whence all truths doe spring Benedictio honor gloria potestas in secula seculorum quatuor animalia dicebant Amen Apocalips 5. said the Angels in praise of our Lord as if they would say Let honour glory power and blessing be giuen vnto our God and vnto the lambe his son for euer and euer and the foure beasts answered Amen Also S. Iohn said in the 7. chapter That he saw a company of Saints before God which were so many in number that they could not bee numbred and so many Angels also that they could not be numbred clothed with stoles palmes in their hands and prostrate vpon the ground which said no other thing in the praise of God but Amen Amen Amen O what great mysteries and deepe secrets are contained vnder this holy word Amen seeing we find it in the old Testament and that Christ vsed it and the Angels in heauen praise Christ with it and the church also doth euery vvhere profite her selfe vvith it Doth shee not profite her selfe vvith it seeing that in the end of euery praier shee doth confirme it with Amen Vnto World without end we answere Amen vnto Who liueth and raigneth vve answer Amen vvith this holy vvord the sonne of God began to pardon and vvith the same vvord the church endeth her praier Rupert vpon the Apocalips saith That this vvord Amē is neither Greek nor Latine nor Chaldey but Hebrew and although this word might haue beene turned as other vvordes vvere yet the church did not thinke it conuenient but as Christ said Amen so doth the church say likewise Amen Why did the son of God saith Chrisost begin the pardō which he gaue the good theefe with this word Amen dico tibi but only to assure him that he would fulfill all which he promised him Seeing that it is a custome first to promise that which wee will giue or do and then to sweare and affirme it why did the sonne of God do the contrary swear before he promised the theefe Paradise For when Christ said vnto the theefe Amen dico tibi it was as much as to say I sweare in truth and why would God swear that which he promised and would not be beleeued at his word Cyprian vpon the Passion saith That because that which Christ promised was such a great matter to wit Paradise and he vnto whom he promised such a grieuous sinner who was a theefe he who promised of such small credite who was a man crucified and the place where he promised so infamous which was the crosse and the people before whom he promised so vile who were the Iewes the sonne of God would swear first before he promised If Christ did swear it was not because there was any want in his word but because the synagogue should the better beleeue him August vpon S. Iohn saith That if the son of God would not haue sworn the performance of so great a gift it would haue seemed vnto the Iewes that he had promised it him in a mockage so much the rather because that vntil that very instāt in which Christ said on the crosse Hodie mecum eris in Paradise he neuer gaue it vnto Saint nor promised it in scripture If Christ had not sworn that which he promised who would not haue thought that he had iested in promising credit honor vnto him who had lost his credit to promise life vnto him who was dead liberty vnto him who was bound riches vnto him who was poore and glory vnto him who was infamous Because the Iewes obstinacy was so great and the good theeues faith but yong and weake good Iesus would sweare before hee promised that which he meant to promise because al men might be certain that he who at the point of death confirmed any thing by oth ought neuer to deceiue CHAP XIII How the sonne of God neuer vsed this word Paradise vntill he promised it vnto the good theefe and of many learned expositions of this saying Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso This day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise NOn frustra dixi semini Iacob quaerite me quia ego sum dominus loquens iustitias annunciansrecte said God by Esay chap. 48 as if hee would say I said not in vain vnto old honourable Iacob that he should speak with me alone beleeue in no other because I am the Lord who can say nothing but that which is iust nor demand nothing but that which is holy As God is iust saith Ierome hee sayth nothing but that which is iust and as he is holy he speaketh nothing but holy things because other men besides him neither tell vs aright what wee haue to doe nor aduise vs in time of that which we are to auoid All out friends and counsellors when they doe aduertise vs of any thing doe seeme rather to goe by guesse than bee sure of that which they say and by that means they giue vs counsell after we haue receiued hurt and teach vs the way after that wee haue gone astray God sayth very well that Iacob heard him not in vaine neither did Israel that in vaine which he commanded him seeing that he gaue him the right of the first birth due to Esau and made him sonne in law vnto Laban and gaue him Lia and Rachel for his wiues and made him father of twelue children and Prince ouer twelue tribes O how true it is saith Origen when our Lord saith that hee speaketh nothing but that which is iust and teacheth nothing but that which is right seeing hee maketh those iust who deale with him and maketh those holy who doe conuerse with him And if he say that the obstinate men and naughty be his yet he will not say that hee is one of their number What can the children of vanity tell vs but vain things and what can the children of lies tell vs but lies Who is loiall and faithfull vnto him whome hee hareth or whom commodity draweth awry It is our Lord onely who giueth vs our sight to see with and teacheth vs which way we should goe and taketh away the stones least wee stumble at them and giueth vs counsell in all that wee haue to doe Our Lord saith very well that hee is the Lord who speaketh iustice and righteousnesse for there hath been no man saued vntill this day whom he hath not counselled nor no man lost whome hee hath not deceiued King Roboam who was nephew vnto Dauid and sonne vnto Salomon of twelue kingdomes which hee inherited from his predecessors lost ten of them for no other reason but because hee beleeved not our Lord in that which hee counselled him and by following other young mens humors which pleased his fancy Ieroboam and Assa and Iozias and Achab and Benedab and Manasses which were famous kings of Israel what could they do to get credit what could they doe against their enemies or wherein could they helpe their friends or how could
I die by thy commandement and to obey thy will and because so it is needfull for the world why should I call them enemies which execute thy commandements Giue me leaue O my father giue me leaue seeing I must die to sell my death deerely giue me leaue seeing I lose my life to employ it well which I shall thinke well bestowed if thou pardon those which take my life from mee and haue pitie on those which offend thee for what doth it auaile that I die for sinners if thou wilt not forgiue them their sinnes Thou knowest O my good father that by pardoning and suffering the redemption of the vvorld must bee vvrought If thou shouldest not be satisfied vvith the death vvhich I suffer and with the life vvhich I offer thee in giuing mee another life I vvould offer it vnto thee giuing me another death I vvould accept it to the end O my good father that thou shouldst be wholly appeased and all mankind pardoned O euerlasting goodnesse O infinite charitie O inspeakable clemency showne in this answere calling that a house of friends vvhich was a fortresse of enemies and going about to excuse those vvhich he should accuse and in purposing to appease him vvhome hee should haue stirred vp to vvrath and indignation Fulgencius vpon this place sayth Notwithstanding all the enemies and persecutors vvhich the sonne of God had in this vvorld yet he neuer vsed this vvord Enemie vvhich is euident by this demand of his fathers vvho asking him vvhere hee had ben so euilly handled and wounded sought out a new deuise because he vvould auoid this vvord of enemy and lay the fault vpon his friend rather than confesse that he had any enemies because God vvas vvont to haue many familiar friends in the house of the synagogue vvhich vvere holy men our blessed sauiour vvould not account of the iniuries vvhich the Iewes did presently vnto him nor of the vvounds vvhich they gaue him but respected rather the seruices vvhich the old Patriarkes had done vnto him It is greatly to be noted and weighed that in the answere vvhich the sonne gaue vnto the father he did not say that he had been vvounded in the house of those vvhich then loued him but in the house of those vvhich vvere vvont to loue him for hee sayth In domo eorum qui me diligebant and not qui me diligunt yet notwithstanding all this he doth not only not call them enemies but telleth his father that they did vnto him the vvorks of friends What meaneth this O sweet Iesus vvhat meaneth this If those of the house of Israell vvere thine in times past I pray thee diddest not thou vnto them more good turns than they did seruices vnto thee If thou doest reckon of the seruices which the fathers did vnto theâ—â— a thousand years agoe why doest thou not make account of the vvounds vvhich their children gaue thee not longer than one houre agone O good Iesus O redeemer of my soule vvhat humane iudgement yea vvhat angels vnderstanding is able to conceaue or reach vnto this vvhy thou shouldest rather respect old seruices vvhich ordinarily other men forget than thy owne iniuries vvhich run freshly from thy blood like streames Seeing we haue already told you vvho praied vvhich vvas the son and vnto whome he praied vvhich vvas the father and vvhere hee praied to vvit vpon the crosse it is time now to tell you vvhat praier he made and for whom he praied for seeing the sonne of God betooke himselfe to praier in such a narrow extremitie it is to be thought that hee entreated some great and vveighty matter Vbertinus sayth That vvhen the diuine vvord vvas nailed vpon the crosse as it vvere almost dead hauing his flesh pierced vvith nailes his bowels burning vvith the loue of charitie forgetting his owne selfe and hauing his enemies in remembrance lifting vp his holy eies vnto heauen said Pater ignosce illis qui nesciunt quid faciunt vvhich is as much as to say O my eternall and blessed father in recompence of my comming into the vvorld preaching thy name appeasing thy vvrath reconciling thee vnto the vvorld I desire of thee this one thing for a spiritual guerdon and reward of all my trauailes that is that thou vvouldest pardon these sinfull Iewes father I am very vvell pleased that thou vvouldest not yeeld vnto my naturall desire of life vvhen I praied vnto thee in the garden if it vvould now please thee to heare mee in praying for them for I thinke it a farre greater benefit that they liue in their soules than a hurt vnto me to die in body Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them for I die because they sinned and if I die it is because they may liue and in so difficult a matter as this it is far greater reason that thou haue more regard vnto my new death than vnto their old fault Father forgiue them seeing the death vvhich preuailed on the wood I haue here crucified with mee vpon the crosse the vvhich being so it is far greater reason that thou esteeme more of the charitie vvith the vvhich I die for them than of their malice vvith the vvhich they put me to death Father forgiue them for if thou vvilt punish these Iewes with all rigour of iustice it will bee but a small punishment to condemne them for euer to hell but if thou doest otherwise as there was neuer any wickednesse done like vnto this so likewise thou shalt neuer bestow thy accustomed mercy like as in forgiuing these their offences Father forgiue them for if my death be sufficient to redeeme all those which shall hereafter be borne or be already borne it is not reason that these vnhappy Iewes should vvant the benefit of it and so much the more because that if my blood be shed by thy holy will and consent it would be reason that it should bee well emploied by thee Forgiue them O my father forgiue them for seeing the partie iniuried which am I do pardon the iniury why wilt not thou O my father pardon that which concerneth thy iustice What hath iustice to doe there where there is no complaint of one against another Father forgiue them seeing the time is now come whereof the Prophet speaketh Tempus miserendi deus tempus miserendi Time of forgiuing good Lord a time of forgiuing it is neither iust nor reasonable that rigor should take place there where mercie by thee hath ben publickely proclaimed If it be true as true it is that misericordia veritas obuiuerunt sibi and also that iusticia pax osculatae sunt Why wilt thou execute iustice vpon this people seeing the Prophet sayth that peace and iustice haue embraced one the other Father forgiue them seeing I aske it in the end of my life and intreat thee at the houre of my death thou must thinke my father that it behooueth me very much that they be pardoned because that by my example none should
presume to call himselfe my seruant in my church if he doe not reconcile himselfe first vnto his brother Father forgiue thē for seeing the old law endeth when I shal say Consummatum est All is finished and the new law beginneth when I shall say Commendo spiritum meum I commend my spirit it would not be reasonable that vnder the law of Grace we should cōsent that any thing should be vnfitting or vnsit nor that vnder the law of Loue wee should permit ranckor and malice Father forgiue them for if in the wildernesse of Aaron whē thou wast angry vvith all the Iewes thou diddest forgiue them and reconcile them vnto thee for no other cause but only because Moses and Aaron did offer a little incense vnto thee why wilt thou not forgiue them now seeing I doe now offer for them not incense but my selfe crucified Father forgiue them for seeing they bee thy creatures by creation thy clients by law my children by redemption my brethren by bloud my acquaintance by education my followers in doctrine and so neare of kindred vnto my disciples why should I consent to their losse and condemnation Father forgiue them seeing I came not into the vvorld to procure thee enemies but to giue thee new friends and to take thy old griefes and sorrowes from thee for otherwise if by my death this people should remaine in thy disgrace and hatred it would seeme that my death would rather moue thee to indignation than appease thy wrath If my death make not an attonement betwixt you who is able to doe it O my good father when thou diddest command me to come downe from heauen and also to die vpon the crosse diddest not thou promise and agree that thy anger and my life and my life and thy anger should haue an end at the same houre Father forgiue them and fulfill thy agreement giue that which thou hast promised and seeing in thy presence my life is deerer vnto thee than thy anger I am glad and willing to die if by that meanes thy ire may bee appeased O blessed praier O holy wish and request neuer heard of before O happie petition which thou madest sweet Iesus in thy last houre wherein thou diddest shew by deeds all that thou haddest preached with words seeing thou diddest entreat for those which put thee to death aske pardon for those which crucified thee Let all the praiers bee brought forth that euer were made in the world and we shall easily perceiue that there was neuer any equall vnto this