in to this worlde without synne departed not hens without most greuous paynes and passyon what paynes then be they worthye to haue whiche were conceyued and borne in synne and all theyr lyfe haue continued in synne Herunto saythe saynte Gregorie As ofte as I remember the deth of our sauiour the pacyence of Iob and the death of Iohan the Baptiste I say to the O synner therby I consider what paynes shall they suffer when god reproueth syth tho whome he loueth and hathe chosen suffer so greuous paynes Fourthlye this ledynge was moche paynfull to Christe For the place whether he wente was moche fylthye and stynkynge It is called in Ebrew Golgoltha that is by interpÌ„tation Iocus Caluarie The place of the skull for Caluaria is called y e skull of a mannes hed when the skynne flesshe the heire is all gone this place was so called bycause all they that were condempned to deth were headed or hanged there To that place they broughte hym bycause men shulde suppose that he was a misordred person There was also many boones of deade mennes bodyes and specyallye the skulles of the heedes spredde abrode ouer all that place and that made it abhominable to beholde and also stynkyng And for this cause this leadynge was moche paynfull to Christe and the space that Christe went bearynge his crosse was .vi. C.lxvi passes And from the fote of the mount of Caluary vnto the top where as the crosse was fixed in the erth were fyfty passes And in this ledynge Christ fel. v. tymes vnder the crosse vnto the erth and when they had brought hym to that place the saugiours pulled of his clothes c. as in the next article ¶ Here folowe .iii. Lessons OF this article we may lerne .iii. lessons First is as Christ was led wyllyngly vnto his passion with all pacyence as a shepe vnto his deth so shuld we wyllyngly and with pacyence be led vnto the obedience of the preceptes of god and of our prelates in the place of our lorde by the whiche obedience our propre wyll is slayne or subdued this desyred the prophete saynge Deduc me in semita mandatorum tuorum c. Lede me lorde in the path of thy commaundementes for that I haue desyred The seconde lesson is that we shulde folowe Christe goyng to his passion wepyng the miserie of our awne frayltie with the women for as Theophilus sayth The frayle soule signified by the woman if it with a contrite herte wepe by penaunce it foloweth Christe The thyrde lesson is that pylgryms that go on pylgrymege for penaunce or deuocyon and religious persones for obediens goynge by the way if at any tyme they be wery they shulde remember this ledynge of our sauiour Iesus and his werynes c. And a man to coÌ„forme hym self to this article he shuld remember with howe great shame Christe was ledde vnto hys deth for our greate glorie and so lette hym wepe with the holye women at lest in the desyre of his hert and theÌ„ pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu which forme wolde be led vnto Golgoltha to be there crucifyed lede me in the pathe of thy commaundementes that I may folowe the steppes of thy passion with the holye women and wepe vpon my selfe the miserie of my frayle coÌ„dicyon ¶ Howe Christe was spoyled of his clothes before the crosse The .xlv. article THe .xlv. article is the pullyng of Christes clothes before y t he was crucified for wheÌ„ Iesus was come to y e place where as he shulde be crucifyed the saugiours pulled of his clothes before the crosse And as Marke sayth Dabant ei bibere vinum mirrhatum They gaue hym to drynke bytter wyne for it was mixte with gall as Mathew sayth and when Iesus had tasted of it he wolde not drynke for he wolde not mortifye or hurt his tongue wherwith he intended to praye for his enemyes and to make his testament And in this was fulfylled the saynge of the ê“phet Dederunt in escam meam fel. c. They put gall in to my meate and they gaue me to drynke asell or vynacre This poynt of the pullyng of Christes clothes doth conueniently make a specyall article for it is no lityll payne for a man to be stripte naked before all the people for so they dyd to Christ for he was all naked without any cloth the which thing was neuer done before to the most vyle persons for comonly at the lest they left theyr shyrtes to hyde theyr nakednes And in this pullyng of his clothes his wouÌ„des that he had before with theyr beatynges and scourgynges ware renewed to his great sorowe and payne for his inner garment dyd cleue fast vnto his backe And herunto sayth the prophet Super dolorem vulnerum meorum addiderunt They added wounde vpon wounde and so sorowe or payne vpon payne vnto me O blessed mother what sorowe was this to the when thou se hym so cruelly handled thou wente to hym with spede and tyed thy veyle aboute his bodye This most louely lorde Iesus wold be naked that thou synner myght beholde howe pitiously that most pure bodie of his was arayed for the he was naked for the whiche dyd create the and beynge eterne god was cladde with beautie and streÌ„gth he was naked to whome we synge and saye with the prophete Confessionem et decorem induisti amictus lumine sicut vestimento Thou arte cladde with praysynges and beautie thou arte cladde with light as with a garmente This lorde god is made a spectacle to all the worlde a wonder to many persones and a mockynge stocke to the people for at hym they shoke theyr hed Thou our hed our ioy and our honour and glorie good Iesus arte thus despysed this article is different from the .xxx. article for there he was naked before Pylate and his ministers and here it was openly before all the people There they toke from hym the white garmeÌ„t that herode put vpon hym to mocke hym here they spoyled hym of his owne clothes there he was stripte naked to be scourged here to be crucifyed there he was clad agayne here they toke all his clothes frome hym Of this nakednes saynt Ambrose saythe Christe naked ascended his crosse and there he shewed hym selfe vnto vs that we myght knowe howe we were made by god and nature he hange vpon the crosse as Adam was in paradise for as our first Adam dyd inhabyte paradise naked so the seconde Adam our sauiour Iesus dyd enter in to paradise naked And as some say there was a stone vpon the whiche our sauyour Iesus sat naked vnto such tyme the crosse was prepared and made redy and there sittyng he suffred many rebukes both by spyttynges smytynges and many blasphemouse wordes speakynge to hym And whan the crosse was made redy then most furiouslye they toke Christ c. as in the next article A lesson as in y e. xxx article ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche
without the castels or cities And also he wolde suffer without y e citie to declare shewe vnto vs howe y t the vertue of his passion shuld not be included within the coostes or bouÌ„des of the Iues but that it shuld be knowen to be a comon sacrifice for all the worlde And thyrdly to signifye and shewe to vs that who so wolde haue the effecte and vertue of this passion he muste go forth or go from the worlde at lest in desire affeccyon or loue that is that he haue no inordinate loue to the worlde the gooddes or pleasure therof Wherfore let vs folowe Christe and go vnto hym frome our carnall frendes and worldlye conuersacyon bearynge with hym and for his loue rebukes and sharp paynes And herunto saynt Bernarde sayth Christe suffred his passyon and deth without the citye therfore let vs go to hym from the cytye that is by the contempte of worldlye conuersacyon and that may be done by .iii. maner of wayes In affeccyon or loue that we loue not inordinatly the world In effect dede that we vtterly forsake the worlde both in wyll and also bodye And thyrdlye by profytynge that we desyre and labour to be made one spirite with god For as saynt Gregorie sayth The more that a man is separate from the loue of the worlde the more nygh he is to god This ledyng aboue al the other .viii. of which we spake in the .viii. article was most paynfull and shamefull to Christe and that for many causes and therfore conueniently it maketh a specyall article Fyrst by reason of his rebuke and shame for it was moche shamefull to be led vnto hangynge Secondly for that he was copled and ioyned or led with .ii. theues and mischeuous persons and that was done to his more confusyon shame that the people shulde thynke there was no difference bytwixte Christe and them Thyrdly for the greate noumber of people that se hym and folowed hym and that not onely of men but also of women as the euangelist sayth But they all dyd not folowe hym of one intent and one mynde for some were moche ioyfull of that syght as the moste parte of the Iues. And it is no small payne to a man to behold and se other men and specially his enemyes gladde and ioyfull of his affliccyon and rebuke There were also some that dyd wepe and were sorye for that syght as the blessed woman And also this was moche paynfull to Christ to se his frendes louers in sorowe and heuynes for hym Saint Bernarde describeth this ledynge and procession in this maner folowynge When Christ sayth he was broughte forthe to be ledde vnto his passion there was gathered about hym a greate multitude of people as ye comonly se when theues and murderars be had to hangynge Some went saughynge and some cast clay or durte vpon his most blessed hed and face If Christe loked before hym he sawe them cast durte vpon hym If he loked aboue hym he sawe the heuy tre of the crosse lyenge vpon his necke and greuously oppressed hym If he loke behynd hym he sawe his mother with a great nomber of men and women wepynge and lamentynge for hym And as some doctours do say his most sorowefull mother wolde haue come to hym to haue helpen hym and myght not be suffred the whiche her swete Iesus seynge and consederynge her great heuynes fell downe for sorowe and werynes vnder the crosse And that seynge his moste louynge mother for sorowe she fell to the erth as deade And in the remembraunce of this swonyng there was afterwarde a chapell buylded by the faythful people in the same place in the honor of our lady whiche is called sancta Maria de Spaâ—mo and after this Iesus turnynge hym selfe to the women that wepte sayd Filie Hierusalem nolite flere super me sed super vosipsas flete et super filios vestros O ye doughters of Hierusalem wepe not vpon me for I take these paynes and deth with my good wyll for it is the wyll and ordinaunce of god my father that I shulde thus dye and also for the great profet y t shall come therof to mankynde for by my deth I wyll ouercome euerlastynge deth but wepe for the cause of my passyon and dethe that is the synnes of the people which cause me to suffer deth by the order of iustice And thus to wepe it is necessarie for you and therfore it foloweth Sed super vosipsas flete et super filios vestros But weape for your selfes and for your chylderne Herin Christ doth not rebuke theyr affeccyon and compassyon that they had to hym but he doth teche them an order howe to wepe that is firste to wepe for them selfe and theyrs for it is a vayne thyng and of no profyt to wepe for the passyon of Christ and therwith to despyse hym with our euyl dedes and lyuyng Also he byddes them that wepe for hym to consider what paynes be lyke to fal vpon them selfe And therfore they shuld wepe for them self and for theyr childern and therfore Christe saythe Quoniam ecce venient dies in quibus dicent beate steriles c. For the dayes shall come sayth Christ when they shall say Blessed and happy be the baren and tho that brought forthe no fruyte and those pappes or teates be happye that neuer gaue sucke or mylke then they shall begynne to saye to the mowntes Fal vpon vs and to the hylles Couer vs. And thsi he spake for the tyme of the seage of Hierusalem by the emperours Vaspasyan and Titus his son for then the Iues were in great distresse as it appereth by the histories of Iosephus and Egesippus or els we may say that Christe spake this for the extreme and last day of iudgement And the cause or reason of both these he addeth and sayth Quia si in viridi ligno faciunt in arido quid fiet For sithe so greuous paynes and shamefull despites be done to me whiche am a grene tree florisshyng and quicke in the roote of my diuinitie in the charitie of my manhode in the branches of my vertues in the leeses of good wordes and the fruyte of my good dedes if I say they do these thynges to me that is condempne me to the shamefull deth of the crosse without all iustice what shall they do to the drie tree or stocke that is to the synner whiche wanteth the moisture of grace the fruyte of iustice the grenisse or florisshynge of the conscience what payne thynke you be they worthy to haue O Iesu thou grene tre O our hed O thou glorie of all meake persons O thou cedre of clenlynes Palme of pacyence Olyue of mercy Vyne of gladnes shewe to vs what was done to the And he answering saith this grene tre is pilled or the barke pulled of it is shred lopte it is cut downe and cast vpon the erth Marke this well frendes sith he that came
to hym his dieat Seconly he wyl cast hym in a sweat Thyrdly if these be not sufficyent he wyll let hym blode to correcte the euyll humors And fourthly he wyl gyue hym a pocyon to auoyde all the euyll mater that is the cause of his sekenes So our lorde Christe that he myght cure vs from the infirmitie and seakenes of synne he fyrste kepte a dyeat for he fasted .xl. dayes Secondly he swet blode for vs. Thyrdly he was let blode in all the partes of his bodye when as he shedde his blode without weyght or mesure so that his bodye hangynge vpon the crosse was as drye as a fyrebrand Fourthly and last not content with all the other medicynes he toke a most bitter pocyon when for to cure oure synfull sekenes he toke vinegre and tasted therof and therfore he sayd conueniently Consummatum est All thynges be fulfylled that I shulde suffer for the helthe of man And thus after that he had suffred in all the membres of his bodye the sharpe dartes of moste bytter paynes and passyon he myghte well say the wordes of the prophet Repleuit me amaritudine inebriauit me absinthio He hath fulfylled me with bitternes he hath made me dronke with wormewod and so in his passyon he dranke a bytter pocyon and that to cure vs. ¶ A Lesson OF this article we maye take this lesson that in the ende of euery good werke that we do whiche hath diuerse actes and partes we shulde gather them togyther as it ware in a soÌ„me and so offer that good werke to god and so comonlye we vse in all the seruyce of the churche for euer in the ende we conclude with a collecte whiche is so called for asmoche as in that prayer all the office or seruice said before is as it ware virtually gadred and conteyned in that orison or collect as in a summe And so this worde Consummatum est is as it were the collecte of the hole passion of Christ vnto his death And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld remembre breuely as it were in a summe all the forsayde artycles of Chrystes passion and so gyue thankes to all myghtie god for them and pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche offeryng the consummacion of thy hole passion as it ware in a â—ume â—o god thy father for we dyd say Consummatum est it is ended â–ª grant to me that I may dewly consummate and ende all the good werkes and paynes that it shall please thy grace to werke in me and by me and so ended to offre them with due thankes vnto god the father by the. Amen ¶ Of the yeldyng vp of his soule or of the death of Christe The. lxii article THe .lxii. article is the death of Christe for when Christe had sayde It is ended then he criynge agayne with a greate voyce sayd or no necessite but for our example 〈…〉 tuas coÌ„mendo spiritum meum Father I commend my spirite in to thy handes This was the .vii. and last worde that he spake vpon the crosse And by this sayng he wolde declare vnto vs that the soules of holy sayntes be in y e handes of god after theyr departyng from the bodye wher as before y t tyme all the soules ware in the hande power of hell And by this his commendacion he commendeth to his father all his electe people for we be his membres as saynt Paule sayth Omnes vnum