditation that the more that they were cōforted in soule the more seke weyke they were in theyr bodyes saynge cryeng in herte though for shame they durst nat speke in wordes the sayng of the spouse in the canticles Fulcite me floribus stipate me malis quia amore langueo Comforte me with flowres strength me with apples or other frutes for I am seke or languysshe for loue And in some of these women a meruaylous thyng it myght be perceyued sensibly howe that whan theyr soule in a maner melted throughe the vehemence of loue theyr chekes and the coloure of them sensibly fayded and fel away In other of them throughe the swete consolations that they receyued in theyr soules there redoūded in to their mouthes a pleasaunt taste as if it had ben of hony or other swete meat and that they felte sensibly And so it retresshed them both corporally and spiritually and this taste also moued them to swete teares and preserued or kepte theyr hertes in deuotion Some of them also receyued so great grace of wepynge in deuotion that as ofte as god was in theyr herte by remembraunce of his goodnes so ofte the ryuers of teares flowed from theyr eyen by inward deuotion so that the steppes or pryntes of the teares dyd afterwarde appere in theyr chekes thorough the custome of wepynge And here note a meruaylous thyng that the wepyng or teares dyd nat hurt their brayne or heed as it doth comenly in al other persones but rather in them it comforted theyr myndes with a full plentuous deuotion It made swete or pleasaūt theyr spirites with a swete vnction of grace It meruaylously refresshed their bodyes and it gladded al y e hole cōgregation of y e seruaūtes of god there ¶ More ouer we rede in the same boke of an holy and deuoute woman called Maria de Ogines of whome the forsayde mayster Iacobus de Vitriaco beynge in great feruoure of deuotion cryed with a lowde voyce vnto almyghty god sayng O lord god thou arte very good to them that trusteth in the thou arte faythfull to thy seruauntes that truste and abyde thy promisses Thy hand mayde good lord hath dispised and forsaken for thy loue thonour of the worlde with all the pleasures of the same and thou accordyngly vnto thy promisse in scripture hath rendred and gyuen to her an hundreth tymes more in this worlde and also euerlastyng lyfe in the kyngdome of glorye The fyrst fruites or begynnynge of her loue to the was the remembraunce of thy crosse passion and deth For on a certayne day when she preuented with thy grace and mercyfully visited by the considered the great benefites whiche thou of thyn vnspeakable goodnes shewed vnto man kynde in workynge our redemption she founde or opteyned so great grace of compunction and suche abundaunce or copye of teares in thy crosse and passion that we myght haue traced or folowed her thorowe the churche by her teares that fel on y e groūde from her And of a longe tyme after that she had this swete visitation and grace of teares she myght neyther see nor beholde the ymage of the crucifix nor yet speke or here other speke of the passion of Christe but forthwith she fel in swowne Wherfore that she might somwhat tempre and abate that great passion and sorowe and restrayne thaboundaunce of her wepynge she lefte the consideration of thumanite or manheed of Christe and tourned her mynde holly to the meditation of the maiestye and godheed of Christe that in his eternitye and inpassibilytye she myght fynde some consolation and comforth But where she thought and laboured to haue
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
and vertuouse thoughtes And therefore suche a persone that is thus puryfyed in soule and bodye may trewly order hym selfe to the contemplacyon of god For he neuer lyfteth vppe his syght or iyes vnto vayne thynges Ne hys eares to heare noysome or vnprofytable thynges Nor hys nose to smell swete odours nor smelles Nor hys mouthe to taste delycate thynges Ne yet hys touchynge to feele softe thynges and that inordynately But with all dylygence he kepeth hym selfe bothe inwardely and outwardly so that nowe he shoulde nat be called a seruaunte or bounde but rather a lorde and free For he hathe domynyon ouer hym selfe by subdewynge of all inordynate and sensuall appetytes as muche as a man may haue lordeshyppe ouer hym selfe in thys lyfe And so I say