praier of Christs for there was neuer any which had that intent which hee had nor asked that which hee asked nor compassed that which hee compassed What did the great Patriarch Iacob request of Laban his father in law but only his faire daughter Rachel for his spouse What did the women of Israell demaund of the women of Aegypt saue only their siluer and gold What did Anna Helcans wife and Samuels mother request of God in the temple sauing only that it would please him to giue her a son What did the Iew maid called Axa aske of her father Calaph but only the pasture which held water because the other which hee had giuen her was drie What did the mother of the Zebedees require of Christ but onely that hee would make them the greatest lords of his kingdome Which of all these doe aske any thing of God for their enemies or yet for their friendes Euery man did aske for that which was fittest for his owne turn euery man sought for that which was good for himselfe no man entreated for his neighbour no man remembred his enemie no man made intercession for another no man loaded himselfe with other mens faults Only the son of God made man praieth for his enemies in the last supper saying Pater keepe those which beleeue in me and praieth also vpon the crosse for his enemies saying Pater ignosce illis so that like a mercifull lord he defendeth the good and pardoneth the wicked CHAP. III. How the son of God put himself a mediator betwixt God and mankind and what torment he receiued thereby QVaesiui de eis virum qui interpeneret sepem staret oppositus contra me these are the words of the great God of Israell spoken to the Prophet Ezechiell being in the captiuitie of Babilon not far from the riuer Cobar in the two and twentith chapter of his prophesie And it is as if he would say Ezechiell I haue beene many a day angrie with Ierusalem and I seeke out a holy and a vertuous man which should put himselfe like a hedge betwixt mee and the people of Israell because their offences might not come vnto mee nor my punishment reach vnto them Wee may inferre of the complaint which our Lord maketh in this place what great scarsitie there was in the synagogue of good men seeing he found not one among them all which was worthie to appease the wrath of the Lord and to helpe and succour the people The merites of good men are of great force and power before God for to pardon the euill in their faith which is easily seene in all the cities of Sodome which he did pardon for ten good mens sake and all the twelue tribes of Israel which he pardoned for one alone but alasse neither in the synagogue was there found that one neither in Sodome those ten To say the truth it was no maruaile that hee was not to be found in all the synagogue with those conditions which God required in him for he ought to haue ben a man in discretion and not a child and the Lord himselfe was to make choice of him and no other and he was to be an Hebrew and not a Gentile he was to put himselfe a mediator betwixt God and the people and it was required that he should be partiall on neither side And our Lord was not content onely with this but that mediator ought also to haue desert and merit in him to appease Gods indignation and not sinne to stirre him to wrath S. Gregory vpon Ezechiell sayth I doubt whether a man endued with these conditions and shining with these vertues might bee found amongst the Angelicall Hierarchies how much lesse among humane creatures because such a one should bee more than man yea he should be equall with God Abraham Isaac Iacob and Dauid and all the letanie of the old and new testament were not equall with God nor any thing more then men seeing they were borne in sinne and attained vnto no diuine secret without it were reuealed vnto them The sonne of God only was equall vnto God and the diuine vvord only vvas more than man because in him and in no other those cōditions of a holy man were found which God sought for and the vertues which should pacisie God his wrath and anger The first condition which God required was that this mediator should be a man in wisdome and not a child which may
better bee verified in Christ than in any other seeing that from the first instant that he tooke humane flesh vpon him he saw the deuine essence and knew as much as hee dooth now in glorie vvhich is not so in other men seeing they are long a bringing vp and vvaxe old very timely The sonne of God vvas also an Hebrue of the tribe of Iuda a vvhich vvas the most honourable stocke of all the tribes and hee vvas of Nazareth vvhich vvas a holy land and he vvas also the most honourable of all his kindred Thirdly the sonne of God vvas best beloued of his father because of him and of no other he said in his baptisme Hic est filius meus dilectus as if hee vvould say This is only my lawful child in him only am I vvel pleased this only is my heire him onely I doe tender and loue in him I delight and take great contentment Fourthly the son of God vvas a very thicke mud vvall a close hedge vvhich put himselfe betwixt God and the people vvhen he suffered himselfe to bee crucified vpon the crosse vpon the vvhich as strong battelments they discharged all the sinnes vvhich vvere in the vvorld and all the wrath vvhich God had O glorious hedge O happie vvall O strong vvounds such vvast thou O redeemer of my soule seeing thou diddest permit and consent to put thy selfe a mediator betwixt God man to the end they should vnlode and put vpon thee all the sins of the vvorld and all the vengeance vvhich God vvas to take for them S. Gregory vpon Ezechiell sayth The sonne of God only vvas the man he sought for this vvas the vvall he required this vvas the mediator he asked for this is the pacifier of the old quarrell and of Gods vvrath this is the reformer of new grace and this is the ouerthrower of the old sinne S. Ierome vpon this place sayth The man vvhich God sought by Ezechiel who else was hee but the son of the liuing God and our redeemer Who like vnto an vnexpugnable wall did put himselfe boldly betwixt God and vs saying Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them By which words he did not like that our sinnes should come into the sight of God neither suffered he Gods wrath and vengeance to descend vpon vs. Origen vpon S. Marke sayth That whē the two chiefe captaines of the synagogue Moses and Aaron perceiued that the Lord began to poure his wrath and anger vpon the people they went immediatly vnto the tabernacle the one to pray and the other to doe sacrifice to be a mean betwixt God and them because that otherwise God would haue poured out his anger vpon them the Synagogue haue receiued great hurt and detriment That which happened vnto those two holy men in the desart happened vnto Christ on the mount of Caluarie who seeing the elements to be troubled and the dead to rise againe to reuenge his death and punish that nation he made himselfe a mediator and a stikeler betwixt God and them and praied Paterignosce illis as if hee would say Pardon them my father pardon them for if thou wilt not pardon them it will bee a greater griefe vnto me to see them lost then my passion which causeth mee to die What would become of the Iewes then if Christ had not said vnto his father father forgiue them and what should betide vs now if he should not say Pater parce illis Spare them father S. Barnard saith in a sermon That this word of Ignosce illis Forgiue them is of such a deepe consideration that it should neuer be out of a sinners mouth nor blotted out of his memory because that the sonne of God did shew his mercy more vnto vs in two things thē in al the rest that is in the pardon which he got vs of his father and in the bloud which he shed for vs on the crosse Anselmus reasoning with Christ sayth What doest thou crie for what doest thou aske what doest thou intreat for what wilt thou what seekest thou what saiest thou to thy father O good Iesus what saiest thou I intreat O my father that thou wouldest forgiue them because they know not what they do and that thou wouldest load my flesh with thy anger and I intreat that there remaine nothing vnteconciled vnto thee because that my redemption would seem vnperfect and insufficient if there should remaine in any a fault to bee redeemed and in thy selfe any anger to punish vs. O what an enflamed charity what a wonderfull example what incredible patience what entire loue thou diddest shew vs O sweet Iesus in this speech of Father forgiue them the which thou diddest vtter not for an ease to thy griefe but in fauour of thy persecutors O what infinite goodnesse what vnspeakable clemencie what strange charitie doth shine this day in thee O my Iesus and sauiour seeing thou doest loose those which bind thee pleadest for those which diffame thee entreatest for those which accuse thee excusest those which blame thee and pardonest also those which will kill thee What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this doest thou pray for them at the very instant which they blaspheme thee mocke thee and laugh thee to scorne They haue pierced thee with a speare and yet doest thou giue them an acquittance and a release of the blow What mortall man can praise himselfe or bost to haue done that which thou hast done that is to craue pardon for murderers before they haue confessed their fault and seeke to release them before they haue repented They will not returne into the citie before thou hast yeelded vp the ghost and wilt not thou die before thou hast first pardoned them Who euer saw or heard any thing like vnto this to wit that pardon should proceed first out of his blessed bowels before the blood should end to issue out of his tender vaines Doest thou not remember to aske a sepulchre for thy body and doest thou remember to aske forgiuenesse and mercie for those which crucified thee O sweet Iesus O my soules glorie who but thou could haue the breath going out of his body and Ignosce illis Pardon them in his mouth To defend thy selfe couldest not thou open thy mouth and to excuse thy enemies couldst not thou keepe it shut S. Chrisostome sayth The sonne of God onely was he who on the altar of the crosse inspeaking these words Father forgiue them coupled ioined and handfasted together pittie and cruelty the offence and mercie anger and patience hatred and loue killing and pardoning With as great reason sayth Hilarius we can now say Vbi sunt irae tuae antiquae as the Prophet Dauid said Vbi sunt misericordiae tuae antiquae seeing we bee certaine that from the houre that the son of God died vpō the crosse we may cal him Pater misericordiarū as the Synagogue called him Deus vltionū The God of reuenge No man ought to distrust Christs
them the Centurion immeadiately there said Vere hic erat filius dei Truly this was the sonne of God and the good theefe also said Domine memento mei Lord remember me In whose power saith Fulgentiusâ— but onely in the vertue and power of the praier of Paterignosce illis within a short space after that Christ had so praied did some strike their breasts and some say This man was iust By the merite of this holy praier the Apostles conuerted three thousand men in one day and fiue thousand another day by reason that the sonne of God had gotten pardon for the excommunicated synagogue glorious S. steuen was baptized holy Paul conuerted and the good Matthew called to be an Apostle O what a difference there is betwixt the praier which Christ made in the garden that which he made vpon the crosse in the one heeswet blood and in the other he shed teares in the one he praied that the bitter challice might passe and in the other pardon for the synagogue and that which Iesus praied for himselfe was denied him that which hee praied for others was graunted him In so much that his blessed father had more pitie on the sinnes of that people than on the flesh of his owne sonne O great goodnest O infinit charity The Sonne of God is in the garden alone hee is prostrate on the ground giuing vp his ghost and yet ready for a new combat his blood issueth from all the pores of his body he praieth thrise for himselfe and thou wilt not heare him and when he praieth for his enemies doest thou heare him at the first word Why dost thou not graunt him his request seeing that when hee praied vpon the crosse for his enemies he called thee nothing but Father but when he praied in the garden alone for himselfe he called thee My Father which is a sweet word and a word of a gentle and courteous sonne What would become of vs saith S. Ierome if Christ should not in his glory aboue repeat that word vnto his father Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them Christ said once only Father forgiue mine enemies and he repeateth it a thousand thousand times in heanen for his Christians for euen as wee neuer cease from sinning so the sonne of God neuer ceaseth to pray for vs. Saint Steuen did not see Christ sitting by his father but on foote and the reason was because that at that instant when S. Steuen fell downe on his knees to pray for his enemies Christ rose immediatly also to pray and make intercession for them so that that praier which Saint Steuen made here vpon earth our sweet Iesus presented presently vnto his father in heauen It is deeply here to be weyed that Christ did not say Lord forgiue them but Father forgiue them because this word Lord is a fearefull word but this word Father is a word of ioy and therefore when one man calleth another Father it seemeth that hee doth bind him to answere him friendly and not to deny him any thing that he demandeth Wee shall find often in holy scripture that when God was angry with the Hebrewes hee said alwaies Ego Dominus qui loquor vobis I am the Lord which speake vnto you but when he would as it were flatter them and make much of them he alwaies said vnto them Ego ero illis in patrem I will be a father vnto them that is that hee would deale with them like a pitifull father and not like a rigorous Lord. In so much that this word Pater Father breedeth loue and this word Lord bringeth feare Alwaies when the sonne of God made any great praier or asked any great fauour at his fathers hands hee began his petition with Father O iust father O holy father making reckoning that by calling him father nothing should be denied him which was his sonne If Iesus Christ should haue begun his praier with Lord as he began it with Father it would haue seemed that he had called vpon Gods iustice power not vpon his wil mercy therfore in saying Father he intreated him that hee would not iudge as a Lord of iustice but like a father of mercy O depth of all goodnes O bowels full of charity what els didst thou meane when thou begannest thy petition with Father but that thou wouldest giue him to thy enemies for a father who is thine owne proper father what goodnes in all the world can be equall vnto thine or what like charity can be found seeing thou art the plaintife the party offended yet thou gauest him vnto thy enemies for a mercifull father whom thou shouldst haue giuen for a rigorous iudge Then let vs conclude that when the sonne said vnto his father Pater ignosce illis that at one time he praied vnto him that hee would forgiue them their sinnes that at the same time hee would vouchsafe to take them for his children CHAP. VI. How Christ praied for his enemies on the crosse more heartilie then hee did in the garden for himselfe seeing the one praier was made with condition and the other not SVpra dorsum meum fabricauerunt peccatores prolongauerunt iniquitatem suam These are the wordes of King Dauid in the 128 Psalme spoken in the name and person of the sonne of God and they are as if he should say I know not O mother the Synagogue what I haue done against thee nor wherin I haue offended thee yet thou hast gainsaid mee from my childhood thou hast persecuted mee from my manhood thou hast defamed mee euer since I began to preach vnto thee and in the sweetest time of al my life thou hast crucified mee But this is nothing O mother Synagogue this is nothing in comparison of that that thou diddest lay all thy sinnes vpon my shoulders which neuer had lost their innocency nor neuer done vnto thee any iniury Supra dorsum meum And sinners haue built vpon my backe seeing that Adam hath cast his disobedience vpon me Eue her gluttony Cain her sonne his murder king Dauid his adultery the Tyrant Roboam his Idolatrie and all the Synagogue her malice Is it not true that sinners haue built vpon my backe seeing that I must be punished and pay for all the offences that the sinfull Iewes committed The Iewes would willingly haue loaden Christ on both his shoulders that is they would haue cast vpon him both the paine and the offence but good Iesus tooke vpon him the punishment like a redeemer but charged not himselfe with the guilt of sinne like an offender S. Augustine vpon S. Iohn saith That the sonne of God doth not complaine that they burdened both his shoulders but only one seeing he saith Supra dorsum Vpon my backe although his enemies would haue ouercharged and wearied them both by killing his humanitie and darkening his diuinitie by blotting his fame and credite and hindering his doctrine but our mighty redeemer suffered them onely to lay
