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
with me that moch profyt and comforth myght come to them that shal rede this boke and folowe the exercices therof And thus I coÌ„mende you and all youres to the passion of our lorde From Syon the .vi. day of Decembre 1533. ¶ your dayly oratour Iohan Fewterer ✚ ⧠⧠⧠The Prologue ☞ Inspice et fac secundum exemplar quod tibi monstratum est in monte Exodi 25. D. BEholde and worke accordyngly to the examplar that is shewed vnto the iÌ„ the mounâ— Christ althoughe oftymes in scripture be compared to a mount or so called for the excellency of his moste hyghe perfection yet moste specially in that he was exalted on the crosse in the mount of Caluary he may be called a mount or the excelleÌ„t merit of his moste bitter and sacrate passion In this mount that is in Christ crucified is this day that is by all the tyme of our lyfe shewed vnto vs a glasse or an examplar whome we shuld nat onely beholde but also with moste deligence folowe his steppes for it is nat sufficient to a christian to beholde Christ crucified For so dyd the Iues and also the gentyls his crucifiers But it is required of a Christian y t he lyue and worke accordyngly to the exaÌ„plar shewed to hym in y e mount that is Christe crucified And that is the intent of our fyrst wordes spoken to euery faythful person Beholde and worke accordyngly to the example of Christe crucified Behoâ—de I say hym incorporatyng or depely knittyng his paynfull passion vnto thy hert by inward compassion And worke accordyngly vnto his example vnfaynedly folowyng hym For so saynt Petre teachethe vs sayng Christus passus est pro nobis Christ suffred for vs. This is the fyrst thyng that we shulde diligently beholde with the inwarde ey of our soule Christ crucified And it foloweth Nobis relinquens exemplum vt sequamur vestigia eius Leuyng to vs an example that we myght folowe his steppes In ordryng our lyfe accordyngly to his wyll and example And this is the second thyng belongyng to a christian vnfaynedly and truely to folowe his sauiours example And in these two thynges shall stande the hole suÌ„me of our purpose and of this treatise which be necessary to be ofte remembred vnto the Christian For if the lyues passions of holy sayntes and martyrs be recounted to man to induce hym into deuotion of herte to contricion for his synnes to the loue of god despisyng of the world and patient sufferance or bearyng of tribulations and paynes how moche more than shuld the passion of Christ be remembred and preached whiche is moste holy of al sayntes ye the sanctifier of al sayntes lorde and god ouer al the iudge of quicke the resurrection or reasex of the deed This passion I say shuld be remembred that men hearyng it myght knowe how moche god the father hated synne for the destruction wherof he wold haue the preciouse blode of his moste deare beloued onely son shed vpon the erthe with moste greuouse tormentes and woundes and also that man myght knowe how moche he loued mankynde for whose saluacion he wold gyue his only sonne to so cruell tormentes paynfull death Thyrdly that we should knowe how preciouse and deare a thyng is the kyngdom of heuen which he wold nat open and gyue vnto mankynd but by the preciouse blode and deth of his naturall sonne Iesu Christe And fourthly to declare vnto vs howe moche he soueth and reioyceth in the penaunce of man for the declaration and example wherof he wold his deare byloued sonne to be nayled fast vnto the crosse and spred abrode on y e same as a boke open wherin we myght rede and lerne howe to do penaunce What other thyng do signifie vnto vs his teares or wepyng his sorow his woundes his armes spred abrode and his moste swete and godly wordes but mocioÌ„s and callynges vnto penaunceâ— He hath called vs vnto penauÌ„ce by his worde by his Euangely and moste of all by his holy lyfe and example Therfore behold and loke vpon this examplar glasse loke vpon the face of thy sauiour Christ and worke accordyngly to the exemplar that is shewed to the in the mount of Caluarye And if this spectacle or glasse ought to be beholden at all tymes moche more than it shuld be coÌ„sydered this tyme whaÌ„ the churche remembreth the passion of our sauiour Christe that by the consyderyng therof our soule myght be excited moued to gyue thankes to god for it and also to haue coÌ„passion in our soule of Christ crucified For as almyghty god sayth by his prophet Moises Anima que non fuerit afflicta die hac peribit de populo suo That soule or ê‘son which wyl nat take vpoÌ„ hym some payne affliction or compassion this day or tyme of the passion of our lorde shal peryshe from his people that is shall nat be accompted or taken for a christian Therfore let vs say in signe and token of compassion that whiche saynt Bernard sayd in his mournyng Quis dabit capiti meo aquam c. Who shall grauÌ„t or gyue water vnto