sumus in Christo iesu We be all one in Christe iesu Which in the dayes of his mortalitie offerynge prayers to his father with a greate crye and teares was hard for his reuerence And this worde sayd and prayer made he bowed downe his heade and so gaue vp his spirite In criyng weapyng and praing As the glose sayth we that be erthly or made of y e erth do dye or giue vp our spirite with out any voyce or at most a softe or small voyce But Christ y t camme from heuen he at his death exalted his voyce and cried with a great and lowde voyce He that is not moued with this voyce is more heuy than the erth more harde than y e stone and more close and stynkyng than dead menes graues for all these ware broken moued and open by this voyce And note here that amonge al the paynes that Chryst suffered this payne of death was most sharpe and paynefull for as the Philosopher sayth Death is the moste terrible of all terrible or fearefull thynges and that is for the naturall inclinacion that the soule hathe to the bodye But there is a more speciall cause in Christe for as Damasten sayth His godhed was vnit and knyt bothe to the soule and also to the bodye and therfore that separatioÌ„ of his soule from his body was most paynfull to hym Chryste enclined and bowed downe his heade to shewe vnto vs. iiii thynges that is Fyrste the greuouse and heuy burden that was laid vpon him A man that is ouercharged or oppressyd with a heuy burden is wonte to stowpe and bowe downe his heade But Christe was oppressid with the heuy burden of our synnes as sait Petre sayth Peccata nostra ipse pertulit in corpore suo super lignum Christe bare our synnes in his bodye vpon a tree that is the crosse Also Christe sayth by the prophet Conuolute sunt iniquitates et imposite collo meo The iniquites or synnes be folden or lappid vp to gether and laid vpon my necke and therfore no meruel though he bowid downe his heade to shew vnto vs what heuy burden he bare Secondely he enclined his heade to shewe his pouertie for Iesus the son of god at his death was so pore that he had no place where to reste his head and therfore he bowyd it downe Thyrdly to shewe to vs that meaknes is the way to glorie euerlastyng Herunto Hugo sayth We shall returne vnto the heuenly cuntre by the waye of meakenes And the wiseman sayth Viam sapientie monstrabo tibi c. I shall shewe to the the way of wisdom and I shall lead the by the pathes of equitie which when thou arte ones entred in to thy feet shall not letted nor thou runnyng shal haue any let or obstacle This waye is the vertu of meakenes for as Christ sayth Qui sehumiliat exaltabitur He y t meaketh hym selfe shal be exalted as y e ê“phet sayth Non habitabit in medio domus mee qui facit suê‘biam The prowde person shall not dwell in my house Forthly Chryste enclyned his heade to gyue thankes to his father for the victorie he had for by his death he distroyed death And hereunto saynt Paule sayth Absorpta est mors in victoria Death is destroyed by the victorie and triumphe of Chryst And in the same place Deo gracias qui fe cit nos vincere in domino nostro iesu Christo Thankes be to god that hath
they wold nat be noted as confounded O blynd malyciouse people In all theyr euyll deades agaynst Christe they go to the Iudge Pylate that theyr iniquitie and synne shuld seme as iustice bycause it is doon by auctoritie And they called hym Domine that is lorde but they wold neuer obey to hym with theyr good wyl It is the propertie of maliciouse and froward persons to prayse hym byfore his face whom they hate in theyr hertes and that is to brynge theyr purpose to passe Then Pylate sayd to them Habetis custodiam Ite custodite sicut scitis Ye haue there the watche men take them and goo and make the sepulcre as sure as ye can As if he shulde say after Rabanus It myght be sufficient to you that I haue coÌ„sentyd vnto the death of this innocent from hens fourth do what ye wyll your errour shall reste vpon your selfe And then they went and made the sepulcre sure with watch men and sealyd the stone This was doon for .ii. causes Fyrst to shew the folishenes of the Iues. And herunto saynt Hillarie sayth The feare that the Iues had of the steylynge of Christis body the watche men and the sealyng of the stone be a testimonie and a witnes of y e infidelitie and folyshues of the Iues. Was it not a great folishnes of them to watche and seale his sepulcre that a lytil before that tyme commauÌ„ded a deed man to rise out of his sepulcre the which was .iiii. dayes buried Secondly this was doon for the more sure testimony of the truthe that is of the resurrection of Christ And herof Crisostome sayth Considre and note well here how the Iues agaynste theyr owne myndes doo labour to shewe and proue the truth agaynst them selfe For this theyr acte is a manifeste and sure proue of y e resurrection of Christ And thus we may proue it The sepulcre was sealed and surely keapte w t saugioures ergo there culd be no crafte or deceyte If theyr ware no deceyte ergo Christ is surely risen for there is the sepulcre the body is gon ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons FYrst Lesson is that we shuld be the folowers of Ioseph in that that when the bodye of Christe is receyued of vs and wrapped as we sayd before then we shuld lay it or put it in a new sepulcre cut out or hewen out of a stone that is we shuld put it in our soule deckyd and beautised with the ymage of god renewed and stablisshed in Christ which is the sure stone so that we may say that is wrytten in the canticles Tenui eum nec dimittam I haue hym I holde hym and I wyll not leaue hym The seconde Lesson is this that as our lorde was tormentyd crucified deed lamentyd or mournyd and also buryed so we shuld lament hym by compassion and compunction Thyrd lesson is for riche men which by the example of Ioseph ought to couer the nakydnes of Christ in the poore men and so bury Christ in the sepulcre of his herte by charitable werkes doyng to the poore people ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me at the houre of complen wold be buryed in a sepulcre lamentyd and keapte graunt to me that thou my lord god may be buryed in the sepulcre of my hert and there lamentyd and keapt that I buried with the may deserue to com to the glory of thy resurrection Amen ¶ Here endyth the seconde parte of this Glasse or Myrour ¶ Here foloweth the thyrd parte that is the conclusion of this Myrrour Which is diuided in to .xi. Chaptres ¶ Fyrst we shall declare vnto you certen Myracles specially x. that were done som of them at the death of our lorde and som of them after his death The fyrst Chapitre ¶ Of the fyrste Myracle THe fyrst Myracle was theclipse or derknes of the son and of this the euangeliste saith thus A sexta autem hora tenebre facte sunt super vniuersam terram vsque ad horam nonam From the sexte houre vnto the .ix. houre of the daye there was derknes ouer all the worlde or erthe And this derkenes or eclipse was nat naturall but onely by miracle And that we may proue by .iiii. reasons Firste by reason of the long enduryng of the same for the eclipse of the son naturally may neuer endure by .iii. coÌ„tinual houres as this was Second reason is bicause it was so vniuersal for naturally there can be no eclipse of the son ouer all the erth for the mone that lettyth the lyght of the son from vs for the tyme of the eclipse is not of so great quantitie as is the son nor yet as the erth and therfore it can nat take away y e lyght of the son from all partes of the erth but this derknes or eclipse was ouer all the erth ergo it was nat naturall Thyrd reason is for the age of the mone the mone at that tyme was encreasyd .xiiii. dayes and so it was almost at the full mone But it is impossible that there shuld any eclipse of the son naturally in the opposicion of the mone or it beyng at the ful for then the mone is in the Est when y e son is in the West And also euery naturall eclipse of the son is the coniuncion or chaunge of the mone Forth reason is this for in this eclipse the mone at nyght turnyd and mouyd toward the Eest and the son towardes the Weste which can neuer be naturally ergo this eclipse was by miracle But for what cause god wolde shewe this miracle then doctoures done assigne .v. causes Fyrst for the compassion of the elementes which myght nat beare or suffre to see the iniurie that was done to there creatour and maker Secondly to shewe that Christ was the gouernar of all creatures And here vnto saynt Gregory sayth This wondre or miracle was shewed that it shulde be knowen that he which suffred death was the gouernar of all thynges Thyrdly It was to shewe the blyndnes of maÌ„nys reason and here vnto Simon de Cassia sayth Derknes was brought ouer all the world to shewe y e ignorance of all the world for the world wold nat knowe the son of god Forthly for the obstinacie of the Iues. For as the same Simon saith the Iues suffred horrible derkenes for they blynded in theyr hertes by malice condempned the son of god Fystly for the coÌ„templacion of many secreat misteries And therfore saith y e same Simon This darknes besides that y t it shewed outwardly it also mouyd the mindê of men to considre higher thinges for our lord wold meruelously compasse y e ien of men with thycke derknes that theyr syght shuld not be wanderyng about outwarde thynges but that they shuld entre in to theyr owne hertes there coÌ„sidre deaply such thynges as waxe don to the son of god and in the son of god and so he turnyd the day in to
stopped and restrayned the floode of her teares there rose and sprang maruailously greater abundauÌ„ce of teares For when she considered of what glorie and dignitie he was that wolde suffer so vyle and shamfull deth for our redemption then her sorowe was renewed in her and her soule so relented for deuout compuÌ„ction that moche more plentye of teares departed from her and moche more ye may see in the sayde boke if it please you ✚ ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christ the sonne of the liuynge god for thyn vnspeakable pitye and the moste excellent lyfe of the moste holy mother Marie and for the merites of saynt Francisce and of al thy sayntes graunt we beseche the vnto vs most wretched synners vnworthy any of thy benefites that we myght loue the alone and euer be burnynge or feruente in thy loue and that we might continually magnifie the werke of our redemption that we myght euer desyre thy honour and dayly bere and remembre in our herte the benefyte of thy passion that we myght knowe and consydre our miserye and continually desire to be dispised aud rebuked for thy loue so that nothynge shulde comforth vs and abide in our hertê but thy deth and passion and nothynge displease or trouble vs but our owne synne and wretchednes Amen ¶ Of the meane and maner of the remembraunce of the passion of Christe The second particle HOwe I shall shewe vnto yowe howe we shulde vse and exercise our self in the passion of Christe In the whiche vii tymes in the day at the leeste euery christiane shuld exercise hym selfe accordyngly to the sentence or mynde of saynt Barnard sayng The coÌ„tinual or dayly lesson of a christi ane shulde be the remembraunce of the passion of Christe For there is nothynge that so moche kyndeleth the hert of man as the manheed of Christ and the ofte and deuout remembraunce of his passion Howe this may be we shall perceyue it in this maner That is this who so euer wyll ê“fite in the meditation of Christê passion let hym ordre hym selfe as if Christe were put to all the paynes of his deth and passion in his presence and so let hym considre depely diligeÌ„tly and with deliberation al the poyntes of his passion therunto fixe his hole mynde perseuerantly leuynge and settynge a parte all other cures and busines with drawinge hym selfe with as great diligeÌ„ce as he can from all superfluouse meatê and drynkes and from all dilycates from al fyne garmentes and softe beddes from all vayne sportes lyghtnes from vayne ioy and from all vayne and ydle speche For all these and suche other lyke ben clene contrarie to the frutefull remeÌ„braunce of Christes passion as we shall she we more clerly herafter And therfore it is necessarie that if a man wyll profyt herein that he thynke hym selfe as yf he were presente at the passyon of Christe and so ordre and behaue hym self in his speche in his sight in his sorowyng and in al his other outwarde actes as if he sawe before his face Christe hyngynge on the crosse If a man thus order hym selfe Christe crucifyed shal be spiritually with hym and in his presence as he thynketh in his owne mynde and so shall gladly behold his dedes and thoughtes and also gratiously accepte his vowes and promysses But take hede that this remembraunce be nat soone lost and shortly put away specially whan deuotion and tyme wyl serue with conuenient oportunitye and se that this remeÌ„braunce be with a faythful and herty maner and with a mournyng coÌ„passion For suerly yf this most swete and pleasaunt tree of the crosse be nat affectuously louyngly chewed with the teethe of feruent deuotion the sauour therof though in it selfe it be very delicious shal neuer moue the. And if thou can nat wepe with Chryst that wepte for the and sorowe with hym that sorowed for the at the leest thou ought to ioy in hym and to render thankes to hym with a deuout herte for his manifold benefytes gyuen to the without any thyng deseruynge And if thou felest thy selfe noder moued vnto compassion nor yet to gyue thankes with a feruent desyre vnto god for his benefites but rather depressed with an hard herte in the sayd remeÌ„braunce neuer the lesse with that same hard herte ronne vnto the holsome remembraunce of Christes passion and gyue suche thankes to god as thou may for that tyme. And that which thou can nat haue nor felyst nat in thy selfe committe in to the handes of his most mercifull goodnes And if yet thou continue in thy stubbernes and harde herte for perauenture thy herte is tourned in to the hardnes of a Dyamant whiche can neuer be broken but with the hote blode of a gote as Plinius sayth in his naturall historie here I offer shewe vnto the the greate copie and plentie of blode of the gote and also of a lambe incontaminate vnspotted or vndefyled Iesu Christe which is very hote and burnynge with an incomparable feruent loue and charitye whiche thorough the strength of his heet hath broken and dissolued that harde and Dyamant wall of enmitie which the synne of our fyrst parentes and also our actuall synnes hath made and put bytwyxte god and man Wasshe or drowne thy selfe in the copiouse blode of this gote and lambe O thou Adamant herte and lye in it that thou may be made warme thou so heated or made warme may be molifyed or made softe and so molified may shed plentiously ryuers of teares Moyses smote twyse on the stone and brought suche plentye of water so smyte thy harde stony hert twyse that is with the inwarde hertye remembraunce of Christe passyon and withe the outwarde laboure of thy bodye as exexercysynge thy selfe in lyftynge vp thy handes or thy syght vnto the crucifixe in ofte knockynge on thy breste in deuoute genuflexions knelynges or peyne takynges or in exercysyng thy self in takyng disciplines or scurgyngê or in other lyke outwarde exercise and so coÌ„tinue vnto thou haue goten the grace of teares Wherby thy reasonable soule shal drynke the waters of deuotion And thy sensual or bestly bodye by thexperieÌ„ce therof shal be humbled and subdued vnto the reasonable soule ¶ The thirde particle howe we shulde fele in our selfe the passion of Christ and this ê‘ticle is deuided in to .v. chapitres firste is howe we shulde fele the passion of Christe in our vnderstandynge and reason SAynt Poule sayth Hoc sentite invobis quod et in Christo Iesu Fele and perceiue in your selfe that Christ Iesu â—elt that ye myght sucke drawe watres frome the fountayns of our sauiour For who so euer exercise them selfe faythfully in this passion they shal sucke drawe from thens al maner of graces as we said afore For suerly this exercise hath his diuers degrees wherby we may come to the perfeccion of all sanctitye or holynes Wherfore we ought accordyngly to thadmonicion of saint Poule fele in our selfe y