therfore he coÌ„mitted the pardoÌ„ vnto him which was most iniuried protesting that himself was not offended with theÌ„ O sweet Iesus how canst thou say that thou wast not offended nor iniured by theÌ„ being as thou wast iniuried crucified by their hands and although thou do not coÌ„plaine vpon theÌ„ nor reuenge thee on them nor yet accuse theÌ„ yet O my redeemer why dost thou excuse them Barnard saith That the son of God was replenished with such great charity and such inspeakable pity towards those which crucified him that he could not obtaine leaue of himselfe to impute any fault vnto them seeing he had charged himselfe with the pain due for it Cyprian saith That seeing Christ was the true mediator pacifier stikler betwixt his father the world it would haue beene euilly thought of to say that any one of them were his enemies and therevpon it is that seeing hee had no enemie there amongst them hee had no necessitie to say on the crosse I pardon them If the sonne of God saith S. Chrysostome hanging vpon the crosse should haue said I also pardon them it would haue beene thought that hee receiued greater griefe for the torment which hee himselfe suffered than of the iniuries which were done vnto his father which for a certentie was not so for if it were possible Christ would more willingly returne againe into the world to die than endure to see one iniury done vnto his father Who dare now O good Iesus saith S. Barnard who dare aske a reuenge of the iniuries done vnto him seeing thou diddest make such small account of those which were done vnto thy selfe Doest not thou recken of the cruell thornes which pierced thy holy head and shall I make account of an angry word which my brother speaketh against me How shall I dare to say that I haue enemies seeing thou doest handle those which nailed thee vnto the crosse like brothers It ought to be a strange speech in the mouth of a Christian to say This is my enemy for in making thy brother thy enemie thou doest loose Christ and causest him to be no more thy friend It is much to be noted that Christ entreated not his father to pardon them after they were dead but asked that he would pardon them quickly yea that very quickly because he would let vs vnderstand that the value of his precious blood was of such great price that at that instant that it began to be shedde at the same time it began to doe good The redeemer of the world would not leaue vs out of the fauor of his father nor an enemy vnto any in token wherof hee came into the world saying Et in terra pax hominibus Peace vnto men vpon earth and went out of the world saying Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them The son of God saith Cassiodorus vpon the Psalms is not like vnto the children of this world who leaue vnto their children a little wealth with much strife seeing that by that speech of Father forgiue them hee redeemed vs with his blood baptized vs with his teares annointed vs with his sweat instructed vs with his doctrine loosed vs from the deuill and reconciled vs vnto his father O how much are wee bound vnto thee sweet Iesus for praying vnto thy father that he would forgiue his enemies before and not after thy death that is before the teares of thy eies were dried vp and whilst the wounds of thy body were yet fresh What would haue become of mankind if Christ at his death had bin angry with vs When he said in his last Sermon Pacem meam do vobis I giue you my peace What else meant he but that he left vs reconciled vnto his father and vnited vnto himselfe How could the eternall father saith Anselmus deny his blessed sonne the pardon which hee demaunded seeing he asked it with such milde wordes with such sorrowfull teares with such fresh wounds with such louing bowels with such continual sighes and with such great and passing griefe Wee may then conclude that when Christ praied his father to pardon quickely and without delay he teacheth vs that before we die and go out of this life it is conuenient for vs to pardon all iniuries for otherwise those in the other world shall haue great occasion to weepe which would not in this world speedily forgiue CHAP. VIII How our Lord reckoneth with the Synagogue and of fiue cruelties which the Iewes vsed in the death of Christ SIt Dominus iudex inter te inter me said the most renowmed king Dauid vnto his Lord and king king Saul Reg. chap. 24. as if hee would say I will haue no other iudge betwixt me and thee O great king of Israel but onely the mighty God of heauen vnto whom it is well known how faithfully I doe serue thee and how cruelly thou doest handle me Origen saith that king Dauid ought to haue great priuitie with God seeing hâ—e chose him for the iudge of all the words he spake of all the thoughts he conceiued of all the workes which he did of all the enmities he suffered yea and of all the friendships he followed Dauid could not iustifie his cause better than to referre the iustice of it vnto the hands of God who is so iust in his person so vpright in his iudgement that neither praiers bow him neither threatnings feare him nor gifts mooue him nor words deceiue him When good king Dauid cited Saul to appeare before the iudgement of God Dauid could haue cut off his head if hee would as hee did the gard of his garment but yet hee would not doe it because hee did set more by Gods fauour than by Sauls euill will Saul was a capitall enemie vnto king Dauid hee caused him to flee his countrey forsake his kindred depriued him of his riches banished him his court separated him from his wife and proclaimed him to be his publike enemie And yet notwithstanding all this Dauid if hee had listed could haue beene reuenged of Saul as especially when hee stole the bottle from vnder his beds head and cut away a piece of his garment yet the pitifull king Dauid would not onely not do it but shewed himselfe angry with those which durst counsell him vnto it Origen saith that onely because Saul was annointed king by the God of Israel it seemed vnto good king Dauid that hee deserued pardon and that that was a sufficient cause to make him reuerenced of all and offended by none Wee are annointed with a better ointment than king Saul was for hee was annointed with the oyle of the Oliue tree but wee are annointed with the blood of Christ and therfore he who doth persecute a Christian doth persecute one who is annointed by Christ Good king Dauid respected it not that Saul did abuse his regall vnction and annointing but onely because that hee was annointed by a good Spirit in so much that Dauid regarded it not that Saul
crucifie him saying crucifige crucifige was to persuade him that hee would crucifie him with his hands and that they would crucifie him with their hearts They crucified him with their hearts when with their hearts they hated and detested him then they hated him with their hearts when they diffamed his person and discredited his doctrine in so much that it was not without cause that they cried twise crucifie crucifie him seeing that at one time they tooke away his life and blemished his credit And although Pilate should haue been determined to put him to death either by cutting his throat or casting him into a well or by hanging him which are easier deaths to suffer and lesse infamous to endure yet the doggish Iews would not leaue it vnto Pilates arbitrement and free will for feare least he wold haue beene too pitifull in the maner of his death When certaine words are doubled in holy scripture it is a great signe of loue or hatred in those which vse them as when Christ said Desiderio desideraui I haue desired with desire and when he said Martha Martha in which words he shewed the loue and affection which hee bare vnto his disciples and what tender loue he bare to Martha who guested him in her house The Iews also by iterating of those words shewed the great hatred which they bare vnto Christ and let vs vnderstand with what heart good wil they crucified him Behold thē their deeds towards Christ behold also the deserts which were found to be in them Yet notwithstanding all this in recompence of the cruel death which they gaue him the great shame and infamy they put him to he saith with a loud voice Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe CHAP. IX How that Christs mercy was far greater towards the Synagogue then their naughtinesse towards him seeing hee pardoned her though she desired no pardon FRons meretricis facta est tibi noluisti erubescere tamen reuertere ad me dic pater meus es tu God spake these words by the mouth of the Prophet Ieremy complaining vnto him of the enormious and great sinnes the Iewish nation had committed against him And they are as if he should say O wicked and infortunate people of the Iews which art come vnto that boldnesse of sinning that like vnto a publick whore thou hast no shame in doing naught Turne therefore vnto me O sinfull Hierusalem turn thy selfe vnto me thou vnfortunate Synagogue for I can doe no lesse when thou doest aske any thing of me like as of a father but I must graunt it vnto thee like a sonne S. Ierome vpon these words saith O what an infinit goodnesse and mercy is this O my God and Lord that seeing thou hast tanted condemned Ierusalem as one which was full of sinne and without shame yea and hast compared her vnto a publicke strumpet yet thou doest entreat her to amend giuest her license to call thee Father Whome wilt thou cast from thee and denie to be thy son seeing thou doest vouchsafe to be a father vnto a strumpet If thou dost admit publick lewd womē into thy company is it like that thou wilt cast frō thee the honest and vertuous ones of thy house If thou loue those which are sinfull and shamelesse who is a greater sinner or lesse bashful or more lewd then this my wicked soule If the remedy of my soule consist in nothing else but in calling thee Father from this time forward I do cal thee Father and if thou dost require nothing else of me but that I should turne vnto thee O good Iesus I turne vnto thee and aske thee forgiuenesse of all my sinnes and seeing I doe turne vnto thee as vnto my Lord and confesse my selfe before thee to bee a great sinner I beseech thee most humbly that thou wouldst not cast me from before thy face that thou wouldest not take thy holy spirit from me for if thy holy grace forsake me my soule is turned vnto that that she was before that is vnto a shamelesse and lewd woman It is much to be noted here that God doth not cōplaine of the Iews that they were enuious angry or gluttennous but that they were bold and without shame which wanteth not a high mystery because there is no greater signe in all the world that a mans conscience is very corrupt then when to sin he hath no shame at al. I haue a great hope saith S. Augustine that that sinner will amend his life which sinneth secretly and is ashamed of it which hope I haue not of him who is resolute in his speech and dissolute in sinne because that that man doth either very late or neuer amend his manners who by long vse hath hardened his conscience To come then vnto our purpose with very great reason and for iust occasion God called the synagogue a shamelesse and dissolute strumpet seeing that in the death of his sonne shee shewed not onely her malice but also her impudency in killing him in the open day not being sorrowfull for it at all Christ knew very well that which his father had promised vnto the Iewes that is that if they would call him Father hee would forgiue them as his children By reason whereof Christ our God began his praier with Father forgiue them giuing thereby to vnderstand that seeing hee called him Father hee should bee heard like a sonne If it seeme vnto you my louing brethrē saith S. Ambrose that the Iews had no occasiō to put Christ their Lord to death neither did he see in thē any condition whereby he should pardon thē and touching this mercifull pardon I can tell you that I doe not so much maruell of the pardon which hee giueth on the crosse as I doe of the circumstances with the which hee dooth giue it The Iewes shewed their naughtinesse towards Christ in many thinges but the son of God shewed his mercy clemency towards thē in many more things for there is no mā in this life able to cōmit so great an offence but Gods mercy can go beyond it The first thing wherin he shewed his mercy towards thē was in the petitiō which he made vpō the crosse for them that is pardō remission of their sins being his enemies preferring them before his blessed mother which brought him into the world his welbeloued disciple which followed him before Mary Magdalen whom he so much loued What charity saith Remigius shold haue burned in his diuine bowels who at the very instāt of his own death remēbreth first to releeue his enemies thē cōfort his friends what meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this doest thou first remēber those who opēly blaspheme thee thē those which stand at the foot of the crosse weeping for thee O infinit charity O inspeakable goodnes what hart could do that which thou dost S. Barnard saith that it was in maner of a cōtention whether were