me heade or the fountayne and well of teares vnto myne yen that I myght wepe both day and nyght vnto the tyme my lord appere vnto his seruauÌ„t and comfort hym eyther slepyng or wakyng O ye swete teares by whom commeth the plentuouse ryuers of graces O ye deuote teares the aboundaunt fountayne of my helth come into my hert flowe out of myne yen fall vpon my chekes make my mournyng bitter Also in an other place saynt Bernard mouethe vs to the beholdyng of this exaÌ„plar our sauiour crusified saynge in the person of Christ O thou maÌ„ beholde what I suffred for the Se the crosse on the whiche for thy loue I dyed Beholde the nayles wherwith my handes and my fete ware persed and fasâ—ened to the crosse for thy synne Is this no sorowe and payne that I suffered for the And thoughe this outward sorowe payne be moche greuouse yet moche more paynfull it is to me inwardly to se the so vnkynde for whom I suffred all these greuouse tormentes and paynes Wherfore o thou christiaÌ„ behold Christ crucified gyue hym thankes for his kyndnes lesse ê‘aduenture thou mayste hear the rebuke that was spoken vnto .ix. leprose cured by our sauiour Iesu to whose rebuke he sayd Nonne decem mundati sunt et noueÌ„ vbi sunt Was there nat .x. persons cured and but one that was a strauÌ„ger y t gyueth thaÌ„kes for his benefyt receyued wher be y e other .ix. Behold I say Christe crucified remeÌ„bre his kindnes accordyng to y e couÌ„cell of y e wyse maÌ„ sayng Gratiam fide iussoris tui ne obliuiscaris dedit enim pro te animam suam Forget nat y e kyndnes of thy suerte or frende for he hathe gyuen his lyfe for the this shulde be diligently remembred ¶ Here endeth the prologue ¶ The diuision of this
had done I suppose hyr virginall hert wolde haue broken for sorow But bycause she knew it nat they wēt quietly to supper At the whiche supper Iudas set hym bytwyxte Iesus and his mother Mary for a token or sygne that shortely by his treason he wold diuide them a sunder And at this supper Christ declared ordinately the misteries of his passion And in his preachynge whan he beholdynge Iudas remembred his falsnes and dampnacion Christe waxed very pale For as saynte Thomas sayeth Amonges all the passions of the soule heuynes doeth moost noy and hurte the body and altre the body And whan supper was done the vyrgyn Mary sayd to hyr sonne Iesus My swete sonne I wolde speke with the secretely And than she sayd O my confort and my lyght say to me the trouth why wast thou so pale at supper what ment thy wepyng and depe syghynges My herte was almoost broken thereby And than Iesus sayd to his mother O my blessed mother thou remēbrest for what cause I was incarnate and made man in thy wombe therfore sith thou woldest knowe the cause of my heuynes this is it The tyme is cum and the houre is at hande that I shall be departed from the by my moost bytter passion that I shall suffre for the redemption of man Therfore whan I actually remēbre this it causeth suche heuynes in me Than whan the vyrgyn Mary herd for a certeinty that the deathe of hyr sonne was so nyghe at hande Ah good lorde how moche dyd she sorow What wepynges sobbynges and syghynges had she Euery motherly hert may imagyn And than after hyr wepynges she wyllyng to moue hyr sonne to sum other maner way of redemption for the saluacion of man said My dere sonne I knowe that thy heuenly father hathe decreed with his mercy to redeme mankynde but all thynges be possible to thy father and to the. Wherfore yf it wolde please thy father the thou myght redeme mankynde by an other way than by thy passion Sithe therfore thou maist so do I beseche the it may so be Hereunto Iesus aunswered O my moost swete mother I knowe thy loue and charitie towardes me but good mother I must nedes more obey to god my father of whome I haue my godhed than to the of whome onely I haue my manhoode This same wednysday Mary Magdalene sent a messanger vnto Hierusalem to here and knowe what was there spoken of Iesu And this messanger sayde that it was decreed by the councell of the Phariseis that Iesus shulde dye and how that they wold crucifie hym And than the virgyn Mary with Mary Magdalene and Martha cam vnto Iesu and sayd O moost pitiouse confortour go nat into Hierusalem for they haue concluded agaynste the they wyll slee the. Abyde here we shall prepare the Paschall lambe for the. Hereunto Iesus sayde O my deare mother O Magdalene O Martha The tyme determyned by my father is cum that I shulde redeme mankynde It is necessary that my fathers wyll be fulfyllyd Than the virgyn Mary sayd to hym O my moost dere belouyd sonne O my lyfe light of myne iyen yf thou wylte nedes go into Hierusalem and dye suffre me to dye with the or els before the. Iesus aunswered sayd O my moost kynde mother all my disciples shall forsake me and the faythe shall perysshe and cease in them for the tyme of my passion therfore it is