body done for god is reputed as a martirdome and therby somwhat we reanswere vnto the passion of our lord Herunto speaketh saynt Barnard sayng this dayly penaūce and affliction of the body is a certayne kynde of very martirdome and effusion of blode it is a litel more gentyl and nat so hugsome as is tormētes and deth by the swerd or other lyke but it is more paynfull for the cōtinuance therof the other is sone done but this lasteth long This is necessarie profitable for vnperfite persons that be weyke in spirite and nat stronge in fayth and therfore dare nat auenture to suffer martyrdome and deth for Christe but they be content to supply it by this martyrdome that is dayly and continuall penaunce whiche by the continuaunce is more paynfull And thus the deuoute persones do fele in them selfe by theyr outwarde penaunce the passyon of our lord As whan by sharp penaunce they subdue theyr bodies ouer come vyce and all sensuall passions and so continue in this crosse of penaunce with Christe ¶ How we shulde fele Christes passion in our pouertie and other necessites The fourth Chapitre FOurthly we shulde fele the paynes of Christe in our penury pouertie and other necessities so that remēbrynge the passion of Christe we shulde gladly suffer all pouertie and penurie and neuer to desyre that thynge that is pleasaunt to the bodye for the pleasure therof or takyng any thinge more then very necessitie requyreth saynge with holy Iob Donec deficiam non recedam ab innocentia mea As longe as I lyue I shall nat forsake myn innocencie And though we be in a maner consumed and lost thoroughe hunger and penurye so that we may say with the prophet Dauid Defecit in dolore vita mea My lyfe is consumed thorough sorowe my bodye and my herte also And surely this maner of penurie and necessitie nat onely of meate and drynke but also of all thynges that may be delectable to man is accōpted to good men in this lyfe as a kynde of martyrdome By whiche necessityes if we strongly and gladly bere them for god we satisfye partly to our lord for his passion And herunto speketh saynt Barnard saynge Wylfull pouertie is a certen kynde of martyrdome Almyghty god descendyng from thinestimable riches of heuen and cōmynge in to this worlde wolde nat any of these ryches of this world but cam in so great pouertie that anon as he was borne for his credell he was layde in to a crybbe in a vyle stable with out the towne for his mother culde haue no lodgyng in the cytie Of his pouertie also appereth by his answere that he made to one the whiche sayd that he wold folowe hym where so euer he went And our lord answered and sayd Vulpes foueas habent et volucres celi nidos filius autem hominis non habet vbi caput suum recli net Foxis haue cauys or dennys and byrdes of the ayre haue nestes but the sonne of the virgine hath no place wherin to hyde or reste his heed In this necessitie was thapostle Paule as it appereth by his wordes saynge I was in many labours ofte in pryson bette and scourged aboue good ordre very ofte in peryll of dethe in perylles of flodes in perylles of theues in perylles of gentyles in daungers within the cytye in great daūgers also in wyldernes and also in the see in perylles of the false Iues. I was also in labour great miserie in great watch in hūger and thrist in moche abstinēce in cold in nakednes These and many mo dyd thapostle suffer And the mo y t we paciently suffer of these or such lyke the more shal we fele the passion of Christ in our self ¶ How we shuld fele Christes passion in our rebukes and dispisynges The .v. Chap FYftly we ought to fele the passion of Christ in our rebukes and reproues that is with most profoūd mekenes we shulde vtterly dispyse our selfe and thynke our selfe the warst of all other sayng euer in our hertes with mournynge I am gyltye of Christes deth for I am the cause of his deth He suffered for me and I in no thynge reanswere to his benefytes And therfore it is conuenient that we somwhat recompense with a contrite and meke spirite that whiche we can nat or do nat in our warkes or dedes outwarde that as Christe dyd meke hym selfe for vs vnto the deth yea to the most vyle and shamfull deth of the crosse so we shulde meke our selfe as gyltie and culpable for his deth These maner of wayes we shulde fele that Christe suffred for vs for these maner of wayes we were in hym Fyrste we were in his vnderstandyng eternally before the begynnynge of the worlde and so in his mynde that he wyll neuer forget vs. And therfore he sayth by his prophete Esaye Nunquid potest obliuisci mater infantem suum vt non misereatur filio vteri sui Et si illa oblita fuerit ego tamen non obliuiscar tui May a naturall mother sayth our lorde by the prophet forget her yonge chylde borne of her owne body and so forget hym that she wyl nat haue any pitie of hym as he myght say Nay And though it so be that she forget hym yet I assure the I wyl neuer forget the. Secondly we were in Christe nat onely in his vnderstandynge or mynde but also in his affection and loue And this appereth wel by his owne wordes spoken by the prophet Hieremy where as he sayth thus In charitate perpetua dilexi te ideo attraxi te miserans tui I haue sayth our lorde loued the in a perpetual charitie and therfore hauyng great compassion on the I haue drawen the to me Thyrdly we were in hym that is in theffecte of his werkes for all that god wrought in this worlde was to the helpe of man And what so euer Christe dyd or suffered in this world was nat for his owne profit but all was for the comforth of man And herunto saynt Barnarde after that he had recoūted or noumbred all the labours and paynes that Christe suffered in this lyfe sayde Who is he that knoweth whether the fruite and profyt of all these labours and paynes redounde or come to my profyt or nat And he answereth and sayth It is all done and gyuen to my profit and comforth For it coulde be gyuen to none other Nat to aungell for he had no nede therof Nat to the deuyll for he myght take no profit therof for he shall neuer ryse from dampnation Also our sauiour toke nat of hym the nature and similitude of aungell nor yet the similitude of the deuyl but he toke the nature of man and that to redeme man Fourthly we were in Christe that is in his pouertie and penurie for all the payne pouertie and miserie that he suffred was for vs. And herunto speaketh saynt Paule sayng Christus cum diues esset factus est
malycyous Iues. Alas we wretches what shall we do leauynge so gracyouse a father we forsake all our goodes and folowe the and nowe we perceyue for a suerty that we shal be pryued of thy presence and wante thy confortable wordes and dedes for we be assured nowe that the Pharyseys wyll sley the. O howe ofte suppose you dyd they looke backe towardes theyr moost mercyfull mayster seynge and beholdyng with bytter sorowe theyr lorde so cruelly ledde of the malicyouse Iues as we shall declare in the next article ¶ Here foloweth .vi. causes of the fleyng or departynge of Christes disciples OF these disciples the prophet speaketh in the person of our lorde sayenge Dispersa sunt omnia ossa mea All my boones are disperpled or deuyded that is all my apostles whiche as bonys in a mannes bodye shulde haue ben most stronge and yet they are fled and fallen And that for .vi. causes The fyrst cause was that the doctrine of Christe god and man was forgoten then of them and therfore the prophet Dauid sayth Factum est cor meum tanquam cera liquescens so medio ventris mei My herte is made as wax meltynge in the mydle of my body that is My doctrine is vanysshed throughe the heete and fyer of my passyon and that in the myddle of my bely that is in my apostles that be moost nyghe vnto me The seconde cause was the ceasynge of myracles Of the whiche also it folowethe in the forsayde .xxi. psalme Aruit tanquam testa virtus mea My vertue and power is as drye as a shell And that was bycause he suffred hym selfe to be taken and so put to most cruell and shamefull deathe and wolde nat helpe hym selfe and shewe his power as he had done dyuerse tymes before But nowe he wold nat so do therfore his power of in shewynge of myracles semed to be consumed and dryed by the heete and fyere of hys passyon and hereunto speakethe the prophet saynge Ibi abscondita est fortitudo eius There was hyd his power or strength that is in his crosse or passyon And note that the sayde not his power was lost but his strength was hyd in his passyon as we shall declare in the thyrde parte of this treatyse in the .iiii. fruyte The thyrde cause was the silence of Christe for at his passyon he wolde nat speke for hym selfe Therfore saith the prophet Adhesit lingua mea faucibus meis My tong cleuyd faste to my iawes or chekes for he wolde nat speake to his owne excuse and therfore the prophet Esay long before this tyme sayd of hym Quasi agnus coram tondente se obmutescet et non ape riet os suum He shal be as domme as a lambe whan he is shorne and he shall nat open his mouthe And this prophycie was verifyed in Christe as it is playnly wryten in the gospell Et non respondit eâ— ad vllum verbum ita vt miraretur preses Christe answered nat one worde vnto Pylate whiche meruayled moche therof The .iiii. cause was that they were in a maner sure of the deth of Christ but they were in a dispeyre or mistrust of his resurrectioÌ„ And therfore the ê“phet Dauid saith in y e person of Christ Et in puluerem mortis deduxisti me Thou hast brought me in to asshes or in to the dust of deth And this he spake after the opinyon of the Iues. As it appereth in an other psalme Estimatus sum cum descendentibus in lacum I am estemed and accompted by the Iues with them that descende in to the lake and pytte of eternall perdition and neuer to retourne agayne The .v. cause was the crueltie of the Iues and therfore the prophet saythe in the persone of Christe Circumdederunt me canes multi Many dogges haue compassed me that is the Iues barkynge and bytynge by detraction as dogges The .vi. cause was the congregation of euyll persones and therfore it foloweth in the psalme Consilium malignantium obfedit me The congregation and counsayle of euyll persones haue obsessed and beseaged me and that very obstinately and fro wardely vnto my deathe Of this compeigney and counsayle speaketh the prophet Dauid in an other psalme sayenge Astiterunt reges terre et principes conuenerunt in vnum aduersus dominum et aduersus Christum eius Rewlers of the worlde and princes ben cume to gyther in counsayle agaynste our lorde and agaynst his sonne Christe And for these causes the apostles flodde and forsoke our lorde Whereat wonderynge and meruaylynge the prophet Hieremy saythe Quomodo disper si sunt lapides fanctuarij Howe is this that the holy stoones ben disperpled that is the apostles of Christ whiche shulde haue ben as holy stones strong stable firme in the faith loue of Christe but they fled Percutiam pasto rem et dispergentur oues gregis I shall smyte or take the herdeman and the shepe of the flocke shal be disperpled abrode Here folowethe .ii. lessons THe fyrste lesson is that we shulde be well ware that we neuer flye from Christe He flyeth from Christe that for any feare of man or by the temptation of the deule or by any passyon or corrupte affection forsaketh the truthe or iustice for Christe is truth and also iustice And generally in euery mortal or deedly synne a man flieth from god The seconde lesson is this that thoughe these persones that seame to be our frendes or neyghbours and louers flye from vs in the tyme of our aduersytie and necessitye yet lette vs beare it patiently remembrynge that the apostles fled from our sauyour Christe in his aduersitie and trouble ¶ A prayer O Iesu that dyd suffre all thyne electe and chosen disciples to flye from the receyue thou me thy fugitiue seruaunt for thy greate vertue and omnipotent power And suffre me nat to wandre from the thorughe the libertie of my frowarde wiâ—â— Amen ¶ Of the leadynge of Christe The .viii. article THe .viii. article is of his leadynge For after that they had taken and bounde hym and after that his disciples fledde the Iues led Christ towardes the house of Annas As it is in the gospell of IohnÌ„ And this ledynge was moche laborouse and paynefull to Christe Also it was rebukefull and violent It was violent for he was led with a great cumpanye of armed men and theyr captayne with them It was also rebukefull to Christe for he was led with his handes bounde as a thefe or an euyll persone And so the Iues sayde to Pilate Yf this persone that is Christe were nat a malifactour or an euyll doer a myslyuer we wolde nat haue delyuered hym to thy handes and power This ledynge was also laborouse paynfull and sorowfull to hym And that bothe to the herte inwardely and also to the bodye outwardely Fyrste it was sorowfull inwardely For where euer herde you of any man that wolde nat be heuy in hert and
he was left in the handes custody of the vyle seruantes whiche dyd then exercyse and proue in hym all maner of tormentes and paynes that they coulde ymagyne Nowe drawynge hym by the heyre of the heed nowe smytyng hym on the face nowe spyttyng in his face and mouthe nowe pynchynge his chekes and so of other paynes as we sayd before and shall say more hereafter they vexed and greued our sauyour Christe both in soule and in body ¶ Of the Compassyon of oure Ladye BVt where art thou nowe O thou blessed virgyn Marie mother of Christ Doyst not thou knowe nowe what thynges be done aboute thy dearbeloued sonne Iesus Some do say that Iohan the Euangeliste leauynge Christ in the house of Cayphas ranne to Bethanie to the house of Marie Magdalen where as our lady remaned when Iesus went with his disciples to Hierusalem to make his supper and to eat the paschal lambe and whan Iohan was come to bethany he knocked and rapt vpon the dore and the blessed virgyn beynge in hyr prayers hearynge hym was greatly astonisshed and called vnto Magdalene and sayde Aryse my doughter and know what is become of my sonne Anon the dore was opened and Iohan came in cryenge wepynge and saynge Alas reuerent mother I brynge heuy tythynges to the and for sobbynge and wepynge he coulde scarsely speake then the vyrgyn with great heuynes also weapyng asked of Iohan where is my sonne where is my Iesus what is done with hym is he yet on lyue or the most cruell Iues hath slayne hym and Iohan as he myght speake sayd He is yet lyuynge but as I can perceyue they wyll this day put hym to death The ministers and the Iues toke hym this nyght and nowe they kepe hym faste bound in the house of Cayphas and those wicked scrybes and phariseys do say that he ought to be iudged to deathe O howe colde then was the vyrgins hert with howe moche sorowe was she then replete And then furth with she wente with Iohan hastely to Hierusalem and Magdalene with other diuers women went with her and whan she came in to the citye she saughte her sonne by the brode stretes and narrowe laynes askynge of them she met where is my dearbeloued sonne and so forthe as ye shal se in the next article and also in the .xliiii. and .lviii. articles ¶ A deuout Contemplacyon for a lesson FOr an holsom lesson in this article we shall set before you a breue contemplacyon of the most shamful mockinges and derisions that the Iues dyd vnto y e most innocent lambe our sauyour Iesus O my deuoute soule awayke ryse and depely consider howe thy sauyour Iesus whiche is the soueraigne lorde glorye of angelles is nowe made the mockynge stocke of the Iues and as it were a tenyse ball of derysyon wherwith the preestes and the scribes and phariseys done play togyther castynge and sendynge hym from one to an other to his greate rebuke and heuynes As Annas sent hym to Cayphas Cayphas to Pylate Pylate to Herode and Herode to Pylate agayne And in all these places and in goynge also thyther he suffred many dispytes and greuous paynes as we sayde before and shall say more herafter Of this the prophete Dauid speaketh in the persone of Christe sayenge Omnes videntes me deriserunt me All that se meâ— dyd mocke me