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
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
Our lorde and sauiour Iesu for to declare and shew his myldenes and mekenes wolde nat ryde vpon a proude and highe horse but as he was mylde and meke so wolde he ryde vpon a mylde and homely beest vppon an asse to signifie also that he wyll nat rest in proude and wrathefull soules but in the meke and quyete soules All this was done as the Euangelyst sayeth to fulfyll the Prophecy of Zacharie that is to say by this acte of our lorde nat onely he shewed his mekenes but also the prophecy of Zachary was fulfilled which sayd Dicite filie sion exulta satis filia sion c. Say ye to the doughter of Syon that is to men dwellynge in Hierusalem which is the doughter of Syon Be nat afrayd but rather be glad ioyfull Here he excludeth all feare of man and seruyle feare and gyueth to them a surety of ioye Beholde sayeth the Prophet Zachary thy kyng Christe cummeth to the mylde and gentyll syttynge vpon an asse vpon the colte of the asse He cummeth nat with great pompe and pryde in chariottes or high horses nor yet with his armed men or yomen of his garde aboute hym but in moost mekenes and lowlynes that myght be to gyue vnto vs all an example that yf we desyre to folow Christe we must auoyde all pryde shew mekenes also in our outwards actes Our lorde and sauiour Iesu wolde be honoured before his passion nat onely to shew how that he was that selfe person of whome the Prophetes dyd speke but also to declare hym selfe to be very god whiche myght chaunge and turne the hertes of men his creatures at his wyll and pleasure For though the Iues had a mynde to slee hym as they dyd shortly after yet at this tyme he moued theyr hertes to laude and prayse hym The Iues shewed them selfe moche contrary in this act in his passion On Palme sondaye they cryed and sange Blessed be he that is cum to vs in the name of god On good frydaye they cryed Tolle tolle crucifige â—um Away with hym hence with hym crucifie hym On Palme sonday they called hym the kyng of Israhell But on good fryday they sayd We haue no kyng but the Emperour On Palme sonday they cast grene leuys floures and theyr garmentes in the way before hym for great honoure But on good fryday they prepared to hym a great and heuy crosse and made hym bere it and afterwarde nayled hym theron For the floures they crowned hym with thornes And at last they toke all his araymeÌ„t and clothes from hym Here was a meruelouse contrarietie in the Iues. ¶ Here foloweth a prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe whiche freely and with thyne owne wyll cam vnto thy passion cum also to me a wretche by thy grace in to my herte and soule And thou that than dyd repare me by thy deathe on the crosse repare me agayne that am fallen to synne Repare me I saye by the merytes of that same moost blessyd passion Graunte to me lorde that in all thynges I myght kepe myldenes and mekenes and to subdue my flesshe my spyryt hoolly vnto the that I may be made as a beest vnto the y t thou syttyng vpon me ruelyng me as thy beest may lede me now vnto y e taste of inwarde peace desyre of heuenly peace and at last may brynge me into the vysyon and syght of the same eternall peace Amen ¶ The .vii particle Of theiection and castynge out of the byers and sellers in the Temple AFter that our lorde Iesus was thus gloryously receiued of the Iues furthwith he went into the temple teachynge vnto vs a forme and maner of good religion that we all shulde folow that is to what so euer towne or place we go fyrste whan we be cum thyder let vs go vnto the chyrch or other place of prayer if there be any there and so commendynge our selfe by deuoute prayers vnto our lordes mercy go and do such busynes as we cam to do Our lorde entred into the temple and cast out from thens the byers and sellers signifienge thereby that the preestes of the Iues as vnworthy ministers of god shulde be eiecte and cast out of y e temple And note here as Crisostome sayeth A man to be pacient in his owne iniuries or wronges done agaynste hym selfe is moche laudable But it is a great synne and moche reprouable to dissemble or leue vncorrecte the offences iniuries done agaynst god And therefore Christe suffred paciently his owne iniuries but the iniuries of his father he wold in no meanes dyssemble or leue vnpunysshed Morally for our instruction The feest of Pasce of the Iues that is of them that confesse the name of god or els mekely confesse theyr synnes drawynge nygh oure lorde Iesus ascended vnto Hierusalem that is vnto the holy and deuoute soule of man eleuate or lyfte vp by grace Hierusalem was builded vpon a mount and therfore it is wryten that Christ dyd ascende vnto Hierusalem The temple in Hierusalem was builded in the hyghest part of the citie and it signifieth the moost excellente and hyghest parte of the soule that is the superior or hygher part of reason whose office is to onely consydre god and eternall thynges Vnto this temple our lorde doeth ascende by the effecte of his sacramentes so visitynge it with his spirituall presence And take good hede that there be foure thynges specially whiche our lorde Iesus wyll nat suffre to be in this his temple signified by foure thinges that he fouÌ„de in the materiall temple that is the money of the chaungers oxen shepe dowâ—es the whiche he wolde nat suffâ—e to be in the temple And also by these same foure be signified foure vyces that comonly be fouÌ„de nowe in these dayes amonges many religiouse persones The fyrst is ouermoche solicitude or busy study in gettynge kepyng of temporall goodes and this is noted by the mony that our lord cast abroode in the temple The onely study or busynes of temporall goodes is nat forbydden but ouer moche study that it be nat in the temple that is in the superior part of our reason which onely ought to intende to god and eternall thynges Wherefore whan so euer any temporall busynes is exercysed in that temple it is a greate synne dysorder For the creature is put in the place of god and temporall thynges in the place of eternall thynges The seconde is the inordinate vse of temporall goodes thin-circumspecte consideracion or the wante of a due warenes to auoyde peryls and dauÌ„gers And this is noted by the oxen for the oxe doeth very gredely fede of the herbys or grasse of the grouÌ„de and therfore sumtyme for his gredynes or hastynes he deuoureth and swaloweth vp that thynge that is noysum and hurtefull vnto hym whiche lyrketh and is hyd amonge the herbes So oftymes it happeneth that whan men wyll vse these temporall goodes inordinately
his mother This thyrde worde or sentence of Christe Mulier ecce filius tuus woman beholde thy sonne this I say was a worde of great dilygence loue and pitie for as moche as Christe beyng in so great anguisshe and sorowes of death wolde yet remembre his moste heuy and sorowfull mother and prouyde her of a sonne or minyster to attende vpon her to her comforth And herin he taught vs to haue compassyon of the afflyccyon of our parentes and to prouyde for them in theyr necessities O swete lorde Iesu thy crosse and passion doth torment the greuously but the compassyon of the mothers sorowe is no lesse payne to the and no meruell O good chylde if thou sorowe if thou suffer and haue compassyon of the heuynes of thy mother of her separation from the of her commendation to a straunger And here doctours done say and specyally Bonauenture that the sorowe that Christe had in the compassyon of his mother was more intense and more greuous to hym then the sorowe of hys awne payne and passyon THe mother of Iesu stode by the crosse She stode for she neuer fell by synne she stode to the great glory and prayse of al women where as his discyples that shulde haue ben men of gostly strengthe vertue dyd flye awaye and leaue theyr maister alone She onely abode with hym constantly in all his greuous panges and paynes wherin was fulfylled the prophecy of Esaye sayenge in the persone of Chryst complaynynge Torcular calcaui solus et de gentibus non est vir mecum I onely haue troden in the prease of the crosse there was nat one man with me hauyng compassyon vpon me but my mother alone she had compassyon and stode by me And nat onely she stode bycause she dyd nat flye but also for that in so great heuynesse of herte she dyd nothynge vnseamyngly or vnreligyously but ordred her selfe in most godlye behauour without any misorder in cryenge or cursynge and suche other lyke thoughe she suffred in her herte all those paynes that her sonne Iesus suffred in his bodye outwardlye And as we sayd before here she felte and suffred all the panges that she escaped at the byrth of her sonne Iesus Of these .ii. birthes or chyldynges speaketh the prophet saynge Antequam parturierat peperit masculum Before Mary the mother of Iesus hadde any panges or thrawes she brought forth her sonne so that she had her sonne without sorowe then it foloweth in the prophet Nun quid parturiet terra vna die aut parietur gens simul Shall the erth brynge forth with payne all her fruyte in one day or all the people shal be brought forth or borne in one day Note wel these saynges Firste the prophet spake of the birth of Christe which was without sorowe or payne to his mother and with great ioy But nowe at her seconde chyldynge where as at the passyon of her sonne Iesus she brought forth all the electe chylderne of god at one birth she had great panges and manyfolde sorowes And here note that this blessed mother of mercy dyd helpe or assist the father of mercyes in this moste hyghe werke of mercye and so with Christe dyd regenerate and redeme al mankynde and this generation was to the great sorowe and payne of them both and herunto Albert sayth though