necessarye that thou abyde with theym bothe to confyrme them in faythe and also to conforte them O my swete mother I thanke the with all my herte for all thy benefytes and kyndenes that thou haste done to me Here frendes loke vppon hyr motherly herte and consydre what heuynes and sorow she had herynge these wordes of hyr dere sonne Iesus Erly on the thursday in the mornyng they bothe kneled downe and kyssynge to gyther toke theyr leue with many teares wepynges And as saynt Austen sayeth Libro de verbis domini Whan they went to gyther the virgyn mary sayd O my moost swete sonne I shall no more here the. O ioy full of the pleasure of paradyse I shal no more touche the. O thou consolacion of the worlde I wyll neuer leue the. Yf thou go I wyll go Yf thou stande I wyll stande And than Iesus aunswered with a wepynge and mournynge voice O my dere mother why doest thou trouble me with thy wepynge sithe the heuynes that I haue for my passion is sufficient for me So ofte doeth the swerde of sorow perce my herte as ofte as I se the wepe or any teare fall frō thyne iyen Wherefore I beseche the moost naturall and louynge mother to go with my welbelouyd Magdalene into hyr house to whō I commende the and so with great sorow departed And at this moost heuy departynge she sayd vnto Iudas O Iudas I commende my moost dere beloued son vnto the. Yf thou here any thynge contrary to hym shew hym of it that he may be the more ware And herof sayeth saynt Bernarde O blyssed vyrgyn Mary thou dyd nat know that thou commended thy moost innocent sonne to a foxe moost false and subtile Thy moost mekest lambe to a wolfe Thy sonne very truthe to a crafty lyer And so the sorowfull mother departed from hyr sonne seynge that it wolde be non otherwyse O what suppose you sayd than Magdalene Martha and other women there presente vnto our lady Let euery man thynke as his deuocion seruyth hym I thynke they myght say as it is wryten in the Canticles O moost goodly of all women whyther is thy moost dere beloued gone Where hathe he hyd hym selfe We wyll go serche hym with the. And the sorowfull vyrgyn myghte aunswere My conforte my lyfe my sonne doeth go in a strayt and harde way byset rounde about with his enemies c. ¶ The .ix. particle Of the supper or maundie of our lorde WHan the tyme of the miseracions and mercies of our lorde was cum in the whiche he had disposed to saue his people to redeme theym nat with corruptyble golde or syluer but with his owne preciouse blood before he shoulde departe frome his disciples by his corporall dethe he wolde make vnto them a supper for a signe memoriall of thynges past and also to fulfyll the misteries that were to be fulfylled Therefore our lorde Iesus required of his disciples where and in what place he wolde haue the Paschall lambe prepared for hym and them He sente Peter and Iohn̄ to one of his louers in the mounte of Syon where as was a goodly and a great chambre strewed and made redy for hym and there they prepared the Paschall lambe for hym By Peter is signified good operacion or actyue lyfe And by Iohn̄ is noted deuoute contemplacion These .ii. prepare the Pascall lambe that is they dispose a man duely and reuerētly to receyue the holy body of our lorde signified by the Paschall lambe They prepare this spirituall lambe in a greate
seache the I knowe not but in heueÌ„ coÌ„mauÌ„de therfore swete Iesu my soule to departe fro my body that I may fynde the in heuen where as thou syttes on the ryght hande of thy father in great glory And with these wordes he yelded vp his spirit without any sorowe A prayer O Iesu our crowne and glory whiche rysyng from death dyd ascende vnto the ryght hande of thy father drawe my soule vnto the that I myght feruently seache and desyre y e onely grauÌ„t to me I beseache the that I maye with all my desyre and studye come to that place to the whiche as I stedfastly belyue thou hast ascended And that I beyng here in body may be with the in loue and desyre that my hert may be there where as thou art my loue and treasure moste to be louyd and desyred Drawe me after the that by thy grace I asceÌ„dyng from vertue to vertue may deserue to se the my lorde god in the heuenly Syon Amen ¶ Of the sendyng of the holy ghost The .ix. Chapitre THe L. day after y e Resurrection of Christ and the .x. day after the Ascension that is on wytsonday whan the discyples of Christe were gadred to gether in the place of mount Syon where as he made his supper both men women to the nombre of C.xx or there about there contynuyng in prayer and abydyng the comyng of the holy ghost acordyng to promysse of Christ about the thyrd houre of that same daye there cam sodenly from heuen a wonderfull noyse or sounde as if it had bene the commynge of a great wynde and it fylled all the house and there appered vnto them clouen tonges or dyuyded as they had ben fyre And here note that the gyftes