and that .iii. maner of wayes with-false wordes with signes and with scornefull sentences Of the fyrste the prophet sayth Lo cuti sunt labiis They haue spoken with theyr lyppes withoute good consideracyon or aduysement Nowe false thynges imputynge to me and somtyme makynge false promyses to me For the firste they sayd Alios saluos fecit seipsum non potest sa luum fa cereâ— He made other safe but he can not saue hym selfe Here they imputed a false thynge to hym that he coulde not saue hym selfe and that is false Also they made to hym a false promisse whan they sayd Si rex Israel est descendaâ— hunc de cruâ—â— et credimus ei If Christe be the kynge of Israell let hym discende nowe come downe from the crosse and we wyll beleue to hym There was a false promisse for they thought not as they sayd The second derisyon was with signes And of this also speaketh Dauid Et mouerunt capita sua They dyd moue and shake theyr heedes at hym And so saith Mathewe Preteâ—euntâ—â— autem blasphemabat eum mouentes capita sua c. They that passed by the mount of Caluarie where as Christe was crucifyed dyd blaspheme hym mouynge theyr heedes and sayenge Hoy This is he that wyl distroy the temple of god and in .iii. dayes buyld it agayne The thyrde derisyon was with scornefull and mockynge or ironyous sentences And of this it foloweth in Dauid Sperauit in domino eripiat eum c. He trusted in god the father let hym nowe delyuer hym from our handes let hym saue Christe by reysyng hym agayne For as Christ saith â–ª His father loueth hym wyll saue hym On this maner the Iues sayd Confidit in deum liberet nunc eum si vult dixit enim filius dei ego sum â–ª Christ trusteth in to god the father let hym delyuer hym nowe if he may and wyll for he said that he was the sonne of god Thus they mocked hym also they couered his face and smote hym with other thynges as we sayd before Also of these thynges the prophet Dauid speketh in an other psalme in the persone of Christe Confortati sunt qui persecuti sunt me inimici mei iniuste c. My enemyes that haue persecuted me wrongfully haue nowe the hygher hande and dominyon ouerme and therfore I nowe paye and suffer paynes for that thynge whiche I had not Adam and Eue dyd eate the apple but nowe I paye for it and suffer payne for theyr synne And that a man might conforme hym self to this article let hym remember what irrisyon and shame Christe suffred in this acte and howe the Iues made hym theyr laughynge and mockynge stocke and as it were a chylderne game at hym and then praye as foloweth or in any lyke maner ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche with scornefull mockes of the Iues was smyten vpon the heed and bydden to arede and prophycye who smote the I beseche the good Iesu prophicye and shewe to me that I myght knowe what a wreche and synner I am whiche so ofte alas for sorowe haue smytten the with the hand of myne euyll and synfull dedes Amen ¶ Howe Christe was presented before Pylate The xxi article THe .xxi. article is the presentacyon of Christe before Pylate For what tyme it was clere day that is the fyrste houre of the day at .vi. of the clocke at the sonne rysyng A greate multitude of Iues came to Cayphas house and from thens they ledde Iesus bounde vnto the mote halle or iudgement house as a mylde lambe that is borne to his deth O
quia potestatem habeo crucifigere te c Why wylt not thou speake to me dost thou not knowe y t I haue power to crucifye the or to dimisse and delyuer the In these wordes Pylate coÌ„dempneth hym selfe And therfore Chrisostom sayth O Pylate in this worde thou condempnest thy selfe If thou haue this power wherfore then dost not thou delyuer hym thou knowyng and so oftymes openly sayng that he is innocent If thou reioyse or bost thy selfe of thy power that thou haste to kyll Christe or to delyuer hym may not Christ then laufully say vnto the De ore tuo te iudico serue nequam I iudge the by thyne owne wordes thou wycked seruant and then Iesus to reproue the bostynge and pryde of Pylate sayd Non haberes aduersuÌ„ me potestatem vllam nisi datum tibi esset de super Thou shulde haue no power ouer me except it were gyuen to y e from aboue or from an hygher power Fyrste from god of whome is all power as saynt Paule sayth And secondly from the emperour which at that tyme had the dominion ouer the Iues. And in these wordes Christ reproueth couertly or secretly the synne of Pylate for nother god nor yet the emperour had ordred Pylate there a iudge to condempne or punisshe the innocentes but rather to defende and delyuer them And notwithstandyng the synne of Pylate was great yet it was not so greuous as the synne of the Iues or of Iudas And this our lord sheweth in the wordes folowyng Propteria qui tradidit me tibi maius peccatum habet Therfore he that dyd betray or delyuer me vnto the his synne is the more great and greuous and that well apereth for Iudas dyd synne moued of a couityse mynde the Iues synned moued of malyce and enuy but Pylate onely for feare of the emperour fauour of y e Iues. It is more greuous offeÌ„ce to sinne of a couetyse mind and of rancor and enuy than onely of feare for feare accusethe the synne in a parte though not in the hole and here Pylate consideryng that he was reasonably in a maner conuicte of synne in this cause for he as a wytty person perceyuynge that he shuld be noted of synne if he shulde condempne the innocent therfore he sought oportunitie and occasion to dimisse and lette hym go as he dyd before in sendyng Christ to Herode and also in sayng that he founde no cause of deth in hym But the Iues anone perceyuyng the mynde of Pylate returned to theyr first accusacyon and cryed saynge Si hunc dimittis non es amicus cesaris If thou dimisse this man thou art not true to the emperour c. as in the next article shal apere And here note that there ware about lxxx M. people that cryed Crucifige crucifige Of the whiche Peter conuerted in one day .iii. M. shortly after .v. M. vnto y e fayth ¶ Here folowe .ii. Lessons IN this article we may take first this lesson it is no difference or diuersitie to speake of the intente of synne whether thou kyll a man with thy tongue or with thy swerde for thy intent in both these .ii. is to kyll hym And therfore the profyte Dauid sayth Lingua eorum gladius acu tus Theyr tongue is a sharpe swerde and this was spoken of the Iues that dyd cry Crucifige crucifige And of this text saint Austen sayth Loke not vnto the vnarmed handes of the Iues but to theyr armed mouth for frome thens came y t sharpe swerde that slewe Christ Therfore lette all bacbyters and sclaunderers of theyr neyghbours beware that they do not make theyr tonges sharpe as a swerde for as a swerde kylleth the body so the sclauÌ„derer tongue sleyeth the fame and good name of a man And herto sayth Salomon Mors et vita in manibus lingue Deth lyfe be in the handes or power of the tongue The seconde lessone is that we shuld not alwayes answere to euery question for here in this passyon of Christe we rede that thryes he kepte his scilence Fyrst before the bisshop and that was to teache vs pacyence agaynst contumelyes and rebukes Secondly before Herode and that was agaynst curiouse questyons to teache vs for to serch for true and necessarie thynges and not for vayne curious thynges Thyrdly before Pylate agaynste vayne laude or prayse to teache vs to folowe the true laude of god and to auoyd all vayne praysynges And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shulde remember howe terrible ware those cryenges of the Iues. And remeÌ„ber also if he at any tyme hath cryed agaynst his neyghbour by consent vnto the wicked iudgementes of men or to theyr detraccyons sclaunders spoken agaynst theyr neyghbour And then pray as foloweth or in lyke maner ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me was not afrayd to here the terrible and fearfull voyces of the Iues cryenge Crucifige crucifige That is crucifye hym crucifye hym graunt to me that I be not afrayd of the cursed and malicyous wordê of myne enemyes and that I neuer hurt my neyghbour with my speche Amen ¶ Howe Christe was brought vnto his iudgement The .xli. article THe .xli. article is the bryngynge of Christe before the iudge for when the Iues dyd perceyue y t Pylate wold haue delyuered Christe they returned to theyr fyrste accusacyon and cryenge sayd Si hunc dimittis non es amicus cesaris If thou delyuer this person thou art not the frend of the emperoure nor true to hym for who so euer maketh hym selfe a kyng he is a traytour to the emperour This they spake to make Pylate afrayde and here sayth Symon de Cassia that the Iues serched all the false craftes and deuyses that they could ymagyne and all to put Christe vnto the deth And then Pylate hearynge these wordes beganne to be more afrayd for he myght not contempne the emperour that gaue hym his power and auctoritie as sayth saiÌ„t Austen And therfore he brought Iesus forth and sat downe to gyue sentence openly and this he dyd that the sentence of Christes dâ—th shuld not be imputed to hym but to the Iues. And when Pylate sat downe to gyue sentence it was the syxte houre of the day that is .xii. of the clocke And then his wyfe sent to hym saynge Nihil tibi et iusto illi Mel not thou with the deth of that rightuous man this night I haue suffred many thinges in my slepe about hym for as the glose saith there the deuyl perceyuynge that he shuld lese his kyngdom power by the deth of Christ was sory that he made Christ to be taken and therfore he shewed certen visions to Pylates wyfe that by her the death of Christ shulde be letted as in the begynnynge he brought deth in to the worlde by a woman Then Pylate commaunded that Iesus shulde be presented before hym where as he sat in iudgement and then he sayd
to the Iues Ecce rex vester Behold your kynge before he sayd Beholde a man therby shewynge howe shamefullye and miserably Christ was arayed and that Pylate spake to moue the Iues to compassion And nowe to moue them agayne he sayd scornfully mockynge them behold your kynge as if he shulde saye ye awght to be ashamed that any wyse man shuld perceyue that ye be afrayd that this simple person so vylely abiecte and despised shuld be your kynge but the Iues in nothynge ashamed nor yet moued to pitie cryed Tolle tolle crucifige eum Away with hym hens with hym take hym frome our syght it is deth for vs to loke vpon hym away with hym crucify hym And note here that they dyd crye thrice Crucify hym and in the remembraunce therof we say thryce Agnus dei in the masse Then Pylate scornfully sayd to them Regem vestrum cru cifigam Shall I crucifye your kynge wyllynge therby to rebuke them and make theym ashamed to speake any more therof whom he coulde not moue by the despysynges of Christe but the Iues past all shame answered saynge Non habemus regem nisi cesarem We haue no kyng but the emperour And herby ye may se howe moche the vnkynde Iues desyred the deth of Christe for they to procure his deth wylfully submitted them selfe vnder the subieccyon of the Romaynes the whiche before that tyme they wolde neuer gladly do but rather they were alwayes in a mynde and purpose to rebelle agaynste the emperour for to haue theyr libertye And here note that this article was more greuous to Christe then any of the other before for here he was broughte to his iudgement and his accusars moste cruelly dyd crye away with hym hange hym vpon the gallowes c. where as all the other were done and spoken the iudge not syttynge in iudgemente And then Pylate seynge that that he myght in no thyng profyte to the delyueraunce of Chrste called for water c. as shall appere in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne howe to iudge oure selfe in our owne soule and conscience as Christe was iudged for vs that therby we myghte auoyde the strayte iudgemente of god For as saynte Paule saythe If we here iudge our selfe we shall not be Iudged ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe the sonne of the lyuynge god whiche in the syxte houre of the day wold for me most wretched sinner be presented before the iudge syttyng in iudgement graunt to me so to iudge my selfe in my selfe of all my synnes by the testymonie or witnes of myne owne conscience and also pacyentlye to suffer thy iudgemente in all aduersities that I may in suerty appere in thy laste and terrible iudgement Amen ¶ Howe Christe was condempned The .xlii. article THe .xlii. article is the condempnacyon of Christ by the sentence of the iudge for Pylate seynge that he in nothyng profyted for the delyuerance of Christ but that more busines was made for as the glose sayth The Iues reputed to Pylate treason and rebellion agaynst the emperour he was anone ouercome by feare aÌ„d swerued from the way of treuth and iustice But fyrst he toke water and wasshed hys handes sayng Innocens ego sum a sanguine iusti huius vos videritis I am innocent of the blode and deth of this iust person Pylate toke water and wasshed his handes accordyng to the sayeng of the ê“phet Lauabo inter innocentes manus meas I shal wassh my handes among the innocentes but he sayd to the Iues Vos videritis Loke you to your parte coÌ„sider what shal be your syn I am the minister of the lawe take good hede whom ye offer to me to be slayne for I must gyue sentence after your sayngê and not after my knoledge and mynde and therfore this synne shal be imputed to you and not to me And then all the people of the Iues answered and sayd Sanguis eiê° super nos et super filios nostros His blode fall vpon vs vpon our childern This sayng for the wordes is very good most ê“fitable to man saluacyon for it is greatly to be desired that the blode of Christ fal vpon vs to wassh vs from all fylth of synne accordyng to the sayng of saynt Iohan Dilexit nos et lauit nos a peccatis nostris in sanguine suo Christe hath loued vs wasshed vs frome our synnes in his blode But the Iues spake these wordes with an other intent for they desyred y t the vengeance of his blode and deth shulde fall vpon them and vpon theyr children and so it doth vnto this day y t is almost xv huÌ„dreth yeres so shal coÌ„tinue as saint Hierom saith nygh vnto the ende of the worlde And so pylate thought he had sayd before and declared Christ to be innocent and so to be delyuered yet nowe wyllyng to please the Iues and sacysfye theyr cryengê and fulfyll theyr wyl dyd y t thyng which was not plesyng to god and accordynge to iustyce Also fearynge that he shulde haue bene accused of treason agaynst the emperour Also supposynge no great peryll or daunger though he condempned to deth this pore innocent person specyally considerynge that no man spake or intreated for hym al this considered I say Pylate gaue sentence and iudged Christe for that he wolde haue ben a kyng contrarie to the precepte of the emperour to be hanged vpon y e crosse or crucifyed and this sentence was agaynst all iustyce and also agaynste his owne knowledge for he knewe Christe to be innocent in this cause and all other And thus he gaue most cruel sentence agaynste the innocent in whome was no cause of deth And so by his iudgement and power of the emperoure he betoke Iesus vnto the Iues that he shulde be crucifyed And note here that the euangelist sayth not Vt crucifigereÌ„t euÌ„ sed vt crucifigeretur That the Iues shulde crucifye Christe but that he shulde be crucified by the auctoritie of the iudge but he sayth that Pylate betoke Iesus vnto the Iues to shewe that they were the cause of his deth though they wolde not haue had it so taken for Pylate wold not haue gyuen this sentence but onely for that he se that he coulde none otherwyse please and content the Iues. But what was the forme and the wordes of the sentence it is not shewed in the gospelles but in the euangely of Nichodeme it is writen howe that Pylate gaue sentence in these wordes folowyng Gens tua comprobauit te regem propterea precipio te primum flagellari secundum principum statuta deinde 〈◊〉 cruce leuari Thy people haue affermed the to be a kynge therfore I commaunde the first to be scourged accordyngly to the ordynauÌ„ces and statutes of the princes of Rome and after that to be hanged vpon the crosse Beholde here howe the moste innocente lambe Christe dyd chose to be dampned for