Marye dyd beare her sonne Iesus in greate ioye and without all payne yet after warde whan she dyd regenerate al the faithful people in faith that was with moch sorowe and of this it appereth that Christ dyd communicate vnto his mother this hygh werke of our redemption for she suffred with hym his passyon in her soule as we sayd before And note me well here for I do not say that our blessed lady dyd redeme vs bycause Christ of hym selfe was insufficient for to say so it ware heresye But I say it pleased our sauyour Christ to haue his mother present at his passyon and there to suffer with hym in soule as he suffred in bodye that so consequently as he is called the father of mercy so she myght be honored and called the mother of mercy and also for other considerations as foloweth First that our redemption might reanswere vnto the first condempnation for in our firste losse and perdicyon both Adam and Eue dyd syn notwithstandynge if Adam had not synned we had not ben condempned and therfore the onely synne of Adam was the cause of our perdicyon but for asmoche as Eue dyd persuade moue and counsell Adam to synne therfore we say that we ware dampned by oure firste mother Eue so in lyke maner though we be redemed by the passyon of Christ yet for as moche as oure blessed lady was consentynge to that passyon and also sufferyde it in her soule we may saye that she redemed vs with Christe Secondlye that as Christe redemyng vs by his passion was made our father by the whiche passyon the sacrament of baptysme wherin we be regenerate taketh his efficacitie and vertue so our blessed ladye myght be called our mother bycause she suffered in her soule the same passion of Christe Thirdly that after Christ we al shulde honoure the gloriouse virgyn as our modre Fourthly for the encrease of her merite And fiftly that y e passion of Christ shuld be more bitter paynful to him thorough the presence of his modre by whom he sheweth his most hyghe charitie vnto vs. She stode also for all other departed from the stablenes of fayth but she onely and therfore it is sayde of her thus O good lorde thou haste stablished thy testament vpon the heede of Marie al waye virgin for after the death of thy son thy fayth onely remayned perfetely in the reason of the same virgyn ¶ Of the sorowe and compassyon of our ladye AS the great clerke Alberte sayth vpon these wordes of Luke Tuam ipsius animam pertransibit gladius The swerde of sorowe shal passe thorowe thyn awne soule It is the more true exposition and sentence when this pronowne deriuatyue tuam is resolued in to his primityue tui so that this is the true sentence of the forsayd wordes of Luke the swerde of sorowe that is the payne of the passyon and deth of thy sonne O vyrgyne Mary which he suffred in his bodye shall perse and passe thorowe the soule of thyne awne selfe Marie So that the sorowes whiche thou felt not at the birth of thy sonne so that therby thou dyd not knowe thy selfe a mother at his deth thou shalt fele them in moste paynfull and sorowfull maner so that thou shalte knowe thy self then to haue had a chylde and to be a mother Our sauiour Iesus her sonne was to Marie his mother as her awne herte and therfore when he was borne of her she felte as if halfe her herte had bene borne and departed from her body And as that thynge whiche is halfe without and halfe within if that parte that is outwarde be
men is conuenient Fyrst for theyr nombre for they ware many Secondly for theyr condicyon for they were holy and the bodyes of holy sayntes Thyrdly for the noueltye for they arose after theyr death and buriyng Also for the tyme for it was after the resurrection of Christ for he was the first that rose Fyftly for the holy place for they cam into the holy citye And also for that they apperyd to many persones ¶ The .vii. Myracle THe .vii. Myracle was the coÌ„uersion of moch people Of the which the euangelist sayth Centurio et qui cum eo erant custodientes Iesum viso terre motu et hijs que fiebant timuerunt valde dicentes Vere filius dei erat iste When Centurio which was a capteyn of a C. men and they that were w t hym watchyng and keapyng Iesus sawe the erth quake and those thynges which happened then they fearyd greatly and sayd of a suerty this was the son of god This Centurio and his compaygney confessyd Christ to be the son of god and this was don for .v. causes Fyrst for that he saw so many great myracles don which mouyd hym to this confession and fayth Second was for the callyng of the paganes or gentylles to the fayth Behold sayth Simon de Cassia a great mistery that in the Natyuitie or byrth of our lorde and also at his death the gentylles dyd preuent the Iues and cam to the faith before them For at the byrth of Christ the .iii. kynges and greate wyse men which cam from the Eest to worship Christe dyd preuent the Iues at that tyme. And now at his death this Centurio with his compaigney of Rome that cam from the Weste dyd also first beleue Thyrd reason was to reuok his errours For now Centurio dyd glorifie god that so had ordred his son to suffre death He beleuyd in to god and glorifed hym beyng sory that he had obeyd to the president Pylate in so cruelly tormentynge the son of god and openly with his mouth he confessyd Christe to be iuste and innocent whom the maliciouse Iues had falsly coÌ„dempned as vniuste and worthy death In lyke maner dyd his compaigney sayng the same with great feare wondre and so commyng to the knowlege of true fayth deseruyd forgyuenes of theyr errours and infidelitie by the merit of the prayer of Christ when he prayed for his crucifiers and sayd Father forgyue them they know nat what they doo Forth reason is for to confounde the heretikes And therefore saynt Hierom sayth Note here that Centurio a gentyll and pagane seyng Christe put to most shamefull death yet for all that seyng such Myracles confessyd Christ to be the son of god and Arrius a christen man And a prest or doctor in the churche of Christe dyd blaspheme Christe and say that he was a creature not the natural son of god Fyfth reason was for the informacion of vs christians Herunto sayth the holy pope Leo. Euery man shuld tremble and be afraed in y e remembraunce of the passion of his redemar Christ as Centurio was in y e syght therof the hard hertes of men shuld be broken as ware the stones and they that be buried in the custom of synne shuld cast away all obstacles customs or occasioÌ„s of syn and without tariyng aryse vp and com vnto the holy citie that is to the church there be reconsyled and so appere to many persones that they may se and know you truly risen from y e death of synne vnto the life of grace and so that which was doon corporally at the passion of Christe may now be doon spiritually in our hertes and soulys by the remembraunce of the same passion ¶ The .viii. Myracle THe .viii. Myracle was the very blode and very watre ranne out of Christes syde after his death For as the euangelist sayth Iudei auteÌ„ quoniam parasceue erat c. The Iues bycause it was the sabboth euen that the bodyes shuld not remayne and contynue vpon the crossys on the sabboth day for that sabboth day was an hygh day and solempne fest with them they I say besought Pylate that there legges myght be broken and so taken downe of the crosse The Iues dyd make this desire to Pylate for .iiii. causes of the which Symon de Cassia maketh mencion Fyrst for the reuerence of there festfull day It was a meruelouse supersticion of the Iues sayth he that thought y t theyr sabboth day shulde be violate and defoyled if the bodies of those which ware condempned to death shulde hyng that day vpon y e crosse but they had no conscience nor wold se the coÌ„taminacion and defoylyng of theyr owne soulys whiche for enuy condempned the innocent falsly to death Secondly it was for the vnquietnes of the people that the Iues alledged for them to Pilate y e reuerence of the sabboth day but in theyr hertes was hyd great malice for they pretendyd that they wold haue his body taken downe lesse the people shuld be truobled and vnquieted vpon the sabbot day which is a day of quietnes but it was for the great signes and miracles that ware shewed at his death and after his death and they thought that if the people shuld see the bodie hyng vpon y e crosse that therby they remembryng all these signes shuld shortly be mouyd to insurrection and agaynst them that condempned hym to death Thyrdly for that they wold haue no mo myracles shewed For they ware afrayd that if he contynued long vpon the crosse that there shulde haue ben many momyracles shewed Forthly they dyd it to auoyde perilles for they councelynge to gether decreyd wisely for them selfe corporally that the bodies of the deed persones condempned to death shulde not be suffred to hyng long for the auoydyng of many perillys that myght hap It is the custome of wyse gouernars of any coÌ„mynaltie to remoue or a voyde that person quicke or deed by whome they feare any troble to com And therfore the princes of the Iues desyred Pylate that theyr leggê myght be broken and so taken downe And then the sawgioures cam brake the leggê of the .ii. theuys that was as saynt Austen sayth y t they myght the more shortly dye and also for the commauÌ„dement of the lawe but when they cam to Iesus and se that he was deed all redy they brake nat his legges And that was for .ii. causes after Symon de Cassia Fyrst for verifiyng of the figure for here of we had a figure bifore in the paschall lambe of whom it was commauÌ„dyd that they shuld breake no bone of it Nat so to be vnderstand that that figure or commaundement was the cause that Christ bonys or legges ware nat broken but contrary wise bycause that god had so prouided that no bone shuld be broken in Christ therfore it was commaundyd and keapt in the paschall lambe that was a figure of Christe Secondly it was to