suche a persone for his puritie is mooste apte to receyue the godlye influencys and spyrytuall illustracions For the sonne of Iustyce doeth inhabyte suche a pure and clene soule shynynge in euery corner thereof and lyghtenynge the inwarde partes of the same That is the thre powers of the soule so that he may do all thynges necessarye for his saluacion by the power of the father almyghty He knoweth all thynges by the wysdome of the sonne our sauyoure Christe Iesus and wyll all goodthynges by the goodnes of the hooly gooste These be the thre mansyons or tabernacles that god maketh in the soule of the iuste and pure persone for there he fyndeth nothynge that shulde let or resyste contrarye to hym And so our lorde doeth shyne so longe in that soule vnto suche tyme that soule thorughe that bryghte lyghte and clearenes be absorpte and in a maner as it were drowned or swalowed vppe into god And than the soule so rauysshed and lyfted vp aboue it selfe doeth entre in to the godlye clowde after thys maner cryenge and sayenge thus Et nox illumininatio mea in delitiis meis This nyghte or clowde is my lyghte to my great conforte and pleasure And thus ye may se that the soule by the gyfte or spyryte of strengthe is lyfted vp aboue all feare of perylles of our enemies it feareth nothynge but synne that displeaseth god it is nat subdued to any passion and is redy to excercyse all werkes of strengthe It is nat ouercum by any conflyete or battell in temptacion And all this is opteyned and gotten by the continuall and feruent remembraunce of Christes passion And here vnto saynt Paule sayeth Confortamini in domino et in potentia virtutis eius Ye be conforted in our lorde and in the power of his vertue that is in his passion where as his great power and vertue was shewed Also the prophet Dauid sayeth Ipse dabit virtutem et fortitudineÌ„ plebi sue He shal giue vertue power strength to his people And by his power we haue the vyctorye oure ouer enemies as saynt Paule sayeth Deo gratias qui fecit nos vincere per dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Thankes and praysynges be to god that hath gyuen to vs the vyctory ouer all our enemies by the merytes of our lorde Iesus Christe And in an other place saint Paule sayeth thus Induâ—te vos armatura dei vt possitis stare aduersus inâ—idias diaboli Put vpon you the armoure of god that ye may stande strongly agaynst the disceites and pryuy assautes of the deuyll These be the armours of god and also vnder hym our armoure Let vs take his crowne of thorne for our salet or helmet For our swerde the nayles of his handes For our spurres the nayles that persed his fete For our Iacke or haubergyn the betynges of his body with scourges For our sheld the crosse as our lorde bare it to the mounte of Caluary For our horse the same crosse as Christe dyd hynge and dye thereon With this armoure we shall ouercum the deuyll for thereunto we shall haue strength thrugh the feruent meditacion of the passion of Christe To this gyfte of goostly strength correspondeth the fourthe beatitude that is Beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt iustitiam Blessed be they that hunger and thyrste iustice For as saynt Austyn sayeth Strengthe is conuenient to them that hunger and thyrst iustice for they labour diligently desyrynge to haue ioye and pleasure in and of thynges that be very good and also labourynge to tourne theyr loue from all worldly and vayne thynges And this conueniency doeth also appere in that that this gyfte of strengthe consysteth and standeth in harde thinges of great difficulty as we sayde before It is a greate and an harde thynge that a man shuld nat only do vertuouse werkes which comonly beÌ„ called the werkes of iustice but also that he shulde do them with a feruent and in a maner an insaciable desyre of iustyce whiche is signified by this hungre and thyrst of iustice To this gyfte also of goostly strength correspondeth and accordeth amonges the fruites of the spyryte these two fruites Pacience whiche concerneth the sufferaunce of euyll or payne And longanimitie whiche consysteth in the taryenge or continuall abydynge for the good promyses of god that is eternall glory the rewarde of vertuouse werkes And so this spyryte of strength is gyuen to man that it shulde aryse and