the with an vniuste and false sentence to delyuer the frome the iudgement of iustyce and payne of eternall dampnacyon he payed for that he neuer had he suffred payne for oure synne And here remember what lamentacyon his frendes then made when they herde this horrible and moste vntrue sentence gyuen agaynste Christe And in the remembraunce of that sentence and deth of Christe whiche in scripture is called Alpha and Oo the begynnynge and the endynge and bycause that Christe was that daye taken frome vs by his death Therfore the churche euery yere in that day vseth to omitte and leaue the begynnynge and endynge of the houres of the seruyce After this condempnacyon the saugiours toke oure sauyoure Iesus c. as in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson BY this article we may lerne to be ware that we neuer worthely deserue the iust sentence of deth nother of the soule nor of the bodye And also as Christe suffred for vs a false and a wicked sentence to be gyuen agaynst hym by a frayle man so in lyke maner we shulde not feare the wicked iudgementes of men gyuen or spoken agaynst vs but pacyeÌ„tly suffer them for the loue of god And herunto sayth saynt Poule Mihi autem pro minimo est vt a vobis iudicer aut ab humano die I do lytyll regarde to be iudged of you or of any mannes day ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde pacyently and innocently suffer the vniust sentence of deth and that of the most shamefull deth of the crosse graunt to me that I neuer deserue the iust sentence of deth in soul or in bodye and that for thy loue I feare not the wicked iudgementes of men and also that I neuer iudge any persone wrongfullye Amen ¶ Howe Christe bare his crosse The .xliii. article THe .xliii. article is the bearynge of his crosse for after that Pylate had gyuen senteÌ„ce of deth agaynst the innocent Christ Iesus then the saugiours toke hym and pulled of the purpull or scarlet robe and put on hym his owne garmentes And here saythe Symon de Cassia When Christe shulde be crucifyed then the saugiours toke from hym that garment wherin they had derided and mocked hym and nowe they beganne not mockyngly or in sporte but in verye dede to put hym to the payne and deth of the crosse and therfore they put vpon hym his owne garmentes that therby he myght be the more knowen and so goynge to his deth in his owne clothes it shulde be the more to his confusyon and shame And at this tyme without any doubte Christe suffred a newe payne and that was moste greuous for that olde purpull robe was harde baken and cleued faste to his backe in the wouÌ„des whiche he suffred before at his scourgynge and therfore this robe myght not be pulled of his backe but to his most greuous payne for they rent and pulled the flesshe frome his bodye with that cote and so put Christ to a newe intollerable payne agayn Then they byndynge his handes and necke with a rope therby shewed that he was coÌ„dempned vnto the deth and so drewe hym out of his propre citie as a misdoer and they layde the great heuy and grosse tree of the crosse vpon his moste soore and tender sholders that he shulde beare it vnto the place where as he shuld be crucifyed And for asmoche as that tree was reputed and thought of the Iues to be a prophane and vnclene thynge and also that deth of the crosse shamefull for the scripture sayth Ma ledictus omnis qui pendit in ligno He is a cursed that is hanged vpon a tree therfore no man durst beare that tree not yet touche it And for this cause they leyde it vpon Christe that he dampned shulde beare his owne crosse This was a great ioye and sporre to the wicked men but it was a great misterie to vs christians And therfore saynt Barnarde sayth O here is spectacle or thynge done that was neuer sene before neuer herde nor done before that a thefe or a malefactour shulde be compelled to beare the gallowes or tree wherupon he shulde be hanged but onelye now in Christ And here sayth saynt Austen The mylde lambe Iesus taketh and beareth his owne crosse vpon his sholders goynge with great payne and sorowe vnto the place of his passyon and herin was fulfylled the saynge of the prophet Factus est ptin cipatus super humeum eius His dignitie and power is made vpon his shoulder his crosse is his dignitie and power wherby he dyd ouercome the power of the deule and for his obedience vnto the deth god dyd exalte hym as saynte Poule sayth And as greate men beare diuers thynges in token of theyr diuers dignities As kynges a crowne bisshoppes a myter other men a gartar c. so Christe in the remembraunce of his dignitie bare the crosse and so thou serchynge shal not fynde or perceyue that Iesus reigneth in any person but by payne herdnes and therfore these delicates carnall persons whiche wyl suffer no payne but folowe all pleasure ben the enemyes of the crosse of Christe as saiÌ„t Austen saith In this acte was fulfylled y e figure of Isaac whiche bare the stickes wherwith he shulde haue bene offered to god in sacrifice Also this acte was figured in the wydowe of Sareptha that gatherd .ii. stickes Also our sauyour Christe is signifyed by that clustre of grapes that was borne vpon a tre bytwixte ii men for Christe was hanged vpon a tre bytwixt two theuys Also this Christe is signifyed by Helyseus whiche kut downe a tre and went with it to searche for the yren whiche was fallen in to the watre and at that searchynge the yren swame aboue the water where as the tree was so our sauiour Christe saught for man kynde whiche was fallen in to the deape water of troubles and drowned synne and in hell but by the tree of the crosse of Christe it swame vp agayne and so was recouered agayne Of this article saynt Anselme sayth O my soule behold and se howe thy lorde god is in al thynges here despised and compelled to bowe his backe vnder the heuye burden of the crosse and so to beare his owne confusion and shame O merueylouse spectacle to beholde doste thou not se hym beholde his dignitie and power is shewed vpon his sholder this is the rodde or tree of equitie the tree of his kyngdome and power And thus when Iesus had gone a lytyll forth bearynge his heuy crosse he was so feynt wery partly for feblenes and tendernes of his bodye and partly for the great afflicacyon and payne that he had suffred all the same day and nyght before that he was fayne to go softly and also to lay downe the crosse from hym or els as some sayth he fel downe vnder the crosse there to reâ—t hym and ease hym self But those moste cruell tormentours
not wyllynge to differ hys deth and also fearynge lesse that Pylate shulde reuoke his sentence bycause he shewed hym selfe to haue a good wyll to delyuer Christ from deth therfore they constrayned a straunge man that passed by them called Symon Cireneus to beare the crosse after Iesus Not moued as the glose sayth of any pitye or mercye towardes Christ but that he myght the soner come to his death And also that it myght appere that Iesus was not god seynge that he was so feble weyke a man that he was not able to beare that crosse as sayth saynt Austen And this Symon was not a Iue or of the chylderne of Israell but a pylgryme a straunger of the Sirenys that is a cytye in the countrie of Libia And in this man was veryfyed the saynge of the prophet Dauid Popu lus queÌ„ non cognoui seruiuit mihi The people that I haue not knowen hath done seruice to me And though the iues put this labour that is to beare the crosse after Iesus vnto this Symon as to a vyle person despysed amongê them yet it was not done without great misterie for as the glose sayth Beholde and note here that no Iue or Ebrewe but a straunger a gentyle is subdued to the obprobry and crosse of Christe to shewe that the plentuousnes of grace of the sacramentes or misteries of the lawe shulde departe from the Iues vnto the gentyles Symon is as moche to say by interpretation as obedient and Cireneus is interpreted here 's that is an heyre And therfore by this man may be well noted all good christians conuerted frome the erroure of gentilitie vnto Christe whiche somtyme ware as pylgryms or straungers vnto the lawe and preceptes of god but by theyr faith and obedyence vnto the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god they were made of the housholde of god and his heyres and also coenheritours with Christe And thus bearynge his crosse they brought hym to Golgotha c. as in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson IN this article we christians maye lerne to beare the crosse after Iesus for as the glose sayth Firste Christe beareth the crosse for he suffred first afterwarde it was put to Symon Cireneus to beare it after Christ for we ought to folowe the steppes of Christ for Symon dyd folowe we and not go before Christ And herunto our lord sayth in the gospell Si quis vult venire post me tollat crucem suam quotidie et sequatur me If any man wyll come after me lette hym take his owne crosse dayly and folowe me And here be noted thre thynges necessary for hym that wyl folowe Christ Fyrst that he beare it voluntarylye and not compelled agaynst his wyll and therfore he sayth If any man wyll come after me notynge therby that it muste be of his owne wyll Seconde that he beare his owne propre crosse and therfore he sayth let hym take his owne crosse Thyrde that it be done for the glorie of god and not for vayne glorie and therfore he sayth and folowe me do it to my honour and for my loue And by this crosse here is noted the purpose of godly and vertuouse lyfe so that the hole lyfe of a christiane whiche lyueth after the gospell of Christ may be called a crosse and a martirdome And this crosse is to be dayly borne after Christe and for the loue of Christe Fyrste in our hert by remeÌ„braunce and compassion In our mouth by ofte and deuoute thankes And in our bodie by discreate chastysyng and subduynge of the same that so we myght reanswere gyue thankes vnto our sauiour in hert worde and dede Herby ye may se that loue without this crosse nor yet this crosse without loue may deserue any laude or prayse in thought worde nor dede But that crosse is hyghely to be praysed whiche is ioyned with loue whiche loue also the same crosse doth brynge in In this state was saynt Paule whiche sayd of hymselfe Christo con fixus sum cruci I am fastened to the crosse for the loue of Christ In this crosse fyrst our flesshe or body is fastened with the nayles of feare and hexunto the prophet Dauid sayth CoÌ„fige timore tuâ—o carnes meas Fasten or nayle faste my flesshe with thy feare Secondly our spirite muste be fastened with the nayles of loue And thyrdly our outwarde senses with the nayles of disciplyne and rigour or payne And herunto the wyse man sayth Verba sapien cium quasi stimuli et quasi claui in altum confixi The wordes of wyse men be as pryckes or broddes and as nayles fastened in the profunditie of our senses Fourthly our handes must be nayled with the nayles of laboure And therfore the wyse man sayth Quodcunque potest manus tua instanter operare Werke diligently what so euer good thy handes may werke Herby it doth clerely appere that that person sheweth hym selfe manifestly to haue no true loue whiche wyll not prepare and gyue hym selfe to harde and paynfull thynges for his louer O howe gladlye ought the christians to take and beare his crosse syth he is taught and moued therunto by nature and also by crafte Naturally the byrdes when they flye in the ayre they vse the signe of the crosse for theyr hed and theyr tayle and theyr winges abrode make a crosse and so in theyr flyenge they take theyr crosse In lyke maner a man swymmynge takes his crosse The shyppe goyng vpon the see maketh the signe of the crosse Also a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld remeÌ„ber with how great charitie Christ bare his crosse for vs and of what heuynes it was to hym seynge that all the synnes of the worlde was put vpon his crosse whiche all this swete and mylde lambe whome he went to be offered dyd beare vpon his shoulders Also a man may ymagyne in hym selfe as if he bare the crosse of Christe with hym as Symon Cireneus dyd and so pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me a wretche wolde beare thy heuy crosse vpon thyne owne shulders make me wilfully and gladlye to take the crosse of penance and streyter lyfe and to beare it daylye after the and for thy loue Amen ¶ Howe Christ was led vnto Golgoltha that is the mount of Caluarie The .xliiii. article THe .xliiii. article is the ledynge of Christe vnto Golgotha there to be crucifyed for after that they had layde the crosse vpon Christes shulders and there tyed it fast As saynt Iohan sayth Eduxerunt eum They led hym out of the citie Fyrste to fulfyll the fygures of the lawe For it was commaunded in the lawe that the calfe and the gote whiche were oâ—red in the moste solempne sacrifice for the expiation and purifyeng of the people that they shulde be buryed without the castelles or the habitacyons of men So Christe whiche is the sacrifice for the expiation and redeÌ„ption of all man kynde shulde suffer deth
teares for he wepte Thyrde he offred his prayers for them with great sheddynge of teares and also a myghtye or great voyce or crye Of this prayer saynt Bernarde sayth Christ scourged with whippes crowned with thornes crucifyed and nayled with greate grosse nayles fylled with rebukes forgettynge all these sorowes sayde Father forgyue them Frome this charitable lorde cometh great mercy to our bodyes and moche more to our soules O good Iesu howe moche is thy mercye stablysshed vpon wicked men And howe greate is the multitude of the swetenes of thy mercy for thou shalte make vs that feruently desire the to drinke of the plentuous ryuer of thy swetenes and pleasure Also the same saynte Bernarde sayth who and of what kynde is that person which in all his tribulations and tormentes wolde not ones open hys mouthe to compleyne or to excuse hym selfe to threat or to curse his cruell aduersaryes and aboue all this at last he opened hys mouthe and spake for his enemyes a blessed worde suche a word as hathe not ben harde frome the begynnynge of the worlde that is Father forgyue them O my soule haste thou euer sene any man so myld so pacyent so charytable Consider what quietnes pacyence and charitie was hyd in that most swete brest and hart he wolde not shewe his iniuries he regarded not his paynes he wolde not speake of his rebukes but he had compassyon of theym of whome he suffred these thynges he cured theym that wounded hym he procured life for them that slewe hym and said Father forgyue them O my soule hyde or put vp this most swete worde of Christ in the treasor of thy hert that as oâ—te as thy enemyes be cruell agaynst the thou mayst remembre the abundance of this swetenes of blessed Iesu and so to lay or put this worde and prayer of Iesu as a shelde for thy defence agaynst the assaultes of thyne enemyes thy spouse and lorde Iesus doth praye for his crucifyers shalt not thou pray for thy detractours let vs yet repete this prayer father sayth Iesus forgyue them what name is this father It is a name of naturall loue Chylderne when they wolde haue any thynge or greatly desyre a thyng they be wont to name theyr father to reduce vnto his mynde the naturall loue that fathers haue vnto theyr chylderne that therby they myght the more shortly haue theyr desyre So our sauyour Iesus pitious and mercifull pacyence and of moche compassion good and louynge to all persons though he knewe that he was euer harde in his peticyons to his father yet to shewe vnto vs with howe great affeccyon and desyre we shulde pray for our enemyes in his prayer he put that name of loue Father as if he shulde say I beseche the for thy fatherly loue in whiche loue we be one to here my prayer and to forgyue them that crucifye me Knowe the loue of thy sonne that thou mayst forgyue myne enemyes Also saynt Hierome sayth Al these illusyons and scornes or mockynges ware done to Christe by the mocyon of the deules whiche an one as Christ was crucifyed they beganne to perceyue and feele the vertue of the crosse and so thought that they shulde lese theyr greate power and therfore they laboured instantelye that Christe shulde descende downe from the crosse But Iesus knowynge theyr falshed and crafte wolde continue vpon the crosse vnto his death that therby he myghte destroye death and subdue the deuyll O moste gentyll Iesu howe greate was here thy pacyence ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne that when we be in depe contemplation in good operation or els in religion we shuld not descende or leaue them for any rebukynges mockynges or scornynges of any persons but continue and pacyently beare suche despysynges for the loue of Christe as Christ for our loue dyd pacyently beare all the forsayd rebukes and for our example wolde not descende from the crosse but there continued vnto his deth and this was figured in the boke of iudges where as the vyne tre sayd vnto the other trees that wolde haue had the vyne to come to them and to haue ben theyr kynge Nunquid possum de serere vinum meum quod letificat deum et homines c. It is conuenient for me to forsake my wyne that conforteth both god men and come to you to be your kynge Nay I wyll not In lyke maner sayd the olyue tree and the figge tree So our very true vyne tree that sayth Ego sum vitis vera I am a true vyne tree wold not leaue the fruyte of his passion that gladdeth both god angel and man and come of the crosse to be promoted amongê y e Iues. ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me crucifyed wolde be mocked and despysed with many rebukefull wordes and yet wolde so charitably pray for thy crucifiers make me that I neuer descend from my religyon or any good werke for no suggestion of the deuyll or despysynges of man but that I may continually perseuer in thy loue and that I may for thy loue forgyue all them that do or saye any euyll to me or agaynste me and that I maye euermore praye hertely for them Amen ¶ Howe the thefe of the lefte hande rebuked Christe The .lvii. article THe .lvii. article is the rebukynge that the thefe spake to Christe for one of the theues that were hanged with Christ that is he on the left syde of Christ began to rebuke Christ sayng Si tu es xpÌ„s salua temetipsum et nos If thou be Christe the sonne of god saue thy selfe and also vs. This was the .viii. mockynge of the whiche we spake in the last article and this was more rebuke to Christe than the other thre declared in the laste article bycause so vyle a persone wretched and condempned to deth and furthwith shulde suffer deth for his owne synnes and myslyuynge wold thus so shamefully rebuke the auctor of lyfe And therfore this rebuke is coÌ„ueniently made a special article But the other thefe hering hym speake so loudly dyd sharply blame hym saynge Neque tu times deum qui in eadem dampnatione es c. Dost not thou feare god that arte condempned to deth as well as he is and we be worthely and iustlye condempned to deth for we suffer worthy paines for our sinnes but he neuer dyd euyll Of this saynge saynt Austen merueylynge sayth who taught this thefe to say thus but he the sonne of god that hange by hym Christe was hanged nyghe to this thefe but he was more nyghe in his herte and therfore he turned hym selfe to Iesus and sayd Memento mei domine dum veneris in regnum tuum Remember me lorde when thou shalte come in to thy kyngdome and then Iesus spake his seconde worde vpon the crosse sayng Amen dico tibi Hodie mecum eris in paradiso Trulye I saye to the this daye thou shalte be with me in
pricked or hurte the parte inwarde doth fele the payne aswel as the outwarde parte And so when Iesus the sonne of the vyrgyn was scourged and pricked with thornes the herce of the glorious virgyn was in a maner also payned and pricked and so in lyke maner when her sonne Iesus was crucifyed and his herte persed with a spere it seamed to her as if her awne herte hadde ben persed with the same spere And therfore god wroughte no small miracle in that that the gloryous virgyn hys mother woūded inwardlye in her soule with so many greuous and greate sorowes dyd not yelde vp her spiryte and dye and specyallye when she se her moste dearebeloued sonne hangynge bytwixte two theues naked wounded scorned of all men crucyfyed and deade and then his herte persed with a speare It was I saye a greate miracle that she lyued For the wyfe of Phinees the sonne of Hely the Iudge of Israel hearynge that the arke of god was taken she beynge greate with chylde sodaynlye felle to traueyllynge and for the greate and vehement sorowe the whiche that she hadde for the takynge of the arche of god she chylded and dyed and yet her sorowes and greate paynes ware no thynge so vehement and so greate as the sorowes of the blessed virgyne Mary nor ware to be compared to the sorowes of the mother of Iesu whiche dyd se the bodye of her sonne signifyed by that arche crucifyed by hys enemyes and so put to the moste shamefull death whiche vyrgyne also the same nyght after that her sonne was buryed goynge thorowe the cytye of Hierusalem weapte so bitterlye and pitiouslye that all bothe men and women that se and herde her ware prouoked to sorowe and mournynge Also that moste encreased her sorowes that she dydde se hym at his deathe so bette wounded in greate thyrste or drynesse and coulde not helpe hym and namelye so cruellye racked vpon the crosse there nayled and after his deth his herte persed with a speare These ware her sorowes and aboue thyese she was compelled to entre in to an other mannes house and there to continue in sorowe and mournynge And so the mother of god the quene of heuen and the ladye of all the worlde was susteyned with the almes and charitye of other men But why wolde oure lorde suffer her to haue all these tribulacyons bycause he intended to exalte her after her deathe aboue all creatures in glorye whiche excellente singular and vnestimable gyfte he wolde not gyue to her for the merites of any other persone for the rewarde of glorye shal be gyuen after a mannes awne merytes and deseruynges and not for any other mannes merytes And therfore he wolde haue hys blessed mother subdued to harde lobours paygnes and sorowes in her selfe in the moste hyghe pouertye in extreme vilytye and despection in the moste profounde mekenesse moste pure chastytye moste perfyte charitye and in other lyke vertues and paynes and specyally in sufferynge of paynes and sorowes that she myghte go by the same waye that her dearebeloued sonne Iesus dyd ¶ A Lesson OF this article we maye lerne to haue compassion of the afflyccyon of our parentes and to prouyde for them in theyr necessityes accordynglye to the commaundement of god honor thy father and thy mother and thys oure swete sauyoure Chryst taughte vs by his example And herunto saynte Austen sayth The tree of the crosse vpon the whiche the mēbres of Christ ware nayled at his deathe this tree I saye was also a chayre wherin our doctoure and mayster Chryste 〈◊〉 and taughte vs. And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shulde haue compassyon of the mother of Christe or as I maye saye of his owne dearbeloued lady and mother our blessed lady Marie as Christ hadde compassyon on her and then praye thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me crucifyed hauynge compassyon of thy mothers sorowe and compassyon wolde diligentlye commende her to thy dearbeloued disciple Iohan and also commende hym to her I commende me vnto the and also all myne in that faythe and loue that thou commendeste them togyther meakelye besechynge the that for the tendernes of so great loue thou woldest make me to come truelye and perfytely to thy loue and thoroughe theyr prayer and commendacyon I maye be preserued and kepte frome all aduersytye and peryll in the perylles and daungers of this worlde and lyfe Amen ¶ Howe the manhode of Chryste compleyned hym selfe to be forsaken of god The .lix. article THe .lix. article is when Chryste sayde hym selfe to be lefte and also forsaken of god As the euangeliste saythe frome the syxte houre of the daye vnto the neynth houre that is frome .xii. of the clocke vnto thre at after none there was a greate derkenes ouer all the erthe For the sonne was in an vniuersall eclypse whiche was agaynste the naturall disposycyon and order of the sonne for that tyme and therfore it was done by miracle and by the onelye power of god And hereunto saynte Austen saythe for as moche as the innocente lambe Chryste the true sonne of Iustyce dyd suffer the eclypse of deathe therfore thys visible sonne the moste clere lyghte of all the worlde hauynge compassyon of his creatoure and maker withdrewe the beames of his lyght and hyd hym selfe as thoughe he durst not or wolde not beholde his maker hyngynge vpon the crosse nor se his most vyle and bytter death And then about the .ix. houre of the day our sauyour Iesus cryed with a greate and lowde voyce And that was as Symon de Cassia sayth for he suffred greate tormentes and paynes Also for that he suffred greate wronge and iniurie He cryed with a great voyce of the bodye but that was more by the vertue and power of his godhed than of his manhed He cryed with a great voyce for the great paynes that he suffred myght not preuayle agaynst hym but at his awne wyll He cryed with a great voyce that they myght heare hym and knowe hym hyngynge vpon the crosse and at the poynt of deth whom they wolde not heare swetely and deuoutly preachynge but rather with a froward obstinate mynd euer despysed hym Iesus cryed with a great voyce and spake his .iiii. word vpon the crosse saynge Heli heli lama hazastani These be wordes of Hebrewe and thus they be spoken in latyn Deus meus deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me My god my god wherfore haste thou left or forsaken me These be not the wordes of the godhed of Christ for that suffred no payne it is vnpossible as if the sonne beame shuld shyne vpon a tree and one person toke an ax or hatchet and dyd kut that tree the sonne beame shulde in no thynge be hurte therby and so in lyke maner though the body and manhod of Christ suffred great paynes and deth yet the godhed therin was in nothyng hurte ne yet suffred any payne but Christ spake
loue and seruice his hart was also openyd for the effusion of the price of our redemption As ye shall see in the next article ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons THe fyrste lesson of this article is that we shulde dye with Christe that is from the worlde and synne if we wyll lyue with hym in glorie eternall And here vnto saynt Paule sayth Si commortui sumus cum Christo et conuiuemus If we dye with Christe we shall lyue with Christe And in an other place Mortui enim estis et vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in deo ⧠✚ ☞ Ye be deade fromme the worlde and all vayne or transitorie thynges and your lyfe is hyd with Christ in god The second lesson is that it is very good and profitable to say deuotely those .x. psalmes coÌ„monly called the psalmes of the passion which Christ sayd in his prayer hangyng vpon y e crosse for without doute who so reades or sayes them deuoutly shal finde great conforthe Thyrdlie euery christian at his death shulde vse and keape the forsaid .v. thynges that Christ dyd at his death he dyd pray crie weape commendyd his soule to his father and gaue vp his spirite So we at our death shulde pray crye to our lorde for his helpe at leste in hert wepe for our synnes by trewe contricion commend our soule to god and to gyue vp our spirit that is with a good will to dye and so to conforme our wyll to the will of god A man to conforme hym selfe to this article may ofte remembre these lessons with y e premisses sayd in this article and pray as foloweth ¶ A Lesson O Blissed Iesu which for me dyeng vpon y e crosse dyd commend thy soule to thy father graunt to me that I may spiritually so dye to the and with the in this life that it wold please the at the houre of my death to haue my wretched soule recoÌ„mendyd to the which liues and reignys with god the father and the holy ghost world without ende Amen ¶ The openyng of Christes side and hert with a spere the .lxiii. Article THe .lxiii. Article is the openynge or wondyng of Christes hert with a spere For at y e death of Christ there ware shewed many miracles as y e derknes of the soÌ„ne y e cuttyng of y e veyle in y e temple y e rentyng or breakyng of the stonys the openyng of the monumentes or grauys the conuersion of the noble man and capiteyn Centurio the conuersion of the thefe of many other that seyng these great thynges that ware done knocked vpon there brestes in sygne or token of penaunce and returned homewardes his moste heuy mother there abidyng with a fewe women with her The Iues then bicause it was the sabboth euyn that the bodyes shulde not remayne vpon the crosse on the saboth day for that sabboth day was an high day and festfull with them they I say besought Pilate that theyr legges myght be broken and so taken downe of the crosse then camme the sawgyours and brake the legges of both the theuys And when they camme to Iesus and saw that he was deed alredie they brake not his legges for as the legges of the paschall lambe ware not broken no more ware the legges of Christ that is the true lambe of god and in that was the scripture fulfylled that saith os non comminuetis ex eo He shall not breake a bone of hym But there cam one of the sawgiours with a spere and dyd thrust Christ in to the side and forthwith there came out blode and watre This sawgior was called Longius and he was blinde or at lest his sight was but weke and what tyme he had thrust Christ to the hert with his spere y e blode runnyng downe by the speare vnto his handes he not knowing the vertue therof touched or rubbed his yen with his blody haÌ„des and so had his syght clerely gyuen to hym Also of this blode and watre all the sacramentes of y e churche haue theyr efficacitie vertue and strenght as by theyr meritoriouse cause As the mayster of the sentence sayth and all doctours And though at that tyme the deed bodye of Christ could feale no payne yet y e Iues did this thing of a great malice and to the great rebuke of Christ for they ware not â—aciate and content with the obprobries rebukes and paynes that they put hym to in his lyfe but that also they wolde put hym to more and so persew hym after his death And for that cause this wondyng of Christes syde is taken here for a speciall article of Christes passion for all y e cruelties shames and despites that be done to y e deed corpes or corse be acompted as if they ware done to the persones lyuyng As somtyme the bodyes of deed persones be drawen hangyd headyd quarteryd or burned for the correction and punishment of suche defawtes as those persones dyd in ther liues And though Christ that tyme deed felt not that wounde of his syde yet the blessyd virgyn his mother felt it for that spere then dyd perse her most sorowfull soule as saynt Bernard sayth truly O blessid mother than the swerde of sorow did perse thy soule when that cruell spere openyd thy son syde after his death His soule then was not present with his bodye But thy soule myght not be departed from it for y e soule is rather there where it louyth than where it gyuith life so not without great cause we say that thou art more than a martyr for the effecte of compassion in the dyd exceade the fealyng of all bodilye paynes ¶ Of the miracles that ware done at this tyme we shall speake in the begynnyâ—g of the thyrd parte of this myrrour boke or treatesse OF this wounde of the side of our lorde the deuote and holy saynt Bernard saith thus O good Iesu thy side was wouÌ„ded and openid that we myght haue entrance or a way to cumme to the. Thy hert was wouÌ„ded that we absolued from al outward trobles and busines myght reste and abyde therin It was also wounded that by that visible wounde we myght see the inuisible wounde of thy loue for who so euer feruently louith he is wounded with loue And how myght his burnyng loue be more clerelie and openly declared to vs but in that y t he wold not onely haue his bodie outwardly woundyd but also haue his hart wounded with a spere therfore this bodely wounde doth shewe to vs his spiritual wounde of loue Arise therfore thou spouse of Chryst as a doue buyidyng thy nest and restyng place in the deapnes of this hole or wounde there watche coÌ„tinually as a sparow fynding thy nest there hyd thy birdes of chaste loue with the turtyll Ioyne or put thy mouth to that wounde that thou may sucke or drawe the watre of helth from y e fouÌ„tayns of our sauiour This is y e wel that