The Myrrour or Glasse of Christes Passion ⧠⧠⧠HH The Preface ¶ To the honorable lorde Husey My lorde accordyngly vnto your desyre I haue traÌ„slated your boke put it into our natyue mother tongue as my simple wit and power lernyng wold suffer me And though it be nat so well done as I surely knowe many other myght can haue done it if it wolde haue pleased your lordship to haue deâ—yred theÌ„ and if also it wold haue lyked them to haue taken that labour yet I trust I haue so done that it may be comforth to the readers hearers or at the leste I haue gyuen occasion to ordre to amend and performe that I rudely and barbarously set forward Surely my lorde the chyefe cause of this my labour was for that I thought this boke shulde be moche profytable to the readers and edefyeng to all that wolde diligently hear it And to say the treuth I know no thynge more comfortable to man For amonges all the exercyses that helpe the spirite to obteyne the loue of god and specially to hym y t wolde begyn vse a spiritual lyfe no thynge is thought always more frutful thaÌ„ the continnal meditacion of the passion of our lorde god Iesus Christ for the exercyses of all other spirituall meditacions may be reduced and brought vnto this As by an example If a man desyre to bewayll and weape for his vices and synnes for his vnkyndnes and vilenes if he couit to purge amend his negligence defautes he shall fynde none more vehement and redy meane to pricke hym forwarde to his intent than to remembre the most innoceÌ„t death and passion of his redeamer that is to consyder what bitter paynes he suffred for man to spare and kepe man from payne eternall wherafter Iustice he shulde haue rather dampned man for his synnes And here man may see both the Iustice and also the mercy of god Man may coÌ„syder in hym selfe the great mercy of god in that god wold forgyue and ê‘don hym of his synnes He may also perceiue the iustice of god in his owne synnes whiche god dyd correcte punysshe accordyng to iustice in hym selfe bycause he wold nat suffre theÌ„ vnpunished And thus in this meditacion man may fynde how to weape and mourne for his synnes for the which the son of god was bet wouÌ„dyd and crucified and all that god suffred to cure man of his synnes kepe hym from eternall payne Here may also man bewayle his owne vnkyndnes consyderyng how vnkyndly he rendreth to so faythfull a louer so many yuell dedes contrary to goddes pleasure and also dayly contemptes and despysynges for his tendre loue and kyndnes and for his manyfolde gyftes which man dayly receyueth of hym Morouer this coÌ„templacion of the death of Christ indureth man both to hope and to fear wherby he may be releaued of two temptacyons â—or if the enormitie of his synnes moue any man to dispaire he hathe here in this exercise wherby to put away his synnes and to make satisfactioÌ„ for them he hath here wherof to redeme hiÌ„selfe y t is y e blode deth of his lorde god therfore he nede nat to feare his synnes if he so ordre hym selfe y t he dye with Christ dye I say from synne and ryse in a new lyfe And on the other parte it man be vexed by presumpcion or vayne lyghtnes and myrth without the fear of god he hath here how to abate his vayne myrth coÌ„syderyng how that heueÌ„ was shyt from the moste holy frendes of god by many yeres ye aboue .iiii. thousand yeres and how that the glory of god was denyed to maÌ„ or at the least differred by so many yeres vnto the tyme that our lorde and sauiour Iesus whiche neuer dyd synne suffred death for our synne so that no maÌ„ may come to that glory but by payne thus shall mannes vayne myrth be put downe If peraduenture man be dull and slouthfull to all goodnes where shall he haue a more spedy remedy to pricke forwarde his dulnes than to coÌ„sydre how his lorde god moste pure innocent man suffred so greuouse paynes for hym Some man wold peraduenture exercise him selfe in his owne knowlege and so to come to meknes But I pray you where shall he haue a better occasion therunto thaÌ„ to ponder and way the difformite and great difference of his owne study and labour and shortly the ordre of his hole lyfe and of the labour lyfe of Iesus Christ that is remembre man howe coÌ„trarie thy lyfe is to his wyl pÌ„ceptes how vnlike to his vertues how farre froÌ„ his ensaÌ„ples remeÌ„bre maÌ„ how frayle thou art redy to fal how vnstable in all thy good purposes how vnredy or rather loth to folowe thy lorde howe vnapte to all goodnes As euery man may dayly se in hym selfe Forthermore if maÌ„ wold be enflamed to loue god where may he haue better help than by this exercise for if it be natural to rendre loue for loue and the loue of god was neuer more openly shewed to man than in his redemption that is in the passion and death of our redeamer Christ Iesus it is than manifest that by this remembraunce of his passion a man is moste strongly excited and moued to loue god And if man desyre to be pricked forward in that loue let hym remembre the benefites of god which be as signes tokens of his loue And these benefites most euidently appere in his passion as ye shall more clerely se in this boke At last if man desyre that all his lyfe be continuall and perpetuall prayer and that he wold haue his herte euer lyfted vp to god and his deuotion or feruour euer renewed he shal neuer get it more easly than by the remembraunce of the lyfe and passion of his lorde god for there he may haue in euery worde acte behauiour and paine that Christ spake dyd vsed and suffred how to be compuncte and sory in hert how to be conforted in spirite For in the consyderation of them now he may wepe by compassion Now by gyuyng thankes he may haue swete affections Nowe he may desyre to be confourmed vnto hym and to his wyl Now he may labour and wysshe to be holly transfourmed into hym Thus may man go from one exercise vnto an other to auoyde tediousnes and so euer to be iÌ„ prayer And shortly to coÌ„clude there is no kynde of spirituall exercise but that it may be founde in the lyfe passion of Christ or els by moste pleantuouse fruyte it may be reduced and applied to it And this shall better appere in the fyrst parte of this boke the thyrde ê‘tycle Nowe my lorde I haue shewed what was the pryncypall cause mouyng me to accoÌ„plysh your desyre and if I may perceyue that ye or ony other take profyt therby I shall gyue prayses to god from whom all goodnes commeth and I beseache iour lorship to pray
e passion of Christ And that v. maner of wise First in our vnderstandyng secoÌ„dly in our wyl loue and affection thirdly in our actes and operation fourtly in our pouerty and necessityes fyftly in our reprouynges or dispisinges First I say we shuld fele the passion of Christe in our vnderstandyng or reason so that we dilygenly and with attencion fourme our thoughtes accordyngly vnto the paynes passion of Christe Hereunto we be moued by the wordes of the prophet sayng in the person of Christe crucified O vos omnes qui transitis per viam attendite et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus O all ye that passe thorough the way of this worlde take hede that is thynke with a diligeÌ„t attent mynde and depely coÌ„sider if there be any sorowe lyke vnto my sorowe And this is done truely and faythfully when the passion of Christ is remeÌ„bred rather with an attent mynde cogitation than with deuotion For cogitation hath his signification name of abidyng tarieng or ellê coÌ„straynynge after some doctours For asmoche as in such cogitatyons whan reason vnderstaÌ„dyng hath nat that gyft grace of knowlege that it wolde haue it is coÌ„strayned to abyde tary reuolue it in his cogitation vnto the tyme y t he hath goteÌ„ some perceyuyng therof And of this coÌ„straynyng speketh saynt Barnarde saynge let the outwarde senses be gathered to gether in one and coÌ„strayned or subdewed vnder the discipline and rule of the good wyll And so kepte vnder with the burden of good werkes and made obedient to the seruice of the spirite that in no meanes they be suffered to come at large at theyr sensuall pleasure Of this diligent kepynge of our thoughtes speketh also our lord in his lawe saynge Caue ne vnquam obliuiscaris domini dei tui qui eduxit te de terra Egipti Beware that thou neuer forget thy lorde god whiche hath delyuered the from the thraldome that thou had in the lande of Egipte that is from the thraldome of the deule by the merites of his glorious passion We may alwayes thynke of this benefite though we can nat at al tymes deuoutly remembre it And therfore to remembre or thynke euer of god we be constrayned by his coÌ„maundement But to remembre hym with deuotion we be nat bounde for deuotion is onely of the speciall grace of god which is nat in our power And therfore we be exhorted taught to continue the remembrauÌ„ce of god and of his coÌ„maundmentes saynge Meditaberis ea sedens in domo tua et ambulans in itinere dormiens atque consurgens er ligabis ea quasi signum in manu tua et mouebunt ante oculos tuos scribesque ea in limine et in ostijs domus tue Thou shalt sayth Moyses in the name of our lorde remembre them that is the coÌ„maundmentes and benefytes of god sittynge in thy house and walkynge in thy iourney slepynge and rysyng or at thy downe lyenge and vp risynge and thou shal tye and fasten them vnto the as a signe or a marke in thy hand and they shal be euer before thyn eyne or syght and thou shalt wrytte them in the postes doores of thy house And though these wordes in the litterall sense ben spoken of the .x. coÌ„maundmentes of god yet we may so moche the more conueniently applye them to the remeÌ„braunce of the passion of our lord for asmoche as it was more to our profite and