lyfte vp the tedyouse wery soule whiche was almoost deiect cast downe by the dayly sufferaunce of euyll and paynes and for beholdynge or abydynge of the good promyses of god And this gyfte so doeth lyfte vp this soule that it opteynynge his formar vertue and strength doeth put away all suche dulnes werynes and also waxeth stronge to the desyre of inwarde swetenes and so consequently to the desyre of eternall pleasure Also this spyryte of strength doeth cause in mannes soule the hunger desyre of iustice so that the soule here in this lyfe feruently desyryng the werkes of iustice may herafter be full saciate with consolacion eternall for his rewarde And to this we sayd before that by thexample of the mekenes pacience of Christe in his passion for the whiche he was exalted and had a name aboue aboue all names as saynt Paule sayeth Men shuld be prouoked and moued to the folowynge of Christe in corporall paynes and afflictions In subduynge all vyce inordinate concupiscencys or desyres In hungerynge thrystynge the werkes of iustice and in hauynge dominion ouer all his appetytes and rewlyng them by ryght reason that they so doynge may be made apte to the reparacion of thorder of the dominacions aungels or heuenly spyrytes so called ¶ Example of this spyryte of strengthe The .xiii. Chapytre VIncent in his hystories sheweth an example of this gyfte of strengthe of the blessed woman Maria de Ogines thus sayenge For as moche as it but lytle auayleth to auoyde euyll by the spyryte of feare and to do good by the spirite of pitie thyrdely by the spyryte of knowledge to haue discrecioÌ„ in all thynges except also by y e spirite of strength we resyst all
foueas habent et volucres celi nidos filius autem hominis non habet vbi caput suum reclinet The foxes haue theyr caues or dennes the byrdes of the ayre haue theyr nestys but the son of a vyrgyn hath nat where to hyde or laye his hede He was pore in his natiuitie or byrthe Porer in his lyfe or processe of his lyfe And moost pore vpon the crosse at his deth At his byrthe he was fedde with the vyrgyns mylke and lapped in vyle or pore clothes In the processe of his lyfe he had pore clothynge But oft tymes he wanted meat drynke for his necessary sustenaunce But at his dethe thou shalt fynde hym naked and in extreme thyrste or dryenes excepte thou say that he had vynegre myxte with bytter myrre and gall to quenche his thyrste These thynges well consydered the soule of the person beholdynge and depely remembrynge them is shortely and easely persuaded and moued to folow our sauiour Iesu in lyke thynges so that he may now gladly withdraw him selfe from all worldly honours and desyres of the same from all possession of temporall goodes from all corporall consolacion and pleasure desyrynge with his lorde god all vylenes abiection and derision and to suffre payn in all his hole body that thereby he myght in sum thynge be made conformable to his lord god and so do to hym sum thankfull seruice His appetite and desyre is nat now to please men but rather for the loue and honour of his lorde god to be mocked scorned despised and to be rather hated of them than honoured And therefore all vayne prayse and laudes gyuen to hym ben abhominacion as stynkynge caryon vnto hym for he onely requyreth and desyreth the laudes and prayses of god Vnto that is all his study labour payne That he desyreth with an vnsaciable thyrst In all thynges he onely desyreth thonour of god Nothynge lokynge to hym â—elfe nor regardynge any thynge perteynynge to hym selfe ne yet wyll be bounde to do any thyng but all to gyder with hert and mynde lokynge vnto heuen where as is moost his pleasure And also he desyreth that by his rebukes his lorde god myght be honoured greatly and continually desyrynge thrughe this gyfte of councell bothe to be pore and also despysed and abiecte for the loue of god for as muche as he perceiued bothe these to be in his lorde god crucified And truely he wolde now and euer be naked with Christe vpon the crosse beynge very heuy or sory y t he shuld haue any thynge that myght helpe the pore or els that perteyneth to thonour of god Therfore he forsakynge all superfluitie vseth as few thynges as his necessitie wyll suffre hym so that his pleasure is moche more set to despyse and cast awaye rychesse than to