the nyght y t they myght more diligently cōsidre the heuenly mysteries ¶ Of the seconde Myracle THe seconde Myracle was cuttyng or rentyng of the vayle of y e temple which was immediatly after the death of Christ Of the which Mathew sayth thus Ecce velum templi scissum est in duas partes a summo vsque deorsum Behold the vale of the temple was rent in to .ii. partes fro the top vnto the bottom This vayle deuidyd the part of the temple that was called holye from that part which was called holiest of all as we myght say in our church it deuided the body of the church from the quere And this veyle was rent for many causes Fyrst for the contamination or as we say suspension of that holiest place of all other For where before no man myght entre in to it but the highe byshop ons in the yere now it was made open and so was gyuen to the power of the Romanys to be contaminate and defoiled by them Secondly for to signifie the reuelacion and declaring of misteries For as Origen sayth In the passion of our lord when the veyle was rent the secreat misteries was poblished and opened which vnto that tyme was reasonably hydde and couered Thyrdly for the separacion dispersion and diuision of the Iues. And hervnto saynt Hillary saith therfore the veyle of y e temple is rent for that after this the people of the Iues shuld be deuided in partes and shortly after they ware disperpled ouer all the worlde Also the honour and glorie of the temple with the custodye of aungelles ware taken away Iosephus saith that there ware stirrynges mouinges and voyces hard in the temple saiyng cryenge Let vs departe from this place Fourthly to sygnifie y e openyng of heuyn which vnto that tyme was shut And herto saynt Hierom saith The veyle of the temple was rent that is heuyn is openyd Fyftly to signifie the curaciō of our synnes Herunto Theophilus sayth The body of Christ is y e temple whose veyle and garment is his fleshe and this veyle or fleshe was rent for y e curing of our sinnes Or thus Our fleshe or bodie is the veyle of our temple that is our soule the vertue and poure of this fleshe was rent in Christes passion from the toppe vnto the bottom that is from Adam the fyrst man vnto the laste man that shal be in the ende of the worlde for Adam was made hole by the passion of Christ and his fleshe is not now vnder the curse of god or of the lawe and after the general resurrection we all shal be honored with incorrupcion inmortalitye ¶ The thyrd Myracle THe thyrd Myracle was the erth quake and therfore the euangelist saith Et terra mota est And the erth was mouyd or dyd quake And that was for .iii. causes Fyrst to shewe that it was not worthy to receyue in to it this lorde And therfore Hillarius sayth the erth dyd quake for he was not able to take this deed body in to it Seconde cause is for the malyce of the Iues. Herunto Symon de Cassia saith It was cōuenient that the erthe shulde quake when the maker of the erth dyd suffre death in his corporall bodie The erth dyd quake at the gyuyng of the law to make them afraied to whom he gaue the law and which shuld breake the law The erth dyd also quake at the death of Christ that his vniust death shuld be knowen or felt thorowe out all the world Thyrd cause was to instructe the myndes of all faithful people that they shuld feare god and know and beleaue that the iuste person suffred death for the vniuste the godly for the wicked the holy person for synners and the son of god suffred death in his mortal bodie for the redempcion of man ¶ The forth Myracle THe Fourth Myracle was the rentynge or breakynge of the stonys For the euangelist sayth Et petre scisse sunt And the stonys ware rent or broken And that was for iiii causes Fyrste for therby was verified the sayng of the prophet Zachary Scindetur mons oliuarum ex media parte sui ad orientem et occidentem The mount of Oliuete shal be rent or broken for the myd parte of it from the Este to the West Second cause is to signifie the great vertue of the worde of god And here vnto saynt Hillary sayth The worde of god and the powre of his eterne vertue doth diuide and breake all strong hard or myghty thynges Thyrd cause was to confoūd the Iues. For as Simon de Cassia sayth The breakyng and rentyng of stones is na open crye and an accusacion of the insensible thynges agaynste the Iues that the gyuer of life and maker of all thynges is vniustly dampned The Iues dyd crie with lowde voice crucifie hym but now the stonys on theyr maner dyd crye by theyr partes broken as by theyr open lippys that the Iues did wrong and so wher as the reasonable men wold not answere for the truthe in this false condempnacion of Iesu the stonys rent or broken in theyr maner spake The .iiii. cause was to enflame the hertes of synners For as the same Symon sayth The stonys rent or broken in theyr maner dyd prouoke the hard hartes of men that they shuld be broken by contricion and also remembre hym that suffred such paynes and passyon for them ¶ The .v. Myracle THe .v. Myracle was the openyng of the sepulcres or graues And therfore theuangelist sayth Et monumenta aperta sunt And y e supulcres or graues ware openid And this was for .iii. causes Fyrst to shew that the prison of hell was openyd for as saynt Hillary sayth Then was the clausures of death openyd Secondly for the example of our resurrection For this was a token or signe that deed men shuld rise agayne accordyng to the sayng of the prophet Ego aperiam tumulos vestros I shall open your grauys Thyrdly for our spirituall instruccion For hereby we be lerned that we shuld open the sepulcres of our conscience by true and playne confession that the carion and filthynes of our synnes may be seen and cast out And here note that the myracle before the death of Christ was shewed aboue in the heuyns For by fore his death Christe was in a maner onely knowen in heuyn But the myracles after his death ware shewed and done in the erth for then began the knowlege of Christ to be spred abrode vpon the erth ¶ The .vi. Myracle THe .vi. Myracle was the risyng agayne of deed men And therfore theuangelist sayth Et multa corpora sanctotum qui dormierant surrexerunt c. And the bodyes of many sayntes which ware deed arose and cam out of theyr graues after Christes resurrection and cam into the holy citie of Hierusalem and apperyd to many This testimony of the risyng of deed
her virginall wombe Nay suerly if we wyll forsake our syn and cum faythfully to them Therfore let vs wretches ioy with y e holy spirites and soules in heuen and with al creatures as moch as we may and let vs study and labour to laude and prayse so gloriouse so mercifull a mother and virgyne as far as our infirme frayle nature wyl suffre The assumpcion of this gloriouse virgyn was figured in the old lawe when as the arke of god was translate in to the house of kynge Dauid At which tyme kynge Dauid dyd harpe and daunce before the arke of god and so brought it in to his house with great ioy It was also figured in the mother of Salomon for whom he made a trone next vnto his trone and set her therin sayng aske of me what thou wilt It is nat conuenient or seamyng for me to deny it to the. Also it was figured by the woman which saynt Iohan speaketh of in his reuelacions sayng Signum magnum apparuit in celo Mulier amicta sole et luna sub pedibus eius c. A great signe apperyd in heuyn A woman clad or coueryd with the son and the mone vnder her feet and a crowne of .xii. sterres vpon her heade This woman signifieth our Lady which when she was assumpte vnto heuyn was clade or compassyd about with the son that is with the glorie of the diuinitie of Christe The mone was vnder her feet for she despised the world and worldly thynges signified by the mutable mone She had a crowne of .xii. sterres vpon her heed for the .xii. apostles ware present at her death or elles It signifieth her vnspeakeable glory For these consideracions all men shulde crie and call vnto our lady Mary shuld name Mary shulde loue her aboue all other creatures Both yong and olde man and woman euery profession shulde diligently call vpon Mary When by our syn we haue offendyd god the highe kynge of glorie when we haue lost the cumpaigney of all holie aungelles and sayntes in heuyn when also we be greuouse and moch paynfull to our selfe know nat what to do and whether to go for helpe then this onely remedy haue we wretched synners that we may lifte vp our ien of our soule and body vnto the o mercifull mother Mary for counsell and healpe Therfore o pitifull Lady intend to vs that we may receyue that profitte and effecte for the which our Lord god was made man in thy most chaste wombe and so liuyd here amonges men and at last suffred death for the health and saluacion of man To the blessyd Mary we commende vs procure for vs and defend vs that we do nat perish euerlastyngly Amen A prayer O Lord the gyuer of ioy the graunter of solace the diligent releuer of the desolate person the chaser away of all heuines and sorowe which haste gladdyd make ioyfull the most blessed virgyn Mary thy mother the glasse of thy maiestie the solace of aūgelles the ymage of thy goodnes the begynner of our helth thou hast gladdyd her I say w t manyfold ioyes both ī heuen and in erth I beseach the graunt to me thy suppliant that I which presume to com trustely and faythfully to her as to the well and fountayne of ioy in all my sorowes trobles may by her merites and prayers feale and receyue the effecte of her prayers and comforth in this present life and finally to cum to that ineffable ioy to y e which she assūpte ioyeth with y e eternally in heuyns Amen ¶ Of the last iudgement and of the cummyng of the Iudge to the same the .xi. Chapiter WE reade in scripture of .ii. cōmynges of Christe Fyrst is past that was when he cam to be cum man and in our nature of his manhod suffred death for y e redempcion of man Seconde shal be when he shall com to iudge all man kynd And the condycions of the iudge in this commynge be contrary vnto his condycions in his fyrst commyng for then he cam in great meaknes with the cōpaignye and felowshyp of very poore people his apostles and in his propre infirmitie and feblenes But contrarywyse to y e iudgement he shall cum in great power and maiestie with the compaigney of angelles and in his great dignitie as a iudge Herunto Beda sayth He that fyrst cam in the forme and meakenes of a seruant to be iudged and also condempned shall here after com to iudge the worlde in the great maiestie of his deitie And that shal be manifestly and openly nat hid in a mortal body as byfore that tho persons that contempned hym in his humilitie and mortalitie shuld now know hym in his power and maiestie And then he shall syt vpon the seet of his maiestie And there shall all people be gadred byfore him as byfore theyr iudge And he shal separate and diuide them a sondre as the herd man diuideth the shepe from y e gootes In the day tyme he keapeth them to gedre in y e pasture but in the euyntyde he doth seuer them a sondre So in this present life both the good persons and also y e euyll ben fedde to gedre in the church militante but in the euyntyde of death or of the worlde Christe shall seauer the good from the euyll as shepe fro the gootes In the shepe is vnderstand the innocency of good men for theyr simplicitie myldnes and fruytfulnes And in the gootes is noted the frowardnes of euyll men for theyr filthynes stynche stubbernes and barennes And Christe shall set the shepe or good men on his ryght syde and the gootes on his lefte syde that by the same orderyng in the ryght or left syde euery person may knowe to whom mercy shal be shewyd and to whom eternall payne remayneth And the good men be conueniently set on the ryght hand for they at theyr death ware founde on the ryght part that is hauynge charitie and good workes And the euyll men also be conueniētly set on the left hande for they wolde nat folow the ryght parte by doyng of good werkes for y e loue of god Tho be on the lefte part which here loue temporall vayne thynges Tho be on the ryght parte which here loue eternall thynges And then shall Christe recounte and remembre the werkes of mercy vnto the good men on the ryght hande whiche they dyd to Christe in his membres and so shal say thus Venite benedicti patris mei c. Com ye belssyd chylderne of my father possesse and receyue ye the kyngdom prepared for you byfore the begynnyng of the world I was hungry and ye fedde me I was thristy and ye gaue me drynke I was without lodgyng and ye harbored me I was seake and ye dyd visite me I was in prison and ye cam to me I was naked and ye clothed me Then the good and iuste persones as fliynge theyr owne commendacions and
praysynges shall aske when they dyd any such thynge to hym And Christe shall say to them truly I say to you as ofte as ye dyd any of these thynges vnto one of these my leste bredren ye dyd it to me Tho be his bredren that fulfyll the wyll of his father in heuyn they be also called the leste for that they be meke and in this life abiecte or dispised And note here that though we spake here but of .vi. werkes of mercy that is bicause there be no mo remembred by our sauiour Christ in the gospell of Mathewe yet we say coÌ„monly that there be .vii. werkes of mercy and truth it is for the .vii. is to bury the deed bodyes which is taken of the boke of Toby for he vsed the same to his great rewarde and our example And these .vii. werkes be conteyned in this verse Visito poto cibo tego redimo colligo condo So that euery word noteth one werke of mercy The fyrst worde Visito noteth the visityng of them that be seke Second Poto to gyue drynke to y e thristy Thyrd Cibo to fede the hungry Fourth Tego to couer the naked Fyfth Redimo to redeame the prisoner Syxt Colligo to lodge the harborles Seuenth Condo to bury the deed Also the iudge shall say to them that be on y e lefte hand Discedite a me maledicti in ignem eternum c. Depart from me you cursed people in to euerlastynge fyre which is prepared for the deuyll and his aungelles I was hungry and ye wold nat feade me I was thristy and ye gaue me no drynke and so all the other .vi. forsaid werkes of mercy Then the euyll men shall answere Lord when dyd we se the hungry thristy naked seke herborles or in prison and we haue nat conforted the Then our lord shall say when ye wold nat do these thynges to one of these onys ye wold nat do it to me And here note that this question mouyd by the good or euyll persons doth nat procede of any ignorance for the iuste and good persons shal know that y e werkes of mercy done to the membres of Christe in his name and for his loue he reputeth those good dedes as done to hym selfe also they know that they shall haue a great reward therby And in like maner the euyll persons shall knowe that they shal be dampned for the contrary And therfore they asked nat that question of any ignoraÌ„ce but it is a question of great admiration and meruell for y e greatnes of grace and glorie whiche shal be gyuen to the iuste people for those good werkes and also for the intollerable myserie and payne that shall fall vpon the euyll persons for theyr hardnes and vnmercifulnes And so hard iudgement without mercy shal be done to hym that wold shewe or do no mercy What shall they deserue that steale and rauishe other mennys goodes sythe they be eternally dampned which wyll nat gyue theyr owne goodes in almosse If the vnmerciful people shal suffre so greuouse paynes what shall they suffre that be cruell And note here as Crisostom sayth that the payne of euyll persons is euerlastyng and so is the rewarde of good men For as eternall synnes don passe for y e acte or doyng after that they be don but yet there remayneth the