comforth that our lord god wolde suffre deth and passion for our redeÌ„pcion than y t he gaue to vs his commauÌ„dmeÌ„tes And also that is the law ordre of y e benefites of god that more that they be ê“fitable to vs the more we shulde remeÌ„bre them Therfore al the articles or particular paines of the passion of our lord shuld be diligeÌ„tly gadred to geder coÌ„mend to memory accordyng to the wordes of our sauiour sayng Colligite fragmenta ne pereant Gather vp to gether the fragmeÌ„tes that is the ê‘ticular paynes of his passion and put theÌ„ to gider as it were in a litel fagot so coÌ„meÌ„de them to memory lesse they perisshe from your herttê by forgetfulnes iÌ„ this maner dyd y e spouse as we rede in the canticles where as she sayd Fasciculus miâ—re dilectus meus michi inter vbera mea commorabitur My dere beloued spouse is to me as a lytell fagot of myrre he shall abyde in my herte memory Saynt Barnarde declarynge this same text sayth in this maner Brethern this hath ben myne accustomable maner fro my firste conuersion I haue ben diligent to gather a lytell fagot of myrre the which I put in to my bosome as a tresure to recoÌ„pence for the great hepe of merites that I shulde haue had but my vnkyndnes to god is suche that I want suche merites and therfore I say I was dilygent to gather to me a lytell fagot of mirre of al the paynes and affliccions of my lord and sauiour Iesu fyrste of his great pouertye necessitye and affliccion or paynes that he suffred in his yong and tender age after that of his great labours that he had in preachynge his fatigation and werynes in goyng about frome cyte to cyte frome towne to towne frome cuntrye to cuntrye his continuall watche in prayer his temptacions in his fastyng his wepynges and teares in compassion of the miserable people the disceites and craftes of the scribes and phariseys that lye in a wayt of hym to take hym in a trype with some defaute in his coÌ„municacyon or speche and laste of the parylles and daungers that he was in amonges his awne nacion frendes of his rebukes mockes scornes dispises spittynges buffetynges betinges scurgyngê with al other that he suffred for our saluacion Of al the whiche is there plentuously made mencion in the foure euangelystes these thinges to remeÌ„bre sayth saint Barnarde I recounted for wisdome In these thynges I set the perfeccion of my iustyce in these stode all my cunnynge knowlege in these I put the ryches of my helth and thaboundaunce of my merites of these somtyme I dranke a draught of holsome bytternes or peynaunce in these agayne I receyued the swete vnction of consolacyon These thynges done strength me also erecte me in aduersityes they represse me and kepe me meke in prosperityes they gyde me and lede me by a sure way in this lyfe where as is nowe sorowe nowe ioye nowe pleasure nowe payne so that Ider nat go out of the ryght way aslonge as I folowe them ¶ Howe we shulde fele Christes passyon in our loue wyll and affeccion The seconde Chapitre SEcondly we shuld fele I sayd the passion of Christ in our wyl desire loue affeccion For this passion which hither to hath ben onely remeÌ„bred in our thoughtes vnderstandynge if we wyl ê“fit it must procede in to our affeccion so that it be nat onely remembred in our thoughtes
but that also the deuotion of the remeÌ„berer be enflamed by loue in his wyl And suerly yf our vnderstandynge do his diligence in the remembraunce of the said passion it shall shortly moue our affection And so the passion of our lord shall nat onely in our cogitacions be remeÌ„bred but also it shal inflame your wyl by compassion pitye Wherunto we be admonysshed by our lord saynge Pone me vt signaculum super cor tuum Put me sayth our lord as a seale vpon thy herte A seale as ye knowe if it be iÌ„prynted in to wax it leaueth in it his image So our lord wolde that his passion shuld be so imprinted in our hertes nat onely be ofte remembraunce but also by deuoute compassion that the prynt and image therof abyde in our affection and feruent desyre so that as Iesus Christe was made reed and blody on the crosse so our deuocion in vs may be made reed and feruent by the vertue of compassion And hereunto we be counselled by the wordes of Moyses saing Sumes de sanguine vituli et pones super coâ—nua altaris That thou shal take of the blode of the calf signifieng the blode of Christe and thou shal put it vpon the corners of the aulter that is vpon thy thoughtê affections with feruent remembrauÌ„ce of the blode of Christe And so we shal fulfyll the admonition of saynt Paule saynge as I sayde before Hoc sentite in vobis quod et in Christo Iesu Feale in your self that Christe Iesu felt And thus we may feele hym in our soule .ii. maner of wayes First by the bitter affection of compassion and that is when we remembre the passion of Christe with so great compassion that it bringeth forth of vs most bytter teares so y t suche a deuoute soule may say with the wise man O mors quam amara est me moria tua O deth howe bitter and sorowfull is thy remeÌ„braunce and specially the remembrauÌ„ce of the deth of Christe Secondly we may feele hym in our hertes or soules by the moste swete and pleasaunt affection of deuotion and that is when we remembre most inwardly depely the great loue and charite of Christ that wolde suffer so greuous paynes and shamefull dethe for so vyle wretches and vnkynde as we be And so this deuout remeÌ„brauÌ„ce bringeth forth of vs most swete teares of deuotion So that we may say that is writen in the boke of Iudith Fontes aquarum ob dulcorati sunt That is the bitter fountayns ben made swete and delectable A figure herof we rede in scripture where as our lord commaunded to Moyses to put a tree that was both longe and bitter in to the water that was so bitter that no man culde drynk therof and so therby the waters were made swet and delectable What is signified by this water but the passion of our lord which is so bitter and paynful that no man may taste therof And by this long and bitter tree is signified the longe and continual remembraunce Whiche if it be ioyned and put to the passion of our lord it shal make it swete and pleasaunt so that the more we taste of it by deuout remeÌ„braunce the more delectable it shal be to vs. And therfore our holy mother the churche sayth in a certen hympne Dulce lignum dulces clauos dulce pondus sustinet That is The swete tree of the crosse susteyneth and bereth a swete burden nayled fast with swete nayles For that whiche was most bitter and paynfull to our sauiour Iesu in his passion somtyme is moste delectable and comfortable to vs in our deuoute meditations These two maners of teares that is bitter and swete sprynge out of this deuout affection of the passion of our lorde And hereunto speaketh saynt Barnarde as we sayd a fore In the remeÌ„braunce of the paynes that my sauiour Iesu sufferd for me I drynke somtyme a draught of holsome bitternes And somtyme agayne I receyue the pleasaunt vnction or oyntment of deuoute consolation ¶ Howe we shuld fele Christes passion in our actes and dedes The thyrde Chapitre THyrdly we shulde fele the paynes of Christe in our effectes and outward operations That lyke as the deuout remembraunce of Christes passion enflameth our affection and loue inwardly so it myght appere be shewed outwardly in our warkes and lyuing Hereunto we be couÌ„seled by the wyse men sayng Prepara foris opus tuum That is to say Suche deuotion as thou haste inwardly conceyued by affection and loue let it be shewed outwardly in thy dedes For as saynt Gregore sayth the dede outwardly done is a sufficient argumeÌ„t or proue of the inwarde loue So by the inwarde loue of man is shewed or knowen his inwarde compassion Also it is writen in the seconde boke of the kynges Omnia que habes in corde tuo fac quoniam dominus tecum est As if he shulde say what so euer good thynge thou hast conceyued in thy hert shewe it outwarde in thy dedes Also it is writen in Exodo Fac secundum exemplar quod tibi monstratum est in monte Performe in thy lyuynge that goodnes whiche thou receyued of god in thy soule And therfore our lorde sayth to vs in his gospel Si quis vult venire post me abneget semetipsum et tollat crucem suam quotidie If any man wyll be my disciple and cum after me let hym denye hym selfe that is forsake his owne wyl and pleasure and take his own crosse that is put his owne body to payne and that dayly For we must coÌ„tinue in penaunce and so folowe Christe in our lyuyng outwardly and nat onely inwardly and hereto saith saint Paule Ostentionem caritatis vestre ostendite in faciem ecclesie That is shewe your good wyl and charitie openly in the face of the churche that is in our werkes in our dedes And saynt Peter sayth Christus passus est pro nobis relinquens exemplum vt s equamini eum Christ hath suffered paynes and deth for vs gyuynge vs example to folowe hym he doth nat say that we shulde haue a wyll desyre only to folowe hym but he sayth playnly that Christe hath left vnto vs an example that we shulde folowe hym in our dedes in sufferynge paynes as he dyd And then it myght be truely sayd of vs that we fele in our selfe that Christe felte whan he suffere lyke paynes as Christe suffred so that by suche sharpe penaunce and harde laboures our bodyes be subdued and our blode minysshed And so the sayng of scripture may be verifyed in vs Effudit sanguinem belli in pace He hath shed the blode of battell in the tyme of peace They do shed the blode of battell in the tyme of peace which by sharp penaunce great bodyly labours so subdue theyr bodyes that theyr blode is moche minisshed and theyr face made pale Suche maner of exercises of the