halfe houre what wilt thou giue vnto him O good Iesus who loueth thee with all his hart praiseth thee with his tongue and emploieth all his might and power in thy seruice CHAP. XII How our Lord heard the theeues praier vpon the crosse and how Christ answered him seuen words for fiue which hee spake vnto Christ DOminus exaudiuit vocempueri de loco in quo est Genesis 21. said the Angel vnto Ismael his mother as if he would say Take no care O Agar take no care for although thou hast lost thy way and art banished in this desart feare no peril because our Lord hath heard the praier of the youth thy sonne because he hath praied where he hath praied The Patriarch Abraham had a bastard child by Agar his maid and slaue both which were throwne out of dores after that hee had a lawfull child borne vnto him and these two went vp a mountaine alone in great dispaire our Lord sent vnto them an Angel to comfort them and to giue them drinke Origen sayth That if wee looke well into the scripture we shall neither read that the mother did pray vnto the Lord neither is it made mention that the sonne did commend himselfe vnto God but that Gods great mercy is so great that by seeing the youth Ismael weepe and the sorrowfull mother lament and cry our Lord was moued to comfort them by word and also releiue them in deed Plato in his Timao sayth That it doth smally benefit the grieued and comfortlesse to visit them seldome and speake much vnto them and giue theÌ„ no comfort at all vnlesse that comfort be wrapped in some remedie and reliefe Seneca sayth That if a friend doe visite his friend and find him heauy and sad and so leaue him if hee find him poore and so leaue him if hee find him weeping and leaue him weeping wee will say of such a one that hee goeth rather to iest than to visite and comfort because a comfortlesse heart is much better appeased with that which we giue him with our hands than with that which we speake vnto him with our tongue S. Ambrose in his Exameron sayth That to the end a worke of mercy may bee perfect more acceptable vnto our Lord it ought neither to bee asked of any nor craued but voluntarily liberally be bestowed because there is nothing more deare in this world than that which is bought with entreaty O that hee buieth very deerely who buieth by the change and price of his shame because that shamefast men and of liberall hearts doe without comparison grieue more when they vncouer shew their face than when they vntie their purse Cicero to Atticus sayth That there is nothing wherein a Gentlemanlike man taketh more delight than in giuing and greater griefe than in asking because that in giuing he maketh himself Lord of him vnto whome hee giueth and in taking hee maketh himselfe a slaue to him of whoÌ„ he receiueth Hilarius saith That to deale with God there need no words but teares nor many entreaties but many sighes for wheÌ„ we pray vnto our Lord he hath greater regard vnto the heart which desireth than vnto all that which the tongue speaketh Agar the slaue and Ismael her sonne spake no word vnto God nor yet made any petition vnto him but ech of them being set downe vnder a seuerall oke the sonne did neuer fill himselfe with weeping and the mother neuer ceassed from sighing the which holy teares were not vnpaied nor sighes vnaccepted To come then vnto our purpose if our Lord did heare Ismaels teares which was in the desart will he not also hear the memento mei which the theefe spake vnto him in the Mount of Caluary Let no man maruell that we compare the theefe with Ismael and Ismael with the theefe for as the one was brought vp in the mountaines a hunting so the other went by the high waies a robbing as Ismael had one very vertuous brother so also this theefe had a blasphemer to his companion Isâ—â—ael was yong for hee was not aboue three yeares of age the theefe was also yong for he had not been as yet three houres a Christian because that before our Lord the yeares when we are borne are not reckoned but the time from whence we are baptized After Christs resurrection hee called his disciples children and yonglings not respecting that some of them were old and had gray haires but that they had not ben long baptized that is when hee washed their feet in the parlar and ordained them Priests after his supper If Ismael did weepe at the foot of the oake in the desart so did the good theefe weepe also vpon the crosse on Caluary and that which is more excellent is that if hee gaue the one water whereof hee should drinke he gaue the other his bloud wherewith he should bee saued As Abraham had one lawfull child which was Isaac and another a bastard which was Ismael so God the father had or lawfull child which was Christ and the other a bastard which was the theefe and of these two the one was borne in the church and the other in the Synagogue The blessing which fell vnto Ismael was that he should be against all men and all men against him the which blessing also the good theefe had who being vpon the crosse and all purposing to kill and crucifie Christ hee against all though all against him defended him and excused him Ismael was a father of many barbarous people and the good theefe was an example of many great sinners but not that they should liue wickedly as hee had done but that they should turne vnto our Lord as hee did Agar the mother could not see Ismael her sonne die neither could the sonne of God see his companion the theefe bee condemned and therefore as the teares of the one were gratefull vnto him euen so the words of the other vvere pleasing vnto him to wit when hee said on the crosse Lord remember me and O good Iesus haue mercy vpon mee With great reason and for good occasion the son of God did giue care vnto all that the good theefe would speake vnto him and vnto all that which hee did request of him because hee vsed such measure and discretion in his petition that hee asked nothing which should bee for his comfort but for his saluation If hee vvould haue asked any thing for his comfort he vvould haue asked that the cudgels which winded his cords should haue been slackened or that they would haue pulled out the nailes or healed his wounds or that they would pull him downe from the crosse or that they would giue him longer life but he asked none of all this but only that Christ would haue his soule in remembrance not mentioning his person at all Our Lord could not denie him so reasonable a petition nor delay him but he answered him immediately for euen as he said Domine memento moi Christ
didst thou goe to the battaile not calling mee with thee and why diddest thou die not taking mee with thee My heart can receiue no comfort nor my eies cease from weeping when I remember how much I was bound vnto thee and call to mind the great loue that passed betwixt vs because that the loue which passed betwixt thee and me was of like quality as the loue which a mother hath when she hath but one child onely It is now to bee noted that for this last word wee haue brought all this story whereby wee may well gather and inferre that the loue which a mother beareth vnto her onely sonne exceedeth all other humane loue For if Dauid could haue found any greater loue vnto a greater hee would haue compared his King Dauid was a very holy man and his sonne Absalon a very bold young youth but in the end when newes came vnto him that Ioab had thrust him through and that he was hanged vpon an oake the poore old man made such pitifull complaint and did shew such griefe for it that euery man did perceiue plainly that he wished himselfe rather dead thaÌ„ his sonne lose his life The which he openly said when he cried aloud My sonne Absalon my sonne Absalon where truly he would willingly haue gone to his graue if his sonne might haue liued God had no better experience to proue the loue which the Patriarch Abraham bare him but to command him to kill his onely sonne which hee had in his house and when the old man had lifted vp his sword to slay the young youth the Angell tooke him by the arme and commanded him to be quiet for now our Lord was satisfied to see that he loued him better than his own son When news was brought to holy Iob how the wise men had robbed him of fiue hundred yoke of oxen and that a flash of lightning from heauen had burnt him seuen thousand sheepe and that the Chaldeans had taken from him three thousand Camels and had put to the sword all the shepheards of his flocke the good man was not grieued at all with it nor vttered any sorrowfull word forir But when the fourth post came to bring him news how they had slaine his sixe sonnes and three daughters in his eldest sonnes house the man of God could not dissemble his great griefe and did shew it more by deed than by word by rending his garments in sunder and cutting his haire from his head and wallowing oftentimes vpon the ground Wee doe not read that the great Patriarch Iacob did weepe in all peregrinations or complaine in all his tribulations vntill hee heard that the wolues in the desart had eateÌ„ his welbeloued sonne Ioseph the which euill news did strike him so near the heart that hee said before his other children that hee would die and goe into hell because hee might haue space and time inough to bewaile his sonne Sunamites the Inne keeper of Samaria and hosâ—esse vnto Heliseus did so much grieue at the death of her sonne which God had giuen her by the praier of Heliseus that shee went weeping like a foole about the fieldes in such manner that neither her husband could bring her in nor the Prophet comfort her The great Priest Heli was so greeued vvheÌ„ it was told him that the Philistims had ouercome the Iewes and taken the Arke and killed his two sonnes Obni and Phinees that he fell from his seat and immediately yeelded vp the ghost The wife of old Tobias and mother vnto young Tobias did weepe beyond all measure and went almost beside her selfe only at the long tarrying which her sonne made in Rages a citie of the Medes vvhether his father had sent him to take vp certaine money and this her griefe was so excessiue that she neuer ceassed to pray vnto God for to keepe him nor she neuer left off weeping vntill she saw him with her eies I haue thought it expedient to rehearse all these examples the better to proue and extoll the loue which fathers and mothers beare vnto their children and how it is not to bee compared with any other loue and how bitterly the Parents weepe not onely for the death of their children but also for their absence Horace saith That to the losse of a child and that of the onely child there can bee no losse comparable vnto it because that causeth griefe at the heart which is loued from the heart Anselmus sayth to this purpose that this fatherly loue is not found onely in men which are reasonable but also in brute beasts for we see the Henne fight with the Kite the Storke with the Goshauke the Mare with the Wolfe the Lionesse with the Ounce the Eliphant with the Rinoceront the Gander with the dog and the Pie with the Cuckow the which fight is not only because they be enemies but because they steale away their young ones S. Ambrose in his Exameron saith That the loue of the father is so great and so excessiue that oftentimes we see brute beasts follow men which haue taken away their yong ones wherein they let vs vnderstand that they had rather be taken themselues than see their little ones taken captiues If a brâ—te beast shew this griefe for his little oues what shall a reasonable man doe When Demosthenes wept bitterly the death of one of his sons another replied vnto him and said that he was a Philosopher it seemeth well said hee that thou hast neuer been a father nor what the loue of a sonne is because that to haue a sonne is the greatest of all loues to lose him the greatest griefe of all griefes To come at the last vnto our porpose what woman did euer loue her sonne as the mother of God did loue hers Ipsum solum tenet mater sua pater eius tenerè diligit eum said the Patriarke Iudas vnto the Patriarch Ioseph his brother as if hee would say O most renowmed Prince Ioseph I and my brothers and my brothers and I doe humbly beseech thee vpon our knees and request thee with many tears that thou wouldest forgiue our yonger brother Beniamin the taking away of the golden flask which was found in his bag because his dolefull mother hath no other son and his old father loueth him with most tender loue These words may better be spoken of the virgin and of her sonne than of Beniamin and his mother Rachel who had more than one sonne although shee knew it not seeing that Ioseph Beniamins brother was aliue the most richest mightiest of all Egypt The eternall father had no other sonne but this alone and the immaculate virgin had no other but Christ only for the father neuer engendred other naturall son but this and the mother neuer brought forth other sonne but this We may very well say of the father that hee did loue his son tenderly seeing hee gaue him all his nature all his wisedome all his power all his
will and also all his might and authority What being had the father which the sonne had not what knew the father which the sonne knew not what could the father doe that the sonne could not doe what had the father that the sonne also had not What is it to say that hee loued him tenderly but that the father loued him with most entire loue insomuch that he denied him nothing which he had nor hid nothing from him of that hee did know Let vs leaue off the loue of the Father and let vs speake somewhat of the loue of the mother who loued her precious sonne with a tender heart and wept for him with tender bowels O most sacred Virgine how shouldest thou not loue thy blessed sonne very tenderly seeing that vvhen thou diddest bring him into the world thou vvast young and tender When the Virgine that bringeth foorth a child is tender the child vvhich shee bringeth forth is tender the time also young and tender why should not the loue with which shee loueth it bee also tender If Iacob who had twelue children loued one of them with tender and sweet loue is it to bee thought that the mother of God hauing but one onely sonne would not loue it with most tender and sweet loue and so much the rather because Iacobs loue was deuided into the loue of many sonnes but our blessed Ladies loue was wholly drawne to the loue of one only S. Barnard vpon Missus est saith That there is no loue vpon earth which may not bee waighed and measured excepted only the loue which the sonne of God bare vnto his mother and the mother vnto her sonne the vvhich vvas such that all the Angels could not measure it nor yet all the saints weigh it Anselmus saith That those which are fathers and those which are called mothers cannot loue their children as much as the Virgine did loue hers nor yet they are not bound vnto so great loue because they are bound to loue their neighbours as themselues their brothers as themselues and their God more than themselues Loue which is deuided into so many parts cannot possibly bee equall with that loue which the Virgine bare her sonne Loue that is pure and not fained cannot bee spread abroad but gathered in one not in many but in one not deuided but entire not stroken but heaped vp not for a time but for euer not finding excuses or faults but suffering not suspitious but confident and trusting And he who obserueth not these lawes hath no cause to say that hee loueth These causes ought neither to want in him who loueth nor in him which is beloued for if they doe wee should not call them louers but acquaintance for vnder the law of loue there is neither a defect admitted nor a complaint suffered There is no defect admitted because loue maketh all whole there is no complaint suffered because loue maketh all gentle and mild there is no iniury done because loue dissembleth all there is no sloth in loue because heis watchfull he is not a niggard because he can denie nothing O glorious Queene O the light of my felicity who did euer better keepe these high bonds of loue like vnto thee The blessed mother of God Tenerè diligebat filium suum For being as he was flesh of her flesh bones of her bones bloud