gylt or offence towardes god which shal be punished So good werkes don for the loue of god don passe to speake of the acte or dede but yet they remayne in theyr merite so to be rewardyd of god Also saynt Hierom sayth thou wyse reader attende and remeÌ„bre diligently that both the paynes of hell be eternall and also the glorie of heuyn for that life shall haue no feare of decay or death And therfore the euangelist sayth that the euyll men shall go to eternall fyre and the iuste men to euerlastynge life and ioy of heuyn which was prepared for them byfore the begynnynge of the worlde for therunto they ware predestinate And note wele here that the predestination of god is nat the necessarie cause of thy saluation For the predestination of god is euer condicionally that there is no thyng predestinate but vnder som coÌ„dicion as it was predestinate that the worlde shulde be sauid but that was by the death of the son of god and by the watre of baptisme so that they wold receyue it and liue therafter Also all good and iuste men be predestinate to glorie eternall yet with this condicion if they contine we in true fayth charitie humilitie or meknes pacience mercie pitie with other vertues the operacion of them whom our lord doth predestinate to life euerlastyng he seeth knoweth byfore that they shal haue such vertues as if in his predestinacion he myght say to them I do predestinate you to glorie if ye haue such vertues if ye keape my commaundimentes c. Who so wyll nat keape goddes commaundymentes wyl nat continue in fayth with charitie and good werkes c. he shall nat com to the end of predestinacion that is to the glory of heuyn for he wyl nat keape the condicion therof Therfore do nat ouermoch attend and trust to the predestinacion of god which thou knowes nat but rather attend to the wordes of god which thou heris and knowis For as god is true and can nat be chaungeable so his wordes be true and can nat be chaunged But let vs here what be those wordes of god The prophet Ezechiel sayth in the person of god Nolo mortem impij sed vt conuertatur a via sua et viuat Si autem impius egerit poenitentiam ab omnibus peccatis suis et custodierit omnia precepta mea vita viuet I wyll nat sayth almyghty god the deth of a synner but rather that he be conuertyd from his syn and liue in grace for if the synner do penaunce or be sory for all his synnes that he hath don keape all my preceptes and do true iudgement and iustice he shalliue here in grace he shall nat dye eternally Also he sayth Qui crediderit et baptisatus fuerit saluuus erit He that beleuith and is baptised and so continueth in that true fayth and promise made at his baptisme he shal be saued Also he sayth Si vis ad vitam ingredi serua mandata If thou wylt cum to lyfe euerlastyng keape the commaundimentes And in an other place Christ sayth Si dimiseritis homnibus pecata eorum dimittet vobis pater meê° pecata vestra If ye forgyue to other men theyr offensis don to you my heuenly father shall forgyue to you your synnes In these wordes and many other lyke standeth our predestinacion to lyfe or our reprouyng to death euer lastyng And loke for none other predestinacion If thou keape these saynges of god thou shal be sure Therfore say nat as many vnwyse persons say I am predestinate of god to be
kyssyng his wondes wherwith she culde not be saciate and what tyme the bodie was taken downe this blessed Lady toke his heade and his shulders in to her lappe and Mary Maglene toke his feet remembryng what grace and comforth she founde by them and all the residue that stode about greatly lamentyd and morned his death ¶ The lamentacion and mournyng of our Lady SAynt Bernard speakyng of this lamentacion of our Lady sayth She lifted vp her handes on height embrasynge and kyssynge the body of her sonne but her sonne dyd not embrase her agayne for his armes ware to stiffe or starke therunto And then that blessid virgyn seyng she culd haue none other solace dyd kysse with a great and faruent desire his woundes and the blode that ran from his woundes In so moch that the face of this sorowfull Lady was made all blodie with the blode of her sonne slayne which thyng in it selfe was very pitifull and moch lamentable to behold that is that so noble a bodie shuld be so shamefully entreated as though it had ben the most vile carion and yet in truth that bodie myght neuer fall to corrupcion for the godhed was continually ioyned therunto which keapte it from al corrupcion And for this cause this article is nowmbred among the articles of Christes passion though this bodye when it was deed felt no payne but yet this blessid virgyn at this time suffred the payne for she was there present with other deuote women And then Ioseph meakly desired our Lady that she wolde suffre y e body of her sōne to be anoynted and wrapped in the lynen clothes and so to be buried but she refusyd to be so shortly departed from her sonne when they wold haue buried hym she wold haue retayned hym and so there was a godly and a pitiouse cōtencion bitwixt them And at last though not gladly yet reuerently she suffred them to take the bodie at theyr pleasure Then this blessid virgyn weapt without comforth and so such aboundaūce of teares flowed from her ien that it myght be supposed ▪ that all her bodie ware turned to watre She washed her face with tearis and also the deed bodie of her sonne specially his woundes and also the stone vpon the which the bodie was layd when it as washed And it is sayd that her teares don yet appere and may be seen vpon y t same stone which is in the entraūce of the churche of the holy sepulcre She washed and dried his blody woūdes and kyssed them and oftymes she beheld his most holie face his woūdes and his heade and there she see the prickynges of the thornys and how the heare was pulled from his berde and also his heade she beheld his face I say how it was defoyled with blode and the spittynges of the Iues and so she culd not be saciat with seyng and weapyng her sorow myght be perceiued but it culd not be declared as it was but she felt it to the extremitie ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons THe fyrst lesson of this article is that the faythfull people receyuynge the bodie of our lorde in the sacrament of the aulcer be compared to them that toke hym of the crosse and it is more to take him in the sacrament of the aulter than downe from the crosse for they that toke hym of the crosse toke hym onely in there armes and handes but we receyue hym in to our mowthes and hertes And as they dyd weappe that bodye in a fayre lynon cloth so shulde we receyue hym in to a pure hert and clene conscience The secōd lesson is that when we be com to that perfection that we be deed to the world and to all synnes so that our bodie be deed as saynt Paule sayth of Abraham and Sara then we may sumwhat release of the rigor of our penaunce and crosse so our lorde wold not discend from his crosse in the tyme of his lyfe but when he was deed he suffred his body to be taken downe The thyrd lesson is that we shuld gladly take Christ of the crosse with Ioseph Aslong as the synner continueth in synne as moch as is in hym he byndeth Christe and nayleth hym fast to the crosse For our synnes ar the cause why Christ was crucified But as shortly as we be turned by true penaūce vnto christ we lowce him take him of the crosse and receyue hym bytwyxt our armes and hādys as Ioseph dyd And as ye see that he which hath an other man bitwixt his armes may doo with hym what it shall please hym if the other man resiste not so the penitent synner embrasing Christ in his armes of loue may doo with Christe and get of hym what so euer he requireth to his soules health For Christ wyll not resiste the penitēt For he is more redy to giue grace than the other is to receyue it And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld ofte remembre these lessons and pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me a wretched synner after thy death wold haue thy bodie taken downe from the crosse by Ioseph and Nicodemus and so be anoynted and dressed with swete oyntmētes and spices wold be wrapped in fayre lynen clothes graūt to me worthely to receyue thy blessed very leuyng bodie in the sacrament of the aulter as if I shuld take hym of the crosse and so to anoynte hym with the oyntmentes of vertues that I may continually keape hym in a pure hert and chaste bodie Amen ¶ Of the buriyng of Christes bodie the .lxv. Article THe .lxv. and the laste article is the buriynge of the bodie of Christ For after it was taken of the crosse and dressyd with spices and swete oyntmentes and also wrapped in fayre lynen clothes as we sayd before then they went aboute to bury hym And the time passing Ioseph meakely desired our Lady that she wold suffre the bodie to be buried before that the saboth day shuld entre for then it shuld be vnlawfull for them to doo any such labour or busynes And then our lady very gently and discreatly ordred hyre selfe to them and so crossyng and blessing that body though with great sorow yet reuerētly she suffred them to take the body and bury it And as the Euangelist sayth Erat in loco vbi crucifixus est ortus et in orto monumentum nouum c. In the place where Iesus was crucified there was a garden aud in that garden a new sepulcre or graue cut or hewen out of a rocke of stone and it apperteyned to the same Ioseph And in this new tumbe they buryed the bodie of Iesu And here sayth Simon de Cassia that Christ praynge dyed and after his death he was put in a garden that by his prayer and death there myght sprynge to vs the plantes of vertues of his inuisible garden and that therby we myght deserue to entre the garden of heuenly pleasures moch more pleasaunt than that
garden of paradise that was prepared of god for our fyrst parentes in the este part of the worlde This new sepulcre also was conuenient for our new Adam that his buriyng myght reanswear to his incarnacion For when he was incarnate he was put in to the wombe of a virgyne where neuer man was before nor shuld be after hym and so was he put in a new graue where as neuer man was put before Also he was buried in an other maÌ„nys sepulcre for he had none of his owne nor wold haue For he y t came to gyue hym selfe to the comforthe of man wolde haue no erthly thyng propre to hym selfe It was not conuenieÌ„t for hym that cam to gyue vs heuenly thynges that he shulde labour for any propertie in erthly thynges and therfore he made poore for vs from his natiuytie vnto his death dyd kepe a poore liâ—e and free from all propertie in worldly thynges He was also buried in a sepulcre of stone this stone signified Christ vpon the which stone is stablished y e sure foundacion of our faith Also he was buried in a stone for many misteries This is the stone that gaue watres plentiously vnto the people of god in the desert This is the stone that gaue furth riuers of oyle vnto Iob. This is the stone vpon the which a man is exalted and fixed in the tribulacions and anguishes of his hert to his great comforth and defence if he cum therto by sure fayth This is the stone that is the refuge and comforth vnto penitent synners that be full of prickes that is contricion for theyr synnes as the hurchen is full of prickes This is also the stone agaynste or vnto the which the yong spryng of our synnes be caste and all to crushed and broken or destroyed that is our euyll cogitacions at the begynnyng of them or fyrst mocion before they encrease in vs they shuld be cast agaynst this stone remembring the death and burying of Christ and so auoyde and destroy them In to this stone they put the body of Christ which was the lorde and gyuer of lyfe And when they had buried hym then Ioseph rolled or put to the dore of the sepulcre a great stone and so departed As Simon de Cassia saith this stone put to the doore of the sepulcre doth signifie the infidelitie of the Iues and the hardnes of theyr hertes for nother they wold cease from theyr euyll workes nor yet leaue theyr obstinate and froward hertes This stone was put to the seâ—ulcre by y e handes of men but it was remouyd by aungelles to signifie that by his owne euyll deades a mam may fall to obstinacie and heardnes of hert But that can nat be remouyd but by the pouer and vertue of god If the question be mouyd why this article is nombred among the articles of the passion of Christe seyth Christe beynge deed suffred no payne therby It may be answeryd that one of the miseries of our corrupt nature is that the body will putrifie after the death and therfore it must be buryed And though this reason haue no place in Christ for his body shuld neuer haue ben putretfied as the prophet sayth Non dabis sanctum tuum videre corruptionem Thou shall not suffre thy holie sonne to see the putrefaction of his bodie yet for asmoche as the Iues had brought this body of Christ to that coÌ„dicion that it seamed necessarie to bury it and also that the Iues wolde nat haue ben otherwise contenâ— excepte it had ben buried therfore it is coÌ„ueniently accompted as an artycle And also for that there folowed this buriyng .ii. great thynges that is the lameÌ„tacion and mournyng of our Lady and the other women and also y e watche and keapyng of the sepulcre Fyrst I say for the lamentacion of the blessyd virgyn and other women by whose lamentacions ware fulfylled the lamentacions that the prophet Hieremy wrote vpon the death of the good kyng Iosias The sorowful mother of god myght fyrst direct her wordes to the father of heuyn and say Alas my lord god why hast thou gyuen to me a son to die so miserably and so to leaue me behynd hym al desolate and ful of sorowe and heuines c Secondly she myght speake to Gabriel y e archaungell O Gabriell where is the glad tidynges that thou shewed to me I fynde no ioy but most bitter sorow Thyrdly she myght speake to Iohan the euangeliste and to other women that ware with her and say if ye loue me if ye haue any compassion of me I charge you that ye bury me with hym These and other like this sorowful mother myght haue sayd The second thyng that folowyd this buriyng was the watche and keapyng of the sepulcre by the saugiours And hereof the euangelist sayth thus Altera autem die que est post parasceuem dixerunt principes sacerdotum et pharisei ad Pilatum Domine recordati sumus ê™ seductor ille c. The next day after good friday the princes of pristes and the phariseis cam to Pilate and sayd Lord or sir we remembre that this deceyuer sayd whyle he was yet aliue After .iii. dayes I wyll arise agayne Commaunde therfore that the sepulcre be made sure and keapt vnto the thyrd day lesse paraduenture his disciples come and stele hym a waye and say to the people that he is arisen from death And then the laste erroure shal be worse than the fyrst This the Iues dyd fyrst to shewe the malice of theyr hertes And therefore Symon de Cassia sayth This is a great iniquitie of men a great enuy of the Iues that they do nat cease to persue and falsly accuse y e innocent deed callyng Christ after his death a deceyuer and that also they spake before the iudge which had prouyd the contrarie they had don to moche before in y t they falsly accused hym in many thyngê and moreouerby theyr importune clamoures and criynges had made hym to be coÌ„dempned vnto a most shameful death Secondly they dyd thus for theyr owne excusacioÌ„ For as y e same Simon de Cas sayth It is y e coÌ„dicion of an enuiouse ê‘son euer to speke euyl of that person whom he hateth and though he haue slayne or hurte that person whom he so hateth yet he wyll neuer speake of hym but with obprobriouse and euyl wordes that therby he may be Iudged to be good and ryghtuouse for asmoch as he ê‘se weth that person that was euyll and vnryghtuouse and so he cloketh hideth and coloreth his enuy by false crymes that he putteth vpon the innocent But for al that the conscience of such euyl persones be euer more in feare for they knowe that they do euyll but bycause they wyll not haue theyr malyce knowen they cease nat to falsly accuse theyr enymy also after his death And so theys false Iues euer repete theyr false accusacions bycause