that soule is seke that forgetteth the worde of god herde of the preacher But as that person is in peryll of dethe that can nat receyue or kepe his meate so he is in peryll of eternall dethe that doth nat remeÌ„bre and lyue accordyngly to the spiritual food of the soule Also saynt Barnarde sayth It may be thought that that person shal be eternally dampned by the ryghtuous iudgmeÌ„t of god that in this tyme of grace is vnkynde vnto Christes passion and therfore vnworthy the frute therof ¶ The .ix. profit Ingeniorum illuminat ceciâ—atem IT is also an oyntment to oynt the blynde yen of our soule â–ª and herunto sayth IohnÌ„ in his Apocalipse Collirio â—â—â—unge oculos tuos vt videas Anoynte the yene of thy soule with the blode of Christe that thou myghtest se And saynt Barnarde sayth There is nothynge of so great efficacitie and vertue to purge and quycken the syght of our soule as is the continuall and diligent remeÌ„braunce of the woundes and passion of Christ And therfore sayd saynt Paule Non iudicaui me scire aliquid inter vos nisi Iesum Christum et hunc crucifixum I iudged thoght my selfe to knowe nothynge but Iesus Christe crucifyed So saynt Laurence by the signe of y e crosse dyd gyue syght vnto them that were blynde and so coÌ„uerted them vnto the light of the faith ¶ The meditation of the passion of Christe doth gyue vnto the remembrer thre maner of knowledges Fyrst is the knowledge of god for therby we knowe what mercy and charitie he hath to vs Secondly therby we knowe ourselfe for by it we se manifestlie of what dignytie and howe precious our soules be in the syght of god sithe that our sauiour Iesu god and man wolde put hym selfe to the deth for to redeme our soules The thyrde knowledge is of synne for therby we knowe moste manifestlie howe moche god the father dyd hate synne syth for the destruction therof he wolde nat spare his natural and onely sonne but gaue hym to the dethe for to destroy synne ¶ The .x. profit Iustorum letificat mortalitatem IT maketh a man redy and glade to dye And therfore saint Paule bearynge the signes and tokens of the woundes of our lorde Iesu Christe in his bodye sayde Cupio dissolui et esse cum Christo mihi viuire Christus est et mori lucrum I couit to be dissolued and separate from this bodye and so to be with Christ I lyue here in Christe and for to magnifie Christe and to dye it shuld be great auauntage and profit to me So saynt Andrew went gladly to the dethe of the crosse saynge Hayle holy crosse take me from the compaigney of mortal men and rendre or gyue me to my maister Christe that he by the myght receyue me that by the bought and redemed me Also I rede how that a certen pagane and tyrante meruaylynge how that the Christians myght suffer so great tormentes and paynes and why they went so gladly vnto the deth It was answered to hym by the brother of saynt Victor howe that they haue the remembraunce of the passion of Christe imprinted in theyr hert and therfore remeÌ„bryng what he suffred for them they with great gladnes suffer all paynes deth for his name and loue And the iudge heryng this answere commauÌ„ded to put hym to deth and after that his bodye to be opened and his hert drawen out and so to be kut and deuided and therin they founde the forme and shappe of the crosse and the crucifix most subtilie and curiously made of synewes and vaynes ¶ The .xi. profit Lesorum reconsiliat contrarietatem THe meditation of the passion of Christ reconsileth enemis and induceth a man to the loue of god and of his neghbor And so our lorde sayde in the gospell Si exaltatus â—ueâ—o a terra omnia traham ad meipsum If I be exalted from the erth signifienge therby his crucifieng I shall drawe all thynges vnto me by my loue Also saynt Paule sayth Pacificans per sanguinem crucis siue que in terris siue que in celis sunt He dyd reconsile and pacifie by his blode that he shedde on the crosse both those thyngê that were in erth and those that were in heuens He that feruently remeÌ„breth the passion of Christe is all drawen in to the loue of god and in to the loue of his neighbor And therfore saynt Barnard saith O swete Iesu the cuppe of passion that thou dranke for vs doth cause the to be loued of vs aboue all thyngê There is nothynge that moueth vs so moche to the loue of god as the passion of Christe in the whiche he more laboured and suffred more payne and had more contradiction then in the creation of all the worlde For in his passion and the acte of our redemption some dyd contrarie hym in his wordes some dyd ley in a wayt to take hym with a defaut in his actes dedes some dyd scorne mocke hym in his tormentes and paynes and some dyd rebuke hym on the crosse at his dethe Wherfore who so euer feruently doth remembre this passion of Christ is drawen and reuysshed vnto the loue of Christe god man and so coÌ„sequently he is drawen vnto the loue of his neighbor for y e one can nat be had without y e other ¶ The .xii. profit Meritorum recompensat exiguitatem IT also encreaseth our merites herunto speaketh saynt Austen saynge What so euer grace of merites or goodnes that I want I do vsurpe and take it vnto my comforth of the woundes of my sauiour Iesu Christe for great mercy flowethe from hym nor theyr wanteth no conduites by the whiche they may flowe vnto me Those pyâ—pes and conduites ben the woundes of my sauiour Christe whiche be full of mercy ful of pitie swetnes and charitie And hereof we may perceyue fyrst that this meditation suppleyth in vs that grace and those good meritorious dedes whiche other wyse we be negligent to laboure for ¶ Secondely it may appere that there is no penaunce that may be compared to this inwarde and feruente meditation And therfore sayth that greate lerned doctor Albertus Magnus that this meditation is more profitable than that a man shulde fast one hole yere in breade and water or that euery day by one hole yere he shulde say one hole Dauid psalter or if he shulde discipline and scourge hym selfe euery day vnto the effusion of his blode And no meruayll for without the passion of Christe all our actes and dedes ben vnprofitable as sayth the mayster of the sentence Distinc 16. libro tertio ¶ The .xiii. profit NocumeÌ„torum fugat inopinabilitatem THis meditation of the passion of Christe doth preserue a man from many perylles that may come sodenly before we haue any consideration or knowledge of them Herunto it is writen in the Apocalipse that our lorde coÌ„maunded by his aungell to certen aungelles
apostles Peter and Poule whiche suffred deth vnder the moste cruell Iudge Nero. Also in saynte Laurence whiche by the moste wycked tyraunt Decyus was put to deth and so of many other holy sayntes The second lesson is this that we shulde depely remember al our euyllê that we haue done and so present our conscyence before the hye Iudge Christ and also before his vycar here in erth our curate to be duely examyned for our sauyour Christe disdeyned not to be examined before the pryncys of the preestes the scribes the seniours of the Iues. And pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me most vnkynd wretch wold be sent from Annas vnto Caiphas also wold be examined before hym graunt to me I beseche the for y e loue of thy name that I feare not the iudgement of euyll persones and also that I may appere in thy syght with a good and pure conscience Amen ¶ Of the bryngynge furth of false testimonie agaynst Christe The .xiii. article THe .xiii. article is of the saynges of .ii. fals witnesses For whan Christe stode before Caiphas the hyghe prince of prestes and all the counsaile there gathered dyd serche to haue false testimony against Iesus that by some colour they myght put hym to death and yet they coulde fynde none conuenient wytnes thoughe many false witneshes were brought forth then at laste there came two false witneshes of the whiche Symon de cassia sayth The counsell of the Iues saughte for testimonie agaynst Chryst that vnder the colour of iustyce they myght put hym to deth whome they persued of pure enuy but they laboured to cloke the crueltye and enuy of theyr myndes with y e cloke of iustyce and therfore they saught for false witnes And here note that it is to the hyghe laude and prayse of Christ that they could not fynd the leste thynge that he was culpable in or to be reproued and note wele that it is wryten Falsum testimonium They saughte for false testimonie for they myght neuer fynde true wytnesse agaynst hym But at last two false wytnes came furth and sayd we herd hym say I may distroy this temple of god that is here made in .iii. dayes buyld an other temple By this testimonie they intended to proue that Christ wolde vsurpe vnto hym the power of god as if he were god but these two were false witneshes for they chaunged the wordes of Christe and also his sense and vnderstandynge The wordes of Christe were these Soluite templum hoc et in tribus diebus excitabo illud That is dissolue this temple that is kyll or sley this bodye of myne and in thre dayes I shall rayse it vp agayne He ment of the temple of his body and they spake of the material temple in Hierusalem and therfore they added in theyr testimony Templum hoc manufactum This temple made by the hand of man whiche wordes Christ spake not and therfore they bare false witneshe agaynst hym and that dyd not a lytell hurte or greue Christ What man is he that wyl not be sory to be falsly accused though he as euery man is be mutable and many thynges do offende Howe moche more then shulde Christe be sorye to be falsly accused syth he in nothynge can offende for he is the essencyal treuth of god and the selfe god in substance Here saint Anselme in his boke called Cur deus homo merueylynge of the mischeuouse mynde that the Iues had so to procure the death of Christ answereh to hym selfe instructe by the spirite of god and sayth I thynke that there is none other