of her bloud bowels of her bowels how should she loue him but like vnto her owne entrals Tenerè diligebat filium suum She loued her sonne tenderly seeing she loued him as her sonne she loued him with the zeale due to a bride groome serued him as her husband vsed him as her brother reuerenced him like a father worshipped him as a God Shee loued him tenderly seeing she went to Bethelem and with the teat in his mouth she carried him into Egypt and being a child of twelue years she brought him into the Temple and neuer forsooke him al the time that he went a preaching and that which is most of all to be noted she wept for all his trauails and vexations and with her fingers ends supplied all his necessities And how did shee supply them but by watching in the night and weauing in the day She loued him tenderly seeing shee adored him in his presence she contemplated on him in his absence she succoured him in his necessities shee followed him in his iournies and comforted him in his aduersities What would the child that the mother would not likewise and what did the mother aske that the sonne did not giue her They liued in one house they did eat at one table and that which shee gained with her fingers was common betwixt them and that which was giuen to him for preaching they spent together What should I say more they praied for all sinnes together and they wept for all sinnes together CHAP. II. How that if the loue which the mother bare vnto her sonne was great so likewise the loue which the sonne bare his mother was no lesse and to proue this there is expounded asaying of the Canticles INtroduxit me rex in cellam vinariam ordinauit in me charitatem said the espoused of her espouse and bridegroome talking of rich iewels which hee gaue her and it is as if she would say The light of my eies and ioy of my heart toke me by the hand and led me into the wineseller and told me the order of true loue S. Barnard saith O welbeloued bride why doest thou tel it abroad that thy bridgroom carried thee to drinke into the wineseller taught thee how to bee farther in loue seeing thou shouldest be angry to haue it spoken of and to doe it thou shouldest be ashamed Other brides are wont to goe to the meddowes to gather flowers to gardens to cut fruits to shops to buy gownes to the common places of recreation to visite their friends and doest thou go to the winesellers among the cups Doest thou not know that the noble and fine dame is noted of Incontinency if she smell of nothing but of wine So strange a matter wine ought to be vnto thee O thou bride of the Lord for to thinke of it would be imputed vnto thee for a curiosity to aske for it an euill example to smell of it a fault to drinke it a scandall and to bee dronke a sacriledge Plato sayth That in the glorious times and golden age of the world kinsmen kissed their kinswomen for no other reason but for to know whether they had drunk any wine for if they had they either were put to death for it or banished into some island If Plutarch doe not deceiue vs it was an inuiolable law in Rome that if any Matron of Rome had any necessity to drinke wine either because shee was weake or because shee was sicke the Senate onely should giue license vnto her and she notwithstanding drinke it out of Rome Macrobius saith That two Senators chiding in Rome the one told the other that his wife
must deliuer the father of all fault and allow the sonnes complaint to bee good To vnfold our selues of this businesse it is to bee noted that Christ said by the Prophet Abinfantia creuit mecum miseratio Because he began to suffer from his childhood and yet hee neuer complained vntill the time came that hee should die Leo vpon the Passion of our Lord sayth That the noble mens children of this world crie our presently when they see any trouble come vpon them and aske for succour but neuer any man saw our Lord open his mouth to complaine vntill a quarter of an houre before they would pull his heart out of his body S. Chrisostome vpon Luke crieth out sayth What newes is this O redeemer of the vvorld vvhat news is this When they lay hands on thee thou takest it quietly vvhen they blaspheme thee thou makest as though thou vvere deaffe vvhen they vvhip thee thou doest hold thy tongue whon they doe crucifie thee thou doest suffer vvhen they kil thee thou doest dissemble and yet doest thou open thy mind euen as thou art yeelding vp thy ghost Why doest thou complaine vpon thy father alone hauing as thou hast so many enemies which haue offended thee that is Iudas who sold thee Peter which did denie thee Pilate which gâ—ue sentence on thee Herod vvho scorned thee and all the people vvhich put thee to death Demosthenes the Philosopher sayth That a man ought neuer begin that vvhich hee cannot bring to an end nor say that vvhich he cannot proue nor aske that which cannot be giuen him nor loue that vvhich cannot be gotten noâ— contend with him vvhome hee cannot reuenge nor yet complaine of that which cannot bee remedied Seneca in an Epistle sayth That no man should say that hee complaineth vnlesse he thinke that he shall haue remedy against his complaint for otherwise he doth himselfe hurt in complaining stirreth him vnto anger of vvhom he complaineth Tell mee then O good Iesus what remedy hâ—st thou for thy coÌ„plaint seeing that thou hast not halfe an houre to liue Doest thou make thy request vnto thy Father when thy soule is euen now departing from thy body Who euer heard of or euer saw the like that the end of thy vexitions to bee the beginning of thy complaint in thirty and three yeares that thou diddest conuerse with vs thou diddest neuer braule with any thou diddest neuer iniury any man nor neuer complaine of any man and now being at the very point of death doest thou complaine only vpon thy Father O what great mystery and deep secret this thy complaint doth couer seeing that in such a time and such a narrow strait thou doest complaine when all other are woont to pardon their iniuries and reconcile their enmities and aske pardon for their offences Pauper in laboribus a iuuentute mea exaltatus autem humiliatus conturbatus these wordes the Prophet Dauid sayth in the person of Christ Psalme 88 as if hee would say I haue been brought vp in trauails and pouerty from my childhood and then I was lifted vp and then made low and afterward troubled and persecuted Thy fears haue made me afraid and thy angers haue broken vpon me and thy trauails haue compassed me about and they haue compassed me about altogether as it were a vie and ouer and aboue all this thou hast set my friend farre from me and hast seperated him who was my neighbour farre from me If wee doe deepely looke into the complaints which the sonne maketh in this place against his eternall Father wee shall find that they are many in number great in quality and in respect incomparable cruell in their kind and vnworthy of him vnto whom they are sent Basil vpon the Psalme sayth That speaking like a man it seemeth in humane reason that the innocency of good Iesus did not deserue neither could it be in the clemency of his good Father that the diuine pittie should load vpon weake humanity so many torments together and heape so many troubles vexations The first complaint which the sonne made against his Father is Quod pauper in laboribus sum a iuuentute mea to wit That he brought him vp poorely from his childhood he made him liue with hunger and go like a banished man from place to place Cicero sayth in an Epistle When a young man doth suffer trauails and endure pouerty if he bee not a foole and an idiot he beareth it with a great courage by remembring that his Father was poore in the same manner but if his Father had been rich and now hee himselfe poore this is such a misfortune that there is no patience able to endure it nor heart which can dissemble it What should the sonne of God thinke when hee remembreth what a rich Father hee had and that hee did spend all his treasure vpon other mens children and suffer him to goe poorely naked and a hungred and scorned by all men The Apostle speaking of Gods riches sayth Deus qui dines es in omnibus as if hee would say Thou art the God only which doth possesse great riches and art the Lord which hath many lordships because thou shouldest want nothing thy selfe and to impart much of the ouerplus vnto others Gloria diuitiae in domo eius saith the Prophet his house is full of glory and there is infinite wealth in his chamber If God then haue glory for those which are in heauen with him and bee also a father who hath wealth for such as are with him in this world what was the cause why he did not impart some of this vnto his sonne Ambrose vpon this word Pauper in laboribus sayth That most sacred humanity came in pouerty of glory seeing that his Father did not suffer his soule to impart somewhat of his glory vnto his body and his person also liued in pouerty seeing hee had nothing proper vnto himselfe in this life in so much that as the father was rich in all things so the sonne was poore of all things Plato in his Timaeo sayth That although pouerty bee no euill thing in a good man yet notwithstanding mans nature doth much abhorre it because there can none but he be called very fortunate who is able to giue vnto others neither is there any other very vnfortunate but hee who must of necessity aske of others It is to bee thought that Christs humanity did feele his pouerty and necessity which hee endured aswel because his father had very much to bestow vpon him as for that hee must oftentimes aske for that which hee had need of S. Bonauenture sayth in the life of Christ Christ had much a doe to maintaine himselfe and those of his Colledge for sometimes he asked that which he had need of and they gaue it him not and at other times he asked not and yet they sent him in so much that there did striue in his tender heart at one time the hunger
was Iacobs came wholly vnto the church and Israels fell vnto the Synagogue but almost ouerthrowne not because she deserued it not but because all which was written might bee fulfilled According vnto this Prophecy the Angell said vnto the virgine in his embasie He shall raigne in the house of Iacob he said not he shall raigne in the house of Israel because the Synagogue did then draw towards an end and the church vnto her beginning in the sonne of God God then calleth the house of Iacob which is the church calleth those which remained of the house of Israel which is the Synagogue because Saint Peter was the residue of Israel and Saint Paul was the residue of Israel and all those of his Colledge were the remnant of Israel the which the sonne of God vvent throughout all the Iewish nation to gather together as it had been crummes of bread hurled abroad Now that wee know what the house of Iacob is and those who remained of the house of Israel it is now reason also that wee know what hee will doe vvith them and why he doth call them and why he vsed a speech vnto them which was neuer hard of before that is that hee doth beare them vpon his shoulders from their mothers wombes God will haue nothing else with them but onely that they beleue in him and heare him seeing he sayth Audite me Heare me and withall hee doth put them in remembrance of the great benefites that hee doth for them to wit carry them vpon his shoulders Portamini ab vtere and therfore if we will haue Gods fauour we must beleeue the words which he doth speake and bee thankfull vnto him for all the benefites that hee shall bestow vpon vs. Robertus vpon Esay sayth If wee will compare that which God requireth at our hands with that that hee doth giue vs vvithout comparison hee doth bind himselfe vnto more than that which hee doth bind vs vnto for hee doth bind vs to nothing but to beleeue in him and hee doth bind himselfe to maintaine and gouerne vs Ab vtero vsque ad senectam that is from the time that wee bee first borne vntill our dying day our Lord doth bind himselfe to bring vs vp like his children and maintaine vs like his brothers in so much that like a pittifull Father and a mercifull Lord hee giueth vs that which we haue need of and counselleth vs that which we haue to doe O infinite goodnesse and exceeding charity of thine my good God considering that by this speech Ab vtero portamini thou doest bind thy selfe to giue vs food to liue vvith and by Audite me thou doest bind thy selfe to giue vs counsell to saue our selues vvith and therefore vvee haue of thee a Lord to helpe vs and a Father to counsell vs. Our Lord vvhich did create vs is a better Father vnto vs than man vvhich doth beget vs seeing that hee sayth Qui portamini ab vtere By vvhich fatherly speech hee doth let vs vnderstand that hee doth not only prouide for our necessities but doth also dissemble our iniquities O that our Lord doth say very vvell Qui portamini ab vtero seeing that hee doth beare vs on his shoulders as oft as hee doth vvinke at our wickednesse for if hee should punish vs for euery fault according vnto his iustice wee should by this time haue had no memory left of vs. If our Lord should not beare vs vpon his shoulders and dissemble vvith our faults to prouoke vs to repentance hee should scarse haue any at all to punish aboue two or three houres and for the first sinne only if it had pleased him he might haue condemned vs to hell What temporall father doth so long suffer his owne children as our Lord doth all vs. What father doth carry his child in his armes aboue an houre as our Lord doth vs all our life time Before wee bee borne wee offend him in originall sinne after we be borne we offend him al the rest of our life with other grieuous sinnes yet notwithstanding all this hee doth bring vs vp like his children and deale vvith vs like brothers What vvouldest thou haue mee say more vnto thee but that from our mothers wombe our wickednesse doth striue with his goodnesse hee in forgiuing vs and wee in offending him O great goodnesse and vnspeakable clemency what father or mother did euer the like for their children that thou my good Iesus hast done for my sinfull soule There is no liuing creature this day in the world that doth giue milke vnto his young ones aboue two yeares but our eternall Father and Christ his precious sonne from our birth vntill our old age doth giue vs the milke of his grace the bread of his doctrine the helpe and succour of his church the pardon of his clemency and the reward of his glory Dilexit me tradidit semetipsum pro me sayth S. Paul◠as if hee would say Doe not maruell you Galathians that I did preach so vehemētly vnto you that I did exalt Christs name with such great feruency for I tell you if you know it not that besides that hee loued mee very much hee suffered himselfe to be crucified for me This is so strange a thing that S. Paul speaketh of in this place that vnlesse a man bee acquainted with the phrase of Scripture hee would take scandale at it for when Paul saith that Christ died for him not mentioning any other he seemeth to exclude the redemption of all the world beside What meaneth this O diuine Paul what meaneth this if the sonne of God did giue himself for thee why doest thou preach him to bee the redeemer of all mankind Were thy sinnes so grieuous and so enormious that they had need of all Christs bloud to redeeme them If God should send into the world a new redeemer for the taking away of euery sinne how were it possible that God could send so many seeing that hee had no more sonnes but Christ Tell me I pray thee how could so glorious a humanity so profitable a life such sound doctrine such a copious redemption such a dreadfull death bee emploied in thee alone and not benefite any but thy selfe If it bee so O Paule that Christ gaue himselfe for thee and not for me what haue I more to doe with Christ than with a holy Prophet If hee died for thee alone is it not reasonable that thou alone sholdest be thankfull for his death God forbid that it should be so neither doth his mercy permit that the Apostle onely should be redeemed and all the world besides depriued of the bloud of Christ for his redemption was so copious and there was such abundance of bloud shed for vs that on Christs part redemption did abound and there wanted on ours to be redeemed Did not redemption think you abound on his part seeing that one drop of his bloud was sufficient for all redemption and did there not want