of the holy ghost be not gyuen but to them whiche be gadred to gyther by vnite or one assent in vertue and lyfted vp by desyre vnto heueÌ„ly thynges Also the .vii. gyftes of the holy ghost be conueniently signified or shewed by fyre Fyrst for the holy ghost doth purge lyke as fyre doth and that is by the gyft of feare Secondly as the fyre doth melt so doth the holy ghost by the gyft of pytie Thyrdly he beautyfieth and maketh fayre by the gyfte of science or knowlege Fourthly he strenghtheth by the gyft of strenght Fyftly he lyfteth vp the soule by the gyft of councell Syxtly he doth illumyne or lyghten the soule by the gyft of vnderstandyng And seuently he doth make swete and pleasant by the gyfte of wysdom And all that compaigny ware fylled with the holy ghost and so began to speake dyuers speaches or langages that is whan they spake ony thyng to the glory of god euery nacion ê‘ceyued that speache as theyr owne speache for so it sounded to them and so they spake after the mocion of the holy ghost and as he gaue to theÌ„ vtterauÌ„ce whiche dyuydeth and gyueth his grace to euery person after his wyll and pleasure where he wyl whaÌ„ he wyll asmoche as it pleaseth hym by what maner he wyll and to whome he wyll Peraduenture thou wyll aske this question Syth the ways and operacions of god the holy ghost be vnserchable and can nat be perceyued howe may I knowe that the holy ghost is in me Surely I may greatly coniecture his presence in me by the good mocions of my hert Also I may aduerte and consydre the power of his â—tue in me by that I auoyde all carnall vyces and subdewe al inordinate affections Also I may perceyue his wysdom in me by the ofte discussion of my conscience and rebukyng of my selfe for my synnes Also I may suppose his goodnes and myldnes to rest in me by the amendement of my maners and lyuyng And also by the reformacion renouation of my spirite I may coniecture the same Let euery man looke well in his owne hert If he loue his neyghbour it is a signe that the spirite of god is in hym Also if he loue peace and vnite and that in al the membres of Christes churche through out al the worlde And note here that these signes be taken dyuersly in dyuers degrees of persons For the holy doth inspire he doth enhabite doth replenishe or fulfyll he doth inspire or come to the begynners he doth inhabite the profyters and he doth fulfyll the perfyt ê‘sons The signes or tokens of the holy ghost wherby he is perceyued to inspire the begynners ben iii. after saynt Bernard Fyrst is contricion or sorowe for the synnes paste For the holy ghost hateth the fylth y e syn and wyll not inhabite nor come to that ê‘son that is subdewed to syn Seconde signe is a firme and a sure purpose to beware and auoyde al synne here after and this purpose is nat had without the grace of y e holy ghost assistyng and helâ—yng our infirmite and frayltie Thyrd signe is a diligent redines to do good For the loue of god which is the holy ghost is neuer ydle but always redy to do good There be also .iii. tokens wherby we may coniecture that the holy ghost doth inhabite the profiters that goo forward in vertue Fyrst is the deligent true and ofte examination of his conscience nat onely of mortall synnes but also of veniall synnes for as the grace of the holy ghost is contrary to mortall synne so is the feruour of charite whiche also coÌ„meth of the holy ghost contrary to veniall syn and expelleth it out of the soule that in nothynge he shuld desplease the holy ghost and hynder the soule from the ê“fytyng in vertue The second to keÌ„ is the mynyshyng or subdewyng of the inordinate concupiscence for the more that charite is encresed in the soule of the ê“fyter the more is his soule remoued from the loue of temporall thynges Thyrd signe is the diligent keapyng of the coÌ„maundementes of god which can nat be had without true loue There be also .iii. other signes by the whiche we may coniecture that the holy ghost doth fulfyl the perfyte persoÌ„s Fyrst is the manifestacion or shewyng of the godly truthe For sytghe the holy ghost is the spirit of truth it is his propertie to teache and shewe all truthe necessarie for man and therfore wher he fulfylleth there he sheweth all godly truthe necessarie for that soule Second signe is whan a person feareth nothyng but god for perfyt charite putteth a way all seruile or worldly feare And therfore saynt Paule sayth Vbi spiritus domini ibi libertas where as is the spirite of god there is libertie and no vayne feare For liberty can nat stande with y t seruile feare Thyrd signe is whan a maÌ„ of the vehemeÌ„t loue that he hath to god desireth to be desolued and departed from this myserable lyfe and to be with Christ Besyde all these tokens there be other thre wherby a man may coÌ„iecture y t he hath the holy ghost And for this cause the holy ghost appered in .iii. similitudes or lykenes