get or multyply it And to speke of corporall delectacions consolacions and pleasures we may truely say that from al these and also from all other consolacion that is nat in god of god or for god he vtterly refuseth them as moche as it is possyble for hym euer askynge and desyrynge to be saciate and fulfylled with bytternes sorow and payne or affliction with his lorde and mayster Christe Wherfore what so euer he perceyued to be pleasaunt vnto his bodye or yet vnto his herte by the whiche he may nat be made conformable vnto the moost blessed woundes and passion of Christe that thynge he abhorreth withdrawynge hym selfe from all thynges thrugh this gyfte of councell wherein he seeth any peryll or daunger lyke to cum to hym And therfore he doeth all thynges with greate deliberacion And also thrughe the sayde gyfte of couÌ„cell he applyeth hym selfe to do all tho thynges wherby thonour of god y e charitie of his neighbour the helth of soules may be in any thynge encreased And for these causes he is ofte tymes solitarie depely considerynge the passion of Christe therin lerchynge the hygh honours of god theternall ryches and heuenly pleasures that the deuout soule therin restynge may haue great ioye Also thereby the bytter soule for the compassion of Christes passion is made swete and pleasaunte And the mynde eleuate and lyfted aboue it selfe is made dronken or is drowned in loue And â—o the soule full of pleasure and lenyng vpon hyr dere beloued restyth hoolly in hyr lorde god And this is it that we sayd before how thrugh the spyryte of councell we auoide all perylles and dauÌ„gers make our selfes sure in the holes of the stone that is in the woundes of Christe to entrepryse great herde and paynefull thynges and also to excercyse the werkes of supererogacioÌ„ as is to loue our enemies and to forgiue them for Christe to gyue all our goodes to pore people for the loue of Christe to the which werkes don by the spiryte of couÌ„cell correspondeth the fyfte beatitude of the whiche Christe sayeth Beati misericordes quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur Blessed be y e mercyfull for they shall haue mercy For as saynt Austyn sayeth Councell is accordynge to mercyfull persones for there is but one remedy or meane to be delyuered from all the perylles of this worlde and that is this to forgyue and to gyue Councell is properly and specially to be taken of these thynges that be to cum and that be profytable vnto our ende that is to do the werkes of mercy whiche moost of all corresponde or accorde to the gyfte of councell And therefore saynte Paule sayeth Pietas ad omnia vtilis est Pytye and mercye is profytable to all thynges And thus ye may perceyue that the beatitude of mercye correspondeth to the gyfte of councell Nat that this gyfte of councell doeth produce and brynge furthe the werkes of mercye as his effecte and operacion but that it dyrecteth and orderyth the doer and werker For the spyryte of councell is specially gyuen to man to that intent that he shulde lerne therby to forgyue freely and gladly and also to shew mercy vnto those persons that haue offeÌ„dyd agaynst hym knowynge that yf he so do he shall fynde lyke mercy in our lorde in forgyuynge his synnes done agaynst god as our lorde sayeth in the gospell And this is it that we spake before that men consyderyng and beholdynge the vnspekeable pitie mercy of our lorde that he shewed whan he prayed for them that put him to dethe shulde be moued and styrred to lyke pitie and mercy so made apte to the restauracion of the order of aungelles called vertues O sayeth the prophete Dauid in the persone of Christe Calix-meus inebrians quam peclarus est That is as the glose of saynte Austyn sayeth the cuppe of the blood of our lorde whiche inebritynge the mynde and makynge it dronken in god doeth so cure and heale it that it maketh it forget all vayne delectacion pleasure This dronkennes maketh men sobre This fulnes and plenteousnes maketh men empty and voyde of euyll maners and vyces And therfore the
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
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
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
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
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