gouernours were Romanes who were Gentiles and Pagans How was it possible that there should bee any good in a Commonwealth which was gouerned by such naughty gouernours As in the vnfortunate Samaria they had no kine nor calues left so also the Synagogues Patriarkes and Prophets were at an end and that which was worst of all was that as Samaria was constrained to feed vpon asses heads so the Synagogue was forced to bee gouerned by naughty and wicked men Wee doe not say much in saying that they were gouerned by wicked men for wee might with good reason call them asses seeing they had no discretion to know that vvhich was good nor wisedome to eschew that vvhich vvas naught Doest thou not thinke that Pilate the iudge vvas a very asse seeing hee confessed before them all that hee found no cause to put Christ to death and yet Tradidit illum voluntati eorum Thou doest confesse Pilate that Christ was vvithout fault and yet doest thou condemne him to die Was not the High-priest Cayphas a very asse to say that Christ blasphemed because hee said that hee would come to iudge the vvorld Art thou iudge of the vvorld which is not thine and vvilt thou not let him iudge the vvorld vvho hath created it Was not thinkest thou King Herod a great asse for clothing Christ in fooles apparrell because Christ vvould not giue him an answere seeing that for that act hee should rather haue accounted him wise than otherwise Wherein could the sonne of God haue better showne his discretion and patience than in not answering vnto any iniury and in not misgouerning himselfe in any word Was not all the vvhole congregation and counsell of the Iewes a very asse in thy opinion in that they did crie for libertie for Barrabas and procured that Christ should die The Synagogue did not buy Barrabas life so good cheape as Samaria did the asses head because the asses head was bought for money but Barrabas life did cost Christ his bloud It was not worth so much and yet they gaue more in Samaria for an asses head than they did for Christs bloud in Ierusalem seeing they gaue but thirty peeces of money for Christ and fourescore for the asses head To speake morally then men buy the asses head deerely when they chuse for the gouernour of a Commonwealth or Prelate a simple and vndiscreet man because that in all canonicall elections the learned is to bee preferred before the simple and the wise before the vndiscreet There must needs be a great famine in that monastery in which they chuse for their head such a one as is light in behauiour base in linage a foole in his iudgement an asse in his conscience The Prophet did not say in vaine Cum sancto sanctus eris cum peruerso peruerteris For a wise man can bring vp but wise men a wicked man nothing but wicked men and an asse none but asses O thou whosoeuer thou art who doest hear or read this doe not thinke that we call those asses who haue but small or no learning but those which haue no conscience nor no bringing vp for he is often fitter to gouern who hath great experience discretion than hee who is full of knowledge folly We do not call him an asse who is ignorant in Logick Philosophy and Diuinity because that in Vniuersities men learn rather to dispute than gouerne make Sillogismes than rule subiects When a Prelate is vnpleasant in his conuersation hard in charity variable in his opinion slacke in iustice negligent in praier these we call asses and vnworthy of such a calling for for my owne part I had rather my Prelate should be experienced in gouernement than skilfull in learning and knowledge CHAP. XII Christ complaineth vnto his Father that all other martyrs had their paines and troubles inflicted vpon them at diuers times and he his all at once EGressus est frater eius in cuius manu erat coccinum quem appellauit Zaram Genesis 38 cha As if he would say Thamar brought foort◠two children at one birth and both aliue of the which the one they called afterward Zaram which was the last of the two and was borne with a scarlet thred tied at his finger which for a certaine was a strange thing to behold and deepely to be considered of If wee will curiously seeke out the meaning of this figure we shall find that it containeth a deepe mysterie pertaining directly vnto our purpose because it sheweth how soone our redemption began in Christ That two children haue been borne at one birth wee haue seene often and that one should be borne before the other we haue also heard but that the one should haue his finger tied and not the other is a thing that hath neuer been seene nor hard of and therefore by how much the thing is more rare by so much it is the fuller of mystery and secret Deepely then expounding this sigure who were the two children born at one birth but only the humane diuine nature which saued the world The two children whose names were Phares and Zaram did know no other mother but Thamar and the diuine and humane nature did acknowledge no other father but God for as it is an easie matter for a father to haue many childrē so it is a hard impossible thing for Christ to haue many fathers Although those two children were very naturall and neere brothers the one to the other and of one belly yet they were neuer sovnited together as the diuine and humane nature was vnited in Christ because these two were neuer seperated in Christ in his life nor seuered at his death vpon the crosse And as one of these two children was borne before the other so the redeemer of the world was first God before hee was man and was first born of his Father according to his diuinity than he was of his mother according to his humanity We know well that of the two brothers Phares and Zaram the one was born after the other but the diuine birth was so farre before the other that we find no beginning of it because it was Ab aeterno Of these two brothers the first of thē was borne in health pure and cleane and without any marke at all to giue vs to vnderstand that Christs first birth which was his diuinity did returne againe as whole faire and clean to heauen as it came from heauen because it is the natural condition of the diuine essence that how much the straiter his power is ioined vnto it so much the stranger and further it is from all kind of suffering What did it mean that the other brother was born with a coloured thred tied about his finger but that Christ should shed his bloud for the redemption of all the world O good Iesus O redemption of my soule thou doest see well that to come out of thy mothers wombe with thy finger tied is nothing else but to
come into the world condemned to death Zaram onely who was the figure and the sonne of God who was the thing figured were those who had their finger tied with a coloured thred because he and no other was to die for the world and redeeme vs out of sinne What other meaning had the thred of scarlet sauing onely the shedding of his precious bloud The difference betwixt thee O my sweet Iesus and other condemned persons is this that they are tied in a hempen cord and thou in a thred of scarlet and they about the necke and thou about the finger and they are lead to be hanged and thou to be crucified A thiefe is led away bound with a great tope because he is drawne to death by force but the sonne of God is tied with a small fine thred because hee dieth not by force but of his owne free will for if it were not his good pleasure so to doe neither the Angels nor men nor the diuels were able to put him to death O high mystery O diuine Sacrament who euer saw or heard that before a child were borne or knew what sinne was yet that he should come out of his mothers wombe already condemned What mercy can be compared vnto this that before his mother should giue him milke to sucke his owne father threatened him that he should die crucified Elegit suspendium anima mea ossa mea mortem nequaquam vltra iam viuam saith Iob chap. 7. And he spake them when his children were dead and his body plagued and his goods lost and himself vpon the dunghill and it is as if hee would say My paines and dolours doe so narrowly beset mee about and my griefe is come to that bitternesse that my soule hath chosen to be hanged and my life to come at an end because I am a weary to suffer any longer and doe loath my life Such pittifull complaines as these are and such tender vvordes cannot proceed but from an afflicted and grieued heart and from a man which desireth death Because it is the property of one which is distressed to complaine vnto all those which comfort him fill himselfe with weeping with all those which come to visite him What else would holy Iob say when he sayth Elegit suspendium anima mea ossa mea mortem but that his soule desired to bee hanged and his bones chuse death and his life to bee at an end O holy man thou hast nothing left thee but thy soule and wouldest thou haue it hanged nothing left but thy bones and doest thou desire to haue them dead thou hast nothing left but thy life and vvouldest thou loose it Thou must vnderstand my good brother that Iob did not speake these dolefull vvordes in his owne name but in Christs name vnto vvhome this speech dooth most properly belong Because that from the beginning of the vvorld vntill this day there vvas neuer soule so sorrowfull as his nor neuer body so martyred as his vvas Saint Chrisostome vpon these vvords of the Apostle Fidelis deus qui non permittit nos tentari vltra id quod possumus sayth thus Our Lord is very faithfull and pittifull because hee tempteth no man aboue that vvhich hee is able to suffer nor suffereth no man to haue greater paine than he is able to beare the sonne of God excepted onely vpon vvhome the Father laid in the iudgement of men torment and paine not able to bee indured and withall innumerable temptations What vvilt thou require more in this case but that God the Father laid martyrdome vpon Saints by ownces but vpon his blessed sonne by great loads and burdens Whaâ— great distresse vvas his soule in thinke you and vvhat griefe did oppresse his heart vvhen hee sighed for the gallowes and his body desired his graue When did thy soule desire to bee hanged but vvhen thou diddest crucifie thy blessed humanity vpon the crosse when did thy bones couet death but vvhen thou diddest loose thy life for the elects sake When the Scripture sayth Elegit Hee did chuse it is signified that thou diddest die willingly for vs and when he saith Suspendium his death was signified and withall his determination which he had to redeeme the world and that our redemption should be hanged vpon the tree And vvhen he sayth Ossa mea the multitude of people is set forth which were at his death as well the good as the bad the quicke as the dead the good to see themselues redeemed by him and the bad to see themselues reuenged of him All humane pains are brought vnto three principall heads that is to the trouble and trauell of the body to the griefe and sorrow of the mind and to the losse of life These vexations are woont to happen at diuerse times and also be deuided and laid vpon diuerse persons and hee who hath griefe of body feeleth no sorrow of mind and if hee haue anguish of mind yet not so great that it should take his life from him because our Lord is so pittiful that hee dooth not looke vnto the multitude of our offences but vnto the vveakenesse of our forces God was more pittifull vvith all mankind than vvith his owne only sonne considering that hee gaue other men their troubles and paines by peeces and vnto his sonne all at once For hee gaue him sorrow and griefe of mind seeing hee sayth My soule hath chosen to bee hanged and hee gaue him the paines of the body seeing hee sayth that his bones desired death and hee tooke away his life considering that hee sayth Iam non viuam What vnspeakable sorrow and what sea of tempest should tosse and vexe that blessed soule vvhen hee said My soule hath chosen to bee hanged that is that it vvould bee a comfort vnto him to bee crucified What cruell griefe should crush his bones when hee said and my bones death thinking it an ease to see his bones in their graue rather than to suffer such intollerable torment What a iest did they make of his doctrine and how little did they regard his person seeing hee sayth I vvill liue no longer that is that hee vvould forsake vs because vvee are incorrigible and because vvee doe not deserue his company hee vvill not bestow his grace among vs. This speech may otherwise bee very vvell vnderstood because the time vvhich hee did suffer and die in did take from him all that might mittigate his paine and comfort his heart No other Martyr could euer say My soule hath chosen hanging because there vvas none of them vvhich vvanted comfort in their sorrows and helpe in their pains and aboue all this vvas a great comfort to them to thinke for how good a maister they suffered and vvhat a great reward they expected for their martyrdome That vvhich did comfort Martyrs in their Martyrdome did discomfort Christ in his passion For if hee did die it vvas for a lost and peruerse nation and the reward hee looked for
vnto the hangmen and that because vvee should vnderstand that to the catholicke church there fell the entire and whole coat seeing that shee dooth fully beleeue that Christ is both God and man and vnto the Synagogue there happened his torn coat seeing they beleeue that hee is no more than a bare man Saint Augustine sayth By Christs two garments are vnderstood both his bodies that is his true body made and compacted of his holy members and his mysticall body which are all good Christians and because thou maiest perceaue my brother how much thou art bound vnto Christ know thou that hee did esteeme better of his mysticall body vvhich are Christians than of his owne true body which vvas made of his owne members What vvas his meaning that hee suffered them to take away and teare in pieces the one of his coats and yet neuer touch the other but only that hee is more grieued when any man doth speake euill of his church than to haue laid hands vpon his owne proper person Remigius sayth O how whole and entire hee did leaue vs the vnsowne coat of his church and yet naughty Christians and perfideous Heretikes doe rent his coat into as many pieces as they doe raise dissentions and stirre vp heresies in the church It was Christs holy vvill to die not only without a coat but also not to haue one thred of a coat vpon him which hee did suffer to the great preiudice of his grauity and losse of his credite Who was euer or vvho euer shall bee so graue in his doctrine as the sonne of God vvas and so honest in his person And seeing that Esayas sayth that hee was offered vp because hee would it is to bee beleeued that seeing they could not crucifie him if he himselfe vvould not so they could neither haue stripped him naked vnlesse he had consented vnto it Wherof it followeth in a good consequence that if hee would die for our redemption that hee did let himselfe bee stripped for our comfort What did it signifie that the sonne of God did put off all his garments but that hee did dispossesse himselfe of all his good workes I and thou thou and I my brother haue great need to die clothed and clad to wit vvith our owne faith and good vvorks and also bee helped by others For as for holy Iesus as hee came out of the vvombe of his mother vnited vnto the diuine essence so hee had no necessity of his owne vvorkes to saue himselfe nor of other mens merits to pardon vs. Cyrillus vpon S. Iohn sayth Of as much as the sonne of God did merite praying on the mountaine preaching among the people healing the diseased in hospitals by suffering among his enemies and dying vpon the crosse I say hee did spoile and make himselfe naked of all that and put it vpon vs insomuch that wee are heires of his bloud with which he redeemed vs and successors of all the merits which hee heaped together O glorious inheritance and happie wealth which thou good Iesus diddest leaue to the parishioners of thy church seeing that by the meanes thereof vvee are made sonnes of the Father brothers of the sonne puples of the Holy ghost companions to the Angels parishioners of the church and heires of thy glory O vvhat great difference there is betwixt the inheritance of heauen and an inheritance in the world Worldlings leaue their children store of goods and reuenues and much debate and strife to defend them and many enemies to persecute them but our good Lord in lieue of great wealth did leaue vs his grace and in steed of enemies did leaue vs his merites What should haue become of all the sinners of the world if as Christ died spoiled and depriued of his goods so hee would haue died clothed vvith all his merits What should become vnto prowd men if hee would not haue left them his humilitie and vvhat of cruell men if hee would not haue left them his charitie What end should angry men come to if he should not haue left them his patience and vvhat vvere it of all sinners if hee should not haue left them his clemency Cyprian sayth If Christ would haue ascended to heauen vvith all that which hee merited in this world and not impart it among vs and as it were vnclothed himselfe of them as of certaine garments there should not haue been in the world at this day a church to preach in nor Priest to bee ordained nor Sacrament to bee administred Cyrillus sayth to this purpose If the sonne of God would haue merited for himselfe alone and died for himselfe alone wee might haue said with reason that hee had come into the vvorld and tooke flesh vpon him for himselfe and not for vs. But let such blasphemy bee farre from our tongues and thoughts and farre from our heart because our good Lord died not for himselfe but for vs nor did not merite for himselfe but for vs. Hugo de sancto victore sayth Because that the great Redeemer of the world did leaue vs his garments for reliques and his merites for Treasures the Church his spouse hath at this day Sacraments to giue sacrifices of a contrite heart to offer sweet doctrine to preach and rewards to promise for amendment of life CHAP. IIII. He followeth the authority of the Prophet Osee and speaketh of the garments which Christ left in pledge PArtiti sunt vestimenta mea super ea miserunt sirtem said Christ in the 21 Psalme complaining vnto his Father on the crosse as if hee would say O my good Father thou wast not content only that they should spoile me of my garments and turne me naked to my great shame but also that the hangmen should deuide my coat and the souldiours cast lots vpon him We must see in this place how many coats there were and whose they were and among whome they were deuided because all our saluation dooth consist in being excluded or admitted vnto that deuision There were but two garments in all and Christ was the maister of them and they were deuided betwixt hangmen and souldiours the place where was by the crosse and the manner how was by lots These two garments were deuided betwixt the Gentlemen which kept and guarded Christ and the hangmē which crucified Christ insomuch that according vnto the merite or demerite of euery one of them they receiued their part of the garment Theophilus saith Who are meant by these gentlemen and knights but the vertuous and iust and who by the hangmen but sinners and naughty men O infinit goodnesse O clemency neuer seene before such as thine was O good Iesus vpon the altar of the crosse where thou diddest barre no man of the inheritance of thy sweatings and deuiding of thy merits depriue no man exclude no man nor disinherite no man but there fell aswel one part to the hangmen which lifted thee vp vpon the crosse as to Nichodemus who tooke thee down from the same Isichius
body because that if he had not hindered that his body had not ben passible at all It was for no other cause but Propter nostram salutë that our great Redeemer suffered the death vpon the crosse as if he had been a sinner Candolfus sayth Christ sometimes gaue place that the glory of his soule should redound and fall vpon the members of his body as it happened in the hill Thabor by reason vvhereof his precious flesh vvas so tender in suffering and so passing desirous to returne to the fruition of the same glory that the absence and delay of that diuine and heauenly comfort did bring Christ most grieuous torment Vpon those vvords of the Psalme Abyssus abyssum inuocat Saint Basil sayth for as much as the soule of the sonne of God vvas full of glory and his precious body loaden with grieuous paine and anguish O how oftentimes the depth of his trauailes and griefes did feruently desire and sigh after the depth of his comfort and consolation the vvhich his eternall Father vvould not impart vnto him vntill hee had ended the redemption of the vvorld O great goodnesse O infinite charity who but thou O my good Iesus vvas hungry vvith bread in his hand thirsty vvith vvater in his mouth naked vvith garments in his chests sad and afflicted with glory in his soule Vpon those vvords Tristis est anima mea S. Barnard sayth It is no maruell if my soule bee sorrowfull and full of anguish because the houre of my glory and felicity is not yet come but in thee O good Iesus why should thy flesh bee so wearied And why should thy soule be comfortlesse seeing that thou carriest with thee all the glory which is in heauen or in earth Vbertinus vpon this place sayth The Redeemer of the world being in the agony of death and very neere the end of his life remembring himselfe of that heauenly comfort and diuine influence vvhich from the glory of his soule was woont to bee imparted to his precious body spake this word Sitio as if he would say O how great the thirst is vvhich I suffer in this last houre and terrible agony to vvit of that influence and heauenly comfort which was woont to bee imparted from my owne soule vnto my owne flesh because this death and passion which my owne Father doth lay vpon this my weake flesh is not onely grieuous but doth also exceed all other humane punishment The great thirst that Christ suffered vpon the crosse and the cooling vvater which hee desired was not the water of the fountain of the hill Lybanus nor yet that which ran in the riuer Silo but that heauenly consolation which the glory of his soule vvas vvont to cause in him for that other humane thirst could not so much grieue him considering how neere hee vvas to the end of his life Wee haue vsed all this discourse to extoll the word of the figure which sayth Et traxit piscem in siccum It is to bee vnderstood that young Tobias did kill the fish vpon the sand vvhich would haue killed him in the water When thinkest thou did Tobias draw the fish vpon drie land but vvhen the eternall Father did leaue his blessed sonne vpon the crosse without any humane consolation O how drie was that drie tree vpon which the heauenly fish hanged vvho hauing been brought vp in the deepe sea of the diuine essence had not there so much as one drop of water to drinke What can be pitied more in this life than for a fish hauing been brought vp in the water yet afterward to die for vvant of vvater Tobias fish was hard by the vvater side and yet died vvith thirst and Christs flesh vvas coupeled with his holy soule and died also vvith thirst because the eternall Father to giue vs drinke of his water of heauen killed his owne onely sonne with thirst and brought him to die vpon the sands of this world If Tobias should not haue drawne the fish to the land hee could not haue mastered him if Christ had not become man neither could he haue died for howsoeuer it be naturall for vs to die yet it is much more naturall for God alwaies to liue What meaneth it that the selfe same fish of whome Tobias thought he should haue been deuoured lay dead afterward at his feet but that that God which all the powers of heauen did feare and tremble at we see now meek gentle hanged vpon the tree When God was nothing but God in his own diuine essence being all the world did feare him and tremble but after that hee came vpon our sandie humanity set foot vpon the drinesse of this world hee who before made others afeard was himselfe afraid and he who before did throw downe others fell himselfe and he who before enriched others became poore and he who gaue all comfort wept himselfe and hee who killed before died Desertum faciam mare eius siccabo venum eius said God by the Prophet Ieremy chap. 51. as if he would say I will make all his sea as drie and without vvater as desart and solitary mountains are woont to bee and I will cut off all the vaines and streames of his depth because there shal flow no water at any end These words must curiously be expounded for God to say that the sea shall bee as drie as a solitary mountaine and that hee will cut off all the vaines of his course throughout all the world seemeth to bee a new speech and a thing that was neuer seene to be beleeued Leauing the letter speaking according vnto the sence of these words the eternal Father doth forewarne his precious sonne that he wil not onely deale with him like one which will not he are him nor giue him any comfort but also that he will cut off all occasions whereby hec may any way receiue comfort in so much that to make the sea become a desart is to make of God a true man and to cut off the vaines of the sea is to cut off all heauenly consolation What other thing was that deepe sea but onely the diuine essence And what else was it to make a drie desart of the raging sea but to make him who was the eternal God a true mā God said by the mouth of his Prophet Desertum faciammare eius speaking of his son and as he did prophecie so he did accomplish it for when he hanged vpon the altar of the crosse he neuer made answere to any petition which hee made him nor yet to quench his thirst gaue him so much as one cup of water What a strange thing is this O eternall Father what a strange thing is this For thy bastard abortiue childrē thou didst drawwater out of the liuely rock for thy lawful son hast thou not so much as one drop Whē Agar her son Ismael were ready to perish with thirst in the mountaines of Bersabee neere vnto the Mount Lybanus
was loaden with many sacrifices and beleeued in many Christs and offered many Holocausts but the holy church hath but one sacrifice beleeueth but in one Christ and doth offer but one Holocaust Neither doth Abraham say that the Lord would prouide a sacrifice for any other but for himselfe seeing hee sayth Dominus prouidebit sibi for vntill the very instant and houre that his sonne was crucified on the crosse he was neuer pleased nor pacified for the offēce which was done vnto him Neither did Abraham say that he would prouide indifferētly any sacrifice but specially that sacrifice which was called Holocaustum because that in al other sacrifices there remained alwaies one part for the priest to eat of another for him which offered it for to take away But it was not so in that sacrifice which they called Holocaustū because that in it all the whole beast was quartered cut in peeces burnt so being made ashes was wholly offered vnto God Was it not think you an Holocaust a great Holocaust which Christ offered seeing there was no spot in it wherby it should be cast away nor any mēber in his body which was not tormented To come then vnto our purpose it is to be noted that we haue made all this discourse to proue that in the mystery of this word Sitio which end because that the Iewes did but borrow them vntill our Lord should prouide them a sacrifice which by Abraham he promised vnto all the world Isidorus vpon Genesis sayth The sacrifice which God promised to send into the world ought to bee worthy of him vnto whom it was offered and profitable vnto him who did offer it which could not bee by dead calues and the bloud of goats and vnpleasant liquors nor yet with bloudy hands How was it possible that the sacrifices of time past should please the Lord or profit the sinner which did offer them seeing their altars did seeme rather butchers shambles than temples of Priests Rabanus sayth Abrahams sacrifice was profitable vnto himselfe and hurtfull vnto his sonne seeing he should there haue lost his life and because we may know that this is true the Lord did ordaine that Abrahams sword should onely threaten his sonne Isaac and afterward kil the son of God Our Lord seeing what smal benefite should be gotten by the death of that child what griefe it would cause vnto this old Father although hee gaue him license to draw his sword yet hee did not consent that it should come neere the child the which our Lord would neuer haue hindered if the death of that child could haue ben sufficient to redeeme al the world God the Father was older than Abraham and loued his sonne better than Abraham did his yet notwithstanding all this seeing that in that only sacrifice did consist mans saluation he consented that they should take his life from him Esichius vpon Leuiticus sayth That that which Abraham did was only good vnto himselfe alone because hee did accomplish that which was commanded him but when he said that the Lord would prouide a sacrifice vnto himselfe that was profitable vnto all the world considering that by that prophecie wee were warranted and made sure that we should be redeemed by the sonne of God Origen sayth That it is much to be noted how that all the sacrifices of the old law did proceed from two things only that is from the beasts which they did kill and the fruit which they plucked from trees Of their beasts they did offer the head and feet vnto the Lord the caule the flesh and the entralls and of trees incense storax fruit grapes aloes mirrhe oile and sweet odours And God was not content only that euery mā should offer what pleased himselfe but onely of that which God in the law commāded that is of beasts that they should offer the greatest of fruits the best of perfumes the sweetest of mettales the richest of liquors the most excellente If we beleeue the Philosopher in his book De animalibus The first thing that is engendred is the heart and the last the gaule when a beast dieth it is contrary for the first thing that corrupteth is the gaule and the heart