cause of theyr malyce towardes Christe but that he continually and stably keapt truthe and iustyce both in his dayly speache in his teachynge and also in his lyuynge And contrary wyse the Iues were euell false vniuste and craftye or disceytefull for the whiche Christe sharplye rebuked them and therfore they procured his deth for they wold haue none to lyue that shulde be better than they lesse that they shulde then be reputed as synfull men and so suffer great shame and rebuke This counsel was spoken of by the holy patriarche Iacob sainge Simeon et Leui fratres vasa iniquitatis bellantia c. Symeon and Leny brretherne armed or feyghtynge vesselles of iniquitie I wolde that my soule or lyfe came not in to theyr handes power or counsell And of this text the ordinerye glose sayth that the bysshoppes preestes were of the tribue or stocke of Leni and the scribes for the more partie were of the stocke of Symeon ¶ Here folowe a lesson OF this article we may take this doctrine that we shulde hate and abhorre all false testimony also all falsnesse and lyes for Christe by false testimonye and by lyes was condempned to deth and as ofte as we speake false witnes agaynst our neyghbour we condempne Christe vnto the death asmoche as is in vs. And howe abhominable this synne is Isydore in his boke De summo bono sheweth saynge He that beareth false witnes offendeth agaynst thre persons that is agaynste god whome he contemneth by his swearynge and breakynge of his commaundement Also agaynst the iudge whome by his lyeng he disceyueth And thyrdly agaynst the innocent whom he hurteth by his false testimonie ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde for me be blamed of the Iues and by theyr false testimonie accused graunt to me that I neuer blame or rebuke man for the nor falsely that I accuse any person and also that I pacyently suffer all false accusacyons for thy honour and glorye Amen ¶ Of the blasphemy imputed to Christe The .xiiii. article THe .xiiii. article is the false imposicyon of blasphemy vnto Christe Cayphas the cheyfe prynce of the preestê and the highe bysshop for that yere seyng that Christ wold not speake or answere to theyr false accusacyons And that suche testimonies as was spoken agaynste hym were not sufficyent for his condempnacyon He was gretly troubled bycause I say he coulde fynde no cause wherin he myghte accuse hym iustly condempne hym and then he so kyndled with wroth in a great furye of mynd he arose vp with great inpacyence from his seate of dignitie and sayd vnto Iesus Nihil respondes ad eaque isti aduersum te testificaÌ„tur Wyl thou not answere vnto such causes as these persons lay agaynst the By the inordinate mouynge of his bodye he made knowen the furye of his mynde as Bede sayth where as temperance and grauitye beseameth a prelate and a iudge both in his wordes dedes and gesture And as Symon de Cassia saythe Cayphas rose vp for vnquyetenes of mynde and so by his cruell mynde he was made higher then hym selfe for a man standynge is hygher than whan he is syttyng he prouoked Christ to answere nor for the intent that he wolde beleaue his answere or take his excuse but hearynge his answere he myght peruert it and take therof
the Iues that they of theyr owne auctoritye wolde bynde Christe nor yet conuicte before the iudge thoughte that they hadde some greate cause agaynst Christe and therfore he asked of them what cause they layde agynste hym And then they answered Si non esset hic malefactor non tibi tradidissemus eum If this persone were not a mysordred lyuer we wolde not haue delyuered hym to the As if they hadde sayde after Symon de Cassya we be not moued of enuye nor yet styrrede of haytred Nor yet we haue bene hastye in this dede before that we delyuered hym to the we dyscussed hys cause we se his euyll dedes we knowe his myscheuous tongue there is nothynge that compellethe vs to delyuer hym vnto the to be iudged coÌ„dempned by the but his euyl dedes Also addyng this we haue examined him in our wise and lerned counsell and there we haue founde hym worthy to dye wherfore it is not nedeful to haue any further examinacyon Thus these malicyous Iues dyd iustify them self before the iuge that they myght the more spedely coÌ„dempne the innocent Pilate soÌ„what moued or despleased with theyr answere bicause he knew that they accused Christ for enuy onely that they had to Christe and therfore thynkyng that they wold not shewe what cause they had against hym for bycause he had offended against theyr law therfore I sayd Pilate wold not punish him but remitted hym to theyr punisshmeÌ„t which was onely to be beaten not to inner deth And so Pylate sayd to them Accipite eum vos et secuÌ„dum legem vestram iudicate eum Take you christ and iudge him after your lawe as if he shuld say If your examinacyon be sufficient then iudge you hym and condempne hym for I wyll condempne no man without a cause proued before me And this also he spake mockynge them for he knewe well that they myght condempne no man to deth then the Iues sayd to hym Nobis non licet interficere quemquam we may sley no man for that auctoritie was taken from them by the emperour of Rome And here sayth saynte Austen If he be so a mischeuous person as ye say why may ye not sley hym if ye may not sley hym for your solempne feeste of pasche why do ye crye and saye crucifye hym crucifye hym Pylate perceyuing by theyr wordes that they wold not be coÌ„tent with any small punisshement of Chryste but that they wolde haue hym slayne he wolde nedes heare the cause why he shulde dye And then they perceyued that Pylate was angrye began to accuse Chryste falsely in many thynges of the whiche onelye thre we rede in Luke And so the Iues sayde Hunc inuenimus subuertentem gentem nostram c. we founde thys persone subuertynge our people from our lawe Also forbyddyng the peple to pay tribute to the emperoure And saynge hym selfe to be Chryste and our kynge But these accusacyons were al false And therfore they sayde Inuenimus we haue founde hym for that was onely in theyr owne malicyous hartes for it was not truthe in dede but onelye theyr owne ymagynacyon and inuencyon For he whiche came to fulfyll the lawe and not to breke it dyd not subuert the people from y e lawe Nor he dyd not subuert them but rather coÌ„uerted them to goodnes whom he taught y e truth nor he dyd forbyd y e people to pay tribute to y e emperour for he said openly pay or reÌ„der tho thyngê to y e emperour whiche be his and gyue to god that apperteyneth to hym â–ª And also he payd tribute for hym selfe and also for Peter and where he sayd hym selfe to be Christe the kynge he sayd truthe but yet he wolde not take vpon hym his kyngdome in this worlde and so he was falsely accused and that not withstandynge he wolde not answere one worde for his excuse And therfore Pylate sayd to hym Non audis quanta aduersum te dicunt testimonia Doyst not thou heare what and howe many accusacyons they brynge agaynst the And Iesus answeredâ— not one word in the presence of the Iues in so moche that Pylate moche merueyled therat And specyally seynge that the Iues vnresonably and with great turmoyle and with importunitye requyred his death but Christ for all that wolde not answer remembrynge the sayenge of the wyseman Vbi non est auditus non effundes sermonem Speake not where as is no conuenient audience Then Pylate entred in to the motehall bycause he myght more quietely examyn hym frome the turmoyle and noyse of the people and there lityll regardynge the firste accusacyon whiche was concernyng theyr lawe nor yet the seconde accusacyon for he reputed that to be false for parauenture he had hard before howe Christ said gyue to the emperour that is his therfore he onely examined hym in the thyrde cause saynge Tu es â—ex iudeorum Arte thou the kyng of Iues as if he shulde say is it true that the Iues saye of the that thou woldest vsurpe and take vpon the the name of a kynge contrarie to the decree and statute of the emperour of Rome for the emperour had taken froÌ„ the Iues y e name of a kyngdome that they shulde haue no kyng and that was to breke theyr pryde and to take from them all occasyon of rebellyon Then Iesus said to Pylate A temetipso hoc dicis an alii tibi dixeruÌ„t de me Spekes thou this of thyne own mynd or other persons haue spoken this to the of me shewyng by these wordes y t Pylate dyd not folowe the order of y e lawe as if he shuld say if thou knowe y t I haue taken vpon me the name of a kyng shew openly y e signes or actes of my rebellyon if onely thou herest this of oder ê‘sons make ordynary inquisition cause theÌ„ to bryng in witnes Then pylate answered I am no Iue and therfore I speke it not of my self thy people thy bisshoppê haue delyuered y e vnto me whiche shulde defeÌ„ce the but it semeth that y u hast greatly offeÌ„ded theÌ„ that they so obstinatly do accuse the what hast y u done Iesus answered RegnuÌ„ meuÌ„ noÌ„ est de hoc muÌ„do my kyngdom is not of this world so he denyes not to be a kyng for he is y e kyng of kingê and lorde of lordes if my kyngdome were of this worlde my ministres and seruantes wolde feyght for me defend me then Pylate said Ergo thou arte a kynge And Iesus answered Tu dicis Thou sayst so as if he sayd it is as thou sayst for I am a kynge and that thou shuldest knowe the condicyon of my kyngdome for that cause I was borne temporally into this worlde and for that cause I came into this worlde that I might bere testimony and witnes to the truthe and who so euer is the chylde or louer of truth he hereth my voyce Of these wordes