the last thing that dieth The Commentator sayth That as the gaule is the last thing that is ingendred in man so it is also the most filthiest and basest thing that is in him Of all liquors the wine is the most precious and contrary no liquor worser than the dregs of soure corrupted wine Doest thou thinke my brother that we haue trauelled in vaine in prouing vnto thee that the gaule is the worst part of the beast and putrified dregs the worst of liquors The end why wee haue spoken all this is because that when the Redeemer of the world was dead with thirst vpon the altar of the crosse they gaue him these two thinges to drinke that is bitter gaule which is the last and worst part of the beast and dregs and vineger which is the worst of all liquors S. Augustine vpon S. Iohn sayth The purest clearest and cleanest of the Synagogue was already ended and gone and turned into vineger and lees by reason wherof they gaue Christ nothing to drinke but gaule vineger giuing vs therby to vnderstand that they did not giue him only that which they had in the Synagogue but also that which themselues were For what was all the Synagogue but soure vineger and bitter gaule It was not without a high mystery that they offered that which they did to Christ vpon the crosse for as the gaule is the last and the vildest thing that is in the beast so the Synagogue was now at an end and at the vvorst of all her life in so much that shee was become nothing els but a gaule of malice and also vineger of couetousnesse Saint Ierome sayth Euen as vineger hath been good wine because it was gathered of the best of the vine so the people of the Iews were somtimes good because they had good mē among them in so much that there is no other meaning in that they gaue Christ wine mingled with mire and soure vineger to drinke but that the people were now corrupted and scarse one good man left among them How came this hap among you O you Iewes that all the wine of your vessels is become soure vineger and all the hony of your hiues turned into bitter gaule Then your wine began to turne into vineger when you would not receiue Christ for your Redeemer and then all your hony turned into gaule when you did defame his doctrine and bereaue him of his life The Synagogue striketh great pity into my heart to see that in time past they did offer vnto their God sacrifices Holocausts and offerings and afterward gaule and vineger and dregs by which cursed and wicked offering they took away their makers life brought their Commonwealth vnto an end CHAP. XII How that the thirst
truth sooles mocke wisedome the guilty whip innocency the wretched spet vpon glory and the dead kill life S. Barnard in a sermon of the passion sayth What heart is able to endure it or what fingers able to write it to see that the liberty of captiues is sold the glory of Angels scorned and mocked the morning starre of the world spet at the Lord of all scourged whipped and he who is the rewarder of trauels murthered S. Ambrose vpon S. Luke sayth Of Christ only of no other Ieremy sayth Quod saturabitur opprobrijs seeing that he was sold like a malefactor mocked like a foole spet at like a vile person whipped like a theefe and put to death like a traitor S. Hilary in an Homily sayth According vnto the prophesie of Ieremy the sonne of God shall be filled with iniuries seeing that he is sold of the Symoniacles mocked of hypocrites whipped of tyrants spet at by blasphemers and put to death by heretikes Let our conclusion then be that not without a high mystery nor profound sacrament Christ before hee should suffer said these words of Consummabuntur and in the end of his suffering Consummatum est to let vs vnderstaÌ„d that at one time Christs life did end and if we be such as we ought to be our faults CHAP. VI. Here hee entreateth of that high praier which Christ made vpon the table saying Pater sancte non pro mundo rogo sed pro illis vt serues eos a malo In which praier if he obtained constancy and stoutnesse for his Apostles yet he forgot not the weake saying Non rogo vt tollas eos a mundo PAter sancte claritatem quam tu dedisti mihi dedi eis vt sint Consummati in vnum Iâ—h 17. These words are spoken by the mouth of the son of God praying vnto his Father after he had made a sermon before supper the highest and longest that euer hee preached in all his life time as if hee should say O my holy eternall mighty and blessed Father that which I entreat and request of thee in this last houre is that seeing I haue giuen to my Disciples part of the light and science which thou hast giuen mee thou wouldest also giue them grace to bee perfect in that kind of perfection as thou are wont to make perfect the elect By occasion of those words which Christ spake vpon the crosse that is Consummatum est and by reason of that other which he spake praying vnto his Father Consummati sunt it shall bee necessary for vs to declare in this place what that is which the redeemer of the world spake in his praier and what the Scripture sayth of it It is here to be noted who hee is which praieth where hee praieth when he praieth and how he praieth and for whome he praieth what he praieth for oftentimes in Scripture the circumstances how a thing is done makes it either weighty or very weighty Hee who praieth is Christ the place where is the pâ—râ—or the time is at supper how is with lifting vp his eies the things which hee praieth are very high they for whom are his disciples In this high praier Christ spake dainty words most graue sentences very secret mysteries very necessary aduises and very profitable counsels by reason whereof it is conuenient to read them with attention and note them with deuotion Christ then sayth in the beginning of his praier Pater sancte serua eos in nomine tuo qui tui sunt pro eis rogo non pro mundo as if he should say My holy and blessed father that which I ask of thee for these thy children and my disciples is that thou deliuer them from sin keep them in thy seruice seeing that they bee my brothers by nature and thy children by grace and if I aske any thing of thee it is not for those which are of the world but for those which thou doest keepe vnder thy safegard O sweet words for the good and sorrowfull for the bad seeing that by them are diuided and seperated the perfect from the foreseene the elect from the reprobate Gods friends from the children of perdition and also the neighbours of heauen from the louers of the world Howsoeuer Christ our redeemer praied from the hart for those which he loued from the heart yet he set this word Sancte Pater before his praier because it is a very naturall thing that this word Pater maketh a father attentiue to here the child and maketh his eies tender to behold him and his heart gentle to loue him and openeth his entrails that hee can deny him nothing What sweeter words can come to a fathers eares than to heare his sonne call him father As a sonne welbeloued and tendered once Christ calleth his father my father another time iust father another time Lord and father sometimes holy father and sometimes father and nothing else so that such as his praier was such was the name which hee gaue him It is not then here without a mystery that hee calleth him Pater sancte because hee who praied in this praier was most holy hee to whom hee praied was holy that which hee praied were holy things the place where hee praied was a holy place and hee for whom he praied was his holy colledge What doest thou aske O good Iesus what doest thou aske Pardon for my sheepe that God would deliuer them from Wolues pardon for my disciples that God would keepe them from the diuell pardon for my elect that God would seperate them from sinne and pardon for my friendes that God would take them vp into heauen As thou art going thy iourney to the crosse at the point of death in the euening of thy agony and wheÌ„ they come to apprehend thy person among so many thinges which thou doest aske of thy Father doest thou ask nothing for thy selfe O heauenly care O vnspeakable loue O charity neuer heard of before such as thine is O creator of my soule towards all mankind seeing that in such a dismal day in such a narrow strait as thou art in thou hast cause sufficient to craue of thy father for thy selfe sauing only that to remember me thou doest forget thy selfe And Christ sayth that he doth aske for such as are his that is for those which in the depth of his eternity are predestinated and are in the number of the elect to the end that they may bee one thing in the father as the father and the sonne are one thing Let the curious reader marke in this place that this abuerbe Sicut dooth not in this place make an equality betwixt God and man but onely a resemblance and a likenesse for vnlike the which because Arrias would not vnderstaÌ„d became to be an infamous heretike When Christ said Sint vnum in me his meaning was this That which I aske of thee O heaueÌ„ly Father is that as those of my colledge be thy children and
All mortal men go after their pleasures and hunt for delight but alasse they seeke them in the house of the God of trauels which is the world and forsake the Lord of consolations which is God and therefore they goe astray in that which they seeke and goe discomforted in that which they desire Barnard in a sermon sayth O what a great comfort it is to the good that they haue him for their God and Lord who is the God and Lord of all consolations for it is not to be beleeued that being the God of al comforts that he doth not impart some of them vnto his and especially seeing that hee doth not discomfort those which offend him who will not beleeue but hee will comfort those which serue him When the Apostle sayth that our God is the God of all consolations and not onely that but also the father of mercies we haue great cause to loue him and to be thankfull vnto him seeing that not long before hee called himselfe the God of reuenge as now he dooth call himselfe the Father of mercies S. Ambrose sayth What greater news could we hear or what could he giue vs for a greater reward then for our Lord to giue himselfe vnto vs for our father his sonne for our brother the holy-ghost for our maister his church for our mother the Sacraments for a medicine his death for a pardon his bloud for our redemption Isichius vpon Leuiticus sayth Marke the depth of the Scripture and thou shalt see that when he speaketh of mercies it doth not call God Deus misericordiarum The God of mercy but Pater misericordiarum the Father of mercies and when it talketh of iustice it doth not call him Pater vltionum but Deus vltionum The God of reuenge because it is the office of God to punish and the duty of the father to pardon The Prophets did oft vse this word Deus God and helped themselues little with this word Pater Father and Christ contrariwise did oft benefite himselfe with this word Pater Father and sildome with this name Deus God giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that the time of iustice was now ended and that the time of mercy was come Isidorus De summo bono sayth O eternall goodnesse and depth of all vvisedome vvhy should I distrust in thy great clemency being that thou art my Father and Father of all mercy Let the Pagans distrust in thee who beleeue thee not let the vvicked distrust in thee vvho serue thee not for I vvill hope in thee vvith those vvhich serue thee and loue thee For although I cannot wholly serue thee I labour as much as I can not to offend thee Anselmus vpon the Apostle sayth After I heard thee say O my good Iesus Pater ignosce illis and the Apostle say Pater misericordiarum Although my naughty life make mee afraid yet thy great mercy commeth immediately to my mind for the same day that thou diddest make thy selfe man thou diddest change thy name from the God of Reuenge into the Father of Mercies O glorious and happy chaunge that is the changing the name of God into the name of Father and the name of a Reuenger into the name of a Defender the name of Iustice into the name of Mercy the name of a Creator into the name of a Redeemer all which thou diddest chaunge vvhen thou wast made man and diddest suffer on the crosse for mee Saint Augustine vpon the Apostles vvordes sayth Tell mee O good Iesus tell mee O great Redeemer after thou haddest chaunged the name of Deus vltionum into the name of Pater misericordiarum what diddest thou see so hard that thou diddest not bring to passe or vvhat sinne diddest thou see so enormious that thou diddest not pardon In calling thy selfe the Father of mercies thou diddest forgiue Matthew his exchanges Mary Magdalene her vanities the Samaritane her Adulteries the good theefe his theft and the fisher-man Peter his denying of thee the Apostles forsaking of thee and thy enemies putting thee to death Irenaeus sayth Seeing that the time of Deus vltionum is past and that the time of Pater misericordiarum is come haue mercy on mee O great God of Israel haue mercy on mee and when shall this bee but vvhen thou vvilt giue me strength to serue and praise thee and endue mee vvith grace to saue mee O Father of mercies O the God of all consolation vvhen shall my soule heare for her selfe Pater ignosce illi as the vvicked Synagogue did heare thee say Father forgiue them What doth it auaile mee that thou hast pardoned those vvhich did then put thee to death if thou doe not also now forgiue vs vvhich most vvickedly offend thee Children for children sinners for sinners there is as great reason that thou shouldest pardon those of thy holy church as those of the Synagogue for if they vvere children of the God of reuenge vvho did put thee to death then they are also children of the Father of mercies who do offend thee now Saint Augustine in his Confessions sayth O Father of mercies and God of all comfort if it bee true that I vvas vvith those vvhich tooke thy life from thee vpon the crosse vvhy shouldest thou not as well forgiue mee my fault as thou diddest then theirs Vnto thee O eternall Father I say Mea culpa and vnto thee O holy sonne I confesse my offence in that that if I vvas not vvith Iudas vvhen hee sold thee yet I vvas vvith the vvicked and vngratefull Iewes vvhen they did crucifie thee for if they did fasten thee on the crosse vvith nailes I did there crucifie thee vvith my sinnes Anselmus in his Meditations sayth O good Iesus O the blisse of my soule vvho carried thee to the crosse but the loue which thou haddest to redeeme vs And what tormented thee but thy dolours And what tooke thy life from thee but my sinnes And by whom haue I life but by thy merits O Father of mercies if it be true that for my demerits thou diddest lose thy life and that by thy great merits I recouered my soule dost thou not thinke that thou hast much in my faults to pardon in my soule to redresse and amend Barnard sayth O creator of all things O redeemer of all sinnes vnto thee O my God I offer my selfe and before thee O my Lord I present my selfe not such a one as thou diddest leaue mee when thou diddest create mee but such as one as thou foundest mee when thou redeemedst mee What a one diddest thou leaue mee but made to thy image and semblance and what a one diddest thou find mee but with my innocency lost and loaden with sinne O father of mercies pardon mee seeing that I am a worke of thy owne hands pardon me seeing that I am one of thy children and seeing I say vnto thee vpon my knees Tibi soli peccaui it is reason that thou answer me O my God with Miscriatur tui CHAP. II. Of the