and ydle lyfe but that I may euer please the with my good and quyete maners and lyuynge Amen ¶ Howe Pylate dyd shewe Christe scourged vnto the Iues. The .xxxix. article THe .xxxix. article is the shewyng of Christe so pitiouslye arayed vnto the Iues for after that the saugiours had so miserably entreated our sauyour Christe Pylate toke Iesus and went forth vnto the people of the Iues said to theÌ„ Ecce adduco euÌ„ vobis foras vt cognoscatis quia nullaÌ„ iÌ„ eo inuenio causaÌ„ Behold sayd Pilate I bryng him forth to you thus punisshed for your wordes and to certifye you that I fynde no maner of cause of deth in hym therfore he thus correct and punisshed I shall dimisse hym And here sayth Symon de Cassia Pylate sayd that he found no cause of death in Christ wherby he excludeth all crimes from Christe for he bryngeth in an vniuersall negation that is no cryme I fynde in Christ and this he dyd for to shewe his diligeÌ„ce for the deliuerance of Christ And morouer Pylate dyd brynge forth Christe in the same habyt and aray as he was illuded and mocked of the saugiours and that was for the intent that the Iues seing hym so miserably and shamfully arayed shulde cease of theyr malice towardes Christ And also Pylate shewed Christ to the Iues on that maner knowynge that they wolde be very glad to se Christe thus dispysed and punisshed and also supposyng y t therby they content wolde no more speake of his deth for this cause Pylate dyd scourge Christ and shewed hym to the Iues and therfore the euangelist sayth Exiuit ergo Iesus portans spineam coronam et purpureum vestimentum Iesus came forth hauyng a crowne of thornes and a purpull robe and also a rede in his hande for a scepter Behold here a lamentable spectacle Iesus went forth as saynte Austen sayth in a kynges ornamentes not glorious and shynyng in his apparell but full of obprobry and confusyon And therfore Pylate sayd to the Iues Ecce homo Beholde this is a man as yf he shulde haue sayd after saynt Austen If ye haue enuy to hym bycause he called hym selfe a kynge nowe spare hym haue pytie vpon hym for ye nowe se hym lyke to no kynge but shamefullye and miserably deiecte lyke a moste miserable wretch for he scourged crowned with thornes mocked in a kynges ornamentes despysed with many rebukes and bet or smyten with many strokes therfore sith ye se hym thus dispised let 〈◊〉 enuy wax colde or cease But for all these theyr enuy nothynge decreased but rather encreased and waxed more hote and feruent Se howe great is the malice of the Iues that hereby wolde not cease of the procurynge of the deth of Christe theyr obstinate wickednes wold not be relented with mercye And among all the other illusions this was more payne to Christ that is that his deedly enemyes shuld se hym so dispytefully arayed of the saugiours of y e which syght they had no lytyl ioy and yet they were not content with this syght knowyng that Pilate wold haue so delyuered Christ to his libertie but they hauynge no compassion of Christe nor yet coÌ„tent with the excusacyon of Pylate cried out with a lowd voyce and also moued other to crye sayng Crucify hym crucifye hym c. as in the next article ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne to haue Christ thus illuded and mocked euermore in our remembraunce so that we neuer vaynly reioyse in our outwarde garment habite or apparel for our lorde god was mocked and scorned in his apparell And specyally religious persons ought to folowe Christe in this thyng for they represent Christ thus illuded and mocked in theyr habyt and tonsure for the habyt of a religiouse person is a vyle thynge despysed and mocked of the worldlye people The tonsure or crowne of the religious person doth represent y e crowne of thornes And also in olde tyme religious men as monkes were wont to beare staues or styckes in theyr handes whiche dyd represente the rede that Christe had in his hande and as Christe disdeyned not to be brought forth and shewed to the Iues in that scornfull habite so religious persons shulde not be ashamed of theyr vyle habit nor to folow Christ which was dispised in this kyngê aray And herunto saynte Paule sayth Spectaculum facti sumus muÌ„do We that despyse the worlde be made a mocken stocke vnto the worlde and neuer so moche as in these dayes our lorde sende vs pacyence and lyghten the soules of the dispysers ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde be shewed and presented vnto the Iues in so scornfull and dispitefull aray graunt me to auoyde all ostentation of vayne glorie and to appere before the at thy iudgement in suche aray as shall stande with thy fauour ¶ Howe the Iues dyd crye Crucifye hym crucifye hym The .xl. article THe .xl. article is the cryenge of the Iues to haue Christ crucifyed for when the bisshoppes and the other Iues had sene Christ so scornfully arayed so miserably scourged bet and mocked not content therwith nor yet alowynge the excusacyon of Pylate dyd crye Crucifige eum crucifige eum Crucifye hym crucifye hym they sayd twyse Crucify and that was to shewe theyr feruent desyre that they had to crucifye Christe and also for that they crucifyed hym both in wyl and in werke And as Rabanus sayth It had ben more profitable to theyr soules to haue sayde Miserere mei deus miserere mei Haue mercy vpon me O thou god haue mercy vpon me or els these wordes of the prophet Iohel Parce domine parce populo tuo Spare lorde spare thy people gyue not thyne inheritance in to rebukes and confusion let not the gentiles haue dominion vpon thy people the Iues these prayers had ben more conuenient for them but they were so malicyous that they cryed crucify crucifye hym and when they cryed thus it was the thyrde hour of the day that is .ix. of the clocke after our computation At that houre the Iues dyd crucifye Christ with theyr tongues As saynt Austen sayth and after this exposycyon the wordes of the euangeliste Marcus are to be vnderstanded where as he saythe Erat autem hora tertia et crucifixerunt eum It was y e thyrd hour of the day and the Iues dyd crucifye hym that is with theyr tongues c. openly shewynge therby that the tongues of the Iues were more to be sayd or called the sleyers of Christe than the handes of the saugiours And therfore this crye is conueniently assigned a specyall article of the passion of Christe They asked and cryed to haue Christe crucifyed whiche maner of deth was at that tyme of suche shame and confusion that after a persone ware put to suche a death he shulde neuer be remembred and spoken of agayne but to his euyl and despisyng and in a maner
and sorowe hope is the parte that is vpwarde feare is downwarde loue of the ryght syde and sorowe of the lefte parte the roote wherof all these do sprynge is charitye And herunto sayth the apostle In caritate radicati vt possitis comprehendere c. Be ye founded in charitie that ye maye comprehende and clerely se with all sayntes what is the length the brede the hyghte and the depenes In these wordes as saynte Austen sayth and also the glose ordinarye is playnly expressed the figure of the crosse and the misterie therof And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shulde ofte remember howe Christ dyd hyng bitwixt .ii. theues and remeÌ„bre therwith this lesson pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me a wretche wolde be crucified bitwyxt ii theues and wolde be reputed as one of them graunte that my spirite may be crucifyed bitwixt the flessh and the world that I may reste quietely in the in the middle the extremes that is the flesshe and the worlde crucified to me Amen ¶ Howe the saugiours diuided Christes garmentes The .liiii. article THe .liiii. article is the diuision of Christes garmentes for when the saugiours had crucified Christe they toke his garmentes deuyded them in to .iiii. partes to euery saugiour one parte for there were iiii hangmen and besydes those .iiii. partes Christ had an other cote that was hole vnsewed or without any seame for it was wouen or knytte Of this cote the saugiours or hang men sayd Non scindamus eam sed sottiamur de ea cuius sit We wyll not cut this cote but cast lottes who shall haue it and herin was fulfylled the scripture whiche sayth Diuiserunt sibi vestimenta mea et super vestem meam miserunt sortem The hangmen deuyded to them selfe my garmentes and they cast lottes vpon my garment This was a great abiection and vilanie to Christ as Crisostom saith for they dyd not so to the theues This thyng is onely done to vyle abiecte and condempned persons that haue nothynge but his garmentes And Theophylus sayth they dyd this to the rebuke and shame of Christ and of a wantones as yf they shulde say scornfully bicause he called hym selfe a kynge we wyll haue iche one of vs some of his royall or kynges roobes O meruelous pacyence and dispensacyon of the mercy of Christ whiche is the very lambe of god a shepe or a lambe doth bothe fede and cloth them that clyp hym and sley hym he feades them with his flesshe and body and clotheth them with his flees So our true lambe Iesu Christe dyd cloth those saugiours with his garmentes and also he feades vs daylye in the sacrament of the aulter with his precyous bodye flesshe and blode ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may note that charitie which after saynt Austen is signifyed by the cote without seames can not be deuyded and yet that same charitie doth knytte vertues togyther And also by that same cote is signifyed one holye catholical and vniuersall churche whiche gathereth all faythfull people in to one fayth which churche faith No man ought to deuyde by any scisme or heresye Of this churche speaketh the spouse in his canticles Vna est columba mea vna est perfecta mea My douue that is my spousesse symple as the douue is one my perfecte spousesse is but one and so theyr is but one churche as theyr is but one god one fayth and one baptisme ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde haue thy garmentes deuyded amonges thy crucifiers and wolde haue them cast lottes for thy vnsewed cote that was wouen or knyt and without seames graunt to me to take parte with thy saintes and to folowe theyr examples in the kepynge of thy commaundementes and that I maye euer keape thy charitie in me Amen ¶ Of the writynge of the title aboue Christes heade The .lv. article THe .lv. article is the superscription or wrytynge of the title for Pylate at the desyre of the Iues wrote a title expressynge the cause of Christes deth and this was it Iesus nazarenus rex iudeorum Iesus of Nazareth kynge of the Iues as if he shuld say Iesus of Nazareth was crucifyed bycause he is the kynge of the Iues. And this title was writen thus to separate the cause of his deth from the causes of the other .ii. that were crucifyed with hym and that for theyr euyll dedes and lyfe The Iues intended by this title as Theophilus sayth scornfully to rebuke the person of Christ which as they sayd made hym selfe a kyng so that the people passynge by and redynge this title shuld haue no compassion vpon hym but rather rebuke hym as a tyrante that wolde haue vsurped the kyngdome But Pylate wrote not as they wolde haue had hym to write that is that he made hym selfe the kynge of Iues but he wrote playnly that Iesus is the kynge of Iues. And herunto saynt Hierome sayth the Iues of enuy and to scorne Christe dyd speake for the writyngâ—of the title but the vertue and secreate power of god dyd ordre it otherwyse in the herte of Pylate thoughe he were ignorant and wyâ—t not what he dyd as the glose sayth For it was god that procured suche a title to be put aboue Christes heed that therby the Iues myghte knowe that Iesus was theyr kynge and that they culd not auoyde though they slewe hym for that purpose y t they wolde not knowe hym for theyr kynge that notwithstandynge it appered by the title that he was theyr kynge for his kyngdom or dignitie was not lost or hyndred by the deth of the crosse but rather confirmed stablysshed and the more strengthed as Bede saythe Also by this title Pylate commended Christe in .iii. thynges thoughe Pylate dyd not so intende for the deth of Christe was firste the cause of the remission of our synnes and that is noted in this worde Iesus a sauiour Secondly the deth of Christ is the cause meritorious of our grace that we haue aâ—d that is noted in this worde Nazarenus that is as moche to saye as florisshynge for by grace we florisshe in all vertues Thyrdly by the deth of Christe we be made enheritours of the kyngdome of god noted in these wordes Rex iudeorum The kyng of Iues that is of all faithfull people that truely confesse god and by this kyng we all shal be kynges in glorie And when many of the Iues had red this title and perceyued that it was to theyr infamy sclaunder sayd to Pylate Noli scribere râ—x iudeorum sed quia ipse dixit rex sum iudeorum wryte not thus the kynge of Iues but that he sayd I am the kyng of the Iues then Pylate sayd Quod scripsi scripsi That I haue writen I haue writen as if he shuld say It is true that I haue writen and therfore I wyl not chauÌ„ge it I wyll not
as the Iues ben gathered togyther and I spaketh nothynge in priuye corners therfore inquere of them that harde me for they can tell what I haue sayde and taught and here our lorde dyd so moderate his answere that nother he wolde hyde the treuthe nor yet be sene to defende hym self gyuynge to vs a fourme and a maner howe to answere moderately vnto our aduersaries so that we nother hyde the treuth nor yet prouoke or moue them agaynst vs with our wordê Then one of the mynysters smote Chryste vpon the cheke sayenge Sic respondes pontifici Is this a good answere vnto the bishop This stroke was so myghtye and greate that the sownde therof was herde ouer all the palace and it was so strongly gyuen that the prynte of his fyngurs remayned in Christes cheke whiche prynte we may well se and perceyue in the image of his face that he gaue to the blessed woman called Veronica This image was lately in Rome and it shulde seame that he myghte not gyue â—o sore a stroke with his bare hande and therfore it is moche lykly that he smote Christ with his gawntlette sayng Is this a good answere vnto a bisshop this he spake with great arrogance and prowdly without ony reuerence vnto Christ and this he dyd to please and flatter the bysshop Of this stroke saint Ambrose saith That it was so paynfull that it had ben sufficyent for mannes redemption It was so vehement that therby all his teeth in his hed were moued or lowsed and also his nose and his mouth gusshed out of blode Our lorde wolde abuÌ„dantly and plentuously satisfye for our synnes And therfore he most hygh in noblenes was smyten of a vyle wretche god was smyten of a synner the lord of his seruant the creature of his creature the gouerner of the hole worlde of a vyle porcyon of the same worlde the moste mercyful redemer was smyten of hym whom he came to redeme if he wolde receyue it This coÌ„tumely with many other that foloweth our lord suffred for vs with al pacieÌ„ce mildnes so that with great myldnes he answered to hym that smote hym Si male locutus sum testimonium perhibe de malo c. If I haue spoken euell beare witnes agaynst me of that euyll But if I haue answered well truly and conueniently wherfore dost thou smyte me This answere of Christ as saint Austen sayth was not spoken of any impacyence but gentely and swetely he dyd reproue that seruaunt and called vnto his mynde his vnkyndnes And herunto saynt Barnarde sayth O merueylous greate vnkyndnes this same Malchus whom our lorde but a lytyl byfore dyd cure and heale his ryght heare the whiche Peter dyd smyte of He nowe was bolde to smyte so cruelly his lorde god and curer O good Iesu in what compaigney arte thou nowe howe moch was thy pacyence Howe great was theyr crueltye and inpacyence But wyll they nyll they thy pacyence ouercometh theyr malyce thy loue theyr enuy and thy pitye theyr crueltye And thus ye may se that this smytyng is coÌ„ueniently noÌ„bred amongê the articles of Christes passyon also therin was fulfylled the sayng of y e ê“phet Dabit ê‘cutieÌ„ti se maxillaÌ„ he shall offer his cheke to the smyter And an other prophet saith Percutient maxillam iudicis Israel they shall smyte the cheke of the iudge of Israell This stroke was fygured in Michea whiche was smyten vpon the cheke bycause he sayde the treuthe vnto Achab the kynge of Israell as it is writen in the thyrde boke of the kynges ¶ Here foloweth a lesson OF this article we may take this lesson sythe that Christe wolde be buffeted and smyten for vs it is coÌ„uenient that we stoppe our mouthes that we speake no thyng contrary the honour of god and also that we excite and moue our selfe to speake and do that is good And in all iniuries and contumelies done vnto vs that we haue pacyence by the example of Christe whiche dyd vouchsafe to gyue vs specyally in this poynte an example of great pacyence And also a man to conforme hym selfe vnto this article may to remember the great stroke of Christe gyfe hym selfe a moderate clappe or stroke for all his lyes euyll and vayne wordes and then pray on this maner ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde be smytten for me moste vnworthy of the vyle minister and seruant of Annas grauÌ„t to me I beseche the thy grace that I may stoppe my mouthe from all euyll and vayne speache and that I neuer cease frome thy laude and praysynges Amen ¶ Howe Iesus was presented vnto Cayphas The .xii. article THe .xii. article of the presentacyon of Christe vnto Cayphas whan our lorde had taken that great stroke in the house of Annas shortly after Annas sent Christ bound as gyltye and worthy death and therunto condempned by hym he sent hym I say vnto Caiphas gyuyng thankes vnto the ministres that it wolde so please them to brynge Christe first vnto hym Annas I say sent Christe to Cayphas for he was the chiefe bishop for that yere and so to him it apperteyneth principally to entreat of the condemnacyon and death of Christ and for the same cause there were gathered a great companye of preestes and scribes in the forsayde house of Cayphas to counsell herin In this house of Caiphas Christe dyd abyde vnto the moornynge at the whiche tyme he was ledde vnto Pylate And in this house he suffred .iii. thynges that were moche paynfull to hym that is the false witneshyng the crafty adiuracyon and the most dispitefull confutacyon as it shall appere in the articles folowyng And here note that this presentacyon was more greuous vnto Christ than the first that was to Annas for this Cayphas was the cheyfe bysshop for that yere And also he was more crafty and more malicyous than Annas and that well appereth by the interpretacyon of his name Cayphas is as moche to say by interpretacyon as a crafty or wyly searcher for he more craftely dyd searche for false witneshes agaynst Christe whan he coulde fynde no conuenient testimonye agaynst hym then he malicyously and craftely by hym self toke occasyon in our lordes wordes of his dampnacyon as we shall declare hereafter in the xiiii article O how payneful is it to a good man to be presented before suche a iudge so craftie so captious so malicyous and replete with all enuy It is sayd that from the house of Annas vnto Cayphas house were an hundreth neynty .iiii. passes by the whiche space about .xxx. tymes they condemned hym and spued or spyt vpon hym bisydes many other tormeÌ„tes paynes ¶ Here folowe .ii. lesson OF this article we may note .ii. lessons The firste that the seruantes of god shuld not be moche afrayd to be presented before euyll and wicked iudges For the more wicked the iudge is the more grace therby commeth to the seruauntes